"Hand it over quietly. I won't hurt you. Otherwise..."
Hummm~
Crack~
The moment her words fell, faint, ice-like particles of light began to shimmer around her body. The magical phenomenon left the three before her stunned. The particles rapidly reassembled into countless sharp icicles, hovering at her sides and aiming directly at Felt.
"...Don't blame me for being merciless."
The Shogun merely glanced at the scene before looking ahead again. She had no intention of intervening. From her perspective, Emilia alone was more than enough. None of the people opposite them looked capable of putting up a real fight. Leaning casually against the wall with her arms folded, she watched at ease.
"I only have one demand. Return the insignia to me."
Emilia raised her palm and repeated coldly.
"That is something very important to me."
Her voice grew even heavier.
[Hmm—this is the first time I've seen her like this.]
Ei murmured in quiet admiration.
'Shh... let's watch for now.'
The Shogun made a silencing gesture. She was waiting—waiting for someone else to reveal themselves. For now, Emilia alone was enough.
"I-if you're just an ordinary mage, I... I wouldn't back down—"
Old Man Rom picked up his massive axe, about to say more—
Whoosh!!
In the next instant, Emilia said nothing. A single icicle shot forward and embedded itself into the bar counter, stopping just beside his wrist.
"Wah—!"
He jumped in fright.
"Then try it."
Without even looking at him, Emilia threatened coldly as another icicle formed behind her.
"Ugh!! B-but she's clearly not someone easy to deal with. Forget it!"
He immediately backed down.
"What the heck, Old Man Rom~! You're giving up without even fighting?!"
Felt complained unhappily.
"Young lady... you're a spirit user? No... a half-elf?"
Old Man Rom asked, sweat trickling down his forehead.
"Hah? Half-elf? And silver hair? Don't tell me you're the Jealous—"
Whoosh whoosh!!
Several icicles sliced past Felt's face in an instant, cutting off the word "Jealous Witch" before she could finish. The sharp wind dispersed the surrounding dust, and the sudden violence startled Subaru so badly that he collapsed onto the floor.
"Eeeek!!!!"
He let out an embarrassingly shrill scream.
"Ugh! It hurts—you crazy woman!!"
Felt wiped the blood from her cheek and glared furiously at the silver-haired girl whose face was now coated in frost.
"Do not speak that name in front of me. This is my final warning. Return. The. Insignia."
Emilia delivered her last ultimatum in an icy tone.
"No way~!! Why should I give it back to you?! Even if you're the original owner, I—"
Hummm~
Whoosh!!!
In the next second, a purple glow flashed through Emilia's eyes as the icicles behind her launched toward Felt in a single barrage.
"!!"
Felt hurriedly rolled across the ground to evade them.
Boom boom!
The rain of icicles instantly blanketed the ground where she had just stood. Frost spread across the floor, releasing a biting chill.
"No way... seriously?!"
Seeing the freezing current creeping outward, Felt's expression filled with fear. Yet her desire for profit still drove her to resist.
Hummm~
Emilia ignored her expression and raised her hand again.
A frigid aura began spreading beneath Felt's feet. In the next moment, a spike of ice burst from the ground, grazing her shoulder. Emilia had held back—otherwise it would have pierced straight through.
"Gah!!"
Felt clutched her bleeding arm, trying to escape once more—but this time, she failed.
Emilia seemed to see through her movements and prepared to reassemble all the ice crystals. However, at that very moment, Old Man Rom swung his massive axe and leapt high into the air, bringing it down toward her with full force!
"..."
The Shogun, who had been watching, initially intended to step in. But seeing Emilia's completely unmoved expression, she leaned back again.
Emilia merely glanced at him and waved her hand lightly. A wall of ice instantly formed before her, blocking the descending strike.
Bang!
A thunderous crash erupted as the shockwave lifted the girl's long silver hair.
"What?!"
Old Man Rom stared in disbelief into her icy eyes. The ice shield shattered at once, splitting into numerous sharp shards that all pointed toward his body.
"Old Man Rom!!!!"
Seeing this, Felt rushed forward at high speed, drawing her dagger and aiming to stab Emilia in the abdomen!!
Emilia remained completely unflustered. She brought her hands together slightly, condensing an intensely dense surge of freezing energy between them.
Boom!!!
The shattered ice fragments exploded outward in a full 360-degree radius!
In an instant, both of their skins were torn open as blood sprayed into the air.
Thud~! ×2
"Aaaagh!!" ×2
They screamed involuntarily and were flung across the room, crashing into tables and chairs along the way.
Tap... tap...
A complicated look flickered through Emilia's eyes at the sight, but she still walked forward resolutely. Stopping before Felt, who lay on the ground covered in cuts and bruises, she extended her hand.
"Give it back."
Her voice was cold.
"Ugh... n-no... not giving..."
Though blood seeped from her wounds, Felt stubbornly clenched the insignia.
"...You asked for this."
Stab~!
In the next second, an icicle pierced through Old Man Rom's calf. Blood splattered everywhere.
"Aaaagh!!!"
He rolled his eyes in agony.
"Old Man Rom!!!"
Felt's face turned deathly pale as she shouted.
Crackle...
More ice crystals gathered. This time, several icicles in the air aligned themselves above the bleeding Old Man Rom. In the next instant, they would turn him into a pincushion.
"Wait—!!!! I'll give it back!!! Don't hurt him anymore!!"
At last, Felt relented. She hurriedly threw the insignia toward Emilia, then rushed to embrace the blood-soaked Old Man Rom.
Clack~
Emilia caught the insignia and checked its authenticity. After confirming it, she dismissed all the ice crystals. She glanced at the two embracing each other, guilt slowly surfacing in her eyes—yet she quickly suppressed it.
Letting out a soft breath, she turned toward the Shogun, who had been idly watching the whole time, and gave her a gentle, almost affectionate smile.
"Shogun, let's go."
Her attitude shifted instantly as she called out to her in a gentle voice.
"Finished?"
The Shogun asked.
"Mm..."
After seeing the look in Emilia's eyes, the Shogun let out a faint breath and straightened up. But in the very next second, her brows knit together sharply.
That killing intent—she knew it well.
So it had finally arrived.
Just as she expected—
A shadow shot out from a corner of the room like a bolt of lightning, flashing behind Emilia. The figure gradually revealed itself. The black-haired woman licked her lips dangerously and slashed the dagger in her hand toward Emilia's throat!
"!"
Emilia instantly felt the chill at the back of her neck—but it was too late.
Yet she did not panic.
Because she trusted the purple-haired woman before her.
Crackle—!
In less than a split second, a surge of lightning burst behind the girl. The violet-haired beauty appeared with her naginata, precisely locking its blade against the guard of the incoming dagger.
"Oh my~?"
Just like last time, the attacker revealed a hint of surprise before her lips curled back into that dangerous smile.
Crackle~
As she looked at the blinding lightning dancing along the naginata, Elsa's eyes filled with a certain craving.
That power. That presence. And those cold, violet eyes.
Hehe... she liked it~!!
Tap...
Seizing the opportunity, Emilia spun around and flicked her wrist, sending an icicle slicing horizontally toward the woman's temple!
Whoosh!
But Elsa simply tilted her head and avoided it with ease.
Heh...
The Shogun smiled faintly. With effortless strength, she pressed the opponent's dagger—still locked against her naginata—down toward the side of the woman's face. Lightning scorched strands of black hair, thin wisps of smoke rising into the air.
Bang!
She then flicked the blade aside with ease. During the brief moment of stiffness that followed, she swung the shaft of her naginata and smashed it into the woman's body, sending her flying!
Thud!
A heavy, muffled impact echoed through the room.
Boom!
The woman's body shot like a cannonball into the opposite wall, crashing into it with a deafening explosion.
Their coordination had been accidental—Emilia's response was instinctive defense, while the Shogun had been waiting for this moment all along.
"Who are you?!"
Emilia demanded coldly.
"Most likely someone here to kill you."
The Shogun replied.
"Eh? Kill... me?"
Emilia froze for a moment, though she was not overly shocked. As a royal candidate, it was only natural that someone might want her dead.
But who?
Who was trying to assassinate her?
"By the way..."
The Shogun suddenly recalled something.
"Hm?"
Emilia looked at her in confusion.
"Why did you suddenly attack earlier?"
She narrowed her eyes, asking in mild exasperation.
"Eh? Ah... I just reacted instinctively... hehe."
Emilia gave an awkward laugh.
Meanwhile, the others in the room remained utterly bewildered. Everything had happened so fast that their minds still hadn't caught up.
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