Sesillian smirked, gloating with a twisted satisfaction as he taunted, "How about this, huh?! I have so many knights under my control that I practically have my own army! They’re loyal, strong, and will do anything to protect —even if it ans being killed. They’ll keep coming at you, over and over. And as long as you don’t kill any of them, I’ll never die!"
The knights had resilience and skill with their weapons; they wouldn’t be knights otherwise. What he said wasn’t wrong—without stopping them, I’d never get to him. But they chose this life, knowing full well that death was a risk. I didn’t want to kill them, but maybe taking a limb or two could snap them out of this brainwashing. Limbs could always be regrown with the right healing magic.
With a swift, sweeping strike of my mana sword, I severed the legs of the knights in a single arc, the blade humming with energy. Blood splattered across the ground as each one of them collapsed, screaming as their legs were sliced clean through at the thigh.
Sesillian’s eyes widened with a mix of disbelief and horror. "You… you’re heartless," he whispered, looking at as if I was the monster.
I t his gaze coolly. "Throw whatever you want at . It won’t work."
"Oh, is that right?" he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery as his eyes glinted with madness. "Then how about
this?!
"
With a flick of his hand, every person nearby lurched toward , their eyes vacant, bodies jerking as if they were puppets yanked on strings. They lunged at , and I moved swiftly, knocking them out with precise martial arts moves, hitting pressure points that sent them into unconsciousness. But there were so many, and I couldn’t avoid all of them. When necessary, I drove my fist hard enough to knock them out cold.
Sesillian’s laugh echoed around us. "You’ll never get to this way! This will be endless! An infinite battle for you. You’ll just keep knocking them out, only for them to rise and co at you again. Kill them! You’re heartless, aren’t you? If you could be so ruthless as to slice off knights’ limbs, why not go all the way?!"
His taunting grated on my nerves, but I kept my focus. I couldn’t even get close to him with these waves of bodies piling up around , attacking relentlessly like swarming bees, giving no mont’s reprieve.
"Oh? I have an idea," Sesillian drawled, his eyes gleaming with wicked intent. He raised his hand, and suddenly, several controlled people started throwing fireballs toward the area, each blazing with deadly heat.
"What?!" My heart raced as I realized the imminent danger. If those fireballs hit, everyone around would be engulfed. Reacting quickly, I extended a large do of Guardian energy, shielding the innocent people around from the fireballs, each one colliding with the do in bursts of fla.
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Sesillian laughed maniacally, clutching his stomach. "Oh, I see it now!" he howled. "You’re too soft to let them die! Amazing! If we weren’t enemies, I’d love you for that—hell, I’d fuck you with every bit of my strength! But alas, you’re a thorn in my side, a nuisance that has to be removed!"
The way he controlled so many people so skillfully, like so twisted puppet master, was beyond anything I’d anticipated. I’d underestimated him, and the situation was spiraling.
He sneered, his voice low and mocking. "So, what are you going to do when I do
this
?"
With another wave of his hand, several people, their hands trembling, raised their own swords and pressed the edges against their throats.
"Shit!"
Before I could react, a sickening chorus of slashes filled the air as those people, under Sesillian’s control, slit their own throats.
I summoned a spell, a wide-reaching, radiant glow spreading through the area as I channeled healing energy in a large radius around , honing in on the wounded. The magic quickly closed the gashes on the throats of those injured before their blood could fully spill out. I didn’t know how much this would do for them, but it would at least stop them from dying.
Now I had to keep my attention not just on myself but on everything happening around . This was far beyond what I’d bargained for.
If these people were corrupt scum, it would be simpler; I could take them down without a second thought. But most here were innocent. Sure, there were likely so scumbags mixed in, but who was I to judge who deserved to live? A massacre wasn’t an option—I couldn’t stoop to Sesillian’s level. But with wave after wave of people coming at , it seed impossible to reach him.
"Is this really all you’ve got?!" Sesillian sneered, his laughter shrill and grating. "Jas Moriarty warned about you, but look at you—nothing! You can’t even get close to unless you’re willing to kill them!"
The constant swarm was wearing on my patience. They were like a relentless swarm of flies.
"Luckily for ," I smirked, "I’ve got a little help on the way."
Suddenly, vines erupted from the ground, winding around everyone in my vicinity. The thick, twisted tendrils slithered like serpents, wrapping around the crowd and rooting them in place.
"What the…?" Sesillian gaped, caught off guard.
"If you’re going to use people, then I’ll use my own allies." I stared him down as three Dryads appeared, their hands pressed firmly to the ground, channeling energy. The vines continued to snake around anyone nearby, binding them tightly so they couldn’t move. Of course, the vines didn’t capture everyone; they had their limits, and each tendril cost the Dryads significant mana to sustain. But they’d taken out a large portion, leaving only a few able to fight. Behind the Dryads, the Shadows stood ready, prepared to engage anyone the vines hadn’t caught.
"Why are there Dryads with you…?" Sesillian’s voice was tinged with disbelief as he stared at the three figures.
"It’s all about strength and allies, Sesillian," I replied. "You have puppets to control; I have those I trust. Now then, shall we continue?"
And with that, the true battle between Leonamon and the Eclipse began.
***
Charlotte’s POV
I had no idea how long I’d been sitting there, just staring blankly at the sky. I didn’t think I’d blinked once. The The truth that had hit felt like a massive stone dropped from nowhere, crushing my thoughts and leaving in stunned silence. My head throbbed, the weight of realization bearing down as I pieced together what had just happened. The professor—soone I thought I adored—had lied, betrayed , even hated . He didn’t love , nor did he care for in the way I’d convinced myself he did. And, to top it all off, he was drawn to n. Strangely, though, while my head hurt, my heart was… quiet. Was it the betrayal itself that stung, rather than any real heartbreak?
Yet… as strange as it seed, my heart was calm, unnervingly so. I’d braced myself for the worst heartbreak, but what I felt was a serene emptiness. It made question the sincerity of my own feelings—had my love for Professor Sesillian been just as shallow as his pretense of love for ? I thought I’d been deeply in love, but now, faced with this revelation, I felt like my emotions had been built on nothing. Was my passion for him ever real? Why did the truth leave feeling this way?
"Oh, right… Leon saved , didn’t he?"
The man I had despised, the one who had done unforgivable things to , was the very person who saved from soone I thought I loved. The man I had loved had been prepared to sacrifice in so twisted ritual, and the man I hated had protected from it. And in that mont, sothing clicked, a clarity settling over like a slow dawn breaking after a long night.
I turned to look at Leon as he fought, my gaze lingering on him. My heartbeat quickened, the rhythm of it pressing against my chest. I brought my fist to my chest, feeling each pulse through my fingers. This feeling… I knew it. I’d felt it once before, but now, it wasn’t for the professor. It was… for Leon.
It stunned to think of it—how could I possibly feel this way for soone I had once despised? The warmth in my chest contradicted every mory I had of him, mories filled with anger, hurt, and sha. He’d humiliated , degraded in ways I thought I’d never forgive. And yet, knowing that once these "sessions" were over he’d completely sever his ties with —it shook more than the professor’s betrayal. It was as though I didn’t want him out of my life, even though I’d once longed to be free.
Now, watching him, I could no longer deny it.
I’d fallen for Leon.
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