Chapter 177: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (41)
Chapter 177: Dragon's Eye, Human Heart (41)
Several students stood before me, shivering uncontrollably.
The looks they directed at me were all saturated with terror. To be fair, my reflection in their retinas probably looked horrifying.
My hair and uniform were drenched in the blood of demonic beasts, and my golden eyes burned with a fighting spirit like glowing embers.
I was even holding a blood-stained hand axe. I was the spitting image of a cold-blooded killer.
Even if they misunderstood my intentions, I had no excuse.
The man who had been laid out by my single strike also played a part in fueling their fear. I suspected he was something of a ringleader for the group.
He had been screaming at me at the top of his lungs until a single swing of my axe sent him straight to dreamland.
Of course, I didn't actually intend to punish them in earnest.
To be honest, it wasn't that I didn't want to, but circumstances didn't allow for it right now.
First and foremost, the biggest issue was that I simply didn't have the time.
I was in the middle of chasing after the Princess. At a moment when every second counted to find her as quickly as possible, I didn't have the leisure to correct their behavior one by one.
Also, as spiteful as they were, they hadn't inflicted any harm on Reto that would leave lasting aftereffects.
I decided to be generous and consider the life-threatening crisis they had just endured as their punishment.
It was likely the first time in their lives they had stood at death's door.
It would be a lie to say they weren't scared or struggling. After all, their eyes were still brimming with tears.
It meant they were already significantly exhausted, both physically and mentally.
In that case, there was no need to waste time by resorting to violence. Threatening them enough so they would never dare touch me again was sufficient.
However, they seemed to feel dread just from my presence alone, even without me making a threat.
One of the women in the sobbing group opened her mouth. It was a stuttering plea.
Her legs shook so violently it looked as if she might collapse at any moment.
"P-please, spare us..."
What on earth did they think I was?
Feeling dejected, I let out a hollow, dry laugh.
The only person I had killed so far was Mr. Guildford. And since even he had been a Fiend, it was safe to say I had never killed a pure human.
Other than that, I had only sent a few limbs flying?
Admittedly, that had been a bit of an extreme response. I hadn't been in my right mind back then.
Still, perhaps because some modicum of self-control remained, the cuts had been clean. I had even heard news that their rehabilitation was going smoothly.
Though I felt absurd for a moment, I soon calmed my racing heart.
Fine, they could misunderstand.
For now, it might be better to use that misunderstanding to my advantage. My hand axe suddenly flew through the air.
"Eeek, kyaaaaaaaaah!"
A shrill scream pierced my eardrums. But despite her terror, the axe merely embedded itself in the ground beside the woman.
The hand axe, buried deep in the earth, vibrated as it struggled to contain the force behind it.
The fear in the group's eyes deepened even further.
Escaping one death only to face another—it was a desperate situation for them.
Of course, I had no intention of killing them, nor did I even want to have a "deep physical conversation" with them. But I deliberately left their fear untouched.
I was interested in only one thing: the Princess's whereabouts.
My expression turned grave. My voice dropped low and heavy.
"...Where is Her Highness the Princess?"
At my chilling question, one of the students let out a gasping "hiiiik." He stammered as he asked me back.
"W-what do you plan to do to Her Highness..."
Thwack! The hand axe embedded in the ground returned to my hand.
It was the Secret of Stillness in Motion I always used. The Subtlety of Change, which abruptly twists an already established trajectory, allowed me to bend the axe's path at will.
Though, because I hadn't fully mastered it yet, I could only change the trajectory once.
However, that was enough to crush the man's brief spark of courage.
I spat out only two words.
"...Answer."
At that single word, the terror-stricken man began to pour out his answer through a stream of tears.
"S-she went ahead! The escort knights are carving through the demonic beasts, so she must have arrived at the Academy by now!"
Only then did I show a satisfied smile.
It seemed my advice to bolster the escort knights had been effective.
I had intended to rough them up a bit as payment for touching Reto, but in recognition of their contribution in providing information, I decided to let it go.
As I was about to leave, the wounds on the shivering group caught my eye.
Most were shallow, but some appeared to be quite serious. Since they were Academy students, they would likely survive if they stopped the bleeding and performed emergency first aid, but there was a risk of lasting complications.
A moment of hesitation flickered across my face.
They were bastards who had crossed the line anyway. Worrying about them would only be my loss.
It didn't fit my temperament at all—my usual style was to crush anyone who messed with me.
But after a brief moment, I clicked my tongue and opened my potion pouch. It was my last bottle of healing potion.
Thud. I tossed the healing potion onto the ground.
The sound of it rolling echoed through the silent air. Once again, the group's eyes went blank with confusion.
"Don't regret it later; use it only for serious injuries. If you end up with permanent damage, you'll be the first candidates for expulsion next semester."
I started to walk away, then paused.
I had just remembered something I needed to tell them.
Just before I kicked off the ground, I gave a firm warning to those who were still staring at me blankly.
"And you lot, apologize properly to Reto... If you don't, you know what happens, right?"
I didn't say it expecting an answer.
Thinking they must have understood by now, I took a step forward, and space narrowed instantly.
Like a needle, the scenery ahead tore into colorful straight lines. It was then that a sound faintly reached my ears from behind.
"...Y-yes, sir!"
It was the group's response.
That voice wasn't filled only with fear.
It was a shout that even carried a hint of relief. Hearing it, I let out a sigh.
That healing potion... I got it from Senior Delphine.
It seemed I would have to get a few more bottles from her next time.
The chaos in the city spread to the Academy immediately.
It wasn't because the news had reached them. It was because the Academy was also facing an attack by demonic beasts.
The main forces were currently participating in the Homecoming Festival procession.
The interior of the Academy had no choice but to scramble to respond to the beasts. The Academy grounds were vast and open, while the demonic beasts were numerous and disguised as stray cats.
Furthermore, from the sky, crow-like demonic beasts were dropping the cat-like ones. It was extremely difficult to track every single cat demonic beast that had infiltrated this way.
The best the non-combat personnel remaining at the Academy could do was evacuate into the buildings.
The combat personnel who remained for various reasons, including professors, were focusing on defending the buildings where the non-combatants had taken refuge.
The guards stationed at the Academy were tracking the demonic beasts that had spread across the grounds. Their goal was to lead the panicked students to the designated strongholds.
Even in the long history of the Academy, this was an unprecedented event.
Even the great Conqueror Emperor Idalos had never brought troops inside the Academy. Yet now, hundreds of demonic beasts were running rampant within its walls.
Moreover, an attack utilizing such a massive number of demonic beasts was something that hadn't been seen in recent history, even outside the Academy.
The last record of an attack by a demonic beast legion of this scale was during the Great War of Gods and Demons.
Some of the Academy professors felt a faint sense of unease at this fact. But for now, they were too busy blocking the beasts lunging at them.
Worrying could wait until later.
In the middle of that battlefield, I stood.
A few demonic beasts rampaging through the Academy grounds lunged at me. They were only at a level that could be cleared with a couple of sword swings.
The number of beasts was high, but their rank was not.
At best, they were mid-ranking demonic beasts. Even those were only occasional; the majority were low-ranking beasts that even an Academy freshman could handle if they set their mind to it.
However, even those could pose a tangible danger when their numbers reached the hundreds.
No matter how low-ranking a beast was, it was bound to be a threat to non-combatants or the injured. That was the reason countless guards were currently running around.
My mind grew complicated, as I hadn't expected the Academy to be attacked as well.
What about Emma?
That was the first face that came to mind. I had heard that Emma had been spending her time moving between the workshop, the dormitory, and the temple.
From what I heard, she seemed to think it was her fault that Lady Ruphesia's group had been injured.
I had told her several times that if there was any blame, it was mine, but I couldn't break Emma's stubbornness. She had simply said with a faint smile:
"I don't want to blame you, Ian. Because... I'm not your burden."
Recalling her warm voice, my feet instinctively moved toward the temple.
At this moment, neither the letters nor the Princess came to mind. My only thought was that I had to ensure Emma's safety.
Emma... I had to save Emma.
I had sworn to protect her so she would never be hurt again.
I had made that vow from the moment I saw her lying on a hospital bed with a pale face because I hadn't properly explained the contents of the letter.
I didn't want to see the herbalist in tears again.
I didn't want to see her silent, with a wan complexion and lips tightly pressed together.
My sudden sprint continued endlessly.
First, the dormitory.
"Emma? She hasn't come back yet... O-oh, what should we do?"
Next, the workshop.
"Emma's workshop is empty right now. You're saying she wasn't at the dormitory either?"
My heart tightened more and more. I felt like I was going mad with anxiety.
My pace grew faster and faster. My breathing became ragged, and I ignored every demonic beast attack I encountered.
The only place left was the temple.
I offered a prayer to the Heavenly God in my heart.
Please, please let Emma be there. Please, just don't let me be too late.
Had that prayer been heard?
Finally, I saw her.
Emma's clothes were soiled with dirt, as if she had already rolled on the ground. I could even see tear marks. Despite that, she stood with her arms spread wide, blocking two demonic beasts.
Behind her, I saw a woman with golden hair. With an impressively voluptuous figure, she was merely crouching and shivering uncontrollably.
Who was that... Lady Ruphesia?
I didn't care. In my eyes, there were only the two cat-like demonic beasts lunging at Emma.
Within the world of frozen time.
The hand axe I drew began its high-speed march. It was a rush so fast that it would be more appropriate to say a bolt of light had been fired.
The axe blade spun, drawing a disc-like trajectory.
Squelch. The head of the cat demonic beast mid-air was severed.
The beast didn't even realize what had happened until its final moment. It was the same for the beast lunging beside it, whose head was severed immediately after.
A fountain of blood erupted.
The eyes of the cat demonic beasts that had been quietly waiting for an opening turned toward me.
But it was already too late.
Without slowing down my sprinting speed in the slightest, I slammed a kick into a cat demonic beast's jaw.
Crack. With the sound of bone snapping, the beast's head was thrown back spectacularly.
It looked like a scene from a shampoo commercial.
I dove into its space immediately after.
Having knocked the beast down, I rained merciless punches upon its face.
No, punches weren't even necessary. My hand, finally remembering the existence of my sword, drove the blade straight into the beast's brow.
Kya, kyaooooooong!
The muffled cry of a cat rang out like a death rattle. My body grew hot again with the warmth of fresh blood.
I felt bewildered gazes on me. But I had already half-lost my mind.
Panting, my mouth spat out a single sentence.
"...You dare... lay a hand on Emma?"
Before I knew it, my vision had turned a burning red.