The First Imperial Princess Assassination Incident (6)
The scream tore through the vast banquet hall like an echo from hell.
"GAAAAAAAHHH!!!"
The chaotic atmosphere born from the terror had now frozen into something icy and still. The only sounds left in the silenced hall were the crackling of flames and the horrific shrieks that followed.
Every gaze in the room was fixed on the center. Most of the students had fled to the edges, so the gruesome spectacle unfolding in the middle of the empty hall stood out even more starkly. It looked almost like a stage prepared for someone's final performance.
The students stood frozen, eyes wide, drinking in the horrific sight. Chunks of flesh scattered everywhere. White carpets drenched in blood. Severed corpses strewn about. And the nauseating stench that clawed at their nostrils.
"...Ugh."
"Blegh..."
A few students braced themselves against the floor and vomited. It wasn't strange. The scene was far too grotesque for adolescents who had yet to even undergo their coming-of-age ceremonies.
However, the majority of the students—excluding that small handful—showed almost no reaction. Or more precisely, they couldn't.
They were being crushed.
By the madness and fury radiating from a single boy. The sticky emotions that had grown fat on hatred were more than enough to paralyze their bodies.
"Haha...! Ahahaha!!"
The boy laughed with childlike innocence, as if something delighted him beyond measure. He had been like this from the very beginning. Even when his entire body was being carved up by blades. Even while he sliced through the intruders storming the hall. And even now, as he burned a living person alive.
That clear, bright smile never once left his face.
It went far beyond what could be politely called composure.
The students were terrified. An indescribable, skin-crawling dread wrapped around their throats. It felt as though any action that might provoke that thing would result in their necks snapping with a wet crack.
"Huff...! Huff...!"
Yet even in the midst of that suffocating fear, one boy was desperately running toward the center of the hall.
It was Alan Reinhardt.
His golden eyes darted frantically across the empty space, searching for someone.
"Your Highness! Are you safe, Your Highness?!"
There had been an assassination attempt where the Saint and the Second Princess had been as well. After successfully stopping that one, Alan had immediately rushed here to save Lucy.
He wondered if he was already too late, but he forcefully shoved the thought aside. Neria's tearful plea to save her sister still rang in his ears.
"I definitely heard a scream coming from here...!!"
Fortunately, Alan spotted Lucy almost immediately. She was sitting against one of the hall's walls, surrounded by her followers.
"Your Highness!"
Relief washed over him at the sight of her uninjured form, and he hurried toward her. But something felt wrong. Despite his loud call, she didn't react at all. She simply sat there, face deathly pale, staring off into the distance.
Puzzled, Alan followed her gaze.
"What's wrong, Your Highness? What are you looking at—"
He couldn't finish the sentence.
An unbelievable scene unfolded where his eyes landed.
Only then did Alan truly confront what the other students had been staring at.
"Lord Lisite...?"
A field of blood and corpses. At its center, a boy burning something alive.
"What... is this..."
Fear. Shock. An indescribable, creeping dread. The emotions Alan felt were no different from the others. But their intensity was on another level entirely.
Others might not have noticed, but to Alan—who possessed the eyes of a hero—it was clearly visible.
"What... the hell is that?"
The blue aura swirling violently around the boy. Cold. Chilling. A massive, suffocating pressure that made it hard to breathe. Alan felt cold sweat pouring down his back.
It was a violent energy that reminded him of the 'demons' from the mythical age he'd only read about in theological texts.
Without realizing it, Alan drew his sword and shouted.
"S-stop this, Lord Lisite...!"
At that moment, Raiden—who had been joyfully burning the intruder—turned his head toward him.
When their eyes met, Alan flinched. The boy was smiling so brightly. Covered head to toe in blood. Standing atop corpses. Setting a living person's body on fire. And yet he looked at Alan and smiled.
"Ugh... cough... ptui."
I spat out a mouthful of blood along with a dry cough. My condition was dire. The dizziness and overwhelming fatigue made it feel like I could lose consciousness at any second.
I forced myself to stay lucid and took a deep breath.
"Haa..."
It would be so easy to just lie down right now. But unfortunately, the situation wasn't over yet.
I had protected Lucy, the main target, and neutralized all the assassins. Still, there was no telling what might happen. This nightmare would only truly end when the academy's professors broke through the barrier surrounding the hall and entered.
Until then, I couldn't let my guard down.
I slowly lowered my gaze.
A charred, twitching lump filled my vision. When our eyes met, it let out a silent scream.
"......!!!"
Its throat must have finally given out. No more sound emerged from its mouth. Its torn arms and legs lay scattered across the floor. All that remained of the robed figure was a torso and a face.
I had only one final step left in this sacred execution.
"...I hope this eases your heart, even a little. Raiden."
Murmuring softly, I poured the remaining alcohol. As the sticky liquid soaked the figure's head, it twitched once more. I didn't care. With trembling hands, I pulled out the last match.
-Scratch. Scratch.
My hands had no strength left. Even lighting the match had become difficult.
"Goddamn it... just light already...!"
-Scratch!
After striking it irritably several more times, the flame finally sparked to life. I let out a small sigh and held it up.
"...!.!!...!"
The figure opened and closed its mouth, tears streaming down its face. It seemed to be begging for mercy. I decided to ignore it.
I flicked the match lightly between my fingers.
With a soft tak, a bright red trail shot toward the robed figure's face.
"Ah..."
Despair flooded its eyes as its mouth continued to move desperately. A red sunset quietly falling over a life drenched in alcohol. It might sound psychopathic, but for a moment, I found the sight strangely beautiful.
And then.
As the sun set—
-WHOOSH...!!
The tiny ember that touched the robed figure's body swelled instantly, devouring him whole. His body convulsed with every flicker of the crimson haze. I looked down at him with pure contempt.
"When you meet Raiden's mother in the afterlife... get on your knees and beg for forgiveness."
There was no reply. Only the crackling of flames remained in my ears.
I burned the sight into my memory. As I watched one life turn to ash, a familiar voice called out from behind me.
"S-stop this, Lord Lisite...!"
A clear voice—sharp yet soft. It belonged to our protagonist, Alan.
Since Alan was here, it seemed the situation with the Saint and the Second Princess had been resolved safely.
Well... of course. They wouldn't dare treat the Saint carelessly.
My consciousness was reaching its limit anyway, so his arrival was a relief. If it was Alan, he would handle everything properly even if I collapsed.
With that thought, I exhaled in relief and turned my head.
As expected, Alan stood there. His brilliant golden hair, golden eyes that shone like the sun, and features so perfect they seemed sculpted by the gods themselves. It was Alan as usual.
But something was off.
"Lower your weapon!!"
He was pointing his sword at me.
"......?"
His face was a mess of confusion, shock, and fear. The tip of his trembling blade was aimed directly at my heart. I frowned, unable to understand what was happening.
"Why all of a sudden...?"
-KWAaaaaang!!!
The moment I tried to speak, a massive explosion roared through the hall, drowning out my words. At the same time, the barrier surrounding the building shattered, and the banquet hall doors burst open.
"The professors are here...!"
"We're saved...!"
The faculty of Reynolds Academy had finally broken through. As I watched them rush inside, my vision began to blur.
Ah. It's over now. I can finally relax...
Damn it. The moment the tension broke, my mind—
"......"
My barely held consciousness finally snapped. My eyelids grew heavy. My staggering body lost all strength and began to collapse.
The last thing reflected in my fading pupils was a woman with majestic red hair flowing behind her, walking straight toward me.
It was Korn Ronesia, the principal of Reynolds Academy.