Subaru Natsuki, who returned from the new Three Kingdoms

Elsa seemed to have heard something very interesting.

Her figure suddenly blurred for a moment.

It didn't disappear; it was so fast that it was almost impossible for the human eye to catch it.

Sometimes near, sometimes far.

The next moment, the scimitar had already slashed past Reinhard's side.

Reinhardt didn't even turn around.

He simply used an ordinary longsword he picked up from the ground to block backward.

A metallic clanging sound exploded.

Elsa's arm went slightly numb from the shock, but she used the momentum to spin around and thrust another knife at Emilia from a blind spot.

Just as Emilia was about to raise her hand, Subaru Natsuki, a veteran of many battles and extremely sensitive to the sound of blades cutting through the air, grabbed her wrist in advance and pulled her behind him.

The blade grazed Emilia's abdomen, but thanks to Subaru's quick reaction, a major disaster was averted.

Reinhard's sword flash followed closely behind.

Elsa had no choice but to sheathe her sword and retreat.

In just a few breaths, the two sides had already exchanged blows several times.

It was more like a fight than a battle; Elsa was trying every possible way to find an opening, while Reinhard sealed off all the openings in advance.

Subaru Natsuki's eyes lit up.

This woman is very strong.

Although compared to Reinhard, it's still like trying to dig a city wall with a wooden spoon.

But she is indeed very strong.

Even knowing they were outmatched, they still made the right judgment.

Every attack she made was not for winning, but to find a way to escape.

Subaru Natsuki had seen this kind of person during the Three Kingdoms period.

They may not be benevolent gentlemen, nor necessarily honest and kind people.

But once they've received the money, the order, or triggered a certain mechanism, they'll see things through to the very last moment.

"amazing!"

Subaru Natsuki suddenly murmured.

"Hey bro, who are you calling amazing?" Ferut couldn't help but ask.

I'm talking about her.

Subaru Natsuki points at Elsa.

"The mission was canceled, yet she dared to stay and launch a counterattack. Facing the Sword Saint, she even dared to use offense to create an opportunity for retreat. How can such a person be considered just an ordinary assassin?"

Ferut looked at him in disbelief.

"Hey buddy, you call this kind of villain a 'big shot'?"

“Of course.” Subaru Natsuki nodded seriously. “This is called fighting a dog with a wolf.”

Reinhardt's sword tip paused slightly.

"Subaru, I'm not sure who you're praising."

"I'm praising you two."

Natsuki Subaru said seriously:

"She's a wolf, and you are... well, not a dog, but a hero. That's enough. Don't get angry; anger will diminish your wisdom."

Reinhard: "..."

He wanted to say that he wasn't angry.

But when Subaru said those words, for some reason, they had a strange, irrefutable quality.

"Although I don't understand, you were able to see through my intentions." Elsa was slightly surprised that a young man like Subaru Natsuki could see through her intention of advancing by retreating, but she quickly regained her smile.

"I'd rather have a good look at your intestines!" Elsa smiled slightly, and taking advantage of this subtle moment, she decisively leaped backward and flicked her wrist.

Several short blades flew out at the same time.

One shot was aimed at Emilia, one at Felt, one at Rom, and one at Subaru.

Reinhard's sword light drew a near-perfect arc in mid-air.

All the short blades were knocked down at the same time.

But Elsa's true goal was never to kill.

Taking advantage of the moment when everyone's attention was drawn to the short blade, she stepped onto the collapsed wall beam and darted towards the opening in the roof.

"Don't even think about escaping!"

Reinhard was about to give chase when his sleeve was suddenly grabbed.

It's not Ferute.

It's not Emilia.

It was Subaru Natsuki.

"Pleiades?"

Reinhard frowned.

"Don't chase her, let her go."

Subaru Natsuki stared in the direction Elsa had left, his expression more serious than ever before.

"why?"

"Because she's a hero, I love her to death!"

There was a moment of silence in the stolen goods storage room.

Ferut's lips twitched.

Mr. Rom silently gripped his wine glass, as if to confirm whether he had just drunk too much.

Chapter 14: 014. The dragon is the symbol of emperors!

Emilia also wore an expression of complete incomprehension.

Reinhard silently watched Subaru Natsuki.

"Subaru, she's a murderer."

"I know."

“She almost killed Lady Emilia, Felt, and you just now.”

"I know too."

"Then why did you make me stop?"

Before I answer you, I also have something I would like to ask you.

Subaru Natsuki looked solemn.

"If you chase after her, what if she starts kidnapping passersby in the slums to escape?"

Reinhardt was stunned.

"With her skills, she can do it, right?"

"...It's possible."

"You can catch her, and you can beat her. But your moves aren't that powerful. Can you guarantee she won't accidentally hurt someone else before you catch her?"

Reinhard fell silent.

He is certainly strong.

It's beyond what ordinary people can imagine.

However, the slums have a complex terrain, and as night falls, they are filled with wooden houses, narrow alleys, and innocent residents.

If Elsa really does create chaos at all costs, she might save most people, but not everyone.

"Moreover, Elsa has already been defeated and fled, and is now a desperate army... As the saying goes, one should not pursue a cornered enemy."

Natsuki Subaru loosened his sleeve.

"On the battlefield, some enemies aren't impossible to catch, but rather, even if you do catch them, it's not worth it. Although military strategy might produce fools, you still can't neglect to study it!"

If you've ever read any real military strategy, you'll know that sometimes leaving a way out is more likely to lead to victory than blocking it.

Reinhard looked at him.

This time, he didn't immediately dismiss Subaru Natsuki's words as madness.

Because these words were so clear-headed and so powerful.

It was so imposing that it really sounded like something a great general would say.

Elsa, who had already landed on the edge of the breach in the roof and was indeed planning to ambush Reinhard when he caught up, glanced down at Subaru Natsuki.

"You're really interesting."

She said softly:

"Natsuki Subaru, I've remembered your belly."

"Don't remember the belly, remember the name." Natsuki Subaru looked up. "Everyone has a belly, a name makes it feel more intimate."

Elsa laughed out loud.

"Okay, if we have a chance to meet again next time, I'll be more serious."

After saying that, her figure disappeared into the night.

This time, Reinhard listened to Subaru's advice and did not pursue them.

Felt looked at Subaru Natsuki, then at Reinhard who had actually listened to Subaru Natsuki, and suddenly felt that her brain wasn't working properly.

She originally thought that Subaru Natsuki was just crazy.

Later I realized he was faking his madness.

She now realizes that this person may be oscillating between madness and sanity.

Moreover, every time he jumps sideways, he lands on a place that others don't expect.

"In short..."

Emilia coughed softly.

She looked at the badge in Subaru Natsuki's hand, and worry reappeared on her face.

"Could you give that back to me first?"

"of course."

Subaru Natsuki handed her the badge.

The gemstone, encased in a golden dragon pattern, shimmered with a soft red light under the lamplight.

Emilia took the badge and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She pressed the badge to her chest and bowed her head slightly.

"Thank you so much. This is proof of my participation in the selection process. If I lose it, I won't be able to continue participating in the selection."

"Wang Xuan?"

Subaru Natsuki's eyes suddenly lit up.

He had only heard the word.

But the next moment, his almost bone-deep instincts allowed him to immediately grasp the key words.

select.