Wait for me

Scott was still slowly backing away ahead of her, but his attitude was outrageously arrogant.

"Oh, my, weren't you so capable before? Chasing me down with a sword and trying to kill me-why don't you dare follow me now? What a sorry sight you are, Peruere~"

Peruere could barely move through the trap zone. If she fought Scott here, she would be hampered at every turn.

If she accidentally stepped into a bear trap, the force of its steel jaws snapping shut would be enough to crush muscle and bone in an instant. Her foot and ankle would be locked tight, the sharp steel teeth piercing straight through flesh and shattering her joints. She would instantly lose all ability to move, reduced to prey at someone else's mercy.

But time waited for no one. Every extra second she spent here meant greater danger for Xingsu.

There was no other choice. She could only try to avoid getting caught up with this guy. Peruere stopped listening to Scott's endless taunts and focused on the path beneath her feet, moving forward with utmost care.

Seeing that Peruere was ignoring him completely and simply walking on her own way, Scott grew anxious.

If she actually left the trap zone, his advantage would vanish completely. So Scott taunted her again. "Peruere! If you keep avoiding a fight like this, Mother will come looking for you!"

Scott activated his taunt skill. It had little effect.

Wait for me, Xingsu. Wait for me. You have to... stay alive.

She simply kept walking, sensing the distant fluctuations of Hydro and listening to the clash of blades, taking one careful but determined step after another.

As someone who only fought the last child standing-oh, no, someone who endured hardship to avenge the other defeated children-Scott chose not to follow.

First, the situation was unclear, and he was unsure how many people were still alive.

Second, he really couldn't beat Peruere, and judging by her demeanor, she had no intention of making trouble for him either.

Watching Peruere slowly move farther away, testing each step, Scott breathed a sigh of relief too.

"I wonder how many people have left by now. Well, Weizban definitely won't be getting out. After all, I personally saw his leg step into a bear trap. Hahahaha. I'd better rest and recover my strength first."

With that, Scott made his way through the traps with practiced ease and found a spot beneath a tree to rest.

Whoosh! It was the sound of a rope cutting through the air.

"Aaaaaah~" That was Scott screaming.

Somehow, Scott had stepped into a snare. The mechanism installed in the tree sprang into action, and a steel cable hauled Scott upside down into the tree by his ankle.

Scott: "???(´ﾟωﾟ｀)"

Wait, that's not right. I didn't set a trap here.

Scott mustered every ounce of strength, curling his torso upward to look at the steel cable, and discovered a distinctive mark.

Scott remembered that mark, because the fountain pen he had received not long ago bore one exactly like it.

Which meant...

"Weizban! You Fontainian profanity, are you Snezhnayan slang sick in the head? Why the House of the Hearth expression would you set a trap here?!" Scott's face went from dark to bright red.

"Help! Peruere! Mother! Is anyone there?! Help me!"

Unfortunately, everyone in the House of the Hearth had their own business to attend to. No one paid any attention to his desperate cries for help.

Wait for me, Xingsu. You have to stay alive and wait for me...

"Oh, it seems our guest has arrived rather late."

When Peruere arrived, all she saw was the wreckage strewn across the ground and Xingsu lying unconscious, his fate unknown.

In the end... was I still too late...?

Crucabena looked at Peruere with the ghost of a smile. "Don't worry. Your little sweetheart isn't dead yet. You two are my finest children. I couldn't bear to kill either of you~"

Shing! It was the sound of a sharp sword cutting through the air.

Peruere drew her sword and charged straight at Crucabena, slashing at her face, only to have the blow blocked with effortless ease.

"Drawing your sword and attacking the moment we meet? Why are both of you like this? You even used the same move."

Crucabena spoke flippantly, a slender rapier in hand.

Peruere's white hair was disheveled, her crimson eyes filled with hatred as she stared fixedly into Crucabena's eyes.

When the strike failed, the two swiftly broke apart, then charged back in at even greater speed.

The ringing clash of metal echoed in overlapping waves. Both advanced and retreated swiftly, and every collision of their blades sent dazzling sparks flying.

"Since you've made it here, I suppose that means Clervie has already died by your sword. How did it feel? Watching your old friend's life drain away before your eyes must have hurt."

Before Crucabena could finish her mocking remarks, Peruere drew her sword again and pressed forward. Her feet shifted and pivoted, her movements agile and elusive as her sword thrust downward toward Crucabena's shoulder and neck. Seeing Crucabena raise her sword to block, she immediately twisted her wrist, turning the thrust into an upward slash. Her blade slid up along her opponent's sword, trying to cut the wrist of her sword hand.

Crucabena lightly turned the hilt with her fingertips, guiding her sword through a smooth arc to deflect the tricky attack. Hydro spread along the blade, and cold mist brushed Peruere's forearm, leaving a bone-chilling cold.

"A bound bird will never soar into the sky. Clervie died because of your weakness. Submit to me. Only I can guide you to become a true king!"

Over several exchanges, Peruere seized the initiative with every move, yet she still failed to inflict even the slightest injury on her opponent.

Pale blue blades of water flew from the sword's edge, attacking Peruere's waist and abdomen, legs, and throat from three directions. Peruere's pupils abruptly contracted. In haste, she held her sword across her body, flames spreading over its surface to form a shield. The water blades struck the fire shield and evaporated completely.

Taking advantage of the evaporating mist that obscured Peruere's vision, Crucabena silently circled to her side, her rapier stabbing soundlessly toward her unguarded flank. Relying on her instinct for danger, Peruere abruptly twisted aside. The blade skimmed her ribs, its sharp edge slicing through her outer clothing and leaving a shallow, bloody cut on her skin.

"A Vision? What a surprise. You actually earned the gods' recognition? It seems I'll have to regard you a little more highly. I'm looking forward more and more to seeing you and that disobedient boy fight together."

Over a mere few dozen exchanges, the two traded blows, constantly switching between offense and defense. For the moment, they were locked in an even struggle.

Peruere's breathing gradually grew labored. Her relentless attacks drained the strength in her body, and the muscles in her arms trembled faintly from the repeated exertion.

Yet Crucabena's breathing remained steady, her advances and retreats unhurried, as though this intense battle were no more than a leisurely stroll. As she maneuvered and dodged, she spoke coldly, her words like icy needles, piercing precisely the most painful scars in Peruere's heart.

"Did you think those flames would let you overthrow the rules I established? Clervie died because of your useless softheartedness. Even now, you still haven't learned to cast aside that laughable kindness of yours."