Chapter 56: An Unexpected Engagement

Chapter 56: An Unexpected Engagement

March 2nd, 2089

Apparently, I have been promised in marriage to Hikari. It was her father who had first brought up this proposal a few weeks ago and my parents had accepted it after some consideration. They were concerned about how I isolate myself from people. The only two friends that I have are Reiji and Hikari after all. My parents had been concerned that I would never fall in love and would be alone my entire life. In addition, my mother was extremely fond of Hikari and had always hoped that the two of us would become a couple.

Objectively speaking Hikari and I were as great a match as could be. Our families like each other a lot, our fathers have business that would merge together really well, and we are already very close with each other. Nevertheless, I was going to reject it immediately, but before I could say anything my parents told me to first talk with Hikari and only if both of us agreed to it would they respect our wishes and break it off. So I have promptly gone over to Hikari to get some answers.

Hikaris POV

Yes! My plan has worked! Minatos parents finally accepted the marriage proposal! Now that were betrothed to each other I dont have to worry about any bugs around him nor do I have to worry about getting married off before I win his heart! All I have to do now is get Minato to fall for me! The order of these events may be backwards but I dont care! But before I could even finish celebrating I found out that Minato was here to see me.

*Shiver* He must have just heard about the arranged marriage. AHHHHH!!!! What do I do? Should I take this chance to confess? But what if he rejects me? I already have some excuses so he doesnt try to break off the engagement, but thats dependent on him not finding out that I was one the one who asked Father to do this. What do I do? What do I do? What do I Hello Hikari. KYAAAA!!!

I have no equipment on and will only be using my martial arts without any magical assistance. Kira lunged forward at a breakneck speed while Veronica started blasting away covering fire with her repeating crossbow. To my eyes however, it seemed like they were going in slow motion. I casually dodged most of the bolts with a show of breathtaking flexibility while allowing a few to hit me. The bolts exploded on contact, but as the smoke cleared I stood there unaffected.

Kira closed the distance and struck with her butterfly swords, but I easily parried her swords with my bare hands. The few small cuts they left behind started to naturally heal and by the time Kira regained her balance I was already as good as new. Her swords started to glow as she activated their magic. The swords became longer and more whip-like as she continued her frenetic assault and it felt like they were alive.

The blades twisted, lengthened and contracted as they tried to strike at my vitals. However, I was still able to predict their erratic movements and avoid them with ease. I soon caught her swords between my fingers and no matter how hard she tried she couldnt move them. I then gave her a gentle push while she was struggling to pull free. Kira flew back dozens of feet before gracefully twisting in the air to land on her feet. How very catlike.

I calmly turned my head to the side to avoid Veronicas estoc as it stabbed at my head from behind. My senses alerted me to her long before she attempted her surprise attack. Veronica didnt falter and sent a flurry of thrusts towards me. Her elegant footwork made it seem like she was dancing as she tried to riddle me with holes. I parried her blade with my hands as I waited for an opening.

The blade started glowing as Veronica turned its magic on and dodging suddenly became much more difficult. Every time she stabbed a small portal appeared in front of her blade. A linked portal would appear somewhere else around me and as her sword went into the portal it exited out of the other one. The blade of the estoc started coming from every angle and became near impossible to dodge. To counter this, I stomped on the ground lightly, creating a crater around me and causing Veronica to lose her footing.

I then gently tossed her away as Kira started flinging throwing knives that were vibrating at high frequencies. They could easily tear through steel and even as I dodged them they flew back towards Kira like boomerangs. Veronica recovered and now joined Kira in her ranged assault. It looks like its time for me to go on the offensive. I swung my arm at full strength, causing a fierce non-magical wind to knock Veronica and Kira over. My body flickered for a moment and then I was on top of the two, ready to strike.

Is the record now 17-0 in my favor? I asked teasingly as my two girls stood back up panting and sweating profusely from their exertion. My breathing hadnt changed at all, nor did I have a single drop of sweat. Hmph, it wont last forever! Ill win eventually! Kira said with a voice full of fighting spirit. Veronica nodded in agreement Yeah. Both of them would be considered top-caliber fighters in the other world in both pure physical ability and technique.

I would not have been able to beat them unarmed before my augmentation, but now they are at a severe disadvantage. I am not at the level of a cheat yet, but I must say I am starting to become rather powerful. *Sigh* And again I ask myself why I couldnt have had this almost cheat these past 3 years while working as a bounty hunter. Anyways, its time to head back. Already? I nodded to them Yeah, I need to finally go back to the other world to tie up loose ends. I embraced the two of them before we vanished from the plains.