Chapter 9: Plot Armor...?

With the door fastened securely, Nobu's only option to escape was through the second-story window. Unfortunately, this would require him to jump down to the ground.

While it wasn't a great distance, Nobu could barely walk, much less perform something as strenuous as parkour roll. Breaking a leg would be a lot worse than being down a hand, so, at least for the time being, he dragged himself back to bed, muttering, "Whatever...at least I got a change of clothes. As long as that airstrip bitch doesn't try and meddle with me when all this is over, I don't give a damn..."

Though he suspected the woman might try and drag him away, Nobu had no intentions of following her. He might have been thankful if she had simply saved him. Instead, she burnt any bridges between them by tying him up and assaulting him three times over. Even if this was ultimately the result of a misunderstanding, he didn't want to be associated with anyone unhinged enough to resort to violence before they even had a grasp of the situation.

Ignoring the hypocrisy contained within this sentiment, Nobu passed the time by continuing his grind. His stockpiled clicked had allowed him to increase his point value by more than 100 over the last three hours. This caused the subtle tingling in his abdomen to gradually develop into a pleasant warmth, and, as a result, the chill within the room was no longer affecting him.

All things considered, Nobu's felt as though his situation was improving with each and every click. His only complaint, ignoring all the other things he wanted to complain about, was that he had no idea how to actually manipulate his aura. He had tried several of the most common methods he read about in his previous world, but, as someone who had lived their entire life as a normal human being, manipulating energy wasn't exactly a part of his skill set.

"Those novels where the MC taps into their energy after only a few hours is bullshit...seriously, what kind of cheat is that? You expect me to believe a bunch of anti-social otakus who haven't worked out a single day in their life can suddenly focus their minds to the point of being able to manipulate ki and shit? Bullshit."

While his frustrations were largely due to the fact he was unable to emulate said result, Nobu still felt it was strange how most stories just glossed over the issue by having their MC simply meditate and, voila, they were suddenly able to tap into an energy that the original natives spent years trying to awaken. He doubted most of them had ever even meditated before so it didn't make a lick of sense for them to be able to achieve that state of mind immediately after being reincarnated. When he tried, his thoughts were all over the place. His broken hand and the lingering pain in his stomach also didn't help, so, while it wasn't exactly fair to the Otakus, Nobu had never been particularly fond of the unique subset of society.

"Fucking plot armor..."

---

After an annoying fruitful day of gathering information, Yui attempted to return to the Inn only to find her path blocked by a group of several men. This included two thug-like individuals, a man with delicate, almost feminine features, and, most troublingly, an elderly man with a thick mustache, deep wrinkles, and a platinum-colored chainmail glittering beneath his tunic...

Without waiting for the group to explain their intentions, Yui immediately manifested a set of katanas, one long and one short, before demanding, "Move. Only scoundrels and scumbags block a woman's path in the streets. Have you no honor?"

Glowering in response to Yui's remark, the feminine-looking man, a textbook definition of a 'Young Master', coldly muttered, "Impudent...it would seem you cultivation base had made you arrogant..." before gesturing to the two men flanking his sides.

Though she didn't particularly care about the man's words, Yui sprang into action the moment he gestured to his cronies. She was guessing he either had something to do with Nanamori's disappearance or they had already investigated her to determine she didn't actually have any backup. Either way, they weren't the kind of people she could simply talk things through with, so, even if it cost her life, she had no intention of letting them have their way.

"Secret Technique - Sword Chases Sparrow...!"

Combining extreme speed and flexibility, Yui's swords traced an unnatural arc reminiscent of a pair of sparrows in flight. This caught the men approaching her by surprise, but, before her attacks could connect, golden auras covered their bodies as the sound of metal striking metal echoed through the surroundings.

Clicking her tongue, Yui used the face of the man attempting to grab her as a springboard to somersault backward. She wasn't surprised by the fact both men were Golden Warriors. After all, she hadn't exactly been keeping her cultivation base a secret.

"Grandmother wasn't lying when she said gold is the most difficult rank to overcome...it feels like my attacks don't do any damage..."

Though her aura had become significantly heavier and exponentially more malleable, gold wasn't particularly known for its efficacy in holding an edge. Swordsmen transition between Silver Adept and Golden Warrior would find their speed drastically reduced, and, while their aura would become incomparably versatile, it wasn't uncommon for their weapons to deform whilst striking. Yui was no exception to this, and, though she had managed to leave a sizeable dent in the two mens' auras, her longer katana now looked more like a question mark than a sword.

Believing his prey was trying to flee, the feminine man shouted, "Don't let her escape! If she isn't kneeling before me in the next five minutes, somebody is going to pay with-"

*CLANG*

With a flash of cold and the sound of metal striking metal, the boisterous man found himself paling as the elderly man behind him grasped a crossbow bolt intended for his face.

"Activate your aura and remain silent. If I hadn't been here, your hubris would have just cost you your life."

Swallowing the knot in his throat, the feminine man nodded his head before directing a glare in the direction Yui had fled. At the same time, a silvery glow covered his body, but, were you to look closely, it was possible to make out a few darker strands within his aura. This indicated he had either just broken through to the Rank of Silver Adept, or, far more likely, he had used unrefined silver ore to complete the process.

"I don't care what family you belong to...you will tell me the secret to obtaining gold quickly or you will suffer the same fate as a flower that blooms quicker than the rest..."

---

If there was anything Yui was confident about, it was her speed. Women, at least among the vast majority of tribes, were physically weaker than men. As a result, they had to rely on skill, flexibility, and raw speed to contend against physically superior foes.

Though her speed had drastically decreased ever since she ascended to the rank of Golden Warrior, Yui was confident she could outpace people a full five ranks higher than her so long as they didn't specialize in speed. Thus, after several minutes of jumping between buildings and dodging through alleyways, Yui had managed to successfully give her pursuers the slip.

Unfortunately, this was only the beginning of her troubles. After all, if they had investigated her enough to know she didn't have someone supporting her from the shadow, they would obviously know where she was staying. To that end, there was even a chance they had taken Nobu hostage. If that were the case, this mission hadn't simply become exponentially more difficult, it had become impossible to complete. After all, while Owari-Asai might not be the largest city in the Owari Province, the forces governing it were far stronger than what a single Golden Warrior could contend against.

Releasing a sigh, Yui extracted a bamboo chute with seals covering one end and a pull cord extending from the other. This was the emergency flare given to candidates undergoing their warrior's trial. In the Yoshitsune Clan, it was customary for aspiring warriors to complete their first mission without the support of the family. Those who were forced to use the signal were considered failures, and, while there had been numerous exceptions in the past, Yui doubted she would be one of them. She had already earned the dissatisfaction of several Elders when she refused to marry the Sixth Elder of the Oda Clan, a man more than a hundred-and-twenty year her senior. Ever since then, she had been labeled as egotistical and self-serving, so, with the exception of her Grandmother and her elder sister, many within the Yoshitsune Clan had been eagerly awaiting the day she would make a mistake.

"Is it so wrong to want to choose my own path...?"

Shaking that thought from her mind, Yui aimed the bamboo shoot towards the sky before hesitantly grasping the pull cord. Countless people who had come before her had given up their lives for the sake of the Yoshitsune Clan so it was pure selfishness on her part to desire something more. She could have done something had she possessed the strength to sweep aside all obstacles, but, with only her Grandmother to support her, becoming the strongest was a mere pipe dream.

As that thought crossed her mind, a fair amount of moisture gathered within Yui's obsidian-black eyes before she closed them and pulled the cord with all her strength. There was very clearly some foul play involved in the disappearance of Nanamori Natsu. She could not let his death go unanswered, so, for the sake of carrying out justice, she was willing to sacrifice even her dream...

...

..

.

Confused by the lack of an explosive pop, Yui opened her eyes to see that she had, somehow, managed to yank out the cord without setting off the flare. More specifically, her full-force tug had snapped the cord near the base.

Blinking several times in surprise, Yui didn't know whether she should laugh or cry as a mix of emotions, predominately relief, washed over her. For a brief moment, she even felt as though she had suddenly been given a new lease on life. Unfortunately, she wasn't so delusional as to believe that a misfire would afford her an ounce of clemency should she return home without completing her mission.

Inhaling a deep breath, Yui waited until she could feel a subtle tingle in her temples before exhaling. This caused a cold sensation to spread through her mind, and, though it did little to calm her nerves, it provided some much-needed clarity.

"I need to hurry back. If they haven't already captured him, I can still complete my objectives by escorting Nobu out of the city. So long as he is who he says he is, he should know exactly what happened to Nanamori-san..."

As these words departed her lips, Yui realized her current predicament was entirely the result of her unwillingness to believe him. Had she taken his words at face value, she wouldn't have had to waste three days gathering information.

Exhaling yet another sigh, Yui attempted to psyche herself up by slapping her cheeks with the palms of her hands. Doubt and self-blame wouldn't free her from her current predicament. All she could do at this point was her best. Besides, she would much rather die here, fighting like a warrior, than return home only to become a pawn for the main family. Her Grandmother had taught her there were far more terrifying things in life than death, so, even if it was easier to just turn around and run, Yui pressed forward with the conviction of someone who aspired to become a hero...

(A/N: Feel free to let me know what you think by posting a comment or leaving a review. Every bit of feedback helps(so long as you aren't a complete asshat about it xD...))