Chapter 57

The admiral infused magical power into his hand gripping the sword.

The moment Cheshire witnessed it, a hint of confusion and something ominous pierced her senses.

It wasn’t about the sword itself.

It was the hand holding it that was packed with magical power.

Why?

To engage in close combat, it was natural to use a concentration of magical power linked to a weapon.

However, unlike just moments ago in battle, the sword the admiral was holding now was devoid of magical energy.

Just as she began to ponder that fact…

Thud!

The admiral plunged the sword into the ground.

In the atmosphere that clearly did not suggest surrender…

That woman radiated an entirely different sort of…

Somewhat alarming aura.

“What… what is that? What on earth is she trying to do?!…”

“Is it possible…?”

The perplexing situation of the warrior laying down the sword and gathering magical power in both hands unfolded.

Then.

Around the admiral’s hands…

A vivid magic circle began to materialize.

It was nothing like the simple, crude concentrations used by previous warriors.

This circle was filled with intricate and sophisticated formulas.

At that moment, a singular thought flashed through Dust’s mind.

“Ma… Magician?”

“Yes?”

At Dust’s words, Cheshire felt a moment of ‘bewilderment’.

The admiral possessed combat prowess that was superior to her own.

Hearing someone like that described as a magician was utterly unbelievable.

Yet, even Cheshire could clearly see the magic circle.

In contrast to the time when it simply revolved like a waterwheel, now it was activating an incomprehensibly complicated circuitry within the magic circle.

Cheshire could not deny it.

As per Dust’s words, that woman was indeed a magician…

A magician with monstrous skills that, at the very least, matched an advanced warrior in close combat!

Crackle! Crackle!

Meanwhile, sharp sounds erupted as the magic was activated.

A degree of pressure began to envelop the area, contrasting starkly with the concentration used moments ago.

However, neither of them—especially Dust—felt particularly concerned as she began to unfold her aura.

“I don’t know what it is, but let it fly if it dares! No matter how grand the magic comes, I’ll block it all!”

Dust created a defensive barrier around Cheshire.

Though the aura was much less effective against physical forces like guns or cannons compared to a magical barrier, conversely, the aura’s shield possessed nearly peak-level defense against ‘magic.’

This was due to the property of the aura that nullified magical power.

Magic based on magical energy could be easily dispelled before an aura, much like a pencil drawing before an eraser.

This was why those who used magic could rarely stand against holy knights or clerics.

Moreover, Dust held power equivalent to that of a saint due to her priestly status.

As long as she held her aura barrier, no ordinary magic could even lay so much as a hair on her.

Thinking that no matter how powerful the incoming magic was, there would be no problem, a sly smile crept onto Dust’s face.

Meanwhile.

The admiral, observing her, also bore a smile…

A chilling smile that held a sense of coldness.

As the magical energy flowed from both hands and extended toward some ‘outcome’ through the magic circle…

The unsettling power, now beginning to turn black, was firmly grasped by the admiral.

Slowly…

She began to overlap her hands above and below.

“!”

A sudden, chilling sensation washed over.

Even with the aura barrier in place, it struck her unmistakably.

At the same time, a single thought raced through Cheshire’s mind…

I have to block it.

Don’t let your guard down just because you’re behind the aura.

I must take his head now!

Drawn by that instinctual feeling,

Cheshire attempted to breach the aura barrier and strike.

In that moment, the admiral’s two hands connected completely…

“Don’t move!”

“!”

Cheshire froze in surprise at Dust’s voice.

And then.

Crack!!!!!

“!!”

The sight before her split in an instant.

As if a stone had struck glass directly.

It felt as though someone had shattered her eyes…

To be precise, the translucent barrier surrounding her and Dust was cracking, nearly breaking apart.

And then.

“Cough!”

“!! Dust!”

Dust staggered back, spitting blood as a surge of shock hit her.

Cheshire rushed to support her in the wake of the backlash caused by forcibly suppressing the intense shock.

“Cough! Wh-what… it should have been blocked by the aura…”

Her expression showcased disbelief, as she grimaced.

The barrier, which had never disappointed her until now.

But that magic from the admiral had nearly shattered the aura’s wall in an instant.

A situation that should have been impossible unless there was at least a two or three-tier difference in capability.

That said, it didn’t mean Dust was weak.

The aura she had just displayed would at least be on par with an advanced warrior.

To shatter it so effortlessly, that woman’s power…

Could be reasonably assumed to be equivalent to a grand magician’s level.

“That’s unfortunate, I should have exerted a bit more force. Well… the purpose was achieved, but I suppose winning in one go isn’t that easy?”

Saying that, the admiral drew the sword she had previously embedded in the ground.

Seeing her once again utilizing concentration, it seemed there was indeed a burden in rapidly using the same magic as before.

In reality, the intensity of the concentration was noticeably weakened compared to just before.

However… that was only slightly diminished from earlier; it still retained enough power, causing Cheshire to firmly grip her axe again.

Unlike earlier,

Now feeling a clear emotion…

“Cough! Cough!”

Dust was sprawled on the ground, weakly spitting blood.

In a situation where she had absorbed the incoming attack intended for her,

Cheshire experienced something she had never forged before,

A distinct feeling of ‘rage.’

“That’s one down. Next is your turn.”

“I will kill you.”

With killing intent radiating, both resumed their combat preparation.

Determined not to let him escape this time, Cheshire began operating with maximum output of concentration.

With the thought of crushing that filthy human who dared to torment her friend in an instant.

At that moment.

“Wait, wait!”

“You lot! Stop this at once!”

Suddenly, voices burst in.

The navy of Benessa and the Blue Shark pirates had arrived in response to the commotion.

And with them, the entrance of General Garden caused those in combat to briefly pause.

“Ge… General!”

“Admiral! What on earth is going on here? You’ve taken the lead in wielding your sword instead of quelling the fight! Can you still call yourself a commander of the Kingdom of Frantz?!”

“Cough…”

General Garden spoke with a gruff voice while attempting to rectify the chaotic situation.

The soldiers of Benessa who were accompanying him also rushed to calm things down.

“Stand aside! I won’t stop until I’ve wiped those filthy snail bastards off the map!”

“Please, calm down! There’s a major battle against the Pirate King looming ahead, we can’t afford this kind of fighting here!”

“Those scum killed our comrades! Are you telling me to just watch that happen?!”

The pirates erupted in anger while the navy of Benessa tried desperately to stem the tide.

They were arguably the greatest victims in this matter, but nonetheless, due to their own chaos, restrictions were necessary.

With great effort, they managed to restore a semblance of calm inside the tavern.

Then, they began to hear from both sides.

With the relevant figures now present,

Those in the room shared the brief ‘fair’ account of the earlier events.

Except for one detail.

It remained unclear who had thrown the first punch.

Meanwhile, in the midst of this gradually resolving situation…

She…

The admiral silently observed, glaring at the two who had been intent on killing her since earlier.

One could clearly see that they were silently vowing, ‘I will repay this debt without fail someday, despite having to hold my tongue today.’

And those thoughts mirrored the feelings of the admiral herself.

‘Filthy pirates… Today, I’ll back off, but next time, I will definitely see to your end.’

As she gritted her teeth, the admiral left the tavern along with her subordinates.

Immediately following that,

General Garden, who had just stopped her moments ago, sighed heavily.

“Ugh… Just take it easy, would you? After an event like earlier, it would have been simpler to just sweep it under the rug, right? With that bumbling Commander causing me enough headaches, don’t add to them unnecessarily.”

“I… apologize…”

“From now on, please do be careful. If you get hurt, it’ll be all for naught. Remember, our enemy is the Pirate King, not a bunch of riffraff like them.”

The words of the ‘navy senior’ carried a blend of warning and concern.

And in response, she…

The admiral of the Kingdom of Frantz.

Napoleona replied in a frigid voice.

“Yes… I shall keep that in mind, General.”