episode_0010

Things that couldn’t be seen are now visible.

Things that couldn’t be felt are now sensed.

Right now, it feels like I can do anything.

I understand well what the word “fulfillment” means.

I am fulfilled with the power I have now.

At least enough to cut off their breath!

The power of magic concentrated in my hands is felt.

It’s different from mana or magic power that was called.

This is my, our authority.

A sorcerer who converts mana and spews it out.

A swordsman who imbues mana into the blade and slashes.

A priest who works miracles with divine power.

The power I feel is of a different kind.

I don’t care much about the origin. If I can kill the bugs in front of me, I don’t mind making a contract with the demon trying to take my soul. All I want is their death.

“Just in case, I’m asking, there are no more relics, right?”

“Of course not. Do you think relics are stocked in every church?”

“Sigh… We have to figure something out.”

The man known as Jimmy asked the chief, wanting to break the suffocating atmosphere. However, the chief’s answer only further dampened the spirits of his colleagues. They must also feel this authority.

With each step I took, some took steps back, some froze in place, trembling. Are you afraid? I hope you are. Suffer in despair until the very end and leave pitifully.

Sssk-

“Stop! Don’t come any closer, you monster!!”

As the fear crossed its limit, the soldiers who had subdued Yulia shouted, holding a sword against her. As if sincere, they lightly grazed Yulia’s pure white neck. Yulia let out a short whimper, sweat drenched her quivering throat, and crimson drops of blood trickled down.

To take Theo and now to harm Yulia…

My eyes showed me what I could do. I saw the mana surrounding them. I could feel it and manipulate it as I wished. I resonated the mana in the area. So they couldn’t move.

“Gah!”

“Kyan!”

Their bodies remained stiff. No matter how much their brains commanded them to move, they didn’t even flinch. Only I could control their bodies. In other words, their life and death were in my hands. And I had no intention of showing them mercy.

“Kkengkkeeeeek!”

I blocked their breath, not knowing which method would be the most painful. Their breathing was just about to stop. They wouldn’t be able to take in fresh air anymore. Soon, only the desperate sound of prayer for breath echoed. If they had the freedom of movement, they would have thrashed around, but they couldn’t move at all.

I had to wait until their breath completely stopped and their hearts ceased. It was the moment when the brain’s oxygen would become insufficient.

Thud-

The men surrounding Yulia collapsed. They could no longer perform the basic function of standing upright. Now they would lie on the ground and face their end.

“Kuk…! Uweeeee!!!”

“Don’t rush to attack!!”

Seeing their comrades collapse helplessly, other soldiers, terrified, rushed towards me. Like a cornered mouse inevitably rushing towards a cat. The captain tried to stop them, but it was too late.

This time, I decided to use the magi swirling around me. I reached out and shot the magi. Black tendrils poured out at a rapid speed.

The image I conjured was that of sharp spears and lances. The extended magi eventually poured down like a rain of sharp spears. The bodies of the charging soldiers were riddled with numerous holes. Their limp bodies sprayed blood as they fell.

Ah… I made a mistake.

I dispatched them too easily.

Perhaps, they died comfortably without even realizing the pain. Next time, I’ll have to use a different method. I’ve heard that burning is so dreadful…

“Kk! Kkeueup!”

The soldiers deprived of breath were still in the midst of suffocation. I passed by them and moved forward.

In front of them, soldiers were seen giving up the fight and fleeing from the irrational situation. The Inquisition unit, which never retreated when facing Theo, had disappeared. Only a crowd of humans, weary of struggling to wake up from the nightmare, remained.

Sadly, they would not be able to wake up from this nightmare.

I threw my spear again towards the retreating soldiers. They, who were only looking ahead, could not avoid the spears coming from behind. I thought of Theo.

Sizzle-

I thought of Theo’s flames.

So they burned them to death.

“Screaaaam!!!!”

They screamed as they burned, but they would not receive any help. Just like Theo did.

It’s a strange day.

A day that feels disconnected from reality.

I have witnessed too much death and caused too much death.

It was my first murder, yet strangely, there was no sense of excitement. I’m just contemplating how to kill more cruelly and painfully. My mind doesn’t seem to consider them as fellow humans. Insects, or meaningless beings like NPCs in a game. So maybe I don’t even feel the revulsion that a human should feel about murder. Let’s assume that’s the case.

I thought I had killed quite a few people, but I can’t seem to calm down. Especially, the man called the chief and the knight named Jimmy, just seeing their faces made me uncontrollably angry.

I will never let you off easily.

Expect it.

Jimmy had traversed many battlefields, but he had never seen such a dreadful scene. This wasn’t a battle. It was a ruthless massacre by predators.

Even his comrades armed with faith couldn’t overcome the terror and were dying while screaming, a sight that made him, usually composed, bewildered.

“Chief, is there a place investigating the Primera Kingdom other than our branch?”

“No. We are the only ones.”

Realizing the impending crisis, Jimmy asked the chief,

“Have we shared the investigation with other branches, or reported to the headquarters?”

“There’s no one. They intended to announce their arrival in the capital after the Holy War ended.”

“Sigh…”

“I’m sorry. I was about to fulfill my long-cherished wish, but I lost sight of it.”

“That’s enough. We should pray for survivors in the secret chamber.”

“…”

They sacrificed the secret chamber for the operation.

They knew best that there would be no survivors once they lured the guardians. But the situation was not good enough to rely on such slim chances.

“Jimmy, I want to say this. You were truly outstanding subordinates.”

“Darn it, let’s focus on surviving first.”

The two poured mana into their swords. The mana-infused swords began to glow blue. They adjusted their stances to prepare for battle.

“Don’t lose your mana. The mana in the sword belongs solely to us. It is the only means by which we can confront that demon woman.”

“I know, the power of the nobility is to control the mana floating in the air. She can’t touch our purified mana!”

“Yes! But if our purification ability weakens or she is stronger than that….”

“We’ll worry about that later!”

Jimmy sprang up first. Soon, the captain charged after Jimmy.

The princess, who was staining this place with death, unleashed magic. Jimmy dodged and deflected as much magic as possible with his sword. He was different from the other soldiers who were dying in vain. However, the princess was also different from the prince.

With each deflection of magic, the shock was transmitted through his body. The mana concentrated in the sword shook little by little. At most, the purified mana would break four or five times more. So, they had to quickly form a bond.

Gathering the sword energy from Jimmy’s covered body, the captain soon shot it towards the princess. The princess immediately manipulated the scattered mana in front of her to create a shield.

-Boom!

Amidst the light and dust, Jimmy rushed forward through the obstructed view. Even though he couldn’t see, a seasoned knight could sense the opponent’s position.

This time, the magi who surrounded the princess to protect their master blocked Jimmy before she could realize it. However, as there was no will from their master, the power was diminished.

“Ugh! You’re disgustingly stubborn. You look cute enough to be a prince.”

“You…”

At the mention of “prince,” the enchanting princess glared at Jimmy. Her shining emerald green eyes were fixed on him. As emotions stirred within her statue-like beauty, she appeared even more beautiful.

“A woman too precious to kill, isn’t that right?”

Even in the midst of a desperate fight, he did not lose his casual demeanor. It was his way of relieving tension and pressure. The problem was that such words only further fueled the princess’s anger.

Meanwhile, the steward suddenly leaped up behind Jimmy and thrust a sword towards the princess. He aimed to take advantage of the princess’s focus on blocking Jimmy’s attack. It was a perfect angle, making it impossible for the magi to turn and block the attack.

“!!!!”

In an instant, the steward stopped in mid-air. As if in a state of weightlessness, he lost momentum and hovered in the air. Even the composed Jimmy was speechless, bewildered by the surreal sensation.

“Do you think you can escape me with that level of mana purification ability?”

!?

The words of the princess struck fear into both of them. It was a moment when time seemed to stand still. It was the moment when all hope vanished.

From the beginning, the princess could interfere with their mana. They were strong enough, but the princess’s power transcended common sense.

Considering how to bring about greater despair, she decided to trample their hopes. So, she waited. She waited for them to struggle as much as possible. Until the moment they might have some hope of survival!

-Boom-

“Kuk!”

The steward was thrown against the wall and remained stuck there. However, he was not seriously injured. His body still didn’t move.

“Trickster Green!! In the name of our lord, I will definitely—… Ugh!! Uuugh!”

The chief’s mouth, which had been shouting at the princess in a threatening voice, was frozen. His lips and surroundings were frozen, making it unbearable to be conscious but unable to speak.

Jimmy tried to swing his sword again when he saw that figure. He had to escape somehow. However, like the chief, Jimmy couldn’t move either. He missed the sword. No, the princess made him drop it.

“You’ve thought a lot about how to kill me.”

The princess approached Jimmy.

Jimmy was suddenly covered in cold sweat.

“This… devil woman…!”

He could still speak. He could do nothing but curse at the princess while fearing the situation that would follow.

Thud-

The princess pushed him back and lay him down. Then she climbed onto his chest. Jimmy admired her beauty up close, but he shivered. She was like a rose with sharp thorns. Of course, it was something more dangerous than thorns.

“Ah… I hope you can endure for as long as possible.”

Jimmy opened his eyes feeling the princess’s whispering breath. Every nerve in his body tingled.

The princess smirked and gathered magic in both hands.

“I’ll try to control it as much as possible. So, you have to be strong, okay?”

Jimmy could do nothing but look at the princess’s deadly smile. And the princess clenched her fist and struck Jimmy’s face.

-Whack!

“Aaaahhh!!!”

A scream burst from Jimmy’s always composed mouth. The chief couldn’t believe the current situation. The strongest and most trusted knight among his subordinates was being thoroughly humiliated.

“You’re quite the drama queen, our knight.”

She slapped Jimmy’s face again with her other hand.

-Snap!

Something broke. It was probably his nose.

“Eeeehhh!”

It wasn’t just a punch. It was impossible for the princess’s delicate hand to do such a thing. The magic imbued in her hand made it stronger and tougher than even a skilled martial artist’s, as if striking with a rock.

“Compared to what Theo went through, this is nothing. You haven’t even started; your nightmare has just begun.”

“Ugh… just… kill me…”

“Pfft! Hahaha.”

The princess laughed as if delighted by the method she had come up with. Jimmy’s weakened state satisfied her.

“No.”

– Crack! Boom! Thud!

Breaking sounds, bursting sounds, and struggling sounds continued for hours. The chief could only watch his subordinate’s cruel fate with wide eyes. He couldn’t even sob; his mouth was sealed.

And so the night grew deeper.