The Goddess Of War
Chapter 175 - Eiko Tanaka
Anna caught the slender arm of a young lady, who had just attacked her all of a sudden, with great ease.
The attacker, Eiko Tanaka, was shocked to see who he had just attacked.
"A-anna-San?!" Eiko screeched, shocked mixed with guilt.
Realizing that she has made a mistake, Eiko immediately releases a small knife, which she always slips behind her kimono, as a sign that she feels guilty and will not attack again.
Zlebbbbbbh...
The knife that Eiko had just released, immediately stuck in the tatami that became their footrest.
Anna smiles at him, then releases her grip from Eiko's wrist.
"Sorry to surprise you, Miss Tanaka."
Anna also had a slight sense of guilt for having appeared in that place all of a sudden.
Anna then looked at the two men who were near them and bent her body as much as 30° to greet the three people, in their culture.
"I'm Anna, from City C. Nice to meet you all."
Eiko hurriedly returned Anna's greeting while bowing her body as well. His movements were immediately followed by two men who were his personal bodyguards, after they re-sheathed their katana.
"It's nice to meet you, Anna-San. Sorry for my discourtesy." Eiko. His tone was faster than the way he normally spoke, sounding very sorry.
"It's okay." Anna fast. "But what do you want to talk to me about?"
Eiko immediately raised her head again after Anna asked. He then turned to the two men who were his bodyguards, and the two men left them.
However, the two men eventually returned with another man and each of them brought kotatsu, zabuton and tea paraphernalia.
The three men arranged the small table, seat and tea set very neatly in the middle of the room before leaving the two women there.
"Please sit down, Anna-San." Eiko said, allowing Anna to sit on one of the available seating pads. "I'm sorry I couldn't welcome you properly. I didn't expect you to.." Eiko stopped talking and realized that Anna could suddenly appear before her after her bodyguard sent a photo of this room to Gina Stewart.
Eiko finally understood why Gina asked for the photo.
"A-what... You teleport?" ask Eiko nervously.
Anna smiled awkwardly, then nodded slowly. "Yes" he said later.
"That's so..."
"Is there anything important you want to talk about, Miss Tanaka?"
"Ah.., y-yeah... Actually..," Eiko was silent for a moment, trying to calm herself who had just been amazed by Anna's ability. He was nervous when he sat facing the beautiful girl.
"I'm in no hurry." Said Anna, looking at Eiko who looked dazed.
"Y-yes?"
"You can think first of what you want to say. I'm sorry if it comes on suddenly and surprises you."
Hearing that, Eiko immediately raised both hands in front of her chest and moved both hands while saying, "T-nothing." Said Eiko, who was then gobsmacked with Anna's gentle smile that looked so sweet and soothing.
The smile even made him more stunned and stared at Anna's face long enough in silence.
Seeing her interlocutor looking at her with a dazed face, Anna could only be patient as she blinked her eyes slowly.
'Oh, come... How long have you been staring at me like that?'
That state lasted for 2 minutes, until Eiko finally realized that she had been staring at her guests for too long impolitely.
Eiko then lowered her head again and remained silent for 1 minute afterwards, until she could completely calm herself down and return to speaking.
"It's nice to meet you, Anna-San."
"Me too" said Anna quickly, feeling bored by the sentence Eiko had repeated twice in just 10 minutes since they met.
"Sorry before, did you just watch the live broadcast from the World Association's official website?"
"I watched it."
"I-so..," Eiko lowered her head, embarrassed by what her father had said in the interview. "Actually, I'm not sure my father said that you're the demon they mean."
"But master Tanaka said it very loudly." Sahut Anna's.
Eiko was surprised to get a quick response from Anna. He looked at Anna for a moment, then bowed his body while apologizing.
"I'm sorry, Anna-San. But I'm sure that might not be my father."
"That's your father."
"Lt..."
Both of Eiko's hands that were on her thighs trembled upon hearing what Anna had just said. Not because he was surprised, but because he was convinced that his father could not say such a bad thing to his life-saving.
"Th-that's impossible..."
"What makes you believe that's impossible?"
"My father... Very respectful to you, Anna-San."
"Huh?"
"..."
"Your father respects me?"
"Y-yes... You once saved my father's life. So, dad can't possibly say anything bad about you."
"What's? But, didn't master Tanaka say that I was a demon who fought with him eleven years ago?"
Anna straightened her body. She does feel suspicious that there is something she will know when she meets Kenichiro Tanaka's daughter, which is why Anna immediately goes to see him when she finds out Eiko wants to meet him.
Eiko fell silent. He was a little surprised when Anna asked what Anna should have known, if she really was the savior of her father 11 years ago. However, the teenage girl before him did not seem to know about it at all.
"Anna-San, have you ever experienced memory loss?" ask Eiko in a soft voice. He tried to pronounce his question in a polite tone as possible.
Anna remained silent. He knew that Eiko might suspect him of the spontaneous reaction.
However, at this point, he was convinced that Kenichiro Tanaka had met Ann Arnix. That's why Eiko asked him that.
Anna started thinking quickly. He began to play charades in his mind, to guess what really happened 11 years ago and how he should respond to the question of the woman before him.
Anna let out a long sigh, making a slightly sad-looking countenance, before finally answering Eiko's question, "Yes. I actually lost my memory after that incident." Sahut Anna's.
Eiko nodded her head slowly, "I expected it. I'm so sorry." Eiko bowed her body again, saying, "Sorry for causing you to suffer the loss of having saved my father and the other Hunters."
Seeing Eiko's attitude, Anna instead felt hesitant because she had lied to him. He hurriedly asked Eiko to get her body straightened again.
'Gosh. I was like talking to Rin.'
"I suspect that person isn't my father because dad never said that you're still a seven-year-old little girl." Eiko continued.
Anna nodded slowly. He was increasingly convinced that what Kenichiro had encountered was definitely Ann Arnix.
"So, what did your father tell you about me?"
"Dad doesn't remember it too clearly. At that time, his father and Sato-San were already severely injured when they were beaten up by the monster that caused the dungeon break. All I remember is when you and your friend suddenly came to their rescue, and then protected them."
"Friends?"
Eiko looked at Anna in surprise upon hearing the question. But, he recalled that Anna had lost her memory, he finally nodded.
"Yes, Anna-San. Don't you remember it?"
Anna shook her head. "I really don't remember it."
"That's so.., I'm so sorry." Eiko said with a sympathetic face.
Anna sighed softly, seeing the look on Eiko's sympathetic face.
'Come on, can you just be ordinary?'
"It's okay. But, did Mr Tanaka say how many of my friends there were?"
"One person. You and your friend ended up fighting against those thirteen monstrous monsters."
"Then, what happens next?"
Eiko shook her head, "My father doesn't recall the aftermath, as both father and Sato-San fainted from too strong a magic energy. After they regained consciousness, the fight was over. They can't find you, your friends, and those monsters anymore."
"So..," Anna was bowed lethargic, feeling a little regretful as she could not get any more information.
"So, I'm sure that person isn't my father, Anna-San."
Anna raised her face again and smiled bitterly.
"Dearly enough. But, that person is really Mr. Tanaka." Sahut Anna's.
Eiko furrowed both of her eyebrows, feeling unsure of what Anna was saying. "But my father is impossible..."
"Whether it was Mr. Tanaka, lord Cavalli and the eldest son of lord Sato, they were under the influence of magic, a kind of hypnotism." Said Anna, cutting out Eiko's sentence.
"What?!"
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