Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 777 - 129: Self-Defense (Part 2)

Death was drawing closer and closer to her.

She didn't want to die, especially not in such a manner in front of a group of gutter rats.

Haitia's vision was becoming more and more blurred. She fell to the ground, turned her head, and stared at the vague figure of the Other Shore. However, the latter's gaze did not linger on her for even a second.

This time, she seemed to have seen it more clearly.

This female knight was not Solan, they were not similar.

"It's time to go, Lisi."

The Other Shore called out to the little girl standing in a daze among the other residents of Riverside Town, as if waking up from a dream, "You, you killed the Great Summoner!?"

Everything happened so quickly that they couldn't react, couldn't see the Other Shore drawing her sword. When they came to their senses, Haitia had already fallen in a pool of blood, her mouth opening and closing like a dead fish stranded on the shore.

"It was self-defense."

The Other Shore calmly recounted what had just occurred.

If someone cast a spell with the intention of killing you, you have every right to counter-kill them. It wasn't until Haitia lay motionless on the ground that the Other Shore confirmed this Great Summoner had no backup plan. She was truly foolish enough to engage in close combat with a knight in such a small space.

Even when the Sword of Oath and Victory pierced Haitia's chest, no defensive spells were triggered.

The renowned Great Summoner of the Silver Radiance Empire, a legendary hero who fought alongside the savior, was ultimately just good at storing magic power. The Other Shore couldn't help but think of Rowena. If it had been the latter, she would have likely prepared a dozen backup plans before provoking in such an enclosed space.

The Other Shore could only guess that Haitia had been too well protected by her family and other squad members, leading to her abysmal combat skills.

"Where, where are you going?"

The residents of Riverside Town, still in shock from their brush with death, nervously asked, as the smell of blood gradually dissipated. The people of Gear City would soon discover the Great Summoner Haitia dead in the basement of their home.

"To the Imperial Capital."

The Other Shore summoned Lisi to follow her, no longer concerning herself with the fate of the Riverside Town residents. After this ordeal, they should have learned their lesson.

As for where to escape after leaving Gear City, that was not her concern.

...

That night, the Other Shore successfully boarded the airship heading to the Imperial Capital.

The three-day journey mainly saw nobles or wealthy merchants on deck, as they were the only ones who could afford the expensive tickets. She settled Lisi in the cabin's guest room, and a familiar shadow finally couldn't hold back, revealing itself shakily.

"Heh, the Knight Commander of the Empire, huh? I acknowledge you; you're truly a ruthless character."

The "Demon King" had been observing the Other Shore from the shadows.

After slaying the Great Summoner Haitia, it noticed that the Other Shore wasn't the least bit flustered. She calmly went to the airship's tower, purchased her ticket, and paid no mind to the patrolling guards coming and going.

What's more, the Other Shore accomplished something even it had not—she truly killed a member of the Hero Squad!

It had an impression of Haitia. In past battles, the Summoner always hid behind her teammates, shooting cold arrows at it.

"You don't seem like a novice."

The shadow sat at the head of the Other Shore's bed, deeply interested in her past. "This is good. I, Meiliya, solemnly invite you to join me in destroying this filthy world!"

"Destroying public property, disrupting public order, and committing crimes against humanity can be punishable by death." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The Other Shore raised an eyebrow, though her dealings with the Demon King had made some progress. "Your name is Meiliya?"

This doesn't sound like a name for a world-destroying Demon King, not at all intimidating or domineering—it actually sounds more like the name of a girl from some small town.

"It was the name of the first human who summoned me."

The shadow said, "She was hung in a torture chamber of a noble's mansion, because the noble enjoyed watching people being hanged, so I used her name."

This was not an isolated case.

Whenever it was summoned, it witnessed the most brutal scenes. If it hadn't seen it with its own eyes, it couldn't have imagined human cruelty reaching such unimaginable levels, especially when humans inflicted such cruel torture on their own kind with a playful attitude.

The Great Summoner Haitia was just a microcosm of the empire. "In the place you're going, there are more like her."

At this point, Meiliya suddenly dismissed the idea of continuing to persuade the Other Shore.

Although this Imperial Knight Commander seemed law-abiding and not inclined to harm others proactively, the place she was headed to was full of nobles like Haitia. As long as she stayed in the Imperial Capital, incidents like today would inevitably occur again, and by then, they could naturally become comrades.

Before that, it needed to quickly regain its strength.

.........

Meanwhile, in the middle of the night in the Imperial Capital, Ethan received a message from the royal hospital.

The hero had awakened.

However, his condition was worse than the doctors had imagined. Besides the wounds on his body, the young hero's spirit was also sluggish and depressed, as if he'd suffered severe trauma, leading to new mental issues.

When Ethan hurried to the scene, the young hero was sitting on the bed, hugging his knees with his arms, burying his face in his knees dejectedly.

"What happened?"

"Haitia is dead."

"Haitia?"

"She was our Summoner, the kindest and gentlest person I ever met. She always took good care of everyone in the squad. Whenever we had troubles, we'd confide in her…"

Solan raised his head, his clenched fists trembling involuntarily. "But someone killed her."

Ethan didn't doubt him. He believed that perhaps a mental link existed between the hero and his team, which seemed to explain why the young hero was suddenly awakened in the middle of the night. The death of a teammate likely severely shocked him, awakening him from his coma.

"Who's the murderer?"

Ethan thought this might not be a bad thing. Perhaps they could locate the Silver Radiance Empire's plane through the young hero.

"I don't know, maybe it's a follower of the Demon King."

The young hero's emotions were at their lowest point.

"Perhaps, this isn't a coincidence."

"You…what do you mean?"

The young hero raised his head, carefully observing for the first time the young man who appeared not much older than himself. The young man seemed kind, and from the way the doctors treated him, it was clear he was highly respected here.

Such a person must be someone who actively does good, something evident from the fact that he cared about Haitia, whom he'd never met.

"If it was indeed the work of followers of the Demon King, then they might have targeted your other companions as well. Without your warning and help, they might also be in danger."

Ethan's words reminded the young hero, who immediately clenched his fist, wanting to get out of bed.

Ethan stopped him, explaining everything that had happened while he was unconscious, also mentioning the Other Shore who was accidentally teleported to another world due to a mysterious summoning.

"I know her. She's our Savior, our benefactor!"

Hearing about the Other Shore's identity and name, the shadow over the young hero lightened a bit. To him, the Other Shore was a greater person than he was, as she single-handedly repelled the Demon King.

"She's the Empire's Knight Commander. If she finds your companions under attack by the Demon King's followers, she will surely help."

Ethan promised the young hero, "So you can rest assured and recuperate at the hospital, and try to tell us anything you know about the teleportation magic your companions use. Perhaps we can use the same magic to return to your world."

"This…"

"Rest assured, I also know a very skilled magician who's well-versed in various teleportation magic."

"It's my problem, Mr. Ethan."

The young hero showed a troubled expression. "My job is a warrior; I'm clueless about magic."