Chapter 21: The Phantom Thief Rabbit Strikes ②

Sylha’s punch was caught by the phantom thief with a no-look, leaving her a bit rattled.

But, as expected of a 9th rank fighter, she didn’t pause and immediately followed up with a counterattack using her other fist.

Shun

Even so, the phantom thief still didn’t direct his gaze toward Sylha.

Without taking his eyes off us, he turned his face to the right and barely dodged Sylha’s punch coming from behind.

“Liluria! Support me with magic…!”

“N-no, it’s impossible! With Sylha that close by, I might end up hurting her!”

The outcome of the battle was entrusted to Sylha.

We simply couldn’t keep up with such a high-level fight.

Right before our eyes, Sylha and the phantom thief were locked in a back-and-forth struggle.

To have a strength on par with Sylha—who even held her own against a dragon—what on earth is this phantom thief?!

Even as the battle raged on, the phantom thief kept glancing at us intermittently.

It appears he’s rather wary of Liluria’s black magic.

And as for the living room where this superhuman battle was unfolding, its interior was, of course, in complete disarray.

The window glass was shattered, and the table and chairs in the center lay in ruins.

The inexplicable painting that had been displayed as decoration was torn to pieces with a “biribiri” sound.

…Could you please do this outside the house?

Even though we’re already broke, to end up like this…

I should have spoken up during the planning stage.

I should have said, “If you’re going to fight, do it outside!”

Now, it’s too late, and I’m wracked with regret.

Yet, regardless of my feelings, their battle only grew fiercer.

Eventually, my lousy dynamic vision couldn’t keep up with their attacks.

All I could perceive were the sounds of fists clashing and the resulting shockwaves.

That was all I could register.

Even though what was probably the world’s highest-level battle was unfolding right before my eyes, I wasn’t excited at all.

In fact, I was completely put off by this battle that defied human limits.

Otherworldly people are insane.

How can a human possibly fight at such super speed?

Sylha and the phantom thief began to seem like entirely different creatures.

Thank goodness, I have no aspirations to become an adventurer.

Just thinking about competing with these monsters sends a chill down my spine.

After all, my true calling is being a NEET.

Watching their battle reaffirmed that once again.

Perhaps if I cast my makeshift temporary spell right now, Sylha might easily defeat the phantom thief.

But I had no intention whatsoever of revealing that magic’s existence to anyone other than Liluria and Sylha.

There were even talks that I might be abducted by some country, and it was too scary for me to risk using that magic.

Furthermore, Sylha had intended from the start to settle this matter with the phantom thief on her own.

Even if I helped her win, Sylha would probably never be completely satisfied.

The battle between them continued.

How much time had passed since the battle began?

Ten minutes? Twenty minutes?

No, maybe it hasn’t even been five minutes.

An atmosphere so tense that you forget the passage of time filled the living room.

Then, the phantom thief suddenly turned toward us and charged.

In one burst, he closed the gap between us.

Seeing that, I instinctively braced myself.

Sylha, looking surprised, also rushed over to help.

Not missing the opportunity, the phantom thief did not let it slip.

He directed his kick not at us, but at Sylha.

Was that a feint――!?

My keeping my cheat secret from Sylha became my undoing.

Sylha, concerned for our safety, had slightly lowered her guard against the phantom thief.

In that moment, Sylha took the full force of the phantom thief’s kick, slamming her head against the wall.

“Ugh.”

She tried to regain her footing immediately, but it seemed she had suffered a mild concussion and couldn’t get up as easily as she wanted.

The phantom thief wouldn’t let that go so easily.

Then, as if to finish her off, he pulled back his right arm and launched a full-force punch aimed at Sylha’s solar plexus.

“Sylha!”

Liluria worried about Sylha.

But… she’ll be alright.

After all, I’m the one standing in as her shield.

Seeing Sylha hit the wall, my body moved on instinct.

I slid between the far superior phantom thief and Sylha, pulling her close.

THUUUUON!

That was close.

And I was scared.

My cheat can’t be broken by a dragon, so it certainly won’t lose to a mere human.

I kept telling myself that as I tried to calm my heart, pounding so loudly.

“A… O…?”

They must have been shocked that a coward like me risked my own body to shield her.

Sylha stared at me with wide eyes.

“We’re friends, you know. When a friend’s in trouble, I’ll come running.”

I’ll never do this again!

My meager sense of justice and spirit of friendship drove me to act impulsively, but my rational mind was saying, “Do you really want to die getting involved in a fight between these monsters?!”

There’s no way.

I don’t want to die, and I don’t want to fight.

I just want to be a NEET. That’s all.

“Th-thanks…”

I desperately concealed my inner thoughts, flashing a smile at Sylha.

Even in the midst of battle, Sylha seemed embarrassed by being held like that.

She, blushing slightly, thanked me.

Honestly, I deeply regret having done something so dangerous, but I had already acted.

Then, I thought, why not use it to earn some favor with Sylha?

And have her live with me forever, so I can keep earning the rent!

My smile, stained with desire, crossed paths with Sylha’s embarrassed smile.

But the battle wasn’t over yet.

I quickly shifted my focus and shouted an instruction to Liluria.

“Now, Liluria!”

Until just now, with Sylha nearby, magic couldn’t be cast, but now I’m shielding her.

With this, even if I falter in controlling the magic, Sylha won’t be harmed.

Liluria, as if she had been waiting, immediately cast her magic.

Perhaps she saw me rush to aid Sylha and was prepared to strike at any moment.

“Bang!”

The phantom thief, seeming flustered, jumped once more.

As before, he effortlessly dodged the magic.

But we weren’t going to let that opening go to waste.

Having recovered from her mild concussion, Sylha once again threw a punch at the airborne phantom thief.

It was Sylha’s secret technique: wrapping her fist in wind magic to maximize its killing power.

Sylha doesn’t have an abundance of magical power.

So, if she uses magic, she must settle the fight then and there—but will she be able to――!?

Once again, the phantom thief tilted his face slightly to the side, narrowly evading the punch.

But too bad—this time, it came with wind magic.

While the punch itself missed, the wind magic hit the phantom thief’s rabbit hood directly, reducing it to splinters.

And then, the true face of Phantom Thief Rabbit was revealed.

Seeing that, Sylha exclaimed in surprise,

“Mama!?”

Eh, what does that mean!?