Chương 20: Tsukino Gets Kissed!

At the peak of X-You Mountain, two individuals stood at the summit, accompanied by a massive group of nearly a hundred thousand people. As the only two Tama Artists on the mountain, their presence alone was enough to command attention, causing the crowd to close their mouths in reverence.

Takeshi, a Tama Artist from Koshi Village, smiled faintly as he gazed at the beautiful woman beside him. With his athletic build, bold head, and noticeable scars, he teased;

"I never thought someone like you would lead mortals into battle, because of her need for freedom."

Tsubaki puffed out smoke from her cigarette, bothered by his words, she retorted, "Isn't that similar to your situation?"

Takeshi shrugged, refocusing on the task at hand. "Let's get this over with. You know the rules, don't you?"

He outlined the battle structure: "We'll battle for five months. The first month, a single group battle worth 10 points. The second month, one-person battles worth 10 points and a two-person battle worth 15 points. The third month, one-person, two-person, and three-person battles worth 30 points each. The fourth month, four-group battles worth 200 points each. And on the fifth month, five days and nights of battle worth 1000 points."

Tsubaki ignored his explanation, scanning her group for talented individuals. After a month with them, she was confident in their abilities. Her cold gaze landed on three people: Tsukino, Mikino, and Shinji.

"Get over here. "

Her voice sweet but cold, was able to make Tsukino and Mikono stepped forward, while Shinji dragged his feet.

He grumbled, "I'm only an archer; how can you expect me to fight close-range?"

Tsubaki smiled, and Shinji reluctantly stood behind her.

Tsubaki turned back to face Takeshi, smiling, but her expression darkened as she noticed the white-haired man beside him.

"Who is he? Does he think he can defeat my team alone?"

Takeshi maintained his smile, glancing up at the tallest man among the Kurenai Village people.

"Shoji here wants revenge for the person who killed Gonnosuke and Ryoto, but it seems he'll have to wait for the group battle."

Tsubaki's cold voice cut through the air. "It was him who killed Ryoto, the young talent you trained, right?"

The group's gaze turned to Shinji, who seemed nonchalant. A grin spread across his face, "Humph!"

Shoji scoffed, "You don't look like someone who could defeat Ryoto in one move."

Takeshi nodded in agreement. "That's right; I wouldn't believe it even if I was blind."

Tsubaki sneered, displeasure etched on her face. "You still judge people by their appearance."

Takeshi laughed, his voice echoing through the mountain forest. "There are two things that make a person interesting: strength and charisma. Strong people always have a captivating presence, and muscle. Isn't that why you left me?"

He paused, studying Tsubaki's reaction. "Even you, someone who isn't easily swayed by charm, are curious about what's behind Shoji's appearance."

Tsubaki's face flushed red for a moment, acknowledging the truth in Takeshi's words. Shoji's masculine appearance, with his chiseled features, golden-brown skin, and well-developed muscles, was undeniably captivating.

Tsubaki looked away, attempting to avoid an awkward scene.

"Stop bragging, and let's get this over with. My team may not look impressive, but they're talented."

Takeshi followed behind Tsubaki, his grin widening.

"Are you going to let all three of them fight, or will you follow the rules for once?"

Tsubaki clicked her tongue in frustration but sighed, her gaze settling on Tsukino. "The decision is up to her. She's the leader of my group."

As all eyes turned to her, Tsukino stepped forward, her armor clattering in the wind. She stood before Shoji, her expression indifferent.

"I'll follow the rules. I'll fight you personally!"

Takeshi chuckled faintly, whispering in Tsubaki's ear, "Want to know a secret about Shoji? Why he didn't show up at the first mission?"

He paused for dramatic effect. "I was training him. I paid a fine for it, but considering what he'll bring me, it's worth the sacrifice."

Tsubaki furrowed her brows, looking at Takeshi with disdain. "That's nothing. I've done the same with all three of them, separately."

Takeshi's whisper continued, "I forgot to mention, I've been training him since we broke up – 15 years ago."

Tsubaki's face contorted in shock, and she turned to stop Tsukino, but it was too late.

Tsukino's twin katanas were already pointed at Shoji, and she roared, "I challenge you to a duel! The winner decides the loser's fate!"

Tsubaki's expression turned ashen. It was too late to intervene, and Takeshi would only get in her way. She could only hope Shoji would decline the challenge, but he smiled, accepting the duel:

"I'll give you the first move, since you're pretty."

Tsukino gritted her teeth, charging at Shoji with conviction in her eyes. Her swords sliced through the air, but Shoji dodged effortlessly. Despite her repeated attacks, Shoji evaded each blow with ease.

In mere minutes, Tsukino was struggling to catch her breath.

Shoji's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Give up now!"

Tsukino refused, charging again. However, Shoji vanished, reappearing behind her. He tackled her to the ground, pinning her down.

"Still not giving up?"

Tsukino spat in his face, and Shoji chuckled, wiping his face.

In a few seconds his hands began to roam over her, and he pressed his lips against Tsukino's. The onlookers widened their eyes in shock.

Whoosh!

Just as Shoji's hands were about to advance further, an arrow flew toward his head. Shoji caught it with his teeth, rising to face Shinji.

Shinji stepped forward, his expression icy. "Step away from her, or you'll regret it!"

In contrast to his cool demeanor, his thoughts were chaotic;

'I only stepped up to look like a hero. Who will save me now?'

Just as Shinji's thoughts faded, he found himself kicked toward Lucy and Sora, who let him fall to the ground. Shoji didn't stop there, kicking Mikino in the same direction before throwing Tsukino after them. No one dared to intervene, as Shinji had broken the rules first.

Shoji's cold, red eyes scanned the group. "If this is all Kurenai Village has to offer, the next battles will be easy."

He scoffed in the direction of were he threw the bodies before turning away to join his team.

Takeshi smiled at his ex-girlfriend and followed behind Shoji, leaving the scene with a satisfied expression.

Tsubaki's face twisted in rage, and she let out loud, flaming breaths. Losing was something she couldn't tolerate, and her anger flared up.

A flame whip materialized in her hand. "If you were all at least better than those losers on the ground, we could have won!"

Her whip cracked through the air. "From now on, you'll only rest and eat at night! All of you, on the ground, now! If you don't want to improve, I'll make you improve!"

Before anyone could react, the mortals from Kurenai Village were thrust into a world of torture.