The Empire's Witch (5.2K)

That was a newly developed weapon for slashing, made using microwave laser vibration. In fact, it had already been equipped and put into practical use in Shinjuku last time, but Suzaku Kururugi never had a chance to use it before being defeated by a single sword strike.

Now, the true power of this new weaponry has finally been revealed.

But at that moment, Suzaku Kururugi in the cockpit suddenly felt a chill creep up his spine, which made his scalp tingle.

Immediately afterwards, a deep voice quietly came from behind Lancelot--

"So, you also want to dance with me?"

Turning around, I saw Yotsuba Mahiro leap into the air, wielding the Demon-Slaying Holy Sword as it descended from the sky, slashing straight at Lancelot.

Perfect timing! We weren't quite done with dismantling a few Sutherland sites, and this guy just delivered himself right to our doorstep.

His seemingly ordinary jumping strike terrified Suzaku Kururugi.

His figure seemed to overlap with that of the man in black in Shinjuku who had slashed Lancelot earlier, startling Suzaku Kururugi so much that he quickly crossed his two red laser swords and raised them high in an attempt to block the attack.

But the result--

Swish!

The two laser longswords, which could slice through Sutherland like butter with a hot knife, couldn't even withstand a single blow and were cleaved in two!

The longsword didn't stop there; instead, it went straight for Lancelot's chest armor!

That's where Lancelot's cockpit is located, and to improve performance and coordination, the seventh-generation Knightmare doesn't have an ejection escape function at all.

Therefore, Lloyd learned from his previous experience and specifically reinforced and thickened his chest armor.

Faced with the incoming slash, Suzaku Kururugi dared not gamble. He immediately controlled Lancelot, crossed his arms in front of him, and activated the energy shields on his arms, forming two solid light shields.

"Wow, just what I was thinking of! Perfect timing, you should give it a try!"

Seeing Lancelot protected behind the shield, Mahiro did not back down at all. Instead, a more excited smile appeared on his face, and he increased the force of his slash.

Swish--

"How is that possible?!"

What happened next not only completely shocked Suzaku Kururugi, but even Lloyd was so shocked that his mouth gaped open, as if an egg could fit inside!

The steel-colored longsword easily cleaved through the energy shield, severing Lancelot's wrist in the process!

And it left a translucent slash mark on the chest armor!

This sword strike cleaved straight through the driver's cab, revealing the Suzaku Kururugi hidden inside!

However, after landing, Mahiro did not end there. He reached out and grabbed Lancelot's foot armor, squeezing it hard until his fingertips embedded themselves in the armor, which could even withstand armor-piercing bullets.

With a sudden burst of force, to everyone's astonishment, Lancelot, weighing 6.8 tons, was flung away, crashing into the side wall of the stadium and once again buried in the rubble.

This pitiful state was practically a replica of the scene in Shinjuku.

"Trash should look like trash, you know?"

Mahiro dusted off his hands, then looked at the last Sutherland and said:

"So, are you going to roll yourself out of there, or should I personally help you roll out?"

"..."

After a moment of silence, Sutherland's hatch opened automatically.

The knight inside, Kewell Soresi, voluntarily dismounted from the mech and confessed his crimes.

Even Jeremiah Gottwald, who was being protected behind her, did the same, emerging from her mech and kneeling on one knee towards Euphemia.

"Your Highness Euphemia li Britannia, we... we deserve to Ten Thousand Deaths!"

Euphemia li Britannia ignored them, instead displaying the dignity befitting a princess. She walked step by step towards Mahiro, and upon reaching him, gently lifted the sides of her skirt and bowed, saying:

"Thank you for your help earlier, Mr. Mahiro."

"You're welcome, it was just a simple act of bravery."

Mahiro waved his hand dismissively.

Euphemia li Britannia's gaze, however, fell on the Demon-Slaying Holy Sword in his hand, and she asked softly:

"Um, teacher, she... I think it's Est? It's been so long!"

Euphemia li Britannia's tone was filled with nostalgia, and a hint of reminiscence appeared in her eyes.

She knew of Est's existence, or rather, she not only knew of Est, but also remembered the blonde woman named Alpha who often followed Mahiro in the Aries Palace.

When she was little, her favorite thing to do was to cling to Alpha because she smelled wonderful and her embrace was warm.

Then I held Est and played with her...

But I don't miss you.

A melodious voice emanated from the sword, and then the Demon-Slaying Holy Sword transformed into a beam of white light, gradually taking the shape of a little girl and appearing beside Mahiro.

Her small hands gripped Mahiro's sleeve tightly, and she peeked out from behind him, watching Euphemia li Britannia warily.

I don't want to see you at all.

Est repeated and emphasized her words, then looked up at Mahiro and said:

"Mahiro, I'm sleepy, I'm going back to sleep."

"Okay, go ahead."

After he gave his permission, Est transformed into a beam of white light and returned to the inscription on the back of her hand.

It seems that due to the nature of this world, Est cannot stay outside of this world for too long, especially when she transforms into a sword form, which requires even more divine power. Therefore, she often needs to sleep in the imprint to conserve her energy.

As for why Est didn't want to see Euphemia...

Naturally, it was because Euphemia li Britannia always pestered Est to play, while Est herself was the kind of child who preferred quiet.

Over time, this led Est to frequently avoid this cute pink-haired girl.

Euphemia li Britannia now understood this as well, and thinking of her childhood, she laughed somewhat embarrassedly.

"Alright, now it's your turn to work, Euphemia li Britannia. I'll be going now."

"Teacher, are you leaving already?" Euphemia li Britannia asked with some reluctance. "... Will we be able to see each other again?"

"Of course, I work at the Ashford Academy in the concession, I'm not going anywhere else... But, there's something I want to say to you."

Mahiro paused slightly, his smile turning serious as he spoke to Euphemia li Britannia:

"Euphemia li Britannia, you really shouldn't have come."

"I know, my elder sister said the same thing..."

No, you don't know.

Mahiro interrupted Euphemia li Britannia, saying, "Area 11 is currently a huge vortex of conflict. If you accidentally step into it, you could very well lose your life."

"Like my brother Clovis?"

"No, it might be even worse," Mahiro said half-jokingly. "You'll understand later, Euphemia li Britannia."

After saying that, Mahiro turned and left with a flourish, but as he brushed past Jeremiah Gottwald, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Oh, by the way, there's something I'd like to say to you, Lord Jeremiah Gottwald."

"Yes, I am all ears."

Jeremiah Gottwald, kneeling on the ground, lowered his head even further, looking as if he were waiting to be taught a lesson.

Mahiro bent down and whispered in his ear:

"Orange may not be a disgrace to you; it may even be a testament to your loyalty."

Upon hearing the word "Orange," Jeremiah Gottwald instinctively wanted to object, but upon hearing him say it this way, Jeremiah Gottwald's eyes widened slightly.

What's the meaning?

In the name of my loyalty?

Just as Jeremiah Gottwald looked up, wanting to ask more questions, Yotsuba Mahiro's figure had already disappeared into the abandoned stadium.

Chapter 256 The Empire's Witch (5.2K)

As twilight descends and night falls beneath the vast sky.

As the Britannia national anthem played, a large military transport plane slowly landed at a military airfield in Area 11. The Area 11 defense troops, led by their officers, stood at attention on both sides of the runway, awaiting inspection by the newcomers.

This time, the one who has descended upon Area 11 is none other than Cornelia Li Britannia, the second princess of Britannia, known as the Witch of the Empire!

"Your Highness!"

Euphemia, dressed in a pure white princess gown, walked in the center of the crowd, waiting for her sister's arrival.

But beside Euphemia stood a woman with the air of authority of a teacher, who adjusted her old glasses and looked serious.

This is a woman whose appearance clearly indicates she is an old-fashioned person. She is also the mother of Euphemia and Cornelia. After Mahiro left Britannia, she found a retainer and etiquette teacher for Euphemia.

In truth, Euphemia li Britannia didn't like this woman, but being kind-hearted, she considered her mother's feelings and therefore didn't say anything, only smiling gently.

The soldiers lining both sides of the road saluted respectfully after Euphemia passed by, their eyes fixed straight ahead. These were elite troops from Area 11, there to welcome Cornelia and to protect Euphemia.

Military personnel are generally very punctual, unlike civilian airlines. They didn't have to wait long, and under Euphemia's watchful eye, the transport plane landed safely amidst a roar.

As the transport plane's hatch opened, a Valkyrie, dressed in a magnificent robe and draped in a royal cloak, stepped out with a solemn expression.

Compared to the fancy but impractical passenger planes favored by politicians, Cornelia preferred this simple transport plane with a strong battlefield feel.

Whether it was Cornelia's personal guards or the original garrison of Area 11, under the princess's sharp gaze, everyone was sweating profusely, trying their best to stand tall and straight, as if waiting for a military parade.

Having observed battlefields up close since childhood and participated in wars after graduating from military academy, Cornelia, who has experienced countless battles, is more terrifying than those veterans in terms of her majesty, imposing presence, and even the murderous aura emanating from her.

The phrase "battle-hardened" is the most apt description.

Like a fierce lion, powerful, ruthless, and full of boundless majesty.

Those pampered young soldiers who had been stationed in the Area 11 Concession for years didn't even have the courage to look this witch in the eye.

"I heard, Euphemia... don't go too far."

This witch of the empire, a veritable queen, began her reprimand of Euphemia with her very first words after disembarking from the plane.

Although it was a reprimand, Cornelia's sharp gaze, which had swept over everyone, softened the moment it landed on her younger sister Euphemia.

Unlike the gentle Euphemia li Britannia, Cornelia is more heroic and ruthless, with long, wavy purple hair that radiates a mysterious glow under the spotlight.

Her eyes were a darker color than Euphemia li Britannia's, carrying a strong, sharp edge that made people afraid to look directly at her.

However, the gentleness he displayed at that moment created a stark contrast for the officers present.

That battlefield goddess, who had ravaged the battlefield and never suffered a defeat, a veritable bloodthirsty witch, was actually showing such a gentle smile?

"I'm so sorry, Your Highness."

Euphemia lowered her head slightly. Although her escape had only lasted for an afternoon, it had already caused quite a stir in the Governor's Mansion of Area 11.

"But..."

"In this setting, you should address me as Governor, or Vice Governor Euphemia. Precisely because we are sisters, we must draw a clear line here."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Even when she was interrupted, Euphemia li Britannia did not argue. She knew her older sister's personality well and simply bowed her head respectfully in response.

Seeing Euphemia li Britannia's reaction, Cornelia's lips curled up slightly, revealing a gentle smile.

He turned to look at the officials from the Governor's Office of the Area 11 who had come to greet him.

"How are the measures being implemented going?"

One of the officials in charge closed his eyes, bowed his head, and respectfully addressed Cornelia, saying, "In the administrative hall, we have already prepared the ceremony to welcome Her Highness the Princess. All we need to do is..."

"Idiot!"

Click!

Cornelia Adam immediately drew his pistol and pointed it at the official who had come to greet him, the governor's chief of staff.

Upon seeing this, the man panicked and instinctively took a step back. Although cold sweat streamed down his face and his body trembled, he still forced a smile as he looked at Cornelia, not daring to offer the slightest resistance.