"Boom—!"
Like the tolling of a morning bell or evening drum, a massive bronze statue descended from the sky and crashed onto the forest floor.
The tremor surged from beneath their feet as the statue effortlessly created a ter-deep crater, sending clouds of dust billowing into the air.
"Another creation?"
That was Eiji's first thought.
But his intuition told him otherwise, because the bronze statue had clearly been aid directly at her, its target unmistakable.
No one would be foolish enough to create sothing just to drop it on themselves.
"In that case, has a third party intervened?"
Eiji retreated.
The situation had changed. It was best to observe quietly until he understood what was happening.
In the center of the field.
The True Ancestor princess temporarily abandoned Eiji, her vicious gaze turning coldly toward the bronze statue that had fallen from the sky.
The statue was entirely feminine in appearance, kneeling on the ground with hands clasped as if in prayer, its entire body bound by chains. Just looking at it sent chills down one's spine.
"Creak—!"
With a grating, squealing sound, the center of the statue suddenly swung open like double doors.
Inside, there was nothing but countless mottled bloodstains.
And the double doors were studded with protruding iron spikes.
"Is that... an Iron Maiden?"
Aoko stared wide-eyed as she examined the bronze statue.
The coffin-like statue was, in essence, an exceptionally cruel torture device used in dieval Europe for interrogation, punishnt, or execution!
This device had enough space inside to hold a person. Once the door was closed, the iron spikes on it would instantly pierce the criminal's body, leaving countless bloody holes.
However, the wounds were not deep enough to be fatal, and those trapped inside could only watch themselves bleed to death in agony.
As a torture device, it was infamous for both execution and interrogation!
"Blood! Blood! Blood! Eternal beauty, tiless feast, old ugliness lies at the end of ti!"
"—Phantom Maiden!"
Near-insane ramblings.
Tangible curses.
The Iron Maiden transford into a black hole, the bloodstained space roaring like a wind cave, pulling the True Ancestor princess from several ters away as if by a magnet.
This mode of attack was equally unexpected, catching her off guard.
But the door studded with iron spikes looked incredibly irritating!
Under the vortex-like suction of the wind cave, her body swiftly drew closer to the Iron Maiden.
Yet she imdiately extended her claws, grabbing the Iron Maiden's doors just before being sucked inside!
The doors struggled desperately to close but were forcibly held open by the strength of her arms.
"Hmph!"
She let out a low grunt, her eyes filled with unparalleled ferocity.
The spike-covered doors twisted visibly into spirals, clattering as they fell from the torture device and were casually tossed to the ground.
"Whoa!"
Eiji let out a aningless exclamation to express his surprise.
After all, it was a Noble Phantasm of a Heroic Spirit. To crush it so easily made that Heroic Spirit seem rather weak, didn't it?
And that strength of hers was truly extraordinary!
But suddenly, Eiji sensed sothing unusual again.
"Hey!"
He only had ti to shout a warning.
On the battlefield.
The shattered Noble Phantasm quickly dissipated into photons.
The True Ancestor princess clapped her hands lightly, considering the job done.
Then she just needed to kill the one who ambushed her, deal with the swordsman, and everything here would be over. She could finally pursue her real enemy!
The mont this thought crossed her mind, a black shadow approached with imperceptible speed!
The figure moved so fast that even Eiji's enhanced vision couldn't track its form. Hidden in the corner, it seized the mont when the True Ancestor princess let her guard down after dealing with the ambush.
In its hand was a short blade, its tip aid directly at the White Princess!
Eiji barely managed to shout his warning before the figure shot forward like an arrow from a bow, plunging into the White Princess's embrace. The short blade drove deep, striking her chest with precise accuracy!
An ambush hidden within an ambush.
No one had anticipated this turn of events, not even the White Princess.
But she was a True Ancestor, an immortal being. A re stab to the chest with a short blade ant nothing.
Even she thought so.
Yet the next mont, her body slowly collapsed to its knees.
All her strength was rapidly draining away, like a balloon with a hole punched in it. Her body temperature dropped to freezing within seconds, leaving her without even the strength to lift a hand.
As if her life had reached its limit.
Her eyes widened, golden irises filled with shock and confusion.
"Ha, haha! Hahahaha! I succeeded! I finally succeeded!"
The attacker burst into mad laughter.
Only then did Eiji get a clear look at him.
He was a sowhat tall man, slender in build but with well-proportioned muscles.
His entire body was wrapped in white bandages, not even his face visible, with only a single crimson left eye exposed. The bloodshot eye brimd with triumphant satisfaction.
The man laughed with uncontrollable excitent while reaching for the fallen White Princess.
"Whoosh—!"
A silver blade arrived unexpectedly!
A strike accelerated to maximum velocity in an instant, fast as a flash!
A cut that surpassed visual perception, making it impossible to defend against!
The man's left hand was severed in the blink of an eye, flying off to land on the distant ground as crimson blood splattered everywhere.
"Arghhhhh!"
Blue flas spontaneously ignited on his arm, rapidly spreading toward his body.
The man scread in agony.
Then the blade ca again, forcing him to instinctively leap backward.
After steadying himself, his gaze turned vicious.
Raising the short blade high with his right hand, before the flas could reach his torso, he cleanly severed his left arm at the shoulder. The dismbered limb fell to the ground, slowly burning to ashes in the blue flas.
"...Kid, what's your aning here?"
A sinister right eye glared over fiercely.
Intense killing intent and hatred almost materialized into a curse enveloping the young man opposite him.
"Can't understand even when you see it? Are you blind?"
Eiji spat venomous words.
He stood before the White Princess, silver blade in hand, like a guardian deity making all attacks ineffective.
"..."
The pure white princess knelt on the ground, breathing heavily.
Her body completely beyond her control, consciousness gradually peeling away from her mind.
Her head grew heavy and dizzy, as if she might lose consciousness at any mont.
She struggled to lift her head, her gaze sweeping past the bandaged man before fixing on the boy's retreating figure, staring blankly at him.
"Don't you know what manners are, kid? Hmph, can't bla you though - just a country bumpkin from the Far East."
The bandaged man's expression showed slight displeasure, but he rely snorted softly before regaining his composure, then wore the helpless look of soone dealing with a provincial simpleton.
"Idiot."
"...Heh, I won't stoop to your level."
"Moron."
"..."
"Fool."
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