"As if you'd dare!"
Seeing Elise trembling in the distance, Valletta laughed even more wantonly. Although she truly wanted to take this chance to enjoy herself, business still had to be handled first.
"Looks like I brought all these men for nothing. I didn't expect you wouldn't even have the courage to fight."
"Well, no helping it. Someone, go tie her up!"
Apparently having lost interest in Elise, who seemed too frightened to resist, Valletta turned her back and prepared to leave.
According to her plan, Elise would not be killed so easily. She was far more useful alive than dead.
But that did not mean she intended to let her live comfortably.
Wasn't her title the Saintess of Scales?
She would make sure to humiliate her properly.
Let those Guild lapdogs in Orario take a good look at the so-called "saintess" they praised—see what kind of depraved posture she would display!
"Ah—!"
Just as Valletta was imagining how she would deal with Finn and the others in the future, the sudden cry from behind made her entire body jolt.
"What's going on?"
Valletta quickly turned around. What she saw was an unharmed Elise—and her own subordinates sprawled all over the ground.
"What happened?! Why are you all lying there?"
"Get up! All of you, get up!"
Valletta could not understand what had just occurred. These people had still been some distance away from Elise. How had they collapsed from that far? Were they acting?
"If you don't get up right now, I swear I'll cut you down myself!"
The irritable Valletta roared furiously, glaring at the men on the ground as she even drew her sword.
"There's no need to shout. I'm the one who knocked them down."
Only then did Elise's leisurely voice drift over, drawing Valletta's gaze back to her.
"Hah?" The words stunned Valletta. She blurted out instinctively, "How is that possible? You have that kind of strength?"
Instead of answering directly, Elise raised her right hand as if issuing a command—and brought it down in a sharp motion.
What was that supposed to mean?
In the next instant, a strange sensation spread through everyone present. It felt as though something heavy had suddenly pressed down on their bodies.
"Ah! What is this?!"
One moment they had been standing upright, and the next their faces were smashed against the ground. Was this some kind of special skill?
Valletta might have been unhinged, but she had fought Finn for years. Her mind was anything but dull.
She immediately understood what was happening.
Elise had been playing the fool while hiding her true strength.
And she, Valletta, had fallen for such a simple trick?
"You bastard!"
At this point, Valletta had no other options. She could feel how overwhelming the suppression was. With her strength alone, she could not even move.
She glanced at Olivas beside her. He was also struggling fiercely against the pressure, unable to break free in a short time.
"Using such a despicable method—how can you still call yourself a justice-aligned Familia?"
"Your justice is crying right now!"
"If you have the guts, release us and fight fair and square!"
With no alternatives left, Valletta could only try provoking Elise in this way, even though she herself knew the chances were slim.
Who would be foolish enough to release enemies they had already subdued?
In Valletta's view, the optimal move for Elise right now would be to kill them all while they were immobilized.
Even if she did not dare to kill, she could simply wait for Loki Familia and Freya Familia outside to break in. In that case, Valletta's entire group would be wiped out.
"You actually make a very good point."
Even though victory was already in her hands, Elise unexpectedly lifted her ability. The sight made cold sweat bead on Valletta's forehead.
Valletta no longer thought Elise was an idiot. She had just demonstrated the power to suppress everyone present.
Powerful adventurers were rarely stupid. The stupid ones had already died in the Dungeon. Monsters did not show mercy.
So then...
Even like this, she's confident she can take us all down?
Looking at Elise's poised and composed figure, Valletta's heart grew increasingly uneasy.
Before launching this attack, she had thoroughly researched Elise. She had concluded that Elise was weak—and even if she were stronger than expected, she should not exceed Level 4.
But now...
We might really die here.
"Everyone, attack! If we don't kill her, none of us are getting out alive!"
As the subordinates gradually struggled to their feet, Valletta roared. But beneath her fury, an unmistakable note of fear crept into her voice.
The only hope now was that these "cannon fodder" could buy enough time.
"Olivas, we're leaving! If we stay here, we're finished!"
In her desperation, Valletta intended to bring only Olivas with her, since he was also a high-ranking cadre of Evilus.
"While there's still time—Finn and the others haven't arrived yet—we—ugh!"
The Evilus members charging toward Elise had taken only a single step before an enormous force blasted them away. Some were even sent flying a great distance.
And Valletta, unfortunately, was struck once more by one of her own men who had been flung back by Elise.
A mouthful of blood sprayed from her lips. The intense pain coursing through her body assaulted her nerves, leaving Olivas staring in shock.
"Hey, Valletta—ahhh!"
Less than two seconds later, Olivas met the same fate. Another airborne subordinate slammed into him.
In under thirty seconds after struggling back to their feet, the Evilus members who had attacked Elise were once again sprawled on the ground like dead dogs.
"That level of strength... it's no weaker than a first-tier adventurer, is it? Damn it—did you even falsify your Level?"
Valletta had prepared for this for so long. Even a high-Level 4 should have died here.
But unfortunately, Elise had far exceeded her understanding.
Even so, Valletta felt she might still have a chance to survive.
"You're a saintess. You wouldn't kill us, right?"
She no longer held any hope of victory. This time, she had truly failed. But survival still seemed possible.
After all, the one before her was the Saintess of Scales.
"Kill you? Of course not."
With a gentle smile, Elise walked over and stopped beside Valletta, making sure she could look up and see her clearly.
"Taking someone's life without reason is extremely rude, you know."
In the next instant, the fear in Valletta's eyes exploded.
"Finn and the others haven't come in yet. We still have plenty of time."