Chapter 66: The Devil of One Wing (1)

Khamsin's powerful appeal began to create cracks in the ranks.

“Wh-What are you doing?! Suppress them quickly!”

“B-But……”

They had begun to hesitate.

Only a few within the army knew of the coup plan.

This meant that there were more soldiers who firmly believed they were heading to the council to protect this city once more, following their hero.

But what they actually faced were not the corrupt priests or the rioters trying to overthrow the city, but the ordinary citizens they were supposed to protect.

They couldn't easily accept the situation of having to point their swords at such citizens.

On the other hand, Khamsin, who stood proudly against them, showed no hesitation.

To the point where some soldiers even unconsciously flinched, overwhelmed by his spirit.

“Those are rioters! They're the ones who beat your comrades in the square!”

“But, the councilman…”

“Can't you just drag him away!”

The commanders who had conspired in the coup directly with Ethesia continued to order them to break through the citizens and enter the council, but.

“…….”

The soldiers who heard the command just looked at each other, and no one could rashly step forward first.

Khamsin looked at the hesitating soldiers and shouted.

“The ones who started the violence in the square were Ethesia's agents disguised as priests!”

“……!”

At that, a murmur arose once again from both the citizens and the soldiers.

“That, was the military…?”

“Did we really start it first…?”

“How does he know that?”

“But he's a councilman…?”

As the situation gradually turned against them.

“These pathetic things…!”

Unable to watch any longer, an officer finally stepped out from the ranks, holding an iron truncheon.

The citizens who saw the officer begin to stride alone towards Khamsin briefly checked each other's reactions.

Then, just as they were about to step forward to protect Khamsin themselves.

“Leave this to me.”

Khamsin stretched out his arm and stopped them.

On his hand, a uniquely shaped gauntlet was worn.

“Is this how you repay Lady Ethesia's kindness?”

The officer who had finally reached Khamsin first warned him in a tone suppressing his anger, with the truncheon lowered.

“Step aside, Councilman.”

“I can't do that.”

But when Khamsin firmly refused, the officer finally raised the truncheon high.

“Then I have no choice but to remove you by force…!”

Whoosh!

The truncheon that was swung, cutting through the air──

“──!?”

Khamsin reached out his hand and snatched it.

Everyone around who saw this gasped in surprise.

“What…!”

Including the officer whose truncheon was caught.

“I won't fall for that twice.”

Khamsin bent the truncheon in his hand in half as if it were a wire.

Then, he forcefully struck the face of the officer who was terrified by the sight.

As the officer groaned and staggered, Khamsin immediately placed a hand on his chest.

──Poong!

A strong shockwave erupted from the gauntlet, sending the officer's body flying far away.

The soldiers, instead of catching the officer's flying body, instinctively moved away to avoid it.

And just like the officer's body that ended up being thrown to the ground, Khamsin threw the half-folded truncheon he had been holding onto the ground and said.

“Anyone else want to try?”

As if daring them to come, rubbing his gauntleted hand.

I watched for a while just in case, but it seemed safe to leave this place to Khamsin without worry.

Sure enough, Khamsin, who looked around for a moment as if to find me, found me in the crowd and gave a light nod as if to say, ‘leave it to me’.

I responded with a nod and immediately moved through the crowd.

In the end, all that could be done here was to delay.

There was no guarantee that the current standoff would continue.

Most of the soldiers who knew Ethesia's truth were hesitating, but it was uncertain whether they would disobey to the end, no matter how unreasonable the command.

Humans are vulnerable to atmosphere.

And soldiers were generally used to the atmosphere of ‘just do as you're told’.

If they continued to receive high-handed orders, some would eventually follow, and then a clash would be inevitable.

It was a situation where we couldn't rely on individual goodwill forever.

So while he and the citizens were buying time here, we had to eliminate the root of the problem as quickly as possible.

We had to take down the leader── Ethesia.

* * *

“You damn things──”

Before the enraged Ethesia could finish her words, Ibi instantly disappeared from her sight.

“──!”

As if she had been hiding in the opponent's shadow from the start.

The two officers right in front of Ethesia couldn't even react.

Thus, Ibi, who had appeared behind Ethesia in the blink of an eye through 「Shadow Step」, thrust her dagger straight at her neck.

Shwing!

The tip of the glinting dagger drew a line.

“Kuh!”

Red blood droplets scattered from the cheek of Ethesia, who had hastily twisted her body to avoid it.

“Tsk…!”

Ibi, clicking her tongue as the surprise attack failed, immediately swung the dagger in her other hand.

Chaeng!

But it was parried by the blade of the rapier that Ethesia had swiftly drawn and swung.

At the same time, Rine's 「Magic Arrow」 was shot.

“Great General!”

Swoosh!

The arrow of light that was flying towards Ethesia was blocked by a 「General」 who had come to his senses and rushed over.

“How dare you!”

At the same time, another 「Colonel」 kicked off the ground and rushed towards Rine.

──Kaang!

The shield raised by Miki, who had blocked his path, resonated with the sword that was struck down.

『Grant us your grace!』

At that moment, a gentle light from Lily's prayer book enveloped Miki's body.

“Haaap!”

Then, using the momentarily enhanced ‘strength’, Miki raised his shield high, and the 「Colonel」, whose sword was sent flying, leaving him open, was struck in the abdomen by the shield.

Poong!

While the 「Colonel」 who was sent flying with a small shockwave was thrown to the ground, next to him, Ibi was wildly thrusting and swinging the daggers held in both hands.

But Ethesia, who parried them all with fluid yet efficient movements, then quickly drew a ‘pistol’ from the holster on her thigh and aimed it at Ibi.

“Ugh──”

Seeing this, the startled Ibi.

──Paang!

Was sent flying by the strong wind that burst out the moment the trigger was pulled.

“Kuh…!”

Just as Ibi, who had been knocked down, tried to quickly get up again, Ethesia was already thrusting the tip of her glinting rapier.

Swoosh!

A few strands of silver hair, cut by the silver blade, fluttered.

Ibi, who had barely managed to roll away and dodge, immediately threw a smoke bomb and attempted a 「Swift Escape」.

Ethesia, without panicking, pulled the trigger again.

As the wind instantly cleared the smoke.

──Shwing!

Sharp 「Frost Blades」 flew towards Ethesia.

Chaeng!

Chaeng!

And they were cut down by the silver blade that was swung like flowing water, scattering ice fragments in all directions.

Ibi, who quickly rushed in again aiming for Ethesia, attempted a 「Backstab」, but.

“Like I'd let you!”

Was blocked by the sword of the rushing 「General」.

“Let me!”

Ibi quickly swung the dagger in her other hand and cut the 「General」's arm.

“Ugh!”

The 「General」 grimaced in pain and dropped his sword, but he completely ignored it and blocked the other dagger that was thrust at him with his bare hand.

Then he pulled her towards him and raised his knee.

“Keoheok!”

Ibi gasped as her abdomen was struck by his knee.

The 「General」 didn't stop and made a fist with the hand that had dropped the sword and swung at Ibi, but Ibi, who had been bent over, spun around and cut both of his legs.

“Kuaak!”

Just as she was about to stab the daggers into the back of the 「General」 who had bent over in pain just like her.

“──!”

She saw the gun barrel suddenly aimed at her and flinched to a stop.

Paang!

A strong wind burst out.

Ibi shut her eyes tightly at the oncoming wind, but this time she wasn't sent flying.

Instead, a holy light was enveloping her body, just like Miki's a moment ago.

It was the 「Blessing of Wind Resistance」.

As a result, only the 「General」, who had not received the blessing, was sent flying by the wind and knocked down.

For a moment, the flustered Ethesia glared at Lily, who had cast the blessing.

Seeing this, the 「Colonel」 immediately rushed towards Lily.

Lily flinched, but the 「Colonel」's sword could not reach her.

Instead, it deeply pierced the 「Rock Shield」 that had suddenly appeared before him.

The flustered 「Colonel」 tried to pull out the sword stuck in the crevice of the rock.

In the meantime, Ethesia raised her rapier and thrust it at Ibi.

Kang!

As soon as Miki, who had rushed in for a 「Guard」, blocked the blow with his shield.

“Nice one, kid!”

Ibi placed her hand on Miki's shoulder, leaped over him, and kicked Ethesia hard in the head.

Thwack!

With a dull impact sound, Ethesia staggered.

Miki did not miss the opportunity and pushed his shield forward.

Thump!

Staggering once more from the 「Shield Bash」, Ethesia's posture broke.

But, she wasn't ‘fallen’.

Therefore, she blocked Ibi's dagger that came from the side with her rapier held upright.

“Ugh!?”

Then kicked Miki away, shield and all, parried the dagger aimed at her chest, knocked away the dagger aimed at her neck, and just as she broke Ibi's posture by kicking her shin with the heel of her boot.

“Ah, shaa──”

──Thwack!

She headbutted Ibi's slightly lowered face.

As Ibi fell, Miki, who had rushed in again, swung his shield, but Ethesia easily dodged it by moving her body, then grabbed his head and raised her knee to strike his face as well.

Just as the two fell, the 「Colonel」, who had pulled out his sword and shattered the cracked 「Rock Shield」, was immediately hit by an exploding 「Fireball」 and sent flying far away.

In the meantime, Ethesia was already rushing towards Lily.

“Ah…!”

The surprised Lily had to take her hand off the glowing prayer book to hastily dodge, and naturally, the 「Blessing of Wind Resistance」 that had been enveloping the party members disappeared.

Rine quickly raised her staff again and cast 「Gale」, attempting to create a strong wind to prevent Ethesia from approaching Lily──

“──Ha.”

Ethesia, who had only paused for a moment, withstood the strong wind and then immediately let out a scornful laugh, aiming her pistol at the two people standing in the same direction.

“You think you can stop me with a mere wind like this!?”

Paang!

A wind stronger than the 「Gale」 sent both Rine and Lily flying, and they hit the wall behind them hard, then bounced off and fell to the floor.

Just as Ethesia was about to rush towards the two.

『…Your opponent is me!』

She turned to look at Miki, who had struggled to his feet and used 「Taunt」, and she caught the shield he threw with all his might with one outstretched bare hand.

“…!”

Then, as if to return it, she threw it back at the horrified Miki.

Kaang!

The flying shield hit Miki's armor.

The staggering Miki quickly lifted a nearby fallen desk, but.

Shwing!

It was instantly split in two by the rapier that was swung, drawing a band of light.

Then, Ethesia, instead of using the tip of the rapier which would have a hard time penetrating the sturdy armor, swung the hilt and struck Miki's head, and without stopping, kicked him down with her boot and aimed the pistol, pulling the trigger.

Pang!

Miki, who took the full force of the wind, was finally knocked out flat.

“Kid!”

As soon as Ibi saw that, she kicked the groin of the 「General」 she was clashing swords with and immediately rushed towards Ethesia.

But Ethesia stretched out her long leg and kicked Ibi's abdomen with her boot before her dagger could even be swung, and as Ibi knelt in pain, she slowly approached.

“Ugh…!”

Grabbed her left hair and pulled her up high.

“A mere little thief who rolled around in the streets.”

Then, the moonlight seeping in from the window next to the two shone on Ibi's left ear, which had been hidden in her hair── its tip was half-cut.

“Did you really think you could be a match for me?”

Ibi, who was in pain from having her hair pulled.

“…Yeah, you sh*t. I'm a girl who rolled around in the streets.”

Suddenly showed a smirk.

“So I know damn well how to deal with a monster like you, you know?”

“It seems you don't.”

“No, I know well. The best way to beat bastards who run wild, trusting only in their own strength, is to just swarm them with numbers.”

“Three and four? Didn't you have a chance to learn to count on the streets?”

Then, she said, glancing at the window next to them.

“That's why I told you, you damn military bastard.”

At that moment.

“‘We’ are, ‘five people’…!”

──Crash!

The window shattered into pieces.

Ethesia, who turned in response.

『──Kneel.』

At the 「Word Command」 echoing in her head, knelt on one knee without realizing it.

Ibi did not miss the opportunity and kicked her hard in the chest, pushing her away, and used the rebound to create a large distance as if flying.

Seeing the scene, the 「Colonel」 belatedly rushed over, but.

『Wind!』

Was knocked down by a 「Wingbeat」.

Then, watching him fold his wings, Ibi let out a snort as if she was dumbfounded.

“You're late, you bastard.”

“Sorry.”

Towards the masked bard who had appeared with his long hair flying.

“I was busy stopping a war with a song.”