Chapter 76: Kaede's secret
(A/N Over 1300 power stones this week and 25th place. Thank you for all the support. I'll try to stockpile some chapters so I can post extra content soon.)
(Ryoto's pov)
After washing off the marker with a lot of difficulties, I returned to class to continue my day. I'm glad that Karma didn't use an indelible marker, so I'll be merciful in my revenge.
At the end of school, I walked up to Kaede.
Ryoto: "Hey Kaede, can I borrow you for a minute?"
Kaede: "Sure, what do you want?"
Ryoto: "I'll tell you later, so can you come with me outside?"
Kaede looked confused but agreed nonetheless. My classmates were whispering about how I would probably confess, but I ignored it. I had something more important on my mind.
We left, walking in the direction of the forest.
As we were walking, we were followed by our curious classmates. I didn't even need to use my eyes. I could hear them sneaking around.
Kaede and I arrived at the place I scouted beforehand. Preparation is the key to a successful mission, and this time I can't mess it up. There are no second chances.
I turned to Kaede with my eyes open.
Ryoto: "Kaede, can you stop pretending."
Kaede looked at me, confused.
Kaede: "What are you saying? Pretending?"
She really can act.
Ryoto: "Akari Yukimura or Haruna Mase, which one do you prefer?"
These names got a reaction from her, but she still acted like she didn't know anything.
Kaede: "Akari? Haruna? Wait, you mean Haruna Mase as in a famous child actress? What does she have anything with me?"
Ryoto: "It takes a liar to know the liar, and there isn't a bigger liar than me here, so stop pretending."
Kaede: "And I still don't know what you are talking about."
I pointed to my neck.
Ryoto: "So what are these things on the back of your neck?"
Kaede still fainted ignorance, and I realized that words won't work, so I walked up to her and reached the back of her neck. Before I could touch her, a tentacle swung at my hand. Thanks to my spider-sense, I dodged it and created some distance between us.
The air around Kaede changed instantly. Right now, she looked like a real assassin. She looked at me coldly as her tentacles wiggled around her.
Kaede: "Haa~ Such a shame. If you just pretended to be a little more stupid, we could pretend to be friends for a little bit longer."
As she dropped the act, she also closed her eyes. It seems that she was wary of my eyes. She probably doesn't know precisely how my powers work, but it was logical to think that eye powers work through eye contact.
Ryoto: "We both know that it isn't what you want."
Kaede: "And what do you know? You are just a classmate who doesn't know anything about me or the circumstances around Koro-sensei."
Ryoto: "I know more than you think, and I believe I proved it by revealing your identity."
Kaede: "Yes, quite impressive as I even dyed my hair so no one would recognize me. Were you my fan before?"
Ryoto: "No, but I have excellent eyesight."
We were silent for a moment until I decided to ask her.
Ryoto: "Any chance that I'll convince you to give up on your revenge and give up the tentacles?"
Kaede: "It's impossible. I'll be the one who'll kill Koro-sensei."
She said with a fake smile on her face. I knew that it would go that way but still hoped otherwise.
Ryoto: "Then I'll be the one who'll wake you up from your delusion."
I was ready to fight. I knew that I needed to end it fast. The longer the fight goes on, the more dangerous it will become for Kaede. I couldn't use illusions as Kaede didn't open her eyes, nor did she plan to. I can't use fire so I wouldn't harm, and I'm not skilled enough to extract water from air and plants. I could go to the river nearby, but the place I'm currently at gives me the most advantage. I van use trees nearby to maneuver more easily.
I shot a web string at her, but she blocked it with her tentacle. It was unexpected since she wasn't used to fighting with her eyes closed. Do her tentacles see somehow, or it's part of her wish to the tentacles. She wishes to be an assassin, so maybe.
Unfortunately for me, it just makes my job more difficult.
Kaede: "I spend the last two months observing not only Koro-sensei but everyone else too. I know all of your tricks! Your eyes, hard skin, incredible reflex, and some kind of pressure that you emit. I know it all!"
I didn't answer and tried to think of a way to get close to her. I have thought up one way to do it, but it would hurt me and would be difficult to do even for me, and now that she has her eyes closed, the difficulty spiked considerably. Knowing plant bending would help. I should start learning it soon.
I shot another web string, but I targeted a tree next to Kaede to pull myself closer this time. As soon as I touched it, I used my legs to repel myself at her.
To answer my attack, five tentacles flew at me. I twisted my body to avoid three of them and blocked two with my hands imbued with Haki. I had a clear view of her and was closing fast on her, but I felt a big tingle on the back of my head, so I quickly shot web into the tree again and pulled myself back. It was a correct decision as in my last place, a sixth tentacle slammed into the ground.
Kaede: "I thought that I caught you~."
Around Kaede's neck, vein-like roots started spreading and the longer. They were tentacles' roots, and the longer Kaede was using them, the more control she would lose. She wasn't using her tentacles at all during the past two months, and now that she started using them, the drawbacks would be immense. She was enduring the pain of having tentacles all that time, and she finally let tentacles loose. Kaede didn't have a lot of time left.
I will need to do this after all.
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END
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