'Alright, fuck it.'
Astaria's expression changed.
The Mana inside her body moved to her legs and she quickly jumped back.
She then glanced at Herms and after a little pause,
She appeared right next to him.
Herms barely defended against her attack. She was so fast that he didn't even get the time to adjust his Great Sword, in the end, he was forced to use the dagger to block Astaria's attack.
Herms quickly jumped back, he couldn't fight in that awkward position after all.
The man then glanced at Astaria and a smile appeared on his face,
"So you are finally going to fight for real, huh?"
He questioned.
"I gave you enough chances already.
The pain is your only option now."
Astaria smiled.
She wanted to push Herms a little further than this, however, in the end, Herms was the second strongest, and she couldn't hold back in front of a man like him.
She has already taken this battle a few hundred meters away from the main battlefield where the other soldiers fought. Now everything else depended on the soldiers.
If they managed to successfully use the diversion tactic, they should be far enough for this battle to not affect them.
Yes, even while fighting against the second strongest, she was thinking about things like these.
Of course, she couldn't continue this any longer.
"Heh. You seem to care a lot about those soldiers."
"Yours are useless, mine are not."
Astaria's answer was simple.
"Well, I won't deny that.
The soldiers I have are useless. You cannot expect much from a strange mix-up that has barely trained together as a single unit, after all."
"So now you are openly admitting it, huh."
Astaria smiled.
"I don't have a reason to hide, now do I?" Herms smiled as well.
"Say."
Suddenly, Astaria spoke.
"Hmm?"
Herms lowered his Great Sword as he glanced at Astaria.
He knew Astaria wouldn't use tactics like these to defeat him. If she started a conversation, she would not use it to get one over him.
She was too prideful to do something so embarrassing.
"Do you really think you can win?"
Astaria questioned.
"What do you mean?"
Herms questioned with a smile on his face.
"Don't act ignorant, Herms.
Answer my question,
Do you really think you can win this battle?"
"It's a 2v2, isn't it?
I think we have a fair shot at winning it."
"15 minutes."
"Hmm?"
"That's all I need to defeat you.
I can force you to run away within 15 minutes.
Then it would be 2v1.
Your son might not have the chance to run away, Herms."
Astaria warned.
"You seem pretty confident." Herms smiled.
"Are you denying it?
Do you really think you can defeat me?"
Astaria questioned with a serious look on her face.
"…"
Herms turned silent.
Astaria narrowed her eyes.
Something was wrong.
Just as she thought.
It was not just Roone.
There was no way Herms would act so boldly just because his son was an Emperor. He was a careful man. He was not someone who would rely on a simple 2v2 battle. Things would never be that simple.
Astaria knew it. However, she didn't have any way of finding out what Herms's real trump card was.
Therefore, she decided to have this little 'heart-to-heart' with Herms.
She wanted to know what he was hiding and since the War has already started and she couldn't do anything to stop it now, Herms didn't have any reason to hide it either.
And just like Astaria expected, a smile appeared on Herms's face.
"Defeating you is definitely not possible.
If I am alone that is."
Astaria didn't ask anything and prepared herself to face another Emperor.
A 3rd Emperor.
She was expecting something like this, but for this to actually be true…
Astaria didn't know how to react.
"Don't be on edge, Astaria. No one is coming." Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
Suddenly, Herms's laughed.
"What do you mean?"
Astaria questioned.
"Let me ask you a question, Astaria.
Can you defeat me and an Emperor who defeated Alcimus within 5 minutes at the same time?"
"Huh? What are yo-"
"Why do you think I am chatting here with you?"
Herms asked another question.
Astaria frowned.
"I was simply chatting with you to buy more time."
Astaria tilted her head in confusion.
Soon, she understood what Herms was talking about and quickly turned around to look at Alcimus and Roone.
"Astaria, what if my son kills Alcimus? What would you do then? Would you be able to defeat 2 Emperors alone?
The Emperor who was known as the strongest Emperor a few decades ago,
And an Emperor who can Kill another Emperor in under 5 minutes.
Astaria Skyfall, do you think you can defeat these two Emperors alone?"
"What… What in the hell is happening there?"
Astaria couldn't help but question as she glanced at the battlefield where Alcimus and Roone were fighting.
"The match was never fair to begin with.
This is what you call a rigged battle."
Herms smiled with a proud look on his face.
"Khookkhhh!!"
Alcimus was kicked and was forced to cough out blood.
*Step* *Step*
Roone walked in front of him.
He was wearing pure white colored armor and just like his armor, he had a white colored sword in his hand.
"W-W-What is that w-weapon…?"
Alcimus questioned with a fearful look on his face as he glanced at the man in front of him.
His sword, that has been with him for more than 2 centuries was now lying on the floor, broken. His armor that protected his chest was broken as well, the same was the case for his ribs as well.
He was being toyed around in this battle.
The man in front of him was not very strong.
However, no matter how much he tried, he couldn't hurt him at all.
This man's sword and armor...
The Armor he wore was unexpectedly sturdy.
Alcimus's sword was sliced into two pieces the moment it clashed with Roone's sword.
It was just ridiculous!
"Aren't you a little too weak for an Emperor Stage Cultivator?"
Roone who walked towards Alcimus with a leisurely look on his face spoke with a disdainful expression.