I unsheathed my iron blade and took one last look at her peaceful, resting face. Then, raising my blade above her head, I prepared for a single, decisive strike to sever her neck
But the moment I brought the blade down, it was stopped steel clashed, and the sharp, resonant chime of impact rang out like a bell. Not just loud deafening loud enough to put the entire castle on high alert
Standing before me was a young man, likely in his mid-twenties, his silver sword crossed against mine
The loud toll of the bell reverberated through the walls, its shrill echo tightening the air around us i froze for a moment, my hand still suspended above the princess's head, the blade halted just an inch from her neck. Before me stood a young man, his silver sword gleaming in the dim light, a silent challenge in his stance. He appeared calm, but his eyes were razor-sharp watching me as if he already understood the full weight of the moment
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice cold, though a trace of surprise slipped through despite my effort to contain it
I hadn't expected anyone let alone someone arriving at the exact moment I chose to strike
He didn't answer right away. His sword remained poised, perfectly intercepting the path of my blade with unnerving precision His grip was steady, not overly strained controlled and experienced there was no denying it
And for the first time, it struck me between the two of us, I was the novice
"You were about to kill her," he asked, his voice smooth but laced with a simmering anger that barely hid beneath his composed exterior
"I can't let that happen ! "
A faint, amused smile tugged at my lips reflexive more than anything else "And why not?
"You don't understand," he replied, his eyes narrowing as he subtly shifted his stance. "I don't know the reason, but you're being driven by something else rage, hatred, a need to destroy what you refuse to comprehend "
I studied him in silence for a moment, letting the weightless judgment in his words pass through me. He's mistaken, I thought, but I dismissed the notion almost immediately. He wasn't the problem she wasn't the problem. The real threat was the castle the soldiers and knights who would soon descend like a swarm of flies
"I don't care about your opinions," I said coldly. "Survival is the only thing that matters and if you want to stop me, you'll have to do more than talk."
The young man didn't answer. Instead, his grip on the sword tightened and then he moved. A blur of silver carved through the air as he struck at my unguarded side. I reacted on instinct, twisting away just in time to avoid the edge of his blade. Even so, the sheer force behind the swing sent a jolt through my body, forcing me to adjust my stance
This wasn't some ordinary knight or castle guard. His movements were fluid, refined too precise to be untrained. He was someone who had spent years perfecting his craft someone who wasn't going to let me walk away without a proper fight.
A quick glance at the door confirmed what I already suspected. The noise outside was growing louder heavy boots, shouting Reinforcements were on the way
Time was running out.
"Jaipa," I muttered under my breath, hoping he could sense the danger and act without needing more
Without waiting for a response, I refocused. The battle before me was all that mattered. I channeled my Tai energy into my blade letting it surge through the metal like a current
The moment I did, his eyes widened for the first time, he looked stunned
"You can use… Asura?" he whispered
"Huh? What is that supposed to mean?"
Without waiting for an answer, I slammed my blade into his, sparks bursting from the impact. In response, he wrapped his own weapon in energy not Tai energy. I felt it the instant our blades met the realization struck hard to me
"So that's what you were muttering about… That energy."
I leapt back, letting my three beads fall to the ground with a soft metallic clatter. Without hesitation, I rushed forward again. Our blades collided several more times, but with each exchange, it became clear—he wasn't giving me a single opening. Every strike, every block was precise, intentional. Defensive mastery
Then came the wave of energy—fast and sudden. It erupted in front of my face like a pulse of light and force. If it hadn't been for my Square Technique, I'd be dead by now
"Impressive," I muttered, almost to myself but it wasn't enough
I raised my blade and charged, feinting low before swinging hard again our swords met but this time, he staggered
Not because my blade had cut him.
Because all three of my beads had struck his head in perfect unison one after another, on the exact same spot making a hole in his head
He hit the ground without a sound.
He was good too good he had reacted to the beads, even though they were the ones I'd barely noticed while fighting Rakta although it was because of I was the one who was handling them not rakta They struck from his blind spots, hidden in the chaos of our clash. But my timing had been perfect. Because of that, he couldn't dodge my blade, nor could he defend against the beads
I exhaled slowly, eyes fixed on his unconscious form
"Right now, I don't need to kill you," I said quietly "Or anyone else, except for that girl. Not out of guilt or mercy… but because killing you now would be a waste of precious blood but in the end it lead to your death "
With that, I turned toward the bed where the princess lay, still peacefully asleep
This time, there was no hesitation no pause In a single, decisive stroke, I brought my blade down clean and absolute her head separated from her body in an instant. A crimson spray erupted, painting my skin from head to toe my clothes soaked in it My blade dripping with blood on the floor
Ahaa did I dirty the floor... workers will curse me because of this...." scratching back of my head i jumped ahead not stepping on the bloy
And just like thatbshe was gone the for a moment, I froze a flicker of something stirred the ancient cave. The countless fallen bodies. Their empty stares. Their silent screams. The memory hit me all at once sharp and vivid
A sudden pain pierced my skull
I staggered slightly, clutching my head as the sharpness threatened to tear through me but within seconds, it vanished… as quickly as it had come. Like life draining from the dead
"What was that…" I muttered, blood trickling down my face. I pushed my hair back, tying it behind my head with one swift motion. My fingers touched the spot where the pain had struck me just now my forehead and then I felt it
"…Horns?"
Two small, sharp protrusions had begun to emerge from my skin
I had sprouted horns.....