132 131st Statement in Hand




 A number of silver lights glinted in my vision. At the same time, there was that distinctive sound that metal makes when it bounces.

 --A squeak!

 The flash that struck down the long needle was no longer silver, but black.

 A battle-axe, or should I say a spear-axe, with a blackened and sharpened tip. Vestalinu, the Iron and Steel Princess, had made her weapon not just an axe, but a twisted weapon that looked like an axe had been added to the tip of a spear. From the side, it was swung around by the center of gravity at the tip and did not look like it could be handled by an ordinary person.

 So I used to think. I used to think that that blunt, heavy weapon would have plenty of room for Bruder's long hand to reach.

 But that was all just a pale, poor man's dream.

"Will you give up? That's fine too. Don't worry. You can't beat me no matter how hard you try. It's the difference between early and late. The sooner, the wiser.

 In front of Bruder, who breathed on her shoulders even though she was lightly armored, the Steel Princess couldn't feel even the slightest tremor in her breath, even though she was wearing heavy armor. Her voice was as if it were crystal clear.

 Once again, the hollow is illuminated with silver. Between breaths, Bruder's fingers were the launching pad for the needle.

 Against an opponent wrapped in armor, Bruder's options were limited. At any rate, throwing a long needle cannot penetrate armor made of refined iron. The best place to aim is at the exposed joints or the breathing hole in the mouth.

 Yeah, but that's an absurd feat, of course. In the first place, it is insane to confront heavy armor head-on with a long-handled weapon. On top of that, the opponent is on horseback. Even if he wanted to aim at the horse, the horse would have steel covering its skin.

 And yet... What the hell is he doing?

 Vestalinu's spear axe swings again. With a few twists of the wrist, a few needles could have avoided the joints and been caught by the armor. But does his strong self-esteem allow him to do even that? The steel princess's arms swayed as she tried to shake off the vulnerable attacker, and the black turned into a whirlwind that flew through the air.

 The space is torn apart.

 The vibration of the spear-axe being cleaved could shake even the entrails. It's a blow that makes you think so. It's heavy, it's true. Much heavier than a mere spear, much heavier than a sword, much heavier than a battle axe, and yet still sharp.

Let's hear it again.

 A few clicks of the horse's hooves. Vestalinu's voice rang out. Vestalinu's voice sounded strangely distorted as it reverberated through her armor.

 The spear-axe was lifted lightly in her hands and raised just above Bruder.

"Do you yield? Will you not?

 That's not good. This is really bad.

 I'm sure I heard my teeth chattering as I watched from the back of the alley.


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 The morning sun blew its breath on the ground, and even when the drunkenness would have long subsided, Bruder did not change his words. In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the site, please contact us.

 --I'll go. Oh, I'll go. I'll personally crush their gears, their parent-child bond.

 I don't have any objection to Bruder going through with it. In fact, considering the position of Bruder, it seems to be a better option.

 In order to deceive people, you have to drive a nail into their soul. You need a nail that will stick, a nail that will penetrate very deeply.

 Well, considering the relationship between Bruder and Vestalines, I can't think of a better actor. You can write as many scripts as you want. If it works, it'll be a lot more effective than me opening my mouth.

 So I only had one thing to worry about.

 --Will Bruder be able to face Vestalines and still be sober?

 It's not a matter of sobriety or not.

 A person can become unserious at any time, even without the help of alcohol or drugs. It is easy to do so if you have a trigger.

 Sometimes it's the battlefield, sometimes it's money, sometimes it's a lover, sometimes it's family. And in Bruder's case, it's more complicated.

 That's what's been bothering me since last night.

 After all, this place, Belle Fane, is a crucible of chaos for Bruder. It's a city where avengers and relatives live together.

 I'm not sure how much heat you're holding back deep in your chest. I don't know how many times I've wailed my heart out.

 But at this moment, the surface of the water is in turmoil, yet retaining a kind of calm. That's all.

 Looking back, I'm sure Bruder wasn't serious then.

 I'm sure he wasn't serious when he smiled through his teeth, saying that he was going to join forces with me and thus cut off the root of this Belle Fain. At the time, I was too immature to even realize it.

 I was just too inexperienced to even realize it. I had no resources, no power, no skills, no human contacts, and I was too grateful to have a friend named Bruder to give me a hand.

 Yes, you're right. I guess I was hoping that Bruder would be able to help me. I was young and foolish enough to perceive ridiculous delusions as if they were facts.



 Because of me, Bruder died once. Once is a strange thing to say. It's enough to die once.

 Sunlight is pouring in through the wood windows. Too bright to conspire. Your eyelids blink and your eyes narrow involuntarily. The chewed tobacco rolled over my teeth, conveying a strange feeling.

 Now my heart is creaking, caught between two emotions. On one side, he cries out for revenge, for humiliation, for the murder of his friend in front of his eyes. On the other side, I'm palpitating with fear that I'm going down the same path.

"What's wrong with your face, Lugis?

 My forehead was unknowingly sweating. Mattia's words reached my ears as if to rouse me from a dream. From the color of Mattia's eyes, it seems that she is concerned about my condition.

 What am I doing? What am I doing, worrying about other people and then being worried about myself? I replied that it was nothing and sat down lightly on the bed. I felt my breath leaking out of the bottom of my lungs.

 Oh, no, no, no, no.

Don't worry, you'll be fine, I'm here for you.

 Mattia's voice sounded like the voice of a saint, full of love and compassion. If anyone had heard it, they might have even shed tears of joy.

 But I had never heard such a voice before, so I looked at Mattia with a questioning look on my face.

 Perhaps seeing this, Mattia cleared his throat and broke into a smile.

"Don't worry, Lugis. If your idea doesn't work out, I've left a path for us to follow. So don't worry. I'll scoop you up even if you're about to fall out of my hands.

 Thank you again. It looks like I got a boost from the heraldic saint. I don't know if I should be relieved or not. At least don't talk about failing in front of me.

 I shrugged my shoulders and replied. But I feel a little more at ease.

 You're right. I'm not gonna let it fall out of my hand so many times. Once, there was nothing left in this hand. No dignity, no glory, no friends, no alueno.

 So this time, this time...