Chapter Sixty-Six: Whoever Comes, I Kill—Fourth Update

ps: [Your author has already collapsed from exhaustion in front of the computer!]

"Let's go, take me around the country. I happen to need a ride."

Shu Mingyuan stretched lazily, then swung himself onto the back of the Karu Duck. The duck let out a low cry, but was promptly silenced by a slap to its head from the young man.

Vivi hesitated, standing in place, uncertainty stirring in her heart. When her gaze met Shu Mingyuan's, a slight tremor ran through her.

"What's wrong? Don't want to get on? Then walk on your own. If you can't keep up with my pace, I won't wait for you," Shu Mingyuan mocked. In this weather, few could endure walking for long, except for monsters like him.

Vivi bit her lip gently, thinking she had to return the information to the palace as soon as possible. In the end, she climbed onto the duck.

"Sir... I... Where are we going?" Vivi asked, her voice trembling.

This posture made her cheeks burn. Shu Mingyuan rested his head against her back, his whole body pressed closely to hers. His eyes closed, and a soft laugh escaped him.

"Wherever you choose: the capital, Alubarna; the rebel headquarters, Cattleya; or the Rainbase of the Seven Warlords under the King, Crocodile. It's all up to you."

Vivi shifted, trying to put some distance between herself and the boy. As a princess, she had never been so close to anyone. Unexpectedly, his hands wrapped around her waist, accompanied by a quiet voice: "Don't move, let me sleep for a while."

He was utterly exhausted. In Impel Down, he'd done nothing but fight and train, barely sleeping. And during the three days after being sent flying by Kuma, his nerves had been taut, never relaxing—if he'd crashed headlong into the solid earth, he would've regretted it to death.

Now, mounted on the Karu Duck, an overwhelming sleepiness swept through his body. All he wanted was a good rest.

Soon, rhythmic breathing rose from behind her—he had fallen asleep?

The Karu Duck halted, the wind ceased its blowing. Vivi hesitated, but the murderous intent in her heart finally prevailed. If she didn't seize this moment to escape his grasp, she might never have another chance.

Carefully, she drew her concealed dagger from her waist, fearing he might awaken. Vivi took a deep breath, determination flashing in her eyes, then thrust the dagger backwards, stabbing fiercely at the boy's chest.

Clang!

The sudden metallic sound startled Vivi. She turned cautiously, still hearing the boy's steady breathing—he hadn't woken up?

She let out a long sigh of relief. Then she realized the dagger hadn't penetrated his body. Summoning all her strength, she gripped the dagger and drove it in, but no matter how hard she tried, the blade wouldn't pierce him, not even a fraction.

It felt as if she were stabbing steel.

What kind of joke was this? Could a human body withstand a dagger?

Shu Mingyuan shifted his head, his right hand unconsciously reaching for the dagger. With a subtle twist, he snatched it away and casually tossed it into the desert.

Vivi was shocked—was he awake? Yet the breathing from behind her remained even, unmistakably asleep.

A wave of helplessness surged in her heart. Even when others let down their guard, she couldn't kill them. For the first time, she hated how weak her abilities were.

But what now?

Should she really take him back to the capital? With his terrifying strength, if he seized control of her father, wouldn't that be inviting disaster into the palace?

Or perhaps to Crocodile's territory? But now that her infiltration of Baroque Works had been exposed, and she knew the nation's crisis was entirely orchestrated by Crocodile, Baroque Works would never let her live to keep the secret. Going to Rainbase would be walking into a trap.

Only the rebel headquarters in Cattleya remained. She possessed evidence of Crocodile's plot to overthrow the kingdom; if she could persuade the rebel leaders there, the chances of preventing war would increase greatly.

Vivi gently patted the Karu Duck, directing it toward Cattleya.

Night gradually fell. After a day's journey, they finally reached Eluma before dark—a city dried up by wind and sand.

Under the blazing sun, neither human nor duck had had a drop to drink. Vivi's lips were terribly cracked, and the Karu Duck beneath her was weak and sluggish. Fortunately, they hadn't encountered any Baroque Works agents along the way; it seemed news of 'Black Friday's' death hadn't yet reached them.

What she needed most now was time—the later the enemy discovered her, the better her chances.

Shu Mingyuan stretched and awoke from his slumber, feeling thoroughly rested. He looked up at the city half-buried by wind and sand, then gently tapped Vivi's back.

"Stop here, find someplace to rest. We'll continue tomorrow. In your current state, you'll last at most five hours before collapsing in the desert and being buried by the wind and sand. Do you believe me?"

Shu Mingyuan jumped off the Karu Duck, noticing her cracked lips—she was clearly severely dehydrated. Fleeing, Vivi had been traveling light; she hadn't brought desert gear or water. Her endurance in the desert came purely from indomitable willpower.

Vivi gazed into his eyes, noticing that he showed no signs of dehydration despite the desert. Her heart soured.

This was the difference between them: the strong could traverse the desert with ease, while the weak were doomed to die of thirst.

Remembering her mission, she shook her head slightly. "I can't rest here. I don't have time. I have more important things to do—this country is about to go to war. As princess, I must stand up to stop it! How can I let Crocodile's plot plunge the whole nation into flames?"

"You? Stop a war involving a million people? Don't be ridiculous. If the rebels know you're the princess, they might capture you immediately and threaten your father. In that case, the king's army would lose before the war even starts."

Vivi fell silent. She knew this all too well, but no matter the reason, she had to try.

Shu Mingyuan saw the worry in her heart and smiled. "Go rest. If you need time, I'll give it to you. With me here, Baroque Works won't dare bother you."

"Whoever comes, I'll kill them!"