[Vol. 7] Chapter 266: One Good Turn Deserves Another
[Gale Wind Sword] Elva shook his head helplessly.
"Do you know how much of a gap there is between the legendary level and the transcendent level? Let's take Master, the Swift Wind Sword Saint, as an example. If he were only casually guiding, I might be able to hold my ground for about ten moves, but once we both go all out, at most three moves, and I’ll be dead, with my sword destroyed."
"Master has said more than once that the difference between the legendary and transcendent levels is just one step apart, but that one level is as vast as the distance from the deepest part of the earth to the end of the sky.”
“Any transcendent-level expert can easily fight off multiple legendary experts at once, and the transcendent realm itself is vast and unpredictable. It’s just a generalization to compare mortals to mythical creatures, and the gap between the highest and lowest levels of transcendence is even greater than the one between legendary and transcendent. ... Ouch!"
His younger disciple, [Flying Flower Sword] Yir, suddenly elbowed him hard, rolling her eyes.
"At a time like this, you’re still blabbering endlessly! If you like giving lectures, go back to the sect and talk to your fan club there... Princess Carinvega, based on the aura and destruction the opponent has shown, even if the three of us work together, we only have at most a 20% chance to defeat her. Subduing her without killing her is absolutely impossible. We need to make that clear to you."
"Wait, Yir..."
Miss [Blunt Edge] Kiri suddenly opened her mouth but then paused. However, the pink-haired girl just shook her head and said seriously, "Kiri, the facts are the facts. No matter how much we hide or cover up, it won't change anything. Princess Carinvega is an extraordinary person. I believe telling her the truth, plainly and honestly, will be the best help."
"......"
After a moment of silence, Kiri nodded. This sword master, who had spent years training outside and had a particularly mature and steady personality, turned to look at the girl with different-colored eyes. Her gaze showed the calmness and sharpness unique to an experienced swordsman.
"That’s true. Now, what should we do? Should we fight or retreat... please give the order right away."
"......"
Without avoiding the sharp gaze that seemed to have no edge but was incredibly piercing, Carinvega, despite being in an absolutely terrible situation, quickly calmed down and nodded slightly.
"I understand. In that case, could the three of you temporarily focus on delaying Orluk's actions and prevent her from causing further destruction? As we saw on the way here, the academy city hasn't been able to respond quickly because of the temporary chaos, but I believe once Sainz solves their immediate problems, whether by sending top-level experts or using the power of the Seven Towers, they should be able to truly suppress Orluk..."
"As for the other members of the Swift Wind Sect, please help move the unconscious people to safe areas... prioritize the living. They are all innocent bystanders caught up in this incident. I’m counting on you."
Seeing Princess Carinvega bow deeply and sincerely to the Swift Wind Sect disciples, the group quickly lowered their heads in return, not daring to accept such a great gesture. The three legendary sword disciples exchanged glances for a moment, nodded in agreement, and [Flying Flower Sword] Yir raised her hand to help Carinvega up.
"Understood! We will do our best. Princess, please quickly move to a safer area with the others!"
As she spoke, she clapped her hands, and a few of the weaker disciples who were not qualified to fight immediately understood and began to act. The three legendary level people exchanged another glance and were about to turn and leave...
But suddenly, a deep male voice came from the nearby ruins.
"Wait."
Everyone paused for a moment, and it was Carinvega who reacted first.
"That voice... Brother? Are you alright!?"
"I didn’t expect you to be the first to notice that..."
With a mix of surprise and complicated emotions in her gaze, Carinvega watched as Xiluo Frederick’s figure slowly emerged from behind the broken wall. He appeared even more disheveled than the two sword disciples. His fine clothes were torn from the battle, and his left leg seemed to be injured, relying on his sword for support as he staggered towards them.
"Uh... wait, don’t come any closer!"
Yir, who was closest to the princess and had some understanding of the relationship between her and the royal brother, instinctively raised her sword to block. But Carinvega quickly regained her composure and gently patted Yir's shoulder.
"It's fine. My brother won’t hurt me."
"Huh? But Your Highness..."
"Hehe... Truly, you're just like you, my royal sister. If we're talking about people who have the courage and confidence to walk up to me with a weapon in my hand right now, I can only think of one person, Carinvega Frederick."
Walking and laughing, Xiluo shook his head while using the ruins' stone wall to vaguely cover his body, avoiding the gaze of the giant transformed by Orluk from a distance. He didn't get too close to Carinvega but kept a safe distance, leaning against the wall with his tired but still sharp brown eyes, like an injured lion watching his sister.
"Don't worry, I, Xiluo Frederick, might have used some tricks in the past, but I would never abandon my principles just to survive in a moment like this. My royal sister, the victor should have the power to make decisions. I've been waiting for you to make up your mind and step forward to resolve this. But it seems... you don't intend to follow the fate our father planned for us."
He turned his head and looked towards the tall monster, which was still frantically searching for something in the ruins, growing more violent and chaotic. He smiled bitterly.
"Such a willful person, letting foolish subordinates act on their own and tie themselves up in knots, even daring to defy that old man’s orders openly... I don't understand what you're trying to do, but to be honest, I have never truly admired anyone since I was a child. You’re the first."
"Therefore... let me help this time, and do my part."
"Brother...?"
Not only Carinvega but also the other three sword saints’ disciples looked at the prince in surprise.
Anyone could see that even though Orluk’s transformed form had lost most of its sanity after going berserk, it was clear she still had a strong obsession with killing Xiluo Frederick. Once he appeared, she would immediately launch a full-on attack, determined to kill him.
So, the best way for him to respond now should be to hide immediately. Once the Sainz experts put down the city’s chaos and arrived to suppress this monster, Xiluo’s safety would be ensured, and the empire’s plot to start a war would fall apart. But...
Xiluo shook his head.
"I know what you're thinking, but honestly, just the three of you wouldn't be able to hold back that thing. That old man never makes a plan with only one option. He's definitely found something else to try and kill me, and most likely, that’s a force I can't handle alone."
"I suspect that the other thing is hiding nearby, waiting for the right moment to strike. So running away now... would be almost like suicide."