Chapter 15 : unexpected attack

1478 Words
I had to come up with an excuse to keep her from suspecting me further. "I'm sorry, but I just want to be friends with you, too, just like XXV." Suwi let out a mocking smirk, looking down at me as she reminded me of her exalted status. "Friends? Do you even realize who you're talking to?" she challenged. "I am a noble of the Genion lineage. Do you really think someone like me would ever be friends with a human?" She was still so arrogant, boasting about her noble birth even though the glory of her clan had ended nearly a hundred years ago, and even the Khan bloodline had vanished into history. She was the last remaining member of the Khan family, yet she still clung fiercely to her haughty aristocratic pride. "So what's the problem with that? Didn't you marry a human back then anyway?" "Having a connection with a human shouldn't be a big deal for you anymore," I added. I hadn't intended to provoke her; I was just stating facts, but it clearly struck a nerve. "You've got a lot of nerve saying that right to my face." She swung her sword again, and this time, she actually followed through with a full-on attack. I was lucky I managed to arch my back backward just in time to dodge her blade. The wind from her swing practically shaved the skin off my back. "What is your problem, woman? I almost died back there!" I yelled. "Stop dodging so I can finish you off," she replied coldly. Since she was getting violent again, I couldn't help but call her out on whether she actually had any intention of honoring the agreement she and XXV had made. "You're not the only one who's going to suffer from your violence," I added. Instead of lashing out, she suddenly shook her head, rested her sword casually on her shoulder, and gave me a piece of her mind. "I am not the one breaking our promises and going back on the oath we swore to keep." She made it clear that, between the two of them, it was XXV who kept failing to uphold their vows—specifically, their pledge to stay by each other's side until the very end. Suwi had endured so much to try and understand XXV, especially after discovering he had joined Eskapa, her mortal enemy. She felt like Eskapa was just using her husband for their own selfish gains. "As long as he keeps falling for Eskapa's sweet talk, he'll never escape being used for their plans to control Endoryo through religion," Suwi said grimly. I knew what she was talking about. That was a widely held belief across Endoryo, though nobody could deny that Eskapa had also done a lot of good, especially for her and XXV. "Wait, you know XXV is only doing that for your sake." Hearing that set her off, and raw anger flashed across her face as she shouted that she had never needed Eskapa in the first place. "I don't need protection from Eskapa, because first of all, they've been the threat to my survival from the very beginning!" She suddenly lowered her head in sheer frustration and deep sorrow. "I've spent so long trusting a promise I'm not even sure XXV will ever keep." She had wanted to escape the chaos and war for ages, but the world refused to give her peace. "That's why I've concluded there's no other way to achieve true peace except to wipe out all my enemies," she declared earnestly. "So if you value your life, stop following me," she warned. A chill ran down my spine from her threat, especially when she let out a wave of dark energy that made my skin crawl. With her thoroughly justified in her anger, I had no choice but to stand down and watch her walk away. "I think Suwi is slowly starting to doubt XXV's love because he keeps breaking his promises to her, " I thought. Then again, who wouldn't be bitter if your husband constantly chose to save everyone else instead of sharing your hardships and joys? It was a tangled mess. XXV couldn't just abandon Eskapa because, in his mind, helping them finish their mission was the only way he could deliver a peaceful world to Suwi. The trust between them is going to completely shatter the moment Suwi actually consumes a living creature's spirit and starts killing Eskapa soldiers. Fortunately, I figured that hadn't happened yet since she was still in her normal form. "I still have a chance to figure out a way to prevent this tragic future from happening." With that thought, I decided to keep following her. I broke into a run, hoping I could catch up. At this point, I had no other choice but to trail her and keep watch as she traveled. To be honest, my plan terrified me, but my brain couldn't come up with anything better. "Wait up, Suwi!" I yelled. End of POV To ensure he could keep track of Suwi's movements and actions, Nathaniel decided to stick close and tag along. Suwi, however, ignored him completely, clearly irritated by the young man's relentless nagging. "Will this guy ever stop following me?" Suwi muttered under her breath. While the two of them were walking, Suwi suddenly sensed a powerful presence nearby. Because her attention had been entirely focused on Nathaniel, she completely failed to notice the incoming ambush. "From above!" Toto, the massive minotaur, crashed down from above them. His fist smashed into the ground, triggering an explosion-like shockwave. The sheer impact blasted Nathaniel backward, sending him tumbling head over heels down the street. Amidst the thick smoke kicked up by the blast, Suwi burst outward. Drawing her blade, she braced herself for combat. "That was too close... why didn't I sense him coming?" she thought. She instantly released a surge of energy, and as purple flames flared up, snake-like scales began to appear along her cheeks. A moment later, she spotted her attacker emerging from the smoke, rearing up to strike again. Toto let out a deafening roar and charged straight at her. "Damn it, it's Eskapa's soldiers again," she muttered. Snake scales slowly wrapped around her body, forming a natural shield to deflect any incoming enemy attacks. As Toto lunged forward once more, Suwi managed to leap high into the air to dodge. However, Suwi assumed she was safe in the upper air, out of the minotaur's reach. She didn't realize Toto wasn't the only one there to capture her. Crouched on top of a nearby building was Nyabu, the cat-beast woman. The ring on her finger glowed, sucking in her thick outer cloak. "Battle mode." Energy enveloped her attire, and she pulled a mask over her face. Without wasting a single second, she leaped downward in a lightning-fast dive. "First Katsuki Technique: Iron Claw!" She plunged toward Suwi with the speed of a jet fighter, but Suwi spotted her just in time to bring her sword up in a block. Their attacks collided with a resounding clash as Suwi parried with her blade. Even so, the sheer force of the blow knocked Suwi downward, filling her with dread. This one's strong. I can't just keep blocking; I have to counterattack, she told herself. Realizing the enemy's offensive was too heavy to waste her remaining energy purely on defense, Suwi shifted tactics. Purple flames ignited and swirled around her. As she raised her sword to strike, the fire coiled tightly around the blade. Before she could release her attack, however, Nyabu reappeared right in front of her with terrifying speed, startling her. What? She's way too fast—I have to block again! She hadn't anticipated Nyabu's blistering mobility, and despite trying to evade, she couldn't escape the strike. "Fifth Katsuki Technique: Katsuki Kick!" The blow landed squarely in her stomach. Thanks to her armored scales, the damage was significantly mitigated, allowing her to twist mid-air and regain enough balance to avoid crashing hard into the dirt. She drove her sword deep into the pavement, using it as a brake to halt her skidding momentum. She knew that if she fell flat on the ground, defending herself against their combined assault would become ten times harder. Yet, before Zhui could even recover from Nyabu's attack, Toto barreled straight toward her once more. "Battle mode." Everything happened so fast that Zhui had no time to react before Toto's blow connected. The impact was catastrophic. Zhui was sent flying more than fifty meters before slamming directly into the side of a building. Her momentum shattered the brick wall, sending her crashing straight through to the interior. The collision produced a thunderous explosion and a minor tremor, leaving the entire area choked in a thick cloud of dust and debris.
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