Time rewinds.
The ticking sound gradually faded away from my ears. My eyes opened, pierced by an excruciating pain.
It wasn’t as bad as dying, but it was still an unfamiliar agony. I steadied my harsh breathing and slowly lifted my head.
“Let’s first assess the situation.”
First, I needed to figure out the point I returned to.
I saw Evan cutting off the Emperor’s hands while his sword was wrapped in an orb of energy.
Behind him, Lily was trembling beside the old woman. When I turned my gaze, I noticed a golden magic circle forming again.
I couldn’t help but click my tongue at the sight.
Why now of all times?
The time that had been reversed was far shorter than expected. If only I had returned before the battle started, I could have responded with more ease.
Various thoughts filled my mind, but I shook my head to clear them.
There wasn’t time to complain further.
With repeated deep breaths, I quickly scanned the surroundings. A shadow appeared in the corner of my vision.
A dark-cloaked figure appeared suddenly out of the air, in a manner similar to Abel’s teleportation technique.
Had I not been paying close attention before the time reset, I might not have noticed it. This must be why my past self nearly fell prey to it.
For some reason, the methods used by them felt increasingly calculated.
Whoosh.
A man wearing a black mask launched himself at me with the sound of the wind.
I enacted a shield magic on my fist. A red magic circle enveloped my arm, instantly forming several layers of shields.
It was the same way I confronted them in the library. The foe, lacking any learning ability, allowed my attack to connect.
Bang!
Gurgling!
The man let out a sound as if he were losing his breath as he slammed into the wall. Shaking his body, he tried to rise immediately.
However, a blue sword slash came flying and cleanly severed the man’s neck. Soon after, Evan’s urgent voice was heard.
“Are you alright, miss?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
It was frustratingly simple to ward off the situation.
Evan stood in front of me and infused his sword with mana again. Golden magic circles began to form on the ground.
He clicked his tongue, taking in a deep breath.
Intruders began to arrive in a manner similar to instant teleportation. However, his sword didn’t miss a single one of them, cutting them down as they appeared—one by one.
Man after man fell.
The fight was nothing more than a one-sided massacre.
Their numbers were clearly fewer than before. Even if the Emperor’s hands were mass-production weapons, there was inevitably a limit to how many could be summoned.
Thud.
With the fall of the last one, Evan leaned on his sword, breathing heavily. He looked incredibly exhausted, though he said nothing.
It was natural, considering he had faced so many of them alone. Taking a heavy sigh, he mumbled.
“Who would have thought they would dare to attack here.”
I agreed.
Even I didn’t imagine they would intrude into this remote village.
He wiped the blood off his sword before sheathing it.
Clap, clap, clap.
The unexpected sound of clapping emerged.
This sound, so inappropriate for the situation, caused Evan to furrow his brow involuntarily.
The clapping grew closer. A man slowly entered through the door.
With a calm demeanor, the man entered the hut, continuing to clap.
His pale face, prominent dark circles, an unsettling aura, and golden eyes — it was the young man who had guided us to the village.
“… His eyes were golden?”
I wondered suddenly. The first time I saw him, he had black hair with blue eyes. Before my thoughts could continue, the youth spoke first.
“Remarkable. I didn’t expect you to repel that attack.”
Walking closer, he exuded an eerie chill with every step.
His earlier indifferent face had disappeared, replaced by an intimidating presence.
Even Evan tensed, gulping as he drew his sword. The man smirked and spoke.
“Are you trying to do something with that piece of metal?”
“Shut up!”
A blue orb of energy ignited. Despite its dimmed intensity compared to before, it remained fierce.
The fiery orb looked ready to tear him apart.
Yet, the man remained expressionless, his eyes fixed on Evan.
Clang!
A metallic sound resonated loudly.
The situation was highly unusual. Not only did he catch the sword with one hand, but not a single drop of blood fell.
The gold-colored magic circle drawn on his palm effortlessly blocked Evan’s blade. Still, Evan continued his attack without hesitation.
Clang!
Creeak..
The sword clashed against the magic circle, and sharp metallic noises echoed through the hut.
Somehow, this single palm-sized magic circle completely defended against Evan’s strikes.
“Strong… but soft.”
With those words, the man tightened his right fist.
In response, Evan clenched his teeth and swung his sword. A blue sword strike aimed to engulf the man but was halted by another magic circle that emerged halfway through.
“I’ll show you.”
Whoosh.
The sound of the wind whistled by my ear.
A streak of wind grazed my cheek. Simultaneously, the figure vanished from my view.
He had already reappeared behind Evan, throwing a punch. Evan hastily turned around to try and block it with his sword.
The punch shattered the blade effortlessly.
Bang!
A chilling roar echoed as Evan was sent flying to the wall. At the sight, both I and Lily froze.
It was the first time I had seen Evan defeated so helplessly. He was a knight among the strong, even if not quite as formidable as Abel.
And yet, he had been subdued in a single move.
“Got you?”
“Cough… cough…”
Evan struggled to rise, gripping his broken sword. Though his legs wobbled, he forced himself up with great effort.
The man smiled faintly at the sight.
“Quite loyal.”
“Stay away from the miss!”
A blue sword strike shot out and was simply blocked by the golden magic circle.
Yet Evan didn’t stop his attack. The man clicked his tongue and moved toward him.
Hrum…
With just a flick of his fingers, dozens of golden magic circles revealed themselves. A massive flow of mana gathered around him.
‘This is…’
A shiver ran down my spine.
A mana flow comparable to Abel’s. To control such an immense amount with just a flick of the fingers…
Bang!
Without a scream, Evan was struck. Evan finally collapsed in that spot.
Seeing him so powerless for the first time, a sense of despair began to rise within me.
“Jee…l!”
With a groan, Evan reached out toward the man’s legs.
“Remarkable spirit.”
He commented with apparent admiration.
“However, that’s all.”
With a single kick, Evan was sent flying to the wall. The man turned away, showing disinterest, before fixing his gaze on me.
He’s strong.
To block Evan’s attacks with just a magic circle, and to command such immense mana with just a gesture.
And to overwhelm Evan as if he were a child.
My arms began to tremble. Standing in front of Lily, I glared at him.
The familiar golden eyes. A power comparable to Abel’s.
Confronting him directly, I could no longer mistake his identity.
“Emperor…”
“Sharp.”
The Emperor chuckled, slowly approaching me.
Gone was the kindly demeanor I had seen during the Hunting Festival. All that remained here was a merciless predator.
Even the slightest moment of carelessness might cost me my head.
As this thought crossed my mind, my lips dried out.
“I must deal with that old woman first.”
“What?”
As the Emperor extended his hand, something around the old woman’s neck began to glow red.
Her complexion paled, and she collapsed onto the floor. The old woman broke into a cold sweat and spat out blood.
“Keh… cough…”
Gasping for breath, she fell to the ground.
Turning my head, I saw the Emperor’s indifferent face.
“Why did you kill the one who raised you?”
“Hmm? Is that a question for me?”
Nodding, I watched the Emperor smirk as he replied.
“Bold of you. Well, I can answer that much.”
He smoothed his chin briefly before continuing.
“It’s simple. She was an obstacle in my plan.”
She was killed simply because she was an obstacle.
At that moment, the princess’s words to me came to mind.
“Abel is planning to destroy the royal family.”
“It’s true. I’m also on Abel’s side.”
When I first heard the princess talk about Abel’s betrayal, my first thought was “Why?”
Why would Aria Princess, a member of the royal family, cooperate with such a plan?
But confronting the Emperor directly now, I started to understand the reason vaguely.
He killed the one who raised him simply because she was labeled an obstacle.
Do we need more reasons than that?
“Is that so?”
Amid the fear, anger crept in. The burning sensation in my chest made me take a deep breath.
The Emperor calmly watched me without taking any action. Did he think I would stand frozen out of fear?
If so, he was gravely mistaken.
Fwip.
“Hmm?”
I struck the blade hidden near my wrist.
The sharp blade pierced deep into the Emperor’s abdomen.
The very blade used by the Emperor’s hands in the library. A magic-ignoring artifact. It was precisely the blade the princess had handed over as a substitute.
When I looked up, I saw the bewildered face of the Emperor.
“This is the price of your negligence, Emperor.”
