I, Guinevere, am going to crush you, you curry stick, today!

Wiping the blood off her sword, Guinevere slowly turned around. Sensing that the enemy's presence behind her had vanished, she suddenly felt a sense of disbelief.

When she saw this monster, she was mentally prepared for a tough battle. After all, it looked like a formidable fighter, and according to her usual fighting style, as long as the difference in strength wasn't too great, she would usually have to fight for a while before she could win.

Unlike Artoria, who can unleash powerful magic and create miracles, I focus on attack speed, so it's inevitable that my attack power is low...

Sometimes I'll make a joke like that to myself.

This was the first time she had won so easily. Although the worry for the villagers still weighed heavily on her mind, the initial victory lightened Guinevere's mood somewhat. As she turned around, she mentally asked her sword, "These must be Neman's men... ugh, really ugly. Clausolas, do you know what his name is?"

"I don't know... I have never seen a species with such a shape before."

The Sword of Light paused for a moment, and just when we thought it had finished speaking, it added, "But I remember his aura."

"breath?"

"At that time, I was still unconscious and could not make an accurate judgment, but this person must have met my lord once—"

The girl, who had just turned around, was stunned when she heard those words. She blinked, staring at the deformed, ugly, long-armed monster at her feet, as if she hadn't reacted for a moment. She blinked a couple more times, and gradually, as if the joy she had felt from becoming stronger was all fake, something welled up from the bottom of her heart.

"You mean...this...is...the villager I met once before?"

"Exactly."

The voice was as flat as ever, devoid of any emotion. Guinevere's expression changed, and she was about to speak when suddenly, the Sword of Light's voice became urgent:

"My lord, be careful—they're here again!"

Before she could react, a shadow surged beneath her feet, and a withered, deformed hand silently reached out and grabbed the girl's ankle. The nails, gleaming with a cold light, then clenched tightly, as if trying to tear a piece of flesh from her body!

P.S.: Remember to vote!

Chapter 174 The Infant

boom!

The withered hand that emerged from the shadows was about to exert force when it seemed to suddenly collide with something hard. First, there was a muffled thud, and then pieces of jet-black dragon scales materialized, layer upon layer, covering the girl's body.

In the blink of an eye, her dark red cloak billowed high, and with a stomp of her left foot, the ground cracked like a spider web. Her arm, which was two or three meters long, was kicked away and then lashed back with a "whoosh."

Figures shifted and intertwined, the shadows of people and houses beneath their feet overlapping and separating, a dazzling sword light slashing towards the ground, Guinevere's voice filled with rage: "Come out here!"

As the sword flashed, the ground was easily sliced ​​open like butter, with large and small stones and soil flying everywhere. A long-armed monster with the same strange appearance as before was also affected by the slash. It was covered in blood and was thrown into the air, but it was still trying to adjust its posture, crossing its arms to block its chest.

Guinevere stepped forward, transferring the sword to her left hand. With a flick of her free right palm, she created a sudden gust of wind that forcefully slammed the monster in mid-air to the ground with a loud bang! Dust billowed as the monster struggled, baring its teeth and trying to get up, but the gleaming sword tip had already pierced through the smoke and stopped right in front of it.

"Is he also... a villager?"

The dark golden light in her eyes vanished in an instant, and the monster, which had been struggling to resist, froze in place, motionless. Guinevere looked down at it without saying a word. No new enemies attacked, only the wind blew past. After a moment, she asked herself in her heart.

“I can’t be sure,” the Sword of Light replied, “but I recognize the aura emanating from this human.”

"How could it have turned out like this... Is there any hope?"

"It's hard."

"Then there's a way. Tell me and we'll try..."

The mental communication was lightning fast. In the blink of an eye, the man and the sword had finished their conversation. Guinevere was about to ask for details when suddenly, the monster in front of her, which had stopped resisting, trembled violently.

Without warning, a powerful force erupted from its body, briefly breaking through the suppression of the dragon's might. The next moment, the long-armed monster straightened its body and actually charged into the sword tip on its own!

Guinevere instinctively pulled her wrist back, but she was still a step too slow. The sword pierced through her body, striking her heart squarely. The monster let out a shrill howl, seemingly a deathbed cry, yet also revealing a twisted joy. Its murky eyes widened, staring straight at the girl, causing her to feel a chill run down her spine.

She sheathed her longsword, letting the monster's corpse fall to the ground. She took two steps back, observed carefully for a moment, and only after confirming that the creature was indeed dead did she shake her head slightly: "What exactly happened..." Her feelings were truly complex and hard to describe as she murmured to herself.

In truth, she had long known that since Neman could create such a convincing fake, and even had the audacity to use a fake Death Mark to trick them, it meant he was definitely up to something more. The incident in this village was something she and Merlin had anticipated; their rush was simply an effort to avoid any regrets. But now, with these suspicions laid bare before her, Guinevere found herself overwhelmed by a torrent of emotions: anger, sorrow… and fear.

“…What happened?”

Two grotesque corpses lay on the ground, one after the other. She stood alone, clad in armor, seemingly the only living thing in the area. With each breath, she let out another muffled exhale. A moment of distraction passed, then her consciousness transformed into an omnipresent wind, spreading in all directions, revealing every detail in its path, gradually sketching a three-dimensional scene in her mind.

The Sword of Light remained silent, quietly awaiting its master's gathering of intelligence and decision. As time passed, the girl's expression gradually darkened—the wind swept through almost the entire village, yet it was deserted, without a single living soul in sight. Apart from the two long-armed monsters, seemingly transformed from humans, lying at her feet, all the other villagers seemed to have vanished into thin air, disappearing without a trace.

Several houses had their doors ajar, and there was some food that had long since gone cold on the tables. Farm tools lay overturned in the fields, and things were scattered in corners or by the bedside, showing no signs of being tidied up. Therefore, the possibility that the villagers had collectively left the area for some reason could be ruled out.

Suddenly, a weak bark came from not far away. While maintaining her surveillance of the surroundings, Guinevere, longsword in hand, approached. What she saw made her expression change.

It was an old watchdog, lying under a fence at the edge of the village, its eyes drooping, barking weakly once or twice. Its body was covered with wounds of all sizes, dripping with blood, some even stinking, attracting a swarm of flies buzzing around, and you could vaguely see the pale bones.

Several hens surrounded the dog, pecking at its flesh with all their might. With each bite, a piece of flesh tore off, and feathers flew everywhere. The hens' eyes had been gouged out, leaving only large, dark holes from which blood flowed like tear stains.

Guinevere remembered the dog. She had fed it some meat when she last visited, and it clung to her until she left, refusing to leave no matter what she did. She remembered that the owner was the village chief's son, a chubby-faced boy... Recalling the boy she had only met once, the old dog seemed to see her as well, wagging its tail and swaying as it stood up.

With this movement, several more pieces of rotting flesh fell off its body, revealing a section of white spine. Flies swarmed around it, and several hens squawked and scattered.

One of them rushed up to Guinevere, stopped abruptly, raised its head, and stared at the girl with its bloodshot eyes. Suddenly, it shattered, its bones and flesh scattering all over the ground.

A flash of snow-white light appeared, and the sword of light released its magic on its own, blocking the rotten chicken blood that was about to splash onto the girl. The blood that fell onto the soil made a sizzling sound, and in the blink of an eye, several small pits formed by corrosion appeared on the ground.

"Woof...woof..."

It barked weakly. By the time the dog came to its feet, nearly half of its body was just bones, and the other half was swaying precariously. It stuck out its tongue—a full meter long, jet black, and covered with barbs—and rolled up a nearby piece of chicken that had become colorful, put it in its mouth, and began to chew slowly.

Guinevere simply watched silently.

She hadn't noticed the dog and the chickens when she was surveying the surroundings. There wasn't a single living creature left in this village...

Slowly swallowing the meat in its mouth, the dog, half flesh and half bone, barked softly twice more, stretched its head over, and gently rubbed against the girl's calf. Then it turned around, drooping its tail, took a few steps, and turned back, as if waiting for her.

"Where does it want to take me?"

"It might be a trap," the Sword of Light warned in his mind.

“I know.” Guinevere nodded. With a shared understanding between man and sword, Clausolas understood her meaning. He remained silent, only the light on the sword flashed.

She smiled slightly and followed the dog that seemed to be intentionally leading the way.

As you pass through the village, peeking through the half-open doors, you see tables, chairs, beds, and everything else that seems perfectly normal. Apart from the fact that the people who should have been here have disappeared, there are no other strange creatures to be seen. The huge village seems to have been reduced to just two long-armed and long-legged monsters, a few hens, and an old dog with half of its body turned to bones.

The soft footsteps echoed, loud as if reverberating through a valley, yet also like an illusion created by the extreme silence. As she passed the wooden house where Uru lived, Guinevere paid special attention, only to find the doors and windows tightly shut. Due to the silent urging of the "guide" and a bad premonition, although she felt there should be some clues, she did not force her way in to search for the key.

After leaving the village, there was a mountain behind. It was a mountain path she had walked before, and not much had changed since then. However, Guinevere found it increasingly familiar, especially when she noticed the traces of battle left around her. This sense of familiarity became even stronger when she noticed them. She quickly recognized that this was the place where Artoria had fought the demon boar.

In this way, the girl already had a vague idea of ​​where the dog wanted to lead her and what the destination was.

She remained silent, moving forward with each step. The scenes in her memory and reality contrasted and became clear again. At one moment, the future ahead suddenly opened up, and a small clearing appeared in the woods.

On the open ground, the shattered stones still lay silently in place, surrounded by broken trees, marks left by swords and spears, and footprints of varying depths. It seemed that time had stood still in this open space ever since the battle.

A figure stood in front, his back to her, seemingly staring blankly at a large tree that would take several people to encircle. He didn't even turn around when he heard her footsteps. It was a thin, small man with dark skin, his hair tied in several bundles with wooden rings, and he was wearing a coat made of wild boar skin.

Upon seeing the figure, the dog barked, its tail wagging as it ran towards the figure, leaving behind only a few pieces of meat that pattered to the ground, filling the air with a pungent, acrid smell.

The girl paused at the edge of the woods, gazing at the figure that seemed familiar yet gave off a completely different feeling. After a moment, she followed him in.

“Uru…”

She called softly. The figure finally reacted, its shoulder twitching slightly, but it didn't turn around. Only its voice rang out: "That voice, is it Fina? Great, I was thinking of going to find you."

Unlike the oppressive and somber feeling I had in my memory, the other person's tone and the aura emanating from them were light and lively, filled with undisguised joy, as if they were eager to share some good news with others.

"Do you know what? The gods finally heard my prayer and granted one of my wishes..."

"What happened in the village?" Guinevere interrupted him before he could finish.

Uru seemed to pause for a moment: "In the village?"

"I only encountered two villagers who had turned into monsters. Where did the others go?"

“My Lord—” the Sword of Light suddenly spoke, “I have sensed a faint fluctuation of magical energy right in front of this human. Although I do not know what it is, it is best to stop him as soon as possible.”

Guinevere was about to answer in her mind when she heard the middle-aged man chuckle softly: "Trying to stop me as soon as possible? Too bad, it's too late."

Upon hearing this, the girl's expression instantly changed. She had made a pact with the Sword of Light through her soul, allowing all communication to take place at the soul level. However, the person before her was undoubtedly responding to the Sword of Light's words. But how could he possibly hear—

"Actually, you don't need to be so surprised. It wasn't me who could hear that sword speaking..."

Like static electricity running through her skin, a slight stinging sensation—the "weak" magical fluctuations that Clausolas had mentioned—were finally clearly perceptible even to the girl herself. Her gaze sharpened: "What's going on?"

“I was just about to tell you this good news,” Uru said cheerfully. “Remember the story I told you before, where the wife was killed by Terena and the unborn daughter was taken away…”

“I thought I would never have the chance to see them again. But the merciful gods have granted my small wish.” With a joyful tone, Uru slowly turned around—for a moment, Guinevere saw a rune emitting a faint glow on the tree behind him—but her gaze immediately shifted to the man’s face.

"you……"

"Look at my daughter, isn't she adorable?"

The baby he held in his arms, whom he regarded as a precious treasure, was wrapped in thick cloth, with only his head and half a small hand showing. His face was wrinkled and his hair was sparse. At first glance, he looked like an ordinary baby, but he had a pair of red eyes, just like Nimiao's, which looked like flowing blood.

Uru grinned, smiling happily, while holding the baby's little hand in his arms and waving it a few times at the girl.

The baby girl also opened her mouth, which only had front teeth, and stared straight at Guinevere, revealing a big, incredibly bright smile.

……

Chapter 175 Horror

Without making a sound, the baby quietly opened its eyes wide and looked over obediently. Uru held its chubby little hand and raised it up, waving it a few times like a lucky cat. Normally, this would be a sight that would bring a smile to one's face, but at this moment, Guinevere only felt a chill creep up from the soles of her feet, and she couldn't help but shiver.

"kindness?"

Seeing that the girl did not react, Uru tilted his head, looking a little confused for a moment, but then smiled again: "Aren't you happy? Look, such a cute child, when she grows up, she will definitely be more beautiful and more amazing than her parents... I really look forward to it."

"Is it interesting?"

Before she could finish speaking, Guinevere's gaze had turned completely cold. She paused for a moment, then asked expressionlessly, "What...are you referring to that's interesting?" Uru seemed taken aback for a second: "What do you mean by interesting?"

Is it fun to toy with people's feelings like this?

She spoke softly, in a questioning tone, but without expecting any response. Her gaze didn't fall on Uru, but instead met his crimson eyes without flinching. The baby continued to grin, while Uru stared in bewilderment. Guinevere's face was ashen, her right hand on the hilt of her sword, but she didn't draw it immediately.

A gentle breeze rustled through the woods, the sound of the leaves like waves. The dog that had led the girl there seemed to be frightened by the atmosphere between the group and was slowly moving away.

"Like This."

The girl closed her eyes and let out a soft breath. Her hand rested on her sword, and she made no other movements, but the fallen leaves at her feet seemed to be swept up by the wind, swirling around her.

Behind Uru, the fluctuations of magic grew louder and louder. Even though the runes carved on the tree could not be seen due to the obstruction of their bodies, a hazy light had silently seeped into the surroundings, giving the faces and bodies of the three people a faint blue tinge.

The baby was laughing, and Uru was laughing too, a genuine and warm smile. He slowly turned around and said, "I have something to do right now, I'll continue talking to you later..."

From stillness to movement, with this turn of his body, the baby's gaze left the girl, and the atmosphere suddenly became extremely tense!

"No--"

Clenching her teeth, she uttered each word clearly. With a stomp of her foot, countless swirling leaves exploded in all directions.

The damage caused by these leaves was no less than that caused by a sharp blade. Amidst a series of cracking sounds, broken branches and leaves flew everywhere. With a flash, the figure suddenly drew a straight white line in the air!

At that moment, the dying strange dog suddenly barked wildly and lunged in a certain direction, only to be knocked away by something and crashed heavily into a large tree in the distance, causing the entire trunk to shake violently.

The next moment, footsteps approached, and a violent whooshing sound swept over. Guinevere's steps faltered, and she hastily exchanged blows, only to be forced back a few steps, failing to hit the baby in Uru's arms.

She flicked her wrist, which was holding the sword, and still felt a slight soreness. Since she had mastered the power of the dragon, even when facing Artoria or Gawain who were releasing magic—as long as it wasn't noon—she wasn't far behind in terms of sheer strength.

Although she returned the sword hastily at this moment, the fact that she felt somewhat strained after just one exchange of blows was something that not everyone could do.

As his mind raced and he was still somewhat surprised, the heavy footsteps did not stop at all, and a burly figure slammed into him from the front. He was completely black, and although he had facial features, he had no pupils, as if he had been forcibly solidified into a lump of ink.

The figure's upper body was brazenly exposed, and he was only wearing ordinary pants. He was holding a strangely shaped sword that looked like a drill, and he swung it down with a whoosh!

pong——

The sound of weapons clashing may have been only momentary, but to the girl in the midst of the battle, it felt as long as eternity. She felt an immense force, as if a mountain had fallen upon her, pressing down on her and making it hard to breathe, her chest tight.

The figure gripped the sword with both hands and pressed down heavily. Guinevere took a half step back, twisted her wrist, and drew the weapon. But before she could switch from defense to offense, the drill-shaped sword followed like a shadow, attacking again. The girl could only raise her sword to block another blow and take another half step back! In the blink of an eye, the dark figure seemed to be just wildly swinging its sword with brute force, but each attack forced the girl to retreat again and again, the distance between her and Uru and the baby growing farther and farther.

Knowing that the other party was probably just stalling for time, Guinevere was anxious and couldn't find an opportunity to fight back—she had never felt such intense pressure even when facing Gawain at noon!

In terms of pure strength, this figure is not as powerful as Gawain, who is blessed with magic, and is at most on par with Artoria when she releases magic. However, once this advantage is used to the extreme, the unrestrained and relentless attacks are the perfect counter to Guinevere's swordsmanship style, which is based on agility.

The magical fluctuations from the rune on the tree in the air grew stronger, and the ripples became visible to the naked eye. Although she didn't know what its purpose was, Guinevere knew she had to stop it as soon as possible.

With a clang, the eighth exchange of swords forced her to the edge of another grove of trees. The figure looked down from above, about to strike again, when suddenly, Guinevere sheathed her sword, abandoning her defense and letting the powerful blow slam into her!

Taking such a fierce attack head-on should have resulted in at least several broken ribs, even if the victim survived. However, when the drill-shaped sword struck the black armor with a dull thud that shook the surrounding area, Guinevere only took a step back and was completely unharmed.

The bet was right!

A cold glint flashed in her eyes. She gripped the sword of light tightly in her right hand, glanced around, and with a flick of her foot, kicked a branch that had been cut by the falling leaves into the air, then caught it with her free left hand.

"The wind is blowing—"

With a soft shout from the girl, a gust of wind suddenly arose, swirling and coalescing, wrapping around the branch and vaguely forming a pale blue, translucent sword—using the power of the Sword Seal to shape the wind into a sword, a technique that Terena had used many times before.