Earlier...
Louise and Yuno has prepared their belonging and arrived at the gate, what they see when they arrive was a carriage surrounded by at least fifteen guard led by captain Gaston who now is wearing full armor, covering his bald head and added quite a bit to his height, the captain was talking with an older looking man wearing fancy outfit, Louise assume it was Count Mott.
Louise and Yuno approached them. "We're ready." She said.
Captain Gaston turned around. "Ah, yes." He looks at Count Mott. "These two are the two warriors that I was talking about, tall one is Yuno and the short one is Ellie." Captain Gaston told him.
Louise was about to ask why he was referring to her as Ellie until she remember that she was in disguise. Count Mott look at them appraisingly, looking interested.
"Ah yes, the interesting pair who contribute a lot to this city. I heard of your achievement, the pair who drive away rampaging chimera before it could damage nearby settlement, impressive. Who know, if you complete this job I may recommended your service to the Queen herself." The Count said.
"We will do our best." Louise nodded, what he said made her more motivated in completing this job, though she doesn't remember ever fighting a Chimera... Her eyes drifted to Yuno.
"Good, we be departing in five minutes, make sure you are ready by then." The count entered his carriage.
After that short conversation they immediately departed to their destination.
The carriage was going at a decent speed but to Louise it feel too slow. she walk together with captain Gaston in front of the carriage while Yuno walk on the back, guarding the rear. She feel it was a bit weird that she have to walk while escorting another noble.
Moreover, why doesn't the soldier have horse with them? It would be faster and there is no way that the army budget problems extend so far that it can't afford horse for fifteen soldier.
Maybe she was just overthinking, Louise shake her head and decided to focus on the task at hand.
"So, how long until we arrive at the Count territory?" Louise asked the captain.
"More or less a day, it's a long but straightforward road, so we shouldn't encounter any problem." Captain Gaston answered. "Any natural problem at least." He added.
"What did you mean by tha-"
BOOM!
Louise found herself on the ground, she coughed, feeling the smoke in her lungs, it look like she went flying a more than a few meter away from the carriage. Thankfully whatever that blast was it did not hit the carriage, she look around to see Yuno and captain Gaston condition, the captain was also hit but it did not seemed to be fatal as he was already standing on guard, directing his men to protect the carriage.
Yuno... He was still unscratched, the book in his hand, ready to fight. And then she saw her opponent.
They were surrounded from all side; their number must be over a hundred. Human who dresses like bandit, Orc with their ugly face and heavy weaponry, troll with their monstrous strength and she could see few human with a wand in their hand as well, they must be what send her flying.
Louise get up, checking if her body receives any injury, there was none. Her armor did a good job protecting her. She unsheathed Derflinger from her waist, ready to fight.
"You should take a few step back and joined up with the other, it would be pretty bad if you get surrounded." Deerflinger said.
Louise agreed but as she was about to step back massive wall of earth raised from behind her and another from her side, separating her from the other.
"Kehehehe, sorry but you're going to play with me now." An ugly looking man with a scar on his stood in front of her, following him behind him were a group of orc, ten of them to be exact.
"Well Gaston it went as expected isn't it?" Count Mott said, wiping out his wand.
"I'm sorry my lord, when you say we be the bait I I expect a a fish, nota pack of Piranha." He said, readying his axe, grinning at the overwhelming number of the opponent. "Soldier get ready! The enemy in front of us has twice our number but we won't lose to these beast! Let's show them what we got!"
"Ay!"
Yuno stood calmly, in front of him were the combined army of beast and human, their number must be over fifty, a human mage with red hair and pale skin was leading them, an insane smile plastered on his face.
"Well... well, it look like we only get one single rat, I'm sure the other get a more fun prey than me. No matter, after this we're going to teach that insolent count not to mess with the noble alliance."
Louise dodged another shard of rock thrown at her, the mage was playing with her, just as she dodged the attack another one come from the orc charging at her, she easily dodge the attack and counter with a slash to the neck, slitting its throat.
"Oiorgghgh!?"
The orc let out a dead cries yet she felt no sympathy for them as orc was known to eat human, Louise heard the sound of clapping, it was the mage smiling sadistically at her.
"For such a small guy you are pretty strong and fast, but I wonder if you could get over this? "The man smiled, pointing his hand her as the the rest of the orc move in to attack.
Louise gritted her teeth, she was in a bad situation and help won't come in, and the other may be in a far worse situation than her. There is no other way. She have to defeat the mage and his orc to move on, gripping Derflinger with both of her hand she run straight into the orc hordes.
One of the orc swing its club at her Louise easily moved her body away dodging the attack and severing the orc left leg, compared to Yuno the speed of these orc is equal to that of a snail. Another pair of orc try to attack her from both side, jumping back she dodged the orc attack and moved her sword upward, parrying a stone shard.
Then another orc coming at her from the side, she jump away only for her should to meet a hard stone wall.
"Ugh."
Louise grunted, of course. This guy is the one that separated them. She was cornered, the eight orc that left have surrounded her, with her back against the wall she was in a worse spot than before.
"Hahaha, nice effort, I would have let you play a little more but these orc is pretty expensive you see so I have to finish the job otherwise we wouldn't get paid." The scarred mage said from behind the pack of orc.
Louise took a deep breath. She will have to use her magic, she ready derflinger and at that instance the orcs tries to swarm her. She dodged the swing of their club while keeping her eyes on the earth mage, it was a hard task but compared to fighting Yuno it was preferable.
She jumped off dodging another attack while repositioning her sword, the tip of Derflinger pointed straight she chanted her spell.
"Fireball!"
BOOM!
Three orc was hit by her explosion and was rendered immobile, five left. She thought as she dodged an earth shard and orc attack coming at her at the same time, just as she dodged that earth wall raised from her blind spot. She quickly readjusted her footing and use the wall as stepping stone.
"Fireball!"
BOOM!
She cast the spell midair hitting the three other orc, landing on the ground the she swiftly moved in to finish the other two.
"Oirggh!"
One slash to the throat and,
"Orgghhh!?"
One slash to the chest, the orcs has been finished, all that left is the mage, Louise quickly moved in, trying to get closer to the mage only to find herself sinking into the ground.
"What?" She look under her only to find her legs sinking into the mud.
"You surprised me right there, i didn't think you were a mage, especially with that big sword." The scarred man said. "It's a good thing I am a triangle mage." The man showing her a wide grin. "Mud Coffin." He said, massive wall of mud rose in front of him, ready to swallow Louise.
Louise try to move but her feet won't budge, the mud hold on to her really hard.
"Damn it!" She screamed in frustration at the coming mud wall, this can't be the end! She raised Deflinger in a futile faint attempt to block the spell.
Myriad of thought flashes on her mind.
She was going to die.
She will never be a great mage.
She will always be a zero.
If she dies here then this is only how much she worth.
...
Hell no!
She won't be dying here! I won't stop.
She will live! I won't be slowed down.
She will become a great! I won't give up!
She thrust derflinger into the mud floor and scream;
"EXPLOSION!"
BOOM!
The explosion blew everything away, the mud floor, the mud wall and herself. She was send flying away from the mage and into the cold hard ground, her body was hurt all over and she was sure her left arm was broken but she doesn't have time for that. She grabbed Deflinger and run.
"Shit, that was insane, blowing yourself u? what the hell are you!?" The mage look at Louise with surprise, pointing his wand and casting multiple spell at her.
Louise parry the stone shard, jump over the the mud ground and blow over the the stone wall until she reach the earth mage.
"I'm Louise de la Valiere and I will not give up!" She screamed as her blade cut the man chest heard his scream.
"Ha... Ha... It hurt..." Louise breathed out, she was barely standing with using Deflinger as support, she doesn't think she could lend Yuno a hand.
"You did well, you can rest now." She heard Derflinger said.
"Hahaha, of course I did you stupid sword." The last thing she saw before the darkness consumed her was a green tornado swiping away everything. Yeah, he did not need my help at all.