Chapter 89

It was frustrating for Beatrice to see just how little damage she ended up doing despite the successful activation of her Eerie-Looking Dagger’s effect.

Each successful cut with this dagger into the same target’s flesh doubles the damage dealt with the previous cut by this dagger. Stacks up to five times before reset.

All of the incredible potentials of such a potentially absolutely absurd effect were neutered by Annie’s more-or-less successful deflection of Beatrice’s first strike with the dagger. And because Ember was the one that started the fight, Beatrice’s armor set’s bonus also did not apply.

Effects: Generic-looking set bonus (5/5) - Stealth Skills have increased effectiveness by +30%, +30% damage dealt on first strike if initiating combat, +60% damage dealt on back attack if initiating combat.

Thus, when an opportunity presented itself, rather than doing the fifth thrust with her Eerie-Looking Dagger for a whopping 80 damage, Beatrice simply put away the dagger and activated her [Sharp Claws (+2)], a skill that gave her a massive damage boost for a disproportionally small stamina consumption.

Skill Name: Sharp Claws (+2)
Rank: D
Type: Combat Craft / Toggle
Cost: 24 Stamina per minute
Cooldown: 10 seconds
Description: A Succubus can extend its fingernails into sharp, long, deadly claws. Often considered as a sure-tell sign of the Succubus preparing for combat, it can also be a feign to scare off unwanted company.

Once activated, increases the Succubus’s Physical Attack by 45%, Physical Defense penetration by 20%, Magic Defense penetration by 5%

And what a change it was! Beatrice’s claws dug deep and sliced through the princess’s back like butter, ripping flesh apart and sending blood pouring out. Beatrice even wondered for a moment if she overdid it and flat-out killed the little hammer girl that proved so impervious to all attacks just moments before.

“KAHU!?” Annie’s stance faltered, her knees shoor, and her hammer spun out of control, slipping out of the pink-haired girl’s hands and whirling off high into the air, up and behind both Annie and Beatrice.

310 damage dealt

Oh? Beatrice was a little surprised. Just from the amount blood she unleashed and the depth of the cuts she inflicted, Beatrice expected to leave the girl if not dead, then at least paralyzed with correspondingly much greater damage numbers.

However, Beatrice’s only reference for the damage she did was her own Health Points. This left her guessing whether “three hundred and ten” Health Points was a lot or not for this princess. Perhaps, three hundred and ten were all of her Health Points, or maybe Annie’s relatively stylish but unimpressive in terms of defensive capabilities skintight outfit did in fact provide more defense than an eye test would presume.

But all that Beatrice’s momentary surprise did, was provide her with an opportunity to test out her dagger’s effect when it was set up with a more impressive first attack. No sooner than when Beatrice pulled her right hand’s claws out of Annie’s back, she drew her Eerie-Looking Dagger with her left hand and thrust it forward right into the middle of Annie’s biggest, bloodiest wound.

“GRUAGH!!!!” Annie unleashed a deep powerful roar of a lion and a sudden blast of a powerful, wind-like black aura stopped Beatrice’s attack before her blade could reach Annie’s flesh.

Beatrice barely stood her ground against the powerful force that slammed her entire body. But the first wave of the princess’s dark spirit was followed by a second, even greater storm, darker than black. Beatrice could’ve sworn she saw a pair of bright yellow eyes flash in the wind before the dark aura knocked her away.

“I suppose that answered your question, Annie,” a female voice announced itself with a sneering tone and even less subtle laughter. “Honestly, you should stick to what few talents you possess.”

By the time Beatrice regained her footing in the far corner of these living quarters, she saw a group of ten soldiers in red and white armor enter the hall through one of the doors near where Beatrice’s group entered from, nearly the opposite side from where the battle with Annie currently took place.

Armed with spears, with open helmets, the soldiers looked not unlike the guards Beatrice saw in the king’s throne room. And they were led by another girl who also a wore red and white set of armor, though she could not resist wearing a skirt that showed off her naked thighs. And instead of a spear, she carried a claymore on her back, partially hidden by her long, rust-colored hair.

“Now her too?” Liam asked distraught as he turned to the new foes that appeared behind them when they had yet to deal with the previous princess.

Carl shared in Liam’s worries. For better or worse, there was hardly a man who did not know the name of the claymore-wielding knight and the second commander of the palace guard, the stern jewel of the Seven Sisters, the Fourth Princess, “Asuna.”

Asuna looked around the formerly great living quarters of the High Priest and his priests and priestesses. In addition to all the blood and mutilated bodies the great hall was now also partially on fire. The smoke that had until now built up and spread just below the high ceiling now started to descend due to rising temperatures. The one big broken hole in the outer wall could not keep up with the rapid expansion of smoke, heat and fire on this windless evening.

The Fourth Princess then looked past Ember and the eunuchs as if they did not exist and asked her sister, “I find myself wondering—what goes on in that feeble little mind of yours? Do you intend to destroy the entire palace?”

“You’re just mad that I’m taking care of your mess!” Annie shouted across the burning hall, showing surprising life after what should have been a deadly wound.

“You what?” Asuna snorted in a half smile at the outlandish accusation. “Have you hit your head again with that oversized toy of yours?”

“All you go is pose all day in front of a mirror and make out with that stupid sword of yours instead of doing your job as one of the commanders of the guards and the one charged with security in the palace!” Annie pointed her finger at Asuna. “Dissent was brewing right here, under your nose! The High Priest was planning high treason before I stopped him! You can’t even stop rebels from coming and going as they please! You wouldn’t even know of them if I did not engage them in combat, all alone, risking my life!”

“She’s not wrong,” one of the soldiers whispered to the other one next to him.

“Shh!” that soldier shushed the idiot and looked at Asuna for any indication that she overheard that ill-thought comment.

Asuna sighed and shook her head, “Again with that jealousy of yours. ‘Commander’ this, pose that. When will you ever get it through your battered skull? I am immeasurably more beautiful than you. My Bloodoath eclipses your grotesque hammer both as a weapon and a partner. And the reason that I am the only one among all Seven Sisters that was given an official position with actual responsibilities is because I am not a walking embarrassment or a literal nuisance like you lot!”

“Hmph! As delusional as you are, you still could not deny sleeping with your sword!” Annie clung to the one undisputed accusation. “Will you give it your virginity too? When’s the wedding? Will you have our father walk you down the aisle to a sword in a tuxedo?”

“Claymore,” Asuna emphasized the correct term for the type of her weapon, drew it and thrust it into the floor before her, placing both hands on the decorated cross-guard. “The fact that I find Bloodoath to be a better partner than any of the spineless insects within these walls while half of my sisters spread their legs on a whim, says more about you.

“Now, please, shut your mouth and stop embarrassing yourself—and me by proxy—any further. The daily reminders that I am related to you is already more than I can take. Better yet, while I execute this rabble, make yourself useful and open the windows before the-GHUAAAhhhh~!”

“ASUNA!!” Annie cried out when she saw her sister arch her back and blood pour out of her agape mouth.

“What!?” the soldiers turned their heads to see what happened.

“Princess!?”

“Commander!!” they called out in shock, too slow to react.

While the two sisters bantered Beatrice used the cover of smoke and fire to sneak all the way behind the newly arrived princess and abused her equipment set bonus to its full potential.

+30% damage dealt on first strike if initiating combat, +60% damage dealt on a back attack if initiating combat, for a total of +90% against an unprepared opponent after activating her [Sharp Claws (+2)] for an additional increase of Physical Attack by 45% and Physical Defense penetration by 20%. Nowhere in her [Sharp Claws (+2)] Skill’s description did it state that she had to use her claws to receive the bonuses of the Skill. So, Beatrice thrust her Eerie-Looking Dagger right into Asuna’s poorly protected kidney.

542 damage dealt

But Beatrice was not done. She instantly pulled out and swiftly thrust into Asuna for a second time.

1084 damage dealt

And a third time right through the neck of the princess to secure the kill.

2198 damage dealt

“NOOOOOOOOOOO!!” Annie cried in tears as Asuna’s lifeless body fell to the ground.

“Shut it,” Ember raised her hand that was again on fire, pointed the open, fiery palm at Annie and called out, “Doomsday!”

“AHN!?” Annie was momentarily blinded by a bright flash and by the time she regained some sight in her teary eyes she was staring right into the fire that engulfed the second molten rock to fly through this hall, only this time Annie did not have her hammer when the “Doomdsay” comet reached her.

“C-c-commander...” the soldiers were left speechless as they watched Asuna’s body slowly fall to the ground, leaving three arcs of blood behind her from her deep wounds inflicted by the big-titty assassin. It was surreal for the soldiers to watch their princess in such a state. How could a murdered princess fall so gracefully and look so at peace? Without a sign of life, with her eyes closed, Asuna fell as if in slow motion, with her arms slightly at a distance from her hips, all but floating in the air a little above the ground with her long claymore falling at her right side.

“You’ll pay for this!!” one of the soldiers shouted and ran at Beatrice, drawing his spear and aiming it right between Beatrice’s big titties.

“KLHUEKH!?” that same soldier suddenly coughed blood and stopped in his tracks before he even reached Beatrice.

Shocked and confused, the soldier looked at the princess’s killer. She was still out of melee range. And rather than revealing a victorious grin after a cheap sneak attack with a throwing knife or something, the soldier’s would-be opponent was just as shocked as he was. The soldier looked down and saw a familiar blade, drenched in red liquid, sticking out of his chest after passing through where his heart should have been.

The soldier’s world quickly darkened. He did not yet know how little life was left within him and that he stayed upright only because of the blade he was impaled upon. Neither did he realize how quickly he was robbed of his senses. With his hearing and sense of pain already gone, his vision was next on the way out.

The soldier slowly turned his head to see what had happened, but only saw more darkness. A floating, spreading darkness engulfed a young girl with rust-colored hair. A familiar girl with unfamiliar predatory eyes.

A girl that was supposed to be dead. A girl that was his commander. A girl with her issues and problems like all girls, but one that took great pride in her position and always made sure to be a shining example of a soldier’s outward appearance, reliability, and utter confidence. A girl of who the soldier thought on many lonely nights. A girl for who the soldier would have given his life. A girl that took his life without hesitation or emotion.