-Susan's countenance turned ghostly pale, her breaths came in rapid, shallow bursts, and her mind began slipping from the harsh reality that surrounded her.
Each tear that welled up and trickled down her Scarlett Crimson eyes mirrored her mother's torment.
Her only protector, her guiding light after losing her beloved father, the man who had cherished her beyond measure, had departed this world.
He was the embodiment of cool, calm gestures and an allure of wisdom that had been her anchor.
Now, she faced the prospect of watching the only family she had left lose her head in a gruesome display right before her eyes.
Why, oh why, must she endure such agony?
For what reason must she bear this excruciating torment?
Why, in the cruel tides of fate, was she thrust into this nightmarish predicament once more? The haunting memory of her father's loss had carved a profound wound into the innocent heart of the ten-year-old Susan.
All those days she had carelessly taken for granted, those moments of pure joy and innocent laughter—how could they ever be reclaimed?
Why was tragedy, that merciless specter, revisiting her life, over a decade later, to rekindle her anguish?
Should she allow her beloved mother to be unjustly taken from her? No, Astéri Kimber Susan would not permit such an absurdity to come to pass.
If betrayal was to be the accusation, so be it. She was now resolved to defend her mother with all her might, even if it meant facing the entire might of the Empire's forces.
She would fight ruthlessly, unflinchingly, hurting, crushing, and even killing those who dared to threaten her family, regardless of their innocence.
For Astéri Kimber Susan bore within her the blood of Astéri Kimber Alexandra, the world's most powerful warrior, the very teacher of the gladiator - Decimus.
She had tapped into the power residing deep within her, a power she had learned from her father.
Though she had not mastered it entirely, through countless hours of struggle, she had managed to comprehend a significant portion of the formidable strength her father had imparted to her - a lasting legacy she would carry with her to her grave.
Scarlett magical energy radiated from Susan's figure as she summoned a golden gauntlet adorned with glistening magical stones.
The opportunity presented by Albert's crashing entry and subsequent chaos gave her the time to make a resolute decision.
She would defend, she would attack in defense, she would kill to protect, and she would stand against the Empire itself to safeguard those she held dear.
Especially for her mother, her friend Lilian, and her friend's brother, who were all in grave danger, Susan couldn't allow events to unfold as they might.
She assumed a defensive posture, ready to confront the Empire's betrayal, even if it meant facing her childhood friend, the cruel Roza Kingsmaid.
"I will not let you do as you please," Susan declared, finally breaking free from the chains of helplessness.
She had found her strength and resolve; she was no longer bound, for now, she had achieved freedom.
'Astéri Kimber Susan HAVE ATTAIN FREEDOM '
With each furious step, a storm of vengeance, a burning desire to protect, and an unyielding will to fight, Susan closed the distance between herself and the slender figure of the violet-haired girl.
Her punches carried an extraordinary strength, and even the slightest connection would render the fragile girl helpless.
Roza, who held the massive executioner's talwar, watched with caution as Susan approached.
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"Subdue her!" Roza commanded, and with calculated precision, she placed a metal collar with sharp spikes around Madam Scarlett's slender neck.
Madam Scarlett, lost in her own thoughts, seemed oblivious to the events unfolding around her.
Susan's relentless strength sent her opponents flying in all directions, causing Roza's breath to catch in her throat.
She recognized the formidable threat Susan posed, and her grip on the talwar tightened.
While Roza's original intention had not been to cause death, however if it would lead her to the location of the Labyrinth, she was prepared to kill.
"Do you really think I will let you get in my way just like that?" Roza hissed at Susan, who continued to punch through the ranks of guards with astonishing ease, making a seemingly impossible task look effortless.
The room was charged with an atmosphere of raw, unbridled power as Susan and Roza clashed in a fierce battle. Roza, her voice almost a whisper, muttered her resolve to protect her beloved master . She watched Susan's movements carefully, recognizing the fear, determination, and desire to protect as her own.
"Hi---yaah!" Susan's gauntlet vibrated with magical energy as she launched a rapid barrage of thunder-clad punches at Roza. Roza defended herself with the slight movements of her sword, but the sheer intensity of Susan's attacks took a toll on her slender wrist.
"--Khgrr," Roza grunted in pain.
"---Hyaaaa!" Susan, with increased agility, closed the distance again, and this time, one of her punches was about to connect when—
Whoosh! *Kaboom*
A massive explosion shattered the ceiling, its force tearing through the upper levels of the building.
It revealed a vast expanse of blue sky, which had returned after a heavy rain.
The once-elegant room was now a chaotic battleground, with debris and dust filling the air.
A gust of wind came from the other side of the room, hitting both Roza and Susan. However, Susan managed to land another strong punch just in time to cancel the impact. Roza, who was not capable of such a feat, was sent flying away, crashing into a wall of the room alongside her butler, Alphonse.
The attack, 'Heaven Shattering Swing,' unleashed by Albert, had been deflected upwards into the sky. Its might shattered the ceiling and sent the very roof of the building into disarray.
Susan, Albert, Roza, the guards, and several manservants and maids who had been bearing witness to this spectacle from the opened door of the room were hit by the after-effects of the attack.
It had been skillfully deflected by Alphonse, but the windy impact sent him crashing into a wall within the room.
▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣
"Impossible, such an absurd technique. I've never even heard of it from Master Decimus," Alphonse groaned as he retrieved his rapier. His hand trembled as he managed to stand.
Alphonse had skillfully deflected the attack, but breaking or nullifying it was beyond his abilities.
Had he let the attack continue along its locus, it would have shattered their bodies limb by limb, tissue by tissue. Alphonse's experience and instincts had guided his decision.
"Oopsie," Albert chimed in, closing one eye and running his fingers through his hair. "I forgot to hold back."
"You brat--kh-cough cough," Alphonse barely managed to stand, his hand trembling, his legs shaky as he struggled to regain his composure.
Then, his vision locked onto the young golden man, smiling from behind him, the sun's gleaming light casting a radiant halo around him. Alphonse felt his heart grow heavy, and a familiar image started forming in the recesses of his consciousness, connecting the threads of reality before him.
"Are you---are you Master Decimus's successor?" Alphonse questioned, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"What?----wait, wait, wait, the short answer is NO, but you can say I learned things from him--- he's kind of like a teacher to me," Albert replied, his fingers moving to scratch the side of his forehead, looking somewhat flustered.
"Hahahah---Hahahah---HahahahHahahahHahahahHahahah," Alphonse burst into unexpected laughter.
"No wonder why I felt this familiar feeling---so it's you," Alphonse exclaimed, recognition dawning in his eyes.
Roza, still on the wall side of the floor right behind Alphonse's shaky figure, seemed as though Alphonse's laughter had disturbed her slumber. Her eyelids opened with a shaky groan.
"--khg," she managed with great effort as she dragged herself to lean against the wall, taking support to sit on the floor.
"You bastards, don't think I am done with this," Roza spat out, her harsh words showing that her spirit was far from broken.
"My lady, this person, I can't defeat," Alphonse, the gray-haired old butler, turned his calm gaze towards Roza, a stark contrast to his earlier flustered demeanor.
"WHH khgrr--What do you mean?" Roza tried to burst into rage at Alphonse, but the pain that shot through her limbs and gut from the crash forced her to moan instead.
Roza's mind raced with frustration and desperation. Alphonse's words had shattered her confidence, and the gravity of her situation was sinking in. Her loyalty to Master Jean Cerberus and her determination to find the Labyrinth were unshaken. She couldn't let it end like this.
[No, there must be a way. I swore to obey Master Jean, and I attacked him for this cause. I can't let it all be in vain. I won't let it end like this. Master Jean... he will die if I fail.]
He will die! He will die! He will die! He will die! He will die!
He will die! He will die! He will die! He will die! He will die!
HE WILL DIE BECAUSE YOU ARE INCOMPETENT!
SHE COULDN'T EVEN PROTECT THE PERSON WHO LOVED HER!
ROZA's love is incomplete.
Incomplete, incomplete, incomplete, incomplete, incomplete.
Without Master Jean----
[No, no, NO---I know what I have to do.]
[She won't be able to! ]
[Can you really do it?] [ You even harmed my Master, my only Master.][Its all your fault] [you can't]
[Even after that, how can you prove yourself competent? Miss Roza.]
[What will you do?? ]
"YOU! Khgrrr, I will---"