“Heh... hahaha...” The hunting party burst into laughter. They laughed long, until Kredi wiped a tear and said, “Little sprite, I admire you. I respect you. But if you think I’ll be scared by a parlor trick, you’re dead wrong.”

“Who says I’m here to scare you? If your stupidity gets your men killed, that’s a foolish trade.” Medith’s eyes flashed like cold steel under moonlight.

Kredi met that blade-bright stare without flinching. “Oh? Then try. See if you can do it—and what happens after you do.”

Medith bared silver teeth. “That’s your swagger—hiding behind a kingdom while doing filthy work. You shame my kin, steal lives, strip dignity. Fine. If you won’t wake up, blame me for being ruthless. The Elf Clan isn’t weak. We’re merciful.”

She raised her long sword. It thrummed—one bright silver arc cutting the night. Kredi jolted. “Defend!”

From the trees, squad leaders who’d been coiled like bows finally loosed their shots.

“Whoosh—” Four arrows sliced the sky, dragging a storm of green leaves, a Cyclone that raked toward the hunters.

“Crack—” Dozens of heavy shields rose as one, forming a ringed wall around the crew.

“Skree—oo—” The Cyclone howled, a tooth-aching shriek slamming the shield wall.

“Thoom—” The heavy shields, warded by special rites, shook with a massive concussion.

The four arrows kept shrilling. They didn’t slow. They pressed with a hint of breakthrough.

“Boom!” The arrows punched through several shields and drove straight into the packed ranks.

“Wuu—wuu—roar—!” When they struck earth, a towering whirlwind ripped free, tossing dozens skyward and spinning them like leaves in a storm. The gale didn’t last long. After a few heartbeats, it pitched them down from more than ten meters high.

“Splash—thud—thud—” The crowd slammed into the river. Minutes later, a few dragged themselves out, hauling unconscious comrades like driftwood.

“Ah!” Kredi managed a ragged breath. His gut clenched—Medith had truly given the order—and the arrows’ power had blown past their defenses.

Medith set her blade with a clang, point biting into a slab of stone. A not-quite-smile curved her lips. “Are my sisters’ archery to your taste, honorable hunt-captain?”

Kredi glanced over his dazed men and snorted. “Tch. Circus tricks at best. String up—”

“You sure you want that?” Medith’s killing intent flickered like frost-fire. Her slender finger pointed to the sky.

“Ffft, ffft, ffft—” Dozens of arrows loosed from deep woods, their keening tearing through air, and slammed into the river ahead.

“Whaa—!” The river geysered into a sky-high pillar, then the pillar collapsed, pressing down fast on the crowd.

“Loose!” Kredi roared, raising his greatsword to brace. The crew fired Wind-Cleaving Arrows, but their shafts just pierced the falling water. They couldn’t stop it.

“Wham—wham—” The water pillar crashed, pinning them under its weight. The impact boomed like a drum of stone. Then—“Crack!”—heavy armor buckled, bursting into a storm of shards that glittered in moonlight.

“Rattle—” The pillar spent itself and fell into sweet dew that splashed across mud and root. Under that crush, men spat blood, ribs singing with pain, bones close to snapping.

Kredi’s sword snapped. His helm went spinning. He stood drenched, breathing hard, staring at Medith. Somehow, her blade was already sheathed. She crouched in a draw stance, slim legs coiled, eyes locked on him.

“This was a disciplinary volley. Next rain will aim for flesh. You want war? Fine. I’ll shoot you all dead, carve you with blade marks, dress it as Mountain Bandits, then flush you down this river. This river forks everywhere. You could drift to any land. Fish will strip you clean. And even if they don’t, you’ll be corpses cut with knives. Tell me—who will your King blame?”

Her fingers twitched, ready to draw.

The hunters’ hands trembled. They weren’t afraid of death—they’d waded through slaughter—but fear still crawled when cruelty wore a calm face.

In two moves, they’d raised Medith to a height they couldn’t touch. Who knew how many sharpshooters hid in that forest? They couldn’t stop them.

Her poise, her blade-cold eyes, and those cruel words flipped panic in their chests like a sudden storm.

Kredi looked into the trees. He saw nothing—only moon-silver leaves, small animals whispering, the hush of wind on bark.

But that gentle forest became a bottomless maw in his eyes, a pit that swallowed light. He looked at the quivering hands of his men and the internal wounds stamped across the line.

“Withdraw—!” He hurled his broken sword to the earth and shouted, voice thick with hate.

The hunting party moved fast, hoisting the wounded, stumbling like a windblown flock toward the main road.

Kredi and Fire Dog stared Medith down. “I’m Kredi, a squad leader, as you see. He’s Fire Dog, a section lead. We’re a loose outfit. No proper numbers. When we’re back, I’ll report to the Count. You know what might follow. Lastly, will you give me your name?”

“I only report my name to an opponent. You don’t qualify.” Medith stayed taut, still watching Kredi like a hawk watching a snake.

Kredi turned away with Fire Dog. “Good. I hope next time you’re just as proud...”

...

Medith watched them vanish from sight, then let out a whistle. Several sprite girls flickered through trunks and shadow, racing after them like wind through leaves.

“Captain... ha... ha... are we really letting them go? If they warn their Count...” Milia panted, body trembling. Her bow hand shook, and her white chest heaved like waves under moonlight.

A trace of helplessness crossed Medith’s face. “We can’t. If we kill, the Queen will blame us—and deeper reprisals may come. Letting them go might make their Count think they failed. And even if we chase, we may not kill them all.”

The Lita Sisters nodded in secret. Those two volleys looked savage and cost them dearly, but they were all-out strikes. The hunting party had never faced Wind Sprites who fought back, so they froze. Next time, luck fades.

“I’ll go out alone to pin them. You four take positions in the trees and start charging magic. When you see me raise my sword to the sky, you fire at full power. Remember—full power. Four positions unleashing one heavy arrow each will make them feel the forest’s full of us. Then Iling takes thirty sisters deep into the jungle. When you see my finger point to the sky, you empty your quivers at once. If the first wave lands, fear blooms. The second wave breaks them. If they still advance... then leave the blood fight to me and the rest. I won’t flinch.

“But we follow the Queen’s dictum. We choose the final measure only if the first two fail. Understood?

“Move.”

Her wind-speech carried like a breeze through green, and the words rang inside every sister’s mind.