Chapter 92 - The Way Of The Stick
The night was bitter, harsh and cold—strong winds blew across the rooftop and formed an intense atmosphere. The two of them were separated from the world but together, and each one eyeing the other carefully. This was no time for games or frost cake smearing. The two of them would have none of that.
It was a tense atmosphere.
Li Yang was on his first session of learning how to wield a blade—or rather a stick. Despite Taiga promising that she wouldn\'t take it easy on him, that he needed to find some sort of healer to treat his injuries, she removed the saber-tooth dagger from his hand and promptly gave him a stick from a tree.
"It\'d be stupid if Bossman hurts himself with his own blade. Use the almighty stick!" She grinned and had proceeded to chop down a tree branch with her claw and gave it to him.
He held it in his hand, despite feeling a bit odd about the weapon. It was light, and he swung it easily.. The destructive capabilities were no doubt dull. Except if he were to stab in an eye or so? The Panda\'s raucous laughter could be heard throughout the air and it was crisp, clear and utterly loud.
Li Yang ignored it in lieu of getting the hang of wielding the stick.
"Heh… try to attack now. Taiga will only defend herself." Taiga gave him a \'come hither,\' gesture. She soon gave him a more controlled grin, stretching her arms. "Taiga will try to be easy and grasp your skills, Bossman. Or lack thereof."
The CEO glanced at her once and quickly jabbed the stick without a word. He struck at her chest—Taiga swatted it down in one strike. She was fast enough to not use her claws for this attack, and so the stick held despite the strike. She yawned and gave him a look. Waiting for him to attack once more.
He did it again.
And she blocked him. Several times.
Over and over again.
The tigress spirit tilted her head and took a step back. "Are you attacking Taiga randomly? That doesn\'t mean Taiga is saying that it\'s bad, but you understand that Taiga has greater speed… well, greater everything than you. You can try to move around instead of staying in one place, Bossman. A fight isn\'t stationary."
"I\'ll just take off my coat, then." Li Yang didn\'t exactly sweat, but he should have done this the first time. His hand gripped the stick tightly in his hand. It dug slightly into his flesh. The temperature was frigid, but he first shrugged off his suit coat and hung it over one clothesline—and then he ducked. A fist above where he should have been.
Taiga gave him a look, "Did you really have to do that, Bossman? Or are you upset about losing?" She gave him a grin. "Bossman isn\'t so used to the situation isn\'t he? Don\'t worry, Taiga will train you!"
He nearly dropped the weapon in his hand. "I didn\'t exactly want my suit to be messy or accidentally ripped. And are you changing your tactics?" He sighed and raised his other hand—and soon met her fist. It could have been a tap or light impact, and yet he crushed under the strength at once. His arm went numb.
He staggered to one knee.
Taiga\'s face didn\'t change as she looked at him and his arm.
It was convulsing and he couldn\'t feel it, but he stood up and ignored the whirring in his head. The din of a bell in his ears. At some ding of notifications in the back of his mind and gave her a blank look. "I suppose striking an enemy whilst their back is turned is alright?"
"Definitely." She grinned. "Some combats are to the death—no time for anything else." She lunged at him and he stepped aside. And was soon forced to dodge her attacks.
She probably wasn\'t at full speed, playing along with him in this dance of challenges.
He swerved to the left, avoided her slash and felt his foot sprain, the woman then pouncing overhead of him and landing behind. He spun around and struck her with the stick—the weapon pointing at her chest.
A little bit close on her left breast, approximately to the heart.
"Ah, did you make Taiga get excited and lose her guard?" she asked.
Li Yang frowned, "You attacked me out of nowhere despite saying you wouldn\'t."
"And you believed Taiga\'s words completely."
"... indeed, a foolish thing." This was still a pretend fight to him, or a practice, and yet his left arm went limp. He couldn\'t feel it and only held his right arm up with the stick pointed at her chest.
The woman paused and stared at him.
Was it another attempt to lower his guard? Li Yang narrowed his eyes. "You\'re giving me a handicap."
"Even if you hit Taiga, it\'s not life threatening. A weak thing to do unless you want to capture the enemy alive." Taiga said. Besides, this is not a serious fight. If it were—Bossman would have been decapitated already. Why would you waste energy by lengthening a fight when you can deal it in one decisive blow? Cripple and end them."
Killing someone was what she meant.
Li Yang hadn\'t thought about it at all—and the idea of a Harem Cultivation Method or Technique didn\'t overlap much to him with death matches. Unless he were to have missions with stealing or winning a maiden from a Young Master.
But even then… he concentrated on the situation.
Li Yang stabbed the stick upwards, and she jumped back in retaliation. A look of confusion on her face. "Did you want to hit Taiga\'s face?"
He didn\'t bother answering and stepped in for another strike—her claws struck against the wood and she clicked her tongue at him.
The woman swerved between self-control and going all out. The CEO drew back before she could snap the wood and eyed their surroundings.
The dagger was at the corner of the rooftop.
Her gaze followed his, and a grin formed on her face, "Did you want to pierce Taiga with that? You won\'t get it from Taiga, but you can try."
She blocked his path.
—-—-
Author Note: Ah, a stick is a great weapon you know? Anybody seen \'I Reincarnated As A Stick\' by TrueDawn?