New chapter
I will then post a chapter of '' Tournament of power '', and then a chapter of '' The best crew to find the One Piece "
"Gather all the people of this village." Ordered a corporal. "Don't let anyone go."
Obeying his orders, a group of soldiers entered each of the houses in the village and forced the inhabitants to leave their homes, to assemble in a large village square. With their hands raised, they stared at the weapons of the soldiers, who were pointed at them.
Threatening them, the soldiers didn't hesitate to threaten the women to order their children to stop screaming, while a few soldiers beat the elderly to make them walk faster.
Waiting a few minutes, the corporal ends up looking at his prisoners and showing a big smile.
" From what I see, we have captured a large number of rebels. "
" What does that mean ? " Wanted to know a man, daring to take a step towards the corporal.
" Who are you ? " Asked the soldier.
" I'm Viad ! The mayor of this village! I order you to tell us the reason why you are brutalizing us like this. "
" The mayor … ? "
Smiling mournfully, the corporal pulled out a gun before aiming at Viad's leg. Crying out in pain, the mayor fell to the ground as a bullet pierced his leg.
" You know exactly what we are doing here! We have come to find the rebels that your village is harboring. "
" The… The rebels ? What rebels? We have sworn loyalty to the emperor and… "
Another detonation was heard. Collapsing, a woman among the villagers fell to the ground, dead. Stunned, the villagers did not dare to move, while the corporal's revolver was pointed at them. Continuing to smile demonically, the man asserted.
" For every lie, there will be a death. "
At first shocked, the mayor ends up clenching his teeth, while mumbling.
" Monster. "
" No need to insult me! It would be so much easier if you just told me the truth! After all, … "
Firing again, he let his projectile pierce the abdomen of a man, who fell to his knees, while vomiting blood.
" ... do you really think I love killing poor villagers who don't even deserve to speak to me? "
Clenching his fists, Ieyasu bit his lip to the point of making it bleed.
" These assholes. "
"These guys are just like Aria and her family!" One of his companions said.
" Yeah! They don't deserve to live. "
Hidden in the forest surrounding the village, Nazarick's human army spied on the scene, while considering a strategy to attack. Behind them, about twenty yards away, Buut and Maricana stood watching them, holding in their hands a magic crystal allowing Galadriel to observe the future battle.
" What are we waiting for ? " Wanted to know a man, pulling out his sword. " Let's go behead these guys. "
" Don't do anything. " Sayo retorted. " If they see us rushing at them, the soldiers will use the villagers as hostages. "
" So what ? If we let them do it, they will kill everyone! By attacking right away, we'll be able to save at least half of them! Maybe even more. "
" There is no question of sacrificing people we can save. " Retorted the young girl.
" What's the plan, then? " Asked one of the archers in the group. " Do you have a plan, at least ? "
" Yes ! I have one. " Sayo confessed. " But I would need three baits for it to work. "
" Three baits ? "
" Yes ! Three people will attract the attention of the soldiers and allow the archers to infiltrate the village and find good places where they can target the soldiers closest to the villagers. "
Staring at her companions, she confessed.
" What I ask you is very dangerous! And I would understand if you refused! Nonetheless, I wouldn't lie to you, stating that this is the only plan we have to allow a large number of villagers to be saved. "
Listening to her, Ieyasu nodded, before asserting.
" I trust you. "
" What ? "
" Sayo, you are always right, no matter the situation! So, I trust your plan! I want to be the bait. "
" Me too. " Another man asserted.
" The same. Galadriel-sama asked us to save this village. She was kind enough to resuscitate us! I therefore intend to never make her regret this gesture. "
" Yes ! I would also be near a sacrifice my life to thank Galadriel-sama. "
" For Galadriel-sama, let's honor. "
" Yes ! We are no longer mere peasants or beggars! We are now mercenaries working for Galadriel-sama. "
" Yes: we are the mercenaries of Nazarick. "
" YEAH ! "
Smiling, listening to them Butt and Maricana nodded. Their new subordinates seemed to have understood Nazarick's first great rule: Galadriel's orders came before anything else.
Shooting at a new person, the corporal cried out.
" Last chance ! Where are the rebels ? "
" There are no rebels here. " Said Viad, seeing the body of a grandmother succumb near him! A group of revolutionaries just came here to stop over and rest! It's been several days since they left. "
" Oh ? So, we are late. "
" There is no point in killing other people. " Affirmed the mayor. " The rebels are not here. "
His second leg was stabbed. Screaming in pain, Viad rolled to the ground, while the corporal put bullets in the magazine of his weapon.
" So, if I understand correctly, this village has no shame in helping rebels who threaten the emperor, and let them rest here as if nothing had happened! Sorry, but, to me, that sounds like the start of a betrayal. "
Finishing reloading his weapon, the corporal declared.
" I'm afraid I have no choice! For example, I will be forced to order the massacre of this village. "
" Wait ... the rebels who came here pretended to be merchants! Only I was aware of their true identity. "
" So what ? " Wanted to know the corporal. " For us, it is better that the whole empire learns of the massacre of a village to prevent other bad deeds from being carried out! And then, in all honesty, my men and I will earn a bonus for our work! The more people we kill, the higher this bonus will be. "
Hearing this, Viad clenched his teeth even more, while asking.
" And you wonder that rebel groups appear to kill people like you? You deserve to die for your actions. "
" To earn money, everything is good to do. " The corporal simply assured. " Even kill people! Guys ! Kill them all. "
Immediately, the soldiers began to put their fingers on the triggers of their firearms. Seeing them do this, the villagers' families huddled together, while women groaned in fear, and the children cried.
" Ready? At my command! PU … "
" Stop ! "
Astonished, the corporal directed his gaze to a trio who approached them. Composed of two men and a woman, the trio featured Ieyasu, who had his hands raised in the air.
" Don't pull ! We were going. "
" Hum ? "
Looking at the woman of the trio, the corporal saw that she had a tattoo on her arm: the tattoo of the revolutionary army.
" Rebels? "
Smiling cruelly, he looked at Viad with an amused eye, while declaring.
" Mr the mayor! It is really not nice to lie. "
Nonetheless, struggling to hide his surprise, Viad tried to figure out who these people were who looked nothing like the people he had hosted.
" Leave these people alone. " Cried Ieyasu. " You want us, right? We are ready to follow you to the capital to have us questioned. "
" I appreciate your abandonment. " Affirmed the corporal. " Your resilience makes things much easier! However, these villagers are as much traitors as you are! I don't see why I would spare them. "
" There are children among them! I beg you to spare them. "
" What's the point ? If we slaughter this village under the pretext that you are trying to convert these villagers into rebels, I am sure we will have a huge reward for our work. "
Seeing the other soldiers smile, the two people behind Ieyasu found it difficult to control their anger.
" Ieyasu, let it go. "
" No need to reason with them! Each of these guys is worse than a demon. "
Nodding, Ieyasu fell to his knees and put his hands on his head. Seeing his two companions imitate him, the corporal motioned for several of his soldiers to come towards them.
" Don't you do! You, I'll spare you! After all, it is indeed unthinkable to kill yourself, without knowing if your companions are hiding in this forest. "
Suddenly he saw six of his soldiers fall to the ground.
" What … ? "
Jumping back, he managed to dodge an arrow that crashed into the ground. Less responsive than him, four other of his men fell to the ground, while arrows had pierced them.
" What's going on? "
Seeing more arrows being fired, Ieyasu suddenly stood up before ordering.
" To attack. "
Immediately the man with him pulled out a foghorn from under his clothes and blew into it. A deafening noise was heard, surprising the soldiers. Then, running towards them, a dozen people dressed in armor and with weapons in hand began to charge. Nazarick's mercenaries rushed into battle.
" What is happening ? " Wanted to know a soldier.
Not wanting to know it, several villagers immediately fled.
" Where are you going ? " A soldier cried, pointing his gun at them.
An arrow pierced his arm, making the pheasant howl in pain.
" Let down the villagers. " Ordered the corporal. " And go kill these guys. "
Seeing the soldiers running towards them, Ieyasu took a step back, letting his armored companions pass him. One of them threw his ax at him as the boy grabbed it before twirling it in his hand.
" Let's go. "
Running towards the soldiers, one of Nazarick's men ordered.
" Gobelin formation. "
Immediately, huddling together, Nazarick's mercenaries formed a perfect straight line, while positioning shields in front of them. Using their swords and spears to strike their protections, the soldiers had the unpleasant surprise, to see the ends of their weapons breaking, in contact with the solid shields.
" Impossible. "
" Load. "
Taking advantage of their surprise, Nazarick's army started running again and hit the soldiers with their shields. Being pushed back, the soldiers let go of their sabers, grabbed their firearms and began to bombard Nazarick's army with projectiles. However, even though the bullets hit shields or armor, they barely left any scratches. The protections of Nazarick's army were much larger than the weapons of the soldiers.
" It's a joke ? "
Seeing them taken by surprise, someone shouted.
" DISPERSION ! "
Immediately, the mercenaries left their defensive position and let go of their shields. Instead, they grabbed their sabers or battle axes and ran towards the soldiers. Attacking them with rage, the mercenaries were surprised at the weakness of the soldiers, who had difficulty in counterattacking.
Compared to the goblins, this group of humans seemed quite weak. Moreover, with the armor that Cocytus had given them, the mercenaries of Nazarick appeared to be untouchable. However, it was not necessarily their armor that was the reason for their victory.
With no armor on him, Ieyasu faced three soldiers. Positioning his ax against his left flank, the boy managed to counter a sword, before disemboweling the owner of the weapon. Then, twirling his ax in front of him, he deflected two bullets from a soldier's revolver. Then placing his hand on his belt, he took out a dagger which he threw at his opponent's throat.
Piercing his throat, the weapon froze the man who felt his blood clot in his throat, before entering his lungs. Choking on his own blood, the soldier fell to the ground. Seeing this, the last soldier took a step back, before starting to run.
However, rushing towards him, a mercenary drew his sword and slashed his back. Screaming in pain, the soldier fell to the ground, while his attacker raised his weapon above his head.
" Will rot in hell, junk. "
However, stopping him, Ieyasu forced his companion to stop.
" What ? Ieyasu? "
" Stop! You don't have to kill him. "
In fact, lying on the ground, the soldier had abandoned his sword and was crawling on the ground, trying to flee.
" This guy doesn't deserve to live. "
" If you kill him now, you won't be better than him. " Ieyasu retorted, looking at the injured man in disgust. " I too would like to kill him! However, if we do this, we will let our revenge take precedence over our reasoning! We are not monsters. "
Growling, his companion looked at the soldier at his feet, and ended up directing the handle of his weapon at the wounded man's skull and giving him a knock that knocked him unconscious.
" Tsss! A good soldier is now a dead soldier. "
Seeing his soldiers being slaughtered, the corporal began to flee with some of his men. Nonetheless, other arrows shot at them. Bending down at the last minute, the corporal let the projectiles pierce his men, who fell to the ground.
" What does it mean ? " He roared.
Looking up, he was surprised to see figures standing on the rooftops surrounding him. While Ieyasu and the others had created a diversion, Sayo and the group of archers had bypassed the village before climbing to the roofs of the houses, where they had started aiming and shooting at the soldiers.
Stepping back on seeing them, the corporal roared.
" Grrr! Are you hiding high up like cowards? Tsss, it is indeed a behavior of rebels. "
" Is it us cowards? " A woman asked him.
" While you were having fun shooting defenseless people? "
" You deserve no compassion. " Sayo said. " Even death would be far too sweet a punishment for you. "
" Go die. " The corporal roared, starting to unload his gun at them.
Moving away from the edge of the houses, the archers took cover, while the corporal took the opportunity to flee. However, being already aiming at him, Sayo positioned two arrows on her bowstring, before asserting.
" As if I was going to let you run away. "
Then, firing, she let her two arrows move at full speed, before piercing both calves of her opponent, causing him to fall to the ground. Hearing him scream, someone asserted.
" You are much too sensitive, Sayo! Killing him would have been a better option. "
" Me, I like to hear his cries. " Retorted a woman. " He deserves to know the pain, before to die. "
Crawling on the ground, the corporal moaned in pain. However, turning around, he pointed his gun at the rooftops, and aimed at Sayo.
" I am not going to die on my own. "
" Hey, nice boy. "
Surprised, the corporal saw a beautiful pale-skinned woman walking towards him, while being in the company of a goblin. The green man, still holding his magic crystal in his hand, asserted.
" Neutralization of the enemy leader and rescue of the village! Galadriel-sama! Cocytus-sama! The mission is a perfect success. "
" Who are you, monsters ? " Wanted to know the corporal.
Then without waiting for a response, he shot the duo. Just smiling, Maricana let the projectiles ricochet against a magical shield that protected her. Then, crouching down the vampire asserted.
" For several weeks, I had to train humans! Humans who all smelled so delicious as well as beautiful necks that seemed to beg me to bite them. "
Not understanding what she was talking about, the corporal was horrified to see her face transform, as her ears grew pointed, her canines grew longer and a broad evil smile appeared on her face.
" I'm hungry. "
Then, before he could react, the corporal felt the vampire's hands grab his head before pulling him back to her.
" NO! NO! NOOOOOO…. ARRRRRRRGGGGHHHHH. "
Seeing drops of blood splashing all over the area, Buut preferred to walk away and walk towards the village.
Emerging from their hiding places, the villagers watched in bewilderment as the mercenaries of Nazarick kill or capture the remaining soldiers. Within five minutes, they had managed to achieve a victory, without one of them having died.
" It's awesome. " A mercenary asserted, looking at his sword. " These weapons are breathtaking. "
" It is rather these superb armors which are brilliant. " Retorted a man, typing his own. " I feel like I'm invulnerable. "
" Galadriel-sama was really too kind to give us all these weapons. " A woman said, rubbing her daggers against her cheek. " With that, I'm not even afraid to fight. "
" Why be afraid? " These guys were nothing. " Buut and the other goblins are ten times more formidable. "
" Yeah! By training with them, we have become invincible. "
Hearing them rejoice, the villagers could not understand who they were. Finally, seeing their stunned gazes, Ieyasu walked over to them, before screaming.
" You have nothing more to fear! We mercenaries of Nazarick swear your protection. "
" Na .. Nazarick? " A man wondered. " Who are you ? "
Turning to a woman in his group, Ieyasu nodded to her. Immediately, his comrade advanced towards the villagers, while holding a flag. Planting it in the ground, she allowed everyone to see a pavilion with a symbol that was unknown to them!
"All of you, listen to me! In this country, many injustices are committed and go unpunished! As these soldiers wanted to do with you, many people organize massacres for their interests or simply for fun! The emperor of this country is a person who allows these injustices to be done and who leaves you to die without doing anything to help you!
"You ... Are you the revolutionary army?"
"No! We are the mercenaries of Nazarick! Who is led by the witch queen."
"The witch queen?"
" Yes ! For now, she's sending us to fight! But you will see that soon she will come herself to save this empire! And to help her, she will need a people who are ready to welcome her! And with her power, she will give this country a second wind! Yes ! She will succeed in creating an empire where we can live in peace. "
Listening to him silently, the villagers simply stared at Ieyasu who cried out.
" Villagers ! The soldiers will surely come back to kill you! But do not worry! From today, the Witch Queen has decided that your village will become her territory and kill anyone who tries to slaughter you! From now on, you are part of its territory! You no longer need to work like beasts, while being taxed over and over again! The witch queen will grant you blessing, protection and peace. "
Listening to him, the villagers remained silent. Then, finally, one of them fell to his knees, before starting to pray.
" It is not a dream! Has that day actually arrived? Someone really came to save us. "
" Declare that your village belongs to Nazarck territory and nothing will happen to you again. " Assured Sayo.
" Yes! You will become the first village of the future empire of the witch queen. "
Hearing the duo, the villagers fell to their knees one by one, before starting to pray.
Being in his office, Galadriel had watched the entire fight, while being in the company of Cocytus. Silent, the warrior had watched the fight of his subordinates and although this battle had not been extraordinary, he was proud to see how much his men had improved in less than a month! Each of them now had a potency far above a human's normal potency.
For her part, Galadriel had remained stoic and seemed thoughtful. Glancing at her, Cocytus was unable to tell what his mistress was thinking. Tapping her fingers on her desk, Galadriel eventually showed a sign of irritation.
" Cocytus. "
" Yes ? "
" Bring the head of Nazarick's human army to my office! I would need to talk to him. "
" Cer ... Certainly, My. Lady ! "
Falling to the ground, a man began to cry in fear as he cried out.
" Stop, please! I surrender. "
Seeing his hurt and tearful face, the person who attacked him, couldn't help but smile ecstatically.
" Yes ! I love this face! This terror and this desolation… it's perfect. "
Looking at the tanned-skinned woman in front of him, the man, known to be a serial killer who amused himself by terrorizing nearby villages and raping women, was now like a helpless baby.
" Spare me, I beg of you. "
Continuing to appreciate the state of his face, Lupusregina just laughed, while retorting.
" In your dreams ! I really want to be mean to you! So I'm going to torture you a bit before I kill you. "
Running to a place where cries of agony could be heard, a group of rebels halted, seeing the last recruit on their base, smiling, while watching the lacerated body of the former serial killer.
" Re… Regina? " A rebel wondered.
" Hi, guys. " Cried the pleiad. " You took a long time! I have already killed the target. "
" You had no right to leave the base, as you did to go fight against him! Are you crazy What would you have done, if he ever got the chance to get the better of you? "
Staring at him, Regina suddenly laughed, asserting herself.
" You are so funny, guys! As if a guy like him had the slightest chance of defeating me! Come on, I'm going back to base. "
Seeing her go away, as if nothing had happened, a revolutionary was going to order her to stop. Yet a man stopped him, grabbing him arm.
" Let her do it. "
" But, chief? She has no respect for you and does not listen to any of your orders.
" She is dangerous. " The man simply stated, looking at the corpse of the former serial killer. " Timtok! He was known to have killed over fifty people and his power was so high that it was unthinkable to defeat him without the help of a teigu! However, she killed him, without him being able to make her the slightest scratch. "
Watching Regina go, the leader of the rebel base in the southern empire declared.
" He is a worthy recruit to be part of Night Raid. "
For her part, starting to sigh, Regina put on a bored face.
" Damn it! This mission is a failure! If Galadriel-sama sent me here, it was so that I could investigate the strongest people in this region and find new teigus! But no one I murdered had any! It's sad. "
Still, thinking back to Timtok's arrogant face before their fight, the Pleiades once again put on a sadistic smile, while declaring.
" There are so many killers in this world who think they are invulnerable! It is so satisfying to see them cry in terror. "
Spinning his battle spear, Bulat attempted to block Aura's assaults. Fighting with his bare hands, the elf had no trouble blocking the Colossus's weapon, before pretending to hit him. Still having to hold back her strength, she voluntarily gave Bulat time to dodge her punches, before attempting a counterattack.
The colossus was not fooled. Having fought Aura many times, he quickly saw signs of trouble on the elf's face, showing how bored she was fighting him. Yet he continued to fight her without saying anything. Yes, he hoped that continuing to fight her, time and time again, would improve him and allow him to gain strength.
And he was sure of it even as he felt himself getting stronger. His progress was slow, but he was getting stronger.
" Will have ! A day I will beat you! I promise. "
Suddenly, wanting to finish their 'fight', the tomboy dodged Bulat's battle spear before finding himself in front of his chest which she slammed. Dropping his weapon, Bulat stood motionless for a few seconds with his mouth wide open.
Finally, the man fell to the ground. Looking at him silently, Aura just nodded, before quietly walking away.
" I'm going to go hunting! Maybe it could entertain me. "
" This ... It's not over. "
Surprised, the elf turned to see Bulat start to stand up.
" Hum? Is it me or have you become much more resistant than before? "
Containing a smile, Bulat declared.
'' I don't know what hell Galadriel-san put you through, but, anyway, it looks like she managed to make you invincible! I am jealous of it. "
Eventually getting to his feet, he said.
" You are the perfect opponent for me, Aura-kun. "
" Perfect ? Are you kidding? How would an opponent who has fun knocking you down be perfect to fight? "
" What interest is there in fighting weaker opponents? " Wanted to know Bulat. " If I want to train, I have to fight people like you! And no matter how many times you knock me down, I know for a fact that in the end, it can only make me stronger! There is nothing humiliating to lose against you. "
Listening to him, Aura couldn't hide her surprise as she listened to the words of this strange human. Even ignoring that Aura was a superior being, the man had no shame in putting himself down. Smarter than most humans, he knew it would benefit him in the future.
Shrugging again, Aura said.
" Indeed, you can not know what I went through fighting alongside Galadriel-sama! However, know one thing! Mare and I are not like you or the rest of Night Raid! We are different . "
Thinking she was speaking ironically, Bulat said.
'' It doesn't matter if you're different, Aura-kun! Me, I appreciate you as you are. "
" Idiot ! You can't understand what I'm trying to tell you. "
Suddenly, she was surprised to feel the man put his hand on her head, while asserting.
" I know that you and Mare were treated as slaves! The humans you belonged to have surely treated you as mere objects! But you don't have to worry! I don't see you like that! You are now a precious companion with whom I enjoy training! Aura-kun, you don't have to feel different because of your past. "
Looking suddenly lowered, Aura grabbed his arm, before throwing Bulat's body to the ground. Then she walked away mumbling.
" Fool of human. "
Surprised, Bulat stayed on the ground, wondering.
" Did I say something stupid? "
Level power :
Esdeath : 51
Bulat : 39 ( + 1 )
Akame : 35
Leone : 35
Ieyasu : 28 ( + 3 )
Tatsumi : 27 ( + 1 )
Sayo : 27 ( + 3 )