'No!' Nathaniel shouted in his head. He was conscious, he could see and feel what was happening. Everything.
His body stood motionless as it stared callously towards the dead body lying in front of him. Nathaniel could feel how the warm blood trickled disgustingly from his face down to his neck. The same red substance dripping from the cold blade of the kitchen knife.
Ho would've known that a measly small and chipped kitchen would be able to slice easily through a human's neck as if cutting tofu. He was able to feel it. As he cut through that guard's neck, the strength and precision. It was his hands that claimed another person's life.
As if a testament to that. The mysterious text appeared on the air, it was displayed on top of the camp as if some holographic screen that featured the gruesome task.
[ Let Xael Kill his Pursuers - 2/20 ]
[Punishment is in Progress... ]
The other guards quickly regained their wits after being shocked from the scene they have witnessed. The ones who were near trembled in nervousness. The smooth cut Nathaniel did and the headless body on the ground struck fear deep into their minds.
One of their companions was originally resting inside the tent, and decided to go out and change shifts of patrolling with the others. He felt it was strange when he saw his other companions standing rigid as if they turned into a statue. All looking in the same direction.
"Hey what the hell is up with you guys? What are you all looking at?" Curious he turned his head.
There standing in the middle of the path was a boy, he was messy, with dirt and stains all over his clothes. There was dust on his boots. He stood there with his slender body, with his back against the peeking sun. With the illumination of the sun slowly rising in the horizon. Streaks of deep red appeared in latitude. It was chilling, staring into the guy's callous sky blue eyes as if staring in an endless void.
The blood dripping on his face and on the knife's blade was in harmony with the blood red sky behind him. It was like staring face to face with the god of death. The guard could feel his body shivering. Goosebumps appearing on his skin.
Step, step, step...
The thud of Nathaniel's boots could be heard. Each step he took was as if stepping into the guards hearts. Each of them could feel their body trembling. One of them even lost their grip to the cup they were holding due to their hands shaking very badly. The sound of the wood falling to the ground was very prominent in the silence.
And... Nathaniel stopped. They watched as the bloody boy turned his head and stared eye to eye with the guard who lost his cup. The guard in question held his breath. His heart is pounding loudly against his chest.
No one knew how it happened but with the gentle gust of the wind, the boy that was originally standing a few steps in front of them vanished. The only thing that they knew next was a thud could be heard. And there they saw an addition of another body on the ground.
The menacing red color bloomed from his chest. His eyes were still wide open from shock. "Kheuk..."
The man couldn't speak with blood gurgling out of his mouth. Spilling against his lips and unto the ground. He hasn't come to terms with how died before taking his last breath. His lifeless eyes staring into his comrades who was stunned watching him.
Nathaniel watched with the same callous eyes. Because of stabbing the man on the chest, including his blade, his hand where now also stained with fresh blood.
"Jo—Jonas..." No one knew who uttered his name. But it served as a wake up call for the others. They stared madly at the figure who stood quietly before their comrades dead body.
Metals clanging could be heard as they draw their swords. Each shouting with rage as they dived into battle with Nathaniel. Their scream completely woke up the other remaining people inside the tent who immediately drew their weapons the moment they saw the decapitated body along with Jonas who has a stab wound on his chest.
With practiced ease, Nathaniel fend off against the onsiege of blades aiming against him. His moves, mechanical and precise as he started attacking with just a small kitchen knife. Successfully claiming another three lives with it.
[ Let Xael Kill his Pursuers - 6/20 ]
[Punishment is in Progress... ]
The pursiers grew more enraged when they saw three of their comrades die before their eyes. With a battle cry they charged more furiously. Each slash and stab aiming with the intent to kill. Because he was besieged, it was a bit difficult to maneuver when battling with a lot of people at once. His body slowly obtained small cuts and wounds.
Nathaniel took a few steps backwards gaining a few distance before placing his index and middle finger against the broken blade of the kitchen knife. It wasn't known when the half of the knife's blade was chipped off.
His sky blue eyes glowed as the wind started blowing. His lips stained with blood started chanting whispers in the air. The guards could feel the temperature drop as they were fend off by the wind causing them to take a few steps back.
When the winds settled, the guards who were the nearest immediately ran towards Nathaniel with their blade, each one of them shouting to kill him.
Slash! Four bodies were blown consecutively backwards. Their bodies hit their companions who were behind them. Each four of them have a large gash of horizontal wound in their stomach.
"Terry! What the fuck!" One guard supported Terry who was bleeding to death with the large wound on his abdomen. The guard then stared at the figure standing in front of them. His eyes widened when he saw the kitchen knife on Nathaniel's hands.
Nathaniel stood there, his brown locks were waving lightly from the wind the was blowing from underneath his feet. The tips of his hair were glowing with a tinge of sky blue. The same intensity as his eyes. But what really caught his pursuers attention was the originally chipped kitchen knife on his hands. It was now covered with an aura of dim blue light forming a long sword.
"That's a fucking sword aura! Wait is that even considered a sword aura if what he's holding is a regular knife?" One exclaimed.
"That's impossible! This is wrong! That person clearly stated from the paper he provided that Xael doesn't know how to use magic! He's a well known defective product of the Laurhette family!" One of them shouted in disbelief. They clearly remembered the information of their target. Aside from the information they got from their employer, they also take it as part of their job on scouting and gathering information about him.
In the well known Laurhette family, it wasn't unknown to all that the only son of the famous house of Laurhette was a defective product. In contast to his relatives who has high affinity and control with magic. He hasn't displayed any magical talents at all ever since he's come to the academy!
"But he's using a sword aura now... How that fuck does that even happen? Sword aura is different from magic!"
It wasn't just magic that exists in this world. There are other countless form of powers existing alongside magic. Sword aura is one of them. If magic was known to be practiced by arch mages and wizards then Sword auras are wielded by Paladins, Knights, and Cavalries. Another would be the Holy light that is known to be inherited by the crelics and those who are affiliated with the church. Aside from that, there are many other more.
Regardless of their shock, Nathaniel took a step forward and started the initiative of attacking the stunned pursuers. Although they outnumber Nathaniel. The advantage was still on the lone boy as he wields his sword. The pursuers could barely gain the upper hand with their two mages at the back already exhausted from casting supporting skills.
[ Let Xael Kill his Pursuers - 6/20 ]
[ Let Xael Kill his Pursuers - 7/20 ]
[ Let Xael Kill his Pursuers - 8/20 ]
[ Let Xael Kill his Pursuers - 9/20 ]
[ Let Xael Kill his Pursuers - 10/20 ]
[ Let Xael Kill his Pursuers - 11/20 ]
[ Let Xael Kill his Pursuers - 12/20 ]
[Punishment is in Progress... ]
Their number slowly dwindled as they lost their life against Nathaniel's sowrd. One of their companions which was the mage at the back finally couldn't take it after witnessing his fellow mage die, so he stopped casting skills and ran towards the forest to escape.
"What the Hell! Lyria! Get back here you cowards— heuk! " He was shouting madly when he noticed their last mage ran away and flee into the forest. However his shouting was cut short when a dimly lit blue sword slashed open his throat causing the blood to splatter.
Without the supporting skills of their mage, their prowess visibly lowered making it much more easier for Nathaniel to kill them. He stabbed one in the abdomen, he decapitated the other, then he stabbed the next in his heart. Until it was down to three.
"Please please please! Don't kill me! I can provide you information!" The man lost his resolve as he knelt, all bloodied, he let go of his sword and grabbed Nathaniel's pants.
However what answered the man's plea was a cut from his sword. It was down to two now. It was swift and merciless as he claimed the other two people's lives.
[ Let Xael Kill his Pursuers - 19/20 ]
[Punishment is in Progress...]
Nathaniel's figure was the only one left standing. His whole body was covered with fresh blood. You can't see any part in his body that wasn't covered with the red warm liquid. He then turned his head and stared towards the direction where the girl ran off to.
"ꅤ℮ꀆꇩꋪꈚ℮ꍌꊛꋪꅤ" He chanted against the wind with his magnetic voice.
A thud could be heard as the girl fell in front of him. Her eyes widened as she grew disoriented from the shock of being transported out of nowhere.
"Eh? A—aaaaaaaah!" A shrill scream erupted from her when she felt something warm beneath her. It was the a dead body! What he touched was the man's damaged throat that was leaking with blood.
Hurriedly Lyria scrambled back until she was sitting on the ground. Tears streaming her face as she glanced at Nathaniel in fear.
"P-Please don't kill me! I can offer you anything! M-my body! I can give you my body, you can do anything you want with it!" Her body trembled with terror when she realized she was the only one left alive in this place. Her fingers shaking as she scrambled to take off her clothes. As the fabrics fell on the ground leaving her bare body on sight. Trembling against the cold morning air.
Her white body was riddled with marks. It could be seen that she was engaged in intense lovemaking just a few moments ago because the red marks was still prominent on her body.
Nathaniel just stared at her silently before taking a few steps forward. Lyria trembled as she closed her eyes, ready to feel the trouch of the man in front of her. However what she felt instead was the sudden pain on her chest.
"Eh?" She opened her eyes blankly as she felt warm blood trickling on her chest.
Silently, Nathaniel drew his sword back causing the blood to gush out more freely. He watched as Lyria fell on the ground.
[ Let Xael Kill his Pursuers - 20/20 ]
[Punishment has been successful]
"Hah..." Nathaniel blinked. His wide eyes glanced dumbly at the dead bodies laying on the ground.
The light blue hue fas faded from his hair bringing it back to the original brown color. At the same time his sword aura was gone and it returned to it's original appearance as the kitchen knife that was missing half of it's blade.
Nathaniel took a few steps back. His breathing grew heavy as he stared on his body hands with disbelief. He was conscious. He was aware.
"Kahk! Hah! —Argh!" He could feel the world spin as he was hyperventilating. He felt light headed.
Thud. His knelt down on the ground. The knife clanged as it fell on the ground. His bloodied hands gabbing his hair and pulling it tightly causing sever pain on his scalp.
"No no no! I did not! Aaaaaaagh!" Nathaniel shouted as moments flashed before his eyes. He remembered how he killed each one of them. He remembered the horror and fear as they stared at him. How some of them beg. And yet he still killed them!
It was like a nightmare that he couldn't wake up to! He could feel their blood dripping from his body. Even in the presence of silence he could feel as if he was going crazy!
He could hear them! Their shouts deafening against his ears! Some of them shouted with rage, some were begging, some were crying. He could feel invisible hands grabbing him and tearing him apart. Pulling him to the void below.
'I killed them! I actually killed someone! What hve I done!'
His body couldn't take it. The intense emotion and the fatigue and pain from wounds he sustained. He finally blacked out. As his vision darkened, he could still hear their voices, as if he was submerged in something warm. Their blood that was spilled because of him. He collapsed on the ground with his brows furrowed. His mouth keep muttering the words 'I did not' and 'I'm sorry' over and over again like a broken record.
THE SKY HAS BRIGHTENED completely. It was now mid noon with the sun hanging up in the sky. Along the path a luxurious white carriage could be seen treading it's way towards the forest.
It was escorted with four knights who are on horses and five mages who were following from behind. Inside the carriage was buff man wearing an expensive suit. His face was haggard and his stubbles was left unshaved. The man was very tired as if it spent lots of nights sleepless and worried.
"Sir we've arrived at the location!" One of the knights shouted. Causing the entourage to stop.
"However— it's hard to explain. You should see it for yourself Sir!" The Knights couldn't believe what they saw on the clearing.
The man inside the carriage furrowed his brows as he opened his tired eyes. A very similar sky blue eyes narrowed as he opened the door of the carriage. He went out and went towards the front where the knights are.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he saw the scen in front of him. In a place that seemed to be a camp of a group of people with tents and torches. The place was painted with blood. With lifeless bodies littered everywhere.
It was gruesome to say the least. As if a mad murderer was set on loose and massacred a group of many people. However having seen enough battles and grotesque scene in his life, the regained his composure as he turned towards the stunned mages.
"My boy, you said that you have detected my son here. Where is he now?"