Luke stared at Amanda with a wry smile.
“I see that you are quite a talented fighter, but to think of killing me…don’t you think those aspirations are too high?”
Not only was he an excellent commander, but he was one of the most powerful swordsmen on the continent. He had never been defeated in combat. Amanda was well-aware of the fact, but her gaze was unbroken as she stared ahead at Luke.
“We’ll compare the long- and short-term ones.”
Amanda already knew how dangerous Luke was from a lifetime ago. But that didn’t change her mind. No matter what happened today…she was going to win.
Swiiiig—
She let loose her arrow. It veered in an arc, heading for one of the soldiers near Luke.
Puuk!
It pierced the soldier’s neck, and the soldier fell to the ground with a gurgle. The arrow had taken an unexpected trajectory, and Luke realized that the soldier had been her intended target.
Even the most skillful of knights could not cope with multiple enemies on their own. Amanda’s goal was to whittle down the number of Luke’s guards first, and Luke’s face contorted with fury.
“Surround that bitch so she can’t get away! Show her what the price is for attempting to take my life!”
“Yes, My Lord!”
She couldn’t stop every one of Luke’s men with her arrows, and they would eventually catch her before she killed them all.
The other battles raged around them. Luke had to quickly defeat Amanda to avoid further loss of his guard, and assist the other soldiers. If he were lucky to capture Amanda, he could force the other Keith soldiers to surrender.
Tadadadadag!
Three of Luke’s soldiers pushed forward to surround Amanda, but she sidestepped them and fled with feline-quick movements. The night was dark, and the moment she was past the glow of the raging fire, she vanished from sight.
Luke realized that this was all going according to her plan.
‘We’re still playing in the palm of her hand.’
Luke ran forward to close the distance, beckoning the soldiers in the direction where Amanda disappeared.
Piiiing—
Another arrow shot out of the darkness and took the life of another soldier. The number of Luke’s 0guards decreased from three to two.
But Luke remained unperturbed. While she kept dodging away from him, there was a limit. He spoke through gritted teeth.
“You will soon regret not running when you had the chance.”
Finally, the two soldiers, including Luke, managed to corner Amanda. Her beautiful face was illuminated in the flickering light.
Swig! Swig! Swiiiig!
Out of nowhere, dozens of arrows began to rain down on Luke.
“My Lord! Watch out!”
The soldier rushed to protect him. Because of this, Luke managed to escape several arrows, but one of them pierced his left shoulder.
“Agh.”
He gave a short groan of pain, and he whirled around to look at his surroundings. Until now, he was only focused on hunting Amanda, but now more archers were aiming for him from the dark. Luke’s expression turned grim.
“The empress…was the bait.”
Amanda confidently stared down at him.
“It’s too late to notice now.”
This was Amanda’s true plan. In the beginning, Luke had about fifty troops with him, with Amanda had some forty knights. However, she was able to conceal her smaller numbers in the darkness of the forest. Most of the Keith knights clashed head-to-head with Luke’s soldiers, while five remained as archers.
She knew she could use herself as bait and draw his attention away from her archers. He would not have fallen for her trick if he saw her out in the open, but she lured him by weaving in and out of darkness. While Luke was a man of terrifying strength, his hubris let him become too confident of his skills. Amanda’s plan was executed perfectly.
“As I said, you have to look at both the long- and short-term views.”
Power was not the only thing that a soldier had to have, as battles were fought in various conditions.
Sswaeaeg! Sswaeaeaeg!
Another volley of arrows streaked through the trees. Luke grabbed the body of a soldier who had already died for him and used it as a shield.
Luke then let out a howl of laughter. The scene of him smiling right before his death, backlit by hellish flames, was horrific.
“…Yes, you’ve been using your head.”
Luke had overlooked one fact. The war would not end if he captured Amanda, but if he died here, it was all over. The enemy’s goal had been to kill Luke above all else.
However, Amanda herself had overlooked one fact as well. Because she was bait, she was in the range of Luke’s attack.
Luke issued an order to his one last guard by his side.
“Torch everything.”
“My Lord…!”
“If this will be where I die, then I refuse to go alone.”
Hopefully, the fire would keep the enemies away, and if his plan failed, then we would take everyone here to Hell with him instead. Nothing would stop him now.
The soldier sensed Luke’s intentions, and he bowed deeply.
“…Understood, My Lord.”
Amanda quickly drew her bow and aimed at the soldier, but Luke moved much faster.
Hwwiig—
Kwajijijig!
He swung his weapon, shattering Amanda’s bow. She quickly tossed the broken weapon aside and drew her sword from her waist, but it had limited range, and she was forced to stay closer to Luke than she would like. She was vulnerable to the arrows flying towards him as well. The Keith knights tried their best not to shoot Amanda, but she was forced to deflect some that came her way.
Swig swig swig!
More arrows forced both Amanda and Luke to escape. Meanwhile, the soldier risked his life and set fire to the surroundings. The fire started out as a small crackle, but the unfettered flames soon grew into a roaring wall of redness and heat.
Keuleuleuleung!
A large tree, its foundations weakened by the fire, fell to the ground with a mighty crash. At some point, the soldier who carried out Luke’s orders was no longer visible. Perhaps he had been taken out by an arrow.
“Kollog, kollog.”
Amanda covered her mouth with the back of her hand to stop the smoke from entering her lungs. Billows of black clouds filled the sky. The smoke obscured the archers’ vision, and no more arrows were fired for the moment.
‘Where is Luke?’
She couldn’t let him get away. She had to kill him here before he could reach the Jenar Kingdom.
Suddenly—
Ssaeaeaeg!
Amanda instinctively lifted her sword and blocked the surprise attack.
Kagang!
She saw Luke’s face, as well as his sword glinting menacingly in his right hand. He continued a series of frenzied attacks, forcing her back.
Tang! Taang!
She barely managed to fend them off, when she heard several voices calling her from afar.
“Your Majesty, are you all right?”
It didn’t come from the direction of the archers.
Both Amanda and Luke knew what it meant. It was likely the Keith knights that had defeated the rest of Luke’s troops, and they were now searching for Amanda in the flames.
Luke’s face was one of unconcealed disgust.
“I won’t be beaten by a little girl like you.”
To Luke, Amanda was merely a tool used by Oliver. Never in his life did he think a woman would pose such a threat to his existence.
Amanda glared fiercely at Luke and answered back.
“I planned to kill you with my own hands from the start.”
It was then that Luke realized that Amanda bore a deep resentment for him.
“Why do you have a grudge against me?”
“You took away the people I care about.”
Chaeaeng!
Their swords collided, sending sparks in the air. Amanda’s red eyes reflected the burning flames as she stared at Luke’s pitch-black orbs.
“People you care about? Did I kill someone else close to you besides your father?”
“No, not now. But I am here to prevent such a future.”
Amanda’s words were incomprehensible to Luke, but he did not bother wasting time with further questions. The world was filled with people who had grudges against him, and the Empress was merely another one in the line.
“I don’t intend to die alone. If this is my last breath, then I’ll take you with me. Oliver seems to be in love with you, so I hope he will be tormented with grief for the rest of his life.”
His sword whirled like a violent storm. Even though Amanda’s allies were nearby, the flames made it impossible for them to approach. Luke could make quick work of her if she wasn’t careful.
“Ha!”
Amanda struggled to parry each of Luke’s attacks. If she didn’t do anything soon, eventually she would perish with him in the fire.
But she didn’t want to die. She wanted to return alive—she wanted to be with her family and her baby and Oliver!
The last words Luke said to her in her last life flashed through her mind.
— Even if you were reborn, the outcome wouldn’t be any different.
No, he was wrong. This life would be different from the last.
Swiig!
Amanda did her best to focus her attacks on Luke’s injured left side. No matter how powerful he was, his left side was now vulnerable.
However…
Peoeog!
He delivered a strong kick to her slim body, and she staggered back and fell. He slowly advanced towards her, while she struggled to push herself up with her sword.
“Haah, haah…haah.”
Amanda’s breath came in shallow gasps. Luke was right in front of her, but she had no more strength left to even lift a finger.
She had endured this arduous journey and came all this way. However, her physical limit was depleted.
But Luke wasn’t in peak condition either. Blood streamed from his left shoulder where the arrow had pierced him.
His footsteps stopped in front of Amanda, and he raised his sword high in the air.
“Now I’ll send you to Hell!”
Swiiiiig!
His sword swung downwards.
At that moment, Amanda remembered how he had killed her in her last life. He had beheaded her then. Events were playing out the same way as they did them. Except—
Amanda gritted her teeth and rolled her body in the other direction.
Swig—
Luke’s sword cut through empty air where Amanda’s neck was a moment earlier. She gripped her sword determinedly, and thrust upwards, piercing Luke’s throat.
“Urk!”
Luke immediately raised his right hand in an attempt to kill Amanda again, but she gave a strong cry, and drove her sword forwards.
“You go to Hell!”
Her blade slid clean through the other side of his neck.
After a moment, his body slowly toppled sideways. He collapsed to the forest floor, his eyes open and unmoving.
Amanda finally killed Luke.
“Haah haah.”
She sank to the ground, heaving in smoke-filled breaths.
It was all over. She finally succeeded in taking revenge in this life. Now the Windsor family and Oliver will be safe.
The flames towered around her. She didn’t have any energy left to escape.
‘I have to go back…’
She imagined Oliver’s blue eyes looking kindly at her. Despite her determination to live, her eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. Instinctively, she could feel that this was the end.
‘My baby…’
She wanted to see Oliver and tell him how their child had done so great…
Eventually, Amanda’s body collapsed onto the forest ground.