V3 Ch 89. Grandmaster’s last fight
Drops of sweat covered my forehead.
Veronica stopped running around and toying with us. The girl stopped in place, and stared at me.
‘Swoosh’
Yuriko swung her tsurugi, and applied a ton of skills.
‘PING’
A rainbow mass of elements and magic rained down at the girl below. However, Veronica blocked Yuriko’s attack without paying her attention. Only I was reflected in her lifeless eyes.
“UGH!”
The next moment I was kicked. Veronica pushed me several meters away but I managed to maintain balance, and attacked back.
I pushed forward with the katana, aiming at Veronica’s chest.
Unlike in the previous fights, I landed a hit on her and damaged a piece of plating.
Veronica backed off, and took a stance. She did not appear to be preparing for an attack. I started to hope that she is cornered and is losing.
While Yuriko and I were waiting for Veronica’s next move, Patricia finished bandaging her mother’s wounds, and moved closer to us.
“It is too much even for someone like you.” Patricia said with contempt.
“We all… will be… dead…” Veronica’s hollow gaze was still aimed at me.
“ONLY YOU WILL BE…! ARGH!” Veronica flashed towards us, aiming her rapier right at Patricia’s heart. The sword blocked the attack but was shattered.
“ ‘Blade strengthening’!” I tried to slash Veronica.
‘PING’
The girl blocked me but I managed to draw her attention to myself.
“ ‘Vermillion blade’.” Within the second Veronica chanted, I tried to draw the Divine steel katana.
‘PingPiercePingPingPiercePiercePiercePingPingPiercePingPingPingPingPiercePiercePiercePiercePiercePierce’
From a single attack I lost more than half of my HP. If some of the hits didn’t hit the katana, I would be dead again.
While I was trying to stand up, Veronica shifted her attention to Patricia. The sisters were exchanging blows non-stop, without any results from either side. I had a bad feeling that my friend was being saved only by Veronica’s delay in attacks. Instead of going all-out, like she did against me, Veronica was attacking slower, and less frequently.
[Sisterly love in all of its glory.]
While Patricia was trying to make Veronica stay in one place, Yuriko tried striking from behind, and received the true attacks.
A series of rapid pierces made the woman shed blood everywhere.
Before dealing a final blow, Veronica suddenly withdrew the rapier.
Once again, Veronica backed off, giving us, the three panting and bleeding messes, some time to catch breath.
“Why don’t you just stop?!” No matter how injured we are, one of us is a destroyer with a huge pool of HP, and we have quantitative superiority.
I had a slim hope because Veronica too was not looking as neat as she was. The small plates of metal on her dress were all battered, Veronica even had some small wounds. It was clear that we had a chance.
“I WILL STOP ONLY WHEN I AM DEAD!” Veronica rushed at Yuriko.
No matter how swiftly Patricia and I moved, the woman was already covered in additional wounds.
Yuriko used another bunch of skills, burdening her body even further.
“ ‘Grandmaster’s prowess’!” A rain of magic was pierced by the rapier, and turned into scattering particles of light.
‘Are you serious…?’ Yuriko whispered, before losing consciousness.
“DROP DEAD ALREADY!!!” Patricia and I tried overwhelming Veronica.
Our combined attack was enough to break through the girl’s defense, and wound her arm.
“What’s up?! Are you losing your grip~?” (P)
“Of course not. Everything goes just like I want it.” I glanced at Patricia, and saw that she is wounded too.
‘Don’t mind it…’ (P)
We tried to attack again but Veronica avoided us by jumping away.
“What is it, sister? Are you trying to run away~?” Patricia continued teasing Veronica, even though she was barely standing.
“Just. As. Planned.” (V)
‘Let’s take her down.’ (P)
‘PING’
“ ‘Grandmaster’s prowess’.” (V)
We attacked once again, breaking through Veronica’s block. Patricia was kicked away, and fainted. The nearby area was now clear of obstacles. The katana blocked the rapier, and I found an opening.
BANG BANG BANG
I discharged the guns from point blank.
When the dust settled, I saw Veronica standing on her knee. The rapier was broken, so was the girl.
“You lost.”
“I lost.” (V)
“Now…”
“Kill me.” (V)
“W-what?!”
‘Just… kill… me…’ Veronica raised her head, and looked at me with her dead fish eyes.
“Now, sheathe the blade.” I heard from behind.