While in terms of stealth skills, this attacker was slightly less elusive than the previous one who could be considered invisible, it didn’t mean that the opponent was easy to deal with.

 

Furthermore, the attacker didn’t carry that putrid scent of necrosis. At a time like this, the only ones who would launch an attack on Lilya would be beastmen, and there was certainly not just this one joining the battle.

 

*Puh…!*

 

“Who’s there? Show yourself!”

 

“We have an assassin! All personnel, be on guard!”

 

Almost simultaneously with Lilya being attacked, a series of screams and shouts echoed within the kingdom’s forces, instantly throwing the previously stable formation into chaos.

 

At least a dozen senior military officers had died in this round of assassination. The enemy was a well-trained team of assassins, and…

 

A fluffy, pale pink tail materialized in the air. Although the overall appearance resembled that of a human girl similar in age to the princess, the two furry ears on the top of her head and her pink vertical pupils confirmed Lilya’s suspicions.

 

“A foxfolk… assassin? So fast.”

 

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

 

Emily nervously steadied the swaying figure of the princess and firmly placed herself in front of her.

 

The throwing knife she had launched earlier had no effect and was directly swatted away by the opponent’s large tail. Though it was a hasty response, it was sufficient to prove that the fox-girl assassin, who looked no older than seventeen or eighteen, had strength far superior to hers.

 

Even so, the princess must not be harmed by her, and Emily wouldn’t hesitate to give her own life for this.

 

“It’s okay, Emily, you need to go and give orders. Instruct the Shadow Guard to specifically contain the enemy assassin, and order the troops to accelerate their withdrawal from the Tepaya Basin. Don’t linger in battle with the enemy. Go do it immediately!”

 

Lilya steadied herself and rapidly issued new orders, while her eyes remained fixed on the foxfolk assassin in front of her, not blinking.

 

“What about you, Your Highness!?”

 

“I’ll stay here to engage this fox-girl. Right now, only I can do this.”

 

“No, let me handle it, Your Highness!”

 

“You’re not a match for her, and her target is me. I can’t escape, so I’m repeating it: go do it right now! Even if you retreat, you’re not allowed to come back to find me. This is an order!”

 

What Lilya didn’t say was that if either Violet or Flora could arrive and deal with the enemy, then she would be safe. If not, the princess wouldn’t make this almost certain-death choice.

 

“…Understood! Please, be extremely careful!!!”

 

Emily clenched her teeth and quickly ran towards the distance.

 

As Lilya’s right-hand woman, she might not be the most powerful member of the Shadow Guard, but she was undoubtedly extremely intelligent and knew exactly what to do at this time to be of the greatest help to her mistress.

 

The fox-girl assassin didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping Emily. Her eyes remained fixed on Princess Lilya, exuding an unmistakable and intense killing intent. This made it very clear what her intentions were.

 

“The first order you received was to kill me… right?”

 

Lilya had never seen this fox-girl before, and even if the other party knew she was the princess of the kingdom and the Western Army’s commander, there was no reason for such intense scrutiny.

 

After all, even if Lilya and her entire army were wiped out here, her military objective had already been achieved. With General Leyton guarding the Fortress, the death or survival of a princess would have little impact on the beastmen.

 

So the only explanation was that someone had given the fox-girl a death order.

 

A “Princess Lilya must die” order.

 

“You’re quite good, your gaze, your skills, all quite impressive. But the High Priest ordered me to kill you.”

 

She replied briefly in the somewhat unpolished Kingdom language. The fox-girl’s voice sounded very cute and cold at the same time, with a seductive allure that was entirely different from her appearance. It was as if a little kitten were plucking heartstrings with its furry paws. These two contrasting qualities didn’t clash but complemented each other, emitting a unique charm.

 

In addition to her “exquisitely cute” face in Princess Lilya’s eyes, despite her slightly disappointing bust, not even as big as that of a certain priestess with a modest “b-cup,” let alone her young age, she had developed a rounded and graceful figure. Nonetheless, she was a living little beauty.

 

Her pale pink hair fluttered slightly in the air, carrying a sense of impending death. The fox-girl’s eyes gradually grew colder.

 

She wasn’t much of a talker. Although it would take some time for the Wolf Cavalry and Harpy forces to arrive, she had sensed something was amiss and brought her Fox Assassin Corps here in advance. But as long as she could kill her current target, the task given by the High Priest would be completed.

 

As for matters like war supplies, the High Priest’s instructions were also clear: help if possible, but it didn’t matter if they couldn’t.

 

With General Leyton of the Western Army now healed, the beastmen themselves had little chance to make trouble in Wanhe Fortress, unless they were willing to suffer severe casualties and go all out against the Human United Kingdom.

 

However, that would be meaningless. The reason they had kept the large army on the border without retreating was to force this princess out.

 

Smart people often have more predictable behavior patterns, as per the High Priest’s words.

 

“Is that so? Well, then, give it a try. I won’t just stand here and be slaughtered.”

 

Lilya knew that talking too much wouldn’t help and raised her longsword, her pupils burning with the desire for battle.

 

Since Violet had helped her gain power through incredible means, Princess Lilya hadn’t had the opportunity to go all out against a truly powerful opponent. The legendary fox-girl assassin before her served as her touchstone.

 

Lilya also wanted to see just how much she lagged behind a real strong fighter.

 

“Shadow of the Wind! Liquid Armor!”

 

Now was not the time to conserve magic. Two powerful buffs were cast simultaneously, and a faintly visible armor made entirely of air immediately surrounded the princess’s body, seamlessly integrating with the silver-white armor she already wore.

 

At the same time, her shadow beneath her feet wriggled, rising upright and hovering behind her. The vaguely formed figure held a reflection of a sword, making it look like some sort of unique guardian spirit.

 

“I, Mevis, will remember that.”

 

“Wind Blade!”

 

The raised longsword was just a feint. Lilya’s thoughts barely condensed, and seven or eight fluid blades made of air simultaneously slashed from different angles towards the fox-girl Mevis’s back, launching a surprise attack!

 

In a life-or-death battle, there’s no such thing as a “sneaky” move. The best move is the one that wins. Besides, hadn’t Mevis previously tried to assassinate Lilya? This was just a case of returning the favor.

 

Swish, the fox-girl’s large, seemingly fluffy tail swung in the air, instantly shattering all the wind blades. That fluffy-looking tail, surprisingly, was one of Mevis’s weapons.

 

The reason beastmen rarely used conventional weapons was not only because they couldn’t make them and were unaccustomed to using them, but more importantly, their own bodies were already more effective than most common weapons and allowed for better coordination.

 

While parrying Lilya’s wind blade attack, Mevis slightly bent her knees in place.

 

Swoosh, the air emitted a supersonic explosion as Mevis instantaneously crossed the short distance that separated them. She reached out her claw towards the princess’s neck.

 

“Fox Spirit Art: Enchanting Soul Slash.”

 

Lilya never really expected the surprise attack to work. She was just about to raise her sword to block when, suddenly, her heart skipped a beat. A mysterious force from Mevis’s claw crossed space and, for a moment, made Lilya lock eyes with the fox-girl.

 

In that instant, Mevis’s pink vertical pupils suddenly became bewitching and full of charm. Even Lilya, also a woman, couldn’t help but be entranced for a moment, with an inexplicable desire to keep staring at her, forgetting everything else.

 

As a result, the force behind her sword weakened immediately, and Maevis’s claw shook it aside. Lilya only had time to subconsciously move her body.

 

“Hiss!”

 

The intense pain in her chest and abdomen snapped Lilya out of the enchantment, and she quickly swung her sword to force Mevis back, then retreated.

 

The fluid armor covering her body, along with her metal armor, had been cut through like soft butter by that single claw strike. There was a gaping wound on her abdomen, and fresh blood was staining part of the once pristine white lining.

 

The power of the enchantment was terrifying. Lilya realized that she had been completely defenseless against it in her moment of vulnerability.

 

But what was truly dreadful was the unexplainable force guiding the enchantment. It was precisely the presence of that force that led Lilya and Mevis to lock eyes during the most critical moment. The bewitching effect was not a mere coincidence.

 

Fox Spirit Arts… indeed, the beastmen were the most mysterious and enigmatic race among the different races. Their abilities were truly hard to anticipate.

 

“This is a bit troublesome…” Lilya smiled wryly, realizing that her opponent was far from ordinary.