Chapter 176: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (40)
Chapter 176: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (40)
Cien, the Fifth Princess of the Empire, was in a complete daze.
Anyone in her position would have been. A series of sudden explosions had rocked the area, and in an instant, the surroundings had descended into utter pandemonium.
The screams of those collapsed on the ground tore through the once-festive atmosphere. As casualties mounted, a tidal wave of negative emotions swept over the Princess.
It was a terror so thick it felt suffocating.
The intensity of the emotions was enough to make her breath hitch. To be honest, she was not accustomed to such abrupt shifts in the emotional landscape.
This was because Cien’s ‘Eye’ read every kind of emotion.
It wasn't just human feelings. The Princess could vaguely sense and understand the inner thoughts of anything that possessed life.
Hostility and murderous intent were no exception.
Therefore, no matter how unexpected an assault might be, the Princess should have sensed it beforehand.
Even if only a moment earlier—yet, she hadn't felt even a flicker of hostility or malice until the very moment the cats began to explode.
It was impossible.
No normal living creature could remain so composed in the face of its own death. It was as if the cat demonic beasts had their physical bodies and their emotions completely severed.
Her body trembled involuntarily at this unprecedented situation.
With every explosion, the escort knights stepped forward one by one to act as human shields. Had they not reinforced her guard earlier, the Princess’s safety would not have been guaranteed.
Thinking of the future that might have been, the Princess sank to the ground. As she sat there shivering, the image of a certain man’s back flashed through her mind.
A man with black hair and golden eyes.
He had once advised her to increase her security. Every emotion she had felt from him then had been nothing but sincere concern.
Could it be that he had foreseen this attack?
It was a mere suspicion. But as she applied that hypothesis to reality, the questions that had plagued her began to click into place one by one.
There was no clear evidence. It was just a sudden realization of a possibility.
Yet that alone was enough to make the Princess’s gaze turn vacant. The idea was just that persuasive.
However, that question soon led to another.
If that’s the case, what am I supposed to do?
As the question surfaced, the Princess bit her lip.
It couldn't be. No, it made no sense. Even the Imperial Household had been unaware of the attack; there was zero chance that the second son of a rural viscountcy could have known in advance.
Much less that he would try to save her at the cost of his own reputation and the sacrifice of those around him.
It was strange.
The Princess did not trust humans. The only thing she believed in was desire.
She had never met anyone who deviated from that rule. Ian would be no different.
To sacrifice oneself and save others out of pure goodwill, without any underlying desire?
It was a fantasy. Cien tried her best to deny Ian’s benevolence.
It was Irene’s voice that finally snapped her out of her thoughts.
“Y-Your Highness… you must escape.”
Her trembling voice betrayed her state of mind. Irene’s eyelids flickered with fear.
She was no longer the confident, reliable figure of the past. Nevertheless, Irene was doing her best to ensure the Princess’s safety, and her conclusion was to flee.
Still reeling from the chaos, the Princess nodded silently.
Though some students were currently attempting to fight back, forming a defensive line against an unannounced raid required repetitive training and vast combat experience.
Unless someone had known about the attack and prepared for it, the chances of being slaughtered in the melee were far too high.
They had to run.
Irene’s judgment was correct, but there was one thing weighing on the Princess’s heart.
If she left, her escort knights would follow.
Naturally, this would leave a massive void in their fighting strength. The Princess’s steps faltered, worried that the casualties among the Academy students would rise.
But to the escort knights, only the Princess mattered.
Practically dragged by their hands, the Princess began her escape. Irene’s breathing was ragged as she ran while supporting the Princess.
“Your Highness, there is an evacuation route beneath Versia Palace. We will head there.”
While the words were directed at the Princess, they served as an order to the remaining knights and the head maid.
They nodded immediately. Even then, the Princess remained silent.
Another explosion echoed from behind. The screams of resentment and the sharp clang of clashing metal pierced the Princess’s eardrums like needles.
Fearing that she would see their emotions again if she opened her eyes, the Princess squeezed them shut.
This place was hell.
As I left the battlefield and headed toward the Academy, I realized a few things.
First, while the main force of demonic beasts was attacking the procession, the number of beasts targeting the Academy was also significant.
The creatures currently racing toward the Academy were proof of that.
Countless cat demonic beasts were sprinting on all fours. Some even lunged out of alleyways to ambush pedestrians.
Of course, those creatures met their end the moment they entered my sight.
Second, the demonic beasts weren't just staying near the procession. Disguised as stray cats, they were hidden all over the city.
No matter how fast one fled, the layout of the city made encountering at least a few beasts inevitable.
Because of that, some students had to band together in small groups to face the cat demonic beasts.
However, the cats were numerous, and the longer the battle dragged on, the more reinforcements would arrive. The risk of losing one's life was far too great.
For all I knew, there might already be fatalities.
I was especially worried because the fleeing students were mostly underclassmen or non-combat personnel. Driven by anxiety, I threw myself forward with everything I had.
It seemed my efforts weren't in vain.
After slaughtering several beasts, I spotted a group of what appeared to be Academy students as I ran toward the campus.
They were currently engaged with the cat demonic beasts.
Judging by the exhaustion etched on their faces, they had been fighting for quite some time. Despite their efforts, more cat demonic beasts were constantly joining the fray.
It was a checkmate.
New cats were joining the fight faster than the students could kill the existing ones. Their faces were grim, reflecting a dark future.
Just then, one cat demonic beast lunged off the ground.
It was a nimble leap that belied its massive frame. The man it was targeting was already occupied with another beast and had no room to react.
If left alone, he was as good as dead.
Even before that judgment was fully formed, my arm was already swinging through the air like a spinal reflex.
Pang!
With the sound of a sonic boom, a streak of light shot forward.
It was a terrifying sound of rending air.
The silver line, piercing through the frozen time, struck the leaping cat demonic beast squarely in the forehead. A sickening crack of bone echoed through the air.
Blood and brain matter sprayed. As the cat demonic beast was blown backward mid-air, the group fighting the beasts turned their dazed gazes toward me.
Regardless, I had already drawn my sword.
The beasts’ instincts seemed to immediately identify me as the primary threat.
The eyes of the cat demonic beasts, which had been prowling for openings in the group’s defense, all turned toward me at once. Immediately, one beast bared its fangs and lunged.
Two or three more followed in its wake. It was then that the hand axe embedded in the first victim’s forehead returned to me.
Thwack!
The hand axe struck the back of the lead cat’s head.
The beast collapsed instantly with a final shriek. The cats following it were forced to scramble over its body in confusion.
The price for performing acrobatics in the middle of a battle was grim.
My sword, shrouded in aura, bisected the head of one cat demonic beast. Blood erupted from the split skull, creating an untimely crimson rain.
The severed halves of the skull hit the ground, spilling their contents. Only then did the last cat, having just landed, swipe its claws at me in a fit of rage.
But I had already closed the distance.
Leaning my body back, the cat’s arm naturally came to rest over my shoulder. I used that momentum to throw the beast over my hip.
With a heavy thud, the cat demonic beast shrieked, its body twisting unnaturally.
Its spine was crushed. I decided to end the agony of the foaming cat.
My blade plunged into the beast’s throat.
Immediately after, the white foam bubbling from its mouth turned blood-red.
The subsiding tremors testified that another spark of life was fading away.
As I pulled the blade out with a wet squelch, blood sprayed, and the corpse gave one final shudder. My body had long since been warmed by the beasts' blood.
The group that had been fighting the beasts stared at me as if nailed to the spot. They seemed to feel a sense of dread at the martial prowess I had displayed in taking down three beasts in an instant.
But I couldn't let them stay like that. The battle wasn't over yet.
While they were staring blankly at me, two small cats leaped toward them from behind. Their bodies began to swell in size instantly.
“Get down!”
Despite my shout, they only let out confused noises. Cursing under my breath, I hurled the sword in my hand.
The spinning blade buried itself into the skull of one of the cat demonic beasts. But since one was still left, I had to use my momentum to shove one of the students aside.
The beast's bared fangs were terrifying. I had no choice but to take a hit.
I raised my forearm to block.
Crunch.
The sound of bone grinding against bone sent a shiver down my spine. I gritted my teeth against the searing pain.
I threw off the cat demonic beast that was clamped onto my arm. Despite the impact of hitting the ground, the beast refused to let go.
So, I immediately pinned the beast down. My fist slammed into its face repeatedly.
The punches of a swordsman reinforced with mana were more akin to hammer blows.
With every heavy thud, blood and flesh flew through the air. It took less than a minute for the cat demonic beast’s face to be completely caved in.
Unable to withstand the pressure, the beast’s eyeballs popped out. Only then did its trembling jaw muscles release my arm.
It was a mess.
My arm wasn't unusable, but it spasmed whenever I applied strength. Just in case, I poured a bottle of healing potion I had prepared over the wound.
The flesh knitted back together quickly.
The problem is that I still can't put proper strength into the muscles, I grumbled to myself as I gathered my sword and hand axe from the corpses.
This was already the second injury today that hindered my movement.
I wondered if I would be able to face the true strength of the Dark Cult, who were likely targeting the Princess. My arm trembled as I sheathed my sword and held my hand axe.
I stood there with a gloomy expression for a moment. It was then that I remembered the group I had just saved.
My gaze naturally turned toward them. I offered a customary check-in.
“Hey, are you guys alri—”
“…Why did you save us?”
It was a rather novel reaction from someone who had just had their life saved.
Standing there with clenched fists, he glared at me with a look of pure resentment.
My expression went blank for a moment.
What was even more surprising was that he wasn't the only one. The others were biting their lips or avoiding my gaze, but the strange heat in their eyes was the same.
The true nature of that emotion soon revealed itself.
“W-We… we bullied you and your friends! So why did you save us?! Even at the cost of your own arm!”
It was a hostility born from a mixture of shame, regret, and guilt.
Their sense of apology had reached such an extreme that it was being vented as anger.
The reality of being saved by the person they had bullied was tormenting them. After staring at them blankly for a moment, a bitter smile played on my lips.
Searching through my memories, I finally remembered.
The guys who had shoved Reto into a trash can and walked away laughing in the back alleys—what a ridiculous twist of fate.
I had only one thing to say to them.
“Y-You could have just left us… Are you trying to make us feel pathetic?! W-We already did something terrible to you—!”
Thud.
The sound of a blunt object striking a neck.
The back of my hand axe struck the man near the base of his skull. His eyes rolled back, and his body slumped to the ground.
Now it was his companions' turn to look dazed.
Under their questioning gazes, I let a small smirk slip.
“…Perfect timing, you lot.”
To think they would volunteer a confession of their sins; this was more than enough to consider them model prisoners.
It didn't take long for the eyes of the rest of the group to fill with fear.