Chapter 11: What Did the Imposter Say?
The group rushed to the scene and saw “Mia” just as she was run through by Peggy and her Undead Phantom Sword clone, dying tragically on the spot.
“Damn it!” Mia stamped her foot in frustration. “Why is the copycat impersonating me so weak?!”
“Another one?” Peggy glanced at them coldly, then sent another phantom to attack.
“Bring it on!” Mia immediately drew her weapons and charged.
“Don’t attack yet!” Asker shouted. “Peggy, look closely, we’re the real ones!”
“How can you prove it?” Peggy asked coldly, clearly not trusting this Asker in front of her.
“Hmm.” Asker pondered. “How about we spar a bit? Perhaps you’ll recognize my style and know it’s me.”
His tone was gentle and natural, yet Peggy couldn’t help but shiver—his words sounded like, “Feel the pain!” and “Remember the fear I instilled in you!”
Only our captain, this great demon king, can frame a one-sided beatdown as ‘sparring,’ ‘practice,’ and ‘helping you improve,’ with such shameless nonchalance!
Could this Asker be the real one?
Peggy hesitated. Then she heard Thira shout:
“Celestial Ninefold Strike! The fakes can’t use Transcendental Sword Techniques! If you can use the Celestial Ninefold Strike to defeat them, we’ll believe you’re the real one!”
“Alright.” Asker chuckled, sword and shield in hand, and charged towards the fake “Asker” who was fighting Sidlipha.
“It’s you…” the fake “Asker” said with a wry smile.
“What, afraid now?” Asker’s sword vibrated as he unleashed Sharp Break of the Celestial Ninefold Strike, thrusting towards the fake’s head.
“It’s tragic being your copy.” The fake “Asker” sighed. “Knowing you can’t win, but still having to come and die.”
He jumped back repeatedly, trying to dodge the sword, but Asker, as if anticipating this, activated Flash Step, and with Sharp Break of the Celestial Ninefold Strike, instantly pinned his copy to the ground.
Releasing his sword, Asker took the spear from his back and attacked the fake “Eleanor” behind him.
“Eleanor” tried to block with her shield, but Asker’s spear vibrated and swiftly angled downwards towards her unprotected feet.
“Eleanor” quickly moved her shield downwards. Suddenly, blood splattered from her forehead – Miel, seizing the opportunity when she exposed her head, fired a bullet.
She was knocked back involuntarily. Asker took the chance to use Iron Cutter, sending the fake’s shield flying, then followed up with a powerful Cloud Piercer, impaling “Eleanor,” armor and all, against the wall.
He then drew the axe from his waist with his right hand and threw it at the remaining “Medea,” while firing three shots with his left hand, blocking all her escape routes.
“Medea” was hit by the flying axe without any suspense and died on the spot.
“That’s taken care of,” Asker said, turning to assess the condition of Team A.
Sidlipha was the most seriously injured, seemingly having been beaten up by the fakes, her Meteorite Armor pierced in multiple places by a spear. Fortunately, all the vital points were avoided. She had probably used the frost effect of the Axe of the North Wind to slow the enemy’s attacks.
Thira and Nuo were also in a sorry state, both with burn marks from flames. Medea couldn’t help but sigh – My flames didn’t even touch your fakes, how did you get burned by my fake?
Peggy and Miel were in the best condition. The latter had been providing ranged fire support from the rear and wasn’t injured.
Peggy was the undisputed MVP of this battle. With her high-speed movement and Undead Phantom Sword, she had entangled most of the enemies, preventing them from finishing off Sidlipha, and holding on until Team B arrived.
“Shameful, comrades,” Asker sighed. “Do you know how your fakes fought against us?”
Medea explained the situation to the girls of Team A, leaving Thira both amazed and ashamed.
Having Peggy carry her at high speed, and then using the AoE abilities of “Storm” and “Meteor” to control the entire battlefield, why didn’t I think of that?
Thira stared at her minor wounds and sighed softly.
Nuo healed Sidlipha, then began to heal the other members. Meanwhile, Mia had already collected the Philosopher’s Stones left behind by the disappearing corpses and, picking up Asker’s weapons, handed them back to the captain ingratiatingly.
“By the way,” Medea asked curiously, “how did you realize they were fakes?”
The girls of Team A looked at each other, then turned their gazes to Peggy and Nuo.
“Well,” Nuo’s pure face flushed slightly, and she pointed to Peggy. “Peggy was the first to discover that Asker was fake.”
“No, no, no.” Peggy looked away awkwardly. “Nuo noticed it first. I only realized something was wrong after she reminded me.”
Medea’s eyes rolled, reading something interesting from their minds, a sly smile appearing on her face.
“So, who discovered it first?” Sidlipha asked, confused.
“Anyway, since they’ve been dealt with, let’s not worry about it anymore!” Nuo hurriedly waved her hand.
“Why?” Sidlipha was even more confused.
“No reason!” Nuo said, a bit sharply.
This usually gentle person, when angry, was particularly intimidating, so Sidlipha quickly shut up and hid behind Eleanor.
“Asker, do you want to know?” Medea asked Asker quietly through their mental connection.
“No,” Asker said.
“Don’t refuse so quickly.” Medea said playfully. “I can give you three hints: confession, argument, wings.”
Asker: …
He roughly understood “confession” and “argument,” but what the hell was “wings”? Fake Asker, what did you say?! That shameless bastard, daring to act like a scumbag with my face! I should have made your death even more painful!
“So, that fake impersonating me tried to sow discord between Nuo and Peggy, prematurely escalating the conflict within the team, and ended up overdoing it and exposing himself, right?” Asker warned Medea. “Don’t you go causing any trouble either.”
“Of course not,” Medea said.
It seems your plan is proceeding smoothly, Medusa suddenly said from within.
“What plan? They started arguing on their own.” Medea sneered slightly.
You almost had me convinced, Medusa said sarcastically.
“You know, Medusa,” Medea said nonchalantly, “our current enemy isn’t each other, it’s Asker himself.”
“As long as he doesn’t give up on his stubborn idea of going back, we have to make stopping him our ultimate goal. After all, once he leaves this world…”
“There will be no victors, everyone loses.” Medusa sighed. “But these foolish women don’t seem to realize this.”
“So I’ll make them realize it.” Medea said slowly. “I can’t be the only one selflessly bearing Asker’s blame and anger.”
“You’re becoming less and less like yourself, Medea.” Medusa said. “With your previous personality, you would never allow the man you’ve set your sights on to be touched by anyone else, not even a little bit.”
“No. I’ve never been more true to myself than I am now.” Medea sneered. “By any means necessary, at any cost, even if it means sacrificing everything I have…”
“…I will keep him in this world.”
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