“Hey!! Marein, I don’t need the money!! But once I’ve dealt with these guys, I’m taking this woman for myself!!”
“U-Understood. Do as you please with her!!”
Marein immediately responded, shuddering as the Iron Masked Man glared at him. The masked man turned back to Asna, his leering grin visible even through the slit in his mask.
“Kukukukuku, once I defeat you lot, you’ll finally become mine, Asna. I haven’t forgotten about you for a single moment…!?”
“You’re a disgusting one. I already told you, I don’t know vulgar fellows like you…”
Asna took a combat stance with her broken twin swords towards the Iron Masked Man. But then, Diana interposed herself between them and addressed Asna.
“…Lady Asna, allow me to take on this iron mask.”
“Lady Diana, what are your intentions? You think I’ll hold you back?”
Asna seemed offended by Diana suddenly interjecting, her pride seemingly stung.
“I don’t doubt your ability, Lady Asna, but those broken twin swords will make this a prolonged fight. More importantly, it will unnecessarily worry our lord. Please stand down.”
Asna seemed to come to her senses at Diana’s words and glanced towards Farah, noticing the very concerned look in her eyes. Asna apologetically replied to Diana.
“…You’re right. I’ll leave him to you, Lady Diana.”
“Fufu, then I’ll take care of this small fry.”
“Understood.”
With a defiant smile, Diana took over facing the Iron Masked Man as Asna stood down. However, the masked man flew into a rage at their actions.
“You…how dare you decide that on your own!! My opponent was her!! You’re not wanted!”
Spewing those angry words, the enraged Iron Masked Man charged at Diana. But she nimbly dodged his movements, touched his full body armor, and activated a fire magic spell. The Iron Masked Man was immediately engulfed in flames, but he showed no signs of concern, laughing arrogantly as he swung his greatsword.
“You fool!! I told you this armor is special make!! A little slash or magic won’t even make it budge!!”
Diana continued evading his relentless slashing attacks with ease, creating some distance before muttering calmly:
“…I see. However, there is a way.”
Disliking her unruffled demeanor, the Iron Masked Man spat out a rage-filled voice.
“A way, you say? Don’t mock me!! There’s no way a woman can defeat a man!! Absolutely not!!”
“An uncultured man, indeed. Allow me to show you the error in that thinking…”
Diana glared at the Iron Masked Man with a disdainful look and spat out her words. Marein’s forces likely hinged on this last defender. Marein himself seemed to be watching the scene unfold from the second floor with a desperate, trembling expression. Realizing their decisive clash would conclude this battle, I too watched intently with bated breath.
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“Where’s that bravado from earlier?!”
The Iron Masked Man’s enraged shout rang out as his duel with Diana began. Clad in special full body armor, its durability could withstand even Asna’s strikes and had shattered her sword. Yet Diana boldly faced this opponent barehanded, with no apparent advantage.
The Iron Masked Man surely realized this as well. He almost seemed to be toying with her, gleefully swinging his greatsword as Diana dodged, as if enjoying the sight. With each evasion, Diana appeared to be touching and examining his armor, seemingly confirming something. The masked man must have noticed, as a sense of unease gradually crept over him, giving Diana a suspicious look as he spat out:
“…Just what are you thinking?”
“Well now, why don’t you try pondering it with that uncultured mind of yours?”
Diana taunted with a defiant smile, a petty provocation. But the Iron Masked Man’s rage was palpable. His earlier words “There’s no way a woman can defeat a man!! Absolutely not!!” suggest he may have some trauma regarding powerful women.
“Don’t mess with me, you wench!!”
“…!!”
At that moment, Diana’s clothes were shredded by the greatsword strike the enraged Iron Masked Man swung. Despite his appearance, he was clearly a skilled swordsman, gradually adjusting his strikes to match Diana’s movements, steadily ripping her clothes. As more of Diana’s figure was exposed, the masked man leered with a vulgar grin.
“Stripping a maid is fun, but you’re not who I want to defeat!!”
Spewing those words, he unleashed a vicious slash. But Diana narrowly avoided it, and in that instant her hair tie came loose, her hair spilling down. Taking some distance from the Iron Masked Man, Diana fixed him with a resolute stare.
“…Indeed. Dealing with a vulgar, masked man does grow tiresome. Let’s end this.”
“…Don’t look down on me!!”
Enraged by her words, the Iron Masked Man raised his greatsword overhead and charged at her. In response, Diana moved in close as he lunged, a smile crossing her face as she activated a fire magic spell. The Iron Masked Man was instantly engulfed in flames, but to his arrogant amusement, he laughed it off.
“Fuhahaha!! You fool!! I told you this armor is specially made!!”
Even wreathed in fire, he confidently swung his sword at Diana again. But she evaded and cast another fire spell. This exchange repeated several times until the Iron Masked Man’s movements became sluggish, his stamina clearly depleted. He shot Diana a resentful glare.
“Y-You, don’t tell me you were aiming for this from the start…!?”
“For you to only now realize, you truly are uncultured…”
“…!! Damn you!!”
The earlier confidence was gone as the Iron Masked Man grasped Diana’s strategy. Trying to seize any chance of victory, he recklessly charged her while raising his sword. But it was a mistake. Unfazed by his movements, Diana simply cast another fire spell. Engulfed in flames once more, the Iron Masked Man finally let out an anguished scream.
“Guaaaaahhh!! Hot!! Stoooppp!!”
In that moment, I realized Diana’s strategy. Likely after her initial fire spell, she deduced that while her magic might not directly harm his armor, the heat would still penetrate. She evaded his attacks while confirming her hypothesis, then executed her plan.
Now the Iron Masked Man’s full body armor had become scorching hot metal, the inside undoubtedly a living hell. Though Diana had stopped casting fire spells, the built-up heat wouldn’t dissipate easily. Screaming in agony, the masked man staggered about. Diana watched with a look of exasperation, sighing “Haaaa…..”
“What a fool. If it’s that hot, just remove the armor…”
“…!! Y-You’re right!!”
Struck by Diana’s words, the Iron Masked Man hurriedly stripped off his full body armor. Without it, he was left in just his undergarments – a rather ridiculous sight. His bronzed skin suggested he may be a Dark Elf. The armor’s heat had horribly burned much of his exposed flesh. Yet Diana remained merciless, flashing the unarmored man a defiant smile before instantly closing the distance and driving her fist into his solar plexus.
“…!? Gehbaaaaahh!!”
The Iron Masked Man’s skin was likely burned so severely that his nerves were exposed. Any contact would undoubtedly bring excruciating pain. A fist driven into his solar plexus must have caused unimaginable agony. Recalling a similar sight, I started to say “Diana, that’s going too fa-” but it was too late, as she had already cast a spell.
“Burst and explode!!”
As Diana spat those words, her fist embedded in the Iron Masked Man’s solar plexus erupted in a massive explosion. Engulfed in thunderous noise and smoke from the blast, he was sent flying with an agonized scream.
“Bawaaaaaaahh!!”
The explosive force launched him skyward, sailing past Marein and slamming into the second floor wall. He then slid down, now unconscious. Gazing up at the defeated Iron Masked Man from the first floor, Diana muttered:
“…That pathetic form is fitting for you.”
“E-Even the Iron Mask couldn’t beat them!?”
Marein seemed to belatedly realize the staggering power of the group that had invaded his estate, clutching his head. His distress was apparent to his thugs as well, none daring to boldly confront us further, their bravado deflated. Sensing the tide had turned, I signaled to Asna, then fired off a “Fire Lance” outside as the signal to Chris waiting beyond the estate.
Not understanding my intentions, Marein and his men looked bewildered. Picking up on the signal, Asna nodded at me before approaching Farah and declaring loudly enough for the entire estate to hear:
“Stand down, you lot!! Know who you’re dealing with!!”
At Asna’s words, Marein and everyone in the mansion turned their attention to them. At that moment, Farah and Asna began to remove their hoods. While standing in front of Farah alongside Diana, I continued speaking loudly in Asna’s place.
“This person is the First Princess of the Kingdom of Renalute, Lady Farah-Renalute!! Know your place and bow down!!”
“W-What?!”
As Farah and Asna removed their hoods revealing their true faces, Marein’s face turned pale as the blood drained from it. Farah fixed her gaze upon him as if to deliver the final blow, and declared:
“Marein, as a member of this country’s nobility, I won’t let you claim ignorance of mine and Asna’s faces. As princess of this country, I cannot forgive your actions. Expect judgment to follow…!!”
“I-Impossible… This can’t be happening!!”
As Marein clutched his head, turning pale with shock, an even greater impact awaited him. The door behind us opened and soldiers of the Kingdom of Renalute came pouring in. The most intimidating soldier among them proclaimed loudly:
“We are the Renalute Kingdom Army. Submit quietly and accept your arrest!!”
“…!? Why?! Why has the kingdom’s army arrived so quickly?!”
Marein seemed confused, unable to make sense of what was happening. Meanwhile, as the intimidating soldier spoke, the other soldiers began binding the thugs one after another. As we watched this unfold, a voice called out from behind us.
“Ree… no, Lady Tia, are you unharmed!?”
“Ah, Chris. You brought the Renalute soldiers as we planned. Thank you.”
“No, I’m just glad I could be of help…”
Though Chris looked at me with worried eyes, her expression seemed to relax upon confirming I was uninjured. Well, if we stayed here any longer, people would discover that I was wearing a maid’s uniform. As we had all planned beforehand, I quietly slipped away from Marein-Condroy’s mansion along with Diana, Ellen, and the two magical beasts in the midst of the commotion.
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