The Raid
“Move the wounded first!”
“Someone grab a splint over here!”
With my help, the remaining masked intruders in the garden were rounded up in no time flat.
“Hoo…”
The guards stared in astonishment as we swiftly apprehended the last of them, and I took a moment to catch my breath.
My lungs were burning.
Blood was leaking from the gash on my chest, draining my strength along with it.
“You need treatment—”
As I stood there alone, steadying my breathing, one of the guards approached and asked.
I wondered why until I glanced down—the wound had torn open further, soaking through the cloth I'd bound it with, turning it a deeper crimson.
“I'm fine.”
With the mansion ablaze like that, where was I supposed to get treated?
The annex was probably chaos too.
“At least take a moment to rest—”
“Don't worry about me.”
More importantly, I could feel the guards' gazes shift—suddenly warm, almost friendly.
Back when we'd trained together in the yard, there'd always been a hint of wariness around me. But now? I was one of them, no question.
“Anyway, I'm heading into the mansion first.”
“What? With that wound?”
“The faster we wrap this up, the quicker I get patched.”
Let's see...
The inside of the mansion was still a clamor of shouts and clashes.
The garden entrance near my old doghouse was sealed off, but who said the intruders had only come straight through the front gate?
They'd scaled the walls from the sides, hopped fences from the rear—probably swarming in from everywhere.
Aria's two bodyguard knights were with her, and Rowell was up on the roof, still locked in combat with someone.
Even if the head guard was holding one breach, that left two wide open.
“I'll be off, then.”
I borrowed a somewhat intact shirt from one of the guards, wrapped my wound tighter, and plunged into the smoke-hazed mansion.
And then.
“Whoa.”
I took in the chaotic interior and the intruders still pushing in, letting out an impressed whistle.
Even the masked ones I'd fought earlier—and these stragglers? Why were there so damn many?
Something felt off.
These were supposed to be elite guerrilla terrorists from the fallen kingdom, right?
From the name alone, I'd pictured a small, crack team.
So why were they crawling all over the place like cockroaches?
“Looks like the front team's in trouble.”
“We'll handle it and move on.”
I drew the spare sword I'd borrowed from the guard as the masked men muttered among themselves, spotting me.
“Swarming like flies.”
“Take 'em all at once!”
Honestly?
Truth be told, it was touch and go.
Whoosh—
I dodged the sword swing from the lead masked man charging ahead.
Sharp. Sharper than the others—maybe a cut above.
Still not on the level of the ones I'd faced before.
And no Aura user, to boot.
Slash—
“Ngh.”
Using the momentum from my dodge, I raked my blade across his throat and pulled back.
Whoosh—
Another sword whistled through the spot I'd just vacated.
Yeah, numbers. Too many.
“He's injured!”
“Press him hard!”
Were these really just remnants?
Or hired muscle?
Who the hell took a job like this, anyway?
Whatever. Focus on the fight.
Thud—
I kicked off the ground and lunged in.
“He's coming!”
“Stab him!”
Honestly, there were too many to handle straight-up.
Fight fair, and I'd bleed out first.
So.
Time to snap them out of it.
First things first.
I cloaked myself in Aura, boosting my physical prowess, and seized one masked man's head.
Then.
Crunch-crack—
I twisted my arm, wrenching his neck clean off like popping a lid.
“What the—”
“Uh.”
The two up front froze at the surreal sight.
But.
“Don't stop!”
“Stab him!”
The ones behind shoved their hesitating comrades aside and swung wildly at me.
Thrust—thrust-thrust!
I blocked with the fresh corpse, then instead of retreating, I surged forward.
Deeper. Even deeper into the tangle.
So close they might skewer their own trying to hit me.
“Uh.”
“Gah!”
Right in their faces now.
Their wild swings started piercing allies instead.
Hesitation crept into every blade aimed my way.
The more they faltered, the closer I pressed.
A few tried sly dagger thrusts from blind spots.
Twitch—
But my sharpened senses rang the alarm.
Swoosh—
I evaded the blade and clamped his wrist.
Crunch-crack!
“Aaaagh!”
I crushed his hand with raw grip strength, snatched the dagger from his limp fingers.
Disarming foes was Gladiator 101.
Especially in melees—blades dulled fast.
Now with a dagger in hand.
I had the edge in this brawl.
“Just grapple him!”
“Pin him down!”
They rushed me bodily now, but I stabbed throats and bit noses when they closed in.
Sometimes I'd drop low, forcing them to collide.
When they tried pinning, I'd roll toward the floor, hooking legs and flipping them.
Like ants sucked into a pit trap.
Touch me, and you were dead.
“F-Fuck...”
“...You first!”
And with that.
Terror spread from front to back.
The group fear that had numbed them thawed.
Death sank deep into their minds.
By the time their numbers halved.
“U-Ugh...”
“Crazy monster bastard...”
Fear gripped beyond their heads.
Into their limbs, their legs most of all.
Bathed in blood, a few unavoidable slashes leaving me precarious.
But carving up frozen prey?
Child's play.
“Miss! We need to move—now!”
“Y-Yeah...!”
Blaze engulfing the mansion's third floor.
Deron, bodyguard knight of the Boyd family, hustled Aria downward.
“Caiden! Any sign of the intruders?”
“Nothing yet.”
The relentless waves of attackers had suddenly dried up.
After a quick huddle with his fellow knight Caiden, they'd decided: escort the miss out of the mansion first.
Her magic had kept the flames at bay this long.
But it was nearing its limit—they'd escape outside if they could.
This was the capital; flee to the city guard or another noble house, and she'd be safe.
“Um, but.”
“Miss?”
“Where's Puppy?”
Of all things.
Mid-evacuation, Aria dropped that bombshell.
“Miss...!”
In the middle of this crisis? Worrying about him?
Why hunt for that mutt now?
“This isn't the time to—”
But her crimson eyes gleamed with an eerie light, and words failed him.
“Where is he?”
“...Probably still in the yard. He'll fend for himself.”
Driving me mad.
What did she see in that guy...?
Aria had her eccentric moments, sure. But this topped them all.
She'd never cared for fights her whole life, yet suddenly wanted to watch the gladiator matches that day.
And everything after? Unbelievable.
The humiliating memory of that novice—barely knowing basic Aura—breaching his guard flickered up, then he shoved it down.
“Let's hurry down.”
Still, credit where due: the guy was a former champion for a reason.
Right now, Deron wouldn't mind borrowing that cur's fangs—even a cat's claws.
Embarrassing for a knight, but he hoped the mansion's guard dog—the one Aria had dragged in—was tearing into intruders outside.
She had her divine quirks, after all.
Must be a reason she brought him.
The family knew her uniqueness, hence the capital mansion and private tutors.
Anyway.
“Caiden! We're heading down this way!”
They took the rear stairs—servants' shortcut, really—but even here, a few masked men were clambering up.
Slash—
“Gah!”
One or two? Easy pickings.
They carved through and descended.
“They've thinned out suddenly.”
“Something's happening below.”
The drop-off was abrupt.
Just minutes ago, endless hordes in the halls and stairs had worn them down.
Mysterious, to say the least.
Reinforcements?
Considering those sharp elites mixed among the rabble, the mansion guards alone wouldn't cut it.
Whatever.
No wasting the breather—they rushed Aria down to the lobby.
“It's quiet.”
“Too quiet.”
Priority one: keep the miss secure.
Deron guarded her rear, Caiden the front, escorting her to the lobby.
“Caiden?”
Steps from the lobby.
Caiden halted.
“Deron, cover the miss's eyes.”
“...Miss, just for a moment.”
What the hell required that?
Deron draped cloth over her eyes with utmost care, then peered ahead.
And.
“...What?”
Deron blurted in confusion.
The first-floor lobby was a slaughterhouse—crimson pooling everywhere.
Black-masked bodies strewn about.
The marble floor might as well have been painted red.
And in the midst of it.
One man.
“Hah...”
Stood drenched head to toe—you'd mistake him for wearing blood.
“It's over.”
He glanced at Deron and Caiden—unscathed, escorting the wide-eyed miss.
Then.
Thud.
Among all in the lobby.
He collapsed last.