Instead of leaping into action or something like that, the young swordsman tilted his head in confusion after his dramatic entrance.
“Hmm, it’s somehow different from what I expected. A normal mimic doesn’t feel like that, and it’s different from a treasure chest too. What is it?”
Yeah. He’s totally underestimating me. Wait, this guy’s stabbed treasure chests before?! Why in the world would he do that? Actually, that doesn’t matter. Right now, the problem is that his sword completely overwhelms my defenses! If I take an attack, it’ll slice right through me like a hot knife through butter! I can’t allow myself to be careless and get too close...
“Can you do something about that, my dearest Slatarou?”
“Something...? Nope. I mean, I could sacrifice myself and charge in, but I’d just get killed for nothing. Not to mention he already knows I’m here.”
“I’m already bored of stabbing slimes... But mimics are still fun. And this is my first time seeing one with limbs,” the young swordsman said as he took a notepad and pen out of his pocket. He spoke out as he began to write. “More resistance than I expected when stabbing into it, like I was piercing something firm. Once my sword entered the chest, it slid right through, though it felt like the insides were sticking to my blade. Once it fell and my sword exited, the same sensation returned—as if something were tugging on my blade. Are its insides multilayered? It isn’t the feeling of muscle or organs. Could it be because the insides changed as I stabbed it? It has quite a bit more defense than its appearance suggests.”
Yeah, I take everything back. He’s a total weirdo! Well, anyway... If I can’t count on my stats to resist his attacks, then I’ll just have to kill him before he kills me! I remember someone saying that offense is the best defense, after all.
Luckily, I hadn’t been rendered immobile. It still hurt like a bitch when the sword went through me, though!
I can still do this. As long as I can move, my chances of winning aren’t zero. So...
“Drive-by Explosive Legs!”
I wasn’t a big enough idiot to try charging in head-on. Instead, I passed beside the boy and turned around in order to kick him from behind as I escaped!
While my kicks weren’t very strong, as long as they landed, I could make something explode. I’ll kick him in the sides and use him as a springboard to—
*Fwaff!*
However, the boy easily deflected my leg with the flat of his sword.
*Drrrrrr...*
I lost my balance and went rolling thanks to my momentum.
Damn! So it didn’t work. He can easily deal with that speed. Man, both the macho man and this guy are really strong. Yeah, I just don’t feel like I can win! Which means... I should make like a tree and leaf. Now’s my chance to run away! I’m not a fan of that plan, but there’s no point in sticking with it if I can’t win at all. So, off I go!
*Thud!*
But for some reason, I fell face-first into the floor.
All I could feel was pain, but it wasn’t from my face—it was from my right leg. When I looked down at it, I saw a sword sticking out of my calf.
What? Why? I should have been far enough away. Why’s he right next to me?!
“Stop moving around. It’s annoying,” the boy demanded with a vexed expression.
He’d managed to close the distance between us instantly and continued to attack my leg.
It’s no good. I can’t find any way to win. No, maybe I could if I managed to land a kick with Explosive Legs...but I can’t even imagine that happening at this point.
“Yeah, somehow the feel is different. This is fun.”
Next was a two-hit combo. I couldn’t notice it in time. It was only after the boy had gone back into a waiting position with his sword that I’d realized what happened.
He’d pierced both my right and left hands instantly.
“GYAAAAARRGGHH!”
IT HURTS, DAMMIT! This guy really pisses me off!
He could kill me at any time. In fact, if he felt like it, he could easily turn me into ribbons.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he was slowly, carefully checking how it felt to stab me. He was enjoying the feeling of piercing my body.
“This is fun. It takes some effort, and I like the resistance. The limbs kind of feel like a living being’s. I just love the way the skin pushes back a little.”
*Shink!*
This time it was my left thigh.
Blood trickled out. Yep, for the first time, I was bleeding. I didn’t know I could do that!
“Man, this is nice. I rarely ever get the chance to stab human limbs. Oh, please don’t misunderstand! I don’t really think human meat is special, or anything—it’s just a unique occasion. In terms of enjoyment, though, dragons are far more fun.”
For some reason, the boy was talking to me. Was he treating me like a human because I had limbs?
*Shink! Thunk!*
He stabbed my upper arm, the back of my knee, and finally, my palm. With each thrust, he deliberately checked the sensation.
It really sunk in that he wasn’t trying to torture or irritate me in any way—he was simply doing this as a hobby. That just made me even more angry.
Dammit! WHAT THE HELL?! MY LIMBS ARE NOT THERE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT! Aaarggghh, I’m so mad! I’m gonna do something to him, even if it costs me my life! I’m getting payback, dammit!
*Drip!*
That was when I noticed something trickle down onto me.
*Tsss!*
A little bit of my arm was eaten away along with that sound.
“It’s you!” I cried.
At some point, Slatarou had made it above me. He was letting pieces of himself plop down on us.
“I’m thankful you came, but why not just drop all at once?” I asked.