Ragna gulped.

Was that the effect of the Engel? If Hertha’s words were true, they would become sitting ducks for the Judas Group.

Her eyes skimmed over the area. Something didn’t seem right. While Ray and Agravaine felt the Engel’s effects, everyone else looked fine. She, too. Ragna couldn’t feel anything pushing her down or draining her power.

Did the Engel have limits?

“What the Hel?” Hertha seemed to have noticed it as well. She raised her eyebrow and adopted a perplexed look on her face. “Why aren’t you kneeling before us? You shouldn’t be able to stand.” For a moment, she went silent. Then, she nodded her head in affirmation. “I see. You.” She pointed at Ragna. “It seems I must have misjudged you. Despite your foreign blood, your core aligns with our justice and dreams. So, I offer you this: Join us and let’s reach the holy land together. You can, of course, not become a full Vaixian, but we could consider you an honorary one. Your attitude’s not exactly becoming of a woman, and your small body not what one would consider ideal for child-bearing, but if we give you a good Vaixian man to educate you, your children might have a good future ahead.”

Ragna cringed. Nausea overcame her not only regarding the prospect of her “future” but that a part of her seemed to be like them – a part that used to be bigger than she would have liked to admit. But that all died alongside the old Ragna Griffin. If she had to thank this damned journey for one thing – besides getting to know Altera better and meeting her new friends – it would be that it had removed these parts from her.

Ragna pointed her saber at Hertha. “Yeah, no thanks. I’d rather be a Nidingr if that’s what you consider justice.”

“Such a shame.” Hertha shrugged. “I guess decades of propaganda aren’t easy to undo, but if you happen to survive all of this, I might still take you with us and make sure you’re trained enough to bear many wonderful Vaixian children. But never mind that.” Her eyes narrowed as she glared at Ilias. “Why are you unaffected, blood traitor?”

“I’m Vaixian, ain’t I?” Ilias smirked. “I’ve done nothing, and do you really wanna punish a Vaixian just for existing?”

Hertha grumbled but didn’t say anything.

“So, what should we do?” Jareth asked.

“Why are you unaffected?” Ragna asked.

“I’m not from the kingdoms. I see no reason to adhere to your laws. They don’t apply to me and don’t affect me as well. So, should I attack them?”

Ilias shook his head. “Once we attack, we’re “sentenced to death”, and the smallest scratch would be lethal. Can you guarantee to kill them without suffering any damage?”

Ragna and Jareth didn’t say a word, affirming Ilias’ doubts.

“Booooring.” Bedivere’s voice echoed through the area, turning everyone’s attention toward her. “With all this talk ‘bout justice, aren’t you just searchin’ excuses for your defeats?”

Pointing her spear at the enemies, she stood firm in all her splendor, showing no signs of the Engel affecting her.

But how can she resist the weight?

Hertha seemed to think that, too, as she crunched her teeth. “I don’t know why you’re still standing, but you’ll pay for your insolence. Soldiers.” She raised her voice. “Teach this wretched sinner a lesson and show her that will not tolerate her.”

“If any of you got the Algiz rune, use it now. Cause I won’t protect you from the collateral.” Bedivere winked at Ragna’s group and leaped forward.

Ilias took a step, and hexagons started to build a dome around their group as the soldiers began to fire.

For a millisecond, Ragna’s head snapped toward Ilias. She had to question how someone outside Midgard, Avalon, and Kemet-Raa could use runes, but then, Bedivere cackled, and Ragna’s eyes jumped to her.

Bedivere rotated her spear around its axis and deflected the bullets as if it functioned as a shield. Stray shots landed everywhere. Some flew through the soldiers’ helmets, bringing them down, and others attacked the barrier. But the hexagons flickered when the bullets touched them, and they dropped like stones.

Ragna couldn’t keep her eyes from watching Bedivere.

How did she catch the bullets? Her spear would have to perform a half-arc every half-quarter second. Against the continuous machine-gun fire, she needed to rotate even faster. Ragna could believe that Bedivere’s Ysbryd could without hold the impact. But how didn’t she break her joints or exhaust herself?

For a moment, the machine guns stopped firing. Bedivere used the opportunity to go into the offense. She stopped spinning. Barbs shot out of the spear and burst through the helmets, downing an enemy each.

Staring at their fallen comrades, the soldiers froze. Their bodies displayed the same question: How could Bedivere use her abilities?

Bedivere sped towards her enemies and swung her spear. It sliced through the soldiers, dissecting them from their waists before they could realize their deaths.

“What are you morons doing?” Hertha howled at her comrades, flaying her arms around in frantic movements. “Attack her, kill her. She’s sentenced to death. A single wound’s enough.”

Her words got into the soldiers, and they started to fire again. They only needed one lucky shot. But Bedivere danced around the bullets and slammed her spear into the enemies. She split through heads and spines, torsos, and shoulders. Blood splattered around and painted her uniform in patterns of crimson and black that only enhanced her ferocious, otherworldly beauty.

“What’s going on?” Hertha widened her eyes, her jaw dropping. “You should be weak. Why is it not working?”

Bediveres’ laughter filled the room. “Oh, it’s working. And I’ve to thank you. I can feel the weight pushing me, slowing me down.” Her voice rose, filling with ecstasy as her spear impaled an enemy through their throat. “To fight with such a handicap; Doesn’t make this the fight so much more interesting?”

Hertha growled. “That … That’s impossible. You can’t escape justice.”

“Of course, I can.” Bedivere continued her onslaught, attacking her enemies left and right. “So, allow me to demonstrate what justice is.” More barbs flew out of her spear, pinning her enemies through the walls as she evaded another barrage of bullets. “It’s the rule of the strong. We decide what it means and destroy the justice of the weak. Your rules don’t apply to me because you lack the strength to enforce them. This little “half-breed” will trample all over you, o so superior people with superior blood.”

“Nononono.” Hertha’s head convulsed. She stomped with her feet. “I won’t accept this. Your propaganda won’t deter us. Justice is on our side. We’re the righteous ones who will save our kingdom. Comrades.” She straightened her body and clenched her fist in front of her chest. “Don’t waver. Attack and kill her. Her words are meaningless. We’re right; They’re wrong. Good against evil. It’s simple as that. There’s no need to complicate the world. When our grandchildren and great-grandchildren look through the history books, they’ll see a world gone mad where the sane and logical were called mad because we weren’t like the rest of them. So, continue to fight for all that’s good. For a better world.”