Nine Summers of Divine Punishment

After repeatedly using her heightened senses, Miki’s eyes were filled with exhaustion. Ever since their return from the Eagle Kingdom, her long hair and eyes had never regained their original black color, remaining a pale, almost translucent white.

Despite this, she never once said a word of complaint.

Miki rested her chin on Wakako’s shoulder and spoke softly. “Crown Princess Loren… has a gun with several shots remaining. She also carries a bow and arrows, as well as daggers…”

Tsukiyo had all of these as well. The only difference was the amount of ammunition. Firing a gun didn’t require much strength, so even if Crown Princess Loren was weak, she could still pull the trigger.

As long as Tsukiyo could dodge the shots, the rest would be a foregone conclusion.

Wakako moved to a section of the roof closer to the courtyard. Unfortunately, she could only see the backyard outside the house. Crown Princess Loren wouldn’t be foolish enough to hide in an exposed area, so all Wakako could see was an empty space.

Except for the cold wind rustling the fallen leaves, there was nothing to be seen.

Soon, guided by Wakako and Miki, Tsukiyo arrived outside the courtyard. Naturally, she didn’t act rashly. Instead, she crawled around the perimeter, observing the situation.

Apart from a dilapidated bedroom, there were no other hiding places within the courtyard. However, entering recklessly might trigger a hidden trap.

Wakako placed one foot on the manor’s wall. She wasn’t too far from the courtyard and estimated that she could hit it with an arrow.

Just as her right hand reached for the bow slung at her side, Miki gripped her left hand tightly.

She could feel the Saint shaking her head slightly, indicating that it was pointless. The arrow wouldn’t be able to penetrate the barrier.

Wakako withdrew her hand and turned to guide Tsukiyo. “The window on the northwest side is thin. Try shooting an arrow through it.”

“Where should I run?”

“You don’t need to run,” Wakako said after a pause. “Crown Princess Loren won’t come out.”

In fact, should they manage to draw Loren out into close combat, Tsukiyo would have the upper hand.

Tsukiyo followed her instructions. Unfortunately, she was still a novice archer, and in the darkness, her arrow didn’t have enough force to shatter the window, only piercing the fragile window paper.

At that moment, she heard faint footsteps inside.

“She’s inside!” Tsukiyo whispered.

Wakako stopped her from rushing in. “Pay attention to the smell. If you smell an unusual gunpowder scent, dodge immediately.”

After the shooter pulled the trigger, there would be a brief moment before the gun fired, during which it would emit a pungent, burning smell. It was fleeting, but it was the only opportunity to evade the shot.

However…

Tsukiyo also carried a gun, which had a slight gunpowder scent of its own, making it difficult for her to distinguish. Wakako was too far away to smell it and couldn’t warn her in time. Tsukiyo had to rely on herself.

In the chilly spring air, the cold wind stung Tsukiyo’s nose, turning it red.

Just as her guard was down for a split second, a shot rang out, the bullet tearing through the window and hitting the spot where Tsukiyo had been standing only moments before!

Fortunately, Tsukiyo had rolled away just in time, narrowly avoiding the shot.

However, an old well in the courtyard was shattered by the impact, sending fragments of brick flying through the air. One of them struck Tsukiyo hard on her back.

Despite the protection of her back armor, Tsukiyo tasted blood in her throat.

She swallowed the pain and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Wakako was frantic, wishing she could take Tsukiyo’s place, but there was nothing she could do except issue rapid commands. “Keep her occupied.”

She instructed Tsukiyo to shoot arrows from different directions, forcing Crown Princess Loren to use her remaining gunpowder.

Despite her youth, Tsukiyo moved with agility, dodging the subsequent shots and only getting struck by falling debris a few times. She pulled a small medicine bottle from her pocket, uncapped it, and downed its contents with a swig of water from her pouch. The bitter taste spread across her tongue.

These were heart-protecting medicines prescribed by the doctors. They shielded her vital organs, allowing her to survive even severe injuries, but at a cost — the side effects would be harsh and long-lasting. She had been warned to use them only in the most desperate circumstances.

However, Tsukiyo had been hit on the back of her head by a brick, and she could feel the blood. Her vision was blurring, and she could barely see her own hand, so she had no choice but to take the medicine.

Crown Princess Loren, having missed several shots, realized Tsukiyo’s intention and stopped wasting gunpowder.

They didn’t know how many shots she had left—perhaps only one, or maybe two.

Wakako spoke softly. “Tsukiyo, don’t drink any more water. Can you hear me?”

Tsukiyo silently put down her water and murmured an acknowledgement.

“We’re almost out of gunpowder. The enemy’s hidden while we’re exposed, and you’re injured. Continuing this stalemate doesn’t favor you. Our only option now is to charge in and confront her directly. Do you dare try?”

If it were Wakako standing outside that house, this is the tactic she would choose.

Tsukiyo wasn’t her, but Tsukiyo was her apprentice.

Wakako glanced sideways at Miki on her back and saw that she didn’t object, she assumed Miki agreed.

The medicine started to take effect, and Tsukiyo’s strength gradually returned.

She stood up, leaning on the ground for support. Having been repeatedly knocked down due to the disparity in weaponry, the once proud Crown Princess felt nothing but humiliation.

Tsukiyo spoke with determination. “I’m ready.”

Wakako said, “Good. Listen carefully. I’ll tell you what to do.”

“First, shoot several arrows at the front door, leaving a slightly longer pause between shots. Once the door is about seventy percent damaged, immediately circle around to the side and climb through the window. Don’t make a sound.”

“As soon as you’re inside, locate the enemy, circle behind her, and use the poisoned dagger you picked up earlier.”

“Crown Princess Loren must also be wearing armor. While the armor crafted in the Eagle Kingdom isn’t as sturdy as ours, it will still be difficult for you to pierce her chest or back with your strength.”

“Your forehand attacks are weaker, so use a backhand strike aimed directly at her throat. It must be a fatal blow.”

Tsukiyo was intelligent and memorized everything after hearing it only once. “Alright.”

She paused for a moment, then asked, “Master, what if I can’t execute the killing blow?”

“Then grab her gun and use it against her.”

“What if I can’t grab the gun either?”

Wakako hesitated for a moment, then said calmly, “You can.”

She continued, “I’m your master. If I say you can, then you can.”

Tsukiyo didn’t hesitate any longer and followed Wakako’s instructions.

The strategy was simple: lure Loren into thinking that Tsukiyo had given up on the window and was now attacking the front door.

Tsukiyo felt the weight of her quiver and calculated the number of arrows she had left. She nocked several arrows and fired them in rapid succession.

Whoosh!

The old, dilapidated wooden door couldn’t withstand the barrage. The upper half collapsed with a loud crash, while the lower part wobbled precariously, shedding splinters with each passing second.

Using the noise as cover, Tsukiyo silently crept through the window. Her small stature and light footsteps gave her a natural advantage, allowing her to move almost soundlessly.

Inside, she quickly spotted a slender figure standing with a gun held in their arms. In an instant, Tsukiyo locked onto the target, tightened her grip on the dagger, and lunged forward, delivering a swift, backhanded strike!

The strike was accurate, hitting its mark perfectly, but it didn’t end the enemy’s life as expected. Instead, it was met with something hard.

It turned out that Crown Princess Loren’s neck was also protected by a specially made neck guard, which almost knocked Tsukiyo back.

In the brief moment of confusion, Loren leaped through the door and out into the courtyard. Tsukiyo quickly followed, and the two now faced each other, standing in the open.

It was the first time Tsukiyo saw her opponent’s face clearly—the Crown Princess of the Eagle Kingdom, Loren.

Having seen Saint Miki, whose every movement was like a willow swaying in the wind, Tsukiyo had assumed that such delicate beauty was the epitome of frailty. But now, looking at the Crown Princess of the enemy kingdom, she realized what true frailty looked like – someone so thin, it seemed like her clothes were holding her up.

Loren was tall but painfully thin, her face pale and gaunt. The heavy armor she wore seemed like it would crush her at any moment. That earlier leap out the door had exhausted all her strength; she now gasped for air in obvious pain.

She was indeed, as the rumors said, sick and with only a few days left to live.

Tsukiyo charged forward again, easily pinning Loren to the ground and snatching the gun from her hand, tossing it aside.

But Loren’s armor was incredibly thick, protecting her neck and vital organs, leaving no openings for attack. Tsukiyo hovered the dagger, unable to find a vulnerable spot. She could only resort to pulling at the armor roughly.

Loren fought back, and for a moment, they were locked in a stalemate.

During the struggle, Tsukiyo heard Loren’s voice, weak and fragmented. “It’s been… so long… since I’ve… fought.”

Tsukiyo seized an opportunity, pinning Loren’s arm with one hand and tightly gripping her throat with the other. Confusion flickered in her eyes. “If you’re this sick, why did you come all this way?”

Loren was almost suffocating but managed a faint smile.

“After I got sick… I haven’t seen the sun much… I don’t have long to live… To die for my kingdom is… my final wish…”

Even though she knew her frail body was no match for anyone, she had still managed to persuade her parents to allow her this last battle.

She, too, had once fought on the battlefield alongside thousands of soldiers.

Tsukiyo stared into Loren’s eyes, a bittersweet feeling suddenly welling up inside her. As a fellow princess, she understood Loren’s thoughts perfectly.

“Do it… kill me…” Loren’s voice grew fainter. “Could you… let me keep my body intact…”

Tsukiyo closed her eyes tightly, feeling a pang of reluctance but knowing she had no choice. She grabbed the gun she’d picked up earlier, not to fire it, but to bring it down hard on Loren’s head!

The dull thud of metal meeting flesh rang out.

Blood splattered everywhere.

Loren’s face still held that earlier dignified smile, her entire head now bathed in red, as if she had simply fallen asleep.

It was finally over.

To Tsukiyo, everything that had happened tonight felt like a dream – absurd and distant. She stood up shakily and turned to leave, feeling as light as a feather, all her previous injuries seemingly forgotten…

Suddenly, Wakako’s sharp voice pierced her ears. “Tsukiyo! Dodge!”

Tsukiyo froze for a split second before being thrown by the air pressure, her body blasted away. This time, the gun had hit her squarely in the back, leaving her ears ringing and vision darkening. Any possibility of standing up again vanished.

How could this be…?

Not far away, Loren sat slumped on the ground. Blood continued to flow from her head. The desperate act of retrieving the gun and firing that last shot had depleted the last of her strength, leaving her unable to move.

She gave a bitter smile, then coughed up a mouthful of blood. “I’m sorry… but… I have to win…”

Loren, too, had struggled with her conscience, desperately not wanting to use such tactics to kill a mere ten-year-old child. But she had no choice.

None of them had a choice.

The blood flowed faster and faster, just like Tsukiyo’s life force, which was now slipping away at an alarming rate.

It hurt so much. Tsukiyo curled her fingers slightly. Would the pain disappear if she died?

Rain had begun to fall, though neither had noticed when. It splattered on both of them, diluting the thick blood and staining the entire courtyard red.

Just then, a voice colder than the rain reached her ears.

“Useless.”

Tsukiyo recognized it. It wasn’t her usually warm master, but the aloof Saint.

“You’ve been on the battlefield, yet you still show mercy. You deserve to lose,” Miki said calmly. “To have someone with your temperament as the Crown Princess is a disaster for the kingdom.”

No, she wasn’t useless… She just… just…

“It’s better that you die. Let your younger sister be the next Crown Princess. She couldn’t possibly be worse than you.”

…How could the Saint say such things?! What right did she have?!

“Do you know how many people have died for you? Do you know how many mercenaries disguised themselves as your body double, only to be ambushed and killed by the Eagle Kingdom? Do you know there’s a child who lost his left hand in an explosion?”

“Do you know how many sleepless nights Ruijun has endured? Do you know that the Queen Consort, out of worry for you, pushed me into the water?”

“The night the Kitagawa estate was attacked, you were safely escorted away early. But did you know Wakako nearly lost her left leg?”

“Do these people mean nothing to you?”

“You know all of this, Crown Princess, but you don’t care. Instead, you show mercy to the enemy and fall for their tricks so easily.”

No… that’s not true…

Tears mixed with blood streamed down Tsukiyo’s face, soaking her entire body.

She did care about everyone, she truly did… She was supposed to win!

The Saint’s cold voice came again. “Now, either stand up or die like a drowned dog.”

Die.

Tsukiyo fingers clawed at the ground until her wounds reopened. Finally, she stood.

She could see nothing clearly now, moving solely on sheer willpower. Mechanically, she bent to pick up the gun, aimed at the fallen Loren, and fired the last bullet.

Tsukiyo then collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Her throat was clogged with blood, and she couldn’t make a sound.

Wakako watched from the rooftop, stunned.

Her mind wasn’t on the immediate battle, nor on victory or defeat. Instead, her thoughts drifted to the people Miki had mentioned—those who had given everything for this trial. There was one person missing from that list: Miki herself.

The Saint, whose hair had lost all traces of black, still came to this place, using her acute perception despite the toll on her body.

Wakako’s heart ached as she realized that Miki, despite her cold words, was pushing herself beyond her limits—just like everyone else.