Chapter 243

Chapter 243

[Translator – Kie]

[Proofreader – Kawaii]

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Chapter 243: Blanca Roche (2)

***

A searing pain erupted from Blanca’s shoulder, coursing through her chest, upper abdomen, and flank.

The excruciating agony felt as if her muscles were being torn apart as if her very bones were being shattered.

She could vividly feel her ribcage, the protective shield of her torso, being sliced open.

All strength drained from her body. Her legs could no longer support her weight.

Without even a moment to gather her composure, her knees buckled and she collapsed to the ground.

Blood gushed forth from her gaping wound, an alarming crimson torrent staining the once pristine academy grounds.

The severity of the hemorrhage was undeniable. If this had not been Master Class, she would have been dead by now.

When Would It End?

Blanca’s mind was consumed by a whirlwind of questions. She had barely read Damien’s movements, let alone seen him swing his sword.

“A shallow cut.”

Damien remarked casually as he wiped the blood from his sword.

Blanca stared up at him, her eyes filled with the dread of impending death.

“This time, I’ll make sure to finish you off.”

Damien said and raised his sword. Though dawn was a holy sword but in Blanca’s eyes it took the shape of a reaper’s scythe

As she stood on the precipice of death, a myriad of thoughts flooded her mind.

What would happen to her if she died? How would people speak of her? What kind of scorn would the Roche family face?

And most importantly, what would become of her son, Gael?

Would he be able to overcome his illness? Would Sla continue his treatment? Would he ever come looking for her?

Would he be able to cope with the absence of his mother? Would he be able to navigate this world alone?

The moment she thought of her son, a surge of adrenaline coursed through her veins, rekindling a flicker of life within her dying body.

She couldn’t die now. She couldn’t leave that precious child alone.

But as it stood, Blanca had no means of escaping Damien’s clutches.

Just then, a booming voice pierced the air and shattered the silence of the academy grounds.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

Blanca’s eyes darted towards the source of the voice. The academy chancellor and several instructors were sprinting towards them.

“Engaging in a duel within the academy grounds! Have you both lost your minds?!”

The chancellor bellowed in fury, unleashing a torrent of mana.

As befitting Grand Mage, his power was formidable. The sheer force of his mana blast sent shivers down Blanca’s spine.

The sight of the chancellor sparked an idea in Blanca’s mind.

“Help me!”

Blanca cried out and she pointed towards Damien.

“This man suddenly attacked me! If you hadn’t arrived, I would have been killed!”

A wave of bewilderment washed over the chancellor and the instructors.

Their eyes flitted nervously between Blanca, a figure as solid and familiar as the academy itself, and Damien, the unsettling stranger who had inexplicably appeared in their midst.

It was clear as day who the chancellor and the instructors would believe.

“You insolent wretch! You dare commit such an act!”

“Step away from Lady Roche immediately!”

The chancellor and the instructors shouted at Damien. Damien calmly addressed them with an unfazed expression.

“Please, everyone, calm down and listen to my explanation...”

“No more excuses!”

The chancellor unleashed the spell. A beam of light materialized in mid-air and hurtled towards Damien.

Damien raised his sword and deflected the beam with its sword.

The impact sent him reeling backward, creating an opening for Blanca to escape his grasp.

“Apprehend Damien Haksen immediately!”

The chancellor’s command prompted the instructors to swarm around Damien. They surrounded him from all sides.

Blanca seized the opportunity and got up to her feet and hastily retreated from the scene.

***

Damien sighed as he looked at the instructors who surrounded him.

“Chancellor, you will regret this later.”

“You’re the one who will regret it! What are you doing? Why aren’t you all subduing him!”

The instructors’ eyes sharpened. It seemed as if they were waiting for an opportunity to pounce on Damien.

Most of the instructors were masters in their own right.

Compared to Damien, they were far from being his match, so it wouldn’t be difficult to defeat them.

The problem was their position.

The academy instructors were held in high esteem by the imperial citizens.

They had come to the academy, abandoning their personal advancement to nurture the empire’s talents.

If he were to kill or injure them, Damien would be on the receiving end of all the blame.

At that moment, Damien remembered the object he had stored in his subspace.

Damien immediately opened the subspace. He took out a sword from within.

As Damien raised the sword high, the instructors who had been charging in all recoiled in fear and stepped back.

“Th-that’s His Majesty’s sword, isn’t it!”

“How did Damien get his hands on that...!?”

Damien raised his sword and shouted at the instructors.

“I am here under His Majesty’s orders to capture the dark mage hiding in the academy! Anyone who stands in my way will be cut down with this sword!”

The instructors looked at the chancellor with their faces.

“Oh, no...”

Even the chancellor was so flustered that he couldn’t finish his sentence properly.

If Damien’s words were true, then the chancellor had disobeyed the emperor’s orders. This was something that could not be ignored.

“If you don’t get out of my way, I’ll cut your throats with this sword!”

As Damien threatened, the instructors hesitated and stepped back.

“Ugh.”

Blanca coughed up blood but continued to stare at the flames. She saw the two men standing there, unharmed.

“How... How is this possible...?”

No one can withstand the flames of the Roche family. Moreover, Blanca had strained her mana to the point of injuring herself out of sheer rage.

“It’s thanks to your son~.”

“Why do you think Sla studied your son? Because of your family’s special lineage.”

Blood kept pouring from her mouth. In a weak voice, Blanca asked.

“Then... the reason for kidnapping the children was...”

“Ah, thanks to you, we were able to secure quite a few special lineages.”

“Sla also asked me to convey his thanks.”

The man grinned and yanked the chain. As it was pulled out, her heart and lungs were shredded.

Blanca died on the spot. Her lifeless body crumpled to the ground.

The head of Gael, which she had been holding, also fell on the floor.

Due to the impact, the head, which seemed to have stopped, began to move again.

“Huh... huh...”

Gael’s damaged eyes looked at Blanca.

“Mother... Mother...”

With those words, the head finally ceased functioning completely.

***

“Shall we return to Sla now?”

Valentino asked the man beside him. Then Aktur spoke up.

“Before that, it seems we have one more guest to welcome.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden...?”

Valentino heard the sound of the wind by his ear. Soon, someone landed in front of the two of them.

The moment he saw the face, a smile of delight spread across Valentino’s lips.

“Damien Haksen!”

However, Damien wasn’t looking at Valentino at all. His gaze was fixed solely on Blanca, whose body lay on the ground devoid of life.

“...So it was a fake after all.”

After muttering that, Damien finally looked at Valentino and Aktur.

“Damien Haksen, long time no see? Do you remember this old man?”

“I’ve never seen such an ugly face in my life.”

“Puhuhu, you’re still amusing.”

Valentino grabbed his head with both hands and twisted it.

Crack.

With a grotesque sound, Valentino’s head turned 180 degrees.

A normal person would have died at that angle, but Valentino did not.

Instead, he casually returned his head to its original position. Soon, his face began to change.

A face so gaunt that it looked like only skin was stretched over bones appeared.

“The Iron Spider, Valentino Michele.”

Damien muttered softly.

“I thought you’d been turned to ashes after challenging the Mercenary King. Looks like Sla saved you just in time.”

“You still remember this old man~ I’m embarrassed~.”

“Then the guy next to you must be Sla’s lackey too.”

“I’m Aktur. I was once known as the Knight of the High Wall.”

“Oh, I remember now. You were a knight who protected the Imperial Palace. Then you betrayed them and joined Sla.”

“A shameful past.”

Aktur spoke politely.

“Sir Damien, please come with us. Sla is waiting for you.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“You don’t understand my words at all. Sla is waiting for you. Do you not realize what an honor that is?”

As if just the thought made him happy, a smile slowly spread across Aktur’s face.

“You will be embraced by the most beautiful woman in this world. Imagine how wonderful that would be...”

Aktur spoke in ecstasy. Damien responded disinterestedly.

“Beautiful? I don’t see what’s so beautiful about a chunk of meat.”

Aktur’s body stiffened at those words. He turned his gaze to Damien and asked,

“What did you just say?”

“I called her a chunk of meat. It’s not wrong, is it? Sla lost her original body long ago. What remains is just a big piece of flesh vaguely holding a shape. How can that be beautiful?”

Crunch!

Aktur ground his teeth so hard it seemed they might break.

“You... There are things you can say and things you can’t... To call Sla... To call her beauty a chunk of meat? How dare you spew such... such nonsense...!”

“Aktur~? Maybe you should calm down a bit...”

Even Valentino, who was usually calm, tried to stop Aktur. But Aktur’s rage had already crossed the line.

“You... you disrespectful bastard...! Right now, I’ll... I’ll kill you and present you to Sla...!”

Aktur was on the verge of losing his mind with rage. In his fury, he failed to notice one crucial detail.

Damien had drawn his sword and lowered his stance slightly.

“Third Ring.”

Damien’s body disappeared. In the next instant, he reappeared between Valentino and Aktur.

“Huh?”

“What?”

Damien swung his sword.

Once to the left and once to the right.

The sword, flashing like a ray of light, severed the necks of both men.

***

[Translator – Kie]

[Proofreader – Kawaii]