1299 Sword Tyrant
"Last time, you had the sea," said Deluge with a smile as he took a dramatic pose, his index finger touching his forehead and his entire body tilting. He was always a fan of theatrics and annoying Valeria. "There is nothing but deserts around you, Valeria. How about you hand it over?"
"How about you grow a pair and take it yourself?" asked Valeria with a grin as she drew her sword, which was shaped like a lightning bolt. It was named Bolt, a weapon that had won her many battles because it complemented her ability.
"A vast ocean such as myself cannot be insulted by a blobfish," said Deluge with his head high, his nose almost touching the ceiling. Then, he pointed a finger toward Valeria. "If you surrender now, you will have a place on my crew. We will one day conquer the world, and you can be a part of it."
"You have a better chance of actually convincing a blobfish," said Valeria with a forced grin as she aimed her sword at him. "I came here for the essence, and I do not plan on leaving without it."
"I can see where Rain has learned this foolish att.i.tude from," said Deluge with a sigh as he waved his hand, creating countless ethereal warriors from the essences scattered around the dark room. They rose without resistance, turning toward Valeria with brandished weapons.
"Force Warriors," muttered Valeria as her expression crumbled. "It seems this is going to be difficult." The pirate smiled but did not seem to be panicking. Some of the essences inside this hall belonged to her crewmates, while others belonged to famous pirates that once ruled the seas.
Valeria knew that she had no chance against so many. However, being nothing but a warrior of force changed things. They might retain some of their abilities and consciousness, but their true strength was long gone, becoming nothing more than an accessory.
"I do have one question before this ends, Deluge," muttered Valeria as she stared at the handsome man standing behind his army. As expected, the sin was a chatterbox, forcing his troops to halt until he knew what she wanted. "If you are one of the Wis.e.m.e.n now, does that mean Sourna knows of your plans?"
"It would be useless to fool me for information," said Deluge with a little smirk. "Only a second-rate villain would reveal vital information right before he strikes. I can tell everything to your dead body, and it would feel just as delicious."
Valeria could see that he saw through her plans. She wanted to understand what the Wis.e.m.e.n were thinking and how Deluge could control the essences with ease. If they had involved themselves in the plan to take over the world, then this would be a disaster. Deluge would have no one to stand against him.
The warriors jumped toward her, aiming to strike her down. Bolt left a rea.s.suring weight in her hands as she slashed, sending bolts of lightning that destroyed the essences or pushed them back. Valeria used her ability to create a storm cloud inside the hall, letting her lightning strike the essences down with ease.
"As expected from one of the strongest abilities against crowds," muttered Deluge, feeling a headache. He was never the combatant, as his main focus was gathering troops and forcing them to fight for him. Thus, Valeria was a tricky opponent since she countered his strengths with hers.
Even while surrounded by hundreds, Valeria moved with ease despite her age. One would expect this pirate, who had been around for a hundred years, to be skin and bones. However, she was more agile than most, darting around the hall while evading the myriad of strikes and launching her own.
The fight was time-consuming, and the hall was destroyed by the lightning. Deluge realized that he might have entrapped her, but she was no easy opponent. However, his plans did not end with these warriors that could be destroyed easily. Deluge raised a hand, creating a portal in the s.p.a.ce next to him.
"Come over here, Jian Ba," called Deluge toward the portal, and a woman stepped through it. She wore light black armor with lined clothes underneath. Her hair was black, straight, but tied in a bun behind her head. "I need you to take care of her."
"As you command, master," said the cold woman while unsheathing her long sword. Her presence made Valeria turn toward her, frowning at the newcomer, who was a famous pirate throughout the Lesser Blood Ocean. Deluge might have used his abilities to charm her, but those were merely speculations. In terms of fighting power, she was the strongest in his crew.
Jian Ba raised her sword against Valeria, who was already busy fighting against the warriors. After the arrival of the infamous Sword Tyrant, Valeria could not spare the warriors any more of her attention. For that reason, she ran forward toward the swordswoman, narrowing the distance. Jian Ba did the same.
Valeria threw her hand, creating a giant hurricane around the two of them in an instant. It was her tactic to divide and conquer. Any of the warriors that tried to attack were destroyed by the hurricane, which not even Valeria could approach without fearing for her life.
"A wise decision, Pirate Queen," said Jian Ba as the two women became isolated from the rest. "But you will have to defeat me without any means to escape." Jian Ba shot forward toward her, swinging her sword. The entire world seemed to shift alongside her blade, reflected in its surface was the entire universe.
Valeria brought her Bolt forward, coating it with raging lightning. The heat rose to insane degrees, but even with that, it was not enough. Jian Ba cut through her blade with ease, and under the shocked eyes of the Pirate Queen, slashed through her chest.
"What a shame," muttered Jian Ba as Valeria stared down in horror. "I had some expectations for this fight." The swordswoman was clearly disappointed until Valeria suddenly disappeared like mist. "It was a mirage," muttered the swordswoman as Valeria appeared behind her.