ALL NOVEL Chapter 119
When I previously trained with Saioji, her strikes felt like flashes of light. In contrast, the blow Karukira unleashed against KAEDE now was more like a violent storm.
The attack was brutal and sharp—too wild to be called just “cutting through the air.” It was the kind of blow that could only be described as pure violence. Yet KAEDE, with a weapon that mirrored the dark hue of Karukira’s *Great Axe Bulk*, absorbed the blow as gently as if she were cradling a bubble.
『I apologize, but deflecting this strike to the ground would cause unnecessary damage to the surroundings, so I’ll take it head-on.』
“Why you…!” Karukira muttered.
It was still early in the morning, a time when most people were asleep, and KAEDE, being an android, was aware of that. To avoid causing disturbances, she had chosen the more difficult option of absorbing the blow directly, rather than letting it crash into the ground.
Karukira showed no anger at this but instead swung her axe horizontally. KAEDE seemed to vanish for a split second, only to reappear at the very tip of Karukira’s now fully swung axe.
『Your physical abilities are beyond what I anticipated for a humanoid.』
“What the hell are you talking about?!” Karukira barked.
KAEDE nimbly dodged Karukira’s wild swings, like a butterfly fluttering through the air. And yet, she didn’t counterattack. It could have been perceived as disrespect, but Karukira showed no signs of offense. Instead, she smiled as she kept swinging her axe.
『Commencing counterattack.』
Right after Karukira’s massive axe whiffed through the air, KAEDE spoke calmly, lifting the axe she had been holding casually at her side.
“A kick!?”
『Forgive me if this seems deceptive, but using this weapon might result in your death. I’ll use martial arts instead.』
Just as Karukira was about to realign her stance, thinking KAEDE was preparing to strike with her axe, KAEDE took advantage of the opening and delivered a swift, sharp kick to Karukira’s left side.
The sound of the strike, accompanied by the sight of the impact, made me wince. It was a blow that looked painful just to witness. But Karukira, instead of showing any sign of pain, grinned. She clamped her arm around KAEDE’s leg, trapping it, and brought her *Great Axe Bulk* crashing down.
*BOOOM!*
The immense axe struck the ground, sending shockwaves through the area that prickled my skin. Dust and dirt kicked up, temporarily obscuring both KAEDE and Karukira from view.
“Wow, even your legs can transform? That’s amazing.”
When the dust settled, Karukira was rubbing the spot on her left side where KAEDE had kicked her. Meanwhile, KAEDE had escaped by transforming her leg, which had been caught, and quickly retreating. Her leg had turned silver and thinned, likely to make slipping free easier.
『I delivered a fairly strong kick…』
“It hurt like hell. I’m sweating bullets from just one hit.”
Karukira was a frontline warrior, the vanguard of the brigade. In terms of pure combat ability, Saioji and the vice-captain, Raffin, might be stronger, but as a warrior, Karukira was one of the best in the brigade.
Naturally, as a frontline fighter, she regularly faced monsters with terrifying strength that would be unimaginable back on Earth.
“Your kick was even heavier than the hit I took from that Blood Ogre we fought the other day…”
Karukira was drenched in sweat, and more kept pouring from her. According to KAEDE, she had kicked Karukira hard enough to avoid any lasting damage, but it seemed it still took a serious toll.
『Shall I administer treatment?』
“I’d like to say I’m fine… but yeah, go ahead.”
Muttering under her breath about how pathetic it was to be laid low by a single kick, Karukira slumped to the ground with a thud. KAEDE, in her typically mechanical voice, responded and stored the copied *Great Axe Bulk* inside her body. She then knelt beside Karukira, gently rubbing her back in a gesture that seemed almost like caregiving.
『According to a quick scan, your internal organs are unharmed, but there is significant damage to your side. I will begin treatment.』
“You’re incredible.”
The spot where KAEDE had kicked Karukira had turned a dark, bruised color.
It looked like a serious injury, but according to KAEDE’s scan, there was no internal organ damage. KAEDE gently placed her hand on the discolored area, and as her hand dissolved into fine threads, they pierced into Karukira’s side like needles.
“Doesn’t that hurt?”
“No… actually, the pain vanished almost instantly. How does this even work?”
『I’ve administered local anesthesia and a compound to repair the damaged muscle fibers. Simultaneously, I’m performing surgery using VRST technology.』
VRST referred to the special material KAEDE used, capable of forming weapons like the *Great Axe Bulk* or even changing her outfit. It had a variety of applications, and now KAEDE was using it to treat Karukira.
Apparently, the VRST was being used here in a thread-like form, thin enough to infiltrate the body and directly repair the damage.
“This VRST system is something else.”
『It took about twenty years to develop this VRST-based treatment system. As far as I know, the only comparable technology is at Ten’o Medical University on the capital planet.』
“What the heck are you two talking about?”
While Karukira was puzzled by KAEDE’s explanation, I couldn’t help but be fascinated by this incredible equipment and advanced treatment system.