Hearing Jeanne say this, Ch'en and Hoshiguma realized that those objects really did resemble their weapons; it was just that they were bundled together so tightly that it was hard to tell at first glance.
The problem was, they weren't the only ones who noticed the air-dropped weapons. The hundred-plus people surrounding them weren't blind either. The men encircling them didn't hesitate to raise their crossbows. We might not be able to kill those monsters, but can't we kill the three of you? We aren't just here for decoration!
They stared fixatedly at the trio. If they dared to make any extra movements—such as trying to reach for the weapons—those crossbow bolts would be precisely delivered into their bodies.
Yet, it wasn't going to be that easy. They could clearly see that accompanying the falling weapons were dozens of drones standing by in formation! That Char Siu (Swire)—though her close-quarters combat skills couldn't compare to Ch'en or Hoshiguma, often leading others to mock her as a mascot—didn't mean she was just a decorative vase. Her ability to simultaneously control a massive fleet of drones for aerial support was something neither Ch'en nor the others could ever achieve. It was simply that their usual operations rarely called for it.
Having seized air superiority, Swire manipulated the drones to provide suppressive fire over the crowd. Half of the men were forced to turn their attention to the sky, leaving them no time to deal with the three women.
"Just go get your weapons, I'll handle the rest!" Jeanne blocked their path, acting as if she were using her body to create an opening for their counterattack... If Jeanne knew what they were thinking, she would definitely say they were overthinking it.
At a time like this, Ch'en and the others didn't waste breath on the useless dialogue found in TV dramas. Every second was precious; otherwise, a crossbow bolt might come flying in the next instant.
"Be careful!" Ch'en left those two words behind before she and Hoshiguma sprinted toward their weapons not far away. The soldiers currently firing at the drones noticed this and unleashed a volley of bolts toward them.
Simultaneously, a transformation occurred in the Jeanne wearing the LGD uniform. A swirl of wind seemed to surround her, and in the next second, a suit of black armor replaced her previous uniform. At this moment, the face that had been disguised as Artoria through makeup changed back. She wore a strange headpiece, and that face was one Ivanov could never forget.
That was the starting point of all his misfortunes! The woman who had appeared in the Ursus intelligence front company and discovered their clues! The very person he had sent assassins to hunt down!
Thinking back, if one were to ask when his beautiful life began to collapse, wasn't it exactly when he ordered the hit on this woman? It turned out she was the mastermind behind everything! Although he didn't know why she was mingled with the LGD, he would absolutely not let this woman—who had reduced him to this state—walk out of this company alive!
"All units, fire! Turn that person in black into a pincushion!" What angered him even more was that this person dared to play him for a fool today! Disguising herself as someone else to watch him act like a monkey for half the day—did she find that amusing? Thinking of his previous actions, Ivanov felt his face flush deep red. This person had played him so many times; he would kill her even if it meant the failure of this mission!
Whiz... whiz... whiz!
The slight sound of crossbow fire continuously stimulated Ch'en's nerves. She didn't know why the enemy's arrows were aimed at Jeanne instead of herself, but she couldn't care about that now. She worried for Jeanne at the center of the fire; those men looked like expert marksmen, and at such close range, they didn't even have an excuse to miss!
But the sound of arrows piercing flesh never reached Ch'en's ears. What she didn't see was that Jeanne had actually blocked every single bolt. A second before the bolts were fired, specks of light suddenly appeared in Jeanne's phantom-gripping hand, coalescing into a flag. The banner, bearing the pattern of a black demonic dragon, unfurled before their eyes. The soldiers couldn't help but shiver upon seeing that black dragon, as if they were looking at something truly terrifying.
But the attacks in their hands didn't stop, and in no time, they had emptied their quivers. The arrows flew toward Jeanne like droplets of black rain.
Jeanne, however, swung her flagpole with ease. The seemingly heavy pole looked like a chopstick in her hand, whistling through the air with every swing. More impressively, the arrows flying at her were intercepted by the unfurled banner. No one knew what material that dragon flag was made of, but the crossbow bolts didn't even leave a dent upon impact!
This was unscientific! They knew exactly how much power their Arts-enhanced bolts possessed. Never mind a flag; even a shield would have been turned into a hornet's nest under this level of fire. Yet the reality was that the arrows hit the flag and fell helplessly to the ground as if they had struck a city wall. In an instant, the area around Jeanne was littered with various types of bolts.
In contrast, Jeanne, having done all this, showed no reaction other than a light exhale. The opponent had swung that pole at a terrifying speed for a long time, yet she wasn't even out of breath.
The idiot behind them was still screaming orders to kill this woman. Are you blind or did that monster scramble your brain too? Can't you tell this lady isn't mortal? You want us to go up and kill her? We're lucky she hasn't come over and killed us! Didn't you see how easily she blocked our Arts-enhanced shots?
In any case, they had never seen anyone block all attacks with a tattered flag without even messing up their hairstyle. What kind of flagbearer was this? Were Lungmen's flagbearers all this terrifying? They had heard rumors that, becoming a flagbearer meant you had to be the elite of the elite, the most outstanding of all soldiers. It seemed those rumors really held water!
But regardless, those were orders from their superior. If they disobeyed him now, their fate would likely be used as an example to the others. Thinking of this, they drew various weapons from their sides: machetes, longswords, daggers, and brass knuckles. Jeanne even saw one person pull out a set of a knife and fork!
What, did you only bring your eating utensils today? You didn't come here to fight, you came here to be a comedian? Even if you pulled out a guitar... I could at least convince myself you were a bard holding it to buff your teammates.
When they raised their weapons and truly looked into Jeanne's dark gold eyes, they discovered how strikingly similar those eyes were to the monsters in the secret chamber! They were those same dark gold vertical slits—the eyes of a cold-blooded animal. Both pairs of eyes reflected the same look... a look of utter contempt as she gazed upon them!
The feeling of helplessness they felt when facing the monsters surged back into their hearts—that sensation of being a bug that could be stepped on at any moment, the feeling of utter inability to resist. For a time, their hearts were wrapped in an indescribable dread. That fear crawled up their bodies like an octopus, then tightened its grip until they suffocated...
When this fear reached its peak, it ignited within them. Boundless terror transformed into nameless rage, driving them to charge toward Jeanne regardless of life or death. This was human nature; when fear reaches a certain point, it naturally turns into fury. It was only by relying on this rage that they dared to rush at the woman before them.
Just as they charged at Jeanne, a sharp slash tore through the air toward them. Several unlucky souls who couldn't dodge in time were sent flying straight out of the window by the attack. Accompanied by screams, these unlucky men made "intimate contact" with the ground. Whether they broke a few bones or were even still alive was another question entirely.
The one who had unleashed this slash was none other than Ch'en, who had already reclaimed her weapon. Looking at the Chi Xiao she had drawn from its scabbard, it was clear she had still held back with that strike.
"I'll say it one more time! I am Ch'en Huijie, Senior Superintendent of the Lungmen Guard Department. You have severely violated multiple laws of Lungmen. You are now required to cooperate with our investigation! Surrender immediately!"