"Don't stop, keep moving!"
"She only has a single bow; it's enough if we are careful!"
While the corpses of their friends who died after the first surprise attack lay on the ground, the others were shouting among themselves. Since they learned that Nafız could organize an attack from inside the Blood Dome, they thought of fighting by finding her weakness.
"Yes, I have one bow, but who said I have only one arrow!"
Nafız brought her hand to her quiver, pulled out three arrows, and attached them to her bow. In the middle was a thick-bodied arrow the length of an arm, on top was a thin and short one, and at the bottom was one that looked quite normal. This move of hers caused her enemies to pay full attention; they scattered to the right and left to get out of her line of sight.
When confronted with an archer, this was the most logical move to make, but unfortunately, the one opposite them was not a normal archer. Of the three arrows flying in the same direction, the thick one first bent downwards and hit the normal-looking one. The bottom arrow gained momentum with the blow, headed towards the ground for a moment, and then completely reversed direction over Nafız's head.
At the same time, the thick arrow hit the thin one on top and was hurled to the right, while the arrow it hit headed completely opposite, to the left. Coincidentally, the directions the enemies fleeing from its front moved were also these places. When all three arrows found their targets, they created different effects.
The thick and long one pierced like a spear, swept the enemy forward a few steps, and killed him. The normal-looking arrow was in the right arm of the woman in gray armor; it neutralized the hand she used weapons with. The short arrow had only missed its target; the blood flowing from the superficial scratch on his clothes didn't seem to bother the hulking man at all.
"Don't be afraid, she's just a clown showing off!"
Since the hulking man wasn't in the place of his friend pierced by the thick arrow, he could shout quite comfortably, but before five breaths passed, his weapon fell from his hand and his throat started to swell.
"So it takes five breaths to affect someone this hulking; I guess I need to work a bit more on the formula!"
While looking at the man whose face turned purple, Nafız saw only a lab rat. In her eyes, it was impossible for him to have any other value. Her friend's state also worried the woman with an arrow in her arm. There was no room for doubt; her friend was poisoned, and the substance was taking effect at a speed she had never seen before.
"Don't run, there is no returning from here for us!"
When one seeing his friends' steps going backward shouted, the surviving ones of the group were nailed to where they were. Just as they didn't come here by their own will, they couldn't leave by their own choice either.
"Even if she can attack, the Blood Dome must have a limit. It will be too late if we wait for it to end on its own; attack with whatever you have in hand. We must kill those inside the vehicle as soon as possible!"
While the survivors scattered on one hand and developed tactics on the other, Nafız waited calmly, but the last words spoken would blow her top.
"A few newbies are going to kill those under my protection. You need to eat ten ovens of bread for this, losers!"
Completing her words, Nafız didn't draw an arrow from the quiver. This time, she started firing the blood arrows she formed with the help of her wristbands without waiting even a breath. She was so rapid that in the blink of an eye, the surroundings of the Blood Dome were filled with blood arrows flying in the air.
"Switch to defense stance!"
"Expand your energies, open Blood Barriers!"
There was neither space to move nor a gap to avoid; as a last resort against the blood arrows raining down on them, they expanded their own blood energies. Red energy shields appeared around them; although they were not integrated with their bodies like Jashua's Blood Armor, they could still cover a certain area.
"Resist! A student disciple's blood energy has no chance of piercing our shields!"
The arrivals were truly disciples of the Holy Blood Sect; they also knew very well who those inside the vehicle were. In their eyes, the red-haired girl was just an overly talented child of sixteen. It is unknown what they would say if they knew the truth, but seeing what was happening before their eyes, it was evident from their eyes opening wide that they were tongue-tied.
Nafız's shower of arrows had riddled their shields with holes, and there were still many blood arrows in the air. Although they froze, the red-haired girl's attacks landed on them at full speed. When they fell to the ground with facial expressions trying to understand what happened, their gazes were dull and lifeless.
Since many of their vital points took hits, they were taking their last breaths. After scanning them with her eyes, Nafız entered inside the mechanical device.
"Continue!"
When the mechanical device for transportation purposes moved, all activity outside of it also ceased. While the gray-armored corpses on the ground disappeared from sight, Nafız was reading a book she took out from her interspatial ring.
No one could say a single word; the chats they had along the way ended. When people saw someone truly strong, they couldn't behave as they wished around them. So that Nafız wouldn't be disturbed while reading a book, not a peep came out until they arrived at the Bloody Moon Fiefdom Castle.
When the mechanical device was stopped once again before arriving at the targeted place, the red-haired girl looked over the book at the hulking youth sitting right opposite her. It was as if she was saying now it's your turn.
"Those in the vehicle, state your identity!"
Hearing the question, Jashua straightened up slightly from his place and answered with his full voice.
"Lord of the Bloody Moon Fiefdom, Jashua!"
The moment the words went outside the mechanical device, the sound of metal hitting metal came inside.
"Welcome, Your Excellency the Lord!"
The Mercenaries, hitting their weapons against the shields in their hands, immediately opened the way for the mechanical device to pass. They had entered the lands of the Bloody Moon Fiefdom, and this was one of the first checkpoints established by the mercenaries they hired before leaving.
Although they saw mercenaries a few more times afterward, they were not stopped. While passing through the settlement below the steep slope where the castle was, not counting them slowing down due to the public's interest, they reached the heart of the fiefdom without any problems after Nafız's battle.
Old people were waiting for them in front of the two-winged giant door. While the mercenaries on the walls observed the horizon, their sheer numbers caught the attention of those getting off the mechanical vehicle.
"Sir, what a magnificent view!"
"And to think they say the Bloody Moon is in decline; who has this many mercenary troops. A defense force that can measure itself against the clans is practically like a dream."
Jashua's five subordinates were about to swallow their tongues from astonishment. They knew their master's personal strength, but they didn't expect the fiefdom he was the lord of to be this solid.
"Welcome to your home, Young Count!"
Jashua didn't know what to do when the old people who had a hard time letting him go when he left clung to his arms; Lareina was watching what happened accompanied by small smiles.
"Geezers, you are hugging the wrong person!"
When Nafız spoke, the women soured their wrinkled faces thoroughly. One didn't need to be an oracle to understand they didn't like her much.
"I would say don't be offended immediately, but how much more offended can you get?"
Nafız, who had stood silent all along the way, had her joy restored; she couldn't control herself when she found someone to mess with.
"Okay, okay, don't look at me with such angry eyes. I am not the main subject here; with your permission, I would like to introduce someone to you!"
Saying the with your permission part by bowing slightly, Nafız extended her right arm towards Lareina and pointed at her. This was a polite gesture of introduction; the girl covering her face with her unevenly cut hair was under the scrutiny of the old women.
"You won't say you don't recognize your lady's child, will you?"
A breath later all hell broke loose; tears, laments, and cries of joy mixed together. While Nafız immediately slipped through and threw herself inside the door, Jashua and his five men remained in the middle of the commotion.