Chapter Ninety-Nine: Battle (Part One)
However, what Rect doesn’t know is that my control is actually more precise than he imagines.
Because this time, the Frost World isn’t targeting a horizontal range, but straight beneath me, at the riverbed.
Those chilly mists billowing above the river surface, the Ice Mist, are just the aftereffects of this destructive force—nothing more than an echo.
The real frost is directly bursting towards the riverbed—yet, even so, I’ve tried my best to minimize the power, covering just this little area right at the North City Water Gate entrance.
If it were any larger, I worry that Rect and his crew would’ve turned into ice sculptures by now.
“Ha—”
Standing on the river of ice as hard as stone, I exhale a breath, the blue glow in my eyes gradually fading.
Looking up, I shake off some ice shards that stuck to me, and as my gaze pierces through the slowly dissipating cold mist, I see figures subtly moving atop the towering walls.
Those Sword of Kanli folks seem to be peeking down at me. There’s no chaos or shouting, which means, as I suspected, that the power of the ice hasn’t truly reached them.
Seeing this scene, I let out a small sigh of relief—because to be honest, while I’m quite confident, this is indeed my first attempt at precisely controlling the release strength of the Frost World. To say I had a 100% guarantee of success would be lying.
To prevent the Choir of Saints from escaping, I made the snap decision to unleash the frost underwater. I think I’ve gradually stabilized my control over my own power. Phew, what a relief…
Just as expected…
My thoughts flickered by in an instant.
I glanced at my hand, nodding in satisfaction, before casually peeking beneath the ice. Well, at least the section of the river below my feet is completely frozen solid. If anyone were hiding down there, the result is obvious.
They won’t be able to run away.
Alright, this should wrap things up, right?
Bam—
With a Moon Step, the wind howled past my ears, the scene blurred in my sight, and in the next moment, the magnificent wall was just a short distance beneath me. I caught a glimpse of Rect and his crew’s stunned expressions, a mixture of confusion and astonishment as they looked up upon my arrival.
“Uh…”
I was about to say “that’s a wrap.”
But unexpectedly, nearly all of the Sword of Kanli members, upon seeing me land on the wall, instinctively took a step back with a collective “wow.”
Compared to before—when they didn’t care who I was—they now wore expressions filled with surprise, caution, and a bit of wariness.
This was a reflexive reaction after witnessing a power that was beyond imagination and could easily k*ll them.
My words got stuck in my throat.
Among these Sword of Kanli members, there weren’t any old-timers who knew me well.
It seems that in these past two or three years, under either Rect or Her Majesty the Queen’s call, the elite forces of the Royal City have added many new faces. These people don’t recognize me, don’t know who I am, and haven’t heard of anyone named Peilo.
The mysterious princess from the Empire, somewhat talented, but essentially a leisurely noble who likes to join the fun—that’s the impression these newcomers from the Sword of Kanli have of me.
They didn’t even see me use Moon Step on the ship; most of them arrived later as reinforcements.
I’ve somewhat scared them.
Though it wasn’t intentional, the atmosphere has indeed become a bit stifling.
“Um…”
I quickly changed my thoughts, brushing off the ice from my hat and clothes, then gave Rect an “OK” gesture: “Oops, looks like I’ve got it handled?”
Speaking casually, I tilted my hat slightly, just enough for Rect to see as I winked at him.
“……”
Rect’s mouth twitched.
He certainly wouldn’t retreat like those Sword of Kanli members, looking at me like I was a “monster,” but it was clear that he too was a bit shaken.
Things had happened too quickly in his eyes—from seeing a girl jump down without a word to the Ice Mist suddenly exploding, and the river freezing in less than a few seconds. He stood atop the wall, utterly clueless about what was happening below—just feeling cold, very cold.
Still wondering if he could clarify things once the mist cleared a little, he suddenly saw that small figure return.
Still dressed in that school uniform, wearing an ordinary sun hat, her face composed but with a hint of smugness, she said, “Done it!” and winked.
!?
Rect was left dumbfounded.
But hearing the girl say, “I originally directed towards the riverbed, and the collection was good. The frost spread faster than expected; maybe… could be… not completely effective? Just made the stone gate a bit sturdier, should be fine, right?”
She waved off her hand dismissively.
“In any case, let’s wait a bit. Once the mist clears more and it’s not so cold, we can go down to fetch them, right? Check if the Divine Reliquary is on them. They can’t escape…”
“Fetch them!?”
Rect finally came back to his senses. Hearing the girl’s words, he nearly choked: “How do you expect to fetch them!?”
His yell shifted everyone’s focus to him, easing some of their wariness towards me.
“Wait a second! Without a second thought, you freeze the North City Water Gate like this just to catch a few thieves? Now the entire canal is completely paralyzed!”
He pointed at the glistening river below with wide eyes: “Great, now all the boats inside can’t get out, and no boats from outside can get in. What’s the plan now? You explain that to them!”
His mouth ran like a machine g*n, “babbling” a barrage of complaints at me. Looking genuinely annoyed after the shock, he really seemed to be frustrated.
“Uh…”
But he was right; I couldn’t argue back. Feeling slightly embarrassed, I scratched my face, realizing I had indeed acted rashly, only thinking about not letting the Birdbeak Doctor get away, without considering the consequences…
What now?
Tsk, this is simple.
“Don’t worry.”
I jumped down from the wall, intending to pat Rect on the shoulder.
However, as my hand went up, I quickly realized the folly of that and instead opted for his arm: “Don’t be so dramatic! If I dared to freeze it, I’ve got a solution.”
“What solution?” Rect said grumpily, “Are you telling me you can unfreeze it…”
That was meant to be a joke, but in truth, he was spot-on.
Unfreezing wasn’t something I could do a while ago.
Now, I just need Infernal Fire.
“I know plenty of tricks.”
I said casually, seeing the crowd gradually relaxing. I didn’t offer further explanations.
Turning back, I hoped to check on the river surface, seeing how much the frost had dissipated and if there were any unexpected developments.
Just then—
Crack.
I heard a faint sound, as if the ice surface were cracking, echoing from far below.
That sound made the foot I just lifted freeze abruptly.
No way…
Just as that thought crossed my mind, a multitude of something tore through the air, a sharp whooshing sound approaching the wall at alarming speed, catching everyone off guard.
“Rect, watch out!”
I instinctively shouted, twisting my feet, reflexively ready to execute my Moon Step.
Yet, in my peripheral vision, I saw those Sword of Kanli members halt their steps mid-move. With a wave of their small hands, a massive and sturdy ice shield suddenly formed, blocking everyone’s path.
In the next moment, dozens of rushing currents, like high-pressure streams, slammed forcefully into the ice shield.
