This is part five to chapter 3. Hope you enjoy, and please leave Power Stones if you did.
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Several depictions of a gloved fist making its way closer to his face flashed through the system user's eyes, as he barely managed to tilt his head out of the way. The girl who threw the punch twisted around to throw a backfist towards his jaw. Having placed himself off balance from the first dodge, her second attack managed to clip him, sending him rolling across the ground.
"Ouch!" Issei grumbled, holding his jaw with both hands. It felt like only a single knuckle on her finger had connected and yet it hurt more than a strike from a kendo practitioner's shinai, which he was very familiar with.
"Enough? Or you thirsty for more?" Koneko rested her hands on her hips, looking down at him. For a girl with such a dry personality, she was being fairly kind. She was barely using a fraction of her strength to spar with him. An act of goodwill for the boy who'd asked her for training.
Just like he talked about with Ddraig, Issei asked his contracted cat-girl if she could help him get stronger, or at least teach him how to fight. There was a bit of hesitation at first. Not out of suspicion, but because she thought he may have been a masochist along with his usual perversions.
When he'd gotten back from the bathroom, she had already finished off her bag of treats. The fact she was able to finish off a bag half her size in what was maybe ten minutes of him leaving and returning left him floored. He should've expected as much from the gluttonous girl, but he didn't think he could ever get used to that level of absurdity.
Unfortunately, she hadn't accepted that easily. Sniffing the air, Koneko had given him a slight pass for not having masturbated after leaving for so long. Even without trying, she could roast and hurt his feelings. After pleading enough and seeing the sincerity to learn from her, she accepted without fuss. Maybe it was because she wanted to pass the time, but it felt encouraging to know she would help him out with something like this. She really was a good friend.
However, that didn't stop his face from hurting any less.
"Can't you pull your punches before you make contact?!" Issei whined at the white haired loli.
"I can," She answered, her face void of emotion.
"Then why don't you?!"
"Too boring."
"Urgh-!" He groaned, rubbing his face. At least she would give him a few seconds to recuperate before laying into him again. His new power had been helpful avoiding some of the blows, despite its complicated use.
From the ground, he looked at her tiny form lord over him. By all accounts, she was just standing there, but he would argue it was menacing. As she yawned into her palm, he activated his power, watching her arm blur as her body became distorted, showing him a glimpse of the future.
Level Up!
Foresight
1 Second - 2 Seconds
'That was fast.' He thought, watching Koneko's arm fall back down in the future before coming down for real. Progress of any kind was still progress, even if it was just a second.
Foresight, like Flight, had been the ability he'd received from the Rare Token he opened. It was sweet that he obtained another new power from a rare; one that he could likely disguise. Unlike Flight, Foresight wasn't visible by any means and needed to level up on its own, maxing out at a minute into the future.
Unfortunately, he couldn't see infinitely into the future like he hoped. That was the downside of powers that came from Rare Tokens; they very clearly had limits. It was still a useful ability, but with what he was planning to do soon, getting a weapon of some kind would have made him feel more comfortable.
Although, a weapon wouldn't let him react to a loli speeding towards his face like a bullet.
"Gwah!" Managing to roll away at the last moment, Koneko's double kick planted firmly into the soil where he once sat. "Hey, man! Trying to sucker me like that's not cool!" He said, a mix between rage and excitement. Thanks to Foresight, he got another clear view of her panties again.
Never mind. This power ruled.
Koneko shrugged, before getting into a boxer's stance and pulling up on him. Issei yelped at her swift approach and backed away, his backyard feeling like a fighter's ring trapping him inside with the tiny titan.
To his credit, he managed to dodge two punches this time before getting clipped, a new record. If he had a better grasp on Foresight, he would've been able to dodge her combo. That and if he wasn't such a-
"Wimp," Koneko's voice echoed into his fading mind as he struggled to retain his vision.
Yeah, that.
"I'm trying my best!" Issei wailed as he lay prone, sulking at her derogatory comment. She sat on the back of her heels, kneeling down next to him. His perverted face lit up in an instant, barely able to see the thin line of her womanhood hidden behind a veil of cloth before getting his face pushed to look the other way.
"You got decent reaction time, but you can't fight. At all."
Another crippling blow to his ego. She may have complimented him, but his reactions were only thanks to the bit of help from his new ability. That small piece of leverage was the only thing keeping him from being complete ass.
"I'll get better..." Issei grunted, shaking to pull himself up from the ground. "Just wait... Soon enough, I'll be walking you down like a dog!"
"You haven't thrown a single punch at me."
He flinched. "Y-yeah? Well get ready, 'cuz I'll surprise you!"
"Do you even know how?"
"How what?"
"To throw a punch."
He flinched again. "O-Of course! Just watch!" The pervert got into a stance, just like his favorite action heroes. "Kee-yah!"
Watching his lanky arm sail overhead, Koneko's eyes trailed from the jangled mess he called a fist, down his crooked elbow, and back to his face. "You'll break your hand like that."
Embarrassed, Issei allowed her to correct his posture. She went through the entire process; beginning with how he should fold his hand, how he should hit with the full brunt of his arm, and carrying the momentum by twisting his hips. When he managed to do it right just half the time, she ended up standing side by side with him and throwing punches in tandem. That way, he could follow along and copy her.
They went through multiple drills after that, including stretching and basic kicking. Needless to say, his ego couldn't fall any further, but that was inevitable when a guy like him spent any finite amount of time with a girl way out of his league.
"Let's go again." Now that she believed they were properly warmed up, Koneko stood across from the older teen. He was panting a bit from the exertion, but readied himself on command. If it were the old him from a couple days ago, he would've been gassed.
Within a second, the girl charged him. Activating Foresight, Issei prepared himself for her onslaught. This time, he was aiming for a counter attack. He didn't believe hitting girls was cool, but he could get behind the idea of beating the dick outta someone like Raynare. Koneko is a tank, so he trusted she would be fine.
'Sorry in advance!' Issei thought with growing confidence, seeing into the future and predicting her movement. She threw a calculated punch.
One. Two. Th-
Bink!
-And down the boy went. His head had already turned before he could see the spinning back fist coming, too late to see it with Foresight. Head hitting the dirt harshly, he felt numb all the way down to his toes.
"That was weak." Kneeling down next to his floored body again, Koneko poked what looked to be her senpai's lifeless form, watching him twitch in pain. He couldn't even muster the energy to steal another glimpse at her unmentionables. "...Senpai?"
...
...
...
"...What?"
Good. He wasn't dead.
"Had enough?"
Frustration built up inside him as he heard her words. Had enough? Didn't he ask her to help him train? He wasn't even close to having enough!
With a growl, Issei forced himself back up, turning to the loli with dark intentions. "Bear hug!"
Arms extended and hands gnarled, he leaped at the surprised girl with a nasty smirk, casting a shadow over her tiny frame. Unfortunately, Issei got to experience what leather tasted like, as her foot made itself friendly with his mouth.
Not only strong, but she was flexible, too.
Thankfully, Koneko didn't feel like knocking all his teeth out and held back her front kick. It was more like he ran into it than anything, though her small body felt like a brick wall. In any case, Issei found himself reeling on the ground, holding his face and fighting back tears.
"Hey! You kids finished playing cops n' robbers? It's almost dinnertime!" From the backdoor was Issei's father poking his head out to them, watching with a curious, but comedic grin.
"We're not playing cops n' robbers! I'm sixteen!" Issei's sudden fury managed to kick through the biting pain in his teeth, yelling back at the man. Koneko gave a small nod of agreement from behind him.
"Well, that's what it looks like to me! Why else would ya let a little girl beat the stuffing outta ya?"
"Dad!"
Hearing him chuckle as he shut the door, seemingly intent on telling his mom about them, Issei got the brief idea to use his dad as target practice. Koneko's thoughts didn't seem far behind his, a frown painted across her face. She didn't appreciate getting called little.
Using his backyard hadn't been his best idea. Even with Koneko's hypnosis magic, unless he wanted his parents to continue back seating him getting his ass kicked, they could use a change of location. The park or some other spot where they wouldn't be bothered. Anywhere would work as long as they didn't get interrupted, particularly by the enemy.
Issei sighed, feeling as if his bones were grinding as he peeled himself off the ground, hoping it wouldn't become routine. "I guess that's it for now. Would you please help me again tomorrow?" He asked his friend, hoping she would still be up for it. Just about every spot on his body ached and he hoped a good nights sleep would help, but it would likely just make him more sore.
"...Mn," Koneko quietly agreed, nodding her head. His heart couldn't help fluttering at her cuteness.
Wisely keeping those thoughts to himself, Issei turned to walk back inside his home. "Guess now you'll get to try mom's brownies. One bite and you'll be craving for more!"
She salivated at his words, anticipation rising in her small chest. Tailing him like a hawk, she quickly followed him inside.
'I gotta get stronger. She took it easy on me and still slapped me around. I don't have much time. Gotta improve fast.' Issei told himself, his hands clenching by his sides. He didn't know how fast he could improve fighting this way, but he would take anything he could. It was the only viable option he had available at the moment.
He just hoped it would be enough.