Chapter 141

As the figure briefly left a flickering shadow on his retina, Manfred suddenly lost sight of Eileen. But following the sound of her landing, he saw the maid a few steps away, gathering Originium Arts, as if Manfred was about to launch an attack on the old man and perish together with him.

Manfred knew that the girl could do it; he had been involved in the process of her Originium Arts being activated, trained, and even used in actual combat... Although it was just a guess, like the Sarkaz's famous spatial illusion, Eileen's Originium Arts were related to time.

Although the Court's records state that Eileen's magical memos were merely an effect she created by adjusting her subjective time, seemingly affecting time, and could even be considered physical enhancement and modification rather than traditional time magic, in battle, someone with already considerable martial arts skills combined with unpredictable pseudo-time magic would be incredibly lethal... Manfred clearly could not ignore her.

Eileen seemed to be enraged by the old man's stubbornness. The maid, who had always been polite and had a calm voice, actually pointed a weapon at the bewildered old man.

"Nonsense! You said that only by living can His Highness's death have meaning. If you truly believed in the strength of our new ally, then you shouldn't have left like this!" Qi

"You probably didn't see... that... our 'Lord's' stance against the out-of-control blades... Just like she said, the Reunion Movement shouldn't only look at the Ursus the Infected... Her Highness's ideal! Those with ability don't oppress ordinary people, but become noble walls separating Catastrophes from the people—idealists who stand right before us now. Teacher, how could you desert your post?"

"You think it's over when you die?! No, this is just the beginning! His Highness and the Lord have reached an agreement. The Council is not without strong members, and Rhodes Island won't just watch Kazdel rot away! Manfred, you better remember this—!!"

Holding a magical artifact and also gathering spells, Manfred suspected that Eileen might be in a state of extreme anger... Rhodes Island's pharmaceutical factory was the Sarkaz's lifeline, and the head of Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals was a former enemy of the Sarkaz, but a close friend of the White Emperor... This was no secret among the higher-ups.

What does it matter whether he remembers or not...? It's really baffling.

However, Eileen reminded him that the girl's earnest nature meant she wouldn't lie in this state; Rhodes Island had someone capable of fighting off the out-of-control Ursus Blades... Although he didn't know how they did it, being able to do something like that meant their strength was indeed not to be underestimated.

After all, he himself had recently been chased around by the Inner Guards, and even released multiple Carrion Apostles to cover the retreat, only to have them all wiped out in the end.

Since Eileen has tracked him down here, it means that someone could arrive at any moment. Guilt.

'A swift victory is essential.'

Seeing Manfred deep in thought, Ah Fu's heart skipped a beat... As someone who knew Medic's plans to deal with the Inner Guards and served as their magical advisor, Alfred had long suspected that Medic would actively devour the Pollution gas and seal it away.

Whether it's to deal with the Black Snake or simply to eliminate the Pollution, based on Ah Fu's understanding of her 'master,' there's an 80% chance she'd do this... Excluding the 20% chance of death, and using the 'Inner Guards' who have acquired some Demons abilities as a reference, if excessive thought about her situation constitutes 'observation'—!!

"I, I, I, I, oh oh oh oh oh--!?")

At dawn, mist began to blanket the snow-capped mountains, and by the time one realized it, the mist was already tinged with black.

Accompanied by the distinctive voice of the Rhodes Island Squad's large cat, and a flash of black light overhead, a black-haired cat in a white cloak, swishing its Lupo -like tail, descended from the sky alongside two Feline and two other Sarkaz.

"Aha~! Look who I've found?! Manfred--!!"

As he spoke, a huge C4 was ejected. W, no longer static, let out a dynamic, maniacal laugh and, counting '3~', pressed the detonator in a frenzied manner that made people frown at his indiscriminate behavior, which showed no distinction between friend and foe.

As the bomb emitted a powerful surge of Originium Arts, dark blue vines shot up from the ground in front of Manfred, and a massive Carrion Apostles, saturated with the life force of the Ursus soldiers, instantly constructed a wall. Meanwhile, on the other side, earth and rocks also rose from the ground... Giants, similar in size to the Carrion Apostles, used its arms and body to protect Alfred.

Flash! Loud noise!

Eileen instinctively raised her weapon to block the impact, but there was no expected gale or vibration. The maid and Feline with heterochromia met each other's eyes... Without a word, Eileen choked back a couple of sobs and then immediately gripped her weapon, ready to join the battle. Meanwhile, Huang, who was at the forefront, had already pulled the chainsaw, completely unaware that Medic, that scoundrel, was flirting with his new sister again.

Well, even if she found out, it wouldn't matter. She's used to it... After all, who would dislike a super responsible, super serious, and super capable cat?

Even disregarding his possessiveness, simply becoming friends with Medic is fun and fulfilling enough!

But just as the Ice Giants and the Carrion Apostles were exchanging blows, making a sickeningly loud sound, and because the Stone Giants's fist was a hastily constructed one, it was not very sturdy and began to crack and fall apart... just when they needed support from others, Huang, who was in charge of the offensive in the team, suddenly turned pale and began to vomit.

"Ugh... Spatial teleportation... Is this a spell that makes you feel so miserable?"

"... That's why I said I wanted to find Sarkaz operators... The Sarkaz have extensive experience using spatial magic, and their adverse reactions to spacetime transfer are much better than those of ordinary people like us."

As he spoke, he nodded to Mudrock, and the protective suit, which was in a sense being 'driven' while holding a large hammer, also nodded in response.

While W was making silly noises around Manfred, saying, "Oh, Carrion Apostles ~ But it didn't work! How are you feeling now~" Mudrock ignored the noise of the two behemoths fighting and came to the side of the sighing Ah Fu:

"Sir, we should leave now. My friends will hold them off... You... please also abandon the idea of sacrificing yourself to protect others."

"... Give up... She's like this all along, yet you want me to give up?"

Seeing the conversation inexplicably turn to him, Medic twitched his cat ears and tilted his head:

"I never had any intention of self-sacrifice, Ah Fu... That's just wishful thinking on your part."

"... Don't you want to look at what you're saying?"

"If anyone has any questions about the criteria for judging the situation, problems, and actions, I can explain them later when there's time..."

As she spoke, the cat glanced at Manfred occasionally flashed between the two Giants:

"But for now, please have all relevant personnel leave the scene..."

The moment the last word was uttered, black-haired Feline wielded a black blade that shimmered like the starry sky and 'teleported' in front of Manfred... Fortunately, he had been trained by the Inner Guards to be quite adept at this kind of surprise attack recently, and the cat did not succeed in the first strike, but then immediately entered a dazzling close combat state.

"Hey! Medic, how am I supposed to use a bomb like this?!"

"Stop thinking about your bomb, come help take down this big guy!"

Hearing Huang's tense yet weak call, W clicked his tongue and immediately turned to support the other side... As a former member of the Babel, the ace of the Carrion Eaters army, always appearing at the end of the battlefield, how could W not recognize the sum of the life force of the fighting warriors?

Knowing how troublesome the Carrion Apostles were, she launched a fierce attack on Manfred right from the start... However, with the spellcasting unit provided by the committee, the shield constructed by that thing could also benefit from the life force bonus, and W's several explosions failed to achieve any results.

Seeing Medic stuck to the other side, and having witnessed how the Black Cat toyed with the Inner Guards, W wasn't worried about whether she would lose to Manfred. Instead, she turned around to help Huang deal with the Carrion Apostles.

Meanwhile, after Mudrock picked up Ah Fu and threw him to Eileen, the Sarkaz warrior wielding a warhammer took heavy steps like a chariot, catching the slash from what appeared to be vines but was actually a weapon constructed with the life force of corpse bones and Witchcraft.

The black shield shattered with a crack, illuminated by the ribbons of the warhammer, but in that instant, Huang raised his chainsaw and aimed it at the heart of the giant before him, stabbing it in.

The D32 Steel saw blade chain collided with the flesh-and-blood magic, producing bright sparks. Huang knew that this was proof that her weapon was inferior to the opponent's and was being rapidly depleted... but she didn't believe that the opponent's invulnerability came without a price!

A surge of heat emanated from the Rhodes Island giant cat, the working saw blade seemingly engulfed in flames. Amidst the tense, clenched teeth of the giant, the long-handled chainsaw slowly but steadily began to cut into the Giants's chest.

"Danger!"

Clearly, the other side would not sit idly by and wait to die. Although it is hard to say whether the Carrion Apostles have the concept of vital points, as combat units, they still retain some biological feedback that 'they are being attacked'.

Even with an even greater threat in front of it, it concluded that the small thing beneath its weapons, which was merely a distraction, was the most dangerous.

First, it pressed down on the weapon with even greater force, but the black shield below only developed more cracks without causing any damage. The Carrion Apostles decided to go for something ruthless... It gripped the Witchcraft constructed weapon with both hands again, preparing for a full-force slash.

But this naturally ignores the stone Giants beside them and W behind them.

With a powerful punch imbued with the icy aura of Sami, the Carrion Apostles staggered, and the subsequent explosion behind it propelled it forward... This sudden increase in pressure almost crushed Huang, but then the chainsaw, which began to 'dig' outwards from the flesh, penetrated deeper into the 'structural layer'. The enormous Carrion Apostles hurriedly waved its hand, trying to stop Huang from continuing its attack deeper.

But the enormous palm was firmly blocked by the Mudrock. It was a force that could send an ordinary person flying into the mountains, yet it couldn't even make the opponent move.

This also prompted Manfred occasionally paid attention to the battlefield of creation, to exclaim in surprise:

"The Child of Earth and Stone?!"

"Do you still have time to look over there?"

A flash of silver light streaked across the sky, but this time the light wasn't the blade against the night sky; it was the cold iron forged and polished by humankind... An ICA standard pistol rested on the wrist holding the knife, and the final shot was the Medic's characteristically steady and accurate fire.

'Bang bang bang!'

Three precise shots hit the same spot, and the flying shrapnel, amplified by black magic, easily pierced Manfred's reliance on his seemingly effortless movements in Ursus... The magical barrier, crafted with the Court technology, shattered instantly. Manfred stared in disbelief at the seemingly unremarkable Rhodes Island black-haired Feline before him, a figure whose features he couldn't even describe in his memory.

"This is... capable of withstanding naval gunfire..."

Without offering any explanation, the Night-Sky Blade in his left hand blocked Manfred's melee position, while the sights of his silver pistol in his right hand were aimed at Manfred's forehead... In the dim light, the young Sarkaz officer seemed to see Halo and Light Wings flickering on Feline's body before him... He knew that the other was about to fire.

But with a sigh, Medic, whose finger was already on the trigger, stopped... It was Alfred.

Sarkaz, who was being supported by Eileen and seemed to have aged ten years in an instant, stopped Medic's actions.

"Let's stop here... If we really kill him, things will spiral out of control... Please spare his life, my lord..."

PS: This is the update from the 19th.

PS2: Meow Meow Cat

4th Crimson Warm Winter: 150 Guides, Little Typhon

Hearing the old man address Feline, Manfred's pupils dilated even more violently than when his own magical artifact's shield was broken. Because... this old man had never pledged allegiance to any monarch.

The last person to be addressed as 'lord' was Princess Theresa.

Of course, Medic sensed the Sarkaz's unspoken agreement on these subtle details of address, but she didn't think it mattered... The cat simply maintained a posture ready to attack at any moment, its eyes fixed on its target, never leaving it:

"... This person is dangerous. That shield can even withstand the artillery fire of Exploration Vehicle... The Sarkaz Witchcraft are also unaffected by the snowy mountain environment... If we let him roam freely, anyone who gets caught will be in danger."

"But... if we kill him, the next one might be the Sanguinarch ... He is the Regent's most trusted representative of the new generation of officers... and the new generation of Sarkaz on whom His Highness places high hopes... Let them live, let them hold power, only then do we have hope... my lord."

As Ah Fu gave his explanation, which could only be understood by those with relevant intelligence, Huang, covered in blood and with even exposed skin stained with the blood of the enemy, knelt down, panting... The Carrion Apostles, who had previously held his own against three opponents, was now being stabbed through the chest and back by W's control.

As W gritted her teeth and called out, Medic also noticed that something was wrong with Blaze.

"Although I really want to kill him, the old man is right. Your big cat seems to have been infected with the Pollution influence... How about letting that stinking idiot be cured and then letting him go?"

W's words surprised Mudrock greatly. This girl, who rarely spoke and always hid in her protective suit, even turned her head, which showed how surprising it was that this crazy girl, W, wasn't acting crazy.

After confirming that Huang's condition was not right, Medic flicked his wrist, tossing the night-sky-colored blade to Huang's side. A green light of healing magic shone from the cat's palm, enveloping Huang's entire body in healing magic. At the same time, Medic, still pointing his gun at Manfred, made his decision.

"You can leave now..."

"Go... you'll let me go? But I'll still chase after them... it's my mission."

In response to Manfred's seemingly probing attack, Medic shattered the already overloaded Sarkaz spellcasting unit with a single shot.

As the red curse counteracted the opponent's body, causing him to let out a muffled groan, Medic sheathed her pistol under her skirt... Although the man was still putting on a brave front, from the perspective of the spell's structure, he could no longer summon the kind of creature that overwhelmed everyone.

Without that Carrion Apostles, Manfred was no threat to Medic.

However, Medic's emotional intelligence didn't allow her to say something like, "You're not a threat to us." So, she chose a very commercial approach:

"Rhodes Island poses no threat to the lives of its partners... The recent conflict was merely a difference of opinion regarding the handling of some minor matters... His Excellency the Regent will understand."

"... I hope you'll remain this composed when you see the Court King, who will take over my duties from the committee."

With a labored cough, Manfred pointed in Huang's direction, and the curse constructed from the life force of the Ursus soldiers immediately ceased to take effect. The scattered life force even caused some plants constructed purely by magic to sprout on the snow-covered mountaintop.

But soon, Medic used that life force to treat Huang and others.

Although W and Mudrock didn't say it, Mudrock's wrists and leg joints were damaged in the battle, while W had eardrums and hearing problems... Her hearing had been severely impaired due to the repeated close-range detonation of her bombs.

This is why people always find W noisy when she speaks... She's not sensitive to sounds in her surroundings, so she unconsciously raises her voice when she speaks.

On the contrary, Ah Fu and Eileen, who were the first to start the fight and were caught up in it, seemed to have never been attacked by each other. Eileen and Ah Fu's expressions already answered this question.

Is it someone I know?

That solves the problem.

Although Medic kills far more acquaintances than strangers, killers' views on life and death have always been rather unusual... This will not be discussed here.

After watching the Sarkaz officer's figure disappear down the mountain path and seeing Manfred off, Medic and the others began to glare at Ah Fu... Even the well-informed, thick-skinned, and cunning Sarkaz, seeing everyone staring at him, couldn't help but raise his hands in surrender:

"You have thwarted my plans to join the committee... Destroying the Court symbol is tantamount to a declaration of war for the old guard on the committee, but the Regent will understand. However... this means there will still be those who covet His Highness's followers... I'm afraid everyone's days in Kazdel won't be easy."

"... You can help them after they've settled down."

With this simple suggestion, Medic opened his watch, pressed the communication button, and a brief "Ah Fu is safe, the Sarkaz pursuers have been dealt with" elicited cheers from everyone in the Exploration Vehicle.

Just as Huang, Mudrock, and even W were starting to smile, thinking everything was completely settled, Killer Cat suddenly pricked up its ears and raised its gun in one direction:

"Come out."

"... Sorry, you seemed to be busy just now..."

With a voice no one had ever heard before, purple hair swayed in the mountain wind, and a Sarkaz girl dressed as a hunter, carrying a massive black bow that seemed completely disproportionate to her size, peeked out from the end of the road.

She looked around for a while, then fixed her gaze on Huang and Medic. After pondering for a long time, she asked them, "Seven..."

"...Um, Alki asked me to...lead the way."

Maybe it was because she was shy, or maybe the strong wind in the mountains obscured the girl's voice. The weak Sakaz girl swung her tail uneasily, waiting for a response... Although Huang had just been beaten so hard that she vomited blood and was poisoned, those minor injuries did not affect the big cat's thinking ability. She clapped her hands instantly and reacted:

"Oh! You're the... guide the Patriot mentioned?!" Lin

Although they reacted quickly at first, Huang's voice grew softer and softer... because as the girl approached uneasily, everyone realized that the newcomer was surprisingly young... judging from her appearance and the condition of her limbs, she was probably only sixteen or seventeen years old.

There's nothing wrong with someone of that age acting as a guide, but the fact that Patriot asked for help and a minor showed up makes it hard for Huang to think the wrong thing... like this Sarkaz girl is actually a Wendigo's blood relative or something.

Of course, Huang might have been hit on the head during the battle and was a little disoriented, but Medic still clearly heard that it was 'Alki' who called her.

"Alki... are you a friend of Patriot?"

"... Patriot?"

"Chorbokashti." skirt

"Ah! Hmm!" (Chat)

The purple-haired girl nodded as if suddenly understanding, then gestured with her fingers above her head:

"It's... a grandfather with these antlers... Alki said he wanted my help... and in exchange, I want to learn how to tame and hunt them here!"

A seemingly random question—what was she trying to tame? What was she going to hunt? Everyone except Medic was completely baffled...

However, as Medic looked at the giant black bow again, and as the cat flicked her wrist to unfold her butterfly knife, the night sky-like blade emitted the colors of stars, the surface of the giant bow behind the girl seemed to echo, and gradually 'ripples' created by Starlight appeared.

As the black mist docilely hovered around Medic, almost as if it were a physical entity, allowing itself to be molded and shaped, the purple-haired Sarkaz girl's eyes reflected Starlight, and even a few tears welled up: