Sophia and the Bloody League Part 2

A few days before the declaration of war between Quinn and Berovia.

The bloody league was already established. Mei and Sophia had successfully subdued a large number of bandits and the rechargeable stones they currently possessed reached an impressive 12.

But of course, they needed to hide their identities. If it became public knowledge that Norton's disciples were managing such a nefarious organization, the wizard's reputation would be destroyed.

Not that it mattered much to Norton, he had long since abandoned ideas of fame and power, but for the disciples, keeping their master's name clean was essential so they hid behind pseudonyms.

Mei called herself Lady Dark while Sophia was Lady Light.

The reason for the names was that Mei had no talent for managing anything and she preferred a deadly battle to having to sit and take care of planning, so she acted in the shadows punishing those she called who went against the rules.

And Sophia, despite being an excellent fighter, preferred to manage everything, making sure the league was running smoothly.

So one was in charge of the management part and the other in charge of the battles.

They wore robes that matched their names, long white dresses with a white mask for Sophia and a completely black tight outfit with a black mask for Mei.

Currently, they had an army that could defeat any country.

The two of them were already at level 22, the peak at that moment.

Below her were 20 people (21), 100 (20), 500 (19) and the levels below that were countless.

In total, the Bloody League had about 100 thousand people and they were all bloodthirsty warriors who fought many battles. Even the weakest among them was a person who stood out among those of the same level.

At this moment, Sophia was sitting at a table in the Bloody Fortress.

It was in the middle of a forest, a group of 50 towers had been built with hers in the center.

''Lady Light, we have important information.''

A messenger appeared, he was one of the 10 people level 21. His name was Razor.

He was a grotesque man, on his entire body there was not a patch of skin that was without scars. Razor's story was very sad. He had been sold as a slave when he was still a child to a nobleman. This nobleman had a hobby of torture. Unfortunately for Razor, he had a strong physique and after each serious injury he would recover after a few days.

He became the nobleman's toy. One day he had an opportunity. While the nobleman was distracted at the entrance to the dungeon, he took a razor and cut directly into the nobleman's neck. After that he murdered the nobleman's entire family and fled.

The razor became his name and he became a renowned and wanted criminal. After that, he trusted in his recovery talent and fought, always putting his life at risk. And then he reached a simple level 10.

Everything changed during the red stone event, when he was hiding in a city and then began a massacre.

From the rubble of a house, he saw injured and almost dying children. He understood at that moment that those children were like him and so he set out to rescue them. As he was rescuing them, he was surrounded by a nobleman. The battle was over and the nobleman managed to get a stone for himself.

He then returned to the mansion and was surprised to find Razor among the rubble rescuing his possessions. He quickly ordered him to be surrounded.

Razor fought fiercely to defend the children and when he was about to be killed, Sophia appeared and with ice needles killed all the knights, sparing only Razor.

He saw her descend from the sky as an immaculate white angel and save his life.

He, who did not cry even when his skin was torn off, for the first time in his life cried in gratitude and swore to become her follower.

So she worked to make him a powerful warrior and in the end Razor became a reliable warrior.

Looking at Razor who entered the room Sophia answered.

''Say, what's going on?''

Razor then replied, ''There are rumors that in the kingdom of Berovia, the old royal hero Zou Vogen, murdered the prince and took a red stone. He killed everyone present and then disappeared.''

After reporting he noticed that Lady Light trembled and signaled for him to leave.

Sophia was shocked when she heard her father's name. She was calm because she thought that since her family was very close to the capital, there would be no problems regarding security. But to her surprise, her father made a huge mistake.

She was sure that this would cause problems for her mother. But now she had a problem. She couldn't leave for Berovia in person because there were still important things to deal with in the bloody league and Mei wasn't there for her to trust. 

She could only bite her lips and make a risky move.

''Razor. Come back here.''

The brute quickly entered the room.

''How can I help you, Lady?''

''I have an important mission for you. I need you to go to this place and observe everything that will happen. Don't miss any details and don't expose yourself''

The place she wanted him to observe was her house in Berovia. There she had precious memories like the first years with Magon Norton in the old tower or with her family. Especially with her brother Han.

Remembering her brother a small smile appeared on her face, even through the mask Razor felt that somehow Sophia was more beautiful.

''Understood Lady. I will successfully accomplish the mission even if it costs me my life''

He then quickly left

''I hope everything goes well''

She then returned to dealing with matters of the bloody league. The league no longer specialized in hunting bandits. In each of the towers were imprisoned thousands of bandits who were tortured to recharge the stones.

Although there were only 50 towers, each of them was underground too.

If that small base went to war it would be like an anthill with an innumerable number of soldiers coming out of the ground.

While reading some papers and writing down what should be done, she noticed 10 presences outside her tower. Smiling, she said

"You couldn't handle it? Come in."

Then 10 lvl 20 warrior bandits entered. Their aura reeked of blood, not because of the stones, but because the number of deaths each one had caused was gigantic.

"Young lady. It's time for the league to have a new direction. We will not accept being ruled by a woman who doesn't have the courage to show her face. Accept being our subordinate. Or else all that will be left is your body."

An old man said this, his name was "Corpse Fucker." The reason for the name was self-explanatory.

Another warrior took a step forward and said, "That's right, Lady Light.

Torture can fill the stones, but the method is very slow. We demand that you hand them all over to us, and then we can give the league a better direction.''

Sophia remained seated, her white mask reflecting the light that filtered through the tower windows. Her eyes, visible through the slits in the mask, studied each of the ten men before her.

"Is that it?" Her voice was soft, almost angelic. "Do you think torture is too slow? Do you want more bloodshed?"

The Corpse Fucker stepped forward, his massive body casting a shadow over the table. "Exactly, young lady. Your delicate manner is slowing us down. With these stones, we could take over entire cities!"

"And the more we kill, the stronger we become!" another bandit interjected, a thin man with scars on his face. "Why waste time with prisoners when we can simply massacre villages?"

Sophia slowly stood up, her slender figure a stark contrast to the brutes before her. Her white dress rustled softly as she walked around the table.

"Do you really think," she began, her voice now carrying an icy edge, "that you've reached level 20 on your own merit?"

The bandits looked at each other in confusion. Corpse Fucker laughed nervously. "What are you talking about, bitch?"

"Every ounce of power you have," Sophia continued, now standing in the center of the room, "has been carefully calculated and distributed. You're just useless bandits who can't even handle their own drinks."

The comment angered everyone present.

Outside, soldiers were beginning to gather around the tower. Word had spread quickly of the impending confrontation, and hundreds, soon thousands, were crowding to watch through the open windows and doors.

"Enough talk!" one of the bandits roared, drawing his sword. "Let's show this bitch who really should lead the League!"

The air in the room began to cool noticeably, and small ice crystals began to form on the edges of the windows.

"Very well," Sophia said calmly, raising her delicate hands. "Let us see if you truly deserve the power that has been granted to you."

The first to attack was the thin, scarred bandit. He moved with astonishing speed, his sword aimed at Sophia's neck. Before the blade could touch her, a wall of ice appeared between them, so fast that the man was unable to dodge, his sword becoming stuck in the ice.

"Pathetic," Sophia muttered. With a gentle flick of her fingers, the ice exploded into thousands of shards, hurling the bandit against the wall.

The shards not only knocked the man back, but also pierced his skin.

"Attack all together!" the Corpse Fucker shouted, and the remaining nine moved into formation, their red auras pulsing with accumulated power.

Sophia stood still, watching through her white mask as they approached. The air around her began to crystallize, forming complex patterns that fluctuated like a deadly dance.

"You truly do not understand," her voice echoed through the room. "Your power… is but a drop in the ocean."

Three bandits attacked from the right, two from the left, and four, including the Corpse Fucker, came from the front. Their weapons glowed with red energy, each strike carrying enough force to split a house in half.

Sophia raised a hand, and the ground beneath her feet instantly froze. The attackers lost their balance, sliding pathetically. But that was only the beginning.

"Let me show you the true difference between us," she said, her voice now carrying a hint of contempt.

Outside, the crowd of soldiers had grown even larger. Some shouted in support of the challengers, others cheered for Lady Light.

With a graceful movement, Sophia began her true display of power. The ice beneath her feet began to spread across the walls, ceiling, and air, forming a crystalline prison around the bandits.

"Now," she said, "let's play a little."

The Corpse Fucker tried to push himself up from the slippery floor, his red aura pulsing violently. "You bitch! Don't underestimate us!"

Sophia flicked a finger and ice spikes shot out of the floor, piercing two bandits' legs. Their screams of pain echoed through the room, causing some of the onlookers to recoil.

"Underestimate?" she laughed softly. "You underestimate me."

With another fluid movement, chains of ice erupted from the ceiling, wrapping around the arms of three bandits and suspending them in the air. They thrashed about uselessly, their red auras melting the ice, but Sophia simply created more, faster than they could destroy it.

"See here," her voice echoed through the room, addressing both the combatants and the audience. "This is the power of one who truly deserves to lead."

The Corpse Fucker finally managed to rise, brandishing his blood-stained sword. "Damn you! Show us your face! How can we follow someone who hides behind a mask?"

Sophia paused for a moment, her white mask reflecting the light that filtered through the frosted windows. "Do you wish to see my face?" she asked softly. "Very well. First, let me show you true terror."

The air in the room suddenly became so cold that everyone's breath turned to thick mist. The bandits still standing began to shiver uncontrollably, their weapons too heavy for their numb hands.

"This is just the beginning," Sophia declared, raising both her hands. "Now, I'll show you why they call me Lady Light."

A storm of ice began to form on the ceiling of the room, sharp crystals dancing in the air like deadly stars. The Corpse Fucker and his remaining companions watched, transfixed, as thousands of ice spikes formed above their heads.

"Did you want to see my face?" Sophia asked softly. "You will not be alive when that day comes." 

The 'Corpse Fucker' let out a scream of desperate rage and attempted one last attack. Sophia did not even flinch. A massive pillar of ice erupted from the ground, swallowing him and his companions. Their weapons shattered in the intense cold, and their screams were silenced by the ice.

Their bodies were torn apart and destroyed by the hundreds of thousands of spears. 

The crowd of soldiers watched in absolute silence. Sophia reached for her mask, lifting it slightly to reveal only her piercing eyes.

"Is there anyone else who wishes to question my leadership?" Her voice cut through the silence like a blade of ice. "Step forward now."

No one dared to breathe loudly. They felt that even if it were the army of 100,000 men against her, she could easily resolve it.

The silence that followed was deafening. Then, from somewhere in the crowd, a voice shouted, "Long live Lady Light!"

The shout was picked up by another soldier, then another, and another, until the entire fortress resounded with the chant: "LONG LIVE LADY LIGHT! LONG LIVE LADY LIGHT!"

Sophia watched her unified legion, a small smile hidden behind her mask. The demonstration was complete. Her power was assured. And no one else would dare challenge hers.

A few days passed and Razor returned. He was surprised when he heard about the great battle that had taken place and then became furious. He quickly looked for Sophia and when he found her he knelt down.

"LADY LIGHT, FORGIVE MY INCOMPETENCE IN NOT NOTICING THE BETRAYAL OF MY COLLEAGUES"

He then began to bang his head on the ground a few times causing blood to spread.

Sophia did not stop him

Finally after banging 10 times he stopped and waited for forgiveness.

"I gave you a task, how did you carry it out?" Sophia's concern now was another

Razor then replied. "Lady, what happened was that the Berovian army surrounded the house you informed, but there was no battle.

The house was empty. After that, a General named James began marching towards the Quinn Kingdom. They say that the crown prince's assassin is hiding there. When I returned, I was also told by someone from Berovia who said he wanted our help during the battle. 

Sophia only listened as she processed the information. Obviously, she would never help Berovia attack her brother's kingdom. She knew that Han's wife was a princess of the Quinn Kingdom and she could not forgive herself if she helped in any way to kill her sister-in-law.

But this is also an opportunity.

''We will accept the request, but say that we will only help in the final battle. We will not participate in the casualties.''

She needed to be involved somehow. When the final part of the battle came, when the opportunity arose, she would appear and save anyone who was important to Han.

Sophia then continued, ''As for your sin. I will give you a chance to redeem yourself. The rebels have been killed, but I'm sure they still have followers. I don't need to tell you what to do with those followers. Besides, I want you to do another task. Deliver this box to this location. Be stealthy and don't be discovered in any way. You have until tonight to take care of the rebels and then leave.''

Razor with a furious expression left towards the 50 towers. It was time to clean up, he needed to fulfill the mission given by Lady Light to be able to prove his worth.

As for what was in the box? He had no interest whatsoever.

Sophia then looked towards the kingdom Quinn and Berovia

''Mother, Father James, Han.. I hope everyone is safe''