Chapter 388
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 388
Chapter Title: Did You Fall for Me?
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It all happened in an instant.
The single bullet that flew in.
Yekaterina slumping lifelessly out of the carriage after taking a headshot.
The military band that had been blaring festive music moments ago falling silent, and the cheering crowds waving flags freezing in place.
Yuna Kyung stood there with her beak agape in shock at witnessing the sudden assassination, while even Rimon fell silent.
The silence was broken by a single shout.
"Brothers! Rise up!"
Whether it was some skill or not.
A man who had been hiding inside the wall suddenly sprang up with the shout.
With a red bandana around his head and a sniper rifle in one hand, he bellowed in a thunderous voice before the hundreds of thousands of onlookers.
"Until now, we've lived like slaves under the tyranny of that wicked Great Khan and the Silver Dragon Clan!"
"But now is the time to fight back!"
"If you feel fear, forget it!"
"If you hesitate, cast it aside!"
"Our noble struggle has a savior on our side, so forget work just for today and fight together for freedom and equality!"
As if it had all been premeditated.
His shout, amplified by a speaker, echoed loudly through the once-quiet street.
But that was it.
No one responded to the man's cry.
In the grip of uncontrollable terror and anxiety, all that could be heard was the sound of dry swallows echoing noisily.
To incite them further, the sniper opened his mouth again.
No, he tried to.
Clap, clap, clap.
"Wow, what a speech."
"...!"
"So moving it could wake the dead from their graves."
Along with light applause.
A series of cracks sounded.
Unless the silver-haired girl, who had been limp like a corpse, hadn't risen.
"H-How...? It was definitely a special bullet that hit!"
If it were an ordinary bullet, maybe.
But how could she survive a special bullet that could instant-kill even high-level players—one that was custom-made, no less?
Yekaterina giggled at the sniper groaning in disbelief and horror.
"Special bullet? Ah, this one?"
Thud.
The moment she tapped her temple.
A mangled bullet rolled out from between her hair.
Instead of the blood and brains it should have buried into, it was lodged in a thick shard of ice like a shield.
"You put some real effort into preparing it, which is nice, but it was too slow. If you wanted to kill me, you'd need something at least a hundred times faster."
"What nonsense...!"
"Too bad, though."
As the sniper belatedly realized she hadn't even been hit and groaned.
Yekaterina turned her eyes.
And smiling brightly at the still-frozen hundreds of thousands in the crowd.
"If any of your accomplices responded to that great speech, I'd have caught them too, but looks like you're the only bad apple here—everyone else seems like good, upstanding citizens."
At that moment.
The faces of the hundreds of thousands in the crowd turned pale.
Terror of being labeled accomplices.
Relief at not responding.
Despair as their expectations became reality.
A single girl's smile plunged the masses into frenzy, leaving them unable to even breathe properly.
"You monster...!"
Bang!
Fueled by boiling rage.
Even in the bone-chilling fear, the sniper fired again.
Ignoring the heavy recoil, his aim perfectly targeted between her eyes—a marksmanship exceptional even by high-level player standards.
The problem was one thing.
His target wasn't some mere high-level player.
Flash!
Her silver eyes gleamed.
After her hand moved.
The sniper's eyes widened.
Because his supersonic bullet had vanished into thin air.
Bang, bang!
No matter how many times he tried again, the result was the same.
Every time Yekaterina swung her hand, his bullets evaporated into nothingness.
After repeating the process several times, as the sniper made a despairing face at the gun that no longer fired even when he pulled the trigger.
"That's it?"
Plink, plink.
Yekaterina tilted her head slightly as she dropped six bullets from her open palm.
And the moment her lips curved seeing the utter despair on his face.
Flash.
"Now it's my turn."
"...!"
Yekaterina had vanished before he knew it.
A light whisper came from behind.
The panicked sniper reflexively drew a dagger and swung backward.
But the result was miserable.
Before he could even swing the dagger.
His wrist, grabbed by the silver-haired girl, turned straight into an ice sculpture.
Crack!
"Gaaahhh!"
From wrist to fingers, then up to the forearm.
As if doused in liquid nitrogen...
No, hundreds of times colder, the agony of his body freezing solid.
Unable to endure the chill seeping into his bones, he tried to retreat with a horrific scream.
But it was a vain hope.
Even mobilizing all his high-level player abilities, he couldn't shake off Yekaterina's hand, and the freezing spread from his arm to his shoulder in an instant.
"Don't worry, you won't die."
Yekaterina giggled at the man thrashing in panic.
And whispered.
"We've got too much to talk about just to end it this simply, right?"
"...!"
The man's face finally turned blue.
Knowing the fate of his captured brothers, he realized he might not hold out long.
Above all, the sadistic smile on her face shook his convictions and instilled terror.
That was why.
The man bit down hard.
Crunch.
Activating the hidden switch in his mouth, a white light burst from inside his shirt.
Confirming the detonation of the suicide special bomb he'd prepared, he squeezed out his final breath and shouted.
"All power to the Soviets! (Вся власть Советам)!"
It might not kill Yekaterina, but at least he could avoid spilling his brothers' info and dying in agony.
So he smiled.
Believing his death would lay the foundation for liberation.
But...
Crack!
"...W-Why?!"
The freezing accelerated several times over.
The explosion's light gradually faded.
Unable to believe the special bomb—with explosion resistance and even cold resistance specially granted—had frozen solid so easily, the man bulged his eyes.
But he wasn't even given time to understand the situation.
"Sleep well, big brother. I'll specially allow you to dream of me plenty~ while you're out."
"No...!"
Dyed in despair and horror, the man turned into an ice statue.
Only then did Yekaterina release his wrist.
She laughed happily at his grotesquely twisted face, then lightly opened her mouth.
"You can handle the cleanup, right, Kana?"
"Of course, milady. I'll deliver him to the torture chamber 100% securely."
"Good. Keep him safe."
She had appeared out of nowhere.
The silver-haired maid who had been waiting at a distance gracefully lifted her skirt in response.
After handing over the ice block.
Yekaterina slowly turned her head.
And to the hundreds of thousands frozen in terror and tension at having witnessed her freezing the man, she said cheerfully with a bright smile.
"What are you doing? Let's continue the welcome ceremony."
"Woo... Wooowww!"
"L-Long live the Great Khan!"
"May glory eternally shine on the Russian Khanate!"
Right after.
The crowd, as if competing with each other, waved flags again... no, even more fervently than before.
Forcing smiles onto their still-rigid faces, as if afraid of being lumped in with the man.
While savoring their satisfaction briefly.
Yekaterina boarded the vehicle with Rimon and Aynsha, saying lightly.
"Alright, let's get going again."
Her command was followed immediately.
From fireworks shooting into the sky again to the cavalry resuming their solemn march.
Along the street returned to normal, their vehicle began crawling forward once more.
As if nothing had happened.
Or as if they'd grown accustomed to such sights.
"Ahaha, sorry to keep you waiting."
Bullet flying or sniper caught.
Rimon, who had sat with arms crossed silently watching it all, finally spoke flatly upon hearing her apology.
"Your grand welcome ceremony had sloppy preparations."
"Right? I specifically told them to clean up nicely since my little brother was coming, and they let me see this mess. I'm embarrassed too."
"You seem pretty happy about it, though."
"Hey, come on. Who'd enjoy nearly dying?"
The bullet had flown just moments ago.
Staring intently at Yekaterina, who wore a cheerful smile despite her words.
Rimon said bluntly.
"Do what you want with the guy who tried to kill you, but go easy."
"Yeah, I'll try."
"..."
"Why are you looking at me with such intense eyes?"
She tilted her head briefly.
Then Yekaterina's eyes sparkled suddenly.
"Ah! Did you fall for me?"
"Are you insane?"
Rimon made a face like he'd bitten into a salt lump.
But Yekaterina took his reaction as affirmation, nodding proudly.
"Well, I'm the second prettiest princess in the Seven Dragon Society. Can't blame you for falling if you keep looking. Yeah, yeah."
"..."
"Wanna just get married while we're at it? We've got all these guests already. If you want, Geomgong, I could hold the ceremony right now."
As if to prove she meant it.
The moment Yekaterina, cheeks flushing pink, opened the window to shout for wedding preparations.
The expressionless white-haired girl spoke up.
"Yekaterina."
"What, Aynsha? Worried I got hurt?"
"Your ride is that carriage. Not this car. I want to know why you're here."
"...Huh?"
So unexpected.
Her eyes blinked as if her excited chatter had been a lie.
Yekaterina stammered.
"I almost got shot just now? What if it happens again in that one? Plus, this is the car I prepared anyway."
"Not my problem. Get out now."
"Wait, hold on...!"
Before she could protest.
Aynsha unfurled a few threads of Heavenly Net Formation Style, wrapping Yekaterina tight.
Then opened the car door and kicked her butt hard, hurling her out of the moving vehicle.
Thud crash!
"Kyaa!"
"Ow ow, even if you want to play with me that bad, you didn't have to throw me headfirst."
"Of course I'm happy you wanna hang out, but let's do something more fun..."
"...But Aynsha, why isn't the car stopping?"
"You're not really gonna ditch me alone, right? Huh?"
"..."
"Sniff."
The great Khan.
Dictator of the Russian Khanate.
Princess of the terrifying Silver Dragon Clan.
The silver-haired girl who exuded chilling intimidation was now sniffling, bound tight and abandoned on the street.
And as the silver-haired maid who appeared from somewhere hoisted her up.
Watching Yekaterina get loaded onto the carriage like luggage.
All the hundreds of thousands in the crowd could do was one thing.
Plunge into stunned silence, replacing prior terror with lethal absurdity and dumbfoundedness.