Chapter 319

(319)

Rudi rushed in, stomping the ground as she charged forward.

Thwack!

“Die!”

In the narrow alley, the distance between the two shrank as if the ground was folding.

Swoosh!

The blade of the magical sword lengthened to the size of a broadsword, ice-covered with jagged teeth.

Clang!

It seemed as if the frail man would be crushed in an instant.

“I underestimated you. Was that gaze real? Tch. I can’t use this now.”

The archer threw the broken bow to the ground and drew a short sword from inside his robe.

He held the short sword in a reverse grip and lowered his body.

Ethereal green light rippled around him like heat haze.

“I don’t have time, so I’ll have to finish this quickly.”

Although his stance wasn’t particularly threatening, there was no sense of openings whatsoever.

Rudi targeted the archer’s neck and swung the magical sword downward.

The man stood still until the ice blade was about to cut above his shoulder.

‘I won.’

In that moment, Rudi sensed victory.

Given human anatomy, there was no way to react in time after that moment.

It would have been different if he had scales like Valenciaunos or armor like Tenitia.

‘I dodged the blink dagger earlier. Fast, but his defenses aren’t that strong.’

In the next moment, the ethereal green light surrounding the archer flared, and he lunged forward like he was sliding on ice.

Whoosh-!

“!”

The short sword he held in reverse grip aimed deep at Rudi’s abdomen.

Rudi panicked and recoiled, doubting her eyes for a moment.

‘I didn’t even move my legs!’

Thwack!

She performed a backflip, and the man followed closely.

Slash-!

A long green trail followed him.

Rudi squinted at that glow, with her legs pointed skyward.

Her consciousness accelerated infinitely.

She had felt a similar aura from Valenciaunos before.

‘Magic? No. It’s a similar energy to that of Lord Valen. Natural yet alien. Like a typhoon or a volcano… it’s closer to a natural phenomenon than a special ability.’

Soon, she realized the answer and reduced the once broadsword-sized magic blade back to the size of a short sword.

‘He’s a spirit sorcerer. A Wind Spirit Sorcerer. That means Spirit Form is also dangerous. I’m glad I didn’t use it.’

Slash-!

She shed the magical energy into the air downward.

Clatter-!

The melted ice blade froze again and broke into icy shards.

The archer reflexively raised one hand to block it and gritted his teeth, knowing it was just simple ice shards.

“Tch!”

Rudi drew the Sandworm Fang Dagger and landed, accelerating without a moment’s pause.

“Vital Slash!”

Crackle!

Blue currents coursed through her body, bringing strange vitality along with the pain of her muscles contracting.

A magical sword in her right hand and the fang dagger in her left.

The ice short sword and glass-like dagger shimmered coolly in the moonless night.

Rudi swung both weapons targeting the thick veins in the archer’s neck, shoulder, side, armpit, and thigh.

Swoosh! Slash! Slash! Slash!

The magical blade left a blue afterimage in the air, and the fang dagger left a white afterimage.

Thump! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The robes the man wore were ripped apart like a rag.

* * *

The archer was startled, and with the wind at his back, he retreated dramatically.

‘It certainly wasn’t a mana blade.’

His robe had been made from threads drawn from a moth monster’s cocoon—resistant to fire and could not be cut even with the sharpest scissors without magic.

The robe had been crafted by enchanting the entire fabric to change its form.

That tough robe and the cloth armor underneath were sliced through like pudding before the glass dagger.

‘What on earth… A Sandworm Fang Dagger? An assassin from Sycarioius is chasing us in the capital?’

The man drew a second short sword from his robes, and Rudi charged at him without hesitation.

“Just die!”

She leapt forward as if throwing her body.

Thwack!

At the last moment, she pushed off the ground with her left foot, and her body spun like a whirlwind in the air while her two swords unleashed colorful arcs.

Swoosh-!

She aimed her attacks directly at his thigh, the back of his knee, his side, his lung, and his armpit.

Clang! Clash!

The man swung both short swords to block and immediately turned to prepare for a counterattack.

Thwack!

Rudi rolled like a cat and stood up, stamping the ground again, while the man wrapped his body in wind and prepared a major technique.

At that moment, he felt a sharp pain in his thigh.

“Ugh.”

His robe was torn long, and a red line was drawn atop his thigh.

“How dare you, you uncivilized beast.”

He spat out with genuine contempt and stomped the ground with the blessing of the wind.

Boom-!

A long green afterimage remained.

His body shot forward faster than any sword expert blessed by all sorts of benevolence.

A speed that no ordinary human could possibly follow.

‘I will pierce your throat. Die in pain.’

Thwack!

He kicked off the wall, leaping and grabbing Rudi’s side as she charged straight at him.

At that moment, he looked into Rudi’s eyes.

On a mask engraved with tooth patterns, a pair of large green eyes stared at him intently.

‘I found you.’

The archer was startled but still thrust his short sword forward.

Slice-!

‘In the end, I’m faster.’

A sharply honed blade wrapped in green light aimed for Rudi’s neck.

In that moment, Rudi thrust her right hand holding the magical sword and infused mana into her ring of wind blessing.

Boom-!

The same green energy erupted.

Crack, crack, crack!

In an instant, the wind that enveloped the man tangled, twisting his arms and legs at bizarre angles.

“!”

With a playful smile, Rudi thrust her fang dagger forward.

‘I heard this principle is the same as with spirits. I expected some disturbance to occur.’

Thwump!

The dagger, which had cut through Valenciaunos’s scales, pierced the archer’s side and shoulder.

Blood splattered, the man’s strength drained from his arm, and Rudi aimed one last time at his neck.

‘I told you.’

The moment the fang dagger touched his neck.

‘I’ll kill you!’

Boom-!

The man’s body was enveloped in green light, and furious wind exploded in all directions.

* * *

“Ah…”

Rudi opened her eyes to find her whole body aching.

She could see the night sky, and everything around her was covered in dust.

“Ugh!”

At the moment she tried to get up, she groaned.

A massive piece of a wall was completely covering her lower body.

Fortunately, her legs weren’t broken, but she was in no condition to move.

“You pathetic lowlife, only capable of thievery.”

“Kh-ck!”

The surrounding alley lay in ruins, and stone buildings had toppled one by one.

Before her, constables were rolling beneath the archer’s feet.

One constable was strangled and collapsed.

The archer approached Rudi.

“You had quite a few tricks up your sleeve.”

Pat, pat, pat, pat.

His footsteps, light yet deeply resonant, were chilling.

“I thought you were just playing at being a child, but it looks like you’ll pay for this.”

“Ah.”

“Since you’ve gone this far, you must accept the consequences.”

Rudi slowly, very slowly, pulled a mana arrow from her thigh.

‘It’s a new mana arrow. Just what I need.’

“I’ll make you bleed out in pain. Pretty little bug.”

The archer raised his short sword.

In that moment, Rudi struck the wall fragment pinning her down with all her might.

Boom!

Flames erupted from the unstable mana arrow, sending shards flying everywhere.

“Ugh!”

Thwunk!

The archer’s short sword lodged itself beside Rudi’s neck, and at that moment, Rudi infused mana into her mask-shaped magic tool ‘Demon Mask.’

Swoosh-!

Her whole body felt infinitely lighter.

At the same time, her legs were freed, and Rudi slipped out from under the wall and dashed away.

Thwack!

“You little rat!”

The archer’s scream echoed behind her.

‘I need to get to the imperial palace. I can’t win against the knights.’

Rudi dashed like the wind.

She hopped across the alleys, passed the boulevards, and dodged the constables.

Her shadow stretched long over the road, devoid of people or carriages.

“Stop right there!”

The archer’s voice echoed behind her as the green light flickered.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As if Valenciaunos had triggered an explosion, a powerful wind lifted her body.

Swoosh!

Just then, she heard a familiar sound of splitting air, and Rudi glanced back.

‘He’s shooting without a bow?’

The constables were rolling on the ground, and the man stood in the center of the road.

In his outstretched left hand, green energy formed a bow-like shape, and in his pulling right hand, the green energy formed an arrow-like shape.

Swoosh!

An arrow sliced through the wind, no—merged with it and flew toward her.

Thwack!

Rudi attempted to dodge but the arrow adjusted its trajectory to follow her, finally grazing her side.

“Ugh!”

‘It’s right up ahead.’

She had now entered the broad road in front of the imperial palace.

There stood the grand gates and walls towering majestically.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Wind arrows flew in with terrifying splitting sounds.

Rudi barely managed, somehow, miraculously, and superhumanly dodged as she sprinted toward the palace.

Scores of cuts began forming all over her body, and her once agile movements steadily slowed.

At that moment, the archer began to chant.

“Oh Ariel, let your aim strike true at my enemy.”

A chilling voice echoed as if several people were speaking.

Whoooooosh!

Green light flashed in the night sky.

A translucent green shadow of a woman loomed behind the wind arrows.

Ha, ha-ha!

Joyful laughter echoed like an illusion.

Boom!

The green arrow surged like a tempest.

Rudi instinctively realized she couldn’t evade it.

No matter how she moved, it would ultimately pierce her and kill her.

‘Lord Valen, I’m sorry.’

She gritted her teeth and reflexively squeezed her eyes shut.

Wham!

At that moment, someone swept her into their embrace.

A hot and firm arm clutched her tightly, like leather wrapped around heated stone.

A sweet aroma reminiscent of almonds wafted toward her.

“I nearly had forty more years worth of regrets.”

A haughty and cocky voice tickled her ear.

‘Huh? Huh?’

She slowly opened her eyes to see the figure embracing her.

“Valen…?”

Glistening gold adornments and white and red sashes filled Rudi’s view.

Crown Prince Valenciaunos stood before the palace.

“Am I too late?”

He raised one hand, pointing toward the green arrow.

Whoosh!

Flames erupted from the void, forming a spear in an instant, and behind it loomed the figure of a fiery giant with dragon horns.

Ha, ha-ha-ha!

A sound like a devil’s laughter echoed like an illusion.

Boom!

The wind arrow collided with the spear of fire.

Bang!

Fire was pushed back by the nature of what should be in conflict, but Valenciaunos suppressed it with overwhelming firepower.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three explosions occurred in succession, and the archer staggered from the backlash of the spirit summoning.

“Solletarass—!”

He roared at Valenciaunos.

Hatred and malice that would be aimed only at a nemesis parent were encapsulated in those five words.

But the Bandit Duke had long been someone’s nemesis, and laughed at that hatred and bloodlust.

“Yeah! Here I am. Come out, take off that robe, and challenge me!”

It was a statement made with the certainty the man wouldn’t dare come out.

“…!”

The archer let out a low growl.

Green light swirled around his body, and he lunged between the alleys.

Rudi clutched her wounds and said, “Your Highness. We have to pursue him. Gah—!”

Valenciaunos shook his head, still holding her.

“Yes. But you won’t need to.”

“Huh?”

“For now, I am a duke.”

“What do you mean by that… Ah.”

Caw!

A beast resembling a dragon roared into the night sky.

From the west Wyvernfit, the Azure Knights soared into the air.

“Protect the imperial palace!”

The captain of the Platinum Knights led the Knights and Platinum Knights to search within the palace.

“From now on, we’ll seal Solletaroun! Close all your gates and capture any suspicious individuals!”

Barbatos commanded, and black iron knights, accompanied by constables, rushed into the alleys.

“Your Highness. Just give the word.”

“The church will also participate in this fight. Whoever it may be, we will not overlook an enemy threatening this city and its devotees.”

The Chief of Police and Senior Bishop Hong approached Valenciaunos.

Swoosh-.

A gentle yet powerful divine energy enveloped Rudi’s body.

‘When…?’

Rudi blinked in confusion.

Valenciaunos glanced back at her and smiled, and she shouted the two names she desperately needed right now.

“Your Highness. You need to secure Count Iseas and Princess Marlina. The two imported strange magic tools from the guild they own, and they were attacked while monitoring that guild.”

He looked at the Chief of Police.

“Did you hear that?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Bring them back. I want to see the face of whoever let this monster into the capital.”

The Chief of Police ran out with the constables.

Someone brought a chair, and Valenciaunos escorted Rudi to sit down.

He smiled kindly and said, “You’ve done so well. Thank you, Rudi.”

Rudi gazed at his face, entranced.

Some hair fell slightly, covering one side of his forehead.

“…Thank you, Lord Valen.”

Her very own prince, under a curse.

“I’ll do even better next time.”