Why can't I use my power?
Even though after becoming a Golden Descendants, I've become a hundred times stronger than before...
Since possessing the Golden Blood, all enemies in the Northern Country have been beneath Esdeath's notice, because no one was worthy of her using her full strength to deal with.
But in reality, let alone using her full strength, even if Esdeath only used a third of her power, no one in the Northern Country could withstand it.
So during this period, Esdeath had never met a strong opponent, until Najenda appeared.
Upon realizing the opponent was a powerful Teigu User, Esdeath didn't hesitate to use her full strength, intending to have a hearty battle. But it was precisely at this moment that Esdeath suddenly discovered...
She simply couldn't use her full strength!
Even though her consciousness kept up with the opponent's movements, her body couldn't dodge. It was as if her body was being restricted by something?
When this problem arose, Najenda's pumpkin was already right in her face, leaving no time to react.
Boom, boom, boom—!
Within the shockwave of the Teigu 'pumpkin' with its restrictions released, more and more wounds appeared on Esdeath's body, and Golden Blood splashed everywhere.
It hurts!
My body can't exert its full strength, and I'm even caught in the enemy's powerful attack... If this continues, I might actually die!
No, I won't!
The intense impact almost made Esdeath lose consciousness, but when Lord Caesar, to whom she had sworn loyalty, appeared in her mind, Esdeath immediately became clear-headed.
Loyalty...
Loyalty!
If I die here, it will be the greatest disloyalty to Lord Caesar. I won't be such a disloyal person!
"Whether now or in the future, inside or outside the city, I'll leave my back to you. Is that okay?"
"Of course!"
The exchange with Cerydra in the bath back then appeared in her mind once more. At this moment, Esdeath awakened.
The blue-haired girl gritted her teeth, and the expression on her face gradually became ferocious. It was also at this moment that a blue light began to emerge from the wounds on Esdeath's body.
That was seawater!
Deep blue seawater emerged from the void, wrapping around Esdeath's entire body in an instant, while simultaneously blocking the shockwave of 'pumpkin'. In a daze, Esdeath seemed to see a memory that didn't belong to her...
In the deep ocean, she seemed to be slowly sinking due to gravity, unable to feel time or space.
Everything seemed to become meaningless. Esdeath could almost no longer feel her own existence.
It was also at this moment that a blue figure appeared...
Esdeath couldn't see the other's specific appearance clearly, but she could vaguely recognize that it wasn't an ordinary human, but a strange creature with a human upper body and a fish lower body?
A mermaid?
That mermaid swam through the ocean at extreme speed, and her goal seemed to be herself.
Finally, just as Esdeath's consciousness was about to dissipate, the mermaid came before her, first gently kissing her forehead, and then... dove straight into her chest!
And the Esdeath in reality happened to open her eyes at this moment.
—
"This should finally be settled, right?"
"Well done, Lubbock!"
Looking at the boy who had joined the Imperial Army because of her, Najenda finally showed a relaxed expression on her face.
She hadn't hesitated to put herself in danger while using pumpkin's Trump Card, delivering what was almost the strongest attack of her life, to the point that the Teigu was smoking and couldn't be used again for a short while.
That was why Najenda turned to speak to Lubbock, because she simply didn't believe the opponent could survive!
But the moment Najenda turned her head, a huge ice spike shot out from the corner of her eye, directly piercing the body of the boy named Lubbock.
Not only that, these ice spikes were still gradually expanding. In just five seconds, they expanded to a thousand meters in size, directly swallowing all the Imperial Army in that direction.
The sudden turn of events immediately caused the smile on Najenda's face to vanish, while a sense of dread gradually emerged in her expression...
It was the fear of the unknown!
Najenda didn't know, she really didn't know why the opponent could still exert such powerful strength under pumpkin's maximum firepower, even eliminating two-thirds of the Imperial Army in an instant.
One must know, Najenda had only brought three hundred thousand people to the Northern Country this time, and two hundred thousand were gone in the blink of an eye!
Is this a strength a human can possess? Or is the opponent also a Teigu User?
The moment this thought appeared, it was immediately dismissed by Najenda herself. As a General of the Empire, she naturally knew information on the vast majority of Teigu, but...
Wasn't it true that no one had ever succeeded with that Teigu?
Why would it suddenly appear?
"Lubbock!"
No time to worry about that, she must act quickly!
Najenda immediately rushed to Lubbock, who was pierced by the ice spike, took him down from the ice cone, and laid him flat on the ground.
"Fortunately, although it pierced through the body, the internal organs weren't destroyed. He can still be saved!"
"Aaaaah!"
"Don't kill us, I surrender... Aah!"
Just as Najenda was feeling relieved, a series of screams came from near the surrounding ice spikes, causing her relieved voice to freeze in place.
The fear on Najenda's face grew even stronger, because these screams likewise didn't last long before disappearing. Then, she felt an unprecedented pressure and terror...
Like a fawn on the prairie encountering a lion, the instinct in her blood kept reminding her: You'll die, run quickly!
However, at this moment, Najenda made no move to escape at all. She only slowly raised her head, her pupils gradually contracting. Because that girl, or rather, monster... had already arrived before her eyes!
"Mmm~ Mmm~~"
A melodious and low singing voice rang by her ear. Najenda only felt her soul trembling.
Clearly, there was a huge block of solid ice before her eyes, but within that ice, the figure of a monster appeared.
The monster's upper body was the blue-haired girl who had just ambushed her. Neither her clothing nor her appearance had changed at all.
But the monster's lower body... had unknowingly turned into a long fish tail!
What on earth is this?
A hybrid of a human and a Danger Beast?
Even those filthy nobles in the Empire wouldn't possibly do such a thing!
Najenda's eyelids twitched. She wanted to take Lubbock and flee this place at maximum speed, but the half-human, half-fish monster gradually extended its hands from the ice, pinning Najenda in place.
Now, Najenda only had one thought left...
It's over!
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