Chapter 131: Ambush and Bluff

In the distance, on the visible island, a plume of smoke and fire shot into the sky.

"Suna shouldn't be that careless," Vinigo said, having deactivated his character build, his brow furrowed in doubt. "And the Big Cat certainly wouldn't be so reckless."

"Maybe it's just an accident, let's go!" the Little Wolf Girl chirped, sharpening her claws. "Charge, charge!"

Vinigo reached out and pressed his hand onto the Little Wolf Girl's head, scratching it gently. The Little Wolf Girl narrowed her eyes in enjoyment, tilting her head up slightly and habitually rubbing against Vinigo's arm. Suddenly, she blushed and retreated behind Shirley.

Should we wait for them to come over, or should we go to them? Vinigo hesitated for only a second before making his decision. What was there to fear? Naturally, it was—no, wait. The Warlords possessed magic that allowed them to walk on water; a water battle would not be in our favor.

"Lure them over," Vinigo said. "They have to leave via the road to New Sorpigal anyway."

"Can't they just take the water route?" the Little Wolf Girl whispered in objection.

"They won't. They don't like boats," Vinigo laughed. Information, even the most inconspicuous kind, was always useful.

Before long, Suna and the Big Cat returned, covered in dust and grime.

"What happened?" Vinigo asked.

"Don't even ask, just bad luck," Suna said, wiping her face. "We were hiding perfectly well, but some mage somehow spotted a snake by the water and threw a fireball at it..."

Unfortunately, both Suna and the Big Cat were in that direction. They had no choice but to rush out and tear the unlucky mage to pieces. Meanwhile, the other two mages managed to send out a magical distress signal just in time. Now, the Warlords knew someone was waiting for them outside.

"Feign weakness," Vinigo decided. "Let them think they can take out everyone, so they don't resort to any trump cards—like a Space-Time Beacon scroll, for example."

"Space-time beacons can be interfered with," Shirley said. "It's a pity I don't know how."

"You don't need to know how, you just need to make it look like we are interfering... Iro, come here." Vinigo's eyes lit up.

Soon, a gaudy, hollow metal tower was erected atop the Dragon Tower in the center of town. Iro periodically released bursts of magnetic storm energy into the metal spire, causing it to emit blue-violet electric sparks. Countless blue lines spread down from the Dragon Tower, glowing with a strange light under the illumination of the electricity.

"Will this work?" Vinigo asked Shirley.

"It looks a bit like it," Shirley nodded. "It resembles the interference magic circles I've seen before."

"That'll do. If the enemy isn't absolutely certain of victory, they shouldn't use a precious Space-Time Beacon scroll," Vinigo paused. "The Warlords might not even have such high-end goods; they're all just violent thugs who prefer to speak with fireballs and lightning."

"Better safe than sorry," Sophie replied.

After some time, the Warlords emerged from the ruins of the Galilin Ironworks.

"Come to think of it, I recall there being a magic key in this ruin, which should have been in the hands of Archmage Newton," Vinigo remarked suddenly.

"For the Warlords, such magic locks aren't much of a problem," Shirley said. "Frostbolt, Scorching Flame, or Thunder Blast can all break a magic lock; at most, it would just trigger an alarm."

Vinigo grunted in acknowledgment, watching as the Warlords cast their magic and began to walk slowly across the water. They saw the electric sparks and blue lines atop the Dragon Tower. Clearly, the leading Warlord was taken aback, and he seemed to stow something away.

They actually had a Space-Time Beacon scroll!

"Alright, it seems the Warlords already believe they can't lose, and they've realized we're trying to interfere with the space-time beacon. This is good news," Vinigo chuckled. "Though, being looked down upon still irritates me a little."

All the enemy could see were Vinigo, Sophie, the Little Wolf Girl, and Shirley. Clearly, besides Sophie and Shirley, the others would not be viewed with much caution. They likely assumed that Sophie and Shirley were leading the smugglers in disrupting their outlying squads. As for Vinigo? Generally speaking, he was the type of person who was always overlooked.

Before the Warlords even drew near, their magic rained down first. Two roaring spheres of thunder, accompanied by a devastating lightning storm, crashed down toward Shirley and Sophie.

"A good eye," Vinigo hummed. He pulled off his robe, revealing the black skin-tight suit he wore underneath. He calmly pulled the hood up from behind his neck to cover his head and face, then strapped on a brass-colored headband.

He did not make the first move; Hida did. The cackling Pyromancer Sprite ascended into the air, waving her hands, and blinding purple-red flames surged from her small palms to meet the descending thunder orbs. The moment she appeared, her boiling murderous intent immediately drew the attention of all the Warlords. They had never seen a Pyromancer Sprite with such intense killing intent! This aura was enough to make even the arrogant Warlords feel a chill of fear.

"Mages, hmph," Vinigo snorted and snapped his fingers.

*Character selected. Analysis complete. Re-construction beginning! Divine power infused. Divine power transformed. Samurai Shodown system: Hattori Hanzo, construction complete.*

Hida's flames and the Warlords' thunder orbs collided in mid-air. The two distinct elemental energies affected one another instantly, triggering a violent reaction that exploded into a massive display of light and electric sparks. Hida was clearly stimulated by the result and grew even more excited.

"Ninja Art: Shadow Clone!" Vinigo held up his fingers in a mudra, and in an instant, his figure flickered, appearing simultaneously in front of and behind one of the Warlords.

Two of them. Two Hattori Hanzos, two Vinigos.

The Warlord was clearly inexperienced; he stood frozen for a beat. Vinigo took the opportunity to step forward, moving with the breathtaking speed of the legendary ninja. In a heartbeat, he was before the Warlord, wrapping his arms around the man's waist.

"Sparrow Drop!"

With a *whoosh*, Vinigo and his target vanished from their spot, only to descend from the sky a second later, crashing down amidst a spray of sparks and fire. Vinigo leaped away unscathed; though his masked face revealed no expression, his cold eyes were clear. Those strange, dragon-like eyes were already fixed on his next target.

The Warlord killed by Vinigo had been wearing a Protection from Arrows amulet and an elemental-absorbing robe; he should have been safe. Yet, he never imagined he would be grabbed at close range and have his skull crushed in such a brutal fashion.

In previous battles, most warriors who tried to rush him died beneath his Ring of Fire. But this time, he hadn't even had the chance to strike.

*Divine Power Transformation: Shadow Speed.*

The dark divine power gave Vinigo's Hattori Hanzo template the characteristic of greatly increased speed in the dark. As it was now dusk, this trait was performing perfectly.

Vinigo dashed toward his next target. His ninja blade, *Nameless*, was strapped diagonally across his back. His right hand rested on the hilt, ready to draw at any moment. Though he hadn't drawn the blade, his restraint was perhaps more terrifying to the Warlord than the strike itself.

*Whoosh...*

An Ultimate Knight stood like a mountain in Vinigo's path. Vinigo gave him a mocking grin, his figure flickering and vanishing.

"Ninja Art: Oboro Heavenly Dance!"

With a soft *thwack*, Vinigo reappeared behind the Ultimate Knight, his blade *Nameless* slashing down with lightning speed. The Ultimate Knight raised his sword to parry, but he was a fraction of a second too slow. *Nameless* struck the Ultimate Knight’s left shoulder—the knight had tilted his head just in time to avoid a fatal blow. Clearly, Vinigo's attack was not enough to cleave through the Ultimate Knight's monstrously heavy armor.

With a *clink*, Vinigo used the momentum to spring away, glancing toward his previously selected Warlord. The Ultimate Knight blocked his path once more.

"I'm not the only one here..." Vinigo whispered.

*Skree-shhh...*

Amidst the roar of violent electricity, Iro leaped from his cover. Powerful currents surged from his arms, forming magnetic storm discharges that crackled as they shot toward the Squire Knight in front of him. Sparks flew everywhere, and the knight was reduced to ash by the sheer power of the electricity, his full plate armor turning into a pile of scrap metal and a pool of molten iron.

Iro didn't stop; he immediately turned toward Vinigo's side and charged at the Ultimate Knight who had repeatedly blocked him.

Lightning flashed wildly. A Warlord tried to cast a Snap-Lightning spell at Iro, but it was clear his electricity wasn't strong enough to pierce Iro's insulated plating. Iro didn't even look up; he slammed his shoulder directly into the Warlord, crushing both the man and his protective magic into a mangled heap.

"The Warlords have truly fallen," Vinigo sneered. "Is this all they've got?"

Shirley gripped a massive ice sword in both hands and brought it down, only for it to be shattered by a combined Snap-Lightning spell from two Warlords. As the ice dust scattered, Shirley's expression shifted; she pulled two ice daggers from thin air and hurled them at the mages. The daggers were slowed by defensive magic, and by the time they hit the Warlords, they lacked the force to pierce their elemental robes. The two Warlords, having regained their composure, immediately launched a fierce assault on Shirley, firing a barrage of electric spheres in an attempt to bury her completely.

But Shirley was not fighting alone.

The Little Wolf Girl appeared behind Shirley just in time, grabbing her collar and tossing her out of the path of the electric spheres. She then performed a rapid mid-air maneuver, weaving through the lightning and landing behind one of the Warlords.

Screeching, she grabbed the Warlord by the waist and, imitating Vinigo, hoisted him upside down and slammed him into the ground.

*Sparrow Drop...* The bootleg version.