Chapter 12: Flying Linlin's Kite
Roy gritted his teeth and braced himself against the overwhelming wave of Conqueror's Haki bursting from Linlin. His knees trembled, but he refused to fall.
Those who possess Conqueror's Haki can crush their enemies with sheer willpower—intimidating, paralyzing, and shattering weaker spirits without lifting a finger.
But those strong enough can resist it through their own resolve.
This was why some opponents in history had managed to stand their ground even when faced with a king's Haki.
Roy's body, fortified by Linlin's Steel Defense, could now endure that crushing pressure. Even if his strength was only a fraction of hers, his defense was unshakable.
"Samla… give me Samla!"
Linlin's voice thundered across the village. Her eyes were wild, veins bulging on her arms as she swung her massive fist.
Roy stepped back just in time, withdrawing his sword.
"Boom!"
Her punch struck the ground, sending a shockwave through the snow-covered earth. Cracks split the ground in all directions.
"Go!" Roy shouted over his shoulder. "Gerth—run!"
"R-right! I'll get the Sister!" Gerth cried out, her face pale. She turned and bolted toward the Sheep's House.
Roy's gaze darted to the distance. Several giants who'd tried to intervene lay scattered across the ground. They were strong, far younger than elders like Jarul and Jorul—so despite their injuries, they'd survive.
But he knew why the elder Jor had died in the original events.
Linlin's monstrous strength was terrifying—but what killed Jorul wasn't just her power. It was age. His body simply couldn't withstand her blows.
"Hajrudin!" Roy shouted at the approaching giant boy.
"I'm here!" Hajrudin roared, charging in with his sword raised high. "I'll cut her down!"
"Wait—!" Roy's eyes widened.
Too late.
"Boom!"
Linlin's fist came crashing down. The ground exploded beneath her strike, and a nearby house collapsed in a shower of splinters and stone.
Roy lunged forward, shoving Hajrudin out of harm's way before the debris came crashing down.
The boy landed several meters away, trembling.
"Wha—she would've killed me..." Hajrudin gasped, staring at the rubble in shock.
Roy glared at him, his tone sharp. "You can't even beat me, you fool! What made you think you could take on Linlin?"
"I—I just—she—" Hajrudin stammered, completely lost for words.
Roy sighed and turned away. "Forget it. You'd only be in the way."
"But what do you expect me to do then?!" Hajrudin shouted, frustrated and helpless.
Before Roy could answer, Linlin had already moved on.
She swung her massive arms wildly, knocking giants aside like flies, smashing through homes as flames began to spread across the snow-dusted village.
"Go get Samla!" Roy yelled. "That's what she wants—now move!"
"But it's the fasting day of the Winter Solstice Festival!" a giant nearby shouted, hesitant. "It's tradition!"
"To hell with tradition! Do you want the whole village destroyed?!" Hajrudin roared, snapping out of his fear. He turned and sprinted toward the warehouse.
"...He's right," another giant muttered, looking at the chaos ahead. "We can rebuild tradition later. But if she keeps this up—there'll be no one left to celebrate it."
"Samla! Give me Samla!" Linlin bellowed, her enormous shadow looming over a terrified giant woman cradling a baby in her arms.
"Linlin, please—don't do this!" The woman backed away, trembling. "Wake up! It's me!"
"Samla!!!"
Linlin's pupils dilated. She swung her arm down in a violent slap—
"AHH! NOOO!"
The woman turned, shielding her child with her own body.
"Clang!"
Roy's sword intercepted the blow at the last second, sparks flying as steel met flesh harder than iron.
"That's enough, Linlin!" he shouted.
"Clang!!"
A massive sword suddenly cut into the scene. The giant swordsman Redding appeared, his blade colliding with Linlin's arm.
He grinned down at Roy. "Hey, you're my disciple! How could I let you fall before your master?"
"Careful!" Roy warned.
"Huh?"
Redding turned just as Linlin's fingers clamped around his sword blade.
"Crack... crack... crack—!"
With a terrifying creak, the blade began to bend. Linlin's grip tightened, veins bulging across her arm.
Then—
"CRUNCH!"
The sword shattered.
The sound of metal breaking echoed through the burning village.
The weapon that had felled countless enemies... was broken by the bare hands of a starving little girl.
The broken sword spun through the air before crashing down and embedding itself deep into the ground with a heavy thud.
"Let's go!" Roy shouted, sprinting toward Redding. He raised his sword and slashed at Linlin with all his strength.
"How could I let you—" Redding began, but before he could finish, Linlin grabbed his cloak and hurled him away like a rag doll.
"Puff!"
Roy's blade flashed, slicing through the cloak to free him. He glanced back just in time to see Redding tumble across the snow.
"Boom!"
The next instant, Linlin's fist came down like a hammer. Her punch shattered Roy's sword in a single blow. The fragments scattered through the air like sparks.
Roy clenched his other fist and countered with a punch of his own.
"Shhhh!"
Their fists collided. Roy didn't feel pain—his Steel Defense absorbed the impact—but Linlin's strength easily overwhelmed his own. The sheer force blasted him backward more than ten meters, slamming him through a house and sending a cloud of dust into the air.
When the dust finally cleared, Roy emerged from the rubble completely unharmed. He reached into his coat, pulled out a small wrapped package, and slowly opened it.
"Samla!!!"
The sweet aroma drifted through the air. Linlin froze, her bloodshot eyes snapping toward the package in Roy's hand.
"Come on~" Roy waved the Samla temptingly.
Earlier, he had snuck into the village warehouse and stolen a few pieces of Samla—not enough to stop Linlin completely, but just enough to lure her away.
After all, his goal wasn't to save everything, only to control the damage. The villagers had to see Linlin's terrifying power for themselves, but without suffering the same tragedy as the original story.
So far, no one had died. The damage was limited to a few burning houses and some injured young giants. It was bad—but manageable.
Perfect.
"Samla!" Linlin bellowed, charging straight toward Roy.
"Come get it, then!" he shouted, retreating quickly through the burning streets.
Linlin tore through the village after him, her enormous steps shaking the ground. For the moment, her destruction had stopped—her focus entirely on the sweets in Roy's hand.
"Ahhh! Samla!" she cried, her voice echoing through the snowy air.
Unable to resist her frenzy any longer, Roy hurled a piece of Samla at her.
She snatched it from the air and devoured it in one bite.
"Not enough! More! Samla!!!" she screamed, lunging forward again.
Roy barely had time to raise his sword before her fist slammed into him.
"Linlin, stop! That's Roy!"
Jorul's booming voice thundered through the chaos as he stepped forward, glaring down at her.
Linlin's only response was another wild punch.
"Bang!"
Roy blocked the blow, his defense holding firm—but the impact sent him flying.
"Unbelievable..." Jorul's eyes widened. "She'd even attack her closest friend..."
His fury ignited. He lifted his massive sword and strode toward her, firelight gleaming on the blade.
"Linlin! You've lost all right to thank the sun! Even a child must answer for her sins!"
He took a deep breath and muttered a final prayer. "Carmel... forgive me."
"Evil child!" Jorul roared, swinging his blade down with full force.
The world seemed to hold its breath.
Linlin lifted her glowing red eyes, meeting the descending blade head-on. She raised her fist—
"Crack!"
With a deafening shriek of twisting metal, the legendary giant's sword split apart like glass.
Everyone froze.
The weapon of the hero Jorul—the same sword that had crushed countless foes—had been shattered by a six-year-old girl.
Linlin reached forward and grabbed Jorul's beard.
"Linlin! Look here!"
A voice cut through the chaos. Roy's voice.
Still soaring through the air from her last punch, he waved one arm frantically. In his other hand—another piece of Samla.
Linlin's eyes snapped toward it instantly.
"Give it to me!!!"
She dropped Jorul without hesitation and charged after Roy, trampling through the snow in a blind frenzy.
Roy, meanwhile, was falling fast—crashing outside the village's edge. Perfect. That was exactly the direction he'd been aiming for.
He landed hard, rolled across the snow, and got back on his feet just as Linlin came thundering toward him.
"Samla!!!"
Her enormous fist came down again.
"Easy there~" Roy said with a grin, holding the Samla up like a peace offering.
Linlin froze mid-swing, staring at it. Slowly... she lowered her hand.
Roy tucked the sweet back into his coat and turned to run.
"…"
If Linlin had any awareness left, she'd probably scream at him in fury.
Damn you, Roy... you're playing me like a kite!
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