Chapter 107: The Ambush 3

Swinging her flaming blade at the ghostly ranks, Queen felt an oddly exhilarating thrill amid her otherwise foul mood of late.

‘Well, how fortuitous! Just the distraction I needed to vent my frustrations!’

As a Rank 6 mage, Queen harbored immense confidence in her formidable abilities.

Though hardly comparable in experience, she had already attained the elite rank directly beneath her father at her relatively tender age – while that vaunted Santara still floundered at a mere Rank 3.

This superior standing served as Queen’s sole source of pride and self-assurance amid her lingering feelings of inadequacy compared to her brother.

“Haaaaah!”

Brimming with conviction in her strength, Queen relentlessly cut down the spectral assailants without restraint.

With each mighty swing of her blazing sword, phantoms dissipated into scorching embers.

Emboldened by her vanguard, the surviving soldiers likewise set their own weapons ablaze to join the counterattack.

“Gwaaaahh!”

Though some still succumbed with agonized screams, the tide had unquestionably turned from the earlier one-sided slaughter.

After a furious bout, Queen stood victorious – having incinerated the shades barring her path, most meeting their fiery demise.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, the elemental vulnerability proved devastatingly effective – granting the defenders an almost decisive rout.

True, over eighty percent of the soldiers now lay stricken.

Yet given the circumstances, Queen felt assured of their imminent triumph.

“It’s over! You have no hope of victory remaining – surrender peacefully and I shall spare your wretched lives!”

Sword wreathed in flame, she issued her defiant challenge.

However, the intruder’s disconcertingly serene smile never wavered – if anything, growing more pronounced in that instant.

As a sense of foreboding gripped Queen, the mysterious woman finally spoke with an undertone of genuine delight:

“Impressive indeed. The tales of Bohemia’s magical prowess appear well-founded.”

“Enough prattle! Make your choice – surrender or death!”

Queen snarled, perturbed by the stranger’s tone radiating almost… fascination rather than fear or disquiet.

For all appearances, with victory tantalizingly close at hand, this sole remaining entity hardly seemed a credible threat.

Beside the intruder, a massive scythe-wielding wraith loomed – its aura alien compared to the other shades.

Yet like them, it likely held little sway against their blazing banes.

Nevertheless, a profound sense of dread lingered within Queen – an inexplicable, visceral trepidation she had felt upon first beholding this enigmatic woman.

A formless apprehension she dismissed as irrational even as it gnawed at her resolve.

“To attain such heights at your age deserves acclaim. However, imprudent arrogance ill-becomes the young.”

The woman’s warm praise only heightened the ominous chill pervading Queen’s being – an unsettling forewarning of the immense power suddenly emanating from her foe.

“Th-This pressure…”

“Heheh, is it not clear? Our game of amusements has concluded.”

A casual wave of her staff, and a fresh horde of phantasms erupted around the intruder – dwarfing the previous ranks by over twofold while exuding far greater might.

Rather than tattered rags, these wraiths donned full plate and armaments befitting an elite vanguard – cavalry and foot soldiers alike materializing in formidable numbers.

Where the initial shades seemed naught but rustic militia, this force carried the unmistakable aura of a battle-hardened legion.

As the intruder unveiled this qualitatively and quantitatively superior spectral army, sheer despair contorted Queen’s features – an expression mirrored by her beleaguered troops’ horrified realization of their plight.

‘How…? How could one person alone command such overwhelming power…?’

To wield magic of this incomprehensible scale by manipulating souls rather than mere corpses…

Queen could scarcely fathom the depths of her enemy’s mastery – undoubtedly surpassing even the vaunted Rank 9 threshold, perhaps ranking among the legendary Rank 10 archmages sparse even across the continent.

It was akin to a city stroller suddenly confronted by a descending dragon – a vision evoking such profound despair.

Yet in the face of this existential calamity, Queen could only raise her sword once more – for this was the heart of Bohemia, her ancestral home that she must defend unto the last.

No matter how dire the circumstances, abandoning this keep simply was not an option.

Moreover, in this crisis, Queen knew her paramount duty with utmost clarity:

“All of you, fall back! Alert my father of the intruder’s presence!”

“B-But my lady…”

“Go, now! I shall hold them here as long as I can!”

“Kuh…”

Reluctantly obeying her resolute command, the remaining troops retreated toward the inner castle as Queen turned to face the intruder alone – sword at the ready.

‘Their numbers matter little now. Better to evacuate the others and buy what time I can.’

Having swiftly assessed their dwindling options, Queen braced herself as the woman addressed her with evident relish:

“Such confidence despite your modest abilities… You grow more captivating by the moment. Enough to awaken covetous desires even in our present circumstances.”

“Silence your tongue and come, foul wretch! I shall suffice to end your miserable existence alone!”

With that defiant roar, Queen charged – blazing sword leading her reckless assault.

In response, the intruder merely aimed her staff toward the onrushing attacker.

Until a brilliant crimson flare erupted from the castle’s interior.

-FWOOOSSHH!-

“?!”

“Heheh…”

The burst immediately drew Queen’s alarmed gaze toward the keep as foreboding washed over her.

Yet the intruder’s widening smile hinted at this unexpected development being foreseen, if not deliberately orchestrated.

‘It ended sooner than expected? In that case, I, too, must make haste. An opportunity like this cannot be squandered…’

In the wake of the inexplicable blackout blanketing the castle, the initial response from within could only unfold gradually.

Beyond Queen’s furious venting through practice drills, the rest of the noble household slumbered undisturbed.

Even the night patrols could hardly raise a widespread alert over mere extinguished lights – necessitating a more tangible justification to rouse the castle’s residents.

Taking advantage of this temporary disarray, the witch Bloody Mary swiftly infiltrated under cover of darkness – making her way toward her intended destination.

‘There it is. Just need to get through there…’

Having pinpointed the location through her earlier scanning spell, Bloody approached the specified chamber entrance.

Yet upon arrival, an unexpected obstacle brought her up short.

‘…A maid?’