[Vol. 7] Chapter 269: The Death of the Princess
"Rumble!!!"
A deafening roar, like thunder shaking the sky, came from outside the swirling, colorful vortex centered at the top of the [Tower of Origin].
Even the powerful fighters who were locked in a fierce battle with the gray giant felt it, and despite their struggle, they all instinctively looked up at the sky.
Although Sainz had been completely sealed off from the outside world by the [Origin Storm], the thunderous sound still managed to break through and echo inside.
Just from that alone, one could imagine how terrifying and powerful the force outside must be.
"What... exactly is happening out there?"
Xiluo quickly drank another bottle of high-quality healing potion. Using a fighting style that burned through supplies like endless fuel, he managed to ease the damage his body had taken from the intense battle.
Taking advantage of the moment when the gray giant also seemed distracted by the overwhelming thunder, Xiluo quickly retreated and regrouped with the three Sword Saints’ disciples, all of whom were wounded. His face was heavy with concern.
Accepting another high-quality healing potion thrown over by the prince without hesitation, Elva the [Gale Wind Sword] downed it in one gulp, then shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Let’s not worry about all that. But really, the Sainz leadership is way too slow. If the reinforcements don't come soon, even if I can hold on, my precious sword is going to break apart..."
Looking a bit pale and clearly drained, Kiri the [Blunt Edge] shook her head and corrected him.
"You're wrong, senior. Haven't you noticed? Since the battle began, the gray mist flowing from all over the academy city towards this place has been steadily decreasing. By now, there’s only a little left around us.”
“This means that someone strong has been dealing with the source of these monsters, weakening their power. Otherwise, how could just the few of us manage to hold out this long?"
"Now that the outside has been cleared up, if I’m not wrong, support should arrive any—"
"Whoosh!!!"
Before she could finish her sentence, a blood-red flash shot over from the distance like lightning, stabbing straight into the distracted gray giant’s chest!
"Uwaaah!!!"
"Thud, thud, thud... BOOM!!!"
Even though its body could normally shift freely between solid and ghost-like states, something that had made several legendary swordmasters complain bitterly and unable to deal with it, the blood-red strike pierced straight into it, smashing it backward with huge force.
The gray giant let out a painful roar and crashed hard into the ground, shaking the earth with a loud boom.
Everyone quickly turned their heads toward the source of the attack. There, they saw a young girl flying through the air, wearing an elegant noble dress.
She looked like she was only twelve or thirteen years old, but there was something very mature about her presence. Her dark red hair fluttered wildly in the strong wind, and the overwhelming aura of a high-ranking being radiated from her without any attempt to hide it.
Even Prince Xiluo, who was usually calm and unreadable, couldn’t help but brighten up when he saw her. A look of relief and joy appeared on his face, and he even shouted out loud.
"Headmaster Lucine! You're here just in time—"
The little princess nodded toward him and the others. She was just about to fly over to their side when suddenly, her expression changed dramatically. Without any warning, she turned her head sharply and shouted in alarm.
"Timos Young! How dare you!!!"
But it was already too late. Maybe the enemy had been waiting patiently for this very moment, choosing the exact time when reinforcements arrived and everyone naturally let down their guard.
Even though the vampire princess, strong enough to easily crush the weakened gray giant, had just appeared, she had been distracted by the main threat. And the distance between them was still too far.
So, she didn’t make it in time to stop the final killing move, the deadly ambush that had been hidden until now.
"Slash~"
"......!"
The sharp sound of flesh being pierced echoed quietly from an unnoticed corner of the ruins. The girl who had been carefully hiding and watching the battle from the sidelines, Carinvega Frederick, was now suddenly at the center of everyone's attention.
She slowly lowered her head in shock. In her eyes, she saw a white-gloved hand, now stained red with blood after stabbing through a heart. A soft, confused whisper slipped from her lips. "Why...?"
"Little sister?!"
"Your Highness!!!!!"
"Bang!"
The gemstone necklace hanging from the princess’s neck suddenly shattered into pieces and scattered through the air.
It was one of her most treasured items. A powerful artifact that could automatically block attacks until its stored energy was used up.
This was a true magical treasure, something Carinvega had gained during an important past "main story event."
It was her main source of protection, allowing her to safely appear even in very dangerous places, and it had saved her life more than once.
But even such a powerful item couldn’t stop the assassin’s deadly strike through her chest. The necklace itself was completely destroyed under an even stronger force.
Without a doubt, the enemy was incredibly strong and had clearly planned and prepared this assassination carefully, targeting the [Empire’s Two-Colored Lotus].
"Cough...ugh...!"
The blood-soaked hand was pulled back coldly. The princess’s heart had been pierced so precisely that blood poured from her mouth.
After the shock faded, a wave of terrible pain and weakness crashed over her. Carinvega Frederick slowly collapsed toward the ground.
"Timos Young!!!!"
A shadow of blood flashed across the battlefield with the Headmaster’s furious roar. But the assassin who attacked the princess had clearly expected retaliation.
With a flick of his cloak, he turned into a flock of white doves and dodged Lucine’s furious strike. The doves flew high into the sky, and at the same time, the mocking voice of the "Immortal Magician" echoed through the air with chilling clarity.
"Hahaha~ Don't be so angry, Your Highness! I'm just doing the job my client paid me for. Whether it's the prince or the princess, it didn’t matter. The mission was simply for one of them to die in Sainz. That’s what the client wanted, so if you're angry, you should blame—"
"BOOM!!!!!!"
A wild gray beam of energy swept across like a huge wave, instantly destroying every single white dove that Timos Young had created. His voice was cut off halfway through his mocking speech.
The attack had come from the giant that had just been knocked down by Lucine. It seemed the giant had finally noticed Carinvega’s presence.
The moment it saw her attacked, something deep inside it seemed to explode. The gray mist making up its body started swirling madly, inflating like a balloon ready to burst!
"Ahhh... Your Highness, Your Highness... Why? Why is this happening?!!!!"
"[Nightmare]! How dare you! How dare you!!! Liar! I’ll kill you! Get out of my body ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!"
"Hey, hey! Calm down! This wasn’t part of the plan! Timos Young, what are you doing?! Why did you suddenly attack that woman?! Are you crazy?!"