Clap, clap, clap!
I looked up at the sound of clapping echoing in my ears, my vision tinged with red as I matched gazes with Ivan, who ca forward clapping.
"Huff...Huff..."
I took deep breaths to calm my trembling heart, ignoring the agonizing pain still running through my back from the knife.
"I am surprised, Azariah," Ivan comnted as I looked up.
"You took care of eight people on your own, even though they are only above average. It's still an achievent only a few can accomplish."
I just glared at him, refusing to reply.
"What happened to you?" He asked as he picked up my axe-hamr from the ground. "Where did the coward and whining Azariah, who hid behind his mother, go?"
"Huff...Huff.."
I still ignored him, focusing on my irregular heartbeat.
"Tell , Azariah." Placing the hamr below my chin, he asked, "How did you beco so strong?"
"T-The one t-that s-stabbed my b-back." Ignoring him, I looked at that guy with a knife.
My voice ca out ragged and fatigued, "W-what's your n-na?"
He looked at with confusion before looking at Ivan.
"Why do you ask?" Ivan asked, lifting my face with the hamr.
"Tell ." Ignoring him, I demanded looking at that guy.
"His na is Weston." Ivan replied in his stead,"Now answer my question."
"Weston, Weston." I mumbled his na a few tis, making sure I didn't forget about it later on.
"Azariah."
"Yeah bitch?" I replied, looking at Ivan.
"...What?" He asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"....you got a dick in your ear to wha—."
Baam!!
"Arghh... Cough...Cough.."
I coughed violently as he hit on the jaw with my hamr before I could complete my words.
"Cough..One."
Coughing I mumbled as I looked at him.
"Why are you counting?" He asked, placing the hamr under my chin.
"I need to return that...." I replied, giving him a smile and ignoring the pain in my jaw.
"Hahahaha." He laughed like an idiot, shaking his head in denial, "You are strong, but not strong enough to beat m—."
"Who said I would be the one to beat you?" I asked, grinning widely.
His smile sniffed and vanished as he glared at him, "You wouldn't dare, Azari—."
"Why not?" I asked him again, "Why would I not do it?"
"You think—."
"No, Ivan, you think! Think about getting beaten up by your crus—."
Baam!!
"Arghh... hahaha"
He once again hit , but I couldn't help but laugh.
Baam!!
"T-three."
Baam!!
F-four."
Baam!!
"F-five."
"What type of pest are you?" He asked, grabbing my hair.
Crrrreeeeeaaak!!
But before I could answer, the door opened forcefully, making him lose his grip as Ivan walked back.
"AZARIAH?!"
A sense of relief washed over as I heard Oliver's voice.
And before I could understand, the students who were holding down were pushed aside.
"Hey! Azariah!! Talk to !?" He shouted, holding carefully, making glare at him.
"I a-am not d-dead, fucker, stop s-shouting," I whispered softly as he let out a sigh of relief.
"What happened here?" And my muscles imdiately tensed up as I heard another familiar voice.
Slowly, I turned back as my gaze fell on her.
With her white hair tied down, she had a sword in her hand, while her white eyes looked at .
And....I saw in her eyes what I didn't want to see—concern.
"What are you doing here, Arianell?" Archie, walking towards her, asked.
"Have you gone mad, Jonathan? What did you do to him!?" She rebuked, glaring at Archie, clenching her fist.
"He threatened the empire!!"
"Do you have any proof?" Arianell asked back calmly.
"Are my words not proof themselves?" Archie asked, walking closer to her.
"Then I am saying that he didn't do anything like that," Arianell replied, glaring at him. "And we both know whose words have more value."
"You thin—."
"Do I need to remind you again who I am?" Interjecting, she asked.
Archie looked at her for a while with an unreadable expression before shaking his head and moving away, "Just rember what you are doing."
Without replying, Arianell looked at once again before she glanced at Oliver and asked, "Can you pick him up?"
"Y-yeah," Oliver replied before helping stand up.
"Argh.." Groaning, I stood up, my entire body agonizing with pain, as we walked out of the room.
"Hey! Hey! You can't just brush it off like nothing happened, princess!" Ivan, standing to the side, shouted, glaring at her.
But Aria completely ignored him as she led us out of the room.
"You know, princess!!" He shouted again, his frustration evident in his voice.
"My mother says you are just an unruly girl who does what she wants, and it looks like she is right about that."
Aria halted her steps as she looked back at him before replying, "Tell your mother her words hold no value in my eyes."
And once again, ignoring him, she continued to walk.
We followed her out of the room, and after walking a good distance away from them, I tapped on Oliver's shoulder.
"Put down," I requested, looking at him.
He nodded in reply before placing down, and Arianell also stopped in front of us.
"Why didn't you ask for help!?" He asked, glaring at .
"Soundproof," I whispered softly as I leaned against the wall with my right side.
Reaching his hand, he touched my jaw as he mumbled concernedly, "It's swollen."
"I can't feel it," I replied, shrugging my shoulders, but I winced imdiately as the knife was still pricked in my back.
"I will call the dic here."
"Hey! Don't—."
Ignoring my words, he dashed away, leaving alone with Arianell.
"Sigh..."
Sighing heavily, I looked at her as she walked close to before kneeling in front of and taking out her handkerchief.
"Argh.."
I winced a little as she jerked my left hand and started to cover my wound with the handkerchief.
"What are you doing here?" I asked as she still knelt, looking at .
"Ashlyn asked to look for you," she replied, and I nodded.
Ashlyn had been concerned about from the start anyway.
"I'm sorry, I can't do anything about what they did to yo—."
"It's fine, I know royal family and stuff," I interjected before she could apologize.
"What happened to you?" After hesitating for a while, she asked, lowering her head. "...What are you becoming, Azariah?"
"Aria—."
"...what's your problem?" She asked again, looking up and glaring at . "...just look at yourself."
I didn't reply but just looked at her; her eyes looked beautiful even when they held anger in them.
"I'm talking, Azariah!!" She shouted as I remained silent.
"...Then don't talk," I replied, looking away.
"And what's with this way of talking?" She asked as she shifted, dragging her body to co into my view. "Who do you think you are!?"
"Duchess Esray's son," I replied, making her glare intensify.
"...What are you doing with your life, Azariah?" She asked, and imdiately I felt my chest throbbing with pain. "You have your whole life ahead—."
"What do you know!?" I snapped back at her, my frustration bubbling over. "Huh? You know nothing!!"
Ignoring all the pain I was feeling, I kneeled right in front of her, my face inches away from hers. "Now you're going to tell how to live my life?"
"Stop it," she whispered softly, but I ignored her.
"When I first t you, you didn't even want to live... You were dead from the inside." Her glare intensified, but I still continued. "I was the one who thought you had to live!!"
"I was the one who took your hand when you were surrounded by darkness!! I was the on—."
[AZARIAH!!]
I imdiately snapped back as El shouted in my mind, and noticing my blunder, I looked at her...
She... was barely holding back her tears.
"Argh.." I winced again, ignoring the pain as I stood up, walking away from her.
[....Just because your pain is valid doesn't an your behavior is justified, Azariah.]
Then what do you want to do?
I am broken, El.
I hurt whoever tries to love !!
I can't make any of them happy.
[Then, for their own happiness, you decided to make them cry?]
'.....'
[Stop punishing yourself like that.]
'Then who should I punish?'
[Az—.]
'I don't want to talk about this, El, just stop.'
[Why?]
I just ignored him as I dragged my broken body to my dormitory room, and before long, I was standing in front of my room.
'Click.'
With a soft click, the door opened up as I walked inside.
And imdiately, I winced as I grabbed the hilt of the knife lodged in my back.
"Urgh.."
A groan left my mouth as I pulled the knife out.
"Neplh."
I imdiately froze the blood around my wound to stop the bleeding.
[Wait, AZARIA—.]
Da-thump, Da-thump.
"Urghh...."
My heart once again throbbed in pain, my knees buckling down, making fall, grabbing my chest tightly.
"Huff...Huff..."
My body started to heat up as I felt like I was burning from the inside.
It was bearable at first, but it continued to increase until my skin started to turn red.
"Arghh..."
But it didn't last long, as my vision started to blur and an unbearable cold started to consu my body.
My teeth clashed against each other as my temperature dropped, until my skin started to freeze.
I slowly lowered my body, looking around, only to notice that it wasn't just my body that was turning cold; the entire room was also frozen.
But then, the cold stopped suddenly, before my body started to burn again, along with my entire room.
'What is happening!!'
I shouted in my mind with the little reasoning that I had, and imdiately a red-colored status screen shot in front of my face.
=====================================
Resonance with Neplh is increasing.
Resonance with Muspelh is increasing.
=====================================
=====================================
The suppression of bloodlines is weakening.
The curse and mark of '???????' is weakening.
=====================================
"Uaahh."
I took a deep breath in sharply as I felt two gazes on .
One gaze felt gentle, while the other was filled with hatred...
I desperately tried to look around as the desire to kneel down and submit myself started to fill my mind.
It felt like I was being brainwashed...
I bit my tongue, trying to remain sane...
[They are watching you...]
'WHO?!'
[Gods....]
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