Jackpot!

Stella stood in front of mother and son and glanced at Tsukasa, who showed a helpless expression. She could tell that Tsukasa was about to move, but her body was just moving subconsciously, and since it had happened, she also didn't continue to hide and faced the group of the terrorist from the Rebellion.

"Damn it! Are you a Blazer?!"

The terrorist was startled before he shouted angrily. He had found out Stella was Blazer, but so what?

*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*

Under dim space, sparks of fire illuminated the area, and numerous bullets were shot from the rifle of the man.

However, those bullets instantly evaporated by Stella's flame that surrounded herself.

"You're wasting your efforts. Bullets aren't effective against my Empress Dress." Stella stood bravely, facing the man.

"Shut up!"

However, the man didn't stop and kept shooting.

"I have no intention to fight with you. Let me meet your boss."

Even though Rebellion was widely known as an organization of Blazers, in truth, the majority of its members were non-Blazers referred to as 'Adherents.' In the new world order that Rebellion wanted to create, the 'Apostles,' who were Blazers, were a minority. Rebellion units were composed of this small group of Blazers commanding the non-Blazers as soldiers.

Stella knew that, so she didn't waste her time with the small fry in front of her.

"Don't be stupid! Who do you think y --"

"Put your gun down, Yakin!"

When the man shot Stella angrily, a voice suddenly stopped him.

This voice attracted everyone, and they turned their gazes toward a group of people that walked toward them.

The group was led by a man who wore a black cloak that covered his entire body, and without a doubt, he was the leader, especially after the group of soldiers from the Rebellion looked at this man respectfully.

"Oh dear oh dear~? Miss Stella, the second princess of the Vermillion Empire. It's an honor to meet you." The man bowed to Stella in a gentlemanly manner, but his tone was full of mockery.

"So you're the boss?" Stella asked.

"That's correct. I'm Bisho. Very nice to meet you." The man took off his hoodie and looked at the man that caused the problem angrily. "Hey Yakin! What the hell are you doing? Didn't I tell you not to touch the hostages?"

"I'm sorry... but that kid threw an ice cream toward them..."

The fierce man that shot a riffle at Stella became a coward right in front of Bisho.

"Huh!? You went nuts just because of… no."

Bisho turned around with a thoughtful expression.

Tsukasa, who was hiding among everyone, was keen on the change of emotion of everyone. Even though his sense of smell usually didn't work well in his everyday life, it was different if he was serious. Like when he could sense Kurono when she was horny when she looked at him, he could also tell what Bisho felt at this moment and it made him frown.

"…Hehehe."

"Bisho-san?"

"Ahh, Yakin. That must've been a disaster. I sympathize, really."

Bisho's attitude changed suddenly, and he patted the man who had ice cream spilled on his pants, then pulled out a gun and pointed it at the boy who the mother was protecting.

"Rest easy. I'll balance the scales for you, my honorary citizen."

"Wh-What are you doing?!" Stella was in shock watching Bisho's performance.

"What? Ain't it obvious, Princess? I'm going to have this kid take responsibility for what he did. Responsibility is important, no?"

"Didn't you say you weren't going to touch the hostages!?"

"Well… that would be true if they stayed still, but this brat didn't. Ahh, he ain't an adult yet, so we can't judge him too hard, but… what the kid did was still a sin. He trampled the dignity of this honorary citizen here, so he has to pay with his life. Penance for sin, forgiveness for penance, that's my motto, you see!"

Bisho suddenly squeezed the trigger a little. He was really going to shoot, so Stella didn't hesitate to manifest Blazer.

"Haaaaa!"

Stella leaped forward and slashed at Bisho with her golden broadsword.

Seeing that, Bisho smiled.

'He baited me?!'

Stella could see Bisho's expression clearly shown on his face and told her that he had caught her.

'But it doesn't matter!'

However, Stella didn't waver since she didn't give him time to summon his Device.

Bisho was only holding a handgun, and there was no way for him to block Laevatein with something like that!

Stella slashed the man along with his gun, but Bisho stopped that slash with only his index and middle finger.

"Wha --?!

Bisho laughed. "Hehehe, oh dear. You're fast and strong like the rumors say about A-Ranks. But alas, you don't know how wide and terrifying this world can be." He mocked Stella for being naive, thinking everything could be handled as long as one had enormous magic power.

Stella couldn't hide her surprise. A slash with all of her might have been completely blocked with only the fingers of one hand.

Even Tsukasa didn't dare to do this, but Bisho dared.

This was not a human technique. The fingers and arms should have been torn off together when her slash connected. Even if the slash had somehow been blocked, the arm would still be charred by Laevateinn's flames.

However, Bisho was completely unaffected by both force and heat, stopping her sword casually.

'How?'

Stella was stupefied and realized the rings on Bisho's fingers. "Those rings?"

Bisho was wearing a ring on the middle finger of each hand, and they emitted an ominous red light. They might look like simple accessories at first glance, but Stella only realized that they weren't simple accessories as they seemed.

"That's right! This is my Device, Judgment Ring. Its specialty is dealing with "sin" and "penance." The left absorbs all attacks towards me, while the right converts it into magical power and returns upon my enemy. Hehehe, in other words, the stronger my enemies, the stronger I become." Bisho laughed, then clenched his right fist. "Now, taste your own power!"

Bisho's fist was strong. Moreover, it had an offensive power that completely shattered her Empress Dress.

Stella could tell that she would collapse from this punch, but when she was about to welcome this punch on her abdomen.

*Bang!* *Bang!*

The sound of gunshots was heard

Stella, who was waiting for the pain in her abdomen, didn't feel anything.

Instead, Bisho was screaming like a little girl as he cried in pain, leaving both of his arms dangling on his side.

"Aaaaarrrghhhh! It hurts!!!"

Tsukasa had heard enough, and it was time to end this farce, but at the same time, his eyes clearly showed his emotion inside his heart.

'Jackpot!