"Well, think about it. If unsuspecting civilians were to wander into the combat zone, they could get caught up in the battle," Ricardo grinn
"Well, think about it. If unsuspecting civilians were to wander into the combat zone, they could get caught up in the battle," Ricardo grinned, revealing sharp canine teeth, and said to Natsuki Subaru. "So, the other side of the street had to be sealed off in advance. They set out last night to set up the blockade, so you never had a chance to see them, little bro."
"I see. Anastasia is very thoughtful." Natsuki Subaru nodded thoughtfully, then, as if something occurred to him, turned to Crusch. "Speaking of which, Miss Crusch, you must have had similar arrangements, right?"
"I brought enough messengers," Crusch said, elegantly tidying her green hair, which had been ruffled by the wind. "If a situation arises, reinforcements from the Royal Capital can arrive at any time."
"Lady Crusch has always preferred a direct confrontation, meow~" Ferris playfully stuck out his pink tongue, his cat ears twitching slightly. "But even Ferris thinks it's a bit reckless this time."
"I see. But this straightforward style is indeed very much in Miss Crusch's character." Natsuki Subaru nodded again, marveling internally: Then again, Anastasia sent out both Ricardo and Mimi, two of her main forces. Considering the risk of a failed subjugation, the strategy of dividing her forces was indeed very wise. As expected of someone from a merchant background, her risk management is flawless.
Ferris seemed to have seen through Natsuki Subaru's thoughts and chuckled lightly.
"Subaru-kyun seems very interested in Lady Anastasia's arrangements?"
"Yes." Natsuki Subaru came back to his senses and said, "I was just thinking that different ways of handling things each have their own pros and cons."
"Lady Anastasia, although she's too skilled at calculation..." Ferris flicked his tail and winked playfully, continuing, "But this time she really was a great help, meow~ If they hadn't sealed off the perimeter, a lot of civilians would probably have wandered onto the battlefield during the fight, meow~"
"Indeed." Natsuki Subaru nodded in deep agreement, then asked Ricardo, "So, are the rest of your comrades coming over now? Who's leading the team over there?"
"That's right, that's right!" Mimi suddenly leaped between the two, dancing with excitement. "Big brother, it's Mimi's other brother, Tivey~! Just like Hetaro, he can perform a super—amazing combination technique with Mimi, meow!"
"Sister, don't say such embarrassing things!" Hetaro protested, blushing, his ears standing straight up.
"Combination technique?" Hearing this, Natsuki Subaru's mouth couldn't help but twitch. "Why does that sound like children playing house..." This childlike description, paired with Mimi's dancing, makes it really hard to believe how reliable that team could be.
"No, no, no..." Ricardo, the captain at the side, quickly waved his hands to defend his team members. "Tivey is the most reliable one in our group. He handles all the accounting and business negotiations himself; he's the young lady's right-hand man."
Saying this, he also patted Hetaro's small shoulder. "Simply put, he's the upgraded version of Hetaro."
"Captain, please don't say that..." Hetaro protested in a small voice, his orange cat ears drooping completely in embarrassment, his tail also hanging listlessly. Being compared publicly by his own sister and captain was truly too embarrassing for this introverted young cat-boy.
At the side, Ferris covered his mouth, snickering.
"Oh my, Hetaro's shy look is so cute, meow~"
"What a lively team." Watching this scene, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but let out a light laugh, then looked at Ricardo. "Speaking of which, Captain Ricardo, what are your plans next?"
"Well..." Ricardo stroked his chin and thought for a moment. "After we rendezvous with Tivey and the others, we have to transport the White Whale's materials back to the trading company first. Lady Anastasia values this business very highly."
"It seems our cooperation with the Iron Fang ends here."
Natsuki Subaru gazed at Ricardo, a hint of emotion in his voice. It's known that my relationship with Crusch is now an equal alliance. And my partnership with the Iron Fang mercenary group was, after all, only temporary. With the successful subjugation of the White Whale, this cooperation should come to an end.
However, to have met such companions in battle is a rare fate.
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru said to Ricardo, "Captain Ricardo, although we haven't cooperated for long, it's been a real honor to fight alongside you."
"Hahaha!" Ricardo laughed heartily, revealing his signature canine smile, and clapped Natsuki Subaru's shoulder. "Little bro, you're too polite! You're the great hero who killed the White Whale! Ricardo here admires warriors like you the most. We must drink together sometime!"
"Alright." Natsuki Subaru nodded in response, feeling slightly relieved. The greatest threat, the White Whale, had been dealt with. Now, all he had to do was wait for Reinhard to arrive. If there are no accidents...
However, just as Natsuki Subaru's thoughts were drifting—
"Ah—!" A heart-wrenching scream tore through the sky. Mimi's petite body suddenly began to tremble violently. Her large eyes, usually full of life, were now wide and round, filled with incredible pain.
"Mimi?!" Natsuki Subaru whipped his head around.
The little cat girl, who had been full of life just a moment ago, was now kneeling on the ground in agony, her hands clutching tightly at her chest. A hideous wound had bizarrely appeared on her white uniform, as if slashed by an invisible blade, and blood was spreading at a visible rate. Almost at the same instant, Hetaro also let out a muffled grunt and bent over. Blood was also gushing from the front of his clothes.
"What's going on?" Natsuki Subaru's pupils contracted sharply; he immediately realized the situation had changed.
"Mimi! Hetaro!" Ferris was the first to rush over, his hands glowing with the blue light of healing magic.
"This is... the Divine Protection of Trisection between Mimi and her siblings at work..." Ricardo said in a deep voice, his face becoming abnormally grave.
"Tivey... Tivey is injured!" Mimi shouted, enduring the excruciating pain, tears welling up in her eyes. Her cat ears were pressed tightly against her head in pain, and the fur on her tail stood on end. "And it's a very serious injury, meow..."
"Tivey is injured?" Natsuki Subaru's heart sank. He then abruptly remembered the siblings' special ability, the Divine Protection of Trisection. This unique blessing allowed the triplets to share pain and injury amongst themselves. As the strongest of the three, Mimi's brothers always silently bore more of the damage for her. And now, Tivey's severe injury was being clearly reflected onto Mimi and Hetaro through this blood-bound connection.
Strange, Tivey's side was responsible for the outer blockade; they didn't need to fight the White Whale at all. How could he suddenly get so seriously injured? Could it be... the Witch Cult? Or...
"What happened?" Crusch strode over, her long green hair fluttering in the morning breeze, a look of alarm in her emerald eyes.
"It's our other detachment." Ricardo's face was terrifyingly grim, his thick fingers clenched into fists. "It seems they've run into trouble."
Just then—
Thud, thud, thud—
The sound of a galloping Earth Dragon approached rapidly from a distance.
"Hmm?" Natsuki Subaru focused his gaze. An Earth Dragon, covered in injuries, was staggering towards them. The flesh on its right leg was almost completely stripped away, and every step it took left a shocking bloody footprint on the mud. Even more alarming was the orange figure it carried on its back—
"Tivey!" Mimi cried out anxiously, about to rush forward despite the gushing wound on her chest.
Tivey's condition was even worse than imagined. His left arm was twisted at a grotesque angle, sharp bone fragments piercing through the skin. His orange fur was matted to his bloody, mangled skin, and most fatal was the penetrating wound on his abdomen, his intestines vaguely visible.
"Hang in there!" Ferris's voice had lost its usual cheerfulness for once. His healing magic was already at full power, a blue light enveloping Tivey's body like flowing water.
Thump!
The injured Earth Dragon finally collapsed before them. Tivey, on the verge of death, used his last ounce of strength to say, his voice as thin as a thread, "..."
"What?!" Everyone on site was greatly shocked. Captain Ricardo of the Iron Fang knelt on one knee and asked anxiously, "Tivey, can you be clear? The Witch Cult's specific location? Numbers?"
Tivey struggled to raise his good right hand and pointed east. "East... Witch Cult, Sin... Archbishop..."
Before his words could finish, he fell completely unconscious.
"A Sin Archbishop?!" Hearing this, Crusch's face instantly changed. "An enemy of that level has actually been deployed..."
"Damn it!" Ricardo's giant sword slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. "The other half of my brothers are still over there!"
Mimi suddenly broke free and jumped up, the wound on her chest tearing open again, blood soaking through her clothes. "Mimi's going to save them! Tivey's comrades are Mimi's comrades, meow!"
"Stop, Mimi!" Natsuki Subaru grabbed the impulsive little cat girl.
"Big brother, let go of Mimi! Mimi's going to save them!" Mimi struggled desperately, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Calm down!" Natsuki Subaru looked down at Mimi and said in a heavy tone, "Rushing over like this will only get you killed!"
If Tivey and his group encountered the Sin Archbishop of Greed or Gluttony, rushing over now is undoubtedly suicide. No, from Tivey's report, it's very likely that madman, the Sin Archbishop of Greed. Damn it! In the original plot, they were supposed to appear on the return journey. Did my intervention cause the timeline to accelerate? What's worse is that Reinhard hasn't arrived yet.
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru said to Crusch beside him, "Miss Crusch, we must formulate a battle plan immediately. A Sin Archbishop is not an opponent that can be defeated with brute force..."
"But..." Mimi's cat ears trembled violently, her golden pupils filled with tears, her hands unconsciously reaching out and retracting.
Ricardo walked over and placed a rough hand on Mimi's shoulder. "Listen to little bro. Now is not the time to be impulsive."
"You're right," Crusch nodded slightly. "But we currently know nothing about the enemy's situation."
"The top priority now is to confirm the enemy's situation," Wilhelm said calmly, his silver hair fluttering. "Let this old man scout ahead."
"No!" Natsuki Subaru took a step forward, blocking Wilhelm's path, and firmly objected. "Mister Wilhelm, acting alone is too dangerous!"
"Hmm?" Wilhelm narrowed his eyes. "Lord Subaru seems to know a lot about the enemy?"
"It's just... a gut feeling telling me not to act rashly," Natsuki Subaru said slowly, looking directly into Wilhelm's eyes.
Then, Natsuki Subaru added, "Mister Wilhelm, think about it. An enemy that could wipe out Tivey's entire team is by no means an ordinary foe."
As a transmigrator, I do indeed know the Sin Archbishops inside and out. If the opponent is that Sin Archbishop of Greed, Regulus, even someone as strong as Wilhelm would be of no use; facing him would only be a pointless death.
"Old Man Wil, Subaru-kyun is right, meow~" Ferris interjected while maintaining his healing magic. "Splitting our forces now is too dangerous."
"Sir Wilhelm, I understand your feelings, but acting rashly now is indeed improper," Crusch also stepped forward, her long green hair fluttering in the wind.
"Lady Crusch's lesson is well-received." Wilhelm nodded slightly, his eyes under his silver hair still as sharp as a blade. "I was inconsiderate."
"Ferris, do your utmost to treat the wounded. Ricardo, immediately gather all members who can still fight." Crusch's long, jade-green hair drew a sharp arc in the wind as she swiftly made her decision. "Sir Wilhelm, please prepare for battle."
Then, Crusch turned to Natsuki Subaru and asked, "Sir, when can Reinhard arrive?"
"An hour at the earliest..." Natsuki Subaru looked up at the rising sun, quickly estimating the time, and replied. I had an appointment with Reinhard for eight o'clock on Sun Day, and it's just past seven now. If only I had arranged for Reinhard to come earlier.
"One hour..." Crusch's fingers tightened on her sword hilt, but she quickly regained the composure befitting a commander. "Then we must formulate a meticulous strategy."
Just then, Natsuki Subaru's expression suddenly shifted, and he unhurriedly turned towards the plain. "Wait... they're here!"
Everyone followed Natsuki Subaru's gaze and saw a white figure sliding across the plain in a completely unnatural manner. The person's movement was entirely unlike a normal person's; each step was as if pulled by invisible strings, possessing a mechanical precision and a horrifying, unsettling wrongness.
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