My Girlfriends Are Hardcore Yanderes - Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Honest Mistake
CRACK!

The sound jolted Asher, snapping him out of his hyper-focused state. He blinked and glanced around, bewildered.

‘What… what was that?’ he muttered, staring down at Nakata, who was unconscious beneath him.

‘Did I just kill him?’

Loosening his hold, Asher leaned in and tapped the mercenary’s cheek, half-expecting him to spring back to life.

No response.

‘I think I really killed him,’ he thought, surprisingly calm as he nudged the mercenary’s limp arm, more curious than concerned.

‘Will I end up in prison?’ he wondered. ‘No, that would be silly since I’m technically dead already. ‘

‘But what if Lucy finds out…’ His thoughts trailed off; the possibility of her getting angry was not something he dared to imagine.

She helped him get the training he wanted. Even though Nakata had acted like an asshole, he taught him valuable lessons.

But instead of receiving a thank you, he ended up dead.

Asher shifted uncomfortably, his gaze dropping to the floor as shame washed over him. Deep down, he knew he had crossed a line. Not even the best excuse could hide the truth.

Just as he considered calling for a funeral home, Nakata let out a pained grunt, his eyes flickering open with a groggy glare.

“Kid…” he rasped, “Didn’t you hear my neck snap?” He appeared somewhere between amused and annoyed as he shifted to sit up and stabilized his breathing.

“I think I lost five years off my life with that.” he added, rolling his neck and checking for any permanent damage.

Asher was stunned. He had been sure Nakata had met his maker—how was this possible?

‘No, I should be glad that I didn’t accidentally kill him,’ Now he didn’t have to worry about being scolded.

Noticing the confusion on Asher’s face, the mercenary explained, “Don’t look so surprised. It’s just a technique I picked up in the East to fake my death. Pretty impressive, right? You actually loosened your grip before doing any more damage.”

Asher nodded, feeling a twinge of guilt. He would have apologized if he could, but any attempt at words would have come out as a groan.

“By the way… Did you actually try to kill me?” the mercenary asked.

That choke felt… a little personal. He realized he’d let his emotions get the better of him, acting too petty toward the kid.

Asher shook his head. He was a little pissed off, but not to the point of wanting to kill anyone.

The problem was that in his hyper-focused state, he struggled to control his movements, especially with his dulled sense of touch.

Additionally, Nakata’s fight with Lucy gave the impression that the mercenary was very durable, but that wasn’t the case at all.

In the end, he was still human, with the same weaknesses as anyone else.

“Forget about it.” Dropping the attitude, Nakata decided to teach more seriously.

“You’re already skilled in hand-to-hand combat, so now I’ll teach you how to use a blade,” he said, standing up and reaching for the weapons hanging on the wall.

He selected a pair of short training swords, testing their weight before handing one to Asher.

“Short swords are more practical,” Nakata explained. “Carrying a long one these days just draws too much attention. People see it and, next thing you know, someone’s calling the cops.”

Asher gripped the training sword, its unfamiliar weight thrilling.

“First, get used to how it feels in your hand,” Nakata instructed, his tone devoid of impatience. “A blade isn’t just a tool. Treat it like an extension of your arm.”

Stepping back, Nakata held his training sword with a steady grip, raising it slightly.

He demonstrated a technique with a small shift of his wrist. The blade cut through the air in a controlled arc, each motion precise.

“Watch closely,” he added, barely moving his feet as he shifted his weight. “Efficient movements. No wasted energy. The less you move, the less you tire out, the less you reveal.”

Asher studied him, noting how the movements flowed seamlessly, each action blending into the next with no unnecessary motion.

“See?” Nakata continued, lowering the blade. “Big, flashy moves might look strong, but they’re slow and predictable. In a real fight, keep it simple. Small adjustments make all the difference.”

He reached over, adjusting Asher’s grip to angle the blade slightly downward.

“Feel the balance here. This way, you’re ready to strike—or defend—without giving away your plan.”

Asher nodded, imitating Nakata’s movements, striving for that same subtle control.

Each shift and tilt of the blade brought him closer to mastering it. Once again, his talent shone as he copied Nakata’s movements perfectly on the first try.

“Good,” Nakata said. “But just copying won’t be enough. Let’s spar. This time, I won’t hold back.”

They faced each other again, gripping their training swords.

Though the weapons weren’t sharp, they could still inflict damage without proper control.

“Start!” Nakata signaled, launching forward immediately.

Asher raised his weapon to block, bracing himself for the strike.

But at the last second, the mercenary paused, redirecting his blade in another direction.

Before Asher could adjust, the mercenary dropped low and swung his leg in a powerful arc, sweeping Asher’s legs out from under him.

Asher’s feet left the ground, and he slammed down hard, his weapon slipping from his grip as he hit the floor.

Without wasting a moment, the mercenary lunged forward, driving his knee into Asher’s chest to pin him to the ground.

“See? This is the difference between just copying and actually knowing how to utilize what you’ve learned.”

“I heard from Lucy that you were unbeatable before, which is why you didn’t feel the need to improve much. But against someone at my level, you’ll get killed easily.”

‘Is this really how big the gap between us is?’ Asher thought.

The speed and unpredictability of Nakata’s movements exposed Asher’s shortcomings, igniting a fire within him to close that gap.

Nakata stood and offered his hand to help Asher to his feet. “Get up,” he said.

Asher grasped the hand, feeling the mercenary’s strength as he was pulled to his feet.

“Don’t worry about it. I spent decades honing my skills,” Nakata added, a touch of pride in his voice. “You’ve got talent, but it takes time and practice to reach this level. Just keep pushing yourself.”

Asher nodded, realizing he was finally being taught more effectively than before.

Fueled by another goal, he practiced nonstop, eager to absorb every lesson.

Each movement became more efficient, and every strike grew more precise as he worked to close the gap between them.

One week passed quickly. Although still far from matching Nakata’s skill, Asher had improved by leaps and bounds.

Asher would have loved to continue training, but then something happened. He suddenly dropped to the ground, unable to move his body at all.

Nakata quickly ran over to check on him. “Are you okay?”

Asher let out a low groan, unable to move even his head.

“Wait here. I’m going to call Lucy,” Nakata said as he stood up and made his way to the surface level.

Signals were unreliable underground, so he had to find a spot where he could get a clearer connection.

DING

When the elevator doors slid open, he was taken aback to find her waiting outside.