Chapter 323

Chapter 323. Edie (Part 3)

Margo-san promised that it would be done in five minutes, but…

The match with miss Edie didn’t even take a minute.

《…WRYYY!!!》1

「…Haa!」

《…HASHOOO!!》

「…Toa!!」

Miss Edie and Margo-san exchanges attacks, but…

Margo-san’s not hit at all.

Both the fists and kicks were seen through.

《…WESHZZZ!》

At the same time she avoids miss Edie’s feet…

Margo-san’s low kick bows down her pivot legs!

Miss Edie fell down.

She tries to get away by rolling on the floor…

Margo-san has already moved to the destination.

As if she has read miss Edie’s next action.

Riding on top of miss Edie who’s on the floor…she pins down with one hand.

The other arm’s fist heads to miss Edie’s face.

If she takes Margo-san’s punch in that distance…it’s a huge damage.

「…Ha!」

…Eh?!!!

Margo-san stopped her fist in front of miss Edie’s face.

Then…she said something in a low voice.

「…『You have died five times in the fight just now』she said」

Nei-san translates.

Miss Edie who’s lying on the floor looks up at Margo-san with an angry face.

「Edie is angry, asking『Why did you go easy』?」

…Go easy?

Even though when miss Edie was fighting with the three of them, it looked even…

When she was fighting with Margo-san one-on-one, there’s much difference…?

「『You’re still growing. I don’t intend to reap a growing bud』…she said」

…Margo-san

「『Above all…you’re Michi-chan’s friend aren’t you? Then, you’re as good as my『Little sister』』」

Miss Edie looks up at Michi from the floor.

「『Is this person sister Michi’s teacher?』She asked」

Michi answered「No」

「『She is one of my『elder sisters』but she’s not my teacher』」

Thanks to Nei-san’s translation, I can understand it.

Miss Edie looks up at Margo-san again.

「『Why did you hide your ability earlier? You didn’t move at all when it was the three of you』…she said」

Margo-san answered showing a wry smile.

「『Well, I’ve been observing your fighting power… A real strong person won’t show their full power from the start』she said」

I see…Margo-san

She’s judging miss Edie’s ability by observing her fight with Seki-san and Reika

「『Your body is well trained. You might be physically stronger than us. But, your experience is too short. This is your first time in a real battlefield, isn’t it?』…she said」

Miss Edie’s expression changed.

「…『How can you tell』」

Seki-san is surprised

「I didn’t notice that at all. Rather, she was a tough opponent because she’s always aiming precisely at the blind spot」

「That『always accurate』is a bad habit…!」

Margo-san answered Seki-san in Japanese…then returned to English

「…『You’re aiming to the vital points too precisely. It’s an assassination technique so you want to kill your opponent as fast as possible but…such an easy to understand attack can only beat amateurs. A combat professional can easily read your next action.2 You must not make simple attacks that can make the other party anticipate your next move』」

Nei-san translates the English conversation fast.

「…『That wasn’t my top speed. If your speed is up to your opponent’s expectations, you can do anything』」

Miss Edie seems to argue.

Margo-san answers in a low voice.

「『What’s important isn’t the speed…it’s the rhythm of the fight. Your attack rhythm is always the same. It’s very monotonous. There’s no variation in rhythm. I think this is perhaps because you’ve always trained with the same opponent all this time. No matter how fast you attack, you can defend if the rhythm is the same. You’ll lose if the opponent predicts your attack』」

…I see

If you know the rhythm then you can deal with it.

If they only come to attack the vital points…then, even more easier.

「『Rather, by always making a bout with close friends, your bad habits are attached to the movement of your body. As I deliberately attack you to break your rhythm, you stopped moving immediately. You can never win against me at this moment』」

Yeah…Margo-san is able to completely hold down miss Edie’s attack.

「『How can I win against you?』」

Miss Edie asks Margo-san…exposing her fighting spirit.

Margo-san smiles…

「『There’s no meaning if you win against one. We’re fighting as a team…』」

《…Team?》

Miss Edie shows a curious look.

「『Yes. It looks like that I’ve won against you one-on-one, but…that’s not actually the case. In the fight earlier…because I saw you fight the other two people, I was able to find your weak point. We’re a team. Therefore, we just have to win as a team…!』」

…Margo-san

「『If ever I was defeated by you earlier…the other two would be aware of how you fight. Whatever happens, those two will definitely defeat you. You had no chance of winning from the start』」

「『…Like hell I’ll be defeated. Even now, I can turn the tables』」

Miss Edie’s fighting spirit doesn’t go away.

She’s really a girl who hates to lose.

「『No, you won’t win』」

Michi tells miss Edie.

「『…Why, sister?』」

Miss Edie seems to be moved by what Michi said

「『You’re an assassin so you’re only taught to infiltrate enemy grounds alone and kill the target, right? There’s only two choices, whether you kill or get killed. It’s different from us』」

「『Different?…Michi?』」

「『Our fight is to protect. Even if one person is defeated, the remaining people will take over the will and fight. We can’t afford to lose. We are only allowed to have the future of protecting…!』」

「『What are you protecting』」

Michi answers.

「『…Our《family》』」

《Family》…『家族』3

「『I don’t have a family. My grandmother has passed away. The cult has abandoned me』」

Miss Edie’s face gets cloudy.

「『The only thing I can do now is to refine my assassination techniques grandmother has taught me. This is the only bond that connects me and my grandmother…』」

Miss Edie said…to which, Michi replied;

「『There was a time I thought about it that way But …that’s no longer the case』」

《…Sister?》

Miss Edie looks at Michi.

「『A skill is a skill…in the end it’s meant to be used. You don’t aim to polish your skill. I have inherited my technique from grandfather and father…I will use this technique for my family’s sake. Because of that, I become more diligent. I will teach this technique on my children as well. My children will protect their families…』」

「『Michi’s child? Sister Michi intends to bear a child?』」

「『Yes, I will』」

Miss Edie shows a dark face…

「『I don’t want to bear a child. I don’t want to make my own child an assassin like me…』」

Margo-san laughs.

「『If you don’t want itto be an assassin then don’t raise it as such』」

「『But…I’ve only been educated to be an assassin』」

「『How old are you right now?』」

「『Sixteen』」

「『Then, you still have a lot of time. You can learn something than being an assassin from now on』」

Miss Edie glares at Margo-san

「『Are you saying to drop the skills I inherited from grandmother…!』」

「『Nobody’s saying that…you should just create a new martial art that does something other than assassination from the techniques handed down by your grandmother』」

…Another martial art.

「『My Kudou style ancient martial arts is originally a technique to murder in the battlefield. But, may successors succeeded in various attempt on improvements so they can have the power not only on killing people』」

Michi looks at me.

「『I…tonight, am using Kudou style for the first time for love’s sake』」

The enlightenment of『Shingetsu』through sex.

「『…Love?』」

「『Yes. Sister Edie. I’m sure that your skills can be used to things other than assassination』」

Miss Edie looks down…

「『I don’t know about that. I don’t know anything other than assassination』」

「『Therefore…your grandmother thought that you should go outside of the cult and study…!』」

…Michi?!

「『Meet various people…know various techniques. There’s still a lot of things you don’t know about the world. I think that you shouldn’t say that you can’t, you don’t know if you don’t know the world yet…!』」

Margo-san smiles.

「『Miss Edie…I can’t lose to you so I can’t teach you how to win against me but…I can teach you how to be stronger than you are now』」

Miss Edie’s surprised.

「『Are you saying you’re going to teach me?』」

「『Yeah, you’re Michi-chan’s friend, aren’t you? Then I think of you as my『protegee』』」

Margo-san smiles gently

「『That’s what that woman said a while ago…』」

Miss Edie looks at Nei-san

「『Isn’t that obvious?…Maru-chan and I are members of the same《Family》 Michan too. Therefore, everyone welcomes Edie!」

Nei-san answers.

「『Or rather…Edie, join in our family!』」

「『Me…?』」

Miss Edie’s surprised.

「『Yes. That’s for the best. Become our member… !』」

Nei-san said…miss Edie looks at Michi

「『Let’s become real sisters. Does sister Edie hate becoming my sister4?』」

「『…That’s not the case, but』」

「『Then that’s decided!』」

Nei-san said laughing.

「『…Is it okay? I’m an assassin? I’m from a cult?』」

Miss Edie’s uneasy.

「Is what she’s saying…what do you think, Yo-chan?」

Nei-san looks at me.

「Say that it doesn’t matter」

I said.

「『That doesn’t matter. Yo-chan is saying that Edie’s welcome…!』」

「『…I’ll ask the opinion of others. What about Margo-san?』」

Michi asks Margo-san

「『I of course welcome you』」

「『What do you think, Reika-oneesan?』」

「…Me?」

Reika’s surprised.

「『Yes, you’re family as well so please answer』」

Michi said…Reika answers in English.

She’s a top elite of Kouzuki security service so she’s fluent in English too it seems.

「『I warmly welcome more sisters』」

Reika said shyly.

「『This lady is also just watching…if she goes serious, she’s far stronger than you sister Edie』」

Michi said.

「『No, I…』」

Reika tries to deny it but, miss Edie…

「『No, I know that you have a body that’s more trained than me…!』」

With the『family』becoming her companions…Miss Edie seems to be able to see the other party calmly

When she was a『lone assassin』…it seems that she denies all『enemy』

Except for Michi who’s the only one who can use the same skill as her grandmother…

「『I was the same as you miss Edie before』」

Reika said.

「『I tried to be aloof…stubbornly sticking to my own style. And, I’ve gotten confident that I was the strongest. Even though the situation of a one-on-one duel isn’t a real battlefield』」

…Reika

「『I realized various things by having a family. The limits of what I can do alone…the futility to trying to be aloof. I am now an elder sister for many little sisters. Everyone helps and encourages me. I will fight for my family until my life is exhausted…I’ve taken the chance to learn for my family. I hope that miss Edie takes the same opportunity』」

…Edie

「『…Please call me Sister Edie. Onee-sama』」

She accepts Reika’s words.

「『The Onee-sama word…pierces my heart』」

Then…looking at Margo-san, Seki-san, and Michi.

「『My sisters are all stronger than me. …I just understand it now』」

The death of her grandfather, expulsed from the homeland…her relationship with miss Cordelia

Miss Edie has kept her heart closed all the time.

Only the assassination techniques she learned from her grandmother has been the support from her loneliness.

Therefore, she denies other people’s skills…and only look at her own assassination technique.

…Then

She met Michi…felt nostalgic by seeing the same technique as her grandmother’s, she opened her heart…

Lost to Margo-san…

Invited to join our『family』…

Miss Edie’s frozen heart is melting…

This girl’s usual smile is all a fake.

Instead of killing her emotions…she forces a smile.

「Reika-oneesan says okay…what about Seki-san?」

Nei-san purposely spoke to Seki-san in Japanese.

「No, uhm…I’m not yet in your family…」

Seki-san answers in Japanese.

「That doesn’t matter…as a senior on fighting, tell Edie something. If Seki-san doesn’t say something then this atmosphere won’t break!」

True…they fought 3-on-1 earlier so…

If Seki-san says「I’m a bit different」this late…then miss Edie would get confused

「…R-Right」

Seki-san speaks in fluent english

「『Surely, you are still immature. But, you’re very natural, and your training until now won’t go to waste. I’m sure that you’ll be stronger…if you continue to study hard』」

「Seki-san nobody cares about that kind of advice!」

Nei-san gazes at her.

「Just say whether you accept Edie as an ally or not!」

Once agin, Seki-san looks at Edie…

「『…I accept you as well Let’s be friends from now on…miss Edie』」

Miss Edie smiles.

《All Right…Sister!》

Once again, Michi speaks to miss Edie…

「『Sister Edie, we have people to protect. Our family…Sister Nei, and my Master. Also, this lady which is Master’s livestock. Let’s protect them together』」

Yukino’s sulking.

「She said that I’m a livestock again…」

「It’s better than being ignored. If we say that Yukino’s not our『family』then miss Edie would happily kill you off

Yeah…I can imagine it

Yukino should thank Michi

《…I do》

Miss Edie answers.

「『Sister Michi’s family is my family…sister Michi’s defended people are my defended people』」

It seems she made an oath.

Then…thinking for a bit, she speaks again.

「『I see…it’s different than fighting alone. It feels completely different when there are people you have to protect』」

Mis Edie’s new training begins.

◇　◇　◇

Now then, we talk briefly on what happened after we got caught by miss Cordelia.

Margo-san also talked about what happened to them after they parted with us…this floor has no indication of ambushes just as told in the calls.

Following, Margo-san and Seki-san asked miss Edie.

But, miss Cordelia hardly told anything about the operation as she’s a newcomer.

Well…miss Edie isn’t attached to miss Cordelia at all…

She listened to orders however, since she’s essentially rebellious…it can’t be helped.

「I want to know the current situation of the hotel」

Seki-san says, but…

「This is the VIP refuge, right? Can’t we draw the information from the building?」

Nei-san asks.

「There’s a connector to link it with the surveillance system but…there’s no terminal to use for monitoring. When a VIP evacuates here, there’s always a Kouzuki security service escort with them」

I see…the guard in charge would be carrying a dedicated termina.

Well, you can’t just leave an opportunity to multiple confidential information in a room.

「If I knew this would’ve happened, we could’ve brought the terminal from room 2505」

Margo-san said.

「If we had such a big machine then it would be destroyed during miss Cordelia’s first attack」

Seki-san said.

「True. That’s why I left it. Seriously…Tony-san got us. He purposely made us take the biggest terminal」

Margo-san smiles wryly

When we got out of room 2505, we’re going to have trouble carrying it so he purposely lent us a big machine.

「If we get off to the 20th floor, there will be a security office. We can view some of the surveillance cameras in there」

Seki-san said as she recalls.

「Yeah…let’s go there for the time being」

Margo-san decides

「It’s about time I think…the enemy won’t be bothered by us」

「What do you mean…?」

Reika asks Margo-san

「It’s about time that Kudou-san makes an all-out attack on Cesario Viola. In that case, miss Cordelia would be heading to support Viola. Chief Tanizawa-san will be taking priority on watching over the site too…」

Going this far…

It’s still expected that there’s a connection between miss Cordelia and chief Tanizawa, but…

I can’t feel anything connecting Cesario Viola and chief Tanizawa however.

It remains on the conflict state.

「No matter how you think about it, it’s impossible for Viola and his men to go higher than 21st floor…」

Kudou-apa and the free guards would intercept…and their numbers would be cut down.

When they lack in people, they would scout as they go…

The speed of their invasion would be extremely slow.,

「I think so too…」

Seki-san said…

「Perhaps, the deciding battlefield would be around the 19th floor…!」

1. ROAD ROLLER DA! ↩

2. Joseph Joestar pls ↩

3. This is just awkward to translate so I’ll paste the author’s line with the 《》

4. One is on katakana and the other is on Kanji ↩