Do I make this real?

  What if I harm him?

  What if he harms me?

  Those thoughts swirled through Stella’s mind as she charged forward. As their blades began clashing with each other, she felt the force of his attacks. It was no joke.

  Using her light magic, she cast a spell that created two floating barriers made of light. Marcus was fast, strong, and utterly overwhelming. She could barely keep up with him with her longsword, so she needed to use her barrier spell to prevent his second sword from getting to her.

  Each strike from him was so powerful, it rattled her bones. Within a minute, she had to hold her longsword with two hands, while he struck her nearly four times each second. Even her barrier shields shattered again and again when his rapier made contact with them, forcing her to back off to regenerate them.

  Crouching low on the ground, she watched as Marcus stood his ground ominously. His rapiers were aimed at the ground, and when he advanced, his blades made a sickening slicing sound as it glided through the pavement. It was enough to cause a chill to shoot up her spine.

  Facing him is like a nightmare. If I didn’t know him, I’d be frozen in terror.

  How can I defeat this man?

  How can anyone defeat Sir Marcus?

  The way he advanced, the way he stared down at her, and even the calm aura he emanated—it was that of a professional killer that would not be trifled with. Try as she might, she knew, if this was a real battle, she’d end up as one of the ugly red stains around them.

  It feels so real too. It’s like I’m really fighting him.

  I feel like I’m going to die.

  She didn’t remain stunned, though. She picked herself up and charged again, using her longsword to rapidly begin cutting down through his defenses. She began placing deadly force in her attacks, and Marcus did the same.

  She even tried to kick him once in the face, but he caught her, and she had to swirl away with a dangerous swing of her sword near his neck to force her escape. Once out of his stranglehold, Stella once again charged forward.

  She attacked, attacked, and attacked. The battle felt so real, and just as she expected, if she sparred with Marcus, she stood not a single chance. But she fought, with all her might, enough that the audience around her could only watch with wide eyes.

  Seeing Marcus’ abilities, they were all frozen because of how hopeless it was. He was simply such a powerful cultist in their eyes. But, with Stella slowly gaining the upper hand, she felt hope rising in their hearts.

  That’s what we’re aiming for.

  She blocked another swing from Marcus’ rapier, sparks flying from their respective blades as they locked eyes with each other. White mask against black mask—the scene was almost out of a climactic fight scene between two mortal rivals.

  “T-that’s the White Watch?”

  “Peter! Don’t just stand there! Get moving!’

  “Right, we can’t just let one lady fight for all of us!”

  Frederick and Peter peeled their eyes off from the deadly dance that Marcus and Stella performed, ordering their men to quickly file in and support Stella. Within a few seconds, crossbowmen from the rear opened fire with devastating volleys, and swordsmen moved into blocking positions, while a few knights charged straight forward.

  Stella managed to push Marcus off just in time when a volley of arrows nearly nailed him, but he planted one of his feet on the ground, and using his rapiers, he spun rapidly and sliced all of the arrows. It was a display of speed and precision that couldn’t be understated. Even without [Swift Blade], he truly was a monster.

  But it gave Stella and a few knights a good opening. Blades began cutting through the limited space that Marcus had, and Stella even managed to force her sword to cut near his neck. Marcus crouched low, passing by Stella close enough that he whispered something to her.

  “You’re doing well.”

  He trusted her, utterly, even when they were both fighting. She was worried that he might get triggered due to the heat of battle, but there was not a hint of that in his voice. He even sounded proud.

  An uncontrollable smile appeared on Stella’s face as they continued to clash blades with each other. She placed even more effort at fighting, going all out, knowing that she could trust Marcus not to harm her or go too far.

  This fight was teaching her many things. Even when Marcus held back, she managed to test a few techniques of hers to slowly improve her swordfighting.

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  Meanwhile, Marcus, utterly surrounded, began focusing on the knights. Three of them nearly sliced him, but he kicked one in the chest, used the rapier in his left hand to parry the second knight, and then struck the third knight’s helmet with the pommel of the rapier in his right hand.

  The two knights he hit were promptly sent flying to the nearby buildings, their bodies cracking the walls with a sickening crunch. It was enough that Stella took a few seconds to silently cast [Greater Heal] on them, just so Marcus wouldn’t kill them, and to make herself and the White Watch look better to the audience.

  But time was running out. She charged in on Marcus before he could attack the third knight. Using her sword, she pushed him back until he was forced to retreat using [Blink Step] to a nearby rooftop.

  She activated her elemental magic, specifically fire magic, to create sixteen swirling fireballs around her. Then, she sent him straight at him.

  “White Watch member!” Frederick rushed to her, sword in hand, his tone worried. “I have a plan—!”

  “I’ll pursue him. Protect your men and the city.”

  Using [Fly], Stella lunged upwards to chase Marcus. On the ground, the remaining soldiers, guardsmen, and militiamen, alongside Peter and Frederick, could only look up at the sky as a fiery battle between two powerful individuals continued, spells and blades clashing with too much flashiness.

  But it worked. As Stella chased Marcus out of the city, everyone’s eyes were locked on her, the sole hero of the day—the White Watch.

  Marcus utilized [Unseen Veil] as the two settled on top of a rooftop on the eastern side of the city. Stella dropped close to him, panting as she looked down.

  “I…I can’t believe it,” Stella huffed and exhaled. “That was so awesome!”

  “Mission success.” Marcus felt a grin appearing on his face, luckily hidden by his mask. “Those bastards seemed quite convinced that the White Watch saved them.”

  “We should spar again next time. I can’t believe it. Even when I saw so many openings in your rough technique, somehow, someway, you always managed to block and stop me.”

  “It’s just a matter of being faster than you,” Marcus said, a bit embarrassed by her praise. “Anyway, as I’ve said, good work. That piece of shit Hansa and his loyal underlings are gone now. Hopefully Frederick and Peter will react appropriately.”

  Marcus used his [Mass Surveillance] skill one last time, scanning the city. Patrols scoured the streets, civilians were now wide-awake and preparing for a possible evacuation, and all of them said the same thing over and over.

  “The Death God Cult attacked us, but the White Watch repulsed them.”

  It looked like his alternative plan might have a chance. With this, he further stained the reputation of the cult and eliminated a cowardly crook that wanted to maintain the alliance to save his skin, all while gaining a reputation boost for his newly established vigilante group.

  “Unbelievable,” Marcus breathed out. Then, he looked down at Stella. “Hey, are you alright down there?”

  “Of course I am.” Stella stood up, her tone still quite excited and cheerful. “Um…geez, it feels strange. I should be praying first for those guys you killed…”

  Marcus watched as a small patch of her exposed skin on her neck turned slightly red as she continued speaking.

  “But my blood’s still pumping too fast…”

  “You did take that fight quite seriously,” Marcus said. Then, he noticed her skin turning redder. “Hey, are you—?”

  “Blood pumping? A-ah, of course not! What am I saying? Goodness, I really need to control my tongue better. This is so embarassing…”

  She looked away from Marcus, while Marcus simply chuckled internally. She was such a dunderhead. Soon, as the activity outside slowly tapered off, Marcus and Stella disappeared in the night, changing back to their normal clothing before retiring to their hotel rooms.

  Meanwhile, Peter and Frederick immediately took control of the city and the Margraviate’s government, directing their troops into full-combat readiness against the Death God Cult. There would be no negotiations or cooperation with the cult either. From now on, it was clear that the two noblemen would be seeking the White Watch’s assistance instead.

  It was a complete utter success in Marcus’ book.

  “That…head,” Frederick sputtered as he looked at a bag containing a beheaded head of a male cultist. “Is he…?”

  “Yes,” Marcus, who wore the uniform of the White Watch just like Stella, nodded. “He was stubborn, but we liquidated him last night. Thanks to the work of my partner here.”

  Stella bowed her head lightly after receiving Marcus’ acknowledgement. She was standing beside him at the moment. It was currently afternoon, and the two were in the audience hall of the Nelson Castle, which was two miles east of Pinkerton.

  The officials of the Margraviate, both military and civilian, all moved here due to its better protection from further attacks. The entire fief was currently under an emergency leadership. Without their lord, vassals and family members of the House of Nelson fought for the late Marquis’ title almost immediately.

  So, it fell into the hands of the highest appointed officials by Marquis Hansa to keep order in the fiefdom until the emergency was over. That was why they met with Baron Frederick and Count Peter, the two men who took on this task in the interim.

  “How?” Frederick narrowed his eyes, somewhat suspicious. “Yesterday, while she was indeed holding him back, she didn’t exactly fare well enough to defeat that cultist.”

  “My master here arrived to aid me last night once I drove out the cultist from Pinkerton,” Stella respectfully answered. “He’s a powerful man, and with him, we managed to kill the cultist with ease.”

  Her tone was gentle and extremely truthful. Well, she was telling both truth and lies, but that was somehow enough to convince the baron, who finally relented.

  “I see,” Frederick nodded. “I’ve heard about you two from multiple reports already. I must say, I had my doubts, but after last night, and after the news about Esterton, it’s undeniable now. You two are the only ones seemingly capable of fighting them off.”

  Marcus and Stella didn’t reply, as silence reigned in the halls of the castle. Finally, Peter, who stood beside Frederick, coughed to clear his throat.

  “So, good sir and milady, what do you wish to gain from us?” Peter asked. “Is it a reward, or is it a request? There must be a reason for your visit after all.”

  Stella finally spoke up.

  “Milord, we have a simple request. We wish that you evict the Death God Cult from Canville once and for all.”