She regained her composure and then channeled her remaining energy into this final attempt. She had to succeed! Instead of solely using her hearing, she focused on pushing all her five senses to the limit! A massive swarm of information swarmed her as Shirley entered a new strange state. Although the girl could not see behind herself, it was like an eye formed on the back of her head! Her other senses compensated for her eyesight! As soon as that happened, she sensed one… two… three people following her! Before, with only hearing, it could not be a true glimpse of Perception Realm. At best, it was one-fifth. It was different now, with all five sense being simultaneously elevated to the peak. This was a true and bona-fide glimpse of the Perception Realm!
Three enemies, is that right? Shirley narrowed her eyes.
It was more than she thought, but that was not too surprising. A halberd hung off her back! She did not bother to hide it because in combat, no one would wait for her to unwrap it. It could be a deadly mistake! But without her halberd, her combat strength was likely halved, if not more. Thinking this way, she took the more reassuring path. And since she showed up with a weapon like that, obviously the Third Hand would place more emphasis on her. Nevertheless, the girl felt more confident now. Compared to enemies hiding in the dark, she gained the initiative! The next step was to get rid of them…
Shirley's hand shifted to her sword as she turned a corner. This normal action of hers conveniently slipped out of her pursuers' sightline, so one of them sprinted to catch up. As soon as he rounded the corner though, Shirley was already charging toward him! There was no time to react. Shirley planned this perfectly, having found out their identities. Using this simple trick and the correct timing, she could erase any chance to dodge or retaliate! It was a truly fearsome surprise attack! Her sword moved faster than thoughts as it flew toward the man's neck. Slash! Right above his collarbone, a deep cut emerged as Shirley hacked his shoulder in two. The violent act showered blood high into the air, mixing it with the cold rain. The massive loss of blood made the man collapse, his state unknown. It was likely that she killed him in one strike!
Before the onlookers could react, Shirley continued charging out. She did not look back once with her eyes as cold as ice. Freon might call her kind, and she was. There was no lie there. However, she differentiated between ally and enemy well. Against her allies, she would not hesitate to risk her life. Against her enemies though, she would not hesitate to kill! This was the cruel truth of the world that she learned when she was young. Ever since her hometown was invaded by the Xingyuu Empire and she was imprisoned by those filthy soldiers, she never once thought about holding back!
Much like Elizabeth, she had a firm sense of justice. Villains in her mind would face her retribution! Softness would get her killed! Her sword never waivered once. She stomped on the ground and accelerated further. She dashed through the rain like a demon as her demeanor completely transformed! Having sniffed out the other two pursuers already, she avoided the normal citizens. If she did not, then she would never have noticed them. They were dressed and acted like anyone else. However, they were clear as day now!
The two from the Third Hand had slacked jaws. They might not be Perception Realms, but they were trained professionally by the Whispering Shadow nonetheless. To stand out amongst the tens of thousands of other martial artists, it was not easy at all. There was brutal competition to make it to their esteemed positions! Therefore, their mastery was bordering Half-Perception, and like the Second Hand, with their skills, they could give genuine Perception Realms a run for their money! They were not to be underestimated! Admittedly, they took this mission as a free vacation and scarcely paid any attention to Shirley. They never thought this girl would suddenly take out a sword and start killing! In their eyes, she was crazy!
But these two were truly professional. They forgot about their dying companion immediately as they started to unsheathe their weapons and enter a battle stance. Everything happened in less than a second though. Shirley's attack was too sudden and perfect. She subconsciously planned everything, taking advantage of the distance between the three and the element of surprise. Furthermore, she never hesitated! The breathing room the three created was useless against someone like her. Rain splashed as her sword thrusted forward. The first person only saw the glistening tip of the metal blade before it closed in. It was aimed directly at his head!
In the last split second, the man shifted his head enough for the blade to graze his cheek. Shirley missed her mark by a hair! At the same time, her opponent fully unsheathed his sword and slashed down at Shirley's exposed back. His actions were so smooth that it looked practiced a hundred times over. It left nearly no time for Shirley to respond. However, when she first attacked, she was already prepared for failure. Catching her enemies off-guard was no easy task, despite her swift assault. Less than two hours passed since the fight at Freon's home which meant her body and mind remained conditioned for battle! She might not be in top physical condition, but there was no awkward warmup. Compared to her opponents, Shirley was a notch faster presently!
The girl twisted and parried the incoming blow. Sparks flew under the intense collision. Resisting the waves of exhaustion, she threw off the sword, flicked her wrist, and thrusted her sword again. This time, she targeted his chest! Shirley wanted to capitalize while her enemies were still dazed! Hot blood splashed as she pierced through the man's chest. However, it was too shallow! How could anything be so easy? The man's instincts took over and allowed him to react in time. Using this chance, he pulled away as his partner dashed over! It immediately became a two versus one!
Seeing this, Shirley was slightly relieved. If they decided to flee and alert their companions to deal with Freon, then she might cry tears. Thankfully, the Third Hand was filled with proud and arrogant members. If they could not handle a single girl, then they would be too embarrassed to return. This allowed Shirley to remain somewhat in control. Of course, that somewhat was based on her survival! Due to their fight, the nearby citizens fled in all directions and the city guards were probably on their way. Because this was a high security district filled with nobility, their response time should not be slow. She had to tie them down long enough for the guards to help. This fight was destined to be a short and bitter one!