Chapter 34

The next moment, a mysterious group surrounded us.

"Sakura Hana Itto-ryu—Sakura Flash!"

"N—what!?"

When had she drawn her sword—Rose suddenly unleashed a powerful thrust, sending one of the men flying out of the store.

"Over here! It's a disadvantage to fight in a narrow indoor space with so many opponents!"

With that, she immediately dashed out of the beach house.

(...As expected of Rose.)

Probably due to her experience as a magic swordsman, despite the sudden combat, she remained remarkably calm.

—She's a reliable ally.

"Reia, let's go!"

"Okay!"

We broke through the gap in the encirclement and ran out of the store.

"Damn it, wait!"

Enraged, they shouted and chased after us.

After successfully escaping from the beach house, we stood back to back, covering each other's blind spots.

"Just a bunch of students getting cocky...! You guys, we're going with the slashing encirclement formation!"

"Ou!"

At the command of one of them, they immediately formed groups of three.

Then,

"Oraaaaaa!"

"Shaaaaaaa!"

"Dieeeeee!"

They launched powerful downward slashes, thrusts, and diagonal cuts.

(Coordinated movements, similar sword techniques... Could they be soldiers from somewhere?)

However,

"Eight Swords—Yatagarasu!"

"Sakura Hana Itto-ryu—Thunder Sakura!"

"Overlord Style—Powerful Strike!"

Their individual skill levels were low.

"G—ha..."

"Kyaaaaaaa!?"

"Too, strong..."

A little bit of sword training wouldn't be enough to reach even a failing swordsman like me, let alone the genius swordsmen Reia and Rose.

"—It's over. If you continue, I won't hold back."

"Damn..."

In the end, we were able to subdue them in just a few minutes.

"Rose, just to be safe, tell the beach house staff to call the Holy Knights."

"Got it."

For now, this matter is settled.

The investigation and identification of the individuals should be left to the professional Holy Knights.

After a brief pause,

"These people... They were targeting me, right?"

Reia muttered.

"They called you 'Princess,' so it's clear they were after Reia..."

Given their soldier-like movements, it's reasonable to assume they were assassins sent by a country hostile to Vesteria.

Then, the ones lying on the ground began to have a strange conversation.

"...We're going to do it."

"Are, are you serious...!?"

"We'll be killed anyway when we return for failing our mission... We might as well take a gamble..."

They started a bizarre and incomprehensible exchange.

"What are you talking about...?"

Immediately after, they all took out something that looked like blue glass from their pockets and swallowed it.

The next moment,

"Uu, gu... Aaaaaaaaah!?"

"Ha... ha... Gaaaaaaaah!?"

They let out agonized cries and rolled around on the spot.

"What's happening...!?"

"They just swallowed some strange lump!?"

Clearly, something was not normal.

We took a step back as a precaution and increased our vigilance.

After that, the ones who slowly rose like ghosts had in their hands—

"Ha... ha... He, hehe... Now you're finished...!"

—soul weapons.

"Wh—They all have soul weapons!?"

"But something seems off...!"

Reia was right; there was definitely something strange.

(What are those soul weapons...?)

Their soul weapons were—constantly changing shape.

"We don't have much time... Let's finish this quickly...!"

Someone muttered, and the next moment,

"Uu... Gaaaaaaaah!"

One of the enemies slammed his massive soul weapon into the sand.

As my vision was filled with white sand,

"Oraaaaaa!"

They all charged at us simultaneously.

And their movements were—

"Too fast...!?"

Unrecognizably swift.

"Zeryaaa!"

"K...!?"

Not only were they fast, but their strength had also increased...!?

(Are all the soul weapons here enhancing their abilities...?)

No, that's unlikely.

"What did you do...!?"

While dodging their rapid attacks, I asked the men in front of me.

They were still panting heavily, their eyes unfocused—clearly not in a normal state.

"Ha... ha, spirit crystal pills... We took a powerful drug that makes our spirit cores go berserk and manifest pseudo-soul weapons..."

"Make your spirit cores go berserk...!?"

If you do something that reckless, it would put an enormous strain on your body.

"If you do something that reckless, your bodies won't hold up!?"

"Yeah... That's why we're rushing...!"

They swung their 'swords loaded with their lives' repeatedly.

"Why are you going to such lengths...? Why are you risking your lives to target Reia...!?"

"It's the Emperor's order... To eliminate the princess!"

"Guh!?"

A wildly powerful diagonal cut was launched.

I defended with my sword to counter its power and jumped back.

"Still going...!"

"Dieeeeee!"

"Damn brats!"

They immediately closed the gap that had opened up.

Their unstable but powerful soul weapons, their limit-breaking physical abilities, and above all, their resolve to die—

(...Troublesome.)

However, I have no intention of losing to them, who have abandoned their sword skills and rely solely on their enhanced physical abilities and uncontrollable soul weapons.

"Five Swords—Boundary Break!"

To counter their strength, I used even greater strength.

A strike that could tear the world apart easily broke through their slashes.

"Ga... ha..."

"Too, strong..."

"Even if we risk our lives, we can't reach them...!?"

The ones who fell to the ground groaned but did not rise again.

They had probably reached their physical limits.

"Ha... ha... We can't kill this one... But we can kill the princess! Everyone, attack...!"

The next moment, the remaining forty or so people—charged at Reia with a death wish.

"What!?"

A completely reckless, literal death charge.

(Not good...)

No matter how powerful the <Primordial Dragon King> is, he can't burn all of them at once.

Even if he could, Reia, being kind, wouldn't do it.

She doesn't have the ruthlessness and cruelty to do such a thing.

"Run, Reia!"

"Okay!"

Reia calmly took evasive action.

By now, Rose should have called the Holy Knights—there's no need for us to force an attack.

However,

"What!?"

A man lying at her feet—firmly grabbed her ankle.

"He, hehe... I'll definitely take you down...!"

"Hey, let go...!"

"Reia, in front! Defend!"

Distracted by her feet, in front of her—

"Uooooooh!"

Bloodshot-eyed thugs were charging.

"K... Kyaah!"

"Dieeeeee!"

Forty out-of-control soul weapons were launched at Reia all at once.

"—Disgusting, you know. Attacking a single woman with so many people...?"

Suddenly, a massive wall of ice appeared.

Not just any ice, but—

"Too, hard...!?"

"What is this...!?"

"Whose soul weapon is this...!?"

Ice that even out-of-control soul weapons couldn't scratch—ice of terrifying hardness.

"Is this...!?"

Then, in the next moment,

"Ice Spears"

Over ten massive ice spears appeared in the air and rained down like rain.

"Kyaaaaaaa!"

"It hurts, it hurts...!"

"What is this...!?"

A cold, ruthless, and merciless attack struck them.

I know this power that can turn even the southern resort into a frozen wasteland.

"Hey, hey, why are you struggling with these lowlifes...? They're just trash."

Turning my gaze to the source of the voice, I saw—

"Sh, Shido...!?"

The ace of the Ice King Academy—Shido Euclydes.