The Villain's Reincarnation – Tired of Working Hard, I'm Slacking Off! The Peacefully Oblivious Slacker Avoids Ruin! - Chapter 4.2

“Looks like I gotta take you in as a bargaining chip for my employer. Damn, this job just got messy.”

“You are mistaken.”

Yūki’s eyes sharpened.

“It is you who will be taken.”

“Heh! We’ll see about that!!”

And thus, the duel between Yūki and the bandit leader began.

Minutes passed.

The battle remained evenly matched.

(He’s strong!)

The bandit leader was keeping up with Yūki’s godspeed swordplay.

Moreover, his own swordsmanship was at least equal, if not superior.

This forced the fight into a psychological battle—a battle where Yūki found himself at a disadvantage.

The bandit leader masterfully controlled the spacing, ensuring that any misstep from Yūki would result in a lethal counterattack.

More concerningly—

The man’s weaponry was versatile.

He wielded a greatsword, but a pair of twin blades hung at his waist.

If he switched to dual swords, the balance of the fight could shift drastically.

Yūki had to constantly account for this unpredictability, making it difficult to land a decisive blow.

“Damn, kid. You’re a monster. I’d feel bad if I was a grown man losing to a child, but hey—at least I’m holding my own.”

The bandit leader grinned.

“Still, let’s be real. You’re not gonna beat me. I might not kill you, but I sure as hell ain’t losing.”

Yūki narrowed his eyes.

This man was dangerous.

More than just his skill, it was his mind—his unshakable confidence—that made him a true threat.

(I need to break his rhythm…!)

Yūki took a deep breath.

And prepared to turn the tide of battle.

“Battles aren’t won by skill alone, kid.”

“!?”

The moment the bandit leader spoke, another enemy lunged at Yūki from behind.

Caught mid-duel and momentarily distracted, Yūki’s reaction was a fraction too slow.

With a desperate swing, he barely managed to deflect the attack—

But in that brief moment of vulnerability—

“Gotcha.”

The bandit leader seized the opportunity, his blade flashing toward Yūki’s unguarded side.

It was a perfectly executed counterattack, one that should have sealed the fight—

But—

“Lord Yūki!”

The knight captain intercepted the strike just in time, forcing both fighters to step back and reset.

“My deepest apologies, I let one slip through.”

“No, you saved me. What’s the situation?”

“The enemy is nearly subdued, but we still require more time before we can assist you directly.”

“Understood. Continue your mission.”

“As you command. However, if you need assistance, call for me at once.”

“……”

After a brief exchange, Yūki turned his full focus back to the bandit leader.

“Well, kid? Not gonna fight alongside your men?”

Yūki didn’t know how to respond.

He had never relied on anyone but Satsuki and Brother.

Because handling something like this alone was supposed to be normal.

His grip tightened on his blade.

In a battle of strategy, his opponent held the advantage.

If that was the case—

He would end it in a single strike.

Yūki didn’t want to rely on this technique.

It wasn’t refined enough.

But—

He had no choice.

The Ultimate Slash—A Pale Imitation of Divinity

A swordmaster’s strike ignores distance.

A true warrior of the Mitsurugi style can cut down enemies from across the battlefield with a single slash.

No one knows how it works.

But Yūki had witnessed it firsthand.

He had seen his father, the current family head, cut down foes beyond his reach.

He had seen his brother, Kaito, slay a dragon soaring through the heavens with a single stroke.

A blade that erased the very concept of distance—

A technique known as “Tenshō” (Heavenly Flight).

Yūki could not yet perform it.

But with magic, he could create a mere imitation.

His element was ice.

He had studied his opponent’s fighting tendencies.

The bandit leader disliked disruptions to his precise movements.

His habit was to retreat when forcefully pushed back.

And so—

Yūki created that opening.

As their blades clashed, Yūki pretended to panic, throwing his full strength into a reckless charge.

As expected, the bandit leader immediately leaped backward to reset the distance.

(That’s what I was waiting for.)

Yūki drew his sword back into its sheath.

He concentrated all of his mana—

And then—

A godspeed draw slash, infused with ice magic, ripped through the battlefield.

“Hyōzan Hishō (Glacial Sky Flight).”

A streak of frozen light shot forward, cutting through the air faster than the eye could follow.

“Wha—!?”

The bandit leader barely had time to react before he was struck, his body sent flying across the stronghold.

The Battle Was Over… or So It Seemed

“A decoy!”

The next moment, one of the remaining bandits was bisected.

“Tch… Lucky I had a backup plan.”

A rare magical artifact, capable of transferring lethal damage to another person.

It was an absurdly valuable relic—far beyond what a mere bandit should possess.

(Where did he get that…?)

“No matter. I’ll finish him with overwhelming force.”

Yūki prepared to launch another spell—

“Too slow.”

“Lord Yūki! Behind you!”

By the time he noticed, it was too late.

A silent assassin had crept up behind him, poised for a lethal strike.

The bandit leader had never planned to win directly.

Instead, he had deliberately stalled, keeping Yūki’s focus on him while the assassin waited for an opening.

Experience.

The bandit leader had far more of it than Yūki.

No matter how skilled, Yūki lacked the decades of battlefield knowledge that his opponent possessed.

And in the end, that difference had sealed his fate.

The assassin’s blade was already mid-swing.

Yūki’s body was too slow to dodge.

But—

The bandit leader had miscalculated one thing.

The Mitsurugi prodigy known as Kaito Mitsurugi—

A man who absolutely refused to let his little brother be assassinated.

In that moment—

The attack never landed.

Because—

A single, blinding slash descended from far beyond the battlefield—

And erased the assassin from existence.

The assassin’s blade—shattering before it could strike.

A godlike precision shot, executed with absolute inevitability.

The concept of distance erased, the Tenshō technique reduced to a single untraceable arrow.

The assassin’s weapon crumbled to dust, leaving all but Yūki stunned.

But Yūki, who believed in his brother above all else, understood immediately.

And for Yūki—

Brother’s existence was a power greater than any magic.

His wavering thoughts vanished, his movements honed to their sharpest edge.

And without hesitation, he struck.

Mitsurugi Sword Style: Enka (円華)

A technique that utilizes the full twisting force of the waist, creating a circular arc of destruction.

With a perfectly fluid motion, Yūki’s blade danced, cutting through the assassin—

One clean strike. Instant unconsciousness.

Without stopping, he flowed into his next movement, setting his sights on the bandit leader.

But—

The leader had already closed the distance, seizing the opening created by Yūki’s focus on the assassin.

“Oooooohhh!!”

A final desperate charge.

But once again—

“Damn it! You again?!”

The knight captain intercepted the blow, putting everything into his defense.

“Tch—”

A fatal mistake.

The Instant Kill—Shunsetsu (瞬刹)

Yūki’s blade flashed once more, its edge sharper than before.

Already off balance, the bandit leader had no way to counter.

A single perfect strike—

And the battle was over.

“Impressive work, Lord Yūki.”

The knight captain approached.

“No… your assistance saved me. Th-Thank you.”

Yūki stumbled over his words.

It was his first time relying on someone outside of Satsuki or Brother.

It felt strange—and a little embarrassing.

“What of the remaining enemies?”

Quickly changing the topic to hide his discomfort, Yūki refocused on battlefield assessment.

“Two of my subordinates got too enthusiastic. They’ll have it wrapped up soon.”

“Understood. Then the only concern left is the assassin’s shattered weapon. That level of precision… it wasn’t normal.”

“There is no need for concern.”

“Lord Yūki…?”

The knight captain suddenly noticed—

Yūki was crying.

Unwavering Devotion

(Brother… you really were watching over me…)

(I’m sorry for being such an unworthy little brother… and thank you for saving me.)

Kaito was kind.

Any other adult would have let him die, laughing as he failed.

But Brother had never once abandoned him.

Any other adult would have thrown him into deeper hell as punishment.

But Brother had gently guided him forward, finding solutions instead of punishments.

It was only natural.

For both twins had already chosen their path.

“I will grow stronger.”

“I will become Brother’s sword.”

“And I will strike down all of Brother’s enemies.”

Thus, the name of the other devoted shadow of Kaito Mitsurugi was—

Yūki Mitsurugi.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Kaito Mitsurugi’s Perspective

(That was close.)

Kaito sighed in relief.

A few days ago, he had discovered a bandit hideout.

When Satsuki asked to handle the clean-up, he let her.

She was smart, and if things got too bad, the adults would step in.

And, well—Satsuki had just finished crying and had looked at him with shining eyes, saying,

“Brother, does this make me useful to you?”

…There was no way he could say no.

So, he had given her all the information and left it to her.

The natural outcome should have been a standard knight operation.

And it was.

But then—

Yūki got involved.

Kaito panicked.

He tried to intervene, but—

Satsuki had beamed at him, practically glowing as she said,

“Did I do well, Brother?”

…

He had been unable to say a damn thing.

Still, he knew the knights.

They were competent.

So it should have been fine.

But…

If something went wrong, and Yūki ended up in serious danger—

Wouldn’t he, as the one who started this mess, be blamed?

Wouldn’t this lead to his future assassination?!

That was unacceptable.

So, just in case, he watched over the battlefield using his clairvoyance.

And when he saw things go south, he sniped the assassin with his secret archery technique—

And saved Yūki’s life.

(As expected, you can never be too careful…)

One wrong move, and he would have been haunted for life.

A Moment of Peace…?

“Brother~ I want to sleep with you tonight~.”

A sweet voice drifted up from below.

It was Satsuki.

“Sure, I’m coming.”

Right now, Kaito was desperately trying to fix the mess he had made.

So, at this moment, he was ridiculously soft on Satsuki.

Without hesitation, he agreed and turned to go downstairs—

But before that, he checked on Yūki one last time using his clairvoyance.

“……Wait. Is he… crying?”

Kaito felt his bl00d run cold.

(Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. WAIT. Why?! The danger’s over! He won! He even got a huge accomplishment out of this! THERE’S NO REASON TO—)

Then—

It hit him.

(…What if… he hated fighting?)

(THAT’S IT!)

To a normal person, fighting is terrifying.

A normal person doesn’t want to kill.

A normal person would be traumatized after a battle like that.

(And yet, because of me, he was forced into this…)

Kaito froze in horror.

(I’M GONNA GET ASSASSINATED.)

(NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!)

Just like with Satsuki, he clutched his head in despair, trying to think of a way to make things right.

But—

He couldn’t just leave Satsuki waiting, so for now, he went to sleep with her.

And the Next Morning.

Yūki walked in.

And saw Satsuki sleeping peacefully in Kaito’s arms.

And thus, the situation became even worse.

Kaito, completely oblivious to the storm brewing in Yūki’s heart, had no idea—

That his attempts to smooth things over had just made everything worse.