Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 739

"Uraaaaaaaaah!"

"That looks like an interesting technique...!? I'll take it on!"

Vene showed her sharp double canine teeth with a fearless smile and took a defensive stance.

The "Instant Step Single Strike Kick" that Ovelia unleashed is a technique of Maris, the Horse Tribe girl belonging to the Baldia Second Knight Order.

Maris is a child with a carefree, gentle personality who moves at her own pace, and the talent hidden within her is probably the highest in the Second Knight Order.

However, her talent and personality don't mesh at all, and I've never seen an opportunity where her potential abilities were demonstrated.

The one technique she uniquely devised is the "Instant Step Single Strike Kick." While enhancing the Horse Tribe's innate excellent leg strength through beastification, she takes a forward-leaning stance, accumulates magical power in her legs to explosively release it, flies into the opponent's range at blinding speed, and kicks their head skyward.

It's a fearsome technique combining Horse Tribe horsepower and speed, even shattering magical barriers I deploy at full power to pieces.

If an ordinary person received it, their head would literally fly into the air along with their skull.

I strictly prohibited its use against ordinary people, even if they're villains...

Because having human heads flying through the air within Baldia territory significantly damages the scenery and is utterly unacceptable...

However, the "Instant Step Single Strike Kick" Ovelia unleashed, as she called it "Rabbit Moon Style," seems slightly different from Maris's technique.

Maris's Instant Step Single Strike Kick kicks off the ground to charge forward upon activation, but Ovelia's technique closes the distance with the opponent in one go using a vertical axis rotation jump.

The movement is like the "rotation throw" used in dagger throwing.

"Don't keep smirking with that grinning face forever!"

Ovelia unleashed a heel drop with her right foot carrying the momentum of vertical axis rotation, slamming it down onto Vene's crossed-arm defensive posture.

At that moment, magical waves swept around them, the ground at Vene's feet cracked, and sand dust swirled up.

Then a high-pitched sound like shattering glass echoed throughout.

Ovelia had shattered the magical barrier deployed on Vene's arms with her heel drop.

"Haha, not bad. But being a leg technique, one step..."

"Don't talk nonsense. I have another leg."

"Wh...!?"

The moment Vene relaxed her mouth, Ovelia twisted her body from an unstable position and unleashed a powerful roundhouse kick with her left foot.

A follow-up attack only possible for Ovelia with her flexible, agile body and tremendous fighting spirit.

But Vene doesn't lose in agility either.

She instantly arched her body back into a back handspring, retreating to create distance from Ovelia.

"...Agile bastard. But I felt some response just now."

"Yeah, that's right. Your foot reached my cheek."

When Ovelia pointed her index finger, Vene grinned and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand.

Looking closely, Vene had a scratch on her cheek.

"Wh-what...!? Even accounting for holding back, she landed a hit on Vene!?"

"Fufu, it seems I underestimated Ovelia's strength and fighting spirit."

While Shia's eyes widened, I burst out laughing happily.

While there are children in the Second Knight Order with strength close to Ovelia's, none bare their fighting spirit to this extent.

Her competitiveness and fighting spirit when facing stronger opponents can't be found even if searching through not just the Second Knight Order but including the First Knight Order... no, wait, there's Asuna alone.

Anyway, I train with various people - Father, Curtis, Rubens, Dynas, plus knights from both Orders - but training with Ovelia is in some ways the most demanding.

Because she fights with bare fighting spirit and always moves beyond my expectations.

Probably that follow-up attack from an unstable position was unexpected movement for Vene too.

"No need to be that surprised, old man. Plus it was just a graze, not a solid hit."

When Vene shrugged, Ovelia grinned showing her white teeth.

"Haha, that's what's called bravado. A graze is still a hit."

"Oh, you say that? Then let me test that fighting spirit of yours."

"What...?"

When Ovelia tilted her head, Vene smiled fearlessly showing her sharp double canine teeth.

"Whether you can take the technique I'm about to unleash without running, and face it head-on. If you take it without running away, you can have this practice match as your win."

"Heh, you can say that? I definitely won't run."

"I'm saying I'll test how serious that bravado is."

"Fine, try me then."

When their gazes crossed, the air in the training ground grew tense, making skin tingle.

"Um, Vene. This is just practice after all..."

"Lord Rid. No need to worry."

When I tried to interject to mediate, Shia cleared his throat.

"Vene is also a chief. She wouldn't go all out against such a young girl. She probably intends to just provide an opportunity for advancement."

"Is that so? Then it's fine but..."

Though I nodded in agreement, indescribable anxiety swirled in my heart.

"...It's decided then. Okay, here I come."

The moment Vene emitted a low voice, all her fur stood on end, and tremendous magical waves swept through.

Then she took a forward-leaning stance, placing her fingertips on the ground. Everyone present including Ovelia widened their eyes at her posture.

"Wh...!?"

"I believe it was 'Rabbit Moon Style - Instant Step Single Strike Kick.' Activating the entire body with body enhancement and beastification while concentrating magical power in leg strength for explosive jumping power to charge. Then unleashing a heel drop from vertical axis rotation to smash through the opponent's defense and split their skull. Truly a technique worthy of the name Instant Step Single Strike Kick."

"B-bullshit! There's no way you could master my technique that easily!"

When Ovelia raised her voice, Vene frowned seriously.

"I'm not joking. But a chief has to be able to discern a tribesperson's technique in one viewing and use it themselves. Now, if you admit defeat, now's the time."

"Ku...!?"

From her expression and tone, Vene's words contained no falsehood.

Probably she really discerned the "Rabbit Moon Style - Instant Step Single Strike Kick" in just one viewing.

Even Ovelia seemed unable to hide her surprise, apparently faltering.

"Um, Lord Shia. I can't really believe it, but Vene wouldn't really go all out, right?"

"...Probably."

When I asked worriedly, he nodded awkwardly.

"Pr-probably...!?"

Unable to overlook this, I asked back, but at that moment Ovelia's voice roared "Fine, try it then!"

"I'd rather fight and lose than run before fighting. I'll definitely endure it."

"Good courage. It wouldn't be interesting for me otherwise either."

The moment after Vene replied, a thunderous sound roared from where she stood, the ground gouged and dented, sand swirled, and a gale swept through.

In the blink of an eye, Vene closed in before Ovelia, raising her right foot to the sky.

"If you're going to run, this is your last chance."

"I told you. I absolutely won't run, no matter who I'm facing!"

The moment Ovelia shouted that, changes appeared again in her fur.

The dark gray fur color lightened, becoming a gray close to white.

As we were captivated by this sight, Shia's voice roared "No way...!?"

"That girl just became a Gray Rabbit, yet she's already advanced to the next stage, War Rabbit! Was this Vene's aim all along!?"

"War Rabbit" is equivalent to the Cat Tribe's "Lion" state in beastification.

Though it might be temporary, by facing Vene, Ovelia might have drawn out her potential abilities through fighting spirit.

Right after Shia shouted, Vene's mouth relaxed into a grin.

"Good! That state is the entrance to a new world. But even so, you can't withstand this, can you?"

"You won't know until you try, will you!?"

Ovelia, now in War Rabbit state, crossed her arms and deployed a magical barrier.

"Good resolve. Then I'll end this here."

The moment Vene's heel drop swung down, a high-pitched sound like shattering glass roared through the training ground.

Then an explosive sound roared from where the two were, magical waves swept through, and a sandstorm swirled up.

As I desperately resisted being blown away, I sensed Ovelia's presence as if she'd been sent flying, and I started.

"...!? Can't leave it like this."

"Lord Rid!?"

"Lord Rid!?"

Amid voices from Shia, Tink, and Capella behind me, I instantly activated body enhancement.

Diving into the rising sandstorm, I firmly caught the floating Ovelia in both arms and landed on the ground.

Then she in my arms smiled "Haha..." and slightly opened her eyes.

"Lord Rid, you saw, right? I didn't run until the end. So this match is... my win."

"Yeah, that's right. You were amazing."

"Hehe, what's a chief... I'm Lord Rid's knight, I'm..."

Before finishing her words, Ovelia closed her eyes and slumped weakly, hanging her head.

Apparently she lost consciousness from the physical strain of beastification and rapid magical power consumption.

Anyone would end up like this after such recklessness.

But her face looked very satisfied.

"Good work, Ovelia. You were very cool and wonderful."

To the unconscious girl in my arms, I smiled proudly.