Explosions and shockwaves mixed together, creating a sound of rupture.
Before long, a rending scream echoed. It was the sound of bystanders walking down the street.
The air that burst from the epicenter created a rupture noise and swept through the surroundings. Clothes and hair flailed wildly.
It was an unbelievable power, considering it was the result of only one woman being thrown to the ground.
Only after the buzzing ringing had passed did the dust begin to gradually settle. At that moment, the view of the source of the explosion became a bit clearer.
There was only one shadow standing there. Indifferent golden eyes rose alone through the hazy mist.
Ian Fercurus, his expression showed no change.
It might have been more appropriate to say he was apathetic. He had an attitude as if he had done something completely natural.
He looked around with weary eyes.
Many people were frozen in place.
Shi-en, the royal guards, and even the passing pedestrians blankly stared back and forth between Ian and Airen, who was thrown to the ground behind him.
Cracks ran through the stone-paved road. In the center was Airen, groaning and twisting her body. Perhaps due to the severity of the impact, even her trembling movements were limited.
It was a single strike.
One competent royal guard, tasked with protecting noble bloodlines, fell into a state of incapacity. Although three more remained, it was undeniable that Airen was their strongest asset.
A late horror glistened in the eyes of the royal guards.
It wasn’t on the level of a third-year academy student. Regardless of the amount of magic power, the quality and control ability were on a completely different plane.
Could it be that his identity was that of a hidden master?
Of course, it was a ridiculous thought. Masters were beings that transcended humanity, and the amount of magic power they possessed was incomprehensibly vast.
Compared to that, the inaction displayed by that man was insignificant.
However, the mere fact that such an absurd thought arose proved the insurmountable gap between him and them.
He was an unfathomable existence. They couldn’t even grasp the method he used to subdue Airen.
The royal guards unconsciously took a step back. With just one exchange, Ian’s danger level rose endlessly.
Feeling fear was unavoidable.
Seeing that scene, the man swallowed a chuckle. It seemed he was exasperated.
Immediately, his golden eyes turned fierce.
“The royal guards are a sorry sight… come at me all at once; I’ll deal with you with just my sword.”
And with a sharp sound, a sword was drawn.
Even in response to Ian’s provocation, the royal guards hesitated for a moment. Then, they glanced at Shi-en, the lord they were supposed to protect.
Shi-en was still dripping water, staring at Ian with a dazed expression.
It was far too pitiful for the visage of an imperial princess.
Only then did the royal guards seem to brace themselves. After exchanging glances and nodding, they immediately stamped their feet on the ground.
With a thud, a heavy impact echoed as the distance closed.
Three swords surged at once.
It might seem a bit cowardly, but their strongest member, Airen, was out of the fight. It was evident that this was not an opponent they could face while maintaining pride.
The strength of a knight order relied not solely on the ability of each individual. While that was an important factor, the true terror of the knight order was revealed in their cooperation.
Even without drawing blades, each knight was a lethal weapon in human form. They had dedicated their lives to swordsmanship, surpassing the limits of the human body.
And there were three such knights. The chemistry of their coordinated movements had to be calculated through multiplication, not addition.
It was the same now.
Though it appeared as if they had struck simultaneously, the swords of the three knights occupied different subtle time lags and directions.
The first sword was horizontal.
The second sword was vertical.
And the last sword aimed to pierce through the gap of the first two trajectories, a thrust that tore the air as it targeted a vital spot.
Even if the first and second strikes were dodged, the final blow was unavoidable. It required precise calculation, but they were compensating for that with repetitive training experience.
Up to that point, Ian had said nothing. He merely watched their onslaught in silence.
As the three lines of solid lines were gradually inscribed in his golden eyes, an unexpected upward kick struck the first horizontal attack.
The clash echoed slowly through the flowing time.
The sound that should not have been heard when flesh met metal. The outcome was the same.
The side that couldn’t withstand the impact was, in fact, the sword.
As the trajectory became erratic, the first knight, who had rushed in, lost his stance.
Naturally, the second strike following could do nothing but have its trajectory thrown off. Taking advantage of that gap was Ian’s sword, like a beam of light.
With a thud, the second knight’s shoulder was impaled by the sword. The knight, unable to endure the pain, opened his mouth. His face twisted as if to scream.
However, the sound could not escape. The duel of masters had to be faster than that.
One step, Ian closed the distance.
With a crunch, a sound echoed. Ian skewered the sword he was thrusting aside, breaking the arm joint of the third knight as if with a pommel.
It was a bizarre sight. They had clearly thought they had gained an opening, yet the third knight’s sword was merely grazing beside Ian.
It looked as if space had twisted.
Two steps, Ian burrowed further into the knights’ formation.
Then, as if waiting for him, a downward cut came toward Ian.
It was the knight who had initially been kicked. He was swinging his sword down with all his might, even from a shaken stance.
But Ian was faster.
In just two steps, he was already at the knight’s side. His sword was even swifter.
A silver line marked the knight’s arm, which soon began to stain with blood.
The burst of blood heralded the end of the battle. Time returned to its normal speed.
One, two, three. Like a precision clock, the three knights fell in unison. Their staggered forms resembled that of hay bales.
At that moment, Ian was already passing the three knights. His sword was sheathed.
“Gaaaah!”
“Ugh, Aaaah!”
The knight with the severed arm and the swordsman with the shoulder impaled were naturally incapable of continuing the fight. However, one knight with a shattered arm joint gritted his teeth and forced his body to rise.
And the moment he tried to swing his sword with his remaining hand.
His body was abruptly pulled forward as if led by a hook. The cause was unknown. All that met his eyes was Ian’s arm gripping his shoulder.
What happened next was obvious. He had seen a scene like this before.
The knight’s eyes filled with horror in an instant.
Thud, the dust rose heavily.
Ian waved his arm as if annoyed, brushing aside the dust. The time required to deal with the remaining three knights was merely a few seconds.
Unless one possessed trained eyesight, it was impossible to comprehend what exchanges took place. To bystanders, only the outcome was visible.
“Graah, my, my arm!”
“C-Crunch, ugh…”
One knight was howling with a severed arm, bleeding profusely, another clutched at his impaled shoulder, while the last was slumped on the ground, unconscious.
It was a scene created by a single man. A chilling sensation crept down the spines of the bystanders watching.
The man who had effortlessly overcome the royal guard was now walking without hesitation. Turning his back on the knights’ screams, he stopped short at one point.
Before Shi-en, who was still dripping water. By now, her expression had cooled into a frigid calm.
It was a stark contrast to her initially gentle impression.
Her face bore a primordial sadness and coldness. Though it remained beautiful, the smile lingering on her lips had an unsettlingly chilling effect.
Before that pointed smile, the man spoke in a flat tone.
“The level of the royal guards is abysmal. They are in dire need of mental training.”
At his mocking or possibly advising words, Shi-en smothered a laugh. It was a cold, biting scoff.
Water droplets falling from the tips of her dark hair seemed as if they might freeze in place.
“…I underestimated you; that was my mistake, Sir Ian.”
The imperial princess no longer used the title of “senior.” It seemed she intended to engrave the identity of the one speaking.
Normally, a lesser noble would be trembling in fear. No matter how far removed from the line of succession, royalty was royalty.
If they set their mind to it, they possessed the power to erase even a rural barony without a trace. Given the will and time to do so, of course.
Shi-en’s following voice was so cold it felt indifferent. The absence of any emotion formed a flat rhythm.
Ian’s circumstances were not significantly different. Thus, their conversation felt like two wax figures conversing.
“…Can you bear it?”
“What must I bear?”
“The wrath of the imperial family.”
The back-and-forth lacked any intonation. Thus, the atmosphere was even colder.
The imperial princess’s slate-gray eyes silently gazed at Ian. Water droplets continued to fall from her dark hair.
“Do you know when humans become the most fearful? It is when they harbor malice and begin to torment; that is when you see the depth of that person… I have witnessed it countless times, and I know well what humans most desire and fear.”
Ian stared blankly at the imperial princess. His tightly shut mouth showed no signs of opening.
Despite being threatened by royalty, his demeanor remained remarkably calm. Perhaps that intrigued her, and Shi-en’s threats intensified.
“I will destroy everything—your family, your friends, everyone you have ever loved. That’s my specialty.”
“…How much time will it take?”
It was an unexpected counter-question.
Shi-en’s brow furrowed slightly. She wore an expression of confusion, yet Ian merely continued to ask flatly.
“Time, that is. How long until everything of mine is destroyed?”
“…Three months.”
Her voice bore a chilling resolve. A wounded lion was terrifying.
The confidence that in just three months, she could destroy everything about a person was frightening enough to make even those not involved feel cold chills.
Yet, Ian showed no sign of unease. He simply continued to watch the princess in silence.
“In three months, that should be enough. However, fortunately for you, there is still an opportunity left.”
Taking a step forward, the princess approached the man.
Once more, Ian displayed no reaction. His eyes closely studied the color of her slate-gray iris.
Two steps, now they were close. The princess whispered to him from a distance where she could be heard.
“Kneel here and kiss my feet. That will make you my loyal hound… bark when I say bark, die when I say die.”
“And then?”
“Then you will obtain everything you desire. Money? Power? Women? Choose freely from what you want. The imperial family has that much power.”
Only then did a chuckle escape Ian’s mouth, a laugh that had barely begun. Another question immediately followed.
“What if I don’t do that?”
“I… told you, didn’t I?”
A chilling sneer returned to the corners of the princess’s mouth. She whispered.
“You’ll cry and scream, but it won’t stop. I’ll make you suffer from the very beginning, all the way through to your closest friends… Did you think that some lesser noble would dare touch the imperial family and escape safely?”
Now even the honorifics were dropped. It was an open display of enmity and hatred, condensed into a threat. The man closed his eyes, as if finding it amusing.
“Three months, huh.”
Ian nodded willingly. It was an acknowledgment.
The princess took a step back, signaling that now was the time for a decision.
In that instant when the distance between the princess and Ian widened, Ian’s hand moved toward his waist. The speed was such that it was unreactable, even with open eyes. In the blink of an eye, a hand axe was drawn.
Drawing a trajectory like a beam of light.
The princess’s eyes widened, and then—
“Ugh, Aaaah!”
With a burst of blood, the woman let out a tearing scream.
