Kingdom's Bloodline, page 501
*Whoosh!*
The sound of the axe being brandished continued to echo. But strangely, the battleaxe…
…disappeared.
Only the bewildered wind produced by the swinging of the axe was left. It swept past Tampa’s forehead and the hair over his forehead was blown upwards.
The tavern owner’s entire body trembled. It was only then that he subconsciously raised his hand to shield his eyes.
*Boom!*
The sound of the axe crashing into the wall rang out together with the sound of countless falling stone debris.
Zakriel scowled and looked at the other direction. There, Thales pressed against his chest and panted in extreme agony.
As for the battleaxe, it was stuck on the wall beside the prince, the hilt vibrating slightly.
“Run…” Thales stared at Tampa who was frozen in horror. The pain he felt after subconsciously using his mystic ability was so great that it was almost as if his chest was tearing open.
He lay face-down on the ground and uttered a few pained words at the hostages,
“Quick, run! Run… separately…”
On the other side, Quick Rope stared at the axe which vibrated continuously by itself, and then at Zakriel who was exuding a murderous aura. Quick Rope and Marina stared at each other, at a loss. A second later, Tampa snapped out of his daze.
“Lunatic…” He looked at Zakriel in anger and in shock. Tampa shot a glance at Thales. Then, he turned without hesitation and ran towards the darkness. “Hang in there, Wya, or whatever other name you have! I’ll go to the surface and find help! As for you, lunatic, die here!”
Tampa’s curses faded. Zakriel stared at Tampa’s retreating figure and froze for a good few seconds. He then asked Thales with furrowed eyebrows, “Why? As long as I kill him here…”
He did not continue… but Thales knew what he wanted to say.
‘As long as he is killed here… you will have less trouble if you manage to flee.’
Thales propped himself up with his longsword, dazed. He felt as if someone was cutting his chest open.
‘The price to pay for forcibly using mystic energy seems to be… very big.’
“There’s no reason.” He panted in agony. Every single breath he took was pure torture. Thales raised his head and arduously said, “I just… have had enough with you lot. From Stake, to Ricky, and then you… I’ve had enough with scum like you who frequently raise your blades and kill…”
Zakriel frowned. Thales turned and looked at the blood he shed everywhere while he lost control. He suppressed the discomfort in his heart as he thought of how the Disaster Swords enjoyed killing, and how coldly those from Shadow Shield treated killing.
Thales stood unsteadily. He trembled as he waved his hand, gesturing at Quick Rope to flee quickly. “You kill out of the slightest disagreement, the slightest offence, and contradicting aims. You kill because of a conflict of interest, for the sake of keeping a secret.” Thales let out a mocking sneer. “Including you, Zakriel, you kill for the sake of correcting a mistake.”
The Knight of Judgment’s expression became a little savage. The brand of criminals on his forehead became visible again.
“Kill, kill, kill, as if killing is the only way to solve a problem.” As he hissed in pain, Thales rubbed his chest desperately to alleviate the immense ache. He felt like he was going to collapse under the dual effect of the immense pain and resentment.
“It’s as though your whole life is an absurd play for the vampires. Only by resorting to violence, killing without hesitation and drawing blood can you obtain cheers and applause. You can only prove you are that stupid, dashing main character who kills without hesitation, and through this method, can only obtain more fame and a longer career lifespan under the vampires’ adoring gazes.”
Zakriel said nothing. He only clenched his fists.
Thales tried his best to suppress his pain and uttered falteringly, “Don’t you know that stripping other people of their lives and killing those of your own kind is a choice one only makes when they have no other alternative? It’s a heavy burden that is the hardest to let go of, and something people only choose as a last resort.
“Is this your most cowardly and irresponsible answer when faced with an ultimate dilemma you think you can’t solve? One where it would allow you to also shirk your duties the most? Is this the solution you come up with after you completely admit defeat to all the possibilities out there?”
Quick Rope did not leave. His gaze was profound as he stared at the Prince of Constellation. Marina originally seemed like she wanted to flee. But in the end, she stopped and stared at Thales dazedly.
She suddenly recalled that day…
That day, she shivered as she hid among the crowd a distance away from the stage where her grandfather, grandmother, father, and mother were… and her brother stared at the thick rope around his neck in despair.
Then, the messenger uttered the order…
…Marina shut her eyes.
Thales inhaled deeply and felt that the pain in his chest had alleviated a little. He slowly wiped off his sweat and said with a mournful smile, “Even the people who live in the desert know that Bloody Thorn Lizards eating their own kind is the most terrifying thing…”
At that moment, Zakriel seemed to remember something. Pain appeared on his face.
Thales sneered. “Those who take the initiative to choose this road despite not being forced into it by circumstance, and are unashamed of it, are probably failures and cowards.
“Because you are already at wit’s end with this society, and you find it too hard to cope with human relationships; because in this chess game called life, you are forced into a corner, and are already so defeated that you have no choice but to overturn the chessboard.”
Thales laboriously took a step forward. He raised his longsword and pointed it at his opponent. “Are you a coward, Zakriel?”
Zakriel inhaled deeply. Conflict appeared on his face, but he was calm again a few seconds later. This made Thales extremely wary.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness… but you must die here.” The Knight of Judgment’s voice quivered slightly. The moment he finished speaking…
*Thud!*
As Thales felt a shiver down his spine, he saw Zakriel instantly kick up a hand-and-a-half sword, grab it, and charge rapidly towards him. The prince roared and forced himself to endure the pain while he executed the Iron Body Style.
It seemed like he was about to engage in a hand-to-hand fight against Zakriel again…
…if no one interrupted the fight, of course.
*Clang!*
The sound of metal clashing against metal arose!
Thales saw a flash from the corner of his eyes. Quick Rope had appeared beside him and swung a claw hammer horizontally at the Knight of Judgment!
Zakriel only froze for a moment before he quickly flipped over his right hand, which kept the claw hammer at bay. At the same time, there was disdain towards Quick Rope in his heart.
‘Pretty good strength. He seems to have undergone training, too.’
He stared coldly at Quick Rope who had a ferocious expression and looked like he was using all his strength to stop Zakriel.
‘It’s just that he’s too stupid; to recklessly charge here at this angle… I only have to make a slight adjustment to… Huh?’
A moment ago, Quick Rope looked like he was facing death unflinchingly, but the next moment, Thales saw in astonishment that Quick Rope suddenly had his expression change and flung his left hand to throw… a handful of dust?
Thales was dumbstruck.
“Aaaaahhh!”
The Knight of Judgment’s head and face were covered in dust. He covered his eyes and roared furiously as he moved backwards, and waved the sword in his right hand back and forth. It was obvious that he was filled with resentment!
Thales only stared at Quick Rope dumbfoundely. The latter looked as if things had gone according to his plan, and Thales let Quick Rope pull him away.
‘Did you just throw… powdered lime? You obviously have stronger arms than others, and you use the claw hammer so well, but why do you have to…? Are you really a prince? Oh god, it looks so painful…’
Thales’ thoughts were cut off and he pressed his palm against his chest.
“Quick, quick, quick! We…” Quick Rope threw his hammer at the Knight of Judgment. He was so anxious that he did not bother to explain his actions, he half supported and half dragged Thales to escape.
Then, Zakriel’s sword appeared again, horizontal to their eyes.
“Using dust…” Zakriel put down his left hand, and Thales was surprised to see that his eyes were protected well by his left palm. There was no dust in them. However, the Knight of Judgment was no longer magnanimous and mournful like he was earlier. There was only hatred and fury left in him.
“This is what I played with when I was six!” The Knight of Judgment thrust his sword forward. He was filled with anger!
Thales gritted his teeth, pushed Quick Rope—who was unarmed for the sake of supporting him—away, and held his longsword…
But at that moment, the sound of wind echoed behind Zakriel!
*Clang!*
The Knight of Judgment turned and cut down a torch the flew towards him. Sparks flew everywhere. The heat made him scowl.
When they saw the person who helped them, Thales and Quick Rope were shocked.
It was Marina. The swordswoman in red glared at Zakriel with a hostile gaze as she held her twin swords.
“Listen up, Jadestar,” she said through gritted teeth. Her tone was pained and hesitant. “You saved me once…”
She picked up something and tossed it at Thales from afar. Thales caught it in a flurry and realized that it was his confiscated bag. Marina found it among the assassins’ corpses at some point.
“But now”—Marina watched Zakriel gravely and got into her attack stance—”I don’t owe you anything anymore!”
Thales had not registered what happened yet. He only stared dazedly at the bag in his bosom until Quick Rope pushed him.
“Quick, run for your life!”
The swordswoman shouted the last sentence. She did not stop moving; she leaned forward, her twin swords leaving afterimages behind them, and she moved quickly and continuously to attack the Knight of Judgment!
*Cling, cling, clang…!*
Within two seconds, she forced Zakriel and left him with no choice but to take a step back.
Thales and Quick Rope were about to flee, but when they saw this they became terrified. ‘She’s THIS good?’
But this stroke of fortune did not last long. The Knight of Judgment’s next strike seemed unconstrained and possessed no aim, but it accurately pierced Marina’s left hand among the afterimages of her twin swords.
Marina cried in pain and let go of the sword in her left hand.
Thales’ heart sank.
“After the ‘Heart of the Rain’ passed away, twin swords stopped being trendy.” The next moment, Zakriel stretched out his left hand and grabbed Marina’s right hand in a tight grip. He flung her last sword to the ground.
“I once had the good fortune of meeting her, and I wanted to challenge the Rainstorm Quick Sword Style which, according to legends, is able to break through all defenses.”
Marina clenched her teeth fiercely. She wanted to kick her opponent, but Zakriel neither moved nor dodged. He blocked her leg with his right elbow as if this was of no concern to him. Zakriel stared at the twin swords on the ground and clicked his tongue while he shook his head.
“Unfortunately, at that time, she was already so ill and so weak that she could not even lift a cup.”
Zakriel seized Marina’s neck and lifted the struggling swordswoman into the air! This made Thales anxious.
“Now!”
Next to Thales, Quick Rope was unaware of what was happening because he had not registered the situation in his head. But at that moment, ripples appeared in the air around them.
The next moment, a gray sword thrust forward mercilessly from the air.
*Riiiip!*
It went straight into Zakriel’s back!
“AAAAHHHH!”
While Zakriel roared in such a way that he could shake the earth and the heavens, Marina was pushed away. She fell beside Thales. Meanwhile, the Knight of Judgment quickly turned around and brandished his sword like a cheetah jumping in anger. However, he could only draw an arc in the air.
The gray sword disappeared, and only the bleeding wound on Zakriel’s back served as proof of its existence.
Then, a person showed up in front of the knight and kicked Zakriel’s chest firmly with his right leg!
*Thud!*
The Knight of Judgment cried out in pain. He was propelled backwards and fell to the ground in a disheveled manner. He landed on a pile of blood-stained debris, stirring up a huge cloud of dust.
Thales heaved a sigh of relief. He immediately extended his hand and helped the badly injured and weary Marina up. He flashed a smile at the figure who appeared.
“Aaaargh…”
Zakriel moaned softly in the dust. Thales did not know whether it was because he was enduring the pain or because he was furious.
“Hah…” The knight lay on the ground, rumpled, and said, “Is it because I have become old and fell behind?
“…Or is it because you became more powerful?”
A hoarse voice came from opposite him. The voice was downcast, and the reply was concise. “Maybe both.”
Zakriel let out a pained laugh. “So, all that talk about killing, and all this nonsense was to create an opportunity for you?” Zakriel exhaled. He seemed rather emotional. “What a great show of teamwork.”
He took two deep breaths, tightened all his muscles, and slowly sat up. He stared at the masked figure before his eyes.
“You should not have returned so early,” Zakriel said coldly.
Across from him was Yodel, who left just now but had returned. He shook off the blood on the Supreme Sword and said hoarsely, “I should not have let you out.”
The Knight of Judgment and the Masked Protector’s eyes met for a whole three seconds.
Zakriel laughed. “Why can’t you be a little smarter, lad?” The knight sighed and stood up. “Why couldn’t you return after he has died in a respectable manner?”
The wound on Zakriel’s back stopped bleeding. As he spoke, he looked towards the other side to stare at Thales who was not in a good situation. Zakriel narrowed his eyes.
Thales sneered at him, then nodded at Yodel. Yodel also shot a glance at the prince a distance away, and nodded slightly.
“I left him once.” The Masked Protected moved his gaze away. He moved his left leg forward, held his gray shortsword in a reversed grip, and was prepared to fight. His tone was extremely firm.
“…That was the last time.”
His figure slowly disappeared. His voice spread out like a ripple, and it resounded through the air faintly.
Zakriel stared as the dark purple mask disappeared. His gaze was dark. No one knew what he was thinking.
“For old times’ sake, I don’t want to hurt you, young Yodel. Don’t force me to.
Yodel’s short answer echoed in the air. “I feel the same.”
Zakriel pursed his lips. Thales smiled at he stared at spot where Yodel disappeared. ‘Yodel did not leave. Just like he said. He’s always here.’
Zakriel was quiet for a few seconds. “You didn’t ask me why I attacked.” Zakriel shot a glance at Thales. He then raised his head to look at his surroundings. He had a dejected expression. “So, you know it too, right? You knew all along.”
‘All along…’ There was no answer.
Quick Rope kept winking at Thales, signaling that they should leave soon. But Thales only held his chest and shook his head resolutely.
‘No. Wait a little longer. Just… a little longer.’
“But does King Kessel know?” The Knight of Judgment suddenly raised his voice. His tone was extremely cold. “Does Lord Hansen know? Does Master Veldanor know? Do the six guardian dukes know?… Does Constellation know?”
Yodel still did not speak. Zakriel picked up an axe and pointed it angrily at Thales.
“Do they know that the malicious flower from many years ago has already borne a malicious fruit?”
Thales felt a chill run down his spine. ‘Malicious flower. Malicious fruit.’
“What are you still waiting for?” Marina pushed Thales’ arm away and glared at him. “Why aren’t you leaving yet? Do you want to die?”
Thales still shook his head. His frown deepened, and he pressed his chest even harder with his palm.
‘A little longer… will be enough!’
“No, Sir.” Yodel’s hoarse and short reply echoed in the air. “The only malicious flower and malicious fruit here… is you.”
In the next moment, Zakriel roared furiously and started running again, charging towards Thales! Quick Rope and Marina were shocked!
Almost at the same time, Yodel’s figure appeared beside him!
“Go!” This was the shortest cue from the Masked Protector.
Thales clenched his teeth. Zakriel’s unstoppable figure drew closer to him right before his eyes, and Yodel’s gray shortsword shot forward rapidly.
Thales put down his hand, which was pressed against his chest a moment ago to quell the pain. He knew what he should do.
Then, Thales raised his arms without warning and moved them past Quick Rope and Marina’s neck, putting his arm around their shoulders as surprise appeared on their faces.
He closed his eyes.
‘Come. Choose.’
*Bang!*
Zakriel’s axe struck the ground. He even broke a floor tile, causing numerous stone debris to fly into the air. Yodel followed and pierced Zakriel’s left arm with his sword…
…but Zakriel already had no time to care about the Masked Protector who was both an old friend and an enemy. His eyes widened and he clenched his teeth.
At some point in time, the three people who were driven into a corner: Thales, Quick Rope, and Marina…
…had disappeared from his sight.
Chapter 436: Moriah Returns |
