Chapter 38: Ninth Fortress Part 1

She landed the hit.

The army knife sliced from top to bottom, carving through the enemy’s shoulder, collarbone, and down to the lower ribs.

The razor-sharp blade met the combat suit, sparking blinding friction. Under the boost of Shatterblade Time, the metal threads woven into the enemy’s combat suit snapped one by one. Then, blood sprayed out like slender shards of garnet.

A thirty-centimeter gash appeared starkly!

No wasted movements—An He steadily withdrew the blade.

Unfortunately, the enemy had dodged slightly, so the knife missed the vitals. Right after, An He’s bullet grazed past Crewcut Sis’s neck. The enemy twisted away with all her might, but the flesh along her neck still shattered. Flesh tore open, and the flying blood droplets splattered onto Crewcut Sis’s left eyelid.

So close—just a bit more, and it would’ve hit the artery.

An He bore an unknown Innate Talent, catching the enemy off guard. She scored this hit, dealing no small damage—at least more optimistic than she’d anticipated.

An He immediately fell back, readjusted her knife’s angle, and struck again.

This was a formidable foe, hard to kill in one blow. More importantly, they knew nothing of each other.

An He stayed constantly wary of the enemy unleashing her unknown Innate Talent.

But this powerful enemy never counterattacked proactively. She wiped the warm blood from her eyelid, utterly unconcerned with her wounds. Her eyes locked onto the rapidly moving An He, her steady breathing unchanging.

The instant An He swung for the second time, their gazes met head-on. A bone-chilling cold rose from An He’s palm—she felt herself targeted like prey.

The enemy was observing her.

An He instantly went on high alert. In that split second, a subtle shift stirred in the air’s flow. She yanked back her knife and dodged. The next moment, four razor-sharp talons longer than a palm streaked past her hair, flashing through her vision—the Golden Eagle had locked onto her position. It folded its wings and dove at extreme speed, talons forward, aiming to pierce her skull and rip her flesh.

This dive-hunting speed was nearly a match for An He’s Shatterblade Time.

Without her Innate Talent‘s time-slowing, if Ide’s Tundra Wolf had been standing there, its throat would’ve been slashed open by now.

An He seized the moment to roll on the ground, dropping into a half-kneel. She evaded the Golden Eagle‘s wing swipe while drawing and firing her gun. Bang! The spinning bullet left the chamber, clipping the Golden Eagle‘s wingtip and sending a feather flying.

Almost simultaneously, a raven dove in as well, its sharp beak pecking at the Golden Eagle‘s eye.

The two birds screeched long cries, clashing midair without touching ground, entwining as they soared upward.

A few feathers—impossible to tell whose—drifted down between An He and Crewcut Sis, briefly obscuring their views before clearing again. They locked eyes once more.

Only now did An He truly sense how robust this enemy was.

Different from Ide or Asta’s strength—this foe stood steady like a small mountain. It wasn’t just her build; her speed, agility, and reactions were all exceptional.

Typical Embedded Spirit Bodies drew much of their power from Innate Talents and Nestsouls, but this enemy was a high-damage cannon in her own right. Sinews of copper and bones of iron—her body development reached an astonishing level. Just the muscles on her forearms were knotted and powerful.

This wasn’t some casual bodybuilding; it felt like she’d ground her flesh to dust and remade it with purpose, requiring unimaginable willpower.

Standing before her, An He even wondered if slashing the knife across this enemy’s throat would spark as well.

Crewcut Sis still hadn’t used her Innate Talent or tended her wounds. She simply loomed over An He, quietly searching for weaknesses.

In the distance, Ide led the Thorn Lamps into the fray with the enemy. Shouts of slaughter and explosions rang out from all sides, everywhere aflame. Sparks from cannon fire or hot blood alike scorched the back of hands.

Yet An He’s side was eerily quiet.

The enemy held back; so did An He.

She’d summoned only one raven. Against such a foe, revealing her full hand too soon would let weaknesses be exploited faster.

High above, the two birds still clashed. The raven and Golden Eagle perfectly mirrored their owners in size—the raven couldn’t fly as fast or high as the Golden Eagle, appearing utterly suppressed.

But the raven‘s mind had more twists than its foe. Its superior intellect and problem-solving shone here: during the Golden Eagle‘s ascent, the raven seized the chance, clamping onto the nape feathers and mounting the Golden Eagle‘s back.

It spread its wings for balance but didn’t fly further—instead, it hitched a ride, avoiding direct confrontation.

The moment its talons dug into the Golden Eagle‘s body, An He on the ground swiftly circled behind Crewcut Sis and opened fire.

Bullets riddled Crewcut Sis’s back—some blocked by the protective suit, others burrowing into flesh. Crewcut Sis dodged the vital shots with all she had, but those hitting her arms and legs? She couldn’t tend to all.

Then came the cold steel.

An He unleashed her Innate Talent without hesitation. Fresh gashes opened on the enemy. She closed in, aiming to sever the neck or switch to Parasitic Talent to paralyze her.

She couldn’t drag the fight out. The enemy was stronger in build, and the Golden Eagle still flew steadily as an Nestsoul—meaning her mental rank was A at worst, if not S. Prolonged battle favored the foe.

After several exchanges, An He found her opening.

She clamped onto the shoulder wound, kicked the knee pit, and vaulted atop. Her forearm and upper arm muscles locked in, choking Crewcut Sis’s throat—a close-quarters naked strangle taught by Asta, enough to briefly stun.

Then, An He switched to Shatterblade Time, mycelium threads from her palm burrowing into the wound.

But before she could tighten, Crewcut Sis reached back with both hands, seizing An He’s collar and flipping her forward through the air.

An He flew, somersaulting midair. Crewcut Sis swung a brutal fist at her head—the swelling knuckles more menacing than any bullet.

An He’s eyes turned icier. She burned more energy switching Innate Talents again, twisting her body mid-Shatterblade Time just enough for the fist to smash only her ribs.

An He crashed down, sand dragging trails from inertia. She wiped the blood from her lips resolutely and rose, knife swinging once more.

Swift reactions, ruthless, indifferent to wounds—she’d become a proper warrior, just like her foe.

She had to hold out until Ide arrived.

…

Ide’s appearance drew brief shock from several Embedded Spirit Bodies.

It utterly disrupted the First Fortress Legion‘s plans. By rights, No. 01 should be tying down Ide—but Ide’s subordinate was battling No. 01 instead.

Several Embedded Spirit Bodies tried to aid No. 01, only to be driven back to the wall base by Ide’s Gasoline Bombs.

Ide fired Gasoline Bombs at point-blank, heedless of self-injury—every shot used “Targeting.” No misses; explosion sparks ignited flesh on contact.

This forced No. 62 to keep “Absolute Defense” shields up, protecting her squadmates.

But Ide didn’t strike alone. Her subordinates and Giant Wolves formed a drilled “wolf pack,” flanking and isolating the enemy with “Explosive Propulsion.”

The leader Ide, after a few shots, grasped the field. Her amber eyes zeroed in on No. 62 and No. 71 with “Mental Healing.”

Both supports, weak in offense—far below Ide. She skirted the high combatants, targeting only these two.

No. 62 struggled to shield herself while covering allies.

A firewall split her from comrades; choosing whom to protect became agony. Ide spotted it: No. 62 couldn’t abandon self-preservation, or under barrage, First Fortress casualties would skyrocket.

Yet for this support, allies mattered more—shields existed for the team.

Thus, the soldier chased Ide’s gun with her shield. Moments later, Ide caught the ability’s cooldown gap, swung her aim, and decisively dropped No. 62.

An He’s judgment was spot-on: Ide could eliminate supports quickest.

Merciless to foes, the Thorn Lamps leader swiftly felled the “Mental Healing” enemy.

Next came the Embedded Spirit Bodies rushing to swarm her and An He.

Ide blocked most for An He.

Just as An He held the strongest foe.

Heterization enemies outlasted supports. Ide took inevitable wounds mid-fight, shifting to defense.

Without Mental Healing, the Heterization Embedded Spirit Body burned mental energy fast.

Wolves’ endurance outstripped others.

Her Nestsoul was wolf; so was she.

Head high, she circled the Heterization foe. At the faintest weakness, Ide and Tundra Wolf pounced, snapping the throat.

As blood spurted, Ide glanced at An He—not optimistic; Crewcut Sis had landed several hits.

But Ide couldn’t aid yet—the “Golden Monkey” An He flagged remained.

This transfer-capable Golden Monkey, shielded at center, had been scattered early by first Thorn Lamps. On Ide’s landing, it adapted, transferring nearby Embedded Spirit Bodies and troops to safety—now far from the minefield.

Not fleeing, though. Ide saw the Golden Monkey eyeing the Golden Eagle, poised to relay remaining forces inside the High Wall with allies.

Even now, enemies sought counterattack chances—like unbreakable reeds, tenacious.

As commander, Ide scanned the battlefield.

First Fortress forces halved: about thirty red-epaulet and seventy black-epaulet survivors. Some gravely hurt, some mobile.

Despite slain elites, numbers crushed Thorn Lamps.

Ide and Tundra Wolf charged flames, nocking her Longbow mid-stride. Arrowhead locked on central “Golden Monkey.”

She had to end it fast—if Sora were here, transfers would’ve started.

Luckily, Sora was gone from the field.

…

Heidi floored the enemy armored car, all guns trained on Sora ahead.

The controls half-wrecked in prior blast, but Heidi jury-rigged crossed wires after climbing aboard. Now the beast roared back to life under her.