Chương 66: Retribution

Levi wasn't certain whether it was possible to commit a war crime if a war hadn't been formally declared. Or even if the concept of war crimes even existed in this new world, for that matter. Which admittedly was a result of his own doing; back when he'd researched the customs and conventions of Koxus, he'd intentionally avoided reading up on the local international laws for… reasons. However, if such laws did exist, then what Liliya was currently doing to Montague definitely qualified.

Not that Levi was complaining, of course. Quite the opposite. An air of dark, vicious satisfaction hung over Levi and Qorbin as they watched Liliya beat the living shit out of Montague. Occasionally, one of them would let out a hum of appreciation at a meticulous maneuver – or a wince at a particularly painful strike. The fight was less a fight and more a one-sided massacre. With his True Sight, Levi could see an incredible amount of divine power inundating Liliya's form due to her Conceptual Shift.

Whatever god had decided to sponsor her was being very generous indeed. Better yet, Liliya had more than enough skill to make full use of their power. Receiving a sudden massive boost in capabilities often did more harm than good. It wasn't just a simple matter of someone automatically becoming a better fighter because they became stronger and faster. Without the proper control and training, they would only end up hurting themselves.

There was a reason why reinforcement magic normally required months if not years of preparation to use properly. However, Liliya had adapted to her newfound abilities nearly immediately. She'd acclimated to her increased stats and accordingly adjusted her techniques to compensate. To great effect. By now, Montague had been backed into a wall. Literally; the wall was slightly caved in, supporting his weight.

As Levi watched, Liliya flayed the flesh from Montague's thighs with three careful slices, carving out strips of muscle each half a centimeter thick. Montague's eyes bulged; his Constitution must've been remarkably high if he hadn't yet passed out from the blood loss. In an elegant motion, Liliya then jammed the tip of her sword under Montague's kneecap and began earnestly trying to pry it open.

"Who's a fraud?!" she shouted amidst Montague's screams of agony. Her sword dug in back and forth, trying to work the kneecap loose.

"Huh? Who cheated the Ascension Trials?!" Liliya was showing more emotion than Levi had ever seen her display before; indeed, it seemed she'd abandoned concealing her feelings entirely. Whereas before her eyes had always seemed cold and icy, now they burned with a raw, unrestrained fury. Years of anger and rage being finally released all at once.

"They grow up so fast," Qorbin said, an unmistakable note of pride in his voice. He uncorked his hip flask and took a long swig. Levi nodded, his lips curved up in a small smile.

"After what she's been through, I say she deserves this."

"It's beautiful," Phantasm agreed from next to them. Levi and Qorbin both immediately tensed up, whirling to face him. As always, the man had appeared without any warning or indication. Qorbin's blade materialized in his hand and Levi's magic swirled to life, but Phantasm merely waved them off without even looking in their direction. He was too busy observing Liliya's fight.

"Peace, peace," he said.

"I'm not here to fight. Not anymore, at any rate. Let us call a temporary truce and enjoy this fleeting moment, shall we?" After several moments, Levi and Qorbin both relented, their forms relaxing. They'd sensed that Phantasm had no malice in his tone; the man had sounded almost genial.

"You must be Phantasm," Qorbin said.

"I haven't heard of you before."

"No, you wouldn't have," Phantasm said.

"I'm rather proud of that fact. Your contacts are everywhere, you know that? It's disturbing. I can't even walk in major cities anymore without feeling like I'm going to break out in hives." Qorbin paused.

"Ah. I… apologize?" Phantasm inclined his head.

"Accepted."

"Aren't you allies with Montague?" Levi asked.

"You defended him earlier, didn't you?"

"Allies? Oh, heavens no," Phantasm said, sounding dismayed by the very thought. He sighed.

"To be honest, I had originally needed Montague alive for my plans, which was why I'd stepped in earlier. But now, after seeing this, I don't think I have it in my heart to interfere." He gestured at Liliya.

"Most nobles don't ever change, you know? They remain fettered like cattle all their lives, bound by their so-called duty, obligations, and responsibilities. But Liliya Volkov here… She managed to break free. I have to say, I'm impressed. It's adventurers like her who make me think… Well, that's another matter." Levi blinked, not having expected that response.

"I see." Before them, Liliya had finished with Montague's kneecap. She flicked her blade to clear the blood before moving onto performing a thorough examination of his kidneys. Namely, by repeatedly skewering them to test their elasticity response.

"So, what, you're giving up on your plan with Montague?" Levi asked curiously.

"Eh," Phantasm said.

"I suppose I am. I don't think Montague will be in the shape to carry out his role after this whole debacle, anyhow." He sighed.

"Have you any idea just how much preparation and funding goes into each of my plans? I'd appreciate it if you could be a little more considerate next time." Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Levi's lips quirked.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Thank you." Phantasm then tilted his head.

"Well, it seems like Montague is finally going to pass out. I should get going as well. Please pass my regards along to Liliya Volkov. Until next time, Levi Ironwood." Levi nodded.

"Later." Neither he nor Qorbin bothered trying to stop Phantasm. There was no point; they hadn't set up any anti-teleportation wards beforehand.

"Oh," Phantasm said, "and I do hope you enjoy my gift." Levi frowned.

"What gift–?" With that, Phantasm disappeared. A silence fell over them.

"Well," Qorbin said, "Phantasm wasn't what I'd expected." Levi hummed.

"He told me some interesting things about Crucible's goals. I'll fill you in later. For now… I think Liliya is about done." At long last, Montague slumped to the ground. Blood streamed out from the dozens of wounds that littered his body, forming a crimson pool around him. He moaned quietly in pain, not quite unconscious yet but getting there. Liliya was breathing heavily from where she stood over him. The divine power that had suffused her seemed to finally be dying down.

She seemed almost dazed as she looked down at Montague, as if she couldn't believe she'd just done all of that. As Levi approached her, she turned to him.

"I won," she said, breathless.

"I did it." And Levi smiled.

"Good work." Liliya beamed at him. Then, she staggered like she was about to collapse. Levi hurried to grab her arm.

"Hey, you alright?" He scanned her form.

"You're injured. Here, let me…" She breathed out as his magic seeped into her form, healing her injuries.

"Thank you."

"Of course," Levi said.

"I should probably stop Montague from bleeding out too." He made to step forward, but stopped when Liliya tugged at his sleeve. He glanced back at her.

"Yes?" She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Can you…"

"Can I what?" In response, Liliya held up her sword.

"So I can stop his bleeding…" she mumbled.

"Please?" Levi stared at it for several seconds. Then, his eyes flickered with amusement.

"Sure." With a snap of his fingers, Liliya's sword became an angry red as Levi heated it to several hundred degrees. Crimson vapors drifted from the steel, what traces of blood left on it instantly vaporizing. Montague, who had been on the verge of passing out, snapped back to alertness. His eyes went wide as Liliya approached him.

"Wait," he croaked out.

"We can talk about this–AEURGHHHHH!" A terrible hissing sound filled the ballroom as Liliya pressed her blade gently to his wounds. The heated metal cauterized the flesh, halting the blood loss.

"Damn," Qorbin said, strolling up to them as well.

"Not even gonna offer him a drink first to dull the pain?" Liliya snorted as she continued sealing up Montague's wounds, ignoring his howls.

"You are aware that not everyone carries around a personal hip flask, yes?"

"Really? Sounds like quite the issue on their parts."

"Right…" Liliya's gaze softened.

"Thanks for coming, Qorbin."

"Heh," Qorbin grinned.

"Don't mention it. I wasn't about to let my favorite apprentice get taken from me that easily." Next to them, Levi let out a pointed cough. They both ignored him.

"Ravenbane, you traitor," Montague growled, focusing through his pain to glare at Qorbin.

"We had a deal."

"Yeah…" Qorbin scratched his head.

"For the record, I never said I'd complete the job."

"Yes you did! I paid you half upfront! That's an implicit agreement!" Slowly, Levi and Liliya's heads creaked over to stare at Qorbin. Qorbin coughed nervously.

"Oh. Did you? Ah. Must've slipped my mind…" He looked around for a distraction. Fortunately, he found one. Unfortunately, it came in the form of Merriweather crashing through the window, flying through the air, and crashing into the opposite wall. A pile of dust went up as the professor went down. Levi, Qorbin, and Liliya leaped back, whirling over to face the broken window. Levi calculated the force and trajectory; whoever had attacked Merriweather must've launched him nearly a hundred meters. Another enemy?

Reinforcements from the city? Had Phantasm decided to go back on his word?

"What happened?" Qorbin demanded, keeping his eyes fixed on the window.

"Who did this?" Merriweather groaned as he picked himself up.

"I don't know her name, but she's a strong one for sure–" He caught sight of Liliya and froze for a second before promptly recomposing himself.

"Ahem! Why hello there, Miss Volkov, I'm glad to see you are well." His gaze lowered to Montague, and his smile widened.

"It seems you had your fair share of fun as well tonight, eh? But we'll talk later." His expression became grim.

"This fight might be difficult."

"You think so?" Qorbin asked.

"There are four of us here."

"Aye, but High Priestesses tend to be tricky to deal with," Merriweather said gravely.

"Their style of combat is… unorthodox." Levi and Qorbin both blinked.

"A High Priestess?" Liliya asked, her face going pale.

"What's one doing here?" From where he was slumped against the wall, Montague began laughing. His lungs let out disturbing wet noises, and blood trickled from his lips, but he laughed all the same.

"HahahAHAHA," he crowed in triumphant joy.

"I requested one to oversee our wedding, Liliya; I wanted only the best for you. She wasn't supposed to arrive here until tomorrow. What fortuitous timing; the Goddess must be smiling down upon me." He sneered at them.

"You're going to lose. Not even you can stop her, Ravenbane."

"Oh?" Qorbin tilted his head.

"And why is that–?" He cut off abruptly as they all felt it. Someone was approaching the ballroom – someone unbelievably powerful. An extraordinary, astonishing, holy aura washed over them all. The magic of the Goddess. Through the window, a figure high up in the air became visible. Holy power rolled off her in waves, and a radiant golden outline of magical wings spread from her back. The moon hung behind her in a luminous backdrop.

"Because she's the perfect counter to you, Ravenbane." Montague gave them an ugly, bloodstained smile.

"You too, Ironwood. You have the eyes of a killer. Oh, don't look at me like that. It's too late to repent now." His eyes glinted with a malevolent light.

"She's going to tear you mongrels apart." As if she heard him, the High Priestess descended in a blur of speed. She crossed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, flying through the open window and landing in a graceful kneel. Slowly, she rose and turned to face them.

"Enough," High Priestess Anastasia said.

"I know not what wickedness goes on here in this castle, but I will–" She blinked as her gaze landed on Levi.

"Levi?" Levi gave an awkward wave. In the background, Montague's expression had morphed into one of pure horror.

"Hey, Anastasia."