Chapter 385 - Inexperienced Youths
Gradena closed the distance to the Scion in a flash, her blade swinging down with a force that felt like a localized lightning strike.
It was a brilliant, powerful attack delivered without a shred of hesitation. The surrounding members of the Anastasia Union froze, captivated by the sheer intensity of the strike.
I didn't actually think her sword would split his skull. He was an opponent we couldn't afford to kill, after all. Still, her strike possessed a sharp, decisive edge that would have ended him if he turned out to be an unexpected amateur. The Scion and the onlookers surely felt the cold breath of death in that moment.
However, he wasn't the Scion of the militant Anastasia Union for nothing.
He managed to catch the blow just in time with his ornate halberd.
"Damn it all...!"
Surprise and panic colored his voice. The blow must have been far heavier than he anticipated.
I wouldn't let him claim he didn't know the reputation of our Kikyou-kai, an organization close to the Union's own Leader. The brat had simply underestimated us.
Gradena leaned into her blade, applying more pressure as if to say the real fight was only beginning.
Her physical reinforcement magic, surging with intense output, already eclipsed the overbearing presence the Scion had projected moments ago. Moreover, having used a magic potion, Gradena still had massive reserves of strength left.
If she kept pushing like this, she would force the Scion to his knees. For a man like him, there could be no greater humiliation.
A single blow.
The great Anastasia Union had mobilized nearly fifty men to surround and threaten us, yet if their leader was forced to kneel after one exchange, what would that say?
The Scion's pride would be shattered. Because he actually put effort into his training, the shock would be devastating. Even if his men overwhelmed us afterward through sheer numbers, it would leave an irreversible stain on his record.
A crushing defeat in a duel was a disgrace a faction leader of a militant group could never scrub away. He had to at least make it look like a close fight, or he would lose all face. He had to endure, no matter what.
Forget leading the future of the Anastasia Union, his own subordinates would lose faith in him as a faction leader.
"Hey now, little prince! Is that all you've got? Don't let me down!"
Gradena's voice was purely provocative.
Fighting the strong was our job, but it was also our entertainment. Everyone who reached a certain level of power wanted to test it. Gradena seemed eager to make him fire up even more.
Responding to her demand, the Scion and the surrounding Union members intensified their mana. This wasn't a situation where we would just stand by and watch a duel. We had to move before the Union's rank and file did.
I moved in sync with the other four members, shifting into a formation where we stood back-to-back with Gradena. We formed a six-person defensive array, a solid circle that wouldn't easily break.
We wouldn't let anyone get behind us, and we didn't have to worry about our own backs. That mutual trust further bolstered our strength. Positioning myself directly opposite Gradena, I used a hand gesture to goad the Union men into coming at me.
We had already seized the initiative.
They would fight with everything they had, just as we expected. At the very least, I wanted to force them to acknowledge us as equals so we could actually have a conversation.
"Raaaaagh! No one else stay out of this!"
His spirit was commendable, at least. It seemed the Scion wanted a duel.
A fierce torrent of mana surged from behind me along with the Scion's roar. Perhaps due to poor mana control, his power manifested as a wasteful but devastating shockwave.
His mana was on a different level than before. This abnormal output couldn't be ignored. I was actually impressed.
"Heh, so you can do it when you try!"
Crying out in delight, Gradena shouted, "Exterior!"
Both activated their Martial Soul Transformation. So they could use it after all! I was surprised the Scion had reached that level.
I assumed the Union executives could do it, but I hadn't expected the Scion to have it under his belt. He was more of a rising star than I thought. No wonder the Leader had high expectations for him.
As if in response, a slender, handsome man from the Union also activated his Martial Soul Transformation. He began emitting an incredibly abnormal amount of mana.
The sensation of being near a volcano of erupting power made my heart throb. This was the true Anastasia Union. Their combat power was worlds apart from common thugs. Even though I knew this, experiencing it firsthand was exhilarating.
Since no one else followed suit, it seemed the Scion and this handsome man were the peak combatants present.
I wanted to test how much I could do in my current state. I felt like the current situation was veering past 'just right' into 'dangerous,' but you could also say anything less wouldn't be a proper yardstick.
Against an opponent who only used basic physical reinforcement, I could win most fights using only thirty percent of my mana. If this was a test, it had to be at least this intense.
"Good. This is interesting. If you're going to scrap with the world-famous militant organization, it has to be like this."
This was the perfect chance to measure my current strength. I could go all out.
The handsome man positioned to my flank was clearly eyeing the Scion, ready to jump in if the prince got into trouble. He intuitively understood that Gradena was the superior fighter and intended to ignore the requested duel to provide backup.
I couldn't allow such boorishness. I needed to pull his attention to me.
I generated a steel ball and flicked it toward him with a snap of my wrist.
With perfect control, it streaked toward the man's feet. I didn't expect it to hit, and indeed, he reacted just in time to dodge the sudden projectile. As long as I hindered his movement, I was satisfied.
The message was sent. I am your opponent.
The moment he glanced back toward the Scion, I threw another. He dodged that one too, but he finally realized he didn't have the luxury of looking away. If he wanted to play babysitter, he would have to go through me first.
"Fire it up!"
"You got it!"
Getting to fight someone using Martial Soul Transformation didn't happen every day. I couldn't use it myself because of the curse, but I'd just treat that as a handicap. Since I couldn't kill them, I'd have to hold back anyway.
The warehouse district was completely encircled by the Union. While Gradena and the Scion were locked in a duel of massive mana, the rest of the battlefield wasn't so simple due to the sheer numbers.
"Keep your distance! Use magic and tools to wear them down. No need to get close. Butcher them from afar!"
Huh? That's surprisingly passive. It seemed the handsome man was giving the orders, but I wondered what he was thinking. I expected them to charge in like mad boars, but they were unexpectedly dull.
They didn't come at us directly, choosing to exploit their numerical advantage with ranged attacks. They thought they were being smart, but they were actually being fools.
"We'll take you on! Knock them all down!"
Fine. I'll play your game. I gave the order while punching a thrown knife out of the air.
Since we were in a circular array, dodging projectiles or magic would just put the burden on the member behind us. Even if we were pelted by a variety of magical attacks and thrown weapons following the handsome man's command, we had no choice but to stand our ground and intercept them.
My cursed body couldn't use magic like usual, and my active armor's auto-defense against magic couldn't cover everyone. I had to leave the defense to each individual.
It wasn't an issue. Even against the attacks of dozens, we didn't panic. The training we did back at our headquarters was far more brutal than this.
In fact, most of the attacks could be ignored thanks to the defensive properties of our coats and berets. As long as we focused on protecting our faces and necks and watched for specialized attacks, we could handle this without a problem.
"...Their real strength is in close quarters. If they want to see results with this method, their timing and targeting are far too soft."
If they wanted to damage us, simply firing blindly wasn't enough. Each shot had decent power and their control wasn't bad. Against an average opponent, this would have ended the fight quickly.
But we weren't average trash.
Unless they synchronized their timing to increase power, coordinated unavoidable barrages, or used distractions to land a decisive blow, they wouldn't touch us.
It's time you realized we aren't the soft targets you've fought before. Every one of us is worth a thousand of your men.
"Your ranged game is pathetic. Let me show you how it's done."
With my active armor handling things, I even had room to breathe. Between defensive moves, I repeatedly threw steel balls, dealing guaranteed damage even to the Union's elites.
A steel ball thrown without mana was difficult to dodge completely even from the front due to its sheer speed and erratic trajectory. If my scattered shots hit unarmored spots, they caused injury; if they hit a vital point, they took the man out of the fight. Even if they deflected them with weapons or caught them on armor, the high-impact throws slowly wore them down.
There—one man's knee shattered because he couldn't read the sharp curve of the trajectory. As he collapsed pitifully, I gave him a little something extra. I wouldn't give them a chance to heal.
Furthermore, if someone got distracted worrying about the wounded, they became the next target. I punished anyone who took their eyes off me during a fight. Right after throwing a softball-sized steel ball at a man's face, I'd fire a ping-pong ball-sized one at his feet, easily crushing his ankle.
Surrounding us and trying to beat us from a distance wasn't a bad plan in theory, but it didn't work against us. If you're going to do it, you'd better bring large-scale magic.
What now? If this continues, you'll be the only ones exhausted while we remain virtually unscathed.
This isn't the true strength of the Anastasia Union. Correct your perception. You'll never beat the Kikyou-kai with this level of effort. This isn't a test of my strength at all.
"President Yukari, I can't take it anymore!"
"Me neither! Do they really think they can win with these lukewarm attacks?!"
"I'm so jealous of Big Sis Gradena! Is it time yet?"
"President, let's do it! We don't get opportunities like this often!"
My subordinates were a handful. It seemed they had lost their patience first.
"Just fighting normally is boring. Fine. Let's go with Operation 'Everlasting Darkness.' I'll leave the timing to you."
"We've been waiting for that!"
The handsome man in charge was strong enough to use Martial Soul Transformation, yet his orders were far too passive. If you have an overwhelming numerical advantage and confidence in your individual strength, you should simply push with power. That is the greatest threat to an opponent.
Yet you choose to stay at a distance and throw magic? You don't understand your own strengths.
If you had all charged at once from the start, it might have been a decent fight. But because you kept your distance, you ended up being picked apart one by one.
This wouldn't have happened if a veteran were in charge. This was the failure of a faction made of inexperienced youths. They had the vigor of youth, but they took a clumsy approach that prioritized their own safety.
Perhaps the fact that the Anastasia Union was so dominant in Belriza led to this. A lack of rivals makes for a very soft environment. Compared to us in Exenbra, who faced constant tension between the Three Families and attacks from emerging forces, the severity of survival was entirely different. The Union members in Exenbra were definitely not this pathetic.
I could feel the talent in the Scion's group, but their lack of experience in real life-or-death struggles as opposed to mere training was showing.
In this situation where they are hesitating, what happens if we take the fight to them?
Let's see if they can recover or if they'll turn tail and run.
Besides, if they won't engage in close combat, this is just too tedious. I had high expectations, so the least you can do is be of some use to me, you worthless piles of scrap hiding behind a famous name.
"She has a magic item! Stop her!"
"I know! As if I'd let you!"
Our ominous conversation caused the enemy to increase their pressure, but it wasn't enough to stop us completely. One of my members activated a magic item she had prepared conspicuously.
"Scatter and act at your own discretion. Don't push yourselves!"
"Right!"
Moments after activation, the magic item unleashed a massive effect. One member slammed a blinding flash of magic into the ground, and in that interval, everyone scattered to mingle with the enemy. They certainly were a bold bunch.
The magic item was a simple device that spewed out intense black smoke. It wasn't toxic, irritating, or smelly; it was purely designed to rob the enemy of sight. The thick black smoke spread rapidly, and while it didn't create total darkness, visibility was slashed to less than a meter.
Mana sensing couldn't distinguish individuals in this mess. Only the three people using Martial Soul Transformation were identifiable due to their overwhelming mana; for everyone else, we had to judge friend from foe by their movements.
I stopped flouting the physical reinforcement magic that surpassed the Union's average to coincide with the loss of vision. Physical reinforcement doesn't actually need to be leaked externally. We could suppress our mana to the point of being nearly undetectable if we wanted to avoid wasteful consumption.
I didn't completely suppress it here, instead leaking just enough mana to match the enemy's average to confuse them. Even with their sight gone, they could still sense presence and mana.
The problem was that they couldn't identify individuals by mana alone. There was no way we, the ones using the smoke item, hadn't prepared for this.
"Wind! Blow it away with wind!"
"I'm already trying! The smoke is too thick!"
It was useless. While it looked like only one person used a tool, three of us had actually activated the same device. The dense smoke was replenished as fast as they could try to blow it away. Plus, our wind magic specialist was wrapping the smoke from the outside, preventing it from being easily dispersed.
Furthermore, another member had secretly activated a second spell. It would take time to manifest, but eventually, it would cause them great suffering. This was a perfect chance to test new tricks. Might as well try everything.
"Destroy that magic item first!"
"How?! We can't tell which one it is! Are we supposed to disable everyone's items?!"
"Damn it! Quit hiding and come out!"
One of the engraved spells on our coats was emitting a tiny amount of specialized mana. We could use this to avoid friendly fire. Unless you knew what to look for beforehand, you'd never be able to sense and distinguish it in the heat of battle.
Separate from the chaotic Union members and my own satisfied self, Gradena and the Scion continued their duel. Wrapped in black smoke, they were likely even more focused. I'd let Gradena enjoy herself for a while longer.
"Shit... Gagh?!"
"What happened? Are you hit?!"
"Damn it, me too! They're hitting everyone at random! Watch out!"
"You idiot, I'm on your side!"
"Then don't move so suspiciously!"
If they hadn't tried to be clever with ranged attacks, it wouldn't have turned into this. Tonight, you'll face defeat without ever showing your true potential.
Their pride and youth prevented them from making the choice to retreat and regroup. Their inexperience was showing in every possible way. It was foolish to face annihilation just for the sake of stubbornness. Did they really think this battle was worth their lives? Not a chance.
"Calm down! Group up with those near you! Avoid friendly fire at all costs!"
Even with the command from the handsome man emitting massive mana, the confusion wouldn't settle so easily. And taking advantage of that confusion to mess with the enemy was my team's specialty.
Hey, Pretty Boy. I'll be your opponent.
A man capable of Martial Soul Transformation... don't let me down any further.