The blaring bangings and explosions continued to bombard throughout the mana shield. Every time the enemies hit the mana shield, I could feel a significant amount of mana being drained from me. After all, the bigger the shield, the more mana it requires to maintain its shape—even more for it to not get destroyed.
Thankfully, it doesn't prove a major threat to me. I have more mana than I can do with, so keeping this mana shield intact won't be a problem.
August inspected the premise with confusion before looking at the mage, who was still in the midst of his incantations. "Lord Marcus, did you create this mana shield beforehand?"
The mage let out a strained chuckle. "I don't have the luxury to spare any mana at the moment, Your Highness. But if there's anyone who can create this big of a mana shield..."
Realizing the meaning behind his words, August desperately glanced at me. "Lys, did you create this shield?!"
I tried to avoid his gaze by gazing at the moon above me. Slowly closing my eyes, and taking a deep breath, I calmly looked back at August. His face turned distraught as I finally nodded to his question. He hurriedly walked towards me, and grabbed me by the shoulder.
As I looked right into his eyes, I could see a mixture of worry and distress beginning to consume him. "Cancel the magic immediately! Not only did you create a mana shield large enough to cover the entire area, but the fact that it hasn't broken yet means that you are still supplying it with mana."
He then gripped his hands tighter on my shoulders. "If you keep this up, your mana would soon be—"
"It's fine." I gently placed my hand on top of one of his before squeezing it. "I have more mana than what I can do with. If needed, I can keep this barrier up for the whole duration of the—"
"Lys!"
When I heard him yell at me, I froze. His angry expression was vividly displayed in front of me. I still didn't respond to his questio—no, I just couldn't. Realizing this, he gritted his teeth, and gripped my shoulders even tighter.
I slightly winced from the pain. When he saw my pained expression, his eyes widened, and he immediately retracted his hand before looking away with utter shame.
"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to..." He clenched his hand, and bitterly sighed before ruffling his hair. "This isn't the perfect time to get emotional. But please understand just how fatal it can be if you continue to use your mana like this!"
But before I could respond, I felt another hand on my shoulder.
I looked behind, and saw that it was Nilo. "His Highness is right. I know that you're trying to protect us, but from our eyes…" He let out a small scoff, and then looked away. "It makes us look like a nuisance. We can protect ourselves, Young Master. I'm sure you know that, right?"
"Sir Nilo is right." August reached out for my hands, and clenched them tight before pulling my face closer to his. "We can protect ourselves. So please... remove the barrier."
Even with the continuous banging echoing throughout the barrier, my mind was only muddled out by the many what if's if I were to remove the barrier. Danger lurks just outside the barrier, so the possibility of them getting hurt is high.
So in the off chance of risking my own wellbeing, I can guarantee their safety.
But... is that truly the correct approach?
I don't want them getting hurt, but they also don't want me protecting them like this.
With so many thoughts jumbling my head, I frustratedly closed my eyes, and ruffled my hair hard before looking back at August with a final conclusion.
"... I'll follow along with what you said. I supplied the shield with enough mana to last around sixty seconds. Before then, we should plan our next course of action."
August let out a relieved sigh, and gently let go of my hand before thinking.
"True..." He looked around at the people who were still trying to destroy the barrier. "There are fifty people in total. Judging by the quality of their magic and aura, they average around three to four rings." After contemplating for a few seconds, he then looked back at Nilo. "There may be a powerful person behind them, probably waiting to tire us out as they try to outnumber us. Sir Nilo, do you think you can—"
Before he could finish his sentence, a loud crack formed throughout the shield before the sound of glass shattering appeared. Fragments of the mana shield then flowed down everywhere as I continued to look at them with utter confusion.
"It got destroyed...?"
There should've been thirty seconds left before it got destroyed by the enemy's attack.
I suddenly sensed a huge burst of mana being emitted by a singular person. I quickly shifted my gaze to where this burst of mana was coming from.
It was probably this person who was the one to destroy the shield earlier than I anticipated...
With some robed people behind, I took a closer look at the person who just appeared.
A tall and slim man. His beard was carefully groomed, and the deep hue of his gray hair tells me that he is around his late fifties. A black trilby covers it, though. Maybe he's ashamed of his old age. A single golden monocle goes on to cover one of his purple eyes. On his right hand, he carried an iron sword blazing with his sinister dark-purple mana.
Noting his presence, Nilo quickly stood in front of us. He then grabbed both of his short swords from his back, and positioned them in front of him defensively.
The old man stabbed his iron sword through the ground, and slowly began stroking his beard while carefully observing us from a distance.
"... How vexing. I didn't expect the curse to be found out this quickly." He then looked at August. "It has been a while, Your Highness."
August let out a scoff before fixing his posture, trying to maintain a calm appearance. "So you finally decided to show your true self, Chancellor."
The old man smiled. "You don't seem all surprised by my betrayal, Your Highness."
"You may have fooled everyone with your facade—even mother. But from the very beginning... I have doubted your identity. I just didn't expect you to be the perpetrator behind all this."
The old man's eyes turned serpent-like, but continued to look at August with a sinister smile. "Hmm... guess I can never escape the eyes that wield the Blessing of the Swords..."
His serpent eyes soon turned to me. "You even decided to bring in reinforcement from the Blakesty Family." He then grabbed hold of the hilt of the sword embedded down into the ground. "The Heir no less: the one with the Blessing of the Mana."
After taking a breath, the old man gripped the hilt hard, and then yanked the blade out of the ground before pointing it at us. "Killing you both will surely eliminate any future problems."
His eyes wandered towards the mage that is still trying to dispel the curse. "The Head Mage is currently preoccupied with his magic. If he suddenly stops it, the chances of the Empress dying will significantly increase. So, I don't have to worry about him for now..."
Suddenly, he pointed his blade at Nilo. "The only real threat is you... I'll eliminate you myself—"
But shortly after he said those words, Nilo immediately dashed in front of him. The old man's eyes widened. He couldn't believe that he was unable to react to his speed.
Nilo put his knee towards the old man's abdomen, and struck him up—sending him far into the dark sky. With a small delay, a huge burst of wind dispersed around us from the impact. Nilo looked up into the sky, and whistled while squinting his eyes to find the old man before letting out a smirk.
"All bark, but no bite."
Everyone, including me, was astounded by what we just witnessed. I knew how strong Nilo is, but seeing it in action is a whole different experience.
The old man, who is now high into the sky, coughed out before looking down at the earth. A glistening light appeared for a split second before a dagger showed up near his face. He narrowly dodged it, but the blade slightly scratched his face. But without warning, the dagger began revolving around him.
A thin black thread almost invisible to the naked eye soon wrapped around his body and arm. The threads quickly tightened up, immobilizing him before he was forcefully brought down from the sky. In a few seconds of free-falling, the old man finally crashed on the ground around us—creating a fog of dust and soil from the collision.
Despite falling from a great height, the old man got up into his knee—desperately putting pressure near his rib cage—and tried to balance himself up with the sword. His hat was now gone, finally exposing his messy grey hair. Dirt slightly covered his face and clothes, but no major injuries were seen on him other than his broken ribs.
He gritted his teeth, and glared at us with immense killing-intent before pointing at us in a hurry. "What are you all doing?! Kill them!"
The robed people soon began dashing towards us. August drew his blade, and quickly dashed towards them in response. Some drew their blades, while others began casting their magic.
Frustrated, the old man got up and dashed towards Nilo, hoping to get revenge for the earlier humiliation. Nilo just chuckled at the pitiful attempt, and with ease, clashed against the old man's sword—parrying and slashing his body with strikes after strikes.
Nilo found an opening. But instead of attacking, he took the opportunity to look at us instead. "Young Master, Your Highness, I will deal with this person over there. So just make sure to deal with the people around here!"
Both of us nodded and responded at the same time. "Got it!"
Nilo looked at the old man again, who was now furious. "You...! How dare you draw your attention elsewhere—"
But instead of talking, Nilo just dashed towards him. Once again, the old man couldn't react to his speed before getting side kicked far into a different space. Nilo smirked to himself, as if proud, before following the destroyed path ahead of him he created.
I looked all around to make sure it was safe before glancing at the mage. "Head Mage Marcus, do you need any protection?"
The mage let out a heartfelt chuckle before shaking his head. "No need to worry about me, Lord Lysander. Just take care of yourself. Remember, it is alright to take shelter if things become too dire."
I nodded back to his words. "Okay. Stay safe then!"
With that, I stared back in front of me. A big ball of blazing fire was this close to burning my face. I immediately summoned a mana shield to block it. As the fire ball dispersed from the impact, I gazed at all the magicians who were casting magic.
"... Half of them are magicians."
I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath before stretching my hand forward. I began to pin-point the exact locations of the mages. Many of them are hiding behind the swordsmen. Some are hiding behind bushes or trees, while very few are cockily not trying to hide at all.
"Most of them have three rings…"
Mages remained stationary, unlike swordsmen, making them easy targets to eliminate.
I began to remember the exact words that Nila said to me eight years ago.
"Killing is sometimes needed in this world. To eliminate the threats. To eliminate those who commit wrongdoings. But it is also something that can be avoided if necessary."
I am not naive to think of sparing these people who wish to kill us.
As multitudes of insignia unnoticed by the magicians began appearing over their bodies, especially around their hearts, I began to have this heavy thought.
Killing can be avoided under most circumstances.
"... But this is not one of them."
I quickly opened my shimmering eyes, and clenched my hand hard. In response, all the insignias activated. All the magicians in the vicinity were simultaneously impaled by a spike of ice all over their bodies and hearts. None of them had any time to react to the surprise attack, and were all killed instantly.
Upon confirming the death of them all, I carefully looked down at the ground. Instinctively, I covered my gasped mouth while my eyes widened hysterically. My vision is blurry, and it's getting hard to breathe.
"I-I killed them…!"
I never actually thought that I would have to kill anyone in this world. The amount that I just killed right now... am I no different to a murderer?
I looked at my hand; they continued to shake intensely...
I forced my teary eyes shut, daring not to look at my stained hand. After finally taking a deep breath, I clenched my shirt, and gained the courage to finally open my eyes with determination.
This is not the time to feel remorseful. The lives of those I care about are in the line right now. I cannot be swayed!
With that, I quickly turned to August—hoping to myself that he is safe.
But the scene in front of me made me freeze in place. Multitudes of slashed bodies laid around him. Once he felt a trickle of the splattered blood rolling down his face, he gazed at it from the corner of his eyes before wiping it off with no remorse. He dangled the sword on his right hand before swinging it once, removing the excess blood layering on it.
His emotionless eyes continued to look ahead without a single thought in mind.
Hesitantly, I began walking towards him. Once I got close to him, he quickly turned around and, with the same emotionless eyes, glared at me before pointing his sword to my heart—forcing me to stop amidst my track.
He... probably thought I was another enemy.
Once he finally saw who I was, his emotionless eyes widened with pure shock before he pulled back his sword back, and looked away with utter shame.
"S-Sorry, I thought you were an enemy..."
For some reason, just hearing his voice made me feel so calm. As my tense body began to relax, gently shook my head and smiled.
"No worries."
I then inspected the surrounding area. There seems to be no other sign of life—other than us. Feeling slightly relieved, I gazed back at August, who was still wearing a shamed expression.
"I'm guessing you took care of all the swordsmen by yourself. I took care of the magicians, so we successfully eliminated the current threats."
He tilted his head with slight confusion before looking around the area.
"Ah... I was wondering why the magic suddenly stopped." He looked back at me, and finally showed me a simple smile before gently placing his unstained hand on my cheek. "... Are you feeling alright?"
I looked deeply into his eyes. Despite wearing a smile, his eyes showed a hint of worry for my well being.
The shock from committing murder still hasn't subsided.
Not hearing any response, August gently began stroking the corner of my ear—making my body slightly flinch in response. The shock from earlier made my body temperature drop, but the feeling of his warm hand spreading across my face slowly washed that shock away.
For some reason, I can't help but feel at ease. I stroked my face against his palm, and gently stroked his fingers before smiling warmly at him.
"Your hand feels so warm..."
The moment I uttered those words, August's face turned beet-red.
I slightly perked up, feeling his hand getting even warmer. "Hmm...? Your hand feels warmer."
August covered his mouth, and gazed away from me—trying so hard to hide his current expression. Nevertheless, I began to enjoy the warmth of his hand spreading across my face and body. For some reason, his other hand and eyes were quivering nervously, but the rest of his body remained steady—as if not trying to disturb.
Noting how uncomfortable he was looking, I quickly backed away, and fiddled my thumbs together—still remembering the vivid warmth of his hand.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to stay like that. You must've felt uncomfortable..."
Still looking away, August quickly shook his head. "I-It's fine! If it helped you calm down, then I don't mind staying like that..."
I let out a small laugh.
"Thank you." I stayed silent for a moment before looking sadly at the ground. "I just feel..." I stopped, hesitating to even say the word. "I just never thought about the idea of taking someone's life before..."
Hearing my sad tone, August finally faced me. He gazed at my saddened face, and bitterly bit his lips—as if unsure of what to do at this moment. A sudden thought then crossed his mind. He reached for my hand, and intimately interlocked his finger with mine.
"I see... I know that feeling all too well." He slowly looked up at the moon. "Being forced to take a life because you want to protect those around you, or to protect yourself from danger, even if you're not ready..."
He exhaled at the last words. After letting the moonlight engulf him for a few more seconds, August finally smiled, and gazed back at me with his sapphire eyes.
"It must've been hard for you..." He then brought me close to his body, and wrapped his arms around me. "Whenever you are feeling down, know that I am here for you. Even if it's for something small, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I will make sure to bring you back into spirit."
Those comforting words... I couldn't help but smile back.
Every time I'm with August, my lips curve so far up, and I can't help but smile more than I usually do. I wonder why.
Why do I smile more when I'm with August?
I wish to know…
Without hesitation, I hugged him back, and closed my eyes—letting the fleeting silence consume us at this very moment. After that, I gently broke free from the hug, worrying about the present situation.
"T-That reminds me, we need to check in on Nilo to see if he's alright."
"True. Judging by the amount of mana the chancellor possesses, he's probably in his fifth ring. He shouldn't pose much of a threat to Sir Nilo. But we should still head to him just in case."
He then looked in the direction where the trees were smashed and torn down from the kick that Nilo did earlier. August awkwardly scratched his head as he stared at the completely destroyed scene in front of him.
After a moment of staring, a cold sweat ran down his face the more he looked at it. "... Just how much was he holding off against me?"
I let out a small laugh. August turned to me, and chuckled back before we started heading down the path.
As the two boys left, only awkward silence filled the space as the mage continued to cast his magic on the sick Empress. It was unintentional, but he couldn't help but overhear every word that the young boys said to each other.
An awkward sweat ran down the mage's face before he chuckled. "... I am glad that the Empress didn't hear any of what they said."
Shortly after he said those words, one of the Empress's fingers twitched.
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
In this new isolated and destroyed space, a loud chough echoed around, while the many trees damaged and lumbered were spread all across the cracked and dented ground. In the center of the spectacle, there was a huge dent where the old man was keeled over.
His face and body were covered in cuts and bruises. Blood oozed out from his abdomen from a fatal wound, and his sword laid in front of him, broken into many pitiful fragments.
Above all, Nilo stood in front of the old man; not a single smidge of dirt was found on his clothes or body...
The old man forcefully lifted his head to meet Nilo's eye. "Just how did I... get bested like this...?"
Nilo tilted his head with confusion. "Is that really a question?"
He then retracted his short sword, and placed it on his shoulder—tapping against it lightly as he contemplated the question seriously.
"Your sword's trajectory was easily predictable to guess. Judging from your slender frame and your rusty swordsmanship, you haven't honed your skills in a while. Furthermore..."
He crouched down, and gazed directly into the old man's eyes before yanking his face up. "You were just too weak."
"W-What…?!"
Nilo chuckled at the ugly expression the old man was making, and smacked his face away before standing back up.
"I've dealt with a lot of people like you: too overconfident, too simple, and way too absent minded." He then closed his eyes before cracking his neck. "It was just a bad match up. That's all."
The old man gritted his teeth. "B-Bad match up…!? Don't give me that crap! If I just have more power... I will definitely kill you with my own hands…!"
A huge wave of mana suddenly burst out from the old man, causing Nilo to get pushed back. The dust and dirt whirling in the air made it hard for Nilo to see what the old man was planning to do.
Using the dust as a screen smoke, the old man smirked to himself, and reached out for his pocket before grabbing a crystal black pill.
Nilo's eyes widened at the shining sight of it. He immediately threw countless daggers at the old men to stop him from taking the pill. But even after hitting his body, the old man continued to hold the pill in his hand before putting it in his mouth, and swallowing it.
The mana quietly subsided, and the old man stood there motionless. The old man raised his head, exposing his black eyes and black cracks spreading throughout his face and body. He finally stood up, but remained still.
Nilo drew both his short blade, and dashed towards the man. Once he got close to him, he intended to slice his neck.
This time, however, the old man was able to react to Nilo's speed. He blocked the attack with his bare hand before covering it with black flame. The flame slowly started consuming Nilo's blades.
Nilo's eyes widened at the sight, and instinctively let go of both blades. As they plopped to the ground, they continued to burn and burn until they completely melted.
A black, sinister aura began to cover the old men. He suddenly laughed out loud, as if he had already won, and covered his eyes before looking at Nilo.
"What are you going to without your weapons—"
But once again, Nilo appeared in front of him before doing a roundhouse kick near his neck. The old man quickly blocked the kick with his arm, but was still flung into a nearby tree.
Nilo smirked before he tapped his leg on the ground. "I still have my legs. They're pretty strong. Stronger than my blades if I say so myself."
"Tch." The old man stood up from the place he was thrown. He cracked his neck, and glared at Nilo before dashing towards him with his flame-covered hand stretched out.
Nilo swiftly dodged the hand, and kneed the old man's abdomen before kicking him up in the air once again.
The old man coughed out blood as he flowed up into the air. Once Nilo crouched down, the land began cracking around him before he jumped up to where the old man was at. The old men angrily glared at him once more before being struck right back at the ground.
As he violently crashed down on the ground, he coughed out a substantial amount of blood. But just before the old man was about to stand back up, Nilo landed on his back with significant impact—making him vomit even more blood as his back arched unnaturally beyond its limit.
With that, Nilo placed his feet on the old man's head, and crushed his skull down into the hard ground. "Like I said: my legs are much stronger than my blades."
But just as he was about to finish him off, the two boys appeared from the end of the destroyed path.
Upon hearing the breath of the children, Nilo quickly looked at them with panic. "Young Master, Your Highness, quickly leave! It's not safe—"
The old man glanced at the children. His eyes then widened with a sinister thought. He stretched out his hand, an arrow made of aura covered in black flames quickly formed.
"My real task was to eliminate His Highness. But I'll make sure to take at least one of them out!"
"Tsk!" Nilo quickly kicked the old man into a nearby tree, but the arrow began making its way towards the white-haired boy.
The white-haired boy gazed at the flaming arrow approaching him. He summoned forth a mana shield, but upon contact, the flames melted a hole on the shield.
"What?!"
How did the arrow melt through the mana shield?!
The arrow is close to piercing my heart. I don't have time to dodge now.
What can I do?! Should I use another type of magic to block it?!
Upon the countless thoughts filling my mind, I was suddenly pushed to the side by August. My eyes widened as I now saw the flaming arrow about to pierce his body.
"August!"
I tried to reach out my hand to him, but the arrow soon pierced his shoulder. August violently crashed down on the ground—gritting his teeth, and squeezing the injured area to prevent further blood-loss.
Without wasting a single moment, I quickly ran to his side, dismayed about what just happened.
"Young Master, please get His Highness to safety! It is not safe here!"
But even as Nilo yelled at me what to do, I couldn't comprehend.
Everything was ringing loudl—too loudly. It feels like I can't breathe, and my heart continues to pound over and over again. All the pumping blood coursed down my body, making my face pale as ice as I continued to look at August.
All of this it's because of my incompetence.
A trickle of tears ran down my face as I looked at him with utter guilt.
"... W-Why...? Why did you save me?!"
August slowly opened his eyes. Despite being in pain, he forced out a bright smile—as if to not make me even more worried.
"I-I just didn't want you getting hurt... that's all..."
My eyes widened as he uttered those words. My lungs felt like it was about to explode. My vision was blurring everything out—to the point where I couldn't see August anymore. I quickly placed my hand near my heart, trying my best to calm down.
"Oi, relax! You're hyperventilating! You cannot afford to pass out right now. If you do, that is an automatic death sentence!"
I heard Azar's voice echo through my head. But I couldn't comprehend what they just said.
I could only continue to cry.
I continued to blame myself.
"... Everything is my fault."
My existence itself just causes so many misfortunes. Because of me, my parents had to suffer. Because of me, my siblings couldn't receive something as simple as love. Because of me, so many people had to deal with my incompetence.
Because of me, August got hurt.
My entire body froze at that sudden thought.
"H-Hurt…"
As that single word continued to echo through my mind, everything turned silent. The area around me soon turned white. It felt like an eternity, but I slowly calmed down before gently rubbing my eyes.
As I looked around, I was no longer in the destroyed forest. I was no longer in the empty white space.
I was in South Korea...
For some reason, I was sitting on a park bench. Countless spring trees aligned across the paved pathway. Their green leaves flicked down in front of me. I stretched my hand towards one of them, and once they landed on my hand… I could vividly feel it.
"This isn't a dream…?
Ahead of me, I could hear the countless laughter of young children on the playground flowing through the wind—making me flinch. The smell of countless foods I never thought I would see again suddenly tinged my nose.
I quickly looked at my hand.
They're not Lysander's hand.
It's my original body hand.
"Brother, what's wrong?"
I froze.
"I-It can't be…"
I hesitantly turned at the seat next to me. Under the golden sunlight, I saw the familiar silky medium-length brown hair and eyes that I could never forget.
"Chun-Jan...!"
And sitting next to him was a girl with wavy fringe brown hair—long enough to reach her lower back. She had the same brown eyes and facial structure as Chun-Jan, as if twins. She leaned forward, and gazed worriedly at my pale face before whispering at Chun-jan if I looked okay.
"M-Minji…?"
Upon hearing my words, the girl flinched, and looked at me even more worriedly.
"Yes, brother?"
My eyes widened at the confirmation.
Chun-jan, Minji.
"W-Why—"
Why am I suddenly seeing you two?
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦
August continued to squeeze the injury on his shoulder, trying to prevent further blood loss. But despite the attempt, the injury continued to ooze out blood at a dangerous rate. He couldn't help but feel relieved, though, that such pain was not being done to the person he truly cares about.
"... Heal."
A white light soon enveloped his injury. Slowly, the injury began to close before completely healing. August slowly opened his eyes, and sat up—feeling slightly better. He gently moved his shoulder for any uncomfortable feeling that may have resided.
"It's all healed—"
"Don't move. Your wound is healed, but that doesn't mean that your condition has improved. You lost a lot of blood, so it's better if you simply stay put."
"That voice... It sounds like Lys."
August quickly glanced at the white-haired boy, who was sitting on his knees with a rather eerie smile. Without a second thought, August smiled warmly, just like he usually does whenever he's with him.
"Thank you, Lys—"
But he froze. The only thing he could do was to stare at the white-haired boy with utter shock. Yes, the white-haired boy looked the same as before, and was even wearing the same clothes, but… something just felt off about him.
Above all else, the aura behind the boy was completely different.
It was something revolting.
The new aura that surrounded the boy showed just how many victims he finished off with their own hands. It was a manifestation of sadistic desire—no, of pure evil! It was all black and red spikes. Just being near it made August inaudibly gasp with disgust.
But even then, the white-haired boy tilted his head with the same fake smile as before, ignoring the visible disgust in August's face.
"What's wrong, August?"
Even his voice is the same! Just what type of cruel villain would go on to possess the body of someone innocent like Lysander? With that though, August couldn't help but gritted his teeth, and squeeze his hand together before glaring at the being in front of him.
"... What did you do to Lys?"
The white-haired boy continued to wear his fake smile before slowly closing his eyes.
"Hmm..."
After a moment of eerie silence, he calmly opened his eyes, placed his index finger over his mouth, and smiled so sadistically.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you~"