༺ Eyes of a Dragon and the Human Heart (48) ༻
The words that poured forth from Mitram were as brutal as they were direct.
“Your sister’s company will soon be engulfed by a flood of debt! Do you honestly believe Percus Viscounty will emerge unscathed? No, it will not. And it won’t just be your territory that will suffer, but also your family and the lands of your closest friends!”
The princess’ eyes sank deeper into despair as Mitram’s words pierced her conscience like arrows
Then, in a display of her frustration and grievance, Mitram pounded on her chest, and ultimately unable to contain her rage, she lifted her foot and repeatedly kicked the princess.
The princess could only curl up and endure as her pained coughs and sounds of heavy impact reverberated through the tunnel.
“…Yet, will you still try to save her? I’ll give you one last chance. If you choose to turn a blind eye and go back, I will pretend we never met.”
A few more tears trickled down the princess’s cheeks.
Even she likely doubted my resolve to save her.
After all, as Mitram had said, it seemed the princess had already given out irreversible orders that couldn’t be undone even if I were to save her now.
And not only were my sacrifices disregarded and unacknowledged, but she had inflicted a lot of suffering by instigating unbridled hostility towards both me and those dear to me within the academy. I even had to shed more blood to protect them.
Looking back, only a cycle of resentment existed between us.
A sigh involuntarily escaped my lips, and my sword arm faltered.
Observing me closely from the ground, the female knight grew utterly despondent, while the princess merely cried silently… as if she hadn’t held even a glimmer of hope from the beginning.
“…Right.”
It was a short response, yet almost immediately, a grin instantly spread across Mitram’s face, as though that single word was all she had been waiting for.
With another sigh, I loosened the grip on my sword and let it fall to the ground as I slowly raised my hands in surrender.
Witnessing my actions, the female knight, who had been barely managing to lift her head, let it fall in despair, while Mitram’s twisted grin grew wider.
“I knew you would understand. Now, let’s-.”
-Swoosh!
In the next moment, blood gushed forth as one of her arms dropped to the floor.
She couldn’t even react.
The woman’s gaze drifted blankly to her shoulder, where a silver streak had swiftly pierced through.
The hatchet, previously embedded in the ground, hurtled back after severing one of her arms.
It was a sudden blow that left her bewildered.
“Wh…at?”
And I was not so naive as to miss that opening.
Seizing the hatchet mid-air, I launched off the ground in an instant.
The sound barrier shattered before it could even register in our ears, and in the blink of an eye, the hatchet descended towards the dark priest.
It was an offensive in swift succession while she had yet to recover her senses.
However, she wasn’t such an easy opponent.
Forcibly twisting her body, her arm contorted at an anatomically impossible angle to draw a dagger.
-Claaaaang!
A shockwave of dust erupted as her dagger clashed against the hatchet.
But it didn’t end with that single clash. The hatchet rained down in a relentless barrage, gradually driving her back as she struggled to fend off the unyielding assault.
But, the hatchet wasn’t my only weapon.
Reaching for the sword with my other hand, another beam of light swiftly shot up, catching her off guard as she fell victim to the blade. Considering she was already struggling to defend against the hatchet with her only arm, it was a foregone conclusion.
With another violent spurt of blood, her remaining arm fell to the ground.
And left with no other option, she flung herself to the ground and rolled away.
Finally, she was forced away from the princess and the female knight.
But in that fleeting moment, her flesh began to bubble and boil as her arm regenerated at a monstrous speed.
Mana threads began materializing from the fleshy mass that was her hand, rendering further surprise attacks impossible.
It was fine, though.
I had successfully achieved my goal of separating her from the princess and the knight.
Watching me casually return the hatchet to my waist, Mitram raised her voice incredulously.
“Are you mad, Ian Percus?! You’re seriously trying to save that brat despite everything she’s done?!”
I couldn’t help but smirk at her.
She was fundamentally mistaken about one thing—I would have chosen to save her even if it was someone else and not the imperial princess.
“Just because I was mistreated doesn’t mean you’re not a bastard.”
The haunting memories of the orphanage lingered in my mind. Even now, I seethed with emotion whenever the faces of the children trapped within the flesh-seeds flashed before my mind.
Moreover, conducting experiments on living beings to transform them into self-detonating demonic beasts, and even her abnormal regeneration, which was likely the result of similar modifications… She was someone who displayed utter disregard for life.
Such a person was targeting the princess’ eyes, and it was clear it wouldn’t benefit the world.
The path I walked thus far was fraught with challenges, and my resolve wasn’t so weak as to fall for such trivial persuasion.
Although I had simply acted upon what seemed to be the obvious choice for myself, Mitram’s expression grew increasingly fierce as she gnashed her teeth.
“…It seems some punishment is necessary.”
“I’ve already endured enough punishment at the hands of your pawns aboveground… So now, it’s your turn to take some.”
No further words were necessary.
I propelled myself off the ground once more.
Blue mana threads surged and lashed out like whips as she spun her body.
Confronted with a technique I had never encountered before, I briefly pondered how to counter it.
Ultimately, there was only one solution.
I simply had to somehow create an opening within those interwoven threads.
The moment that realization struck, I immediately hurled the hatchet forward.
The hatchet sliced menacingly through the air, and while Mitram shifted her body to dodge, it was far from over for her.
The hatchet drastically altered its trajectory, veering past her once more by a hair’s breadth as she forcefully jerked her upper body back.
Her expression twisted with bitterness, and she appeared to be on the verge of unleashing a torrent of curses.
An opportunity presented itself right at that moment.
Her forced movement dulled the ferocity of the mana threads, and taking advantage of the opening, I sliced through the weakened threads as if cleaving through tangled vines.
Now, nothing stood between us.
However, just as she came within reach, her arm contorted at an eerie angle, revealing a gleaming edge.
It was a poisoned needle.
I learned one very practical lesson after battling Senior Neris—it was that poison had to be avoided at all costs, and even more so if it was an opponent I had to face with my full strength.
While it was unlikely for me to underestimate the opponent’s level, it was vital to remain hyper-aware of the toxin they wielded, especially if they were actively utilizing it since it meant it was particularly potent.
I would be fucked if I were to allow even a slight graze.
Having reached that conclusion, I bent my knees and briefly slid across the ground, cleanly slicing through her thigh.
Her stance faltered as her torn muscles gave way.
As I skidded back across the dirt floor, we came face-to-face, and I flashed her a fleeting smirk.
“…Hey.”
-Puk!
In a swift motion, I delivered a side-fist to her face, sending her sprawling to the ground.
While the punch was lacking in force due to my unstable stance, it was enough to send a slender woman to the floor.
Right as I moved to mount her and lock her down, the glint of the poisoned needle quivering at her fingertips caught my eye.
It would be my loss if I happened to get grazed by it.
And so, opting for a different approach, I gripped the sword that I had momentarily dropped to punch her.
At that moment, a pale hand abruptly shot towards me.
Reacting swiftly, I swung my blade, eliciting another spurt of blood.
A moan tinged with regret escaped Mitram’s lips.
“Ah…“
Rather than groaning in pain, it felt more like annoyance at things not going according to her plans.
It seemed that she either couldn’t feel pain or was extremely numb to it.
Noting this, I swiftly rose from the ground and seized the hatchet wedged into the ground nearby.
Simultaneously, Mitram planted her feet into the ground and eerily stood up.
The human body couldn’t simply hoist itself off the ground solely with its legs without any preparatory movement or momentum, yet she managed to get up as if her body were a sodden sponge regaining its shape.
Then, the woman dangled the mana threads in her hands and grinned.
“It’s finally over.”
As soon as those words sunk in, my eyes swiftly scanned the surroundings.
Numerous knights lay scattered around us. However, that was it. The only other thing that stood out was that all the threads were strangely directed towards me.
I initially wondered if she was bluffing, but the thought soon disappeared as I turned to face her.
Following her triumphant gaze, then tracing the threads resembling a fuse, a young knight’s body soon came into view.
It was rapidly swelling up right beside me.
“Fu-“
-BOOOOOOM!!!
The world turned white before I could finish swearing, and my already injured body screamed that it was at its limits as my senses became muddled.
Even so, I forcefully urged my body to stand up.
-papak!
And were it not for the poisoned needles that pierced through both my shoulders, I would have managed to stand up.
Mitram erupted into delighted laughter as if her victory had been secured.
Determined not to be outmatched, I raised my head and returned a smile.
‘Crazy bitch, I saved these for a time like this.’
I glanced towards my potion pouch. The half-empty pouch was proof of the high potency of the potions coursing through my body.
But even with these high-quality potions, I felt as if I were on the brink of death after enduring two explosions and a severe wound to an arm. In such a state, I had allowed another critical hit.
My thoughts began to blur, and memories briefly became submerged beneath a white wave of hazy consciousness.
.
.
.
.
.
This dream…
Would remain an unforgettable one…
The world soon transformed.
