Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 1170 - 282: The Battle Belonging to the Girls

Chapter 1170: Chapter 282: The Battle Belonging to the Girls

"Actually, she probably couldn’t help wanting to tell the secrets of the moribunds, I bet." Watching the female ghoul known as Matilda bite her lip and leave the Great Ceremony Hall, Freya said from behind Pannis in a ghostly tone, "Why did you cut her off before she could finish when you weren’t even forcing her?"

"This is a matter of life and death for her," Pannis said, his gaze flickering, "How could she casually speak of it? Besides, I didn’t stop her, you know."

"I’m not an idiot," Freya rolled her eyes and retorted, "A lowly, insignificant soul, ignored by everyone when most helpless, yet at that moment, a prominent figure extends a hand, pulling her out of her inner confusion. Perhaps by then, she already worshiped you as a second deity, and after more than a hundred years, you could accurately call out the name of someone you had seen only once. The gratitude in her heart at that moment must have been enough for her to tell you all the secrets she’d been hiding."

"Hahaha, is that so? I wasn’t aware of that," Pannis laughed dryly, glancing up at the ceiling, "And about the name, I just made one up on the spot—it couldn’t possibly have been correct. See, when she looked back just now, she wanted to tell me, ’You got the name wrong, I don’t know any Matilda.’ Lucky for me, I was quick-witted enough to interrupt her. Otherwise, how embarrassing would it have been if she called me out? Hahaha."

"Tsk, could you act any dumber?" Catherine was exasperated by Pannis’s antics but still told Freya, "I don’t think what he did was wrong, even if Matilda had revealed the secret of the moribunds. What she wanted to say was probably the reason she hoped we would turn back, but do you think we still have a chance to turn back now? If so, why bother making someone who doesn’t want to be our enemy choose a pointless death?"

"I never said he was wrong," the princess, no matter how her form changed, always had a captivating gaze; her beautiful eyes landed on Pannis and the corners of Freya’s mouth curved slightly as she spoke softly, "But it’s him making such choices that’s our familiar Pannis, that makes us... Oh, Prince Zicofield, your tenderness has illuminated my bleak future and warmed my cold heart, I..."

"Bang," this time it was Catherine who struck, her knightly fist landing on the head of the princess, who was gearing up for an emotional recitation. She said sternly, "Know your surroundings if you want to fool around; this is not the place for you to go crazy. Besides, this drama is not for your amusement, you fool."

"Ow, I get it," the princess wore a heartbreakingly pitiful look, holding her head and saying grievously, "I won’t play anymore, wahhh, big sis is bullying me."

"Hmph." With the threat from Freya violently suppressed, Catherine turned to look at the believers who continued to worship and pray to the statue of Danacus, acting as if these intruders didn’t exist, and sighed, "Pannis, what do you plan to do?"

"Don’t you already know?" Pannis smiled, tightening the sleeve of his swordsman’s attire as he spoke, "And haven’t you already made a decision? Why ask me then?"

"That’s true," Catherine smiled and nodded in agreement, "I thought you wanted to stop us."

"I wouldn’t do something so foolish. Whatever decision you make, nothing I say is going to change it," Pannis shrugged and spoke with ease, "Besides, I don’t have a better way to solve the current problem, and even if I could figure out a way for us to break into Between the Rituals together, I wouldn’t do it. Facing any of the moribunds would be far riskier than facing these enemies in front of us. I suppose that’s why the moribunds have arranged for these core believers to be here instead of together Between the Rituals."

"Don’t worry about us," Catherine said softly, her cheeks blushing as she looked down and helped Pannis put on the wristguard for his other hand, "We won’t lose, even if we are up against more than ten times our number. In the end, we will emerge victorious and won’t slow you down."

"If you have confidence in victory against more than ten times the enemy, then I’m only facing double," Pannis said confidently, patting the shoulder of each girl, even poking Nis’s little skull peeking from her backpack, and with the little guy’s half-comprehending protests, he burst out laughing. As his laughter echoed, he turned and headed towards the door leading to the inner sanctuary, waving his hand without looking back, "I’m off, see you all in a bit."

"See you in a bit." The girls stood side by side, sending Pannis off with a salute, and Catherine spoke tenderly, "We’ll wait here for your triumphant return. Come back soon, and we’ll all go home together."

"Squeak," the heavy door was slowly pushed open, then slowly closed. Although the positions of both parties were still clear in the perception of energy, the closure of the door visually separated them into two worlds. In the instant after the door closed, the smiles on the faces of both Pannis on one side, and the young girls on the other, completely vanished, replaced by solemnity and seriousness. Perhaps everyone knew that the other side was just feigning ease to comfort themselves; perhaps everyone knew that the other side also understood their own ease was a pretense. But in those last moments of farewell, the men and women on both sides chose the same approach, hoping to enable the other to face their battle with as little psychological burden as possible.

Gazing at the now-closed door, the girls were silent for a long time, until Catherine sighed deeply and took a deep breath. In the girls’ hearing, the sounds of praying from behind them suddenly ceased, as though all the enemies had vanished into thin air. But of course, that was impossible; the enemies couldn’t just disappear—they were simply preparing for battle.

The girls looked at each other. An unprecedented pressure made it inevitable for them to feel somewhat nervous. But amidst that tension, a strange excitement and urge stalked the depths of their hearts. Facing strong enemies, danger, battle, the unknown, and death, the blood of adventurers filled their hearts with a craving for battle under extreme suppression. Perhaps, this was the life that should belong to adventurers, the reason why they were so passionate about it—to walk amid great peril, to wander between the gleam of swords and magic, until the very end, facing either victory or death.

"Are you ready, my sisters?" The impulse and excitement beyond consciousness made the knight girl unaware of the peculiar smile on her face. Catherine gripped her sword and shield tighter, "Are you ready to adorn the victory ball with the death of the wicked?"

"As you can see," Freya showed none of her usual laziness and frailty, her eyes bright like unsheathed blades, speaking in a singing lament, "Blood brewed into fine wine, skeletons laid as the carpet, wraiths gathered as lamps, skulls cast into goblets; dancing amidst flames and wails, let the cries of our enemies be the most beautiful accompaniment. We shall emerge as the ultimate victors, dancing on the stage of victory, leaving their hatred and unwillingness to witness the moment we are crowned as kings."

"Are you really trying to boost morale?" Vivian, with her left hand loosely gripped, her middle finger retracted inward, condensed an energy orb in her palm, while clutching her magic staff in the other hand, habitually struck at the princess with a jab, "If they’d known in advance that this messy scene is what follows victory, I bet the outcome of countless battles would have been different. Those warriors, they’d probably prefer to lose than to show up at such a distasteful ball."

"You can still argue; seems like you’ve all adjusted your state of mind." Catherine nodded in satisfaction, but then asked with some concern, "Lina, are you okay? You’ve been so quiet, which isn’t like you at all."

"Because they bullied me," Lina pouted, looking petulant, "They said this is my battle and they wouldn’t help me. They even said it’s time for me to face it alone, and it’s their turn to watch and mock from the sidelines. Worst of all, some idiot said when I die, she’ll come to help me, but she would consume my soul. These dummies—I’ll settle the score with them when I get back."

"Heh, that’s their way of helping you," Catherine said, "and when you’re truly in dire straits, they won’t stand by and watch you get hurt."

"I know, it’s for my own good," Lina nodded but still waved her mace as she spoke, "Yet I’m still upset, so next time I’ll make them regret daring to bully me today."

"Seems like you’ve said that before, but every time, you’re the one begging for mercy," Vivian remarked mercilessly, "I think the outcome will be the same this time."

Thus, the flames of war, inevitably, spread from the two mages to a third person, Catherine shook her head with a smile, disregarding the three girls who used this to adjust their mindset, turning her gaze to Ava, who was silent. The artificial girl responded to Catherine’s look with an expressionless face, woodenly.

"What’s on your mind, Ava?" Catherine asked softly, "The battle is about to begin."

"Oh, okay." The girl seemed to misunderstand Catherine’s meaning. Hearing her words, she directly opened The Third Eye and a conical light burst forth, surging towards the enemies surrounding the statue of Danacus.

"Hey, I didn’t say to start fighting now," Catherine’s exasperated voice, mixed with the other girls’ unrestrained laughter, ushered in the most strenuous battle of their lives.