Should’ve seen this coming!
At that moment, Willis felt every hair on her body stand on end, a strange electric current coursing through her veins as the aura of death exploded from head to toe in an instant!
Since Willis’s reputation was so terrible, yet she still intended to take up a position at the Royal Academy.
To anyone, this was a dangerously ominous sign.
Now, with no princes left in the Empire and the two princesses clearly no match for Willis, she could say she held more than a seventy percent chance.
But that confidence was far from absolute. In the eyes of outsiders, Willis wouldn’t give up trying to gain more leverage.
After all, the succession was ultimately decided by the current Emperor, wasn’t it?
And it was rumored the Emperor did not favor Willis.
Therefore, as the Bloody Princess, Willis’s task was to gather as many bargaining chips as possible!
The Royal Academy was one such chip!
Anyone with half a brain would think the same, so before Willis could even step foot into the Academy, it was best to eliminate her—so she could never ascend to that supreme position!
If Willis seized control of the Royal Academy and gathered a large number of loyal subordinates through training, could the Empire still have any hope?
No!
The people would only live in fear under Willis’s reign!
Hence, at this moment, a hero must rise to crush the evil at its very inception!
Watching the sharp sword hurtling toward her heart, Willis felt everything around her slow down.
Real Eye, auxiliary combat ability activated!
Facing a life-or-death crisis, instinctively, she raised her hand sharply, and the magic power around her instantly condensed in her palm!
Two Air Blades wrapped around her hands, immediately deflecting the piercing blade!
At this moment, Willis’s instincts and habits saved her from disaster!
Ding—!
The attacker struck again, but failed; beside her, Hill Yu reacted in time, blocking the blow with the scabbard of her sword at her waist.
At that instant, Willis’s mind thundered, magic power surging through her entire body.
That familiar yet strange magic made her feel uneasy.
As the Bloody Princess, she was a fledgling mage who specialized in melee combat magic.
Her strength was naturally not weak; otherwise, she would have long since been assassinated.
But Willis had only just taken control of this body recently, and these few counterattacks relied almost entirely on the body’s original instincts.
When she came to her senses, Willis was somewhat surprised at the magic she had just released.
At the moment Hill Yu used her scabbard to parry the enemy’s sword, the assassin suddenly swung his longsword horizontally, and an intense, wild thunderbolt erupted around him.
The magical light blazed, and not only did Willis feel an overwhelming pressure, but even Hill Yu gasped.
“Enchantment Skill!?”
“Willis! Get out of here!”
Hill Yu shouted urgently as the thunderbolt raged along the blade. While Willis was still stunned, Hill Yu pulled her out of harm’s way.
Boom!
A fierce explosion sounded; the raging thunderbolt tore apart the carriage and shattered the horses to pieces.
“A Mage-Swordsman!”
Hill Yu rolled on the ground with Willis to absorb the impact; only then did the nearby guards react.
“Assassins! Protect the Imperial Princess! Hurry, hurry!”
In an instant, the once orderly formation collapsed, and the soldiers swiftly dismounted from the carriage, gathering around Hill Yu and Willis for protection.
Mage-Swordsmen were practitioners of both magic and swordsmanship—masters of dual cultivation.
But such individuals needed extraordinary talent and unyielding willpower.
Their strength was unquestionable, but the pain and torment they endured were multiplied many times over.
“Who is it?!”
Hill Yu drew her longsword, looking toward where the carriage had stood.
Her sword was a divine weapon that shimmered with a faint azure cold light.
Willis naturally knew its name—Ice Orchid.
Its hilt was carved with snow-colored roses, and its blade was covered in thorns—signs of the ice magic array inscribed upon it.
Hill Yu herself was a Mage-Swordsman!
Known as the Ice Sword Dancer, she was expected to become a Royal Knight by the end of this year’s knight examination, waiting for a worthy charge to summon her protection.
“Tsk, what a pity.”
As the carriage exploded, a figure clad in a black robe descended from the air.
He held the longsword that had just struck at Willis and sighed faintly.
But from his imposing aura and intense pressure, it was clear he hadn’t expected to succeed with one strike.
Immediately, a dozen other black-robed figures emerged from nearby shops and streets, encircling Willis and the others.
Among them were the Fruit Shop Owner and the Blacksmith from the forge, who had distributed the dozens of hanging swords and knives to the group.
Of course, they were all now wearing black robes designed to conceal their forms and faces.
These robes were imbued with Dark Magic, continuously disrupting others’ vision and judgment, making it impossible to see what lay beneath.
Meanwhile, Willis’s eyes flickered as the Real Eye’s effect triggered!
[ Multi-Layered Magic Hidden Robe, a fine piece that blocks detection and conceals the wearer’s form—perfect for assassination and banditry. But it seems they have marked you as their target? ]
[ Host’s overall strength insufficient to pierce the layers of disguise. Please improve strength and Real Eye level. ]
This message appeared before her eyes.
At that moment, Hill Yu spoke up.
“Willis, you’re a mage. Stand behind me.”
Hill Yu brandished her sword, assuming a defensive stance with cold eyes on the scene. The accompanying guards readied their weapons.
Willis nodded slightly, realizing these people were clearly targeting her. She didn’t resist and slipped behind Hill Yu, hiding within the soldiers’ protective circle.
Taking a deep breath, Willis closed her eyes and summoned magic power according to her memories.
Although inheriting Willis’s memories and personality affected her, at this moment, it was one of the keys to her survival.
Flames erupted around her body, enveloping her in a Fire Armor forged from fire element magic.
Blazing and majestic, yet the flames didn’t harm Willis or those nearby like Hill Yu.
Though the fire armor provided some defense and could block poisons and ordinary blades, in actual combat low-level fire armor wasn’t very effective.
But Willis had no other protective options.
Having just released the Air Blades and Fire Armor, she had already spent nearly 200 points of magic power, continuing to consume 50 points per minute!
This meant her Fire Armor and Air Blades could last for sixteen minutes!
They had to finish this fight within sixteen minutes!
As an Imperial Princess, Willis had deliberately trained in magic for self-defense, but she was more focused on political scheming and romance, so her magical dedication was low.
Her combat experience was shockingly scarce.
[ Looks like after today, I need to improve my strength… especially my magic power. ]
Willis sighed inwardly but dared not relax even for a moment.
Being attacked just after crossing over proved her situation was extremely dire.
“Who are you?! This is the capital of the Okam Empire! You dare attack the Imperial Princess here—do you know what crime that is!?”
Hill Yu radiated fierce pressure that silenced the surroundings.
A Mage-Swordsman with power surpassing ordinary swordsmen was no joke!
But the black-robed swordsman facing her had the same aura; in a real fight, he could definitely hold Hill Yu off for sixteen minutes.
“First Princess, this matter doesn’t concern you. Our target is that scum behind you!”
The Mage-Swordsman raised his longsword angrily, pointing it at Willis.
“Bloody Princess, Willis!”
Beneath the black hood hiding his face, a pair of crimson eyes burned with hatred as if he were grinding his teeth.
“Today, I’ll have your blood spilled on the spot!”
At this moment, hiding silently behind Hill Yu would have been the best choice.
But somehow, Willis’s mouth acted faster than her brain.
Coldly, she sneered, “Is that all you’ve got? A bunch of rotten fish and shrimp!”
Damn! That’s the original Willis’s personality influencing me!
Willis cursed silently.
But she had to admit, that line perfectly matched her villainous image, and the taunt immediately provoked the black-robed men.
Hill Yu had hoped to buy time and wait for the City Guard Army’s arrival, but after Willis spoke, the black-robed figures all flushed with rage, ready to fight desperately.
“You’re gonna die if you don’t speak up!”
Hill Yu turned back with a wry smile.
Willis raised her Air Blades and snorted coldly, “Just a bunch of ants, Sister. Kill them all.”
The dismissive tone was as if she were crushing a handful of ants.
At this moment, the original Willis’s personality resurfaced once more.
“All right! Fine! As expected of scum like you! Charge! Tear her to pieces!”
The Mage-Swordsman roared, charging forward first.
Hill Yu gripped Ice Orchid tightly and immediately engaged him in combat.
The temperature around them suddenly dropped several degrees; magic power shone along Hill Yu’s blade as layers of ice mist emitted, slowing the enemy’s attack speed and reaction.
“Ice Sword Dancer, Ice Orchid!”
The black-robed Mage-Swordsman glared hatefully at Hill Yu’s sword, then lunged with a stab, a slash, and a spinning strike…
Sword techniques poured forth endlessly. The longsword cleaved the air, forming a massive tidal wave that swallowed Hill Yu’s ice mist.
At one moment, the tidal wave surged forward, dispersing Hill Yu’s attack.
“Sword Sea Tidal Wave? What’s your relationship with Swordmaster Krenis?”
Hill Yu gasped, the ice mist around her completely devoured.
“Hmph! No comment!”
The opponent sneered and attacked again with snake-like strikes—twisting angles and merciless intensity.
But there was no killing intent; Hill Yu clearly sensed the real target was Willis.
With that, Hill Yu’s fighting spirit rose. Ice Orchid trembled sharply in her hand as she moved, her entire body and sword drifting like a snowflake dancing in the sky!
Fluttering like snow driven by the wind, she evaded every sword strike gracefully, like a fairy!
Snow moves with the wind but is not affected by it.
Even facing the furious tidal wave of blades, Hill Yu was like a lone snowflake, tracing the wind’s path and naturally slipping past every deadly strike!
Thus came the name Ice Sword Dancer!
Meanwhile, the fifteen accompanying soldiers had engaged the black-robed figures fiercely.
At the start of the fight, three soldiers died, their splattered blood striking Willis’s nerves.
“Ah! Protect the Imperial Princess!”
“Heh! You imperial lackeys! That wicked woman deserves to die—die for her? You deserve death too!”
A black-robed man snarled, slashing diagonally like a snake and instantly piercing a soldier’s heart.
Next to him, two soldiers killed a black-robed attacker, but upon dying, the man burst into flames, burning his body to ashes!
So ruthless! What kind of desperados are these?!
Willis couldn’t help but panic in this battlefield. Her legs trembled, her stomach churned at the sight of the blood-red scene.
Yet the dignity of an Imperial Princess kept her standing tall, her gaze sharp as a hook, scanning the battlefield.
“Air Blades!”
Seizing the moment as four soldiers were wounded, Willis struck instantly!
Real Eye automatically operated, showing overlapping traces of two black-robed men’s movements.
For no clear reason, Willis seized this strange phenomenon, and with a slash of her Air Blades, she pierced through the two black-robed figures!
“What!? How is this possible!?”
One man clutched his bleeding wound in shock. His retreat wasn’t backward but a forward roll to the side.
Yet this damned woman had seen through it!?
After scoring the hit, Willis didn’t overextend but panted heavily, retreating slowly.
First strike after crossing over, the scene filled her mind with a mixture of excitement and fear.
As the battle raged on, noisy sounds came from not far off—this conflict had drawn more attention.
The black-robed men grew more desperate, seemingly resolved to kill Willis at all costs, exchanging injury for injury, life for life…
They had come prepared and were strong, so soldiers soon lay scattered, leaving only Willis standing in a pool of blood, gasping violently.
Before her stood four black-robed men, eyes like venomous snakes locked on her!
Determined to take her life!
Willis’s gaze fixed on one of them, and under Real Eye’s effect, his true face gradually revealed itself.
[ Familiar aura, familiar feeling. Real Eye has already uncovered the essence—no need to decipher the complex magic array anymore. Oh! Winnie, it’s you! ]
Can you be serious for once? Willis silently complained to the Real Eye.
“Winnie Kanasha?”
“You recognize me?” The other’s surprise mixed with unspeakable rage.
Willis’s lips curled into a cold smile.
“I remember every part of your body.”
“Hmph!”
The elven woman gave up her disguise, pulling off her black robe.
She raised her hand, revealing a green bow with a magic-charged arrow nocked.
Elf! Magic Arrow!
“In the name of the Elf King, I grant you death! Willis, I told you—I will kill you!”
Winnie Kanasha hissed through clenched teeth. Even now, her body still ached faintly from the torment Willis had inflicted.
“Go! Ice Arrow!”
In an instant, the arrow, shimmering with cold light and trailing icy magic energy, shot straight toward Willis.
***