Chapter 170
Chapter 170
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: Cat Fight (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
●
The dagger and gauntlet clashed.
Sparks flew violently across the rooftop bathed in pale moonlight.
Another even exchange of blows. Neither could remember how many times they'd gone at it like this.
Both were surely sensing it at the same time. That their opponent was no pushover.
“...”
Seras grimaced and wiped the wound near her face with her hand. Blood smeared across it—fresh blood she couldn't even remember the last time she'd seen.
‘...She can keep up with my attacks.’
Of course, her specialty was stealth assassinations, not all-out fights like this, but she hadn't earned her Grand Assassin title for nothing.
You needed to be one of the continent's top powerhouses just to trade blows like this. And this Liru Garda wasn't anywhere on her list of names that qualified.
But something was off about her opponent's movements.
‘...It's like she knows in advance and reacts accordingly?’
As if she 'knew' the future a few seconds ahead and moved preemptively along her attack paths.
Seras overwhelmingly superior in physical ability and combat skill, but these eerie movements kept the fight dead even.
-!
Once more, their weapons collided fiercely. At point-blank range where they could feel each other's breaths, Seras let out a sigh and spoke.
“One thing's for sure.”
“Ah, what a coincidence. I was about to say the same.”
Liru and Seras leaped apart, glaring at each other.
“You're from the Holy Kingdom, aren't you?”
“And you're from the Tribal Alliance.”
One wielded miracles and blessings rooted in holy power. The other used spell-based fist techniques.
At the very least, both were clearly different from the mana-based reinforcement arts used in the Empire.
“...”
Liru's gaze flicked briefly toward the building below.
Dawood was probably down there, still trying to talk them out of it right up until they'd climbed up here.
Of course, the two of them were already too steamed up to listen with even one ear.
“...What business do you crazy cult freaks have with him anyway?”
Seras's expression twisted slightly.
‘...With him?’
It was as if she'd claimed to have Dawood all to herself.
She didn't know why, but.
That phrasing rubbed her the wrong way, intensely.
“Who knows. Maybe we can ignore the barbarians who only have steam tech going for them?”
Even stronger hostility flickered in their eyes.
From clashing hands, they'd both confirmed it: this level of skill required elite training passed down as family secrets from childhood.
And those were usually shared only among the top echelons of each nation in strict secrecy. Which led to one inevitable conclusion.
They were both high-ranking figures close to the leadership in the Holy Kingdom and Tribal Alliance.
And the fact that they both had eyes on the same man implied a whole lot more.
“...Even if I wanted to ignore you.”
Liru spat out the words.
“The Holy Kingdom's a trash country ruled by the world's sneakiest bastard, right?”
“...”
The moment she heard that, all expression drained from Seras's face.
“...What do you know about our nation, you barbarian?”
“The Empire's no picnic either, but it's gotta be better than your lot?”
“...”
“I'm not even that into politics, but even I know the rumors about your place stinking to high heaven. Don't drag Dawood into that crap and just scram—”
Before she could finish, Liru jerked her body back sharply.
Not from any future sight nonsense, but pure survival instinct when death loomed.
She stared blankly at the gash across her chest.
For the first time, she couldn't keep up with the speed. She hadn't even seen it.
Dodging a fatal wound was sheer luck.
“...”
Her opponent's aura was completely different now.
Liru narrowed her eyes slightly, watching Seras grip her twin daggers in reverse grip.
The light had vanished from her eyes. And a 'purple aura' billowed thickly from her entire body.
And then.
“...”
Perhaps from the shift in stance, Liru spotted the animal ears atop her head and let out a scoff.
She got why this woman had snapped so hard at those words.
“Biped?”
Beastkin. A mixed race between humans and other species.
The most infamous variety among the subhuman races.
“You've got guts, I'll give you that. Stepping foot in the Empire as a beastkin?”
In an Empire that aggressively promoted subhuman discrimination, spotting a beastkin meant capture or kill on sight—no questions asked.
No wonder subhumans hated the Empire with a passion.
Especially coming from the Holy Kingdom, which preached equality without racial discrimination, Liru's words would've hit every nerve.
“...Normally, anyone who sees this gets killed.”
Seras replied in a flat, emotionless voice.
“But I won't kill you.”
The Pontiff had said as much, and the recent orders from Archbishop Luminol too.
They'd emphasized extra caution around Dawood several times. No need to complicate things by messing with people near him.
“...You'll still pay a price, though.”
That said, at the very least.
Giving this arrogant bitch—who acted like she'd staked a claim on him—a proper thrashing? That shouldn't be an issue.
Her attitude had been grating on Seras from the start.
Mission aside, it was personal now.
And at the same time.
[...Liru.]
The blue entity attached to Liru's back spoke up in a voice laced with alarm.
[Under normal circumstances, I'd help you out. But if the opponent's 'like me,' that's tricky.]
‘...What?’
[She's the same type as us.]
Liru silently stared at Seras.
No wonder the weird colored aura rising from her body—it all made sense now.
“...What is this?”
Soon, a feral smile crept across her face.
“You've got one of those attached too?”
A blue aura billowed thickly from Liru's body as well.
Power settled into her form.
A technique she'd tested a few times in the crucible of strife.
Pulverize. Anything it touched would shatter to pieces.
If the enemy was bringing out something similar, no reason for her to hold back.
Once more, the two charged at each other.
But the intensity was worlds apart from before.
Before, it felt like two humans brawling. Now, it was like two natural disasters colliding, shockwaves rippling outward.
The air screamed, the ground quaked, and the entire building they stood on shook.
“...What? What's going on?!”
“The dorm building...!”
Chaos erupted everywhere. Students sleeping below in the dorms woke up, adding to the uproar.
But the two, fully immersed in combat, had no attention to spare. Nothing mattered but smashing the enemy in front of them.
-!
-!!!
And right before their weapons met in an explosion.
-...
-...!
A figure slipped between them.
Gently.
But firmly.
A single sword swing separated the two at once.
Liru and Seras, sent flying by one strike, both wore stunned expressions.
‘...Nothing there?’
No 'power' at all. She hadn't sensed a thing.
No aura emitted, just bare-handed intervention, as if it were the most natural thing.
As if.
‘That alone’ was more than enough.
As if she existed on a plane far above even them, who'd unleashed divine might.
“You two.”
And there.
“What in the world do you think you're doing?”
Elnor, expressionless.
But radiating clear anger all around her.
She stood tall, her just-swing sword reflecting the moonlight.
●
“Get your heads straight. I don't care much why you two are scrapping. But at least don't cause a scene in front of Dawood when he's not well.”
“...”
“...”
“Answer me.”
“Yes...”
“Yes...”
Elnor shot piercing red-glowing eyes downward at the feeble responses.
There, Liru and Seras were holding handstands on one arm—for 30 minutes now.
“...Why handstands, though?”
Dawood's sudden question made Elnor tilt her head.
“Is there a problem?”
“...”
Hm.
Usually, punishments meant kneeling with hands up—the standard way.
Why such a brutal pose...?
“...Don't people always do it like that for punishment?”
“...”
“In the Tristan Ducal House, that's standard...”
“...”
Dawood just nodded silently.
For the first time, he glimpsed the source of this duchess's monstrous physical prowess.
That aside.
“...How should we compensate?”
Dawood gazed mournfully at the battered dorm building as he spoke, and Elnor glanced that way.
“Compensate? Why would you need to pay for anything?”
“...This happened because of me.”
His expression soured as he looked at the wreckage.
“No, this one's hardly your fault.”
Elnor rebutted firmly.
“It's purely their greed that's the issue here.”
“...No, but...”
As Dawood started to look depressed again, Elnor sighed and stood.
She walked over with firm steps and pulled him into a tight hug.
To Dawood's wide-eyed surprise, she whispered warmly in his ear.
“It's fine. Yeah, it's okay. You're not trash. Those women just tried to lure you with nonsense. You're not at fault.”
“...Elnor...”
“Even if you'd done something wrong, even if the whole world condemned you, I'd still accept you. Go ahead and act spoiled.”
“...”
She stroked his head gently while saying that, and Liru and Seras's expressions turned weird in unison.
“...”
“...”
Huh.
This.
Somehow.
No.
Logically, yeah, they were the ones in the wrong here.
[...We handed him right over on a platter.]
“...”
[Why'd you two even fight like that?]
Liru quietly agreed in her mind with the blue devil's words.
“What's with those looks?”
“...”
“Got complaints, do you?”
“...We have no excuses...”
“...Yes...”
But rebelling was impossible after the devastating power she'd just shown.
Faced with Elnor's glaring eyes, Liru and Seras both shut their mouths.
●