Veronica’s eyes were scary.

Her gaze was fixed at me, and her rapier was aimed at my throat.

Her eyes appeared to be devoid of life, like eyes of a dead fish.

The scene was further appalled by her incoherent mumbling.

‘PIERCE’

In a split second two swords clashed, and Patricia was stabbed in her shoulder. Only because her sword clashed with the rapier’s guard she was not wounded deeper.

I immediately attacked Veronica and the girl was caught off-guard. She had to move away from Patricia to parry me with a knife.

Veronica’s eyes fixed on me.

We stood in place for seconds, until Patricia swung the sword from above.

‘Ping’

Without even paying Patricia a glance, Veronica parried with the rapier she held in the other hand.

With every passing moment, Veronica’s gaze was becoming more dreadful. All that was reflected in her empty eyes was me. My name turned into all that she was mumbling.

‘KuronamiKuronamiKuronamiKuronamiKuronamiKuronami’

The girl’s face was distorted by a wicked smile of a maniac, who found a new prey.

Patricia was trying to help me by striking from all sides of Veronica but she did not pay any attention to her sister’s struggle.

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!” Patricia swung again.

‘PING’

Before either of us could process what happened, Veronica switched the hands that blocked us. Now Patricia’s sword was stopped by the knife, and my katana was parried with the rapier.

All while we both were struggling to press Veronica’s blocks.

“ ‘Grandmaster’s prowess’.” (V)

“KYAAAA?!” The next second after Veronica chanted, Patricia was sent flying overboard with a kick. My side was stabbed by the sword, lowering the HP and HI but at least Patricia was not drowning.

After we were left alone on the deck, Veronica’s gaze returned to normal. She shook her head, and suddenly hugged me. It was done faster than I could process. She avoided the katana and made it past my arms, making it look like I was hugging her too.

“Ha? Ha?! HA?!”

“Uuuugh! I was so scared…! I thought I lost all control over myself…!” The sword fell out of my hands and I automatically started patting her back.

While I was still confused I did not notice that Veronica’s nails were biting into my back.

“It hurts…!”

‘…anywhere… anywhere… anywhere…’ Veronica started mumbling again, and the nails pierced even more.

‘PING’

A loud ring happened. A sword fell on the deck, after it hit Veronica’s knife.

“GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER, YOU LUNATIC!” Patricia climbed back on the deck.

Veronica glanced behind, and Patricia’s legs started trembling until the girl collapsed on the deck with a pale face.

When Veronica turned back to me, she was smiling so beautifully that I was almost enchanted by it. Only then I remembered that I was held by the girl who can literally decapitate me in a split second.

I freed myself from the hug, and stepped back.

“My-my, little Kuronami doesn’t want to play with me anymore~?” Veronica smiled but then her expression turn dark as she glanced to the side.

There was a pillar of smoke coming. After Fairy confirmed she is definitely not here, I understood that it is someone else. Judging by Veronica’s expression it might be the Doge’s flagship.

Veronica ran to the railings, and jumped off the ship. I ran to the railings, and saw how the girl was moving away on rays of light.

“UWAAAAA!!!” I turned around, and saw that Patricia was crying. I hugged her and started comforting but she continued crying until she cried herself to sleep.

I checked on Yuriko. Her wounds were no longer bleeding.

I carried both of them to a cabin and waited.

After Veronica retreated, the Benezian navy retreated too. The pirates clearly seen better times. A handful of ships remained, and neither of them was ready for another fight. With the smoke coming closer from the West, my destroyer squadron prepared to engage.

Soon the Vic of destroyers encountered a single ironclad.