Toyokawa Shoko doesn't want to become a witch

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The next to react were the Empire's heavy cavalry.

Several monsters remained on the battlefield. A portion of the cavalry regiment was sent to deal with these less threatening monsters, while the rest, led by their adjutant, seemed to be trying to catch up with the Sanctuary resistance and wipe them out.

However, they were stopped by someone.

The seemingly extraordinary general took a solid punch from the monster, yet he didn't die. He even pushed aside the warhorse's corpse that was pressing down on him and crawled out from the pile of shattered bodies.

His black armor was soaked in blood, and the heavy armor on his chest was uneven. He walked panting, leaning on the battle flag, into the line of sight of the surviving knights.

"Don't chase."

The general removed his helmet, revealing his dark face and bald head underneath.

His face was covered in scars: one across his left eye, one across the corner of his mouth, one on his left cheek, and one running from his right ear to the corner of his right eye. His dark red eyes gleamed faintly in the darkness.

You can tell at a glance that he is a seasoned veteran.

He stopped the knights who were trying to pursue the rebels from Santo Turia.

"But General, those heretics wanted to assassinate His Majesty. Now that they're fleeing, it's the perfect opportunity to wipe them out..."

"So what?" the general scoffed. "Those guys are nothing but stray dogs. The real threat is that they kidnapped His Majesty right in front of our centurions to vent their anger and threaten His Majesty's safety. You try it yourself."

"clear."

"Clean up the remaining monsters, then take a headcount, rest briefly, and once the supply train catches up, regroup and we'll go and rescue His Majesty."

The general held his helmet, and the creaking sound of his hand gripping the battle flag was heard.

"This is the greatest humiliation since the founding of the Centurion Group. We must take revenge."

"Yes!"

=======

After retreating some distance with the defeated Sanctuary resistance army, Hatsuka decisively summoned her magical girls by telepathy.

Saint-Shuari is currently in a state of chaos, and it is unknown whether they can regroup after retreating. They can no longer expect to follow Saint-Shuari's activities.

I have to find a way myself, find Xiangzi, and then...

"(Everyone broke away from Saint-Shuari's group and gathered at the southern corner of the battlefield, on the hillside directly above the crater created by that huge thing. From this position, we can observe the Knights' movements. We'll wait until dawn, then follow them into the city and meet up with Xiangzi.)"

To be honest, Chu Hua didn't know what Xiangzi was trying to do either.

But no matter what, finding Xiangzi is the most important thing right now.

“(Received.)” This is Hailing.

“(Received.)” This is Mu.

“(Received, Chu Huahua.)” This is Ai Yin.

“(Why... okay, I understand.)” This was Lixi. She seemed to want to say something, but was stopped by Hailing beside her.

With Xiangzi absent as the team leader, Chuhua naturally took over the command duties, and the entire team proceeded in an orderly manner without any objections.

When Xiangzi wasn't around, Chuhua was the absolute commander, and this wasn't the first time she had given orders. Although she was the last to arrive at the barrier, at this moment, she was the one who could make the fastest decisions and integrate the existing forces.

She was also one of the first people to arrive at the meeting point.

Chu Hua crouched on the hillside, his pupils turning into sharp eagle eyes, gazing into the distance at the movements of the Centurion Regiment.

Rustling.

A rustling sound came from the grass behind him, but Chu Hua didn't turn around, focusing intently on the heavy cavalry's makeshift position.

The Centurion Corps clearly suffered considerable losses in this battle. Chu Hua roughly estimated that they lost at least twenty riders, while Cerberus probably killed more than ten of them in just a few exchanges. On the other hand, the monsters did not fare too well; apart from the initial chaos, they did not cause any further losses to the Centurion Corps.

"They didn't pursue the remnants of Saint Seiya's army, nor did they continue towards the Pass of Wrath," Chu Hua said without turning her head. "Mu, what do you think they're up to?"

She didn't know enough about this world and couldn't easily judge the Centurion's movements.

Mu An quietly walked to her side and knelt down on one knee.

“The Angry Pass is an urban area, where heavy cavalry is completely unable to perform effectively, and they have no idea what is happening inside the city…” Mu paused, then said, “They should be waiting for reinforcements to catch up, change into infantry equipment, and then enter the city.”

Mu was one of the first people to join Xiangzi, and two months was enough for her to gain a considerable understanding of the world.

The convoy escorted by heavy cavalry would not consist of only heavy cavalry; there would certainly be more logistical units behind them. These logistical units would be responsible for the maintenance of the heavy cavalry's horses and equipment, and for providing the resources necessary for the heavy cavalry to continue fighting should they suffer losses of horses or equipment.

A heavy cavalryman would typically be equipped with three horses, and each horse would require rations for at least five men and at least one person to care for it. Therefore, it was common for a heavy cavalry unit of one hundred men to consume the supplies of one thousand men.

"So, does that mean they'll rest until their logistics arrive before continuing their advance?" Chu Hua asked.

"Hmm." Mu nodded. "Chuhua, can't wait?"

“I am really worried about Xiangzi, extremely worried, and I wish I could fly over immediately to check on her safety.” Chu Hua did not deny her own thoughts and sighed softly. “However, Xiangzi has already put herself in danger, so we cannot act rashly. We must be more cautious.”

Xiangzi always liked to do things that left him no way out.

Having known each other for so long, they knew each other inside and out. Chu Hua knew that no matter what she said, Xiangzi would just do it on a whim, thinking that if he could do it, he would.

Recklessness was practically in Xiangzi's nature, and Chuhua couldn't stop her, nor did she intend to. All she could do was to cover for Xiangzi, ensuring that whatever she did, she had a safe retreat route.

It feels like raising a cat.

I feel helpless, but I also love it so much.

There's no other way.

The Tale of the Lost: The Lost Child: Chapter 346 You Are Now My Hostage (Part 2)

Chu Hua's plan was to use the Centurion Corps as a shield, enter the city after they did, and find Xiangzi while they were distracting Cerberus.

Anyway, once they enter the city, they'll be within each other's reach, so there won't be any information gap between them. Finding someone will be a piece of cake.

Even if Xiangzi acts recklessly, he always knows his limits and won't create trouble for himself, making his situation even more dangerous. Chu Hua had already decided that even if Xiangzi hid under the car for a night, it would be better than them rashly approaching and confronting Cerberus head-on.

Chu Hua didn't want to become like the father and son who searched for treasure together but died in different places because of each other.

There will always be someone who dares to take risks, and there will always be someone who is responsible for being conservative.

Chu Hua was the one responsible for keeping things conservative.

Getting back to the point, after she had made her plan, she continued to observe until it was almost dawn before she saw the Knights' logistics force appear on the horizon in a grand procession.

"They're here." Chu Hua woke up several of her companions who were resting with their eyes closed. "It's almost time for us to move out as well."

"Hmm... Are we going to rescue Master?" Ai Yin rubbed her eyes sleepily and stood up, leaning against the tree trunk behind her.

She walked to Chu Hua's side and looked in the direction Chu Hua was staring at with her eyes, which had not yet fully regained their clarity.

When she finally saw the "tide" that filled the entire bottom of the valley, her mouth dropped open in astonishment.

Wow, so many people...

As mentioned before, the supplies needed for a hundred heavy cavalrymen are calculated in the thousands, and the size of the entire logistics force will only be larger than that number, not smaller.

Ai Yin couldn't tell exactly how many people there were, because the neat rows of carriages, the people following them, and the infantry surrounding each loaded carriage looked like camel heads peeking out from behind a mountain, appearing endlessly. In the darkness of the early morning, it was easy to mistake a thousand people for three thousand, and three or four thousand for nearly ten thousand. A dark mass on the horizon pressed in little by little, like slowly writhing, still-warm magma.

Finally, the crowd merged with the centurions who remained near the battlefield, neither setting up camp nor disarming, but simply finding a stable place to rest temporarily.

“There’s also movement in Sanctuary; they don’t seem to have given up either,” Mu said, opening his eyes.

She deliberately left some threads on the mountainside, along the only path leading to the pass. These threads had already been moved by someone, and over a large area, not just accidentally touched by some small animal.

In other words, there are also people active on the mountain.

It's almost dawn.

As they circled the desolate border town ahead, everyone began to stir with anticipation.

......

An hour passed, and the sun rose completely into the sky, its rays shining on the streets piled high with corpses.

Xiangzi received a message from Chuhua.

"(Xiao Xiang, we've entered the city. Where are you?)"

Chu Hua reported his location to Xiangzi and also explained the surrounding situation, including the Centurion Regiment, the logistics troops following them, and the restless Saint-Shuari.

Xiangzi sighed.

The next day will certainly not be peaceful either.

She explained her location to Chu Hua and asked them to observe the Centurion's actions for the time being before considering their next move.

Xiangzi is safe now, so his companions naturally have no need to take risks. They are fully capable of observing the situation and then making their move when the opportunity arises.

Xiao Su Shi clearly saw through Xiangzi's occasional absent-mindedness and asked softly:

"Have you managed to contact your friends?"

"We've made contact."

“I see…” Xiao Su Shi paused, then said calmly, “Then… am I about to die?”

"Why would you think that?" Xiangzi tilted his head in confusion.

She never expected Xiao Su Shi to say such a thing.

“You’re not here to kill me?” Xiao Su Shi said. “White monk and nun robes, heretical Saint Suari, I’ve been assassinated by you more than once.”

"Since your partner is already preparing to meet you, doesn't that mean... the mission can be completed at any time?"

Xiao Su Shi lowered her eyes slightly, her voice changing from flat to low.

"...Thank you for playing the game with me all night, but it's time to end it now."

She rested her chin on her hand, looking out the window at the scenery, as if she had only said something like, "Where shall we go for a stroll today?"

At night, you wouldn't notice the existence of these observation windows at all. It wasn't until daytime that Xiangzi realized how well the lighting was. Through the specially designed observation windows scattered throughout the vehicle, the interior could receive ample light and also see the outside scenery.

No wonder Xiao Su Shi opened the door for herself; perhaps she had been observing herself through these observation windows.

The girl in front of him looked out the window at the dilapidated street. Her words tore apart the "friendship" that Xiangzi and she had built up overnight, revealing Xiangzi's true intentions between them without any concealment.

That's right, Xiangzi's mission was indeed to "kill the Red Queen".

From the very beginning, they had an irreconcilable conflict.

"..."

Faced with Xiao Su Shi, whose face already showed signs of death, Xiangzi remained silent for a moment.

"Since you knew I was an assassin, why did you tell me so much information?" Xiangzi asked, puzzled. "Why did you let me in?"

Since you know she's an assassin, wouldn't it be better to leave her outside and face Cerberus alone?

"You'll find a way in sooner or later, I can't stop you," Xiao Su Shi said calmly.

"Yeah." Xiangzi nodded.

If Xiao Su Shi hadn't opened the door for her, she probably would have poured her own blood into the keyhole, then frozen the blood inside with the Ice Wolf Fang to make a basic key mold.

Next, all you need to do is let the mold occupy a memory space, reproduce it, reinforce it with other materials, remove the surrounding burrs, and it's ready to use.

It's a bit of a hassle, but as long as I can unlock it, there's no problem.

I think it's possible to open it.

After all, Xiangzi had never tried it.

If all else fails, just wait for an opportunity to force open the lock. Anyway, by this point, there will definitely be a loophole for you to exploit.

“That’s no reason for you to tell me so much information.” Xiangzi looked earnestly into Xiaosushi’s eyes. “Why would you tell someone so important information that you know is there to kill you?”

“…I don’t know.” Xiao Su Shi hugged her knees, curling up into a small ball on the luxurious bed. “When I saw you…I felt a sense of familiarity, and without thinking too much, I just let you in.”

"And then you told me everything you could tell me?"

"I don't know." She shook her head again. "Maybe it's just because you're the first person who can talk to me."

She curled a strand of hair from her temple and twirled it between her fingers.

"You might not believe it, but I'm not usually like this. I'm very obedient and never say an extra word in public. I look very dignified on the throne, which is a great image."

“I can imagine,” Xiangzi said.

Xiao Su Shi looked up, pleasantly surprised by Xiang Zi's understanding.

"really?"

“Really, you’re quite like a friend of mine,” Xiangzi said.