Chapter 231: Tuition Fees (7)  

” M-Mr. Vikir. That woman… is probably ‘that woman.'”

MiniPin, a Mid-Tier Graduator, said with trembling hands. This indicated his sensitivity and sharpness.

A skilled person recognizes another skilled person. The higher the skill level, the higher the understanding.

“….”

So Vikir, too, was squinting at the woman in front of him.

‘Ms. Ouroboros.’

A villain who, despite the relentless pursuit of the Imperial Guards, has never been revealed, not even once.

Moreover, the number of major facilities she has destroyed within the Imperial territory is almost in the triple digits.

Yet, no one knows the identity of this villain. Not even her strength, skills, or main weapon.

It was because all the witnesses either died or went insane.

‘….Still, the guess about her gender was correct.’

Vikir, recognizing that the opponent was not an easy enemy, raised his vigilance.

Miss Ouroboros had a very unique appearance.

A helmet with two large snake scales protruding like horns, a mask with lightning patterns twisted and torn like a torn mask.

And she was covered in shiny black tights, with a long cloak and scarf draped around her.

Due to abnormally high heels, her already tall stature appeared even taller.

In her hand, she held a whip, and it seemed to leave traces as if a snake had passed.

[Hohohoho~ have mice crawled into my savings box?]

A distorted high-pitched voice echoed through the wind holes in the mask’s mouth.

Miss Ouroboros, who had landed on the ground, raised her face with the mask to look at Vikir.

In an instant.

“……!”

Miss Ouroboros, looking at Vikir’s face, twitched slightly.

“….?”

Vikir narrowed his eyes.

Because Miss Ouroboros changed her momentum from the moment their eyes met.

Kugugugugu…

A formidable aura began to crush the surrounding ten meters.

[Those who touch other people’s savings boxes must pay the price.]

At the same time, the whip flew.

Zzak – Puck!

The whip, with thorns like rose vines, easily crushed the hard rock floor.

It was a sight like beating a green melon with a club.

‘Quite a thick aura, Most probably a high-tier Graduator, maybe even stronger.’

Vikir admired the unexpected strength of Miss Ouroboros.

The aura was as dense as boiling asphalt. With that level of skill, she might have reached a high rank in the Imperial Army.

‘After becoming a Sword Master, I’ve never really tried my newfound strength. Maybe this is a good opportunity.’

But now, with his face exposed, Vikir was still a first-year student at the Academy.

He might not have minded in night hound mode, but now he couldn’t afford to fight openly like this. Especially against such a dangerous figure within Imperial territory.

At that moment, MiniPin murmured in a small voice.

“Sir, if you follow down this slope, there is an office. It’s also the patrol time of the Imperial Guard in this area.”It’s quite nice to see MiniPin not only fleeing alone but also taking care of the client until the end. Nodding in agreement with MiniPin’s advice, Vikir stepped back.

Just then,

[Where do you think you’re going?]

Miss Ouroboros’ whip flew again.

“…!”

Vikir quickly turned his head aside.

Swish – Puck!

A sharp wind touched Vikir’s left cheek. The aura-covered whip swiftly cut down the nearby trees again.

Miss Ouroboros’ whip had a pointed end, capable of stabbing like a spear or cutting like a knife. Avoiding the sharp end was possible, but it made the situation even more annoying due to the various angles and persistent winding.

“Hmm. Escaping entirely seems difficult.”

Vikir, with a grimace, continued to retreat. As the whip coiled up and down, avoiding the striking point several times, Miss Ouroboros’ momentum became increasingly vicious.

[Ha, see this? You had me believing that you were hiding your skills, you little bitch.]

Miss Ouroboros amplified the aura on her whip even more.

Puck – Thud – Clang!

Miss Ouroboros’ strength, which turned the surroundings into a mess, was a formidable weapon.

With the aura infused, the whip drew an infinite trajectory like the snake of Ouroboros, eventually forming a spherical shape that encircled Miss Ouroboros’s body.

Creak!

Everything that touched the sphere of aura was torn and shattered.

…Boom!

Except for one thing.

[…!?]

Miss Ouroboros was perplexed as she saw her whip suddenly bend in a ‘L’ shape and bounce back.

A whip is a difficult weapon to handle, and once control is lost, it becomes a dangerous object that can harm even its owner.

Puff!

Miss Ouroboros’s whip hit nothing but empty air, and it spun around aimlessly.

Due to this, Miss Ouroboros almost suffered a blow from her own whip.

[What’s this?]

She tilted her head, as if not understanding. However, Vikir simply flicked his left sleeve.

“Well done. But don’t step in next time. It’s dangerous.”

[Hack-hack.]

Baby Madam on Vikir’s wrist emitted an annoyed expression with a hiss.

Around Miss Ouroboros, transparent webs set by the baby madam were tightly woven.

Simultaneously, the baby madam exhaled a toxic mist, obscuring Miss Ouroboros’s vision.

[What’s this? What’s with this horrifying mist…]

As Miss Ouroboros waved her hand annoyingly,

“Sir! Now!”

Surprisingly, MiniPin raised a knife.

With all his strength, he injected aura into the knife and threw it with determination.

It was a Mid-Tier Graduator’s blow, Miss Ouroboros had no choice but to use her whip to block it. At that moment, Vikir drew a bow.

Black Bow Anubis.

Five arrows were pulled simultaneously, creating a black trajectory that shot toward the enemy.

…!Miss Ouroboros quickly retrieved her whip, but due to the spider webs laid by the baby madam throughout the forest, her speed was slowed.

Puff-puff-puff-puff!

The three arrows collided with the whip and were deflected, but one arrow flew true on its intended trajectory.

“Hmm?”

While nocking the next arrow during the reload, Vikir noticed something peculiar.

One of the arrows he had just shot had grazed Miss Ouroboros’s left cheek.

Miss Ouroboros, being a skilled individual of her caliber, should have been able to notice and dodge a projectile of that speed. However, for some reason, her reaction was slightly delayed to attacks coming from the left.

Shooting alternately to the right and left again confirmed the same pattern.

A subtle difference that only a skilled individual would notice.

“What’s wrong with her left side?”

Vikir aimed Anubis towards the left side of Miss Ouroboros and let the arrow fly.

The arcing arrows relentlessly targeted the left side of Miss Ouroboros’s face.

[This guy again…! Where did he even get that strange bow?!]

And as Miss Ouroboros continued to react, her inexplicable anger towards the attacks grew.

Just then,

Peeing- Pwoong!

The night sky suddenly brightened.

Red fireworks shot up, creating a bright column of light.

MiniPin. He had run towards the carriage, firing the signal flare that hunters use when they are in distress.

“…”

Miss Ouroboros turned her head, annoyed.

From the mysterious webs, poisonous black mist that had been thickening, and Vikir’s skill with the peculiar bow, it was evident that he was far beyond the abilities of a first-year academy student.

Miss Ouroboros was infuriated by Vikir’s skill, which seemed as if he had been a hunter in the forest for decades, skillfully dodging and countering attacks.

However,

“What’s this loud noise?”

“I thought a hunter was in distress, but… it doesn’t seem like it’s a simple matter.”

“The ground is shaking even hundreds of meters away! Request support immediately!”

“Halt the march! Assume combat positions from now on!”

The approaching sounds from below the hill were undoubtedly signals of reinforcements coming towards the direction where the flare was shot.

Coincidentally, a unit of the Imperial Army seemed to be marching nearby.

[Hohoho – Seems like I’m having bad luck.]

Miss Ouroboros retrieved her whip with an irritated attitude.

And then, she shot a stern gaze towards Vikir, who had distanced himself.

[Well, fine. We’ll meet again, won’t we cutie~?]

She casually touched the area around her left face covered by the mask with her hand.

And in the blink of an eye, she leaped into the air, landing on the tree branches, and disappeared.

It was an exit as swift as her appearance.

“Sir, are you alright?”

MiniPin, out of breath, ran towards Vikir while blowing a whistle to inform the Imperial Army of their location.

Vikir, still nonchalant, just nodded his head.

“The signal flare. The timing was good.”

“Don’t mention it. Luckily, we had some stocked in the carriage as a backup.”

Ignoring MiniPin’s embarrassed smile, Vikir turned his head again to look at the forest.

The forest was now quiet as if asking when it had been noisy. The sound of rustling branches and leaves in the wind.

Miss Ouroboros, melted into the darkness, was no longer visible.

All that remained at the scene were large snake-like imprints on the ground, just like any other time.