ficcloud.com [https://ficcloud.com/images/ficcloud.jpg]
The battle reignited with Edward protecting Xiu and eliminating any pirates daring to approach. Xiu, in turn, cast spells from a distance, disrupting the pirates' formation. Mengdie, with her blue and yellow auras, weaved through the pirates, taking advantage of Xiu's magical distraction to further diminish their numbers. Gradually, the passengers began to fight back, and the situation started to improve.
Suddenly, Mengdie remembered Nia amidst the chaos and called out.
"I'm fine, sister! Ahh—!!!"
Nia emerged from a nearby cabin, waving at Mengdie. But before she could react, a pirate chased her out, laughing maniacally at the sight of the young girl.
"You can't run from me, girl!"
Startled, Nia tried to flee, but the pirate grabbed her collar, lifting her off the ground.
"Die, brat! Tonight, I'll teach you a lesson..."
"Bang!"
Unexpectedly, Nia turned and delivered a precise elbow strike to his face. The pirate’s jaw dislocated from the impact, and he released Nia, howling in pain.
Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.
"Nice 'elbow strike'!" Mengdie shouted, delivering a similar blow to another pirate, and gave Nia a thumbs-up.
"Thanks to the practice!" Nia replied with a giggle.
"Hold on! This is no time for jokes! What do we do now? They've moved to the rear! We can't hold them off!"
Xiu noticed the problem first – the pirate ships had maneuvered behind them, preparing to encircle.
"Mengdie! What do we do?"
Edward, covered in blood, was visibly exhausted. Xiu was also tired, his spellcasting slowing down. Mengdie was drenched in sweat, her punches weakening. They needed to break out soon, or the situation would worsen.
But something felt off to Mengdie...
"They have a specific target?!"
Turning around, she saw more pirates targeting Edward and Xiu than the merchants.
In an instant, Mengdie understood. The attack from Viba, and now this – it was all to kill one person, and that person was...
"Edward! Jump into the lake!!!"
"What?!"
Confused, Edward didn't grasp Mengdie's command. But before he could respond, she kicked him into the water. As expected, the pirates jumped in after him, reducing the pressure on the ship.
Was Edward sacrificed to save the others?
"Xiu! Ice magic!!!"
Mengdie shouted, leaping from the deck towards the lake. Xiu, catching on, cast an ice spell on her right fist. As her fist hit the water, it froze, creating a small ice floe. Mengdie reached out her left hand to Edward, who grabbed it.
"Get up!"
She pulled him out of the water. Edward, understanding, jumped from the ice floe back onto the ship.
Edward was safe, but what about Mengdie? She had her own plan, but before she could act, a sharp pain hit her head as Edward pulled her back onto the deck by her hair.
"Don't pull my hair!!!"
Edward, worried Mengdie couldn't escape, had instinctively grabbed her hair to pull her to safety. Mengdie's plans crumbled under Edward's unexpected rescue, leaving her in pain.
"Ow... Ow... It hurts! Why did you pull my hair?! It really hurts!!!"
"I'm... I'm sorry! I'll be gentler next time..."
"There better not be a next time!!!"
"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!!!"
Mengdie, tears streaming from the pain, quickly broke the ice on her hand. She then focused on eliminating the remaining pirates on the ship.
Read more at: fⅰÇçlоūd▪çōm
ficcloud.com [https://ficcloud.com/images/ficcloud.jpg]