Chapter 242
Chapter 242
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 242
Chapter Title: Blanca Roshe (1)
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"You're not surprised."
Blanca smirked wryly as she spoke. Just as she said, Demian Haksen's expression hadn't changed much.
"Did you perhaps mistake it for a joke? What I said is the truth. Slara has been at the academy for a long time. She's been watching you all along..."
"I know."
Demian spoke in a stiff voice.
"I came to the academy in the first place to kill Slara."
Slara could transform into anyone and turn anyone to her side. He couldn't be shocked by this much if he wanted to kill her.
"You came to kill that monster? That's ridiculous. An absurd goal."
"I've been searching for who Slara is. I never expected you to have joined hands with her."
"Despite your words, you don't seem all that shocked. Were you suspecting me?"
"Less suspicion and more like I didn't trust anyone."
From the moment he entered the academy, Demian hadn't trusted a single person he met. It was a situation where anyone could be Slara.
"How long have you been on Slara's side?"
"Long before I met you."
"Then your approach to me was on Slara's orders too."
Blanca slowly nodded.
"It was my role to learn about your situation, actions, goals, and the like."
"Was it you who suggested kidnapping Oliver and Penelope?"
Blanca smirked wryly and nodded. Veins bulged on the back of Demian's neck.
"I could see you had a special affection for those two children."
"What did you do to those two?"
"Don't worry. They're both safe. For now."
Demian suppressed the boiling rage in his chest.
Exploding in anger wouldn't be hard. But there was still much he needed to hear from Blanca.
"Why are you following Slara's orders?"
"I'd rather not say. It's a personal reason..."
"Surely it's because of your son?"
It hit the mark, as Blanca clamped her mouth shut.
"You must have heard that if you obey Slara's demands, she'll save your son. She's from the Frenzy Scholar faction, so curing an incurable disease like that would be easy for her."
No, not just cure—he could even craft an entirely new body.
For a black mage of Slara's caliber, that would be child's play.
The problem was the number of people who had to die for it.
"Do you know how many people have to die for Slara to use her black magic? You're sacrificing others to save your son."
"It doesn't matter."
Blanca said without a hint of hesitation.
"If it's to save Gael, I can bear that sin."
"Nonsense."
Demian said with contempt.
"Bear the sin? How? How do you plan to take responsibility for the suffering of those sacrificed to Slara?"
Demian's accusations hardened Blanca's expression.
"Don't speak so carelessly. You couldn't possibly understand. The pain of watching that child suffer day after day..."
"You're the one speaking carelessly!"
Demian bellowed.
"Do you even know what happens to souls toyed with by black mages?!"
Black mana was only produced when human souls writhed in agony.
That's why black mages massacred countless people to harvest massive amounts of black mana.
Those killed by black mages didn't find peace in death. They became tools, tortured by the mages, spewing black mana until their souls were extinguished.
"The one you allied with is Slara! The great evil of Pandemonium! Do you have any idea how many have died or suffered because of her?!"
During his time as a Death Knight, Demian had been unable to defy Archlich Dorgo's orders.
For mere amusement, Dorgo forced Demian to kill his own family with his own hands.
His family, seeing Demian transformed into a Death Knight, died in great shock.
But even in death, Demian's family suffered.
The rarity of being Demian's kin aroused the greed of countless black mages.
They demanded the souls from Dorgo. Slara among them.
—Lord Demian? Can you see me?
Slara took the soul of his older sister, Luise Haksen. Then one day, she appeared and showed Luise to Demian.
—This is your sister. I've been pondering what to do with this soul.
A small glass vial.
Inside it was Luise's soul.
—I've decided to preserve her like this and observe. It's more entertaining than I thought, isn't it?
Luise wasn't alone in the vial. It was filled with evil spirits.
Luise's soul was held captive by them, subjected to all manner of horrific violations.
—It's such a shame you don't have ears to hear this.
Luise's dignity was being trampled in that vial.
Her pride as a human, as a woman, as a living being was being shattered.
It would have been better if she'd been alive. She would have gone mad and died in the torment.
But souls couldn't commit suicide. Only be worked to annihilation by the black mage.
"You idiot. You've made the worst choice! For your child's sake? That choice will cost you your child instead! Black mages are all scum like that!"
Demian shouted in fury.
But his outburst didn't reach Blanca at all.
"...Shouting at someone who's not even a parent will just hurt my own mouth."
Blanca Roshe had her own circumstances too.
"Now decide. Will you obey Slara's demands? If you refuse, I can't guarantee those two students' lives."
Demian answered by drawing Yeomyeong.
"...You don't care about those children's safety at all?"
"Shut your mouth, trash."
Killing intent erupted from Demian's entire body.
It was on a whole different level from the intent he'd unleashed when threatening Class 13's students.
"I'll kill you here, then go save the kids."
"Such youthful vigor. But even if you kill me, you won't find where the children are."
"Done talking? Then shut up. I'm tired of listening."
Demian drew up his mana. The floor beneath him cracked like a spiderweb.
"Such youthful vigor."
Blanca opened a subspace and drew out a spear from within.
The shaft and blade were forged from a single metal. Its overall blue sheen marked it as no ordinary spear.
"Blanca Roshe. Captain of the White Blood Knight Order, once known as the Crimson Light."
Blanca assumed her stance as she spoke.
"It's a pity to face you like this."
"Bullshit."
With that, the two knights kicked off the ground simultaneously.
* * *
Their bodies seemed to vanish, only to clash in midair. Blade met shaft.
A sharp clang rang out, sending both bodies rebounding. But only for a moment—they collided again.
Yeomyeong and the crimson spear struck repeatedly in the air. Sparks flew with ear-shattering noise.
'To not yield an inch against this body. Impressive skill.'
Each time their weapons met, Blanca couldn't help but admire Demian Haksen.
Reaction speed, agility, technique.
Nothing was lacking. He was matching her evenly.
'Is this truly a rookie's skill?'
Winning the Helian Exhibition was certainly impressive.
But the gap in experience couldn't be ignored. As a Master Class on the verge of her second wall, Blanca Roshe was a powerhouse.
She wouldn't lose to some novice Master Class, even if they were Helian champions.
'Pity. In different circumstances, a deep exchange as knights...'
That was when Blanca Roshe thought that.
"You seem to be harboring delusions that don't suit you."
Suddenly, Demian Haksen spoke. His eyes filled with strong contempt.
"Don't look at me with that gaze, you scum who sold out children to a black mage. It makes me sick."
Each of Demian's anger-laden words dragged Blanca Roshe's mood to the depths.
He wasn't wrong. To save his son, Blanca had thrown away his knightly pride and duty as an adult.
"...You're right. From now on, I'll focus solely on defeating you."
"No need. I've already read you."
Read? What?
The moment the question arose, Demian Haksen's movements changed.
He spun his body, dodging Blanca's thrust spear, and closed the distance in one breath.
"What?"
Blanca quickly withdrew her spear for a counter. But Demian Haksen kicked her abdomen first.
A heavy impact slammed into her lower belly. Blanca vomited blood and flew backward.
Her back hit the wall. It shattered, sending her body tumbling outside the building.
Blanca rolled on the ground and sprang up. At that instant, she saw Demian Haksen right in front of her.
'When did he catch up...'
Demian Haksen swung at Blanca. She hastily raised her shaft to block the blade.
The blade's trajectory twisted slightly. It grazed her nape as it slid past.
"Urk!"
Blanca groaned at the sharp pain. But there was no time to tend the wound.
Demian Haksen attacked again.
A flurry of thrusts came at bizarre angles. Blanca barely parried with her spear.
But she couldn't block them all. Attacks exploiting gaps sliced her body in places.
As the exchange continued, wounds multiplied on Blanca's body. Soon her clothes were soaked in blood.
'Is this truly a rookie's skill...?'
The initial surprise Blanca felt had long turned to horror.
Demian Haksen was completely overwhelming her. No room for counterattack.
'I'll lose like this...!'
The thought sent chills through her.
If she lost to Demian Haksen, she'd just be executed as an imperial traitor.
No, that didn't matter. What Blanca couldn't bear was failing to save his son.
Blanca gritted her teeth. She couldn't allow that. Time to go all out.
Blanca scraped the spear blade across the ground. Sparks flew as it grazed the floor.
The sparks turned to flames. The flames swelled into a mass.
Demian Haksen dodged the flames and retreated. He looked at Blanca with a surprised face.
"...Special bloodline?"
"You saw it right away."
The flames Blanca summoned grew larger. The ground where she stood was engulfed in fire.
"Our family has been born with fire-attribute mana for generations."
The flames danced like living things with every swing of Blanca's spear.
"I held back to bring you in unharmed if possible... but that's not the situation anymore."
Blanca assumed her stance as she spoke.
"Be careful. The Roshe family's Crimson Flame is ferocious."
Blanca swung her spear at Demian.
The Crimson Flame enveloping her transformed into a massive beast and pounced on Demian Haksen.
* * *
Crimson Flame.
The flames produced by the Roshe family were unlike ordinary fire.
Thanks to their special bloodline granting innate fire-attribute mana, amplified by mana cultivation methods.
Combined, the Crimson Flame could evaporate a small lake in an instant.
Most foes couldn't stand against it. Weapons melted, bodies turned to ash in seconds.
That's why Blanca hesitated to use it. If this strike killed Demian Haksen, he couldn't save his son.
But it was just a groundless fear. No, a miscalculation.
"One Ring."
Demian Haksen murmured lowly. A resonant hum burst from his body.
Immediately after, Demian Haksen's body split. Afterimages swung their blades simultaneously.
Dozens of thrusts tore the Crimson Flame to shreds. It vanished without a trace.
"..."
Blanca Roshe's eyes widened.
She'd seen knights block or slice through Crimson Flames before.
But never one who erased it entirely.
"Worth Slara's interest...!"
Blanca exclaimed in admiration and scraped her spear blade across the ground again. Crimson Flame reignited.
That was when.
"Two Rings."
The resonance amplified. At the same time, Demian Haksen's body vanished.
The next moment, Blanca Roshe's body split in half, blood spurting out.