Chapter 155: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (19)
Chapter 155: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (19)
Before climbing the stairs, I took one last look back.
A few who had tended to their wounds were stumbling to their feet. They seemed to have the grit expected of the Imperial Intelligence Agency.
However, there was no way they could oppose me with shattered shoulders or broken spines. Even when they were perfectly fine, they had been no match for me.
It had taken only a few minutes to suppress the Newspaper Club members attempting a final resistance.
Before the stairs, the bodies lay sprawled, piled neatly on top of one another. There were about eight of them; it seemed this was the extent of the resident personnel.
The total number of members likely reached dozens. Had I faced them all at once, my odds of victory would have been slim.
That was why I had chosen a surprise attack.
As it turned out, it wasn't a bad choice. I massaged my forearm, where blood was still seeping out.
It was a wound from a dagger. Whether it had been coated in anesthetic or not, my arm was already losing sensation despite me suppressing it with mana. My breathing was slightly ragged, perhaps because my stamina was quite depleted.
I had to bring this to a conclusion as quickly as possible.
The lingering echoes of emotion remained. My body tilted and swayed involuntarily a few times.
As I climbed the stairs, my mind, hazy from the effects of the anesthetic, drifted into a strange dream.
It was a luxurious bedroom. An old man coughing caught my eye.
Though he looked deathly ill, his gaze remained piercing. Burning blue eyes were fixed upon me.
Just as his lips began to part to say something—
I snapped back to my senses.
I was already on the second floor. The ceiling of the building occupied by the Newspaper Club was high, but a staircase was still just a staircase.
It hadn't taken long to reach this point.
And there was only one room situated on the second floor.
'Department Head's Office.' As soon as I saw the nameplate, I threw the door open.
Inside the spacious room, bookshelves lined the corners on both sides. Countless documents were tucked away within them, and cozy furniture caught my eye here and there.
The woman who had been leisurely reading a document sat across from me.
Her neatly trimmed brown hair draped down the nape of her neck. The hairpin tucked into her bangs was particularly striking.
On the surface, she looked like nothing more than a lovely girl. One might even find her cute.
Her emerald eyes drifted toward me. She wore a bright, charming smile.
"Welcome, Hand Axe Young Master... It was noisy downstairs; did something happen?"
"……The Newspaper Club's hospitality was quite something."
The woman let out a giggle, covering her mouth as she burst into laughter at my words. Her playful attitude was like that of a close friend.
It was a bizarre sight. Of course, she was the one called the 'Queen of the Ball,' known for her vast social circle and sociability. It wasn't strange for her to treat anyone with familiarity.
However, that only applied when dealing with a normal person.
It was certainly not the attitude one should show when facing a man whose uniform and cape were stained with blood, and whose axe blade was dripping with gore.
Nevertheless, the woman showed no intention of dropping her relaxed demeanor. The corners of her eyes curved into a faint arc.
She smiled with her eyes. She tossed the document onto the desk with a thud.
"You're a difficult interviewee... Aren't you being a bit too aggressive?"
"I've been in your debt for quite a while, after all."
At my pointed remark, she nodded obediently as if in agreement.
"Yes, it was a fun time. It's been a while since I've found so much interesting material for an article."
Then, the woman let out a long yawn and stood up. With her hands behind her back, she walked toward the front of the desk.
With the sun at her back, her light green eyes glowed with a sinister light.
They were like the eyes of a snake that had discovered its prey. Her atmosphere shifted instantly.
Thick mana rose like poisonous smoke. It grew so dark that it felt as if the curtains had been drawn, even though they hadn't.
Normal mana could not possess such a vivid color. This meant it was one of her aura's characteristics.
'Neris,' the Queen of the Ball.
A fourth-year in the Academy Swordsmanship Department and a commoner.
She was a student who had joined the ranks of celebrities more for her information network and connections than her actual skill. I had heard rumors that she wasn't even talented enough to reach the Expert level.
But then, what was this aura that had already dyed the room like a hazy mist?
Instinctively, I tightened my grip on the hand axe. I had a bad feeling.
Could I end this in a short-term battle?
Regardless of my inner turmoil, Senior Neris leaned her upper body forward slightly and asked me.
"……So, what is your business with me?"
"Stop touching the people around me from now on."
It was a blunt answer.
"Hmm," the woman hummed, showing a meaningful smile. So, I made sure to add one more thing.
"Unless you want a beating."
It was a warning delivered with total sincerity.
Senior Neris nodded as if she had expected as much. Then, she stroked her chin, appearing to contemplate for a moment.
It was only after that a snicker escaped her.
At first, it was just a small sound, but her clear laughter grew louder as time passed. She laughed like that for a long time.
As if she had heard an incredibly funny joke, the woman wiped away the slight moisture at the corners of her eyes with a slender finger.
With a voice still laced with amusement, she spoke.
"……I don't want to."
The moment her face, wearing a cold sneer, drifted upward—
Pak! I felt something falling from the ceiling. I immediately threw myself aside.
A dagger infused with black aura was embedded in the spot where I had just been standing. My eyes widened.
I hadn't noticed a thing. To think she could imbue such vivid aura... I had never heard of such a bizarre aura characteristic.
But that wasn't the end.
Pababa! A rain of daggers poured from the air as if it were raining. I immediately rolled across the floor, dodging the blades.
As I reached the underside of a reception table, I heard the sound of daggers thudding into the desk above.
There were at least ten. Twenty, or perhaps even more.
How could she possibly be carrying that many daggers?
It was Senior Neris's gentle voice that snapped me out of my confusion.
"It's no use hiding; it's already too late anyway."
Still with her hands behind her back, she was walking leisurely. I could feel her presence slowly approaching me.
Should I move?
But I soon discarded that possibility. The anesthetic poison was already taking effect, and my consciousness was starting to fade.
Just running away wasn't the answer. Rather, this was the time to look for an opening.
Holding my breath, I pulled the hand axe close to my chest.
Her footsteps were calm as she walked toward me. And the moment she was within arm's reach—
Pak! I lunged upward from my crouched position, flipping the reception table in one motion. It was a move sufficient to momentarily obscure Senior Neris's vision.
I immediately kicked the table toward her.
I hoped it would stall for even a moment, but pitch-black slashes had already been carved into the table. It was a high-speed chain attack beyond imagination.
If I were hit by that strike, my bones wouldn't even remain intact.
I had to settle this before that happened. Gritting my teeth, I swung my hand axe, slamming it down toward Senior Neris through the table.
Kang! A clashing sound echoed in the air.
The noise of blade meeting blade meant only one thing.
Even though her vision had been blocked, she had accurately perceived my sword path and blocked it. It was a response that was logically impossible.
While I was momentarily stunned, a jet-black thrust lunged toward my chest.
I twisted my body, narrowly dodging the blade. Her extended arm was graceful. I had only one choice.
I loosened my grip on the hand axe. I reached out with both hands, attempting to grab the arm that had appeared before me.
I might be outmatched in swordsmanship, but I should be able to suppress her with the Holy Kingdom Secret Martial Art.
My arms entwined like snakes. However, Senior Neris's response was equally formidable.
Her arm conversely dug into my guard. Her hand, which had suddenly reached my chest, tried to shove me away with a pak.
Of course, I wasn't about to back down.
I flicked one arm, shaking off Senior Neris's limb. My remaining arm dug deeper into her guard. Senior Neris also tried to shake off my arm.
Entwining, tangling—we shook off each other's arms several times.
In the end, it was Senior Neris who gave up. She let the dagger she had been holding until the end drop with a tuk.
The dagger vanished like smoke—it was an ability whose true nature was completely incomprehensible.
Still, it was an opportunity. While Senior Neris hesitated, I yanked her arm toward me.
And in the next moment—
Puk! A dagger fell and pierced my shoulder.
Once again, there had been no warning. When I glanced at Senior Neris, she was smiling.
"I told you, it's already over."
I see. Only then could I finally understand.
I didn't know the principle, but Senior Neris had this space under her control.
That might be her aura characteristic. Aura distorted reality through mental imagery, sometimes manifesting special abilities.
Though I had never heard of an example with such a unique ability.
It was a power closer to magic than aura. There seemed to be some kind of trick to it, but such thoughts were meaningless right now.
However, in that frozen moment, I simply nodded.
"……I suppose so."
Then I yanked Senior Neris's arm hard. Her eyes widened in shock, as she clearly hadn't expected me to move immediately after being hit by the dagger.
Normally, the pain alone should have caused a momentary stiffness.
But unfortunately for her, the arm her dagger had pierced was the same area already struck by the anesthetic-coated blade; the pain was nothing but a dull blur.
I lunged into Senior Neris's embrace. Soon, her arm was draped over my shoulder.
There was only one technique to follow.
Holy Kingdom Secret Martial Art: Moon Reversal.
A throw delivered with every ounce of my strength slammed Senior Neris down like a bolt of lightning.
Kung! Along with the shockwave, wooden splinters scattered into the air. A small amount of blood sprayed from Senior Neris's mouth.
That was the first blow.