Chapter 35: Meeting Queen Mika

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Meeting Queen Mika

After the guiding reconnaissance eagle took off and soared into the sky, Kirito stepped foot onto the expansive Alex Island. The scene unfolding before his eyes was extremely bustling with a dense population of residents living there, people passing back and forth along the trails.

He strode in the direction guided by the bird, moving away from the densely populated area to push deep toward the rear of the island. The further he walked, the more desolate and silent the scenery became. It was actually a deep ravine wedged between two sheer cliffs, where a crystal-clear freshwater stream meandered through.

On the riverbank with its layer of fine white sand appeared an old traditional Japanese-style house with a prominent curved red roof. The architecture was simple yet extremely delicate and aesthetically pleasing, in absolute harmony with the surrounding nature.

Kirito walked along the stream bank, all his senses pushed to the highest level, vigilance reaching its peak.

When he was only a short distance from the house, Kirito’s sensory ability immediately detected the presence of two Shinobi lying in wait. One ambushed on top of the rooftop, while the other hid discreetly behind a large ancient tree right by the mountain slope.

Even though he had identified their positions, Kirito deliberately acted as if he knew nothing. He casually walked right past the tree trunk where the Shinobi was hiding, but unexpectedly, the opponent still held their ground, absolutely refusing to launch an attack.

"Huh? He didn’t attack me at all? Could it be they were only assigned to stand here as guards to protect Mika?" Kirito muttered inwardly as he walked, feeling somewhat puzzled by the opponent’s restraint.

However, the nature of a professional assassin made Kirito extremely allergic to being stealthily spied on by others from the shadows.

In just a fraction of a second, he abruptly swung his right hand, unleashing a storm of sharp kunai and shuriken that tore through the air straight toward the hillside tree trunk.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The masked Ninja was forced to reveal himself, somersaulting and leaping out of the tree trunk to evade, simultaneously waving his hand to launch a chain attached to a sharp sickle blade toward Kirito.

Kirito leaned his body to dodge the lightning-fast attack. But right at that moment, the second Shinobi hiding on the roof swiftly threw a kunai that collided precisely with the chain, borrowing the force to deflect its trajectory so that it unexpectedly lunged backward to attack Kirito from a blind spot.

Kirito started, stepping back half a step, swiftly drawing the katana at his waist to slash a neat, powerful stroke that snapped the chain clean in two.

This was precisely why Kirito, despite not being overly terrified of bulky bandits or powerhouses like Raiden, remained exceedingly cautious and wary when facing other Shinobi. He himself was a Shinobi originating from the shadows, so more than anyone else, he thoroughly understood the unpredictable transformation and extreme danger of hidden weapon techniques.

Without giving his opponents time to collect their wits, Kirito forcefully threw a smoke bomb down beneath his feet. A thick white smoke instantly burst forth, completely obscuring the surrounding visibility.

Hiding within the hazy smoke, Kirito lunged forward at supersonic speed, focusing on eliminating the Shinobi on the mountain slope first.

The Shinobi reacted with a start, swinging his sword very swiftly to parry Kirito’s lightning-fast sword stroke. At the same time, Kirito’s sleeve popped open, unleashing a dense storm of poisonous needles at close range. The opposing Shinobi was extremely seasoned, instantly deploying a special steel fabric cloth to lash out fiercely, batting the entire storm of poisonous needles down to the ground.

"Such a thorny bunch, truly troublesome." Kirito frowned.

From above, the Shinobi on the rooftop also lunged down into midair in a posture to finish off the target.

Kirito did not panic, instead swinging his arm to throw a series of shuriken scattering in all directions. Both Shinobi moved flexibly, successfully dodging the first barrage of shuriken.

However, the corners of Kirito’s mouth curled up into a bizarre smile.

As it turned out, hidden behind those crisscrossing flying shuriken were ultra-thin, invisible wire lines that the other two could not possibly perceive with the naked eye.

Kirito sharply jerked his wrist to control the wire lines. Instantly, the shuriken that seemed to have flown past changed direction erratically, flying backward in a loop to ambush the opponents from behind their backs.

Thud! Thwack! Rip!

Two pitiful cries rang out simultaneously. Countless deep slash wounds appeared on the bodies of the two Shinobi, with fresh blood spurting in torrents. Just a few seconds later, both collapsed to the ground, dying on the spot due to excessive blood loss.

When confirming there was no longer any killing intent around, Kirito finally let out a sigh of relief, reaching up to pull down his face-covering scarf. His forehead was now beaded with a thin layer of sweat, forcing him to wipe it away hastily to dry.

Kirito strode straight toward the traditional wooden house situated opposite the riverbank. The main front door had been left wide open beforehand, and inside the cozy tatami room, Queen Mika sat waiting with a completely relaxed demeanor, elegantly raising a small teacup to savor it.

The moment Kirito stepped across the threshold, his gaze was instantly captivated by the extremely bold and provocative attire of the woman before him.

Mika draped herself in a premier silk kimono of a brilliant crimson red hue, redesigned and tailored in an extremely sensual manner. The outer robe hung loosely, sliding down completely off her porcelain-bare shoulders, languidly wrapping around her slender arms. The most unique and boldest feature of the outfit lay in the back design, which plunged deeply and daringly all the way down to her buttocks, fully exposing the flawless curve of her smooth spine along with her plump, rounded, provocatively burgeoning hips. The clinging thin silk tightly accentuated her full, vibrant breasts that struck the eye from an intensely stimulating side angle. Combined with a sparkling, luxurious pearl necklace, the overall attire exuded an aesthetic that was both regal and suffocatingly lewd within the traditional space.

Though having experienced many spectacles, Kirito could not help but be stunned and somewhat flustered by this overwhelmingly bold appearance.

"Long time no see, Kirito." Mika leisurely placed her teacup down onto the table, smiling as she looked at him.

"Those were two elite assassins deployed to protect me. Did you just go ahead and cut them down without a shred of mercy like that?"

Kirito shrugged casually, pulling the hem of his robe as he sat down onto the opposite tatami mat: "It’s just that I happen to have no hobby of being stealthily spied on by others from the shadows, that’s all."

Mika reached out to gently push the teapot forward, signaling: "Sit down, don’t stand on ceremony."

She took the teapot herself, pouring a cup of fragrant tea to the brim and pushing it across to him.

"You’re dressed quite alluringly and boldly today," Kirito glanced over to fully take in Mika’s captivating physique, offering unstinting praise.

Mika chuckled softly, her mouth corners curving into a knowing, lewd smile: "I knew beforehand that you’d come to see me today, which is why I specially prepared this outfit to welcome you."

She placed the teapot down onto the wooden table, her sharp gaze looking straight into him: "The intelligence you gathered is truly valuable. The moment I received your secret letter sent over, I was immensely surprised. Currently, my court has been and is urgently establishing strategic plans to deal with and counter Akaza’s faction."

Kirito nodded, resting his chin on his hand, tilting his head to look out at the gurgling stream flowing past the wide-open window.

"Things still look quite troublesome. The alliance between Akaza and Shinobu right now is like two impregnable fortresses as solid as rock. We’d better patiently wait a bit longer, until internal conflict breaks out heavily between those two factions, then seize the moment to deal the decisive blow."

Mika thoughtfully nodded in agreement: "After the previous failed assassination attempt, I issued orders to reinforce and bolster a massive amount of defensive military force for the imperial capital. There’s no way they’ll easily overrun it."

"They certainly won’t dare risk directly leading a massive army to launch a frontal assault on my Imperial Capital, because everyone fears the trap systems and complex defensive structures I’ve laid out in advance. Even if the factions band together in an alliance, the cost in too heavy human casualties makes them unwilling to take reckless risks."

Mika changed the subject, her gaze turning sharper:

"I’ve heard rumors about the appearance of a Shinobi with immensely terrifying power under the direct control of General Orochi. Do you know anything about this individual?"

Hearing this, Kirito slightly nodded in confirmation:

"If it’s one of Orochi’s people, I know them very well. That’s the old master who raised me. Under his command are plenty of seasoned Shinobi assassins."

"Among them, including myself and three others, we possess the strongest capabilities. You’d better be careful with them."

"Remember, last time I alone was able to infiltrate and approach right up to your room, which means my master and those three strong ones are entirely capable of doing the exact same thing, perhaps even more powerfully. Though they aren’t as proficient in using poisons as I am, their physical strength and destructive skills reach an extremely terrifying realm."

"Fortunately, up until now, my master hasn’t discovered my trace of betrayal yet, so I’m temporarily not entangled in the hunt list."

Hearing this, Mika appeared immensely astonished, her willow eyebrows slightly arching: "Such an interesting and perilous tale."

She suddenly revealed a earth-shattering piece of intelligence:

"If you genuinely feel worried that you lack sufficient proficiency to face your master head-on, why not try taking a trip to that northern icy mountain region? I’ve caught wind of news that a fiercely contested war is unfolding intensely up there."

"Legend has it that a hundred years ago, a renowned Samurai and a legendary Ninja who were bosom friends fought side by side until their final breath. They left behind a secret mausoleum concealing an ancient scroll recording the entire essence of both individuals’ ultimate martial arts."

Kirito gave a slight start, a flash of excited light sparking in his eyes: "Oh? This piece of intelligence sounds quite interesting. Perhaps I should arrange some time to go scout it out and see."

Mika wore a captivating smile, slowly rising from the tatami mat. Her immensely sensual hourglass physique with full, rounded breasts struck directly into view, making it hard for any man to restrain his reason. She slowly stepped closer, extending her crimson moist tongue to gently lick her full, plump lips, speaking in a seductive whisper:

"State affairs are discussed enough for now. And now... let me bestow upon you a well-deserved reward meant exclusively for you."