Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Clash with the Ebony Shadows
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Sophia's hair spilled out through the cracks in her shattered helmet, and the chain sword gripped in her hand dragged a long trail along the ground. But neither the Bunny tribe soldiers of the Carrot Duchy nor the soldiers of the Andras Empire noticed her—or cared if they did.
Part of it was that the helmet's damage obscured her face. Mostly, though, both sides were too locked in combat to spare a glance anywhere else.
But I, gazing down at Sophia from atop the barrier, and she, glaring up at me from the plains—we had eyes only for each other.
I glanced back briefly and spotted O'Brien, who had joined the mage lines, now moving toward Sophia.
"Ravi, Lenis. Those two are our targets. Don't take your eyes off them. They're the ones who trashed Aldebaran and schemed to spark this clash between our nations right here."
My words sharpened the glares in Ravi and Lenis's eyes.
"Those people... to our kingdom's soldiers..."
"So those bastards are the ones who turned the city we stayed in for two weeks into that mess? Flipping the heart of our kingdom upside down like that—we're gonna make them pay."
Ravi and Lenis burned with battle lust as they readied themselves. Their opponents did the same.
"Using some really bizarre power, huh? Makes me wanna kill you even more."
"Don't get cocky. That power just now? Looks like the one our clients said belongs to their top extermination target."
O'Brien joined Sophia, bringing the two Ebony Shadow Mercenaries executives together in one spot.
With both armies too engrossed in their skirmishes to overhear, I stood atop the barrier and called down to them.
"You wrecked Aldebaran and that wasn't enough, so now you're sticking your noses into the Carrot Duchy too? Did your boss order you to collect human blood and lives or something? You parasites."
Sophia snorted at my words.
"What, you think provoking me will make me slip up and spill some intel in the heat of the moment? Sorry, but I'm no amateur. Still..."
Sophia narrowed her eyes, letting her chain sword uncoil several meters before swinging it toward the barrier where I stood.
"I can't stand some punk up there looking down at me like he's hot shit!"
KABOOM!
The small turret atop the barrier crumbled, forcing me, Ravi, and Lenis to leap down to the ground. Only then did Sophia flash a smug, satisfied smirk laced with arrogance.
"Finally crawled down, huh?"
"Getting all worked up over something that minor? Your insides are more childish than a snot-nosed kid."
"...This little shit's been grinding my nerves since earlier."
"Pfft."
O'Brien, who had stayed silent until now, let out a light scoff. Sophia shot him a murderous glare.
"Laughing? Should I kill you first?"
"If even a first-time enemy can see it that clearly, the problem's your own behavior, Sophia. Anyway..."
O'Brien scanned the three of us with appraising eyes.
"Bunny tribe princess... oh ho, and aren't you that clueless kingdom noble girl who was causing a ruckus in Libertà back then? Yeah, now it makes sense. We missed our shot to kill you because of that sudden flash that day—was that this guy's doing?"
"And if it was?"
"Then you're definitely the extermination target our clients are after. They'll be thrilled. We had zero leads on you, couldn't pin down your location—and now you show up like this."
"That's only if you lot survive to report back to your boss. I have no intention of letting you go."
I gripped my Light Saber and thrust it forward. O'Brien extended his rune gauntlets and sneered right back.
"Looks like we're on the same page there."
"Ha, our clients were so dead set on wiping you out, I was curious what kind of warrior you'd be. Turns out you're just some greenhorn who can't even shake off that baby face."
Sophia readied her chain sword, licking her lips.
"Wonder what your blood tastes like."
"If rotten souls like you touch my blood, you'll burn your tongues."
"Ahahaha! What a mouth on you, flapping away like that!"
With that, Sophia savagely swung her chain sword.
WHOOSH!
But the sharp chain blade flying at me was deflected by Ravi's punch, clattering noisily across the ground.
"I've heard about you two. In Libertà, if we'd been even a little late, you would've killed Lenis, right? Not content with wrecking Kingdom Aldebaran, now you're dragging our country into war too. I absolutely won't forgive that."
"What're you gonna do if a half-finished ape bitch like you can't forgive us? Kill us or something?"
SLASH!
As the chain sword flew in, Ravi leaped high, tracing a graceful arc before landing in a back handspring.
She reset her stance, eyes filled with resolute determination.
"Yes. I don't like doing it that way, but I'm not soft enough to hesitate when it's necessary."
"Ahahaha! Think you're some princess just 'cause you have a shitty little country? Can't wait to see what face you make when chunks of flesh start ripping off you!"
Meanwhile, Lenis faced off against the fellow mage, O'Brien.
O'Brien conjured complex magic circles with his rune gauntlets, pressuring Lenis.
"Your death was supposed to spark civil war in the kingdom, then escalate into conflict between the empire and kingdom. Guess you're lucky? Or unlucky? You could've kept that borrowed life by hiding away, but you crawled all the way here to die again."
"Shut up! We confirmed everything you did in Aldebaran! All those innocent people... if that's what your employer wanted and you're fully on board, then you all deserve to die right here!"
"That's something only the strong get to say, missy."
O'Brien's spells rained down on Lenis. She counterattacked, and the two mages dove into a fierce magical duel.
Ravi and Sophia clashed in earnest too. Ravi charged with explosive leg power to close in on Sophia, who kept distance while whipping her chain sword—the fight devolved into a chaotic tangle.
"I won't let you escape!"
"Ha! So what if you're fast and strong—you ape bitches think that makes you special? That's the limit of your kind, ending up like this!"
"Shut up!"
"Bet a princess like you got elite training, huh? Heard you're the first Bunny tribe student at the academy? Must have your nose all high and mighty right now."
KABOOM!
Sophia's downward slash targeted Ravi's position perfectly with its blade chain.
Ravi dodged, but the ground cratered and split—if it had even grazed her, the damage would've been terrifying.
SLASH!
Ravi launched herself to evade, but Sophia swung the chain sword in her other hand horizontally.
Caught midair with no dodge, Ravi crossed her arms in guard. The chain sword smashed into them, its blade chain tearing flesh.
"Aaaagh...!"
"But this is reality, ape bitch! You and that clueless girl over there! We've crossed lines you brats can only dream of!"
BOOM!
An explosion rocked O'Brien and Lenis's side too. Lenis, soot-streaked across her skin and clothes, tumbled back two full rolls before staggering to her feet.
"Urgh... damn it..."
"All that big talk, but you're not all that, huh, missy?"
"Quiet! I haven't even shown my full power yet!"
"Yeah? Better show it quick if you don't wanna die. Hmm... that fiery glare, even while getting pushed back. Beautiful. Haven't seen eyes like that in ages. Can't wait to see how they change right before I slit your throat."
"This psycho freak..."
BOOM! BOOM!
KABOOM!
"Eugh..."
"Agh...!"
Ravi and Lenis were sent flying back again by Sophia and O'Brien's attacks.
The experience gap kept them from gaining ground—any slip meant a fatal wound, and those moments kept coming.
Things would only get worse if I let it drag on, so I moved to intervene.
THUD!
'Guh... damn...'
Right then, the bomb inside me that had been quiet for so long roared back to life.
Pain like my organs were being crushed overwhelmed me. I dropped to one knee, body shuddering uncontrollably.
"!!!"
This was the companion strengthening event from Holy Warrior Brayden NX.
The one with a 0% success rate.