Chapter 152: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (16)
Chapter 152: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (16)
A sudden silence descended upon the world.
A severed arm rolled across the ground. The blood spraying from the stump showed no sign of stopping. Trembling violently, the girl clutched the wound with her remaining hand, trying to stem the flow.
Crimson liquid surged and seeped through the gaps between her fingers. Her eyes shot through with blood as she struggled to endure the agonizing pain.
Until the moment they had been tormenting Emma, the girls had been brimming with arrogance. It didn't take long for that bravado to drain away, leaving their faces deathly pale.
Sometimes, a single action spoke louder than a hundred words.
By the time the fountain of blood sprayed into the air and the warm, metallic stench of gore began to rise, the girls were forced to admit the truth in their hearts.
Ian Percus was a madman.
His victim wasn't a commoner; she was a noble. Yet, simply because she had slapped a commoner, he had lopped off her arm without a second thought.
This wasn't the act of a sane person.
Crossing a noble didn't just end with trouble within the Academy. In severe cases, it often escalated into full-blown conflicts between families.
Furthermore, the person the girls had been targeting was a mere commoner girl.
To these nobles, the daughter of a rural herbalist was someone they wouldn't have spared a glance for—dead or alive—if she hadn't been enrolled in the Academy.
They couldn't fathom Ian’s logic, why he would go this far over the bullying of a commoner.
However, they soon had to recall a few facts they had conveniently forgotten.
First, Ian Percus had already laid hands on a Princess. It was highly likely he didn't care whether he clashed with noble families or not. After all, the moment he crossed the Imperial Family, the downfall of the Percus family was all but guaranteed.
Second, Emma was the woman Ian Percus had spent over 10,000 gold to bring back to life. It wouldn't be strange for him to claim ownership over her.
Still, there were points the girls couldn't understand.
Regardless of how much Ian cherished Emma, she was still just a commoner. No one cut off a noble's arm just because a plaything got slapped for talking back. Normally, one would at least attempt to resolve the issue through dialogue first.
Moreover, the girls had heard that Ian was terrified of being expelled.
They had heard he even sought out the Princess to beg her to prevent his expulsion. This news had come from multiple reliable sources simultaneously.
The girls hadn't doubted that information for a second.
Even if he had offended the Imperial Family, as long as he had an Academy diploma, he could still make a living in the Holy Kingdom or the United Kingdoms even if his family fell. They assumed that was why Ian had moderated his behavior when provoking the Princess—splashing water on a royal wasn't enough to get one expelled.
But the reality before them now defied all their calculations.
There wasn't a shred of hesitation.
One of their arms was rolling pitifully on the ground, and in all likelihood, a similar fate awaited the rest of them.
Vivid terror seized the girls' minds.
Ian Percus began to walk toward them, his footsteps steady. He moved neither too slow nor too fast, and with every step, the girls' faces grew paler.
They didn't even dare to think of resisting.
This was the monster who had subjugated a Named-class demonic beast, defeated a Fiend, and suppressed four of the Princess's escort knights. They, who were merely mid-tier students at the Academy, were not opponents he could handle.
And so, as they always had, they chose to lean on a different kind of power.
"…S-Stop!"
One of the girls shrieked, her voice bordering on a desperate scream.
Ian’s footsteps came to a halt.
However, there was no emotion in the golden eyes that looked at her. His posture suggested he was merely willing to listen to her final words.
The girl sensed it instinctively. This was her last chance.
If she couldn't persuade Ian now, a bloodbath would follow. Was it even sane to do this just because they slapped a commoner girl? She was so indignant and frustrated that she felt like crying.
There was a gap as wide as the heavens and the earth between them, who were born and raised noble, and a commoner girl. While one might cut off a commoner's arm for daring to strike a noble, the reverse should never be true.
Their values were simply different.
The fact that she even had to offer excuses for such a trivial matter felt like an unbearable humiliation.
The woman intended to teach that fact to this barbarian dressed as a noble. A heated tirade poured from her lips.
"A-Are you insane? We are nobles! Th-That girl is a commoner! No matter how much you like a commoner, if you're a noble yourself, you should at least have the basic sense to—!"
But her words were cut short.
A silver flash cleaved through space.
No one saw him move. They thought the man had only taken a couple of steps, but suddenly, a hairline crack appeared on the girl's shoulder.
With wide eyes, the girl looked down at her own shoulder.
Blood began to seep from the silver crack. It was merely a precursor.
Pshhh!
A spray of blood erupted, soaking the ground once again.
Belated pain scorched the girl's mind. A piercing scream echoed through the air.
"Aaaaaaaagh!"
The girl couldn't even think to collapse. She just stared blankly at the spot where her arm used to be.
Ian had no intention of waiting for her.
Thud!
The man’s foot slammed into the woman’s solar plexus.
It was a ruthless kick. The strike, tracing a black trajectory, delivered a silent shockwave. The woman’s body folded and buckled around the point of impact.
Her figure was sent flying, rolling across the ground. Even then, she couldn't dissipate all the momentum, and her body bounced off the earth several times.
The blood overflowing from her stump traced her path through the air. Her mutilated body left a trail of gore as it tumbled over the dirt.
Struck in the solar plexus, the woman could only let out ragged, wheezing gasps, unable to breathe properly. She seemed to want to clutch her chest, but with only one arm left, the gesture felt incomplete.
Three girls remained, their faces not just pale, but white as ghosts. Their frozen gazes were fixed on Ian.
He spoke in a voice devoid of any emotion.
"Next."
Only then did the three women's trembling eyes meet.
Their opponent was a madman who couldn't be reasoned with. At the very least, persuasion using conventional common sense was impossible.
Then there was only one answer.
They had to suppress him by force. The girls nodded to each other instantly.
Two of them lunged forward.
The remaining one, apparently a mage, began to mutter under her breath. It was a chant.
Ian simply continued to walk. It was as if his task remained the same regardless of whether they charged at him or not.
And the moment he collided with one of the girls—
Shlick.
A brutal upward slash severed the arm of the girl who was trying to bring her sword down. Before the blood could even spray, Ian used the rebound force to spin in the opposite direction.
Horror flashed in the eyes of the second girl.
The man had closed the distance and entered her guard with terrifying speed. However, because of that, Ian’s back was turned to her, and for a moment, she thought she had a chance.
Until the man’s elbow smashed into her solar plexus.
Thump!
Thunder crashed inside the girl's head.
The sudden pain caused her muscles to contract involuntarily. Her stiffened body could no longer faithfully execute the brain's commands.
That brief opening was enough.
Ian’s body rotated back to the front, and his sword's point pierced through the woman’s abdomen.
Gurgle.
Blood leaked from between her lips. The man pushed forward with all his strength. The girl's impaled body acted as a shield as he charged ahead.
Confusion clouded the mage's eyes at this unimaginable response.
It was the result of her meager combat experience. The consequences were immediate.
Thwack!
Blood splattered. The mage, who was still a few paces away from Ian, stared blankly.
It was the hand axe. The axe that had been embedded in the ground had flown up on its own and struck the mage's shoulder.
Faced with a sight that defied common sense, the mage even forgot to scream.
Ian did not miss that opening.
"What is th— Aaaaaaaagh!"
The man’s sword severed the woman’s thigh.
The mage instantly lost her balance. Her tilted body would never stand straight again.
Splash.
The mage collapsed onto the ground, which was now drenched in blood.
The girl who had been freed from the blade through her abdomen was piled right next to her.
It hadn't even taken a few seconds. All that remained were blood, screams, and limbs that were still twitching, not yet realizing they had been separated from their bodies.
"My—my arm… my arm!"
"Guh, huff… aaaaagh!"
"M-my leg is gone… it hurts… it hurts…."
Ian strode over and pulled the hand axe from the mage's shoulder.
A belated fountain of blood stained the dirt dark red. The woman’s body convulsed from the sudden pain, but it wasn't Ian’s concern.
However, there was still one girl who hadn't given up.
"Revenge… hehe… I'll get… revenge…."
Ian’s golden eyes glanced slightly behind him.
There, the woman who had been the first to have her arm severed was sitting on the ground, wearing a ghastly smile.
Her blue eyes, dripping with hatred and malice, glared at Ian.
"Expulsion… I'll have you expelled, you hear? I'll ruin your life completely… A-Are you listening?!"
The man was silent for a moment.
It was only after standing still for a long while that his body began to move again. He walked back and stood before the woman.
The noble girl was still smiling. Intense vengeful thoughts seethed in her eyes. Even so, it seemed she was struggling to endure the pain, as her forced grin trembled.
Ian stroked his chin before concluding that he had seen her somewhere before.
"…Lady Ruphesia."
"Y-Yes!"
Golden hair and blue eyes. She was the archetype of an arrogant noble lady.
She seemed thrilled that he had finally recognized her, and she gnashed her teeth.
"How dare a wretch like you touch me? You said you didn't want to be expelled, didn't you? Hehe… I'll make sure you're expelled! I'll convene the Disciplinary Committee and use every connection and power I have to—!"
But Ruphesia’s words went no further.
Her eyes went blank again. A familiar sensation washed over her.
Time slowed down, and her hearing faded. Only the strange sensation in her shoulder was vivid.
Ruphesia’s blue eyes filled with terror.
She didn't even need to look. The spray of blood erupting once more told her everything she needed to know.
Ruphesia’s remaining arm had been cut off.
The sensation was like a red-hot iron skewer piercing her spine. It felt so surreal that Ruphesia failed to react for a moment.
Her voice was the first to respond.
"H-Hee… Aaaaaaaaagh!"
Ruphesia tried to quickly cover the wound, but she had no arms left.
Fear flooded her blue eyes. The woman scooted backward on her buttocks, wanting to escape the man by any means necessary.
Away from those indifferent golden eyes.
But that attempt was soon thwarted.
Shlick.
A chilling sound rang out.
This time, it was her thigh. It was the final scream left by Ruphesia’s right leg as it was severed.
"Aagh, huff… Aaaaaaaagh! Ugh, guh, huff, uuuuh…!"
Hyperventilation. It meant she was feeling a literal threat to her life beyond mere terror. Her mind went blank, and Ruphesia couldn't think of anything.
I picked the wrong person to mess with.
That singular, clear conclusion dominated Ruphesia’s thoughts. Her violently trembling pupils looked up at Ian.
The man’s golden eyes were chillingly devoid of emotion.
He simply uttered a single sentence in a cold voice.
"…By all means, please do so."
At that dry response, tears welled up in Ruphesia’s eyes.
She had truly, deeply messed with the wrong person.
For the first time in her life, she felt a desperate, soul-crushing regret.