The Assassination of the First Imperial Princess (3)
Clang!Crunch…!!Thud!
Blood and flesh sprayed in a savage melee. Inside the banquet hall, only the screech of iron and the wet sounds of bodies being carved apart echoed through the air.
The students were overwhelmed by the horrific atmosphere, too terrified to even scream. The escort knights maintained tense expressions, weapons ready. And among them all, Lucy sat collapsed on the floor, trembling violently.
Shattered table fragments and several blood-soaked arrows lay scattered before her. The sight of the carpet soaked with chunks of viscera made the reality of the situation slowly sink in, tightening around her throat.
Did I… almost just die…?
The terror that arrived late crushed the girl’s mind. She hadn’t noticed it at all. Even as the arrows flew toward her, she hadn’t sensed the slightest hint of danger. If that student hadn’t saved her, she would be…
Dead. My entire body pierced by those arrows…
It was the first time she had ever faced the presence of the Grim Reaper. The fact that death had brushed right past her nose made it nearly impossible for Lucy to stay sane.
No matter how much of an imperial princess she was, in the end she was still just a young girl.
I can’t cry… Don’t cry. You are the imperial princess… Get a hold of yourself.
Lucy tried desperately to calm her heart with self-suggestion, but treacherous tears had already gathered thickly at the corners of her eyes. She had to bite down hard on her lip to keep her ugly sobs from leaking out.
I’m scared… I don’t want to die…
Lucy, lost in panic. What dragged her reason back from the brink was none other than the sharp clamor of battle.
Clang!!Boom!Thud!!
“Fuck…! Where the hell did these bastards crawl out from?!”
“If I could just use mana, these little shits would be—!!”
“Ah.”
The girl snapped back to her senses and jerked her head up. Her heart sank once more.
Where her gaze landed stood a boy locked in a desperate struggle against the masked assailants.
Do not worry, Your Highness.
Your knight is right here.
Most people seemed unable to recognize the figure behind the mask, but Lucy understood instantly. How could she not? It was a voice she had both cherished and resented for so long.
“Rai…den…?”
Lucy spoke the boy’s name in a daze. The situation made no sense. Unresolved questions flooded her mind.
Who were these assassins? Why was Raiden standing in their way? Neria had been on the opposite side— was she safe? The more the questions piled up, the heavier the anxiety crushing her became.
Yet even in the midst of it all, Lucy could not bring herself to stand.
“……”
The overwhelming sense of helplessness refused to fade. The tips of her fingers still trembled faintly, and her drained legs had gone completely numb. Surrounded by her escort knights, she felt her own powerlessness more keenly than ever.
“Ugh… ugh……”
She was swallowing back another wave of rising tears and clenching her fists when a sound like something shattering rang out from the center of the hall.
Crack!!
At the especially ominous noise, she lifted her head. There she saw Raiden staggering, having lost his balance. Shattered pieces of his mask littered the floor around him. A long gash ran across his face, blood streaming down it. One of his eyes seemed badly injured; even his eyelid refused to move properly.
Lucy let out an involuntary scream at the sight.
“Raiden!!”
But the moment their eyes met, her body froze solid. Behind the broken mask, a grotesque smile had flickered across his face. Though it vanished quickly, her eyes had already captured the moment.
Raiden was smiling. Even while drenched in blood from head to toe. Brightly. As if he were thoroughly enjoying this entire nightmare.
Crack!!
The moment something shattered, a violent impact slammed into his face. His vision blurred. I staggered, forcing my eyes wide open. The slightest lapse in focus felt like it would snap this fragile thread of consciousness.
“Haa… Haa…”
Every hot breath carried the metallic stench of blood to my nose. Shattered fragments of the mask lay scattered across the floor. In my hand was a sword drenched in gore.
“You fucking… *cough*… son of a…!”
I spat out a clot of blood along with a ragged cough. Getting my head bashed had actually cleared my mind a little.
…Damn it.
For a brief moment, Raiden’s rage had clouded my reason. It was only because Super Sensory was still active that I avoided having my face sliced in half. I had barely dodged, but my left eye had been completely cut; that side of my vision was now pitch black.
Do not become swallowed by emotion.
The moment emotion enters the tip of your blade, softness disappears and defeat draws near.
My father’s voice rang in my ears without fail. Fuck… even in a moment like this, he was still offering commentary. Sure enough, neither my father nor I were completely sane.
I thought I had some talent for controlling my emotions, but I had been devoured by Raiden’s killing intent before I could stop it. Raiden Lisite… that dangerously demonic bastard.
“Haa… *cough*… Khaa……”
I wiped away the bloody tears that kept flowing and opened my remaining eye wide. The plan had been slightly derailed, but I had still taken out three of the seven in a short time. Not a bad flow.
I took a rough breath and calmly deflected the incoming sword strikes.
Clang!Crunch…!!Thud!
Once I regained my senses, my movements became noticeably lighter. My loose defense tightened once more, and the brutal sword path regained its composure, returning to its original form.
“……!!”
The enemies must have noticed the change; their attacks began to hesitate. It was only natural. Raw savagery and refined savagery gave off completely different auras.
I spoke coldly to the robed figures whose blades were locked with mine.
“Such clumsy coordinated attacks won’t work on me anymore.”
This was a form of trash talk. A single phrase meant to pressure the opponent and disrupt the atmosphere. It might seem trivial, but true buildup was always constructed from such small pieces.
“Hah, you really are an artist when it comes to running your mouth.”
“I’m glad to be recognized.”
“If it weren’t for this damned barrier, I would’ve butchered a brat like you in under a minute…!”
“Then which side is the one getting butchered right now?”
“You fucking—!!”
One of them lost his composure at the pride-stinging words. It was almost comical how his sword tip trembled, exactly as one would expect from a mage.
I dodged the charging bastard’s attack and leveled my blade.
“Wait, Labi…!”
Shunk!!
The rest tried to support him, but it was already too late. My sword had already pierced straight through his throat.
Labi. So that was his name. An alias, probably. Either way, goodbye, you piece of shit.
Squelch…
When I yanked the deeply embedded blade sideways, the severed head dropped to the floor. I kicked the disgusting thing toward the leader’s robe.
“Ugh… Haa… Haa… Three left now…”
“……Hah.”
The leader let out a hollow laugh with a stiff expression. His eyes as he looked at me were a complicated mix of emotions.
Yeah, it must be ridiculous. Their entire plan had been thwarted by a single kid. It must feel empty, watching their so-called elite forces die so meaninglessly. They must feel wronged, having been caught up in that absurdly overpowered legendary-grade magic scroll.
But what could they do? That was simply how life was. How death was. They shattered meaninglessly. They vanished into nothing. Without leaving behind even a trace of resentment.
That was how my mother had left. How Ji-hye noona had left. And…
“The same goes for the Duchess of Lisite, murdered by your hands.”
Choosing this method had been a form of revenge. I wanted them to feel it too. The despair and helplessness that poor child Raiden had been forced to face.
Still… I think I did pretty well, Raiden.
I wasn’t sure if he would be satisfied, but I hoped the blood now soaking my hands would bring him even the slightest bit of comfort.
With a bitter smile, I flicked the blood from my blade.
There’s cleanup to handle and I need to hand them over to the academy… I should take the remaining three alive.
Just as I prepared to finish off the rest, the leader’s previously complicated eyes suddenly flashed. He muttered something as if he had realized something, then turned his gaze directly toward me.
“Lisite… Raiden Lisite… So that’s what this was. I understand now.”
“Surrender quietly.”
“Hey.”
“I won’t listen to any bullsh——”
“It must have been so unfair that your mother was killed by our hands, huh?”
This fucking bastard. He started spouting things I had never even imagined.