Chapter 98

"Well then, hahaha. It's about time this old lady gets to work, isn't it?"

Saying that, Marie stepped forward, still bent over. At 83 years old, her posture was that of an elderly person, but she still exuded a vibrant and spirited presence.

We were now on the third floor, just starting down the path. The second floor was unremarkable; the monsters that appeared were taken down one by one by Mr. Suzuyama, and that was it.

"Sure is exciting. Actually, this is the first time I've seen Marie in action."

"Is that so, Suzuyama? I remember accompanying you, Mabashi, and Hiyazawa on a business trip to America five years ago, where we helped Marie take down Sandarizigoku."

"At that time, I was working in Japan... You must be confusing me with Suzuki..."

"Is that so? I see."

No, Kano, you're so uninterested in your colleagues! Even if it was five years ago, I feel like you should remember the people you went on overseas business trips with.

Suzuyama's grim expression was heart-wrenching. I'm sure the Suzuki he confused him with would have a similar look.

Still, it seems that Suzuyama, like me, is seeing Marie in action for the first time. Kano, as she mentioned, has fought alongside her at least once, so she must have some idea of what to expect.

Kano turned to me and Suzuyama and said,

"According to the previous explorer's certificate, Marie is an expert in iaido. She wields it at a level close to 1500, so the term 'godspeed' is too tame. Let's call it 'ultra-godspeed.'"

"Don't flatter me, Kano. My technique might be good, but my body has long since declined."

"Even in that state, she took down a monster that multiple S-rank explorers found tough with a single strike."

"Five years is a long time, hahaha."

Marie's carefree and confident demeanor was terrifying. Even though a monster might attack at any moment, she remained as calm as ever.

I swallowed hard. If what Kano said is true, it must be so fast that even with a keen eye, it's impossible to see. I don't know how much I can keep up, but it's for my own improvement.

We were about to enter the room. I had to watch her technique carefully—

"Hahaha, you saw it, Kōhei. Impressive."

—no, not just that!

She moved, just now! Light! It was an instant, no, even shorter. Faster than a static spark. I barely saw it. Not just the movement, but how the enemy was cut down and disappeared.

What I did see, however, was this:

The cane that supported her bent back gradually glowed, leaving a faint trail of a dull blade as it executed a lethal strike.

I watched in shock as the enemy, which should have been something, turned to dust and disappeared. Still, I shouted,

"…Iaido!? You just drew, right? A hidden blade cane!"

"Correct! Impressive, you've got a keen eye, hahaha!"

This seemingly ordinary old lady was laughing joyfully. She had just demonstrated an attack so fast that no one could see it, right in front of everyone.

She lifted the cane slightly. Upon closer inspection, it was a sword and scabbard. A hidden blade cane—designed to look like a normal cane in everyday scenes. I never would have guessed.

"It's cheap, but it's just right for cutting and slashing. I used to have a proper one, but as you get older, hahaha. You need something convenient more than something fancy, hahaha!"

"I couldn't see it... I couldn't even tell what the enemy was. Kano, what about you?"

"I'm not sure if I saw it as clearly as Kōhei, but I did catch a glimpse. To be honest, I couldn't see it the first time I encountered it five years ago."

Suzuyama shuddered in awe. Kano, despite showing a cold sweat, spoke calmly. She seemed to have been able to follow Marie's movements with her eyes.

That said, Suzuyama isn't particularly inferior in this case. Given that Kano is on par with S-rank and I can keep up with her, we managed to see it.

We continued down the path, now free of any threats.

Marie, still walking confidently ahead, asked me,

"Kōhei, do you watch period dramas?"

"Uh... not really."

"I'm quite a fan, you know."

It was a sudden question, but it made sense. This must be about the roots of Marie's combat style. Her love for period dramas, which led her to specialize in iaido, and her subsequent obsession with the skill, seemed to fit.

"Especially the ones where a blind master performs a grand performance with a hidden blade cane, hahaha."

"Is that why you use a hidden blade cane?"

"Even the way I hold it in reverse. Next time, I'll show it more clearly, so watch closely."

As we entered the next room, Marie said this.

The enemy's silhouette appeared. It was a werewolf, one I recognized from the stampede we faced before. It glared at us with open hostility, but Marie approached without hesitation.

"Today, I'll show you one of my tricks—"

"Roar, ah!?"

As soon as she was in range, the werewolf, known for its agility, lunged at her.

But before it could even act, the old lady was already in its midst.

"Iaido, Great Katana · Big Ben"

She drew the hidden blade in reverse, executing a large reverse diagonal slash, a move so fast it left no time to breathe. She deliberately made it visible to us, yet it was still too fast to see clearly. It was a two-hit combo that left us breathless.

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14th place in the overall weekly ranking and 5th place in the monthly ranking.

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