The bl**d fountain gushed from the spot where the monster’s neck had been severed.
The warm heat soaked the earth. Following it, the smell of bl**d assaulted the nose.
An axe that created sharp tearing sounds came into view late. With a whoosh, it spun through the air.
Through the bl**d-red curtain drawn by that axe’s trajectory, a man was reflected. He was currently embedding a blade into the monster’s brow.
One cat-like monster was leaping at him from behind.
Despite the sudden ambush, the man did not flinch at all. As he stabbed the blade between his own ribs, the silver sword tip plunged into the palate of the monster’s gaping mouth.
A clean thrust that pierced to the brain; it was a skill that would be impossible without that aura.
He charged towards the hissing monsters without any hesitation. Every time the man’s sword emitted light, a cat monster fell without exception.
The hand axe returned to his hand with a thud and immediately traced a vertical curve, smashing the skull of one monster.
bl**d and brain matter splattered. The scene, where flesh and bone fragments burst forth like a river hit by torrential rain, felt almost unreal.
Before long, even Lady Lupeisia was watching the scene of slaughter, dumbfounded.
He was strong.
It was a level of skill unimaginable for a man who had just recently been in the mid-lower tier of the Swordsmanship Department’s third year.
His improvisation, devoid of any hesitation, and the violence that could be described as rather sensational captivated the gazes of the two women.
The screams of the monsters summoned more of their kind nearby.
Several cat monsters bared their teeth and emitted threatening sounds. Regardless, the man, soaked in bl**d, stood silently.
That was when a small cat fell from the sky.
Its vertically torn pupils spun around. Emma already knew the identity of that monster.
She shouted in a hurried voice.
“I-an, be careful…!”
However, the cat monster’s self-destruct speed was faster.
With a bang, a storm of light and heat engulfed the man. As the thick dust rose, monsters charged in as if they would not miss this opportunity.
That was a fatal mistake.
The silver aura drew a horizontal line.
The full-force horizontal slash held terrifying power in itself. Even more so if it were layered with aura; the cutting force was unimaginable.
In one fell swoop, two cat monsters were cleaved in half.
With a sound like cutting through a bundle of straw, two corpses sprawled on the ground.
However, a large movement created large openings, and the instinctively aware monsters surged forward.
They did not realize that the man had discarded his sword along with the horizontal slash.
He jumped onto one cat monster that had leaped at him and sat on top of it. Ruthless chopping followed.
With every pop, pop, pop sound, bl**d splattered.
From the monster’s head to its nape, there was nowhere without an axe mark. He had to face the second surge of monsters that filled the empty space.
Abandoning any defense, he rolled forward and finally faced the monsters head-on to throw the hand axe again.
It embedded itself in one monster’s neck, and again, the axe traced a near-right angle trajectory, claiming the last life of another.
This was, rather, a clean d*ath.
The last remaining cat monster had to engage in an unexpected bare-handed fight with the man.
It was natural for the beast to have the advantage without tools. But I-an, who charged at the monster, was more feral than the monster itself.
Even with remnants of the explosion clear, he dived into the monster’s embrace without hesitation.
And then, he slammed his fist down on the monster’s face.
The impact was so great that the monster’s body bounced as it collided with the ground.
What followed was, as before, one-sided violence.
With every punch thrown, cracking sounds echoed as bones crumbled. That chilling noise continued endlessly.
Even when the monster’s body convulsed and showed no signs of movement, it persisted.
Initially filled with admiration and longing, Lady Lupeisia’s eyes gradually colored with fear.
He was strong, but even more so, brutal.
That was the essence of the man before her. Realizing this again, Lady Lupeisia’s body trembled.
bl**d and flesh, the man’s heavy breathing blended thickly together.
His golden eyes burned with ferocity. He gritted his teeth and kept punching.
It was until someone approached from behind that he stopped.
The strength that embraced his upper body was weak. If he had wanted to, he could have easily shaken it off.
But I-an could not do so.
The voice that drilled into his ear was far too warm and gentle.
“…I-an, it’s okay now.”
The monster’s breathing finally ceased.
Why can’t I protect anything?
The question that suddenly arose pierced his mind like a dart. It was a strange sensation.
All senses were concentrated on the battle, and his body was making the most accurate judgments to k*ll the opponent.
It was only his consciousness that seemed detached from that reality.
Drifting thoughts brushed past a few scenes.
The burning Great Forest.
He lost his teacher and apprentice there. Since that day, a smile had disappeared from the man’s lips.
The plateau where blizzards whipped furiously.
He saw masses of flesh covering the horizon. Even the golden lions, boasting the strength of the North, could not withstand it.
The family that proclaimed themselves the guardians of the North fell to ruin.
And the Flesh Nests that covered the earth, as well as the unknown monsters.
He could not even hear the last breath of the woman he loved dearly.
He felt suffocated. The ragged breathing echoed in his ears.
His pounding heart was yelling.
He must k*ll.
Otherwise, he could not protect. The voice of regret he had repeated countless times surged like a tide in a tidal flat.
It felt as if he would suffocate.
He swung his fists madly once more.
Again, it was the same.
His fists, already drenched in bl**d, were raised high.
With the wounds from the monster’s bites, and perhaps due to the aftereffects of the explosions, his arms trembled. Yet, he could bear it no longer.
His skin had long since scraped against bones, but he felt no pain.
Gritting his teeth, just before he crushed what could hardly be called a face anymore.
A warm sensation flowed down his spine.
His breath stopped. In that pause, the woman’s whisper reached his ears.
“…I-an, it’s okay now.”
He wanted to ask, what is okay?
Nothing was fine.
The world was racing towards destruction, and his precious people would face d*ath one by one.
As long as Delphrium and her Dark Cult remained.
But before he could utter such a question, his consciousness returned to reality.
“Ah.”
A low gasp.
His mouth had regained the language it had lost. As he calmed his ragged breaths, he gradually lowered his fists.
He tightened the woman’s arms that embraced his upper body.
Though it was still a weak grip, he felt the warmth on his back all the more clearly.
The quivering voice, even mixed with sobs, rang through his spine.
“I, I… I’m okay. I-an, so you don’t have to… you’re the one who saves people.”
Whew, a deep breath was exhaled.
He looked up at the sky. The crows were still flocking in.
This raid wouldn’t end with just killing the monsters.
It was an army numbering in the hundreds or thousands. However, monsters lacked reason. Therefore, such organized raids could only be possible if someone was backing them.
He had to eliminate the mastermind; someone giving orders to the monsters.
“Not the one that kills… huh?”
A bitter smile crept onto his lips upon hearing the pitiful woman’s voice.
She was right, Emma was.
He must not confuse the purpose.
Violence was merely a means, not the end.
He wobbled to his feet. Until then, Emma had not loosened her grip on him.
“…Emma.”
At the sound of her name, the girl flinched. He gently applied pressure to her arms that were wrapping around his chest.
Turning around, he noticed the reddish-haired girl.
His hand instinctively rested on her shoulder.
“Are you okay?”
At first, Emma’s eyes widened in surprise.
Only then did she seem to realize what she had done. Gradually, her pale face began to flush.
Nervously lowering her head, she avoided his gaze, and her mouth barely opened.
“…Yes.”
Finding her so cute, he couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
As his laughter lasted longer, Emma’s face turned redder.
After some time passed, he wiped the smile from his face and said,
“Then that’s good.”
Yes, as Emma had said.
He was the one who saves people.
And now, there was one person left to save.
The Empire’s Fifth Princess, Shi-en.
Without saying another word, he grabbed his sword and axe. Just as he was about to leave, a voice stopped him.
“…Why did you save me?”
The noblewoman, Lady Lupeisia, with her golden hair and striking eyes, stood there.
She still bore the expression of someone who could not shake off their fear. Despite that, she managed to stand up, swaying unsteadily.
Her trembling pupils were fixed on him.
“E-Emma is just a commoner girl… Even if you saved her, it would have been fine if you let me d*e! Instead, I would have had fewer troubles…”
Her words were almost incoherent.
He had not initially intended to save Lady Lupeisia. He had just happened to save her while saving Emma.
But upon reflection, he also seemed to recall killing the monster that had attacked Lady Lupeisia while he was busy slaughtering others.
It didn’t take long for a sigh to escape from his mouth while he was immersed in such thoughts.
In fact, there was something far more important he needed to say first.
“…Lady Lupeisia.”
The woman’s body flinched. Her gaze towards him was filled with wariness.
A fear that he might attack her again was evident in her eyes.
Regardless, he asked with a somewhat sad smile.
“Are you alright?”
Lady Lupeisia froze in place.
With wide-open eyes, she merely blurted out her fragmented question.
“…Y-yes?”
“I asked if you’re okay, Lady Lupeisia.”
It was a question that should be asked of someone who had narrowly escaped d*ath and possibly bore wounds he could not wipe away.
Nevertheless, Lady Lupeisia looked as though she couldn’t believe that such a thing was being said to her.
Her round eyes testified to her confusion.
She stammered out a response.
“Y-yeah… I’m… okay…”
“Then that’s good.”
He smiled slightly as he said that, and that was the end of it.
He still had places to go.
The only one holding his hand was, as always, the worry-prone Emma.
“I-Ian… where are you going?”
“To save someone.”
It was a simple statement.
Those few syllables could not erase Emma’s concerns, but he tried to assure her in a tone that masked his anxiety.
“Don’t worry, you gave me potions too.”
At that, he proudly displayed the potion pouch.
Looking at the pouch, which was now considerably smaller in size, Emma still wore a worried expression. However, there was no more time to wait.
With a short farewell, he quickly left.
In truth, his body was in terrible pain.
He had been caught in self-destruct attacks twice, and the wound from the monster’s bite had yet to heal. It was a complete mess, but he had to go.
The underground cave of Verlata Palace.
That was where the finale of this story awaited.
Meanwhile, in the underground cave of Verlata Palace.
“Ugh, ah, ugh… Kya, kyaaaaaaaaaah!”
The scream of the princess echoed through that place.
