After riding the carriage for a few hours, I used my Alm to open up the curtain because I sensed that there was a group of people ahead of us and I didn't want Zara to wake up. The carriage stopped and it seemed like they were blocking our way on purpose. It hasn't been long since we left and we already encountered a nuisance.
"Viv, get rid of them, Zara is sleeping." I semi whispered it so that I wouldn't wake up Zara and expected Viv to hear.
I saw Viv get off the carriage and walk towards the unpleasant guests as she pulled out her sword.
"Please don't be alarmed, we don't mean any harm. We just wanted to ask for directions to the Lunite Kingdom. Seeing your carriage stacked star symbol on it, I would like to pay for information." the well-dressed man with similar color hair and features to Viv stared at her with suspicious eyes.
He drew his sword and attacked Viv without warning. Viv stepped back with ease and before she could attack, the man started speaking.
"Viviana Pescule, you are a wanted criminal and an eyesore, give yourself up and come back to the kingdom with me. You shame our family name and it's a disgrace knowing we're related." He was speaking loud enough to shake up Zara in her sleep.
"What's going on?" Zara sleepily got up and I became furious. I wanted to keep enjoying watching her sleep.
"Viv's relative is outside, wanting to take her away." I opened the carriage door and stepped outside, with Zara following behind me with a cute sleepy, but serious look on her face.
"Go away." Zara launched the butt of her scythe at the man in front of Viv, he quickly reacted and got pushed back by the surprise attack, but blocked it with a silver-gold coated sword. taking advantage of our entrance into the battlefield, the people behind him started to get ready to fight.
I could see a total of 20 people, but the only threat seemed to be this annoying man. I couldn't tell how strong he was, but he seemed well-trained.
"Not bad." Zara spun her scythe a few times and wielded it with charisma. The man unsheathed his sword after seeing that the scabbard had been dented from Zara's attack.
"Not bad yourself. State your name. I will bring you back with me for harboring a criminal." He took a peculiar stance, his sword lightly swaying back and forth and his body standing straight.
Is this the Empire's fighting style? Before I could attack him, Zara jumped at him and swung her scythe in a horizontal slash, sending icicles flying and impaling some of the people behind him.
The man clicked his tongue and slashed in a circular motion, sending a burst of electricity at Zara. Viv stepped in and slashed it down, with a darker lighting.
"Please leave this to me, my lady." I didn't really want to wait, but I decided to respect her wishes.
"You have five minutes. If you're not done by then..." I raised my hand, creating a small globe of wind in the air and then I released hundreds of air slashes at everyone behind her sibling, cutting them into small pieces and painting the road and trees red. I quickly grabbed Zara by the hip and dragged her back into the carriage, leaving the door open so I could watch Viv fight.
The man released a lighting arc straight at the carriage, his pained, sorrowful expression made me annoyed. Viv quickly intercepted it with her own pillar of lighting.
"Why do you serve someone who doesn't value human life? You're a princess, you shouldn't bow down to anyone, especially not someone like that." His hands were shaking, unsure if it was out of fear, or anger.
"I'll make sure to make you apologize for disrespecting my liege." Viv charged forward and continuously slashed at her sibling.
He parried every slash, but couldn't counter attack. Lighting was flashing with every swing they sent. Dark blue lighting and light blue lighting filling the surroundings with burn marks. Viv quickly found an opening and cut off one of his legs, but before falling down, he sent Viv flying with a strong lighting attack, crashing into a tree and bringing it down.
"What happened to you? When you ran away, you were just a weak little girl. A worthless pawn for the Empire." He stumbled and held his stance with his sword.
"I was never a pawn and I never will be. The Empire deserves to be brought down. Dad needs to be killed so the empire can prosper. An emperor who sacrifices their children for the sake of prosperity and merit is not fit to be a ruler! An Empire built on the death of children is evil!" Viv quickly got up and prepared herself to continue fighting, with blood trickling down her mouth.
"You ungrateful bitch!" He launched himself at her with all his strength, coated in lighting and his sword clad in an ominous looking light. Feeling the danger he posed, I intervened and cut off his head with another orb, I launched a tornado straight at him, with a single massive slash coming from within it, stopping him midway and glancing at his eyes one last time before he died.
"Noire." I called Noire, who was standing next to the carriage, shaking.
"Y-yes, my liege?" Her voice trembling.
"Go loot whatever you can from their belongings. And Viv, take your brother's sword."
Viv slowly reacted, her hands also shaking.
"Babe, that was so cool!" Zara wrapped her arms around me. I seemed to have scared them. I shouldn't release my power when they're so close to me.