The Victim Of A Purse Snatcher

On the way to Saria’s street of stalls, not a single word passed between us.

When I secretly glanced over to see how Shia was doing, she had a tense look on her face and her lips were pressed tightly shut.

Ah, so she feels the same. She must be nervous just like I am.

I guess the fact that Shia and I are alike hasn’t changed since the first time we met.

Thinking that made me laugh.

“Huh? D-Did something happen?”

Shia looked surprised and confused.

Seeing that she still reacted the same way she had ten years ago made me feel a little relieved.

“No, it’s just… Father and the others talk about you like you’re terrifying, telling me I absolutely mustn’t be rude to you.”

“…I see. House Fols does.”

Perhaps hearing people speak badly of her weighed on her more than she let on, because Shia lowered her gaze slightly.

Not wanting her sadness to linger even for a moment, I spoke immediately.

“But when I actually talk to you like this, you’re still Shia. You haven’t changed from the girl I met in that back alley.”

“…Nova-san.”

Shia raised her head in surprise, and I smiled at her.

“Let’s have fun today!”

“Yes!”

We smiled at each other, and the tension between us disappeared as we stepped out onto the street lined with stalls.

There were many stalls in Saria, where Father’s manor was located, so Shia and I went around visiting them together.

When an older man I had known for years gave me some sweets, he teased me by saying, “Well, look at you, bringing along such a pretty girlfriend.” At one game stall, Shia completely dominated everyone, and at an accessory shop, we got excited after finding something beautiful.

With her gentle and kind nature, Shia quickly got along with the people of Saria, and some of the older women even gave her extras for free.

That was how we spent a pleasant, enjoyable afternoon together.

At one point, while we had stopped to eat something we bought, my eyes fell on a sword carelessly tossed into a barrel at one of the stalls.

There was no particular reason why it drew my attention.

If I had to say, perhaps it was because swords had always been closely tied to my life.

But Shia noticed immediately.

“You really are drawn to swords, aren’t you?”

“Huh? Ah, yeah. I can’t use House Fols’s inherited Aura, but I still like swords.”

“I’ve heard that if it were judged purely by swordsmanship, you would rank among the better members of your family.”

“But in reality, it isn’t just about swordsmanship. Once they use Haki, I can’t do a thing. Still, because I can’t use Aura, I’m able to be here with you like this, so these days I’m actually a little grateful for it.”

When I said exactly what I was thinking, Shia smiled.

Though there was a faint shadow behind that smile.

She shifted her gaze toward the people in the street.

Watching the passersby and the people working the stalls, she spoke quietly.

“I’m happy to hear you say that.”

With those words, silence fell between us.

Just as I found myself unsure what to say next, a loud voice came from the street.

There was a shout like an angry yell, followed by someone crying, “Somebody catch him!”

The instant I heard it, I started running before I could even think.

As soon as I reached the street, I saw the silhouette of a man running toward us from a distance.

He had a bag clutched in one hand, and behind him, a woman of mature age was desperately chasing after him with a frantic expression.

A purse snatcher.

Once I understood the situation, I immediately looked away and ran toward the stall selling swords.

“Old man! I’m borrowing this!”

“O-Okay!”

I called out to the stall owner, whom I knew, and borrowed a sword from the barrel.

It was an ordinary sword with a sheath, but there did not seem to be anything wrong with it.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shia come out onto the street as well, and then I kicked off the ground.

At that moment, from where I was positioned, I could not see that Shia was reaching out her hand.

Before I could check, I focused my attention and charged forward.

Lowering my body, I held the sword low and faced the man head-on.

The man noticed me, but apparently had no intention of slowing down.

That was fine.

I waited for the right moment, then kicked off the ground even harder and shot past him, reaching his back.

As I turned around, I swung the sheath with all my strength into the side of his neck.

“Gweh!?”

The man let out an ugly scream and collapsed onto the ground.

The moment I stopped to make sure he was down, I heard a sharp snapping sound.

Before I could even wonder what had happened, my eyes met Shia’s beyond the fallen man, standing a short distance away.

Her palm was pointed toward me, and her eyes were wide with an expression that clearly said she had messed up.

“Nova-san! Nova-san, I’m sorry! A-Are you hurt!?”

Watching her rush over in a panic, visibly flustered, only filled my head with questions.

I had no idea why she was apologizing, and I had not been injured fighting this purse snatcher.

To be honest, he had not seemed like the sort of opponent capable of hurting me in the first place.

But the moment Shia reached me, she began checking all over my body with an extremely worried expression.

“U-Um, Shia? I’m fine…”

I raised an arm, intending to show her through my movements that there was nothing wrong with me, and that was when I saw electricity running along it.

“Huh? Whoa?”

Electric currents coursed throughout my entire body.

But I felt no pain or numbness whatsoever.

My body felt completely normal, and it seemed I could move without any problems.

I had no idea what was going on, but I decided that at least it did not seem harmful.

“…………”

But Shia stared at my body with wide eyes.

She looked relieved, but there was also a faintly suspicious expression on her face that bothered me.

“…For now, let’s hand this guy over.”

“…Yes.”

Unable to endure Shia’s unwavering stare any longer, I decided that for the time being, we should deal with the purse snatcher lying on the ground.