The next day.
After being attended to by Womyn and Remus and finishing breakfast, Mahiro set out with Mine and the three little lolis.
But their destination wasn't the training grounds in the eastern forest outside the Imperial City.
Instead, they went to the guard duty office, found Ogre, and beat him up under the pretext of training.
This was punishnt for his loose tongue in recomnding Seryu to Dr. Stylish.
Of course, Ogre didn't know this. Lying on the ground with a bruised and swollen face, he was utterly confused.
His subordinates were even more terrified and bewildered, cautiously approaching to ask:
"...C-Captain Ogre, how did you anger the deputy minister?"
Ogre: "..."
If he knew, he wouldn't have suffered this beating.
...
In the forest.
Along the way, Mine and the three lolis were chattering excitedly about sothing.
Mine was very curious about their sudden appearance, especially since all three girls claid Mahiro was their "brother." This made Mine even more surprised.
After spending so much ti together, Mine had never heard Mahiro ntion having sisters or anything like that.
He hadn't even ntioned family.
Moreover, the three lolis gave answers involving "another world" or sothing similar, which made Mine's head spin.
After all, the concept of crossing worlds was still too advanced for people in this world.
"Alright everyone, co out."
Mahiro brought them to the training grounds and called out toward three wooden cabins ahead. Imdiately, six girls filed out from inside.
Nahashu and Green, who erged from another cabin, quickly ca over to assemble.
The eight-mber assassination squad was now fully gathered.
"Lord Yotsuba, who are they...?"
Seeing the four girls accompanying Mahiro, the squad mbers grew curious.
They were particularly struck by Mine, Tina, and Asaka's distinctive, even glamorous, attire.
Mine wasn't wearing her maid uniform today, having chosen instead a pink dress. Her slender legs were covered in black tights, and she wore pink round-toe shoes.
Her appearance was almost identical to her original depiction.
Tina wore her usual tiless dark green dress, its hem adorned with lace ruffles like lily pads, giving off an elegant vibe.
As for Asaka, she was dressed in a patterned kimono with exquisite embroidery.
The three of them looked like noble young ladies.
Only Enju wore sporty clothes suitable for movent.
This was her habit.
"Alright, let introduce you. This is Mine, my personal maid. For the next month, she'll be training with you."
Mine?
Hearing this na and seeing the girl's twin-tailed appearance, everyone imdiately rembered.
"Ah, it's you! The at that ran away last ti!"
"I am not at!"
Aka recognized her, but Mine bared her fangs and retorted angrily.
"I am my master's head maid, Mine! Rember my na properly!"
"Mm, I rember. Mine."
Aka truly had an airhead personality. Not only were her words astonishing, but her reaction after being scolded was also remarkably calm—she even seriously nodded and morized Mine's words.
The others, however, finally realized—wasn't this the girl who had been following Mahiro before?!
Why was she going to train with us?
Then, their gazes subtly shifted to the three young girls. What about them?
"These three are the instructors I've found for you. They will be fully responsible for all your training in the coming period."
"Ah?!"
This left everyone dumbfounded.
Three children younger than them were going to be responsible for training all of them?
Even the straightforward fool Poney was the first to step forward, boldly asking:
"Lord Yotsuba, are you joking? They're so young—how can they train us?"
"Hmph, don't underestimate people! Tina, Asaka, and I are very powerful! And you're about the sa age as anyway. Believe , you're definitely not as strong as I am."
Enju, who shared a similarly energetic personality, crossed her arms and answered on their behalf.
But even so, everyone exchanged doubtful glances, utterly unconvinced.
Moreover, Enju's last remark directly provoked Poney.
"What did you say?! Let's have a proper match then!"
The word "small" was sothing Poney was particularly sensitive about. After all, compared to the other girls, her developnt was indeed lacking—basically on par with Mine's.
However, the noble aura Mine had cultivated, no less refined than that of aristocratic young ladies, effectively masked this flaw.
Thanks to several girls quickly restraining the enraged Poney, a potential outburst was prevented.
Just then, Mahiro spoke up:
"Since you want to compete, let's have a match. It seems all of you are quite unconvinced, so why not set up a 3v3 arena here? Each of you can choose your opponent to challenge."
He had anticipated this outco and was prepared.
He directly took out weapons and equipnt he had borrowed from the security team from his ring and casually tossed them in front of the assassination squad, letting them choose freely.
As for Tina and the other two, they remained as they were.
The only one clearly seen holding a weapon was Asaka, who stood perfectly straight and remained silent.
"Lord Yotsuba, is this really alright?" Cornelia asked with concern.
She wasn't worried about the sisters she spent every day with but rather the three young girls. What if they accidentally got hurt...?
"No problem. If any of you can defeat even one of them, I'll consider you officially graduated. How about that?"
"Fine! Then I choose this boastful orange-haired girl!"
"Oh, ? No problem, bring it on!"
Freed from restraint, Poney chose Enju, who shared her energetic temperant.
Next, Nahashu stepped forward and respectfully asked:
"Lord Yotsuba, may I participate as well?"
"Of course. Although they aren't your instructors—I have other arrangents for your and Green's training—you are also qualified to challenge."
"Thank you, Lord Yotsuba. Then I choose her!"
The always proud Nahashu selected Asaka, who had the deanor of an ice-cold beauty.
Finally, Cornelia was pushed forward as the leader to face off against Tina.
"My apologies, little girl... Allow to introduce myself. I am Cornelia, one of the assassins trained by Lord Yotsuba, ranked No.3 in assassination rankings."
"No need to apologize~ I am Tina Sprout, the owl-type. My forr IP ranking was 98th, but I've since been removed from the list. Now then, I hope you'll go easy on , big sister Cornelia."
After speaking, Tina gently lifted her skirt hem, performing a noble lady's curtsy toward Cornelia. Simultaneously, three fist-sized spheres rolled out from under her skirt. Strangely, instead of falling to the ground, they defied gravity by floating mid-air, orbiting around Tina.
Seeing her composed deanor, Cornelia could confirm that this girl was definitely not weak!
This made her take the situation seriously.
Thus, from among her various equipnt, she selected a pair of Duckweed Crutches, one end of which had a muzzle clearly capable of firing bullets.
"Aren't you going to choose a weapon?"
"No need~ This is more than enough."
Tina smiled faintly and took a black glove from her pocket, putting it on slowly and thodically.
However, the glove seed to be only for one hand, with small tal rings dangling at both the front of the black glove and near the elbow.
Although this was rely a spar, as they each prepared and faced their respective opponents, the air temperature seed to gradually drop, becoming heavy with tension.
Nahashu, filled with fighting spirit, faced the expressionless cold loli Asaka.
The resentful Poney confronted the ever-smiling Enju.
And finally, the solemn Cornelia faced the dignified Tina, who carried herself like a noble lady.
The sheer aura emanating from these individuals was enough to make the assassination team mbers watch intently without blinking.
Mine tugged at his sleeve, asking with her eyes, "Is this really okay?"
"Don't worry, they're quite strong."
Mahiro patted her little head, while Mine slowly lowered her head, recalling yesterday.
She had been like these assassination team mbers, doubting the three lolis' capabilities.
It wasn't until the three lolis completely dominated her in a fight that she realized their strength shouldn't be underestimated.
But her concern was whether the other side would have any problems...
"Since everyone's ready, no more talking. Let's begin."
"Make it quick."
After Mahiro gave the signal to start, the three lolis exchanged glances, but Asaka was the first to move.
She imdiately used the "Dripping Water Forms Ice" technique from the Tendo Style Drawing Sword Technique, intending to defeat her opponent as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, Enju's side was clearly faster.
"Don't look down on people! I'll finish you right now!"
Poney's legs erupted with extre power, her feet stamping hard on the ground as she charged forward at incredible speed.
"Hehe, no need to be so impatient, big sister~"
Though Enju appeared as innocent as any ordinary child, the mont Poney attacked, she unleashed her own power.
"Be careful, big sister!"
Enju also stomped hard on the earth, charging forward at even greater speed.
Poney and Enju instantly clashed, their movents nearly identical as both launched high kicks at each other.
Smack!
"Oof..."
Their shins collided with each other.
A sharp pain instantly shot through Poney's shin. Despite appearing so frail, the explosive force far exceeded her expectations!
From the very first strike, she was already at a disadvantage.
Before Poney could even steady herself after retreating several steps, Enju instantly appeared right in front of her.
"Big sister, it's already over."
Enju declared, closing the distance with overwhelming speed using her swift footwork.
"Hiyah!"
Poney imdiately felt a dull pain surge through her chest.
Enju had executed two rising kicks from a low stance, striking her squarely in the chest.
Although Enju had switched from her super-varanium alloy combat boots to ordinary rubber-soled ankle boots, with her leg strength, a single kick could still instantly defeat an ordinary person.
The only reason Poney remained standing was because Enju had held back most of her strength.
"You've lost, big sister."
Enju concluded, calmly lowering her leg and happily placing her hands behind her back as she watched Poney.
Poney nodded with cold sweat streaming down her face.
She had indeed lost.
The mont she was struck by those two kicks, the girl's third kick had already arrived—her slender calf steadily stopping right beside Poney's cheek.
The powerful wind pressure from the kick even stirred her ponytail and bangs.
If this kick had landed on her head, it would probably have taken it clean off right then and there.
However...
"Enju, if you're going to raise your leg that high next ti, make sure to wear proper shorts underneath, understood?"
"Oww..."
Rubbed on the forehead unexpectedly by Mahiro, Enju covered her forehead, blinked twice, then imdiately pressed down her skirt and smiled shyly:
"You were clearly enjoying the view."
He had indeed been enjoying the view—he could even clearly see the little bear pattern on her underwear.
But there were other people present.
Fortunately, Green had gone to watch Nahashu's match, otherwise he might have needed to discipline a squad mber.
Surprisingly, the second match had concluded first—Tina's match.
Cornelia was completely bound by slender piano wires, still frozen in her forward punching motion with her tonfa.
Wrapped up like a dumpling, she couldn't even move a finger, let alone shift her body.
Many surrounding large trees had been cleanly severed at waist height, their smooth cross-sections looking as if they'd been sliced by sothing extrely sharp.
The piano wires clearly showed traces of psion waves winding around them.
This both ensured the wires' toughness and allowed them to tightly bind Cornelia without harming her.
"You've lost, big sister Cornelia."
She had indeed lost, with no excuses to make.
At first she could have claid carelessness, but her opponent seed to be waiting for her to adjust her stance.
Even when she finally went all out, she still lost this badly.
She never expected this seemingly educated, delicate-looking girl to be so powerful—truly worthy of being an instructor brought by Lord Yotsuba.
Cornelia was completely convinced.
But then, Tina suddenly released the piano wires she'd been manipulating between her teeth and fingers from her black gloves, stepped forward, and whispered in Cornelia's ear:
"I can tell that Mahiro-san treasures all of you deeply."
That gentle expression made Tina unconsciously recall all the monts from when she first t Mahiro.
How wonderful...
And Cornelia actually blushed, which was rare for her.
As for the final match, it was between Asaka and Nahashu.
The two were locked in an intensely close battle.
It wasn't because Asaka was weak. In terms of combat ability alone, she completely surpassed Enju and was closing in on Tina.
It was Nahashu who was too strong.
After a year of training under Esdeath, this brash young man's skills had improved at an astonishing rate, as if he were born for battle.
Unfortunately, in the end, Asaka was still one step ahead—
"Tendo-style Iaijutsu, First Form, Eighth Variation—"
"Vanishing Shadow!"
Swish!
Her blade beca a blur, slicing through Nahashu's longsword in a single strike, the sharp edge coming to rest against his throat.
Asaka spoke coldly: "You lose."
Everyone in the assassination team was stunned.
They knew exactly how strong Nahashu was, yet even their undisputed No. 1 had been defeated...
With this, the sparring match ended in a decisive 3-0 victory for the loli team.
"Well? Any objections?"
The mbers of the assassination team exchanged glances, then shook their heads like rattledrums.
Objections? How could they possibly have any?
Nahashu and Cornelia had both lost.
And that idiot Poney was practically ready to kneel and beg them to take her as a disciple on the spot.
What more was there to say?
"If there's nothing else, I'll proceed with the team assignnts."
"Yes, Lord Yotsuba!"
They replied in unison, without the slightest resistance.
The groupings followed his initial plan:
Mine and Tsukushi would train under Tina, focusing on marksmanship.
Aka and Kuro would follow Asaka to study swordsmanship.
Cornelia, Poney, and Gin would train under Enju in martial arts.
As for Nahashu and Green, having undergone Esdeath's special training, conventional thods would no longer benefit them much. Thus, Mahiro assigned them to hunt Danger Beasts in the forest.
Their prey had to be at least Level 1, with a minimum of four kills per day.
They were also required to butcher the edible parts.
Just like Mine had done in the past.
After all, the skill of dissecting a bull with the precision of a master butcher could be equally formidable when applied to humans.
"Deputy Chief Yotsuba, you've finally returned to train them."
Just as the four groups departed and Mahiro sat atop the cliff observing their progress, a familiar, hoarse, and chilling voice suddenly spoke from behind him.
Turning around, he saw the bald chief of the assassination departnt standing there, followed by over a dozen mbers of the assassination unit. Each was around the sa age as Aka and the others, clearly mbers of other assassination teams.
However, faint bruises still lingered on many of their faces.
"Oh, Chief Bill? Yes, I'm back. But you can't bla for the recent absences. You know how it is—the Imperial City has been restless lately, and our chief has been calling etings every day. Things only settled down today."
"Heh, true enough." Bill chuckled as he approached, his monocle glinting as he narrowed his eyes and coldly ordered his subordinates, "Step back for now. I have important matters to discuss with Deputy Chief Yotsuba."
"Yes, sir!" They turned and left imdiately, vanishing into the nearby forest within seconds.
Only Mahiro and the bald Bill remained on the spot.
Looking at this nacing bald head that always wore a sinister expression, Mahiro pretended to be thoughtful as he remarked:
"Director Bill, going to such great lengths and saying you have important matters to discuss with —I wonder what exactly this is about?"
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