As the Silvermane Guards holding long halberds began to press forward, the Silvermane Archers behind them immediately started covering fire.
They aimed the muzzles in their hands at the few people's arms and legs and pulled the triggers without hesitation, clearly intending to limit the group's ability to move.
Dan Heng stepped forward, sweeping Cloudpiercer in his hand and knocking the incoming bullets away.
"Judging from how things look now, this battle is unavoidable."
Dan Heng frowned, lifted his spear, and rushed forward, saying, "March, those archers are yours to handle."
Dan Heng moved like a gust of wind and appeared right in front of the Silvermane Guards. Cloudpiercer swung through the air, leaving behind beautiful arcs.
Whether in physical capability, combat experience, or skill with the spear, Dan Heng surpassed these guards by far.
A few crisp metallic sounds rang out, and the guards' long halberds were knocked to the ground. Then, Dan Heng restrained his strength and used the spear shaft to knock them down, merely subduing them without taking their lives.
After hearing Dan Heng's words, March reacted quickly. Six-phase ice instantly condensed in her hands, and several ice arrows were set onto the bowstring.
Frost-tipped arrows shot out, and just as the Silvermane Archers were launching their second wave of shots, the arrows froze their weapons solid, leaving them unable to support the guards fighting Dan Heng.
After finishing off the Silvermane Guards, Dan Heng also knocked down the now-disarmed Silvermane Archers, ending the battle swiftly.
Nero hadn't acted in this battle. What was he doing?
He went to catch Sampo.
Just as the battle began, Sampo had already shouted, "If I don't run now, then when?!" and was preparing to bolt.
But before he could use his silent-as-the-wind, no-traces-on-snow techniques, a breeze different from the familiar icy winds of the Jarilo-VI snowfields brushed by.
Immediately, a small hand grabbed Sampo by the ear.
"Ay ay ay! Wrong, wrong, wrong!"
Dragged back by the ear, Sampo yelped instantly.
He truly hadn't expected this colleague to suddenly rush over and yank his ear.
This little guy really had a ruthless grip, tugging him along by the ear alone.
Sampo screamed while being pulled back by Nero, deeply regretful.
He clearly knew the other was a colleague, so why had he relaxed his guard just because of the kid's appearance and behavior?
People say that a stumble teaches you wisdom.
But he, Sampo, had tripped in the same pit twice today.
Nero was in a good mood, he hadn't let Sampo escape.
Because he suddenly thought of a win-win idea.
He remembered that they would soon run into Gepard.
And he also remembered that Sampo would run off halfway.
Thinking it through carefully, someone like Sampo would definitely have a wanted notice with the Silvermane Guard. Handing him over to Gepard might earn him some pocket money.
And this way, he could also avoid being misunderstood by Gepard.
Wouldn't that be earning twice over?
Besides, with Sampo's ability, escaping later would be easy, no need to worry about his safety.
Everyone's friends anyway; friends help each other out.
Nero, still holding Sampo by the ear, dragged him, who had somehow already run nearly ten meters away in an instant, back to the group.
Dan Heng, always alert to the Silvermane Guards' movements, watched Sampo get pulled back with little expression.
He had thought from the beginning that Sampo was unreliable. Seeing Nero's action, he nodded in satisfaction.
People from his hometown were indeed dependable.
Stelle and March, who had also noticed Sampo's attempt to flee at the last moment, looked at him with scrutinizing and annoyed gazes. The disdain in their expressions was obvious.
Stelle stepped forward, gripping her bat.
"You actually tried to run?"
Though Nero still held Sampo's ear, he wasn't pulling anymore.
Even though it no longer hurt, Sampo's handle was still firmly in someone else's grip. So, facing Stelle's questioning, he could only let out an awkward laugh.
"Lady sister, I… I wasn't running away… hehe… I was preserving our living forces, you know? Trying to hurry off to bring back reinforcements for you guys, haha…"
Stelle rolled her eyes, clearly not believing a single word Sampo spat out.
Nero floated up lightly with the help of the wind, pressed his lips together, then raised a hand and patted Sampo's head.
"Trusting you is harder than trusting that I'm the Aeon of Elation."
At those words, Sampo froze.
'Huh?'
The new kid had guts, daring to toss around the name of the Aeon of Elation like that?
But even more bewildered at this moment were the Silvermane Guards who had been knocked down by Dan Heng earlier.
Dan Heng's strength had easily robbed them of the ability to resist, and they had already mentally prepared to die valiantly.
But when they looked up, they instead saw this scene, among the suspect and his accomplices, the smallest one floated up, grabbed the suspect's ear, and dragged him, someone who had almost successfully escaped, back.
For a moment, the Silvermane Guards felt their brains weren't working properly.
'Was this… internal conflict?'
While confusion churned through their heads, a set of firm footsteps, shockingly solid even on snow, approached.
Black military boots stepped on the snow. The man wore a military uniform of snowy white, decorated with blue stripes, gold trim, and frost-like motifs.
His short pale-gold hair trembled slightly in the wind and snow. His gaze was steady, expression resolute, his face sharply cut like chiseled stone.
His right arm was covered in silver-white metal armor and a heavy gauntlet. His left hand wore a glove and held a huge metal case shaped like a shield, massive and weighty.
Gepard looked at Nero and the others, let out a cool "Hmph," and said sternly, "I, Gepard Landau, Silvermane Guard Captain, order you all to stop these pointless tricks and abandon your meaningless resistance."
Seeing their commander arrive, the Silvermane Guards Dan Heng had subdued immediately perked up.
Moments ago, they could only consider dying for duty, but now, with Captain Gepard here, even without weapons, they might still have a chance to fight again.
They got up from the ground, not retreating despite being unarmed, and stood beside Gepard.
"Suspects! Abandon resistance and surrender!"
If they weren't on opposing sides, one might even admire the guards for their courage.
But right now, March grit her teeth, clenched her fists, and stomped her foot.
"Almost got scammed by Sampo, already pissed! Now being treated like a criminal, pisses me off even more!"
Stelle also explained to Gepard, "We're not accomplices."
Nero nodded and even said directly to Gepard, "To be honest, you're a bit late. If we were accomplices, we could've taken down those soldiers and run. You wouldn't even have seen our shadows."
Before the guards or Gepard could say anything in response, Nero patted Sampo's head again and said, "Speaking of which, since he's a criminal with you guys, if I caught him and hand him over, I should get a reward, right?"
Hearing Nero's words, Sampo's face went blank except for a hint of helplessness.
The moment he got caught, he had already expected this outcome, he would become entertainment yet again.
'Being someone else's amusement was truly awful…'
'No, can't say that!'
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