Chapter 46

Four Against Four (Part 4)

With sluggish and tired steps, Ryle walked out of the storage building that had just been the setting for the battle to the death between herself and Yin of The Four War Maidens. Despite the pain and exhaustion her body was in, the blonde fighter still kept pushing forward, knowing that there were people that were counting on her.

At the moment, Ryle was very concerned over Arkay’s well-being. While the cat boy had still been alive before her battle with Yin, he was still pretty badly beaten up from the attack of two War Maidens and the electric shock he had used on Yin. If some soldier happened to come across him, he wouldn’t be able to do much in order to defend himself. The blonde fighter wanted to make sure that it wouldn’t come to that.

Just as she had taken her first step outside, Ryle heard a noise behind her and turned around. Seeing no one around, she considered the noise she had heard just her mind playing tricks on her and moved forward.

This turned out to be a mistake.

“I’VE GOT YOU NOW, YOU BASTARD!” a familiar voice screamed, causing Ryle to turn around.

The blonde fighter’s eyes went wide upon seeing Blair, one of The Four War Maidens she had defeated earlier, charging at her with a crazed look on her face and the remains of one of her swords held in her hand.

The canine woman was badly injured and bleeding from the beating Ryle had given her. One of her eyes was swollen shut, her face was covered in blood and bruises, along with the rest of her body, and her left arm was limply dangling at her side from being broken. Despite all of this, she still had enough energy to go for one last attack with her broken sword. While the weapon might have not been in the best condition, it was still more than enough to finish off an injured opponent.

Ryle, too tired and worn out from all the battles she had gone through, could only stare in shock as time seemed to slow down right before her eyes. She wouldn’t be able to defend herself in time to avoid the attack that was coming down, so she reflexively closed her eyes in anticipation of the oncoming pain.

However, the pain never came, which confused Ryle. She slowly opened her eyes to see Blair still standing before her, weapon raised up and ready to strike down. Something was different, though, as the crazed look on the canine woman’s face was now one of shock and she wasn’t staring at Ryle anymore. Instead, she slowly and painfully turned her head around to look behind her, where Arkay was now standing. The cat boy was holding the knife he had gotten from Lexton in his hands.

And the blade of the weapon was buried deep into Blair’s back.

image [https://i.ibb.co/P9GXgpb/Ch-46-Pic-1.jpg]

“Y-You little… bastard!” Blair cursed as she coughed up blood. “H-How dare you-!”

The canine woman never got to finish her threat, as Arkay activated the magical ability in his knife, causing electricity to surge through the blade and into Blair’s boy. She screamed in pain, until the magical attack stopped. She soon fell to the ground, now just a lifeless and charred corpse.

“...Woah, nice save, Arnie,” Ryle said with a smile as she began to make her way towards her young friend. “Maybe I should have you protect me instead.”

The blonde’s jokes stopped as she noticed how Arkay was acting. He was standing still with his hands trembling terribly. His grip on his knife was incredibly tight, like his life depended on the weapon. But the most noticeable thing about him was his face. The cat boy’s expression was one of wide-eyed terror and shock, as he stared at the bloodied blade he was holding. Tears were threatening to fall from his eyes.

Ryle knew what this was. Arkay was in shock from killing someone for the first time in his life. It had been the same for herself when she first killed someone. It might have been for self-defense, but the shock was still huge.

With gentle hands, Ryle took the knife out of Arkay’s hands and then turned his face to meet hers. The cat boy still had a pale and horrified expression, and his breath was shaky. Without saying anything, Ryle wrapped her arms around his small body and held him in a gentle embrace.

“I-I… I just… I had to-!” Arkay tried to speak but ended choking up on his words. “She was going to kill you… I-I had to kill her! Or else she-!”

“Shhh… It’s okay, Arnie. It’s okay. I know,” Ryle said in a soothing tone, which seemed to finally stop the cat boy’s trembling. “What you did wasn’t wrong. You saved my life. There’s nothing wrong with that. You did what you had to do and you did very well. I’m proud of you.”

Upon hearing such comforting words, tears began to fall down Arkay’s face. These were soon followed by quiet sobs, as he held onto Ryle and began to silently cry.

“I… I know I shouldn’t be like this… Not only did I need to stop her, but I already used magic to take control of that suit. I’m sure that a lot of people were hurt, if not killed,” Arkay said while sobbing. “But this… This time I felt it all. Her blood falling on my hands and the life leaving her body. It’s just… It’s just-!”

“I know, Arnie. I know. It was tough for me as well,” Ryle said gently. “But I’m afraid we can’t stay here like this. Erin and Lex still need our help and you might have to do something similar again, okay? We can’t afford to be picky about our methods now.”

Arkay gave a simple nod in response as he wiped away his tears. He took a deep breath to steel his resolve, before breaking their hug.

“You’re right… We still need to go and help those two,” the cat boy said with a determined look on his face. “I’m sorry for what I just did.”

“Oh, there’s nothing for you to be sorry about! Like I said, I know what you’re going through,” the blonde fighter said with a smile as she gently ruffled Arkay’s hair. “I’m just going to need you to be strong for me and the others right now, so we can all get out of here. You think you can do that?”

“Yes,” the cat boy replied without any hesitation.

“That’s the spirit!” Ryle said with a grin. “Now let’s go find those two! I bet they’ll be needing us to save their asses!”

With that, the two of them started to head towards the prison, hoping to find Lexton.

However, had they known what Erin was going through, they would have decided to go to her side first, before worrying about the kobold.

Back with Erin, right after Ryle had left, the redheaded woman was locked in a standstill with her opponent. Ray, the leader of The Four War Maidens, was far from an easy opponent for just about anyone to take, let alone someone with very little in terms of skills as Erin. She could tell just from their earlier clash that her strength, speed and skill were below her opponent’s. In all honesty, this was more like glorified suicide.

However, Erin wasn’t planning on actually defeating her opponent. What she hoped to do was hold her off long enough for Ryle to return with the others. Once all four of them were together, she was certain that they would be able to defeat Ray.

Or she hoped so at the very least.

Stolen novel; please report.

A determined look was on Erin’s face as she prepared to face off against the leader of The Four War Maidens. Said person, on the other hand, seemed to only be annoyed. She stared at Erin straight in the eyes and seemed to be getting angrier by the second, causing her grip to tighten on her halberd so much that blood started to drip from the palm of her hand.

“Hey hey now… What’s with that look, huh? Are you seriously thinking that you’re more than enough to take me on? Is that it?” Ray asked with her anger dripping from each and every word she uttered. “You gotta be shitting me here… You actually have the balls to think YOU are enough to take on ME!? WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, ASSHOLE!?”

“Someone with a plan that will see it through,” Erin answered with surprising calm, considering how anxious and stressed out she was feeling on the inside. “Now, come at me. Or do you wish to simply talk big all night long?”

Ray looked like she was about to go on another insane and anger-filled tirade, but stopped herself at the last second. Instead, a wide and wicked grin spread across her face, which sent chills down Erin’s spine.

“Hand on a moment… I think I see how it is now,” Ray said as she began to giggle a bit. “What you’re trying to do is simply buy time. Is that it? It is, isn’t it? You think your friends will come and actually save your ass at some point, right? So that’s how it is…”

“Even if it was, what about it?” Erin asked as a drop of nervous sweat rolled down the side of her face. “Let’s say that I am hoping to face off against you with my whole group in order to defeat you, why would you laugh? Do you think you’ll be able to take on all of us by yourself? I think you might be underestimating us a bit…”

“Me? Underestimate you?” Ray asked in mock surprise before laughing. “Oh you naive little shit… You’ve got it all wrong. I’m not underestimating anyone. It’s YOU who is overestimating yourself and your little friends!”

“What do you-”

Before Erin could finish her question, the War Maiden suddenly shot towards her like a bullet with her halberd held high. She managed to bring up her sword just in time to block the sideways slash aimed at her, but the blow was so powerful that it sent her flying backwards and hitting a wall behind her. Erin could only stare with utter shock at the person before her, who had just done this to her.

“Surprised? I guess you would be,” Ray said as she let out a giggle. “You probably thought that what you had seen so far was the best I could do. Well, sorry to say, but I’ve only been holding back for now, as I hate to end my fights too quick! But you should know that ever since The Four War Maidens were formed, I’ve been the boss simply because I was THE STRONGEST!”

Ray dashed again at Erin and began a storm of powerful blows with her halberd. Erin could barely keep up with the onslaught of attacks, as she was desperately doing all she could to block them. Some of the attacks managed to get past her guard just enough to draw blood. Even if it wasn’t much, these wounds still drew blood and were a clear indication over who had the upper hand over the other.

To make matters worse, Erin could tell that Ray was far from going all out. The redheaded girl was still holding back at least a little bit, most likely for the simple fact that she wanted to kill her enemy slowly and to enjoy every little bit of agony they were going through. Even worse, despite all of the attacks she had thrown at Erin, Ray didn’t look even a bit tired.

“What’s the matter!? Not feeling so good about yourself anymore, are you!?” Ray asked while cackling like a lunatic. “Did you really think it was going to be that easy!? That you were going to survive against me!? THINK AGAIN, STUPID!”

As Erin was getting pushed back by the flurry of strikes from Ray, she tried to desperately look for a chance to break out of the disadvantaged position she was in. Unfortunately, luck was not on her side, as she ended up tripping and falling to the floor while getting pushed back.

“AND NOW YOU’RE DONE!” Ray yelled gleefully, as she aimed her halberd to slice off one of Erin’s legs.

Luckily for the redheaded assassin, she was quick enough to avoid losing her leg, but the blade of the halberd still managed to leave a cut on the side of her right leg. Ray wasn’t about to let one missed swing of her trusty weapon to leave her without a prize, so she kept going after Erin’s legs with maniacal passion and insistence.

This chase across the floor continued for a moment, until Erin was able to swing her sword at Ray well enough to force her to block and take a step back. This small moment allowed her to get back up and take up a proper stance.

“Damn… You are a tenacious one, aren’t you?” Ray said with a small hint of frustration in her voice. “I was hoping to get at least one of your legs. That way I could have taken my time with the rest of your body.”

“You sick bastard… Do you think this a game!?” Erin yelled angrily while she was panting heavily. “The lives of people aren’t some toys to be used as you wish for whatever your twisted mind thinks of!”

“People say that, but it’s so much fun!” Ray said in a mock whine, like a spoiled child. “Besides, I’m a good girl who does all her chores dutifully. Can’t I play at least a bit and have some fun?”

“Why you sick monster!” Erin cursed.

“Oh, at least say something original! I’ve heard people call me that so many times that it has lost all meaning to me,” Ray said with a sigh. “Although, I doubt you’ll have much time to come up with anything all that original anyways. Just looking at you should tell us that you won’t be alive for much longer.”

Erin didn’t even need to take a look at herself to know what her opponent was talking about. She might have avoided having her legs sliced off in their last scuffle, but every attack thrown her way managed to leave at least some kind of a cut. Because of this, Erin’s legs were bleeding a lot, putting her in a bad place. Not only would her movements be hindered from all of her injuries, but the loss of blood was basically a timer. Unless she found a way to end this quickly, it would end up as the War Maiden’s victory.

“I still hope that you’re going to amuse me to at least some degree!” Ray suddenly yelled with a grin, as she charged towards Erin, her halberd held high. “I wanna play some more!”

Stepping out of the way of the downwards slash of the halberd allowed Erin to avoid taking the blow. The massive blade hit the floor where she had just been, causing debris to fly everywhere from the powerful attack.

Erin was about to use this opportunity to go for the offensive, but this proved to be a mistake. Ray was very skilled in handling her halberd, so after she finished executing one move, she almost seamlessly moved onto the next one. Th next attack came in the form of a sideways slash that Erin was able to intercept with her sword. Unfortunately, the defense she had put up was sloppy at best, so she ended up getting sent flying again, except this time with a lot more force. Erin’s back collided with a wall, leaving cracks on it and causing her to cough up blood. The redheaded assassin was certain that some of her bones were left cracked from the impact.

She didn’t have time to check if her assumption was correct, as Ray was soon upon her with the deadly blade of her halberd coming down. This time, the only thing Erin was able to avoid was getting cut in half, as a very deep cut was left on her side.

image [https://i.ibb.co/Pr0BsK3/Ch-46-Pic-2.jpg]

“I’d say that about does it,” Ray said smugly, as she took a relaxed stance with her weapon while watching Erin struggle on the floor. “You might not be dead yet, but it won’t take long until you’re at that stage. That cut is nothing to laugh at. That along with your other wounds are going to bleed you dry in a few minutes.”

“Really now?” Erin asked while gritting her teeth from the pain. She was pressing her hands down on the place where the wound was in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding. “If you’re so sure that all hope is lost for me, why don’t you come and finish me off? I’m certain your boss would be delighted to see you bring my head to him on a silver platter or something.”

“Well, I did think of that, but now I’m not so sure,” Ray replied as she was picking her nose with a bored look on her face. “The thing is that we are often told to try and bring people in alive, as we can then get valuable information from them. If you surrender now, I can quickly take you to the medical wing for treatment. They should be able to save you in time.”

“So I can live as a prisoner that’s getting tortured for the pleasure of your boss? No thanks,” the redheaded assassin said as she managed to stand up. “I’m pretty sure death is a much better option compared to that.”

“Maybe so, but there is always a small chance that thing for a lot better,” the War Maiden said. “I don’t mean to give you false hope, but if you’re good enough in the eyes of General Lune, he might actually not only spare your life, but he might even make you a part of his army. Look at me for example! I actually fought against him with my group at first, but now I’m one of his top fighters!”

“I’ve heard. Apparently, you used to serve someone who had high morals and was loved by the people,” Erin said. “How is it that you can serve scum like Lune now without any shame?”

“How? That’s easy! General Lune allows me to follow my dream!” Ray said excitedly. “Thanks to him, I have now become what I’ve always wanted to be! A great warrior in service of the greater good! Ever since I was a little child, I’ve wanted to become a hero of the battlefields! Now thanks to him, I have just become that!”

“A hero? You? Don’t make me laugh!” the redheaded assassin said in a disgusted voice. “The way I see it, you’re the furthest thing from a hero. All you are is a glorified murderer that takes enjoyment in the suffering of her victims! Is this what you really dreamed of all along?”

“Huh? Murderer? Me?” the War Maiden questioned. “No, that’s not right. For as long as I can remember, I have done my all to become a great honorable warrior, along with my friends. Like the day we all joined the-”

Ray suddenly cut herself off, as flashes of her past started appearing in her mind. She saw herself as an innocent young child, getting inspired by stories told to her by her parents. She remembered the talks she used to have with her friends, while they were all training to become warriors in the service of the lord of these lands. The pride she and her friends felt when they were accepted into his service. And that man was not Lune.

Suddenly, Ray’s mind was bombarded with images of her much more innocent past. Of the time she and her friends had actually been helping and protecting people. Back when violence wasn’t a fun hobby, but rather an unfortunate tool for the sake of the greater good.

But once these images of happier times appeared, they soon started to become twisted with flashed of blood and death. Of visions and memories that were the complete bastardization of everything they had stood for, even including the execution of the man they had been in service of.

And it was all due to Lune.

“This… I… No… I’m not… That’s not what happened!” Ray began to mutter to herself in an insane delirium. Her head started to feel like it would split open as two different images of herself appeared in her mind at the same time, almost as if fighting for dominance. “I’m not a killer! Not a murderer! I’M NOT THE VILLAIN!”

Erin could only stare at her opponent in shock, as she went through her mental breakdown. The redheaded assassin couldn’t have ever expected something like this to happen. She could only wonder if this would change the situation for better or the worse for her.

“I’M A GOOD PERSON! I’M A HERO! I SERVE MY LANDS LIKE A TRUE WARRIOR WOULD! I AM NOT THE BAD ONE!” Ray screamed at the top of her lungs, her mind unwilling to admit the truth about her.

After the War Maiden’s little outburst had ended, Erin watched as the redheaded girl was left panting heavily from ranting like a lunatic. Ray then took a deep breath before looking up at the redheaded assassin, who felt her blood freeze at the look she was given.

Ray’s eye was completely devoid of any humanity. It was like a corpse was staring right into her soul. The only thing that remained there was a calculative and ice cold desire to kill whatever was right before her sight.

“I’m going to make you pay for this,” Ray said in a cold and emotionless tone. “You will not die easily today.”

It was then that Erin received the answer to her question. This had definitely gone for the worse.