Amazon clearly had not expected Lancelot to ask such a direct question.
For a moment, she froze on the spot.
After all, she had been stationed here for decades, and no one had ever questioned her like this before.
The sudden turn of events left her slightly caught off guard.
Just as Amazon hesitated over how to answer, Urouge suddenly spoke from the side.
"I'm afraid she would report us to one of Enel's priests immediately."
"Uh…"
Amazon's expression stiffened at once, as though someone had struck her directly in a sore spot.
But in the very next instant, a smile returned to her face.
She turned her gaze toward Urouge and asked with a faintly mocking look, "Does that rule really matter so much to you? If I told you right now that you had to hand it over, would you obediently do as I said?"
Urouge's expression visibly froze when he heard that.
He knew very well that even if Amazon truly demanded it according to the rules, he absolutely would not hand it over.
After all, that item held extraordinary meaning to him.
Amazon sharply caught that subtle reaction from Urouge, and the corner of her mouth lifted slightly into a somewhat smug smile.
'Now they shouldn't have any reason to make trouble for me, right?'
For that brief moment just now, Urouge had truly frightened her.
However, just as Amazon was secretly letting out a breath of relief, something completely unexpected happened.
Swish!
Without the slightest warning, Lancelot suddenly moved.
His hand flashed toward the hilt at his waist like a gust of wind, so fast that those around him could not even clearly see the motion.
The instant Lancelot gripped the hilt, Shusui left its sheath.
A blade-light suddenly flashed, cutting through the air in a chilling arc that made the heart tremble.
That cold gleam moved like lightning, too fast for anyone to react.
It swept through the air in a single instant, like a meteor tearing through the darkness, carrying endless coldness and killing intent.
Yet before anyone could even recover their senses, that flash of steel vanished just as quickly as it had appeared, returning to the scabbard like a falling star drawn back into the night.
The entire sequence was so fast that it dazzled the eyes, as though it had happened in a single breath.
By the time Amazon reacted, her heart screamed, 'This is bad!'
Immediately afterward, a sharp pain tore through her throat.
Warm blood began flowing down her neck.
Only then did Amazon realize what had just happened.
The seemingly unremarkable man before her had drawn his blade.
And that slash had been so fast that she had not had even the slightest chance to react before her throat was sealed by a single cut.
"You… you…"
At that moment, it was as though she had lost the ability to speak. Only a faint rasp could barely escape her throat.
Both her hands clamped desperately over the wound as she tried to stop the blood from pouring out.
At the same time, her eyes widened as she stared at the man before her in shock, her heart filled with confusion and disbelief.
She truly could not understand what reason he had to kill her.
Although she had indeed intended to trick and harm these people, everything she had said just now had clearly been reasonable on the surface.
Under normal circumstances, that kind of explanation should have been enough to get her through this.
But reality had gone completely beyond her expectations.
At this moment, she was filled with the terror of death.
Lancelot stood there, looking down at Amazon from his towering height.
His gaze was cold and merciless, like frost in the depths of winter.
Expressionless, he said, "You don't need any reason to harm people. Likewise, I don't need any reason to kill. So what exactly are you so surprised about?
And now, you should understand the fear those people you harmed felt before they died."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lancelot let out a cold snort, as if he found Amazon's shock and confusion utterly beneath contempt.
After that, he did not spare her another glance. He simply turned and walked straight ahead.
Seeing this, Urouge hurriedly followed, all while continuously pointing out the way for Lancelot.
…
At that same moment, inside the shrine, Enel suddenly seemed to sense something. His eyes snapped open.
A chilling killing intent shone within them, as though the entire world trembled under his gaze.
"People from the Blue Sea have come up again?"
Enel's voice was low and cold, carrying a trace of anger that was difficult to detect.
"But this group certainly has courage. They killed the inspector of Heaven's Gate the moment they arrived. How damned bold."
Enel's rage erupted like a volcano.
It had been a very long time since anyone had dared to so openly challenge his divine authority.
These people from the Blue Sea were showing naked contempt for his rule.
He would never tolerate such a thing.
He would make these Blue Sea dwellers understand exactly what happened when one offended God.
"Someone, come!"
Enel's furious roar echoed through the shrine, shaking everyone nearby.
Very quickly, a group of people rushed before him like a gust of wind.
Each of them appeared incomparably respectful, heads lowered, not daring to meet Enel's eyes.
Enel's gaze swept across the group before finally stopping on the four people standing at the very front.
His voice was filled with authority.
"Ohm, Shura, Satori, Gedatsu. Go to the Trial Grounds at once and capture those Blue Sea dwellers for me!"
Ohm, Shura, Satori, and Gedatsu answered together, "Yes!"
Then the four of them exchanged glances and withdrew.
…
Before long, Lancelot, Urouge, and Blueno arrived before a forest.
The moment they entered, a group of people jumped out and blocked their path.
The one leading them had an extremely peculiar appearance.
His hair was styled like spider legs, he wore purple clothing, and his face was locked in an expression that looked as though he were biting his upper lip while rolling his eyes back.
The moment Lancelot saw him, the corner of his mouth twitched.
Because he recognized the man at a glance.
This was Gedatsu, one of Enel's four priests.
To be fair, Enel's four priests did possess a certain level of strength.
But each of them was also strange in his own way.
Take the man in front of him, for example.
Gedatsu governed the Trial of Swamp, which had a survival rate of fifty percent and symbolized "Joy."
He was a man with real authority, controlling one of the four great Trial Grounds.
And yet as a person, he was more than just a little idiotic.
Putting aside his poor physical coordination, his entire being was extremely abnormal.
He often failed to see enemies because his eyes were rolled back, silently muttered complaints at enemies in his mind while forgetting to actually speak, and even forgot to breathe.
These bizarre habits usually required others to remind him.
Otherwise, he could genuinely suffocate himself.
Because of that, he was also the only one among the four priests who needed subordinates constantly by his side.