Episode 243: Blanca Roche (2)
A series of slashes tore through her shoulder, chest, upper abdomen, and side.
The blade cut through muscle and reached bone. She could vividly feel the breastplate protecting her torso being sliced apart.
All strength drained from her body. Her legs could no longer support her, and before she could muster any endurance, her knees hit the ground.
Blood gushed from the gaping wounds. The bleeding was severe. If she weren’t a master class, she would have died already.
When did this happen?
Blanca’s mind was a whirl of confusion.
She hadn’t even seen Damian Haxen move, let alone swing his sword.
“That was a bit shallow,” Damian remarked, flicking the blood off his blade.
Blanca looked up at him with eyes shadowed by the specter of death.
“This time, I’ll make sure it’s over,” Damian said, raising his sword. The weapon, once called a holy sword, now looked like the scythe of the Grim Reaper.
Standing at death’s door, a flood of thoughts overwhelmed her.
What would happen if I die? What would people say about me? How would the Roche family be criticized?
And Gael, my son—what would become of him?
Could he overcome his illness? Would Slah help him? Would he search for me?
Could he accept that his mother is gone? Could he survive in this world alone?
At the thought of her son, a flicker of strength surged through her dying body.
I can’t die like this. I can’t leave that poor child alone.
But escaping from Damian Haxen was impossible for Blanca at that moment.
Then, suddenly—
“What on earth is going on here?!”
A booming voice echoed from afar. Blanca turned her eyes toward the sound. The headmaster and several teachers were rushing over.
“Fighting to the death at the academy! Have you both lost your minds?!”
The headmaster was furious, unleashing a powerful aura.
As a grand mage, the headmaster’s presence was formidable.
Seeing the headmaster, something clicked in Blanca’s mind.
“Help me!” she cried, pointing at Damian Haxen. “This man attacked me out of nowhere! If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead!”
The headmaster and teachers looked between the two of them.
Blanca Roche, who had long protected the academy, and Damian Haxen, who had suddenly appeared.
It was obvious whose words the headmaster and teachers would believe.
“You scoundrel! You’ve finally done it!”
“Step away from Sir Roche immediately!”
The headmaster and teachers shouted at Damian. He frowned and tried to speak.
“Calm down and listen to me—”
“There’s no use in excuses!”
The headmaster cast a spell. Light gathered in the air and shot toward Damian Haxen.
Damian raised his sword to block the beam, which pushed him back. This allowed Blanca to distance herself from him.
“Subdue Damian Haxen at once!” the headmaster commanded, and the teachers surrounded Damian.
Meanwhile, Blanca Roche hurriedly fled the scene.
Damian sighed as he looked at the teachers encircling him.
“Headmaster, you’ll regret this later.”
“No, you’ll be the one regretting! What are you waiting for? Subdue him!”
The teachers’ eyes sharpened, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Most of the teachers were master class fighters.
Though they were no match for Damian, their positions complicated matters.
Academy teachers were highly respected by the empire’s citizens.
They had forsaken personal gain to nurture the empire’s talents at the academy.
If Damian harmed or killed them, he would face severe backlash.
Then, Damian remembered something he had stored in a subspace.
He immediately opened it and retrieved a sword.
When Damian raised the sword high, the teachers recoiled in shock.
“Isn’t that His Majesty’s sword?!”
“How did Damian Haxen get that…?!”
Holding the sword aloft, Damian shouted at the teachers.
“I am here under His Majesty’s orders to capture a dark mage hiding in the academy! Anyone who stands in my way will be cut down by this sword!”
The teachers looked to the headmaster.
“No, this can’t be…”
The headmaster was too stunned to speak coherently.
If Damian’s words were true, the headmaster had defied a royal command. This couldn’t be overlooked.
“If you won’t step aside, I’ll cut you down with this sword!”
At Damian’s threat, the teachers hesitated and stepped back.
At that moment, an explosion erupted in the distance. A deafening roar accompanied by red flames shot into the sky.
“Damn it,” Damian muttered, turning toward the explosion.
The headmaster and teachers, left behind, could only watch Damian’s retreating figure like dogs chasing a chicken.
“What do we do now?” one teacher asked the headmaster, who buried his face in his hands.
Having escaped the scene, Blanca Roche frantically pulled potions from her subspace and drank them.
Some were dangerous, reducing her lifespan. But she had no time to worry about side effects.
Damian Haxen could pursue her at any moment. She needed to heal her wounds and regain her strength as quickly as possible.
Once her injuries were healed, Blanca’s first destination was her son’s hospital room.
Failing to capture Damian Haxen meant the situation would escalate. She had to flee with her son before that happened.
“Gael!” Blanca shouted urgently as she burst into the room.
“Well, well, why are you here?”
“Sir Blanca, there was quite a commotion outside. Did you fight Damian Haxen?”
But her son wasn’t alone. Two men were with him.
They wore the armor of the White Knights, yet showed no respect for Blanca.
“Why are you here…?”
“That’s our line~ Did you complete Slah’s orders?”
“Did you lose to Damian Haxen?”
Then Blanca saw Gael, held by the two men.
His eyes were rolled back, and his head was tilted back.
“What have you done to my son?!”
Seeing this, Blanca erupted in fury. One of the men, looking weary, replied.
“You foolish woman. Can’t you see it’s the opposite?”
“Sir Blanca, we’re saving your son.”
Blanca hesitated at their words.
“More like restarting him~.”
“Watch closely.”
One man injected a syringe into Gael’s arm.
Gael’s eyes, which had been rolled back, returned to normal. Strength returned to his drooping head.
“Wha—what?” Gael said, bewildered.
“Mother? What are you doing here at this hour? And who are these gentlemen?”
As her son regained his senses, relief washed over Blanca.
The two men addressed her.
“Did you know? This is a fake~.”
“Your real son died long ago.”
Blanca felt an indescribable unease. How could they say such things when her son was right there, alive?
“Your son wasn’t terminally ill. His special bloodline manifested too strongly.”
“Slah approached you to study that bloodline. Your son died during the research.”
Blanca’s unease grew. She glared at the men, ready to kill.
“Stop spouting nonsense. My son is alive and well—”
Suddenly, one of the men tore Gael’s head from his body.
“No!!”
Blanca screamed, lunging for Gael’s head. She caught it before it hit the ground.
“No, no… If I just reattach it quickly…”
“Mom…?”
Blanca froze. She slowly looked down.
“Mom, are you okay? Why are you crying?”
No one survives with their head torn off.
No one speaks without a body.
“Mo… Mom… Mom…”
Gael’s head repeated the same words, then began to melt. White bones appeared through the dissolving flesh.
“Mo… Mom…”
Gael’s head slowly fell silent. The life faded from his eyes.
Blanca turned to stone, not even a breath escaping her.
“Do you believe us now~?”
“That was a puppet Slah created. It had your son’s memories mixed in.”
“Nobody could tell it was fake~ Isn’t that fascinating~?”
Blanca slowly turned her head. In that brief moment, her eyes had become hollow, like a dried-up well.
“Ah…”
She cradled her son’s head in her arms.
“Ahh…”
She buried her face in the ground and screamed.
“Aaah… Aaah…”
In that instant, the air sizzled with heat. Flames erupted violently.
“Aaaagh!”
Blanca unleashed a torrent of crimson fire, and with a deafening explosion, the entire building was consumed in a fiery blaze.
“Sla! Sla! Slaaagh!”
Amidst the unending inferno, Blanca screamed in agony.
“I’ll kill you! Right now! I’ll tear you apart until there’s nothing left!”
Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to let go of her son’s head, which she held in her hands.
“You shouldn’t speak our master’s name so carelessly~.”
A man’s voice cut through the chaos, causing Blanca to freeze.
In the next moment, a black chain pierced through the flames and struck Blanca’s chest.
“Gah.”
Even as blood poured from her mouth, Blanca’s eyes remained fixed on the fire. Through the flames, she saw two men standing unharmed.
“How… how is this possible…”
The fiery power of the Roche family was supposed to be unbeatable. Especially now, when Blanca had pushed her magic to the brink, driven by rage.
“Thanks to your son~.”
“Why do you think Sla was so interested in your son? It’s because of your family’s unique bloodline.”
Blood continued to spill from her lips as Blanca asked weakly, “Then… the reason for kidnapping the children was…”
“Oh, it was quite beneficial. Thanks to you, we’ve secured a good number of special bloodlines.”
“Sla also wanted to express his gratitude.”
The man grinned as he yanked the chain, tearing through her heart and lungs.
Blanca Roche’s life ended there. Her lifeless body crumpled to the ground.
The head of Gael, which she had been holding, fell to the floor as well.
Perhaps it was the shock. The head, which seemed lifeless, suddenly activated.
“Mo… mother…”
Gael’s damaged eyes focused on Blanca.
“Mother… mother…”
With those final words, the head ceased functioning entirely.
“Shall we return to Sla now?”
Valentino suggested, turning away. But Acteur interrupted.
“Before that, it seems we have another guest to welcome.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden…”
A gust of wind brushed past Valentino’s ear, and soon, someone landed in front of them.
The moment Valentino saw the face, a delighted smile spread across his lips.
“Damian Haxen!”
But Damian Haxen wasn’t looking at Valentino at all. His gaze was fixed solely on the fallen Blanca Roche.
“So it was a fake after all.”
Only after muttering to himself did Damian turn his attention to Valentino and Acteur.
“Damian Haxen, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Do you remember this old man?”
“I’ve never seen such an ugly face in my life.”
“Ha ha, you’re still as amusing as ever.”
Valentino grabbed his head with both hands and twisted it with force.
Crack.
With a grotesque sound, Valentino’s head spun 180 degrees.
A normal person would have died instantly, but Valentino remained unfazed. He calmly returned his head to its original position, and his face began to change.
His features transformed into a gaunt visage, as if only skin clung to his bones.
“Valentino Michele, the Iron Pillar.”
Damian murmured softly.
“I thought you were turned to ashes after challenging the Mercenary King. Looks like Sla saved you just in time.”
“You still remember me~ This old man is flattered~.”
“Then the one next to you must be Sla’s favorite.”
“I’m Acteur. I was once known as the Knight of the High Wall.”
“Ah, I remember. You were a knight who guarded the imperial palace, weren’t you? Until you betrayed them for Sla.”
“A shameful past.”
Acteur replied politely.
“Sir Damian, why don’t you come with us? Sla is waiting for you.”
“You’re spouting nonsense.”
“You don’t understand what I’m saying. Sla is waiting for you. Do you not realize what an honor that is?”
Acteur’s face slowly broke into a smile, as if the mere thought filled him with joy.
“You’ll be embraced by the most beautiful woman in the world. Imagine how wonderful that would be…”
Acteur spoke, lost in reverie. Damian Haxen, however, showed no interest.
“Beautiful? I don’t see what’s so pretty about a hunk of meat.”
Acteur’s body stiffened at those words. He turned to Damian, asking, “What did you just say?”
“I called it a hunk of meat. Am I wrong? Sla lost her original body long ago. It’s just a big chunk of flesh holding a shape. Can you really call that beautiful?”
Crack.
Acteur gritted his teeth so hard it seemed they might shatter.
“You… there are things you can say and things you can’t… To call Sla… her beauty… a hunk of meat? How dare you… such nonsense…!”
“Acteur~? Maybe you should calm down a bit…”
Even Valentino was taken aback, trying to pacify Acteur. But Acteur’s fury had already crossed the line.
“You, you insolent fool…! I’ll kill you right now and offer you to Sla…!”
Acteur was on the verge of losing control to his rage. In his fury, he failed to notice.
Damian Haxen had drawn his sword and lowered his stance.
“Tri-Ring.”
Damian vanished. In the next instant, he appeared between Valentino and Acteur.
“Huh?”
“What?”
Damian Haxen swung his sword.
Once to the left, once to the right.
In a flash, the blade severed both their necks.