"Hmph, Cheryl, where do you think you can run to?"
"Hand over all those High-tier materials on you right now!"
"Hah! You still think a Red Dwarf can craft a suitable wand for your sister? Youâre dreaming!"
"Thatâs right! Once we catch you, your sister will be forced to give up too!"
"Your sister is just too foolish. She got the inheritance of a Primordial Miko but hasnât truly become one, yet she dares to pick a fight with the Selwyn Family!"
The Mikos wore black robes and rode gray winged pythons, looking very similar to Cheryl.
However, their pointed Miko hats featured a glowing, icy city emblem. Above that city on the hat, a bright crescent moon shone.
Cherylâs face grew solemn. She took a deep breath, didnât hesitate for a second, and pulled out her giant, two-meter-long wand.
At that moment, Fiona, who had been trying to stay out of this Miko conflict, couldnât help but stare at Cherylâs giant wand.
She instinctively looked down at her own hammer in her hand, her eyes filled with a sudden sense of understanding.
Honestly, calling that thing a wand was a stretch. It looked more like a uniquely shaped long staff.
Fiona had never seen a Miko use such a strange weapon in battle before.
"Stop struggling uselessly, Cheryl," one Miko from an ancient family said, casting a quick glance behind Cheryl before continuing slowly. "If you just surrender, we can make your end less painful."
Cheryl sneered, "You donât have the confidence either, do you?"
"You have the numbers advantage, yet you dare not attack directly. Itâs because youâre unsure!"
"You can kill me or capture me, but whatâs the price?"
Suddenly, a bloodthirsty red light flashed in Cherylâs eyes. She stuck out her tongue and licked her lips.
"The price? Only two of you will walk away alive. The rest... youâre all going to die with me!"
The atmosphere instantly turned silent.
The five Mikos exchanged glances. No one dared to move first.
Cheryl the Combat Miko had recently become famous among Mikos.
For many Mikos, Cheryl is an incredibly dangerous enemy.
Even these five Mikos from ancient families arenât confident they can capture her without taking casualties right now.
Suddenly, one Miko turned his gaze toward Fiona standing nearby. His eyes lit up, and he shouted quickly:
"That little hammer-wielder! Yes, you!"
"We are Mikos from The Selwyn Family. If you help us catch Cheryl, weâll pay you a reward youâll love!"
"Donât worry, itâs not dangerous. Just get close to her, hold her back for a moment, and..."
Before the Miko could finish, Fionaâs face turned bright red.
She gripped her massive hammer tight, took a deep, shaky breath, and repeatedly told herself, "Calm down. Calm down!"
"Donât get angry. Donât get angry..."
But Fiona couldnât control her rage.
Her mood was already terrible. She had no idea how to save her brother, Karls, or help Grandpa Brock.
Now, these Mikos suddenly show up and call her "little one."
That made Fiona boil with anger.
"The Selwyn Family?" Fiona took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and asked, "Are you from the north of Miko lands? Winterhold?"
The Miko hadnât noticed the tone of warning. Puffing out his flat chest in pride, he laughed and said:
"Thatâs right! Iâm surprised even a little dwarf like you knows The Selwyn Family. Hahaha."
"Just help us, and the reward will absolutely satisfy you!"
The other Mikos nodded, feeling confident that they might catch Cheryl without much risk after all.
Meanwhile, Cherylâs brow furrowed deep in worry as she watched Fionaâs hammer with extreme caution.
If this Red Dwarves maiden actually agreed to help those Mikos, things were going to get very bad for her.
"Great, just great. What do I do now?" Cheryl thought frantically.
She desperately wished her sister, Rainn, was right there. If Rainn was here, thereâd be a way out of this mess.
"Or... if Aiden showed up, this would be a whole lot easier," Cheryl thought involuntarily.
She shook her head and shoved the thought away.
Aiden? He wouldnât show up now, would he?
Better to focus on how to handle the upcoming danger.
Gripping her giant wand tight, Cheryl locked her eyes on the Miko closest to her.
She was about to strike first and take control of the fight when the Red Dwarves maiden spoke up.
"Winterhold. The Selwyn Family!"
Blood vessels popped in Fionaâs eyes. Her gaze turned ice-cold, filled with pure killing intent as she stared down the Mikos from Winterholdâs The Selwyn Family.
"Yselle is still the head of your family, isnât he?" Fiona suddenly asked, naming the patriarch.
The Mikos froze for a second.
"How do you know that?" one of them realized something was wrong. He frowned deeply, staring hard at Fiona.
Without hesitation, Fiona turned to Cheryl and shouted,
"I have a grudge against The Selwyn Family! Yselle killed my grandpa!"
"Iâll help you!"
The moment the words left her mouth, Fiona swung her giant hammer, dug her heels into the ground, and leaped.
The impact created a deep crater. Her body shot forward like a cannonball, rushing straight toward the Mikos.
At the same time, Cheryl didnât hesitate. She seized the perfect moment and commanded the gray giant flying python between her legs to dart toward the nearest Miko.
The battle erupted immediately.
The Mikos from The Selwyn Family were caught off guard at first, completely unprepared for this turn of events.
One Mikoâs wand only glowed for a split second before he could cast a spell when Fiona flung her giant hammer. It sped forward like a roaring train, bearing down on the Miko.
"Watch out! Water Vines!" A quick-thinking Miko among the remaining four shouted, casting a skill instantly.
A surge of clear water swirled together, forming pale blue vines that quickly wrapped around the targeted Mikoâs waist.
As the vines yanked backward, the Miko narrowly dodged the massive hammer, which was charged with terrifying Strength.
"Damn it! Buy us time! We have reinforcements!" a Miko screamed.
Fionaâs expression changed sharply. She grabbed her hammer mid-swing and looked at Cheryl, shouting, "More enemies?"
"Iâm not sure," Cheryl replied immediately. "There were a lot at first, but I killed some. The count is down now."
"No," Fiona frowned. "If their reinforcements arrive, can you and I beat them?"
Fiona felt this Miko with the large chest didnât seem very bright.
"As long as we kill these five enemies quickly, itâll be fine!" Cheryl answered loudly.
She swung her giant wand hard. A blood-red, semi-circular light shot toward the enemy.
BOOM!
Cherylâs attack slammed into the enemiesâ protective barrier, creating a deafening roar.
"Are you kidding?! Run! That noise is way too loud. The enemy reinforcements will be here any second!" Fionaâs angry look vanished instantly.
She really wanted to kill all five Mikos from Winterholdâs The Selwyn Family, but the situation didnât allow it.
"I still need to find Grandpa Brock and save my brother," Fiona decided to leave.
Cheryl wasnât stupid either. Noticing Fionaâs move, she immediately commanded the gray flying python to fly toward her.
"Letâs go together! Take me to Red Dwarves Clan territory, and Iâm sure we can shake them off!" Cheryl shouted.
But just then, a cold, ominous voice suddenly appeared behind both of them.
"Anyone who stands in The Selwyn Familyâs way... must die!"
Cherylâs pupils dilated to their limit. She spun around, her face freezing in sheer disbelief.
Right before her eyes, three new Miko figures materialized out of thin air!
One of them wore a Miko pointed hat with a crest similar to the other The Selwyn Family members, except the crescent moon was replaced by a half-moon.
"A top genius from The Selwyn Family? A Mythic Rank Miko?" Cheryl took a deep breath and ordered the flying python to hover in mid-air.
When Fiona heard "Mythic Rank," her expression also froze in shock.
"Hahaha! You really thought we had no way out?" one of the Miko laughed loudly. "That was just a distraction to buy Blaine time to completely surround you."
Cherylâs eyes turned deadly serious. This time, she couldnât escape.
Blaine, a Level 75 Mythic Rank Miko, was one of only two Primordial Miko students in all of Miko lands.
Of course, her sister Rainn hadnât reached the power level of a true Primordial Miko yet. She only had the support of a few minor Miko.
"If you struggle, Iâll kill her," Blaine said coldly.
Instantly, a staff made entirely of condensed ice appeared in Blaineâs hand.
Despair flashed across Cherylâs eyes, but it vanished just as quickly, replaced by determination.
"You want to kill her? Then what a terrible deal for me."
Just then, Cheryl heard the one voice she never expected to hear.