« W…What what?! He just killed one of our centurions and went back to his camp as if nothing happened? Damn it, the war is starting now because of him. The troops are already preparing, but what are we supposed to do? There's only Enette and me who… »
Abel looked around him, but he couldn't see Enette anywhere. He scanned his surroundings, but the movement of the crowd was too intense. Everyone was descending the hill to reach the battlefield.
"ABEL!!! GET DOWN HERE, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? THE BATTLE HAS STARTED!"
Abel looked down the hill and spotted Enette. Even though many people were surrounding him, Abel hurried to reach him and stay close to Enette and their troops.
"Sorry, I was caught off guard. Everyone's here… what's going on?"
"Anastasia is going to give some instructions. We must not make any mistakes, or we'll end up decapitated like that centurion. The guy he talked to is strange, but if we manage to kill him, we'll be pardoned."
Anastasia and her Tribune stood facing all the army units. They were numerous, but Anastasia did not hesitate in front of such a crowd. With a powerful voice, she addressed her troops.
"LISTEN CAREFULLY! The situation is worse than we could have hoped for. We are starting this battle with a handicap. Our primary target is the mysterious man who killed one of our centurions. He is most likely the most dangerous man in the enemy camp. My Tribune Ethan Corulibin and I will do everything we can to kill the man who trampled on our pride. During that time, I want you to stall any opponent who could pose a problem. No one is allowed to interfere in our fight."
All the units froze. Death was standing right in front of them. The Tribune stepped forward, not only to address the units, but also Anastasia.
"I allow myself to change the plan. I would like to face him alone. He will not pose a real problem for the Silver Needle troop. I must punish the man who disgraced us. This impertinent fool will die by my hand. That way, our losses will be less severe, and Madame Van Hauban will be able to keep an overview of the battlefield. We will begin the assault in five minutes, hoping that man shows himself."
Everything was ready.
But on the Green Bees' side, the situation was completely different. Everything felt unclear. When the bandit returned to the Green Bees' camp, he was completely relaxed. Everyone stared at him with confused expressions. The troop leader was speechless. Even the Tribune and the centurions were deeply unsettled. The leader stepped forward to scold him.
"I…Idiot!!! I asked you to help us, to be an asset to our troop! You just killed a centurion! If you return to the battlefield, you'll die, and you'll be completely useless to us!"
"Shut up. I'm not one of your men. I fight only for my own pleasure. I don't give a damn if you all die. I'm going back there to fight, no matter who stands in my way. You think I'm weak, but I killed a centurion. And honestly, he wasn't that strong. He couldn't even counter my attack. So now fight as if I'm not here. I'll just be a bonus. Now tell me, who's the strongest in the enemy camp so I can make your advance easier?"
The Green Bees' leader looked at him strangely. He didn't know if the man was truly insane or simply unconscious of reality. Killing a centurion was no simple feat, but wanting to fight the strongest members of a troop was sheer madness. The leader and the bandit moved closer to the edge so he could clearly point out the targets.
"Very well. If you insist on dying, if you truly want to serve as bait, then so be it. The strongest in the enemy camp are the woman with white hair and violet eyes, and the blond man standing beside her. He's weaker than her. In fact, they're addressing their troops right now, so their assault will begin soon. Are you sure you want to attack them from the very start?"
"Hmm, you're right. I should save my energy to take down the woman first. If I end up fighting the blond man, who must be her Tribune. I want your Tribune to intervene once he gains the advantage. That way, I'll deal with the woman. If their fight isn't over after I kill her, I'll help your Tribune finish the job. After that, I'm going back to the camp to rest. And I want women too. Whether they want it or not doesn't matter. If that suits you, then let's begin the assault."
The leader stared at the man before finally agreeing. The bandit's eyes sparkled with delight. His red hair shone under the sun like a mane of fire. The sunlight reflected off his silver hairpins forming a braided fringe on his forehead. His orange eyes gleamed brilliantly. The leader felt as if he were staring at a blazing sun.
"Very well. But wouldn't you like more suitable combat attire? Casual pants, a tank top, and cloth elbow guards won't protect you. Your biceps are exposed, your shoulders too, and…"
"It's fine. My speed is my greatest weapon. Pain and injuries are part of battle. Besides, they don't look better protected than me. I'm going."
"W–Wait. What's your name? I don't even know it."
"Huh? My name… tsk. I'm Ario… Ario Sanaad."
"Very well, Ario. Show me what you're worth."
Ario rushed toward the enemy troops, but his charge was interrupted by a sword strike. Despite his carelessness, he managed to parry the attack. The two faced each other.
"Ah, you must be the Tribune. Sorry, but I won't be staying long with you. The beautiful white haired woman interests me far more than you. You like her, don't you? Once I defeat her, I'll make her my sex slave, I hope…"
A strike rushed toward him, but he dodged it easily. Ethan wasn't listening anymore hatred burned in his eyes.
"You don't look very pleasant. I'm going to enjoy killing you…"
"SHUT UP!!! You dared to kill one of our centurions during a truce, and you dare speak of Anastasia Van Hauban as if she were nothing but a whore from a brothel. I'll make you swallow your words. I'll kill you, you ba…"
Ethan was interrupted as his cheek was sliced open. He hadn't even seen it coming. His opponent's speed was overwhelming. In that instant, he understood how the centurion had been killed so easily.
"You lost your cool. That strike was just to wake you up. I could've slit your throat. Damn it… I was told you were strong. Looks like I'll have to do all the dirty work myself. Come on, fight me so we can get this over with."
The two took their stances. Neither intended to use their Qephraï powers at the start. The Silver Needle army units moved forward to prevent any interference in the duel between Ethan and Ario. Both armies left a wide space between them to avoid being caught in the clash.
During the exchange, neither moved much. They were almost stationary. Ethan saw no opening his opponent was too fast. But Ario didn't see any either. Despite what Ario claimed, they were evenly matched. The fight was monotonous. Ario wanted to kill in a single strike, while Ethan waited for the perfect opening. In truth, the victor would be the one with greater endurance. Both knew it. But Ario already knew the outcome no matter what happened, his opponent would die soon.
Meanwhile, only a few units remained near Anastasia. Among them were Enette's and Abel's units. They stood still, forced to watch the bloody battlefield.
"Enette, why aren't we moving? We'd be a major asset in preventing the enemy troops from infiltrating."
Enette stared into the distance, just as stunned by the reality of the battlefield.
"I suppose Anastasia wants us close in case something unexpected happens. There are five units here, around five hundred people. On paper, we're stronger than them. But that foreigner who doesn't belong to their troop is a real problem. He's holding his own against our Tribune, yet no one knows who he is. Not even Anastasia knows. If this continues, we'll lose. They have a Tribune and a man of equal level, while we're already down one centurion. If we win this battle, we should thank the gods for watching over us."
« Gods?! They believe in gods here too? »
"Of course. No matter where I am, I believe in gods. Everyone here does. Those who don't are worse than Qephraï, because even they believe in gods and respect them. Wait here, I need to see Anastasia. I'm entrusting the unit to you. If anything happens, I'll come back immediately."
Enette left. Strangely, Abel felt relieved watching him go.
« I was really lucky he can't distinguish personal pronouns when reading thoughts, otherwise he'd realize I was talking about this world and not him… damn it. And I don't believe in gods. What should I do not to seem suspicious? Even the Qephraï believe in gods… this world is insane… damn, Enette's coming back, I should stop thinking about that. »
"Uh… are you okay, Abel? You look stressed. Is the battle making you nervous?"
"Yeah… probably."
The duel between Ethan and Ario intensified. Ario stopped Ethan's blade with ease.
"Alright, I've got nothing more to do here. I'll let you fight someone on your level. Meanwhile, I'm going to take care of the beautiful Anastasia."
The Green Bees' Tribune entered the battlefield. No one could stop him. Ethan was exhausted and now had to face a fresh opponent. Ario sprinted toward Anastasia. Enette noticed him and tried to intercept, but Ario sent him flying with a single kick. He reached Anastasia. They stood face to face.
"Hello. Your Tribune is going to die. I'm truly sorry to tell you that. But don't worry, I'm here to satisfy you. Anastasia, become mine, and I'll fill you with love."
Anastasia stared at Ario with pure disgust.
"You disgust me, scum. I'll kill you. I'm not as weak as you think. Let's use our Qephraï powers and kill each other. We have enough space to go all out."
"I don't have any power."