Chapter 34: Gan Fall
It was hard to say whether it was paranoia or four centuries of rage and frustration from being exiled, but upon seeing strangers, the Shandians reacted with violence first and questions later.
"Chiron, knock some sense into their heads!"
"Understood." Chiron already had his hand on his bow. An arrow flew out, intercepting and blowing up the rocket mid-air. Several more arrows shot toward the attacker.
Due to the overwhelming difference in strength, the man was pinned to a tree—his right shoulder struck by one arrow, while the others pinned his clothes to the trunk, holding him in place.
"Lance!" the other Shandians cried out and turned to attack.
"Hey, hey! He shot first, didn't he?!" Eric protested angrily. "Where's your sense of reason?!"
"But he didn't injure you!" one of the masked men responded.
"That's because we're strong enough to avoid it! A normal person would be dead if they took a hit like that!!" Eric shouted with all his might.
"The fact remains—you're standing on our homeland. Sure, he struck first, but you're unharmed and now he's injured," one Shandian snapped back. Years of being oppressed had left them full of resentment, and they were treating Eric 's group like easy targets.
"So you're saying it's okay to kill the weak and that the strong aren't allowed to retaliate?" Eric was done tolerating them. "You can hit me, but I can't hit back? Who the hell do you think you are?!"
"What did you say?!" The Shandians were furious now. Tired of playing second fiddle, they were ignited by Eric 's words.
"…Soga, in the anime I felt kind of sorry for you—exiled from your home—but now I see you're just hateful. And to think Gan Fall has always wanted peace." Eric muttered under his breath, deciding to put them in their place. "Take them all down—but be careful. They might have shells hidden on their hands or feet."
"Understood." The others were already prepared.
"Attack!" shouted one of the Shandians, and the group behind him, long impatient, charged in using Jet Dials attached to their feet.
"Rapid shot!" Chiron loosed dozens of arrows in a swift barrage.
"Careful not to get frostbite~" Da Vinci switched her mechanical right hand to ice mode. A blast of freezing air shot twenty or thirty meters ahead. Several Shandians were hit mid-charge and partially frozen. While not as powerful as Aokiji's ice, frost quickly covered their bodies. Their movement slowed, their faces turned pale.
"Burial." Akame repeated her usual mantra to focus, using the back of her blade to knock them out one by one. With her superior physique, swordsmanship, and Observation Haki—what they called Mantra—they stood no chance.
"Ka-so!" Their leader, seeing his comrades fall, charged toward Eric .
'I knew I wouldn't be able to avoid this! Is it always boss vs. boss and minions vs. minions?!' Eric grumbled mentally, but he wasn't about to pass up a real combat opportunity.
"Take this! [Conqueror's Kingdom]!" Eric used a flying slash with a new technique.
"What?!" The Shandian had never seen anything like it and couldn't dodge in time. He was taken down in a single blow, blood spraying from a massive wound.
"Didn't you say you wouldn't use [Conqueror's Kingdom] until you got stronger?" Akame asked curiously.
"Ah, I just shouted the name. I didn't actually use the move. I haven't thought of a proper name for the slash yet, so I used this as a placeholder."
"The battle's only been going for a few minutes and you're all on the ground already? You dare start fights with this level of strength? I'm honestly amazed your tribe hasn't gone extinct," Eric said scornfully.
"Enough, enough," the chestnut-headed uncle stepped in to defuse things. "Don't waste time arguing with them. Let's go." Maybe he suspected they were descendants of the great warrior Kalgara, the man who once knew Noland. As much as he resented Noland, he couldn't just leave them to die.
Eric glanced at the unconscious Shandians and said nothing. He had already recognized the one they called the Demon Warrior—Wyper. His hairstyle wasn't the usual mohawk yet, but he looked just like him. That guy was basically indestructible, standing up even after multiple defeats. Not that it mattered if he died—it was self-defense. They attacked first.
"By the way, Uncle, how many packs do you smoke a day? Careful, you'll end up with lung cancer," Eric joked as they left the unpleasant Shandians behind.
"Old habit. I can't smoke while diving, so I make up for it on land. This is probably my third pack today."
"That's way too much! Da Vinci, make him a filter or something so he doesn't die early."
"Captain little brother sure is kind. Leave it to me~"
"N-No, that's really not necessary." Cricket tried to refuse. Smokers all know it's bad, but quitting isn't easy.
"Use. This. To. Smoke." Da Vinci leaned in close, enunciating each word menacingly. With her Mona Lisa-like face, it was more terrifying than persuasive. Like something out of a horror film.
"Eric , what are you thinking about?" Da Vinci asked, turning her head toward him. She didn't know what exactly, just that he was clearly not thinking innocent thoughts.
"Oh, nothing. I just thought it was impressive how fast you made it. Hahaha…" Eric awkwardly tried to change the subject, praising her speed with a dumb laugh.
"I've been tolerating Cricket's smoking for a while, so I made this ahead of time. Now, Captain little brother, what exactly were you thinking about?" Her perfect face and perfect smile, when combined, looked downright eerie.
"Stop! This is sacred ground, where the god resides!" Gan Fall's guards suddenly blocked their path.
"Seriously? We just finished fighting the Shandians, and now we have to deal with the god's guards too?" Eric sighed.
"I only came to see the Golden City of Shandora and the Golden Bell! Once I see it, I'll leave!" Cricket shouted. They were so close, yet constantly interrupted. His duel with Noland was about to be resolved—was he really a liar, or did the city of gold exist?
"Another group of greedy Blue Sea people searching for gold and treasure! Arrest them!" the guards shouted. Apparently, others had come here before—treasure seekers who stole and vandalized. Naturally, the guards were furious and couldn't let them pass.
"Wait!" came an elderly voice. Long white beard, gaunt cheeks, and a white cloak—it was Gan Fall, still the current god.
"Finally, maybe we won't have to fight. Then again, who knows." Eric muttered. This wasn't Undertale; sometimes talking things out was better than hacking and slashing.
"I just want to see Shandora and the Golden Bell! This is a duel between me and that bastard from 400 years ago!" Cricket shouted, still unable to see Noland as an ancestor—only as the man who ruined his life.
"I understand. Please, come with me," Gan Fall agreed. This guy was just too nice.
"Lord God, please reconsider!"
"But what if they mean harm, Lord God?!"
His subordinates were more anxious than he was. The emperor wasn't worried, but the eunuchs were panicking.
"I believe in them. Come," Gan Fall said, turning to lead the way.
(END CHAPTER)
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