Chapter 11: The Rescue
As the words of the rear guard fell, the figure in the raincoat first froze for a moment, then reacted abruptly. His right hand quickly reached into his chest and, with a metallic “clang,” he pulled out a short sword about half an arm’s length long. He took two quick steps forward, grabbing for a young man in front of him with his other hand. However, the young man struggled and avoided him. The crowd rapidly dispersed, pushing Sarah and the others who couldn’t keep their balance to the outer edge. Before they could escape, they were soon exposed.
“Yaaah—”
Daisy let out a terrified scream.
This scream immediately caught the attention of the man.
At this point, the road had cleared out in a circle several meters wide, but the chaos hadn’t diminished. Noticing two frail girls nearby, the man took large strides toward them, his expression fierce as he shouted, “Come here!” His hand reached out to grab Daisy, who was pushed to the outermost part of the crowd. Daisy screamed in terror, but Sarah reacted quickly, pulling her behind and clenching her fist, striking the man’s face with a punch.
“Sorry, little girl…”
Though the man was not particularly skilled and clearly untrained from the way he drew his sword, he was tall and strong. Standing before him, Sarah seemed like a small chick. That punch didn’t make him flinch; instead, he used his forehead to block it, tilting his head back slightly. His actions didn’t stop; he grabbed Sarah’s neck, pulling her close and holding the short sword to her throat. Then he turned around, shouting at the Green Robe Arbiter pressing in from behind, “Don’t move! Stop where you are! Move again, and I’ll kill her!”
“Help! Help me—”
Daisy, frightened, started crying, wanting to help but hesitating. She looked around in panic, begging for assistance, but no one came forward. Instead, they backed away faster. Sarah, who was restrained, struggled fiercely, shouting, “Scoundrel, let go of me!” She kept hitting him with her fists and tried to pull his hair. The man dodged her head, but then saw a flash of light in Sarah’s hand. A cluster of flames erupted from the rain, instantly igniting the hood on the man’s head. The crowd gasped, and the man yelled, frantically trying to extinguish the fire on his head. Sarah attempted to escape, but the man hit her on the head with the hilt of his sword.
“Aaah!”
She cried out in pain.
“Sarah! Uuu—”
“I said, don’t move! Don’t move!!!”
A sudden rush of water poured over the man’s head, dousing the flames. The Black Raincoat Guard approached from behind, twisting Sarah’s arm to restrain her again. With a gentle flick of his left hand, droplets of rain and street water swirled into life, forming serpentine streams that converged on Sarah, almost ready to wrap around her head and suffocate her.
The rain continued to pour down.
Sarah’s umbrella lay discarded nearby. The crowd gradually quieted down, and Daisy’s cries grew louder.
“Let us go! Otherwise, she dies…”
The Raincoat Guard held Sarah’s arm with one hand while pointing a finger at her head, threatening the approaching Green Robe Arbiter. Sarah, in too much pain to move, emitted weak moans that cut through the crowd and rain, reaching my ears clearly.
“Shameful traitor of the kingdom! Privately aiding the enemy and selling off the information of the garrison! Sir Neil, do you know how many lives you have destroyed? You still think you can just walk away?!”
Several Green Robe Arbiters moved through the crowd, still closing in on the two trapped individuals. One of them, seemingly the leader, stood ahead, gripping his sword tightly, aiming the tip at the opponent and shouting, “Release her and come back with me for questioning! Perhaps Her Majesty will spare your life after returning victorious.”
“Bullshit! If I fall into your hands, dying will be hard… Stop right there! Don’t come any closer!”
“Let her go!”
“Don’t move! Move again, and I’ll break her arm!”
“Step back! Step back!”
The situation became increasingly chaotic. More people tried to escape, quickly clearing a large area of the street. Despite their sharp words, the Green Robe Arbiters eventually stopped several meters in front of the two, too afraid to get any closer.
“Sir Neil, what you’re doing is pointless. Even if we don’t capture you, Kanel’s Sword will arrive soon… Don’t make any more foolish decisions.”
“Let me go, and worry about nothing else.”
The two dragged Sarah backward.
After the crowd dispersed, I finally arrived behind them, holding an umbrella, standing in the rain and watching them retreat step by step.
Don’t rush…
Wait until they show their weaknesses, and make sure not to hurt Sarah…
“You can’t leave anyone!”
“Sarah! Quickly save her!”
Daisy followed them, too scared to approach, and pleaded for help from the Green Robe Arbiters.
“Sir Neil! Do you want to involve all your family members?”
“If I die, they won’t survive either…”
“Her Majesty is merciful. Haven’t you realized this after what happened?”
“Hmph…”
“Sir, I’ll hold them off, you run first!”
They’re getting closer…
No one noticed me; wait just a bit longer…
There was no one around, and the guard holding Sarah was only a few steps away from me.
“Hey! There’s someone over there!”
Suddenly, a Green Robe Arbiter called out loudly.
“Child, get away from here!”
Damn…
They turned around…
The chance!
Bam—
In a moment, I leaped up, creating a gust that scattered the raindrops, splashing water from the street. I threw my umbrella upward, pressing down my hood, and with countless droplets, appeared behind the man in an instant.
Then, I kicked.
Everyone was taken by surprise.
Daisy, standing not far away, was still wiping her tears. The Green Robe Arbiters in front, their eyes fixed on where I had been, mouths and eyes widening. In front of me, the guard who had been threatening Sarah just turned around, water streaming down his face. It took about a second for his surprised expression to form. Beside him, Sir Neil hadn’t even reacted yet; his eyes hadn’t caught sight of me, but his face already showed the shock of the impact, his fat spreading out like waves.
Time seemed to slow down.
I quickly grabbed Sarah’s arm, lifting my right leg to strike like a heavy whip, cracking through countless motionless raindrops, accompanied by a howling wind, and struck the side of the Raincoat Guard’s waist.
Bang!
A dull sound.
The guard’s feet left the ground, his body flying like a cannonball.
“Aaaaah—!”
“Yaahhh—”
The wind spread rapidly from around me, two sharp screams piercing my ears. One came from Sir Neil, and the other from Sarah, whom I had pulled along. As the guard flew up, the water that had been hovering around her head scattered, drenching her. Sarah was terrified, her eyes closed, limbs flailing wildly, hitting me a few times, causing some pain.
I quickly whispered to her, “Sarah, don’t be afraid, it’s me…”
At the same time, I swiftly retracted my leg, turning to kick Sir Neil.
The second kick was much lighter, but it still sent the man named Neil flying several meters, sliding nearly a meter before stopping. His scream ended abruptly with this kick.
Pang! Splash…
The guard I had kicked crashed into a vendor selling grilled sausages, smashing the makeshift wooden shelter to pieces.
“Sa-Sarah—”
“Who are you?!”
“What do you want?!”
The Green Robe Guards who had reacted recovered, their swords gripped tighter, eyes filled with caution. Daisy was completely frightened, calling out to Sarah in fear, her face streaked with tears, completely stunned.
