Chapter 63: Wildfire Ignition (Part One)
Two soldiers somersaulted through the air and crashed about four to five meters away with a “thud” and a “poof,” landing face-first into the snow, not even a peep escaping their lips as they passed out cold.
I tilted my head back and took a good look around.
Fluffy snowflakes danced in the wind, transforming the sky into a snowy curtain.
This seemed to be the edge of a forest. A few hundred meters away stood towering giant trees that looked like they reached the sky, while I was stuck in a flat, bare, snow-covered expanse.
The snow practically swallowed my feet.
Not far to my right loomed a decades-old watchtower, standing a good few meters tall. Its walls were in shambles, white paint peeling off to reveal massive bricks within.
At the top of the tower, a few guards in leather armor and cloaks stood firmly, with a black-haired man among them. But he was too far away for me to see his face.
But I knew, that was Lafael.
I shifted my gaze to below the tower.
Sharp pillars of ice, half a person’s height, formed a circle around the tower, their pointed tips shimmering in the twilight.
Outside this icy fortress, a staggering group of City Guards had amassed, surrounding the dilapidated tower. A rough estimate places their numbers at around five hundred.
Behind the City Guards stood Edward, the Golden Mask, Valar, and that commander dude from earlier. They had likely heard the ruckus and were all staring at me with wide eyes.
And then, they looked like they were ready to face an enemy.
Clang—
The commander drew his sword, Valar tightened his grip on his meat cleaver.
Edward’s eyes bulged as he trembled and pointed at me.
“You… you how… you…”
He was so startled, he could barely string two words together.
I ignored him and whimsically waved at Lafael at the top of the tower.
“Pepé!”
“Are you okay?”
I gave him an “OK” sign, but then remembered this world probably didn’t use that gesture, so I took a deep breath, cupped my hands around my mouth like a makeshift horn, and yelled, “Don’t come out—!”
Then I tacked on, “Wait for me!”
After shouting those two lines, I immediately shivered, clamped my legs together, and froze in place.
Perhaps shocked that I wasn’t poisoned or maybe frightened by my title as the Pope Knight, Edward and the others surrounding the tower didn’t budge, just staring at me with blank expressions.
After a long pause, I exhaled, feeling like I’d just run a marathon.
…That was close; it almost slipped out!
“Cough cough.”
I rubbed my sore throat with a hand.
My voice was especially delicate. Not only was it soft and gentle when I talked, even when I bellowed, I sounded soft and mushy. I wondered if Lafael could hear me… Oh well, time to take a bathroom break.
I was seriously about to burst!
I turned and headed in the opposite direction of the crowd, where a cluster of black tents stood out against the white snow.
Since I didn’t dare to run, I walked quickly. After a few steps, I heard Edward finally coming to his senses behind me. “d*mn Pope Knight… Lafael! Who are you scaring?!… What are you all standing there for? Capture her, she’s trying to escape!”
His voice sounded a bit frantic, and he peaked at a pitch that made my ears twitch.
Escape?
Only my mom would run!
So I shouted back without looking, “Don’t come any closer! I’m not running!”
But my feet were moving faster than before.
Whoosh whoosh—
The sound of arrows slicing through the air followed. I smirked and stepped to the side.
Two crossbow bolts slammed into the snow, splattering white powder onto my boots.
“Who shot those arrows?!… Valar, are you trying to get yourself killed?!”
“Your Highness, didn’t you tell us to catch her?”
“Why sh**t arrows while capturing her? Just go after her!”
“But I can’t take her on!”
“What is she doing?!”
“Not sure…”
“Let her go; she’s too dangerous.”
“She can’t leave! Chase her! No arrows, just go after her!”
Edward was becoming increasingly annoying. I kept moving, my heart racing as I thought, “Edward, I’m not leaving. Just wait, I’ll be right back to deal with you.”
Clearly, Edward wasn’t buying my words.
The chaotic footsteps grew closer, encroaching on my space. I took a deep breath.
Blocking a girl from going to the bathroom, are you all true gentlemen?
I was really about to lose it!
With frustration bubbling up, without looking back to check their numbers, I let a flash of blue light burst from my eyes, and a wave of ice mist erupted from beneath my feet, rushing back towards them.
Whoosh—
“Ah!!”
“I—I’m frozen! I can’t move…”
“It’s so cold…”
That finally halted the City Guards’ advance; nobody dared to follow me anymore.
I hurried to the first tent, tilting my head in thought, worried about being heard. After some hesitation, I decided to keep moving.
After almost a hundred meters, I stopped. Looking around, I saw no one. I darted behind a nearby tent and raised a hand.
Boom boom—
An ice wall sprang up, towering three meters high, wrapping me in snug protection.
Now, I felt safe.
Quickly peeling off my inner layer, I squatted down, letting the water rush out in a glorious stream.
…Ah, that’s refreshing!!
My mood soared as if I had been revived.
After a slight shiver, I pulled my pants back up, fixed my skirt, and jumped out from behind the ice wall.
Distant shouts echoed from the dilapidated tower. I frowned, and in the next second, my eyes blazed with blue light.
Boom—
Using the momentum from the ice pillar, my petite frame launched into the air, soaring a good ten meters. As I began to descend, ice platforms rose up beneath my feet, allowing me to leap again, soaring over the frozen City Guards amid their cries as I zipped toward the decrepit tower.
The wind howled by my ears, and with each ice platform I landed on, I felt like a bird soaring through the sky heading straight for the battlefield.
In the distance, the clashing of weapons echoed. At the foot of the tower, countless City Guards gripped their swords, desperately hacking at the ice spikes, but it was futile. Those standing behind were continuously firing crossbow bolts at the tower.
It was like a final struggle.
Voices rose up.
“Your Highness! Look! What’s that!”
“It’s that girl! She’s back!”
“Quick! Have the City Guards stop her!”
Boom!
I landed with a solid thud, sending snow and dirt flying half a meter into the air. I swung my left hand to smooth my windblown hair and raised my right hand like a claw, grasping at the air.
Taking a step forward.
Crack, crack.
A beautiful, misty white short scythe appeared in my hand.
The scythe gleamed an icy blue, crystal clear, less than half a meter long but radiating an aura that made one shiver. The frozen mist coiled around the scythe like a serpent, enveloping half my arm.
Thud, thud.
My little boots crunched against the hardened snow beneath me as I slowly made my way toward the tower, keeping a sharp eye on the crowd surrounding Edward, a smile curling at my lips.
“Edward. I told you I would come back to deal with you. Now, surrender, or I’ll have to take you down!”
Edward turned pale with fright, yelling, “Quick! Someone stop her!!”
“City Guards, listen up—”
Clang—
The hundreds of guards turned their weapons towards the girl amidst the swirling snow, grips tightening around their blades.
“Commander, she’s just a little girl…”
A voice of dissent arose within the ranks, but the commander bellowed, “Shut up!!”
Then, lifting his sword high, his gaze fixed on me with grim determination, he commanded, “Charge!”
“Ahhh!!”
Boom, boom, boom…
The ground trembled as snow flew in all directions.
Amidst the uproar of shouting and clashing, hundreds of City Guards surged forward like a raging tide toward me.
