Witnessing the scene before them, both Chouri and Spear were momentarily stunned.
If Spear's shock stemmed from sheer confusion over what was happening, Chouri's was born from never having expected Eblana to be this cautious—no, this far-sighted.
Here they both were, in a remote city far from the capital.
Compared to her, he was years older, had held a position at the very pinnacle of power, second only to one man.
Yet judging by the current situation, it was this young girl who saw more clearly than he did the Empire's corruption and its methods.
He truly had never imagined the Empire would send assassins for him.
His stupor didn't last. "Spear!" Chouri shouted immediately.
"Don't even think of escaping!"
Liver's reaction was no slower than Chouri's. Before Spear could even spur her horse to flee, he had already vaulted past the pikes of the servants, his sharp blade thrusting straight toward the horse.
He was indeed fast, but the servants surrounding the steeds held a more advantageous position. One simply threw its body in the way, taking Liver's longsword straight through the chest.
The blade pierced through. Liver frowned, intending to pull it free, but what he saw next made him gasp in shock.
The 'corpse' that had already died once did not collapse again from this surely fatal blow.
Instead, it reached out both hands, gripping the blade tightly, preventing Liver from disengaging. Immediately, another servant drove its pike toward Liver's head.
Had this been an ordinary foe, he would have tilted his head to dodge and followed with a kick.
But the unnatural chill radiating from these bizarre corpses made him abandon that plan. With a dark expression, he let go of his weapon.
Daidara swung his twin axes overhead, practically pulverizing the servant blocking his path. Yet as the pale-purple flames flickered, the shattered corpse began to coalesce once more.
No, calling them corpses wasn't quite right. They didn't bleed when hacked apart. These were something else entirely.
"A Teigu similar to March of the Dead," Liver said, retreating to a safer distance.
Though both utilized corpses, March of the Dead didn't have the ability to resurrect its minions after they were 'killed' again.
"Doesn't look like they'll be easy to deal with," Nyau remarked, raising an eyebrow.
He didn't suspect Liver of slacking off. The enemy's nature was unclear, and this wasn't an ideal terrain for Liver's abilities. A minor setback due to caution was understandable.
However...
"In that case, it seems it's my time to shine."
Nyau produced a seemingly ordinary flute. This was the Flute Teigu, Military Music Dream—Scream.
Capable of freely manipulating the emotions of its listeners, it was famed on battlefields for boosting morale.
It could influence dozens of different emotions, not only strengthening allies but also inducing sleep or other combat-hindering states in enemies.
While repeated exposure could build resistance to a specific tune, as a weapon for battlefield control and first-encounter kills, its power was undeniable.
As the flute's melody drifted, Spear, who had been trying to calm the spooked horse, was suddenly overwhelmed by drowsiness.
She nearly tumbled from her saddle. Chouri fared worse, almost falling asleep entirely, half his body sliding from the horse before Spear caught him in time.
Yet, the servants paid no heed to the sound.
Simply put, manipulating emotions and inducing sleep worked by stimulating brain chemistry. For the servants, this was almost laughable.
Our hearts don't even beat anymore; we're practically metaphysical beings. And you're trying to play this physical game on us?
"Protect the Master and the young lady!"
The head guard, Henderson, had finally completed his transformation.
His innate talent wasn't exceptional, and receiving greater power in such a state naturally extended the transformation time.
But in return, he gained formidable strength.
The same Henderson, who couldn't have withstood a single blow from Daidara before, now brandished his long spear.
With force he himself could scarcely believe, he sent Daidara flying. Though it caused no injury, the sight left both Liver and Nyau stunned.
"My Teigu has no effect on them!" Nyau said, his face grim.
"We attack together," Liver stated, his expression now thoroughly dark.
This operation allowed no mistakes. Not only would failure bring punishment from Lady Esdeath, but more importantly, Nyau had used his Teigu.
If the targets escaped and investigated thoroughly, the Three Beasts' identities would be exposed.
While perhaps not a catastrophe, it would create unnecessary complications.
Nyau, ceasing the lullaby, nodded and began playing a tune to enhance his comrades' strength.
This gave Spear and Chouri a moment to gather their wits, but it also made them keenly aware of their precarious situation.
The horses had fallen asleep under Nyau's flute. They dared not stray far from their guards, fearing that leaving the protective circle would offer the assassins a chance to behead them.
Yet... while the guards, leveraging their immortality, were temporarily holding off the Three Beasts, everyone knew a purely defensive stance couldn't last forever.
Moreover, the vast gap in combat experience meant the guards' coordination suffered from practical delays.
This was heading straight for disaster!
The most frustrating part was, even knowing the situation was dire, there was nothing the two of them could do.
Time ticked by. Though the Three Beasts were human with finite stamina, their endurance in sustained combat was considerable.
Their continuous probing had identified the weak points in this strange group's defenses.
Exchanging a glance, the three worked in perfect sync, creating an opening just wide enough for one of Daidara's axes to slip through. But that was all he needed.
A pleased smile touched his lips. These creatures that yielded no experience points had bored and angered him.
Finally, after fighting for so long, he could complete the mission and gain some experience.
The ability of his twin great axes, Belvaac, activated instantly.
With the guards' barrier broken, Chouri, the primary target, would face endless pursuit. Even if Spear tried to block the axe for him, it wouldn't matter. They had plenty of time to create another opening.
The great axe cleaving through the crowd made everyone's heart clench.
Just as Daidara predicted, Spear didn't hesitate, crossing her spear to intercept the blow. But the overwhelming sense of its inevitability already settled a fatal resolve in her heart.
However, in the split second before the axe struck home, a long spear descended from the sky. With immense force, it smashed the axe to the ground.
The sudden turn of events made Daidara instinctively halt the axe's pursuit, his gaze snapping behind him.
Not just him. The Three Beasts' keen battlefield intuition screamed of danger—the sensation of being locked onto by a powerful presence from behind.
A group of about twenty individuals had, at some unknown time, arrived within three hundred meters of them.
Each member wore dignified, immaculate white uniforms resembling officers' dress, mounted atop tall, powerfully-built steeds.
At the head of the group stood a mature woman with platinum-blonde hair and a pair of horns.
One of her eyes was hidden behind a curtain of her bangs.
The visible green eye held no warmth, filled instead with icy aggression. Combined with the sardonic smile on her lips, she radiated an astonishing aura of pressure.
Just who is this woman…!?
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.