Anime, but the Phantom Thieves of Heart

"Of course, no problem, but you should also know that there is an essential difference between 'humans' and 'demons'."

"So, if I want to hunt demons, I need to gain more powerful strength? How should I obtain it?"

Maybe she is just average in other aspects, but once it comes to fighting, Busujima Saeko becomes extremely sensitive. She can guess what Lan Ke is going to say without even needing him to finish speaking.

Lan Ke didn't care and just nodded.

"That's right, and this is what we are going to do next..."

It’s strange to say, there are three people in the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, but the way they awaken is completely different.

Lan Ke encountered his own shadow in the "cognitive world". After a battle with the other party, he accepted his own weakness and made up his mind to move forward with this weakness. He then obtained his own personality mask.

Emiya Shirou was even more violent. To fulfill his promise, he chose to shoot himself in the head. Remember, the other party used a real gun, not some special prop. If it weren't for the peculiarities of the 'cognitive world' and his own talent for awakening his 'persona', he would have died instantly after firing the gun.

On the contrary, Lucy, who had just awakened two days ago, was the most normal. She had been running away, but because of an accident, she had to face the thing she had been trying to avoid and made up her mind to resist it. Her "personality mask" recognized her determination and awakened.

So Lan Ke didn't know how Busujima Saeko should awaken her own personality mask.

Which one of the three of them is it, or is it a fourth one that is completely different from them?

Lan Ke didn't know either, but he followed along just to ensure the other person's safety during the awakening process.

Just when the two of them were communicating——

“Sizzle~Sizzle~”

Suddenly, there was a sound of metallic friction.

Neither Lan Ke nor Busujima Saeko were ordinary people, so they naturally realized the abnormality at the first moment.

The two of them simultaneously turned their gaze back the way they came.

Then they saw a figure slowly walking towards them.

Although the sun was shining brightly outside, the entire 'cognitive world' was a little gloomy due to the dark clouds above their heads. This also resulted in the two of them finally seeing the target clearly while the other was slowly pacing. However, it was precisely because of this that they both widened their eyes at the same time.

Busujima Saeko was because she saw another herself walking towards her slowly with a knife in her hand.

As for Lan Ke, he was surprised that it was actually Busujima Saeko's 'shadow'!

But what surprised him even more was that 'Bushima Saeko (Shadow)'

After appearing, he did not attack immediately, but instead greeted him with a smile.

"Ah~ Long time no see~ No, maybe not that long?"

That's right!

The other party actually still remembered what happened before, which made Lan Ke frown.

"Do you remember me?"

"Of course~ That was the most enjoyable battle I've ever had since I was born. I will never forget it even if I die~"

But then she sighed helplessly.

"So I know very well that I can't beat you, so... could you please stop bothering me?"

"certainly……"

Lan Ke was interrupted before he could finish his words.

"Don't be so quick to refuse. I can promise you that after I devour 'her', I will obey you, whether it's becoming your sword or this body~"

As he spoke, he licked his lips and smiled ambiguously...

Chapter 92: Something Men Can't Refuse (Wrong)

Generally speaking, the 'shadow' corresponds to the 'negative' or 'deliberately hidden side' of a person.

It is precisely because of this that their revealed personality and clothing are often completely different from their real selves. For example, a brother may have a girlish heart, but his 'shadow' is likely to be an 'unknown creature' wearing pink gothic clothes and holding a pink stuffed bear toy.

But the difference in feeling between Busujima Saeko and her shadow is not that big.

Busujima Saeko had just finished school, so she was wearing Teitan's standard summer sailor uniform.

The upper body is a white lined top with a beige sweater, and the lower body is a navy blue knee-length skirt. However, because of Saeko Busujima's outstanding three-dimensional figure, it looks a little "bulky".

As for the 'Bukujima Saeko (shadow)' in front of him, she was wearing a kendo uniform of similar color and had a single ponytail. She looked similar to the previous Busuki Saeko in the dojo.

But as she spoke, the collar of her kendo uniform seemed to open a little, not knowing whether it was intentional or not. But unlike most people who posed coquettishly, Busujima Saeko did not deliberately make any strange movements. But as she licked her lips, which became increasingly red, she was full of strange temptation.

"Gudong~"

Even Lan Ke couldn't help swallowing his saliva. After all, the 'Bukujima Saeko (Shadow)' in front of him was a version he had never seen before. The opponent's 'Shadow' had rushed towards him with a knife as soon as they met, and looked like a berserker. How could he do such a thing?

But the biggest difference between humans and beasts is that humans know how to control their desires.

"Although your proposal sounds good, I refuse!"

Because of the special nature of the 'Phantom Thieves of Hearts', Lan Ke carefully considered every person he invited. Compared to ROQ or the Death Squad, teammates who suit his taste are more valuable.

'Busujima Saeko (Shadow)'

While talking to Lan Ke, Busujima Saeko looked at them silently without saying a word. She naturally saw Lan Ke's "heart beating", but she was not angry. After all, she knew how charming "she" was, and it would be strange if she was not moved. What's more, although the answer obtained by instinct without thinking is certainly valuable, the answer obtained after thinking is more credible.

So the smile on her lips became brighter and brighter, and she had to speak only after Lan Ke completely refused. After all, if she didn't speak, she would not be able to suppress the smile on her lips.

"Narukami-kun, this 'I' before you should be the 'method to gain power' you mentioned earlier, right?"

"Yes, I've encountered that before. I had just joined the 'Kendo Club' and I wasn't even proficient in the straight swing yet I got beaten up pretty badly..."

When saying this, Lan Ke pretended to be relaxed and did not mention the double torture of body and mind when his limbs and body were pierced by the scalpel, but Busujima Saeko did not care.

"Then it's easy. What do I need to do? Defeat her?"

“This is the most basic…”

The awakening method of the "Personality Mask" that Lan Ke is familiar with is the original work, which is also the awakening mode of Lucy. As for his own and Emiya Shirou's awakening methods, he is not sure and can only summarize them slowly. But no matter what, defeating the opponent is the most basic thing.

After hearing what Lan Ke said, the smile on Busujima Saeko's face became even brighter, and unlike before when she was forcing herself to smile, she could no longer hide her emotions.

"Then can I trouble you, Narukami-kun, for a favor?"

"Of course~"

"Please lend me the knife you used before, and let me deal with her!"

As she spoke, Busujima Saeko gradually shed her disguise as a 'Yamato Nadeshiko' and showed her uninhibited side.

"As a swordsman, it is extremely rare to be able to fight with another self with real swords."

Looking at Busujima Saeko with a face full of fighting spirit, Lan Ke knew that it would be difficult to stop her, but Lan Ke, who had fought with her once before, did not choose to refuse after thinking about it.

"In that case, let me support you, Senior Sister."

As he spoke, Lan Ke threw the "Muramasa" towards Busujima Saeko, who caught the "Muramasa" with one hand and pressed it against her waist.

Unlike other little girls who desire to be protected, Busujima Saeko desires respect and trust. Instead of hiding behind Lan Ke, she hopes to fight side by side with him.

Just like the Ji generals in the Warring States Period, even after getting married, they would take care of their husbands and children. When their husbands were leading troops in battle, they would still go to the battlefield to defend their country when their home city was attacked by the enemy.

If the two of them had only touched upon each other's secrets before, then after they knew each other's secrets and had in-depth conversations, Saeko Busujima suddenly found herself... appreciating Lan Ke even more.

"Come on! Let me see if you are really me!"

Watching the interaction between Saeko Busujima and Lan Ke, 'Saeko Busujima (Shadow)'

He made an unhappy sound of clicking his tongue.

"Tsk~"

Perhaps because she was in a bad mood, she drew her sword and rushed towards Busujima Saeko without even giving any warning.

Lowering the center of gravity and pressing the body to increase speed and control the angle of the cut when accelerating is one of Busujima Saeko's favorite moves to choose when competing with others.

So Busujima Saeko knew very well how to respond. She took a step forward and drew her sword faster than the opponent!

Attack against attack!

"Ding!!"

With a crisp sound, the blood knife in the hand of 'Busukishima Saeko (Shadow)', which was completely made of blood, collided with the 'Muramasa' in the hand of 'Busukishima Saeko'.

Facts have proved that even though she has been "purified" once by Lan Ke, "Bujima Saeko (Shadow)" who was resurrected again with the help of the special mechanism of "Cognitive World" is still much stronger than Busjima Saeko in terms of panel attributes. Even if she attacks from below, she can still slowly hold up Busjima Saeko's sword.

Not only that, she also launched a "mental attack" on Busujima Saeko at the same time.

"That's all nice talk, but there's no way you can beat me on your own!"

But Busujima Saeko didn't care about it at all and directly retorted.

"So what? If you are truly my 'projection of cognition' as Narukami-kun claims, then you should know better than anyone that what I pursue is not victory, but - 'battle' itself!"

As Saeko Busujima suddenly lost her strength, "Saeko Busujima (Shadow)"

He instantly knocked the knife out of Busujima Saeko's hand, and the goal seemed wide open.

But Busujima Saeko naturally had her own plans for doing this. Almost at the moment when her left hand was lifted into the air due to the force, her right hand suddenly grasped the scabbard at her waist and swung it towards her opponent's abdomen. At the same time, her left hand did not let go of the handle of the knife. Instead, she raised it high up and swung it down suddenly using the force that was bounced back!

The blade is swung from the opponent's right shoulder to the left abdomen, and the scabbard is lifted from the right abdomen to the left shoulder!

If Busujima Saeko's attack succeeds, the opponent will at least have a big 'X' wound on his body.

However, the reaction of 'Bujima Saeko (Shadow)' was not slow at all. She did not rashly create a new sword. After all, one step slow means every step is slow. Instead, she held the sword with both hands and used the hilt to attack the hilt of the long sword swung by Busujima Saeko's left hand, blocking it in advance.

The principle is similar to Saeko Busujima's original counterattack, shortening the opponent's movement distance and limiting the potential energy gained through their "movement".

At the same time, lift your right knee and bump it with your right elbow.

"Clap~"

The scabbard was caught between the knee and the elbow, and the long sword that was supposed to fall was deformed by the movement.

At the same time, this time it is Busujima Saeko's turn to defend!

Because 'Bukujima Saeko (Shadow)' used the bottom of her knife handle to press against the bottom of her own knife handle while her knife was already pointing at Busuki Saeko.

“Sizzle~!”

The collar of the school uniform was torn, revealing the white lace BRO underneath, but Busujima Saeko dodged it.

It turns out that although there is a gap in strength between the two sides, the battle between the two who know each other best may be more stalemate than imagined.

The clash of swords and sabers not only left bloodstains on the two men's bodies, but their clothes were also torn apart in the battle, revealing large areas of skin.

But Busujima Saeko seemed to feel nothing about it. At this moment, there was only the enjoyment of the "battle" in her eyes.

Every time the blade grazed her opponent's skin, her breathing seemed to become heavier, and every time the tip of the blade passed over her body, she felt her heartbeat quicken.

As a spectator, Lan Ke was also enjoying the game.

It's not just because 'Bukujima Saeko' and 'Bukujima Saeko (Shadow)' are both better than him in kendo and swordsmanship, making their fight more entertaining, but also because of the two sides fighting themselves.

After all, how many people in this world don’t like to watch beautiful girls fight?

'Busujima Saeko (Shadow)'

Although she was born from the twisted heart of Busujima Saeko, she is more than just a twisted person.

Just like Busujima Saeko hopes to improve her swordsmanship by fighting her, 'Bukujima Saeko (Shadow)'

I also hope to defeat the opponent fairly with the sword!

But even though she has gained some "advantages", she is unable to convert them into "victory", not to mention that there is Lan Ke who is eyeing her covetously next to her. She knows very well how difficult it is to rely on the sword to devour the opponent.

In that case——

"Zi La~"

As both sides retreated and distanced themselves from each other, she suddenly ripped open the kendo uniform on her body, which had almost turned into a strip of cloth, revealing the bra underneath.

And even that wasn't enough, she untied her less damaged long skirt as well.

"Clap~"

As the long skirt fell to the ground, revealing the snow-white skin of "Bujima Saeko (Shadow)", Busjima Saeko was stunned at first, but when she saw that her opponent moved his hands and feet and seemed to be more agile than herself, she guessed the opponent's purpose.

There is no doubt that the other party is using this method to gain better flexibility.

There was originally a certain gap in physical fitness between the two sides, and now it has been widened a lot.

She almost instinctively wanted to imitate the other person, but her movements were suddenly stopped.

Because she suddenly realized that there seemed to be another person present.