At this moment, Koshchey had already been severely wounded by the shockwave from Coën's earlier bell strike. The ground forces had seized the opportunity to land a critical blow.
Now it was at its most dangerous—its final, desperate struggle. Even the Rock Troll had been knocked unconscious by a careless hit!
Ciri rushed forward to check on her and confirmed she was merely unconscious. Then she pointed ahead and commanded the Witcher horse: "Black Wind, save him!"
Like a gust of wind, the steed darted toward the battlefield. With speed too fast for even the mutant Koshchey to react, it snatched away a soldier who had been moments from death beneath the monster's claws.
Seeing the danger up ahead, Iris grew increasingly desperate to get Ciri to safety. But when she turned back, she saw the armored young Witcher already sprinting toward the mutant Koshchey.
Ciri's thoughts were simple: during her studies at Kaer Morhen, she'd read bestiaries and knew that creatures like the mutant Koshchey—products of experimentation—were often easily controlled by mages and turned into living weapons.
And if someone had unleashed such a beast to assault Brokilon Town, there could only be one real target—herself, the Princess of Cintra.
Her presence could undoubtedly draw the attention of this rampaging, dying monster, creating a perfect opening for the soldiers to deliver a killing blow. And if nothing else, it would give them a moment of breathing room against a cornered beast fighting for its life.
The house ahead had already collapsed, leaving behind only its basic framework—support beams, wooden planks, and joists. The ground floor was littered with debris.
Without hesitation, Ciri stepped onto one of the beams and moved like a cat, using the balance she'd trained during the 'giant pendulum' exercises at Kaer Morhen.
[Whoosh!]
Ciri casually picked up a stone and hurled it at the mutant Koshchey's head.
She carefully observed the beast's reactions, ready at any moment to leap off the beam and take cover behind the collapsed house's wreckage if it charged her.
But then, the Koshchey simply turned and gave her a glance—before charging after Black Wind, who had just rescued a Cintran soldier from its claws.
Why's it ignoring me?
Ciri frowned. Its response defied the usual instinct of monsters to hunt the 'isolated' and 'weak'.
But considering that lab-born creatures like this often had scrambled minds, and that it was currently facing warriors who had just inflicted serious damage, it made some sense if it was acting out of revenge and tunnel vision.
She whistled sharply, and Black Wind tossed the wounded soldier back into friendly lines before galloping back toward her. With a powerful leap, Ciri mounted the horse's back and began circling the Koshchey at high speed.
"I am Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, Princess of Cintra!"
With Black Wind ready to bolt at any moment, Ciri boldly continued to circle the beast, pelting it with stones. The soldiers nearby looked on with bulging eyes, and Iris was so worried that ghostly flames had begun to flicker around her.
Yet the Koshchey merely gave Ciri another glance and then ignored her completely, swatting the just-recovered Rock Troll aside with a claw before charging back at the Cintran warriors.
Ciri hesitated.
She spurred Black Wind forward, and the horse bounded ahead of the Koshchey in a few great leaps, planting its hooves firmly on the ground and blocking the monster's path like a boulder.
The Cintran soldiers immediately cried out, rushing toward her.
"Your Highness, please, get out of the way! It's too—"
"Quiet. Give me a bow. And a quiver of arrows!"
Ciri had a bold idea.
She had seen it clearly—once she and Black Wind had stepped into the Koshchey's path, it had suddenly stopped in its tracks.
It took a sidestep, as if trying to go around her. So Ciri nudged Black Wind again, and the steed pivoted to block the beast a second time.
The bow and arrows were quickly handed to her. Watching as the Koshchey took yet another step sideways, Ciri drew the bowstring back.
[Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!]
Ciri wasn't particularly strong. Her arrows lacked force, bouncing harmlessly off the beast's chitinous shell. It wasn't until the third arrow, aimed precisely at a wound previously inflicted by the Cintran warriors, that she managed to pierce its flesh.
The Koshchey let out a furious screech, thrashing wildly as it hurled itself against a nearby building in a frenzy, kicking up a storm of dust and debris.
But even now—it refused to advance a single step toward Ciri.
The Princess of Cintra tilted her head slightly, then shrugged—and pulled her bowstring once more.
Ciri stood her ground, emptying an entire quiver of arrows in front of her own people—until finally, the mutant Koshchey let out its last breath.
She had the distinct feeling she'd discovered something important.
With a flash of emerald-green fire, Ciri let Iris take her to another battlefield where monsters were wreaking havoc. This time, their opponent was a Frightener.
After testing it with arrows for a moment, Ciri drew the wolf-headed silver sword from her back and, to Iris's horror, ran straight toward the creature. Like climbing a set of stairs, she scaled its hind leg and reached its neck.
The blade came down.
Once again, emerald-green flames flared to life. This time, Ciri had Iris take her to the rooftop of the bell tower. With a cry, she leapt down onto the back of a passing Chimera.
The Chimera, which had moments before been flying freely and wildly, suddenly became stiff and sluggish the instant it felt Ciri land on its back. It wobbled through the air and descended, almost cautiously—as if afraid the princess might fall and get hurt.
Ciri inspected the bloodstains around the Chimera's claws and mouth.
Then—another strike of the blade.
"Caw—!"
Amid a swarm of crows thick as storm clouds, Regis appeared, his batlike form materializing in the air. He had been pursuing that same Chimera and had witnessed everything Ciri had done.
"What... just happened? Is this the power of the Elder Blood?"
"Thank you for the lives you saved tonight, Regis," Ciri replied politely to the newly arrived vampire. "Whoever sent these monsters must've given them an order—one so deeply ingrained it became instinct: do not harm me."
"And that's how you managed such astonishing feats," Regis said in admiration. "Even discovering this kind of information takes exceptional courage. I'm impressed, Your Highness."
Ciri wiped the sweat from her brow and turned to Iris.
"How many monsters are still left in the city? And why haven't I seen Coën anywhere? Shouldn't he be on the front lines?"
Iris hesitated. "I just sent Coën and the others somewhere else."
Ciri had already learned about the infiltrating Nilfgaardian-mixed mercenary unit.
Her expression turned serious at once. "Take me there."
Iris quickly tried to dissuade her. "Ciri, monsters might be controlled, but humans aren't—they will hurt you."
Ciri shot back, "To capture me, they made sure mindless monsters wouldn't harm me. Would humans with minds be any more merciful?"
"House, Levin, and Coën are already on-site. Milva's there too. They can manage the situation..."
Ciri's furrowed brow eased slightly, but then she lowered her gaze again. "No... that's still not enough."
"If they've sent this many monsters already, then a human strike force must be equally prepared. They'll know we have druids and mages—and Witchers too. So they'll have countermeasures, or at the very least, precautions in place..."
Her thoughts spun rapidly.
"But they don't know about you—Regis, Iris, Rock Troll Mama, Nanomi..."
"And yet," she continued, "you're more effective against monsters. If I pull you away now, the town's defense will suffer."
Her mind raced for a moment longer—then Ciri made her decision.
"Even if the monsters won't harm me, I still can't kill them as fast as you can. So, keep fighting the ones still inside the town—their numbers are thinning anyway."
"I'll go after the Nilfgaardian unit. I'll draw their attention and stall for time."
"When you're done with the monsters, come support me immediately."
Regis gave her a small bow in silent agreement.
Iris, however, was still desperate. "Ciri, Lann told us to protect you..."
"Iris!" Ciri raised her voice sharply.
She was still just a girl—barely tall enough to reach Alice's collarbone. And yet, in that instant, a commanding presence radiated from her that made Iris fall silent without thinking.
The spirit within the painting suddenly recalled something from her Cintran history lessons: when the 'Lioness' Calanthe won her first battle, she had been about the same age as the girl standing before her—Ciri.
Some kind of magic urged her—compelled her—to listen closely to Ciri's words.
"Iris."
Ciri looked at the spirit before her and softened her voice.
No extra words, no elaborate speeches. She simply said, gently, "Take me there."
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