Forge and Steel

**BOOOM**

**CLANG**

"Valletta!"

The clash of the swords resonated across the battlefield like thunder, shaking the ground and knocking over nearby structures.

Tsubaki, struck by the powerful woman, let out an angry scream as her body was thrown backward by the tremendous force of the impact. Despite the pain running through her back, she quickly regained her footing, planting her feet firmly on the ground.

With a swift movement, Valletta appeared at her side, her mocking smile as intact as her confidence. She swung her crimson sword with lethal precision, her presence as overwhelming as her attack.

"Are you surprised?" Valletta murmured, her voice dripping with disdain. "We're barely warming up, blacksmith."

Tsubaki tightened her grip on her katana with both hands, her gaze fixed on her enemy as her breathing grew heavy. "Bitch, you're too arrogant for someone who doesn't fight alone."

Valletta let out a laugh that echoed with both amusement and cruelty. "Hahaha! Stupid blacksmith, do you think I have even a shred of honor in my position? I'm a filthy rat from the dark faction!"

Tsubaki didn't respond, letting her sword speak for her. With a blinding flash, she launched a direct cut, forcing Valletta to raise her sword to block.

**CLANG**

The clash resonated once more, but this time, Tsubaki pushed forward with renewed strength, her fury fueling each movement.

"I'll break your mouth, bitch!"

Valletta slid back slightly, her feet skimming over the ruined ground, but her smile didn't fade. "HAHA, you seem so angry, Tsubaki. What's wrong? Is it because of that cute cut on your face? HAHA... what does it matter anyway? It's not like you were beautiful to begin with."

Tsubaki furrowed her brows, feeling a sting of irritation at Valletta's words. She gritted her teeth hard, her knuckles turning white, marked by the fury she contained.

Tsubaki touched the cut on her face with the tips of her fingers, feeling the burn of the wound and the warmth of the blood slipping down her skin. Her frown deepened even further as she clenched her teeth with a mix of frustration and rage.

There it was, a cut that ran across her nose from side to side, staining much of her face with blood. Combined with her fierce expression, the image Tsubaki presented at that moment was terrifying.

"Bitch, you used the life of one of your subordinates just to cut my face. You're really petty." Tsubaki gritted her teeth, feeling an immense frustration at the situation.

At a critical moment in the fight, Valletta had used the life of one of the spiritual soldiers to get close to Tsubaki, giving her the time to inflict multiple wounds. But the hateful woman had ignored the opportunities, instead choosing to cut her face.

Although Tsubaki had never been particularly concerned with her beauty, for any woman, having someone cut their face was simply the greatest offense imaginable. Even knowing she could heal it with a simple potion, Tsubaki's eyes burned with rage.

**SLASH**

Forced to retreat once again, Tsubaki moved quickly, dodging the cut from one of the two spiritual soldiers.

Breathing heavily, Tsubaki analyzed her complicated situation once more. She was currently facing five of the dark faction's elites, constantly being suppressed by the combined effort of her enemies.

Valletta, the woman who alone matched her in strength, then there were the annoying spiritual soldiers, and to top it all off, two troublesome men constantly looking for opportunities to harm her.

It had been a while since the fight began, and throughout the battle, she had only been able to retreat. In fact, if it weren't for the armor made by her brother and her stats at maximum level, she probably would have died long ago.

"Valletta! Stop playing and kill her already, we can't waste time here!" From one of the roofs of the surrounding houses, a man with gray hair and red eyes shouted at Valletta angrily.

"Miss Valletta, I share my companion's opinion, we should finish her off quickly and leave," from another roof, a man with red hair said in a hollow tone.

Valletta didn't seem bothered by her companions' words. Her cruel smile remained intact as she watched Tsubaki. "Hehe, shut your mouths, you useless pair. Let me enjoy slowly finishing off this delicious prey," she replied with a malicious, playful tone, ignoring her companions' words as if they were air.

The two men exchanged looks, frustrated by the lack of action, but they knew that confronting Valletta in an argument was useless. Unfortunately for them, neither had the strength to finish off Tsubaki, and they could only provide support from a distance.

"Barca, Perdix, Vito, if you're so eager to kill me, why don't you come down from those roofs, you cowards?" Tsubaki glared at the two men on the roofs with extreme disdain.

Barca, the gray-haired man, gritted his teeth at Tsubaki's words, but made no move. Vito, the red-haired one, remained silent, his empty gaze fixed on the woman, his murderous intentions escaping from him.

Though both desired to finish off Tsubaki, they knew that facing a woman like her, even exhausted, was a suicide mission. Neither of them, being simple level 4s, could even withstand a single blow from her sword. A single punch from her would likely crush them effortlessly.

The silence between them stretched on, and the three enemies watched Tsubaki, who, despite being tired, continued to stare at them without a hint of fear.

Valletta stepped forward, her sword in hand and her cruel smile, savoring every second of the tension. "Ready to die, Tsubaki? You have no one to help you. You're alone." Her voice was like a poisonous whisper, trying to instill fear in Tsubaki.

Without giving her time to respond, Valletta quickly stepped forward and unleashed a fierce horizontal slash. The sword gleamed with the intent to finish it once and for all. Tsubaki barely dodged, feeling the pressure of the wind and the blade near her skin. However, it didn't stop there. The spiritual soldiers, seeing the opening, moved quickly, attacking simultaneously.

**CLASH, CLASH**

The sound of swords clashing echoed through the air, and Tsubaki, with agility, blocked one of the attacks, but the second hit with overwhelming force. A direct blow to her armor, the impact made her stagger, and for a moment, she almost fell.

But before she could recover, a scream pierced the air. "Barca, Vito, don't fall behind!" Valletta roared, signaling the two men to stay active in the fight.

Barca, from the roof, seized a small opening in Tsubaki's posture to jump into the fight. With an agile leap, he descended toward her, wielding a heavy-looking sword that gleamed ominously. Vito also moved, but with great agility, looking for his chance to strike by surprise. The two closed in, intending to surround her.

Tsubaki, despite being clearly exhausted, wasn't willing to give in. "You'll have to do a lot more than that to defeat me!" she growled as she spun quickly, blocking one of the spiritual soldier's strikes and then rolling on the ground to dodge Barca's attack.

However, the situation was becoming more difficult. Valletta's attacks were fast and precise, and the spiritual soldiers moved as if they were in sync, covering every angle. Every time Tsubaki dodged an attack, another came immediately after, and the pressure only increased.

"It's useless, Tsubaki!" Valletta laughed, enjoying every close miss. "Soon you'll tire out and fall, then I'll enjoy slicing you to pieces!"

"Bitch, I won't die until I return the cut you gave me!" Tsubaki shouted, charging forward with renewed fury. Despite the fatigue threatening to overwhelm her, her sword cut through the air in a precise sweep toward one of the spiritual soldiers, forcing him to retreat.

Valletta's morbid excitement didn't relent. "DIE ALREADY!" Her voice thundered in the air as her sword advanced with lethal speed, aiming for the final blow. Tsubaki's sword barely intercepted Valletta's blade in a desperate move, but the force of the impact pushed her backward, sending her crashing to her knees.

Pain coursed through her body like a torrent, but before she could react fully, a figure slipped toward her from the shadows. Vito, the red-haired man, had seized the moment of weakness to strike, and his cursed dagger found its mark on Tsubaki's armor.

**SLASH**

**CLANG**

The sound of metal clashing rang violently. Vito's cursed dagger struck the surface of the armor, sending sparks into the air. However, to Vito's misfortune, the powerful cursed weapon didn't even leave a scratch on the armor, which gleamed brightly as it withstood the impact.

Vito froze for a second, his eyes widening in disbelief as the dagger bounced off without causing the expected damage. He didn't have time to react. Before he could understand what had happened, Tsubaki was already standing before him.

With a brutal movement, Tsubaki countered with unstoppable force. Her sword cut through the air with deadly speed, and with a scream of rage, she struck Vito with beastly strength.

**BOOM**

The powerful blade of the sword caused a deep gash on his chest, and the beastly strength of Tsubaki sent him flying toward one of the nearby houses. Buried in the rubble, his life or death remained unknown.

"One less, good bastards, bastards, who's next?" Wiping some blood from her forehead, Tsubaki glared fiercely at Valletta and Barca.

"Heh, trash will always be trash after all." Without any change in his expression, Valletta showed no concern for the life or death of his companion. Instead, he threw a look of contempt at the place where Vito had fallen and spoke in his usual venomous tone.

Barca, on the other hand, quickly retreated to the surrounding rooftops, horrified by the place where Vito had fallen, thinking to himself what would have happened if it had been him who was struck.

"Barca! You piece of trash, don't you dare cower. Remember, if you want the materials Thanatos promised you, you need to work for them." Valletta pressured him with a tone of disdain, his glare piercing the figure of the man on the roof, whose wavering attitude didn't go unnoticed.

Barca, from his elevated position, swallowed hard, trying to regain his composure as Valletta's words burned his skin. His gaze couldn't help but return to the area where Vito had fallen, the brutal impact of Tsubaki's attack still echoing in his mind. In that moment, the threat of death felt closer than ever.

"I know, I know..." he murmured quietly, gritting his teeth. The fear continued to crawl through his veins, but he couldn't allow Valletta to see his weakness.

Though terrified of the battle, Barca clenched his teeth and didn't back down. He couldn't afford to lose those materials; with them, perhaps his dream would be closer.

"Give me those weapons, it's time to get serious!" Speaking to Barca in a reluctant tone, Valletta decided to abandon his playful attitude, recognizing that it was crucial to quickly deal with Tsubaki.

Barca, though trembling, nodded without saying a word. With nervous hands, he pulled out the weapons he had been keeping: a fine-edged sword and a sharp dagger. Valletta's intense gaze pushed him to act quickly. Without saying another word, he threw them to the woman, who caught them with skill, her face returning to its cruel smile.

In a fluid motion, Valletta wielded the sword, which glimmered with a crimson shine under the moonlight, with a ferocity that momentarily paralyzed the air around them. The smile on his face widened as the danger of his attack became evident. "Alright, blacksmith, enough games. It's time for you to die."

Tsubaki, as both a blacksmith and an expert warrior, quickly recognized the danger of the weapons, frowning as a chill ran through her body. Tsubaki gripped her katana tighter, silently praying for Finn to hurry.

"You can come anytime," Tsubaki said in a hoarse voice, holding her sword with both hands, ready to block the inevitable attack from Valletta.

The air became charged with tension, and the sound of both competitors' breaths filled the silence between them. The night seemed to freeze before the storm. Valletta, with his gleaming sword, advanced like a lightning bolt, the lethal strike aimed directly at Tsubaki.