Artemia: Journey To The Thirtieth Floor

39. The Princess's Past

I groaned under my breath as I aimed a trident towards Hiro's chest, preparing to strike all the ice plumes on the way. I'm scared that it could damage those three, which placed additional pressure on me. But because the three of them are keeping him occupied, I had to take the risk! I doubt he'd be able to notice me with all the simultaneous attacks being fired at him.

I closed my left eye as I snapped my finger. When Yuki swung her katanas, the trident had already gone past her. I grinned and created a barrier on all three of them during that instant, allowing me to lessen the damage that they would have to take. And thanks to the speed of the trident, Hiro wasn't able to evade it.

All the noises of explosions startled Yuki and the twins up. They collapsed to the ground, perhaps due to the adverse effects of Hiro's poison. I scooped them up and put them in a net with a cushion to keep them safe. Even though the binding spell I used took a lot out of me, I made every effort to get them out of that place. It was probably the adrenaline rush that was created by the potential harm that the two entities approaching. I could smell nothing but danger ahead of me as I struggled to carry the three while running at top speed. The twins have a much bigger frame than me. Heck, even Yuki was much taller than I am! I felt like I was about to die while running because of too much strain, so I kept cursing.

The two entities are either one of the generals or the kings, considering the amount of power that they carry. These three are not in a state wherein they can stand up to those two. And there is no way I can handle them on my own! I need to go back to the camp as soon as possible. I kept an eye on the squads from the top of the tree, and it seemed like everyone was rushing back to the base. Of course, anybody in such a position would see that withdrawing would be the wisest course of action.

"Hurry..." I whispered to myself as I fought to keep up with the pace.

My eyes widened when I noticed that the presence of those two was moving closer. f**k! I was beginning to worry that I wouldn't make it to the camp in time when I saw several of our top warriors waiting outside the gate. Because I had faith in them, I just tossed the net in their direction. I was no longer concerned since the warriors had immediately caught them. As long as they remained within the perimeter of the barrier, they would be secure.

But the one who is not safe...is definitely me.

I closed my eyes firmly as I raised Fuyumi's katana up to defend myself. To be completely honest, I'm a little concerned since I'm not accustomed to using a single blade. But I have to do it anyways! Right now, there is no time to complain about such things. The enemies are close, and I am forced to battle on my own. A large number of our guys are presently wounded or exhausted. Not to mention that our princess is in a state of unconsciousness.

It's not like I don't trust the old woman that's currently keeping the barrier, but I have to lead them somewhere far. Yuki, who was supposed to build the barrier as strong as possible, is now in a state of profound slumber. It's conceivable that her condition will have an impact on it in some manner. Because her curse weakened her after she was in a vulnerable state, I'm certain that she isn't in a position where she can safeguard the whole camp. So I'll go ahead and do it.

Fuyumi, please accept my apologies. It is likely that you may have to sacrifice yourself the second time around. Despite her former health condition, her physique appears to be the same as a crusader's, and she is very tough. Fortunately, her sickness subsided when she passed away. Probably. I'm not experiencing any unusual sensations, so I'm hoping that's the case.

"You've got some guts. I presume you're an exceptional fighter of the resistance?" the guy who had cards wrapped around his body asked as he eyed me with a gross expression. "Are you, by any chance, a crusader?"

"You are f*****g disgusting."

"Oh? Ren, we're going to beat this lady up until she begs us to save her life," a guy with a thick mustache said, looking at the person he called Ren.

I'm done with these f*****g hippos. They're hippopotamuses, so I'm assuming they're a member of Orca's army, at least based on their appearance. I gritted my teeth as I planned to smash them to death with my fists. This would be tough, though, since I am not in a place where I could go on a rampage. This is a dreadful situation. I am unsure whether I will genuinely die or be transported back in time if I am slain. Damn, I'm really considering putting my life on the line. But this is better than letting them try to barge into the camp while everyone is injured.

I took a deep breath and gripped the katana's hilt with all of my might as if my life relied on it. It really does, to be honest. Dealing with a single general is already as risky as it can be. But now that I'm on my own against two opponents, I'm not sure I'll be able to survive and return to the camp. I bit my lower lip as I tried to identify all of the ice plumes in our immediate vicinity. Fuyumi seems to have an unbelievable amount of power within her, and all I have to do is to try to utilize it for as much as I can.

I can do this...

No, not at all...

This isn't going to work!

I snickered and dashed away, attempting to direct them to the beach where I had been earlier in the day. To be honest, I'm hoping that Scylla will come to my aid or something, but I also wanted to make use of Fuyumi's natural powers. I'm pretty sure I can pull Dylan's attacks off if I do this, partnered with mine. Although there is no guarantee that I can pull it off, considering how I am still unfamiliar with the proper way of using those techniques...I have to try. That way, defeating these two might be a piece of cake. Now, I must believe that I can do it! I'm scared I'll end up hurting the sea creatures, despite my best efforts.

"You little b***h!" the man with the cards yelled at me when I dashed out of the scene.

"What? I assume your fossil ass can't keep up with me?" I mocked them with a sly grin on my face, trying to risk my entire life.

"Bring your ass back here, and we'll see what happens!"

"Just admit it, asshole!" I shouted back.

I'm well aware that agitating them will be counterproductive, but I can't stop myself. The two hippopotamuses were making me wonder what would happen if I managed to defeat them on my own for the first time. But I'm still holding out hope that Yuki will show up to assist me. Know what? Screw it!t I would be glad if anybody came to help me! All I want is for someone to come! It doesn't matter who...

"You will never again be able to see the light of day!"

"Sure, I will!"

I finally stopped running when we arrived at the beach. Although Scylla was nowhere to be found, I could sense the presence of other sea monsters nearby. Please, I don't want to hurt any of them after they helped me out. Although, I will definitely appreciate it if they actually help me kill these two. I mean, they are part of the resistance as well because Scylla and Charybdis are! They should be on the same side as I am, right...?

"At long last!"

While the two were approaching me, I took steps back, waiting until I was beneath the water. It's not a problem since, owing to Fuyumi's inherent element, I can breathe when underwater. They were taken aback as they stood there watching me being devoured by the ocean. I have no other choice but to try this out to ensure that I will win.

"Do you need my assistance?" Scylla asked through telepathy.

Scylla was on the sea, assisting me in manipulating the currents to my advantage. Likewise, the sea monsters were on the lookout, patiently waiting for me to approach them and ask for their help. But I am sure that I could deal with it, particularly after sensing Yuki hurrying to get here. She had finally regained consciousness, but I think it is time for me to try and get her to acknowledge me. I will be satisfied once I make sure that she would see that she entrusted her responsibility to the right person.

Anyway, I decided to employ water as armor while swinging a whip composed entirely of water around. As soon as Yuki arrives here, I have to dispatch with them since I am very certain that Orca will be eager to come down here and murder us. With that in mind, I summoned all of the weapons and strikes I could think of in order to keep these two from going on offense. I need them to remain where they are so I can pummel them with everything I have.

"Waves of Alpheus..." I murmured as I saw the two of them leap about to get closer to me, creating waves that engulfed them.

Immediately after gathering enough water and compressed ice plumes in close proximity to them, I snapped my fingers. An invisible sphere of water swallowed them at the very same time that they had let their guard down. I crammed it full of as much water as I could squeeze in it until I was certain there was no more space for them to breathe. After making sure that there was no way out, I made daggers to cause all of the ice plumes to burst all at once.

I had already destroyed the sphere before they had a chance to get out of there. I had no idea I was this strong! I took out two generals and won without sustaining a single injury, which should be impressive enough. I stood there watching the ice slowly dissolve, feeling as merciless as ever. My katana was sheathed without any sense of remorse or regret in my heart. Perhaps it's because I'm meant to be a warrior in this place, and I'm expected to look the part.

"Ivory!"

Oh, dear heavens...

"What were you doing here...?" Yuki asked as she took a few steps back and looked around. "You fought the two generals here? What happened to all of the sea monsters? Scylla? Charybdis?"

"Please, Princess Yuki, take a deep breath. I lured Ivory here by the help of a song."

I smiled at Scylla, relieved that she was around to make an excuse for me. Because this beach is meant to be protected, I understand why Yuki is upset. But I didn't have a choice earlier! It was a life-or-death scenario for me since I would have died if I didn't have anyone's help. Aside from that, I tried my best to avoid destroying or harming anything on the beach.

"Scylla! Where has Charybdis gone? Is she all right?" Yuki asked, still worried even after seeing that everything was fine.

"I don't think you should be worried about her since she's sleeping. However, I believe you should talk with Ivory first because she did all she could to protect us."

Yuki looked at me with an apologetic expression, but I offered her a shy smile in return. Before heading to the camp, we said our goodbyes to everyone. I'm curious what Yuki would say on the way back if she found out that I had murdered three generals in a single day while. I sighed and followed her, fighting the impulse to ask her about what had transpired with the illusion general. The way she acted back then made me worry when the day she meets Leon comes, so I wanted to ask. But it's definitely not a pleasant topic.

"You see, when it comes to dealing with my scars, I am a coward..." Yuki began as she wore a blank expression. "Leon is my father, and he is the King of the Land. Given my connection to the White Tigress and that I was selected by her, I was taught to follow in my father's footsteps. Artemia's goddess picked me as the next queen as well. The power of the gods was something my father had always wished to be able to grasp for himself. He harnessed my abilities my whole life, leading me to think that he was grooming me to be the leader of Artemia in the future. However, as my strength reached its maximum maturity, he attempted to absorb it."

"Oh, I'm sorry..." I mumbled as I took hold of her hand in mine.

"Fortunately, with the assistance of the White Tigress, I was able to save myself. But, in return, she must remain dormant inside me until she has completely healed. The result is that I have become the weakling that I am at the moment."

"You are not a wimp, Yuki. You were betrayed by your own father, so I'm certain that everyone will understand. You are not a weakling."

She gripped my hand and smiled at me as she did so. I'm not sure whether I was able to provide her any comfort, even if it was only a little, but I really hope that was the case. Yuki has had to bear the weight of everyone's aspirations and expectations since she was a child, and I'm certain that she is in desperate need of a hug right now.

I took a deep breath and wrapped my arms around her, embracing her tight. To be honest, I felt like I was embracing myself, which made me feel better. Something like this was exactly what the two of us needed. At the very least, that's what I believe. And when Yuki started sobbing, I realized I was right.

"You did great, bearing everything all by yourself throughout the past years..."