Amelia the Level Zero Hero

Chapter 54

“I am Noele the Noble Spellsword. And for being responsible for the death of my sister, you’re all going to die by my blade today.”

Saros stared with wide eyes as Noele raised her blade dangerously. The Gnome Inventor blinked a few times, trying to process what just happened.

In an instant, one half of the Graceful Twins had been killed. Even though Saros had been struggling against them as a Level 56 [Magitech Tinkerer]. Individually, they were probably lower-leveled than him. But together, they had fought like they were a single Level 58 [Mage].

It didn’t seem like a massive level difference. And maybe at the lower ranks, two or three levels didn’t mean much. But at Level 40 or above, each level would mean a lot more, with the powerful Skills they gave, and the additional boost to all abilities such as speed, strength, and etcetera.

While each level up didn’t quantify or specify any specific increase in strength and whatnot, a [Warrior] who leveled up would typically find that he was significantly stronger than before, while a [Rogue] would move faster, and a [Mage]’s spells grew more powerful. So a couple levels of difference meant a lot, and that was how dangerous the Graceful Twins had been.

But now, Ava lay dead, and Ruven just looked on in horror, the emotionless expression he had worn wiped from his face entirely. And it was all because of Noele.

It wasn’t that it happened so quickly that he couldn’t comprehend it. It happened incredibly fast, sure. But it was also thanks to [Flash Step]— a single momentarily boost of speed that gave her the element of surprise. Saros wouldn’t be gaping in shock if it was just that.

No— he had seen Noele in battle before. He had seen her [Flash Step] in action as well. And that was exactly why he was so surprised. Because he hadn’t expected to see such a drastic increase in both strength and speed so soon.

In terms of speed, it was like she had leveled up three times since he last saw her [Flash Step]. And maybe she did— at least that was something that was feasible to Saros, even if it was highly unlikely at this level.

But that attack? The golden blast that had completely engulfed Ava in an instant and killed her? The Gnome Inventor couldn’t parse it at all.

It wasn’t that Ava hadn’t been able to react in time. She was caught by surprise when the Noble Spellsword appeared next to her. But Saros had seen the flicker of crimson flames forming around Ava. He had watched as a fiery barrier was conjured at the very last moment.

But Noele’s attack completely sheared through that protection spell. It was like the barrier hadn’t even been there. And that was what left the gnome gaping in shock.

That had been equivalent to an S-rank Skill.

Saros was certain of it. He was no stranger to S-rank adventurers. He had seen them in missions and such plenty of times before. That Skill, whatever Noele used, could rival any S-rank in battle.

That meant Noele had to have leveled up at least ten times since the Fallen Wyvern’s Keep. In only a few weeks? That was… impossible.

It made no sense.

And it was why he was just looking on with wide eyes.

“Am I… going crazy?” Saros wondered aloud. But he didn’t get a reply.

He just watched as Noele confronted Ruven with her sword raised.

—--

Noele swept her gaze over the burning street. She saw the three A-rank adventurers, pushed to the brink of defeat and completely overwhelmed by the Miststorm Riders. Saros lay behind her, his head raised as he faced her in shock. Deon was backed against a wall, his chestplate broken, and his shoulder bleeding. And Skye was kneeling and coughing at the bottom of a crater.

It seemed like the Noble Spellsword arrived just in time to help them out. Her gaze snapped to the three [Bandits] who had turned their attention to her. She recognized them. All of them. Even the lady she had just killed.

Noele had memorized the names and descriptions of all the members of the Miststorm Riders ever since her sister’s death. She had burned those details into her mind. Now, her eyes darted to each of the three men approaching her.

The first was Lionell the Crimson Claw. The most dangerous of the gathered [Bandits]. He was known for his cruelty— he had a fond habit of torturing his victims before he killed them. His Title came from the weapon he used. A powerful artifact that burned everything it touched.

He smiled savagely as he drew closer to the blonde girl. As expected from him, considering he was known to rival Emory the Frenzied One in his insanity. 

The next was Derell the Bone Crusher. A lanky man dressed in sparse clothing. His thin demeanor was misleading, because he was incredibly strong. He could smash open houses with a single swing of his flail.

He wore a melancholic expression on his face. He looked like he was distressed about what he was doing, but he was going to do it anyway.

And the last was Ruven— one half of the Graceful Twins. They were known for their callous behavior. They would destroy entire city blocks and burn down vast swathes of farmland without even blinking. But Noele had shattered that mask he wore on his face.

He was pissed. The look of horror had morphed into a raging anger. He glared daggers at the Noble Spellsword as he conjured a fiery spear. And why shouldn’t he be upset? His second half was dead at her feet.

And Noele welcomed his attack.

“You’ll pay for that!” Ruven screamed, thrusting forward with the spear.

She backed up from the onslaught of attacks as she raised her blade. The Noble Spellsword parried a handful of wild swings, but dodged most of them. Circling around Ruven, she raised her sword and whispered.

“[Nobleflame Armor].”

Noele’s body lit ablaze as she stepped forward, barely ducking under Ruven’s spear. The attack struck her shoulder, only to bounce off as she closed the distance. She swung up with her sword, aiming for his head.

His eyes grew wide as he narrowly dodged her swing. But she wasn’t done just yet. He was exactly where she wanted him. The Noble Spellsword raised her left palm as golden flames coalesced in her hand.

“[Grand Blaze]!” she yelled.

And a blast of golden flames exploded, engulfing Ruven. He was sent flying back as he brought up his arms. He barely deflected some of the blazing fire with his own magic, but he still crashed against a ruined house as Noele drew back.

She could tell he was around her level, but he was so unused to fighting without his partner, the Noble Spellsword could probably defeat him with her regular Skills alone. The real problem was the other two members of the Miststorm Riders.

Her eyes flickered. She glanced back just in time to catch a glimpse of a silver glint. Derell towered over her with his flail raised, already swinging down at her head.

“[Canyon Breaker]—” he started.

But Noele moved faster. “[Flash Step].”

A golden aura propelled her out of the way as the Bone Crusher’s flail crashed into the earth. The entire cobble road cracked, before rippling as a shockwave swept over the street. Noele was already dozens of feet away, eyeing the lanky man with narrowed eyes.

Derell was going to be tough to bring down due to his renowned durability, but the Noble Spellsword knew she could avoid his attacks with ease. The real problem was—

“Gotcha!” Lionell grinned as he raked his claws against her back.

Noele’s eyes grew wide, and she stumbled forward. The Crimson Claw’s attack had sheared through her [Nobleflame Armor]. Her back burned with a searing pain, but no blood trickled down. She instantly pivoted and swung for Lionell’s head, but he leapt out of the way.

She gave him a wary look as he circled around her. He dashed forward, swinging for her head, but this time she blocked the attack. He locked his claw against her blade as smoke sizzled from it.

Lionell smirked. “I’m going to enjoy killing you…”

Noele pursed her lips. He was the most dangerous of them all. And that was why—

“Elegant Noble Slash.”

A golden aura wreathed her blade, cutting straight through his claw. The artifact broke with ease as he blinked, and she sliced up at the surprised man.

“Wha—” he started.

But it was already too late. Noele cleanly cut Lionell the Crimson Claw into two vertical halves with a single attack. There was a flicker of a white aura around him— some kind of protection spell, probably from an artifact. But it broke in an instant when her Elegant Noble Slash came into contact with it.

“Two down,” Noele said. The golden glow dissipated, and there was a thud a Lionell’s corpse hit the ground. She glanced back towards Derell and Ruven, tilting her head. “Two to go.”

—--

Impossible. That was the only thought that crossed Ruven’s mind as he saw Lionell drop to the ground, dead in an instant. This… isn’t possible.

Ruven didn’t believe it. It was Lionell the Crimson Claw— the third highest-leveled member of the Miststorm Riders. He was one of the founding members of the group too, alongside Odell and Emory. And he died, just like that?

It was incomprehensible to Ruven. He stumbled to his feet as the blonde girl clashed with Derell. The sounds of their fighting grew muffled to the remaining Graceful Twin, and he glanced over to a charred corpse lying at the bottom of a crater.

His sister lay there, a lifeless husk. He stared at her body with round eyes for a moment, before shaking his head.

“This can’t be real… this isn’t real…”

Ava was dead. She was the only person he could ever rely on. The two of them had been inseparable ever since their childhood. They had grown up in a large mansion, raised by dozens of maids and butlers, the only children of a powerful [Lord]. But their father was never home and never gave them any attention, and the other adults couldn’t ever understand them.

No matter what they did, they were always always in the wrong. Always reprimanded. Every little thing, like hunting down rats to dissecting dead frogs from their garden. Eventually, they had enough of it, and wanted the freedom to do whatever they wanted. So they plotted their escape, and burned down the mansion, killing all the maids and butlers in the process.

It wasn’t because they wanted to. But they had to. If they had run away, they knew that their father would use his vast resources to find them. So they had to fake their deaths and make it look like an accident.

Ava was the reason Ruven had survived life on the run. He would never have been able to make it this far if not for her. In fact, she was the reason why they joined the Miststorm Riders in the first place. The fact that she was now gone so suddenly… it hurt Ruven.

It physically hurt him. His heart bled, and his teeth ground together. He gasped for air, but he could hardly breathe. He hugged his sister’s corpse, but her burnt body crumbled in his arms.

“Ava… I…” Ruven took in a deep breath as tears streamed down his cheeks. And there was a powerful explosion.

The shockwave sent the remains of Ava’s body scattering. His eyes widened, and his breath caught in his throat. For a moment, he just stared as his sister was gone with the wind. Ruven blinked a few times, before gritting his teeth.

“I will avenge you, sister.”

He got to his feet as fire wisped over his body. Ruven stepped out of the crater, looking at the Noble Spellsword with a burning fury. She stood over Derell’s burning body. He put up a good fight, but it looked like he had been whittled down, before she finished him off with a final blast.

“You!” Ruven shouted as he stepped forward. He conjured up a flaming javelin and hurled it at Noele. “You killed my sister!” 

She disappeared with a [Flash Step] as the attack struck the ground. A streak of flames tore halfway across the street, and the Noble Spellsword appeared above a nearby rooftop. She was already sprinting towards him as Ruven raised both his arms. She leapt into the air, and he let out a bloodcurdling scream.

“I will make you suffer!”

And a deluge of crimson flames exploded into the air, filling the sky with enough fire to incinerate an entire city block. There was nowhere for the Noble Spellsword to run. This was Ruven’s greatest Skill. He was going to get his revenge.

But Noele just closed her eyes as she fell towards the flames. She gripped her sword with both her hands, and a golden aura wisped over her blade. It wasn’t a Skill, even if it seemed like one. It was the same attack she used to kill Lionell, except weaker.

Most Skills didn’t work that way. They usually achieved the same effects perfectly, even if the user could vary its intensity or shape. Ruven was a [Master Pyromancer], so he could tell that the very essence of the wisping aura was distinct from earlier.  But he didn’t have time to parse the difference as it was enough to tear straight through the curtain of fire.

Noele sliced down, crashing straight for Ruven. The flames gave way to her blade, and his eyes grew wide. The Noble Spellsword reached him in an instant, impaling him through his chest.

“I… am sorry, sister,” he whispered as he felt the blood pouring down from his chest. “I… couldn’t…”

“Shut up,” the Noble Spellsword said and stepped back.

She drew her blade out from his wound as he grunted. He collapsed a moment later, gasping for air. Noele shook her head and pointed her sword straight at his head.

“Now do you understand what it feels like?” she asked. “Now do you know how it feels to lose someone you love so suddenly? The confusion? The anger? The sadness? The horror?”

“I…” Ruven moved his lips, but she didn’t let him speak.

Noele raised her blade over her head as she continued. “You have committed too many atrocities— you have taken so many lives. For all your horrid crimes, Ruven the Graceful Twin, I shall bring you to justice.”

“Please…” he begged for his life in a croaky voice. “Don’t—” 

But the Noble Spellsword brought her blade down to his neck. She didn’t wait to listen to him. There was no reason for her to hear him out. Ruven’s words were abruptly cut short as a numbing pain spread throughout his body, and his world was plunged into an eternal darkness.

MelasD

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