29 Chapter 29: Trust and Treachery

As the dust settled, the Scorpion's menacing figure was revealed, its two stingers waving about in all directions, searching for the target it sought to destroy.

The ground trembled slightly, bearing the weight of the monster's furious movements. More dust and debris rose into the air, its eight huge legs digging into the stone and marble flooring below.

At this moment, the Scorpion-like creature's hideous mandibles parted, releasing an ear-piercing screech that echoed across the entire room. It was a guttural, alien screech brimming with hostility and bloodlust.

It seemed that this was one last trap prepared by Yue's captors to keep her from escaping her cell. If that were truly the case, it meant that Aziel could escape to safety on his own without having to fight.

"You're not scared, are you…?"

Suddenly, a deep, tranquil voice entered her ears, prompting her to look up at the individual who currently held her in his embrace. Her gaze immediately locked onto a pair of radiant pale golden eyes, receiving a calm stare that seemed to care nothing for the world around them.

Pondering over his sudden question for a moment, she shook her head in denial, refuting that notion. Just like him, nothing else mattered except for him, the one she held in her grasp at present.

Still, even after receiving her answer, his gaze never left hers.

"Then…how would you feel if I left you here and escaped…?"

Yue's heart instantly sank.

It was yet another absurd question, however, this time, she didn't have to think too deeply and responded without an ounce of hesitation.

"It's fine… You should leave without me."

She resigned herself.

Though she wouldn't have been genuinely happy with that outcome, from the bottom of her heart, she didn't want Aziel to be harmed or possibly killed. If it really came to that, she'd rather die.

"...I see. That's cool, I can't say I dislike that answer. But…let's get one thing straight…"

He moved around swiftly, the surroundings blurred in Yue's eyes as he dodged the Scorpion's rain of needles. Still, despite his high speed, he maneuvered with grace, allowing her to listen to his words without disruption.

"If I decided to save you…"

Leaping into the air, he instantly evaded the monster's wide spray of purple acid, but Yue never took her eyes off him. She could feel her once cold heart beginning to pound within her chest, hanging onto his every word with unwavering attention.

"Regardless of whatever fucked up circumstances…"

The vibrations of his voice, the warmth of his body, and the complete security of feeling safe in his arms—Yue was utterly entranced. It was as if there was something magical about his demeanor, his charming face bewitched her.

"Who's gonna stop me?"

She was spellbound.

The resolve and absolute certainty in his tone was overwhelming, causing her breath to quicken. This was why she decided to place her life in his hands, leaving everything up to him.

Whatever became of her was what she would accept, but Aziel, the man who saved her from captivity, wasn't someone who'd relinquish his options to anyone.

He…wasn't someone to be trifled with.

Yue unconsciously nestled her head against his chest, the tips of her ears flushed a rosy tint from the wide assortment of emotions she currently felt.

It was impossible to discern what it was exactly, but something about him just made people want to believe in everything he said. Yue couldn't understand, she didn't know why the pits of her stomach tingled in such a manner.

Why exactly was Aziel Nox so—

"Mn…!?"

Before she could finish that thought, the intrusion of something cold and hard entering her mouth snapped her out of her daze, bringing tears to her eyes. Liquid poured down her throat, prompting her to swallow on reflex.

Then, a cooling sensation quickly spread throughout her body, restoring a good bit of her energy and mana. It was, of course, Ambrosia.

Her dirty golden locks returned to their former luster, her pale skin glowed with long lost vitality, and her emaciated body healed just enough for her to exert a minor amount of strength.

Removing the pure white vial from her mouth, she looked back up at Aziel, her thoughts now completely clear. Though confusion still lingered in her gaze, patiently awaiting an explanation.

"Hang on a little tighter, I won't be responsible if you fall…"

Not needing to be told twice, Yue tightened her hold around his neck. Only a single one of his arms carried her from beneath, keeping her upright like a child would in their parents' arms.

Before she even realized it, they were already standing high up in mid-air, looking down at the huge Scorpion monster from overhead. It still attempted to launch any attack it could, spraying a barrage of spiked needles toward them with a mix of purple acid streams.

It was undoubtedly a tough foe, one that Yue couldn't imagine beating all on her own.

However, Aziel only lowered his gaze, looking as though he were an all-powerful ruler preparing to cast judgment on those who stood beneath him.

A galaxy-colored radiance suddenly manifested around him, swirling about his figure majestically.

His hair fluttered, black, purple, blue, and pink mana wafted from him, rising up in waves. The speckles of starlight glimmered from within the multitude of colors, filling the room with an ethereal glow.

It was a beautiful display.

Yue watched on in dumbfounded shock, witnessing an entire galaxy swirl around him. Seeing this firsthand, she now realized that he too, possessed the same ability to manipulate his own mana.

And similarly, he also ended up in this hellish abyss for whatever reason.

He was the same as her.

Thinking that, she watched Aziel's every move with rapt attention, no longer sparing the monster below even a mild glance.

However, the next scene that played out forced her to realize the difference between them; how vast the chasm truly was.

Aziel silently stretched out his arm and unfolded his hand in one smooth motion, his mana revolving around him dazzlingly.

And at this moment, a pinch of glowing light suddenly manifested in the air beside him, followed by 7 more of the exact same kind. Appearing one after another, they quickly began to expand, becoming long enough to reach 5 whole meters in length.

Then, in a voice quiet enough to be mistaken as a whisper, he voiced his command to the world.

"Golden Lance: Overload"

It was as if his words contained divinity, echoing across every corner of the room with a mystical undertone. That, however, only seemed to fuel the disastrous scene currently unfolding.

The Scorpion creature below screeched loudly, most likely feeling immense danger radiating from each lance. Even after attacking incessantly, it had become an already established fact that it would never hit Aziel.

With that being the case, it could only bear witness to his lethal spell, awaiting its execution like a prisoner on death row. Not even a second later, all 8 golden lances shot toward it with blinding speed, seeming as though the rope of a guillotine had been cut.

Within mere moments, in a brilliant flash of light—

*BOoooOM—BOOoooOOOm—BooOOOOMmmmMMm!!!*

The Scorpions body had been pierced from one end to the other, leaving each 5-meter-long lance to jut out of its skewered corpse. Dust and debris nearly obscured the entire area, rising up in thick clouds.

It was almost surreal.

Yue watched on, completely frozen in place. The mighty creature whose sole purpose was to keep her captive had actually perished due to a single spell.

Not to mention the fact that it'd practically been toyed with the entire time, serving only to prove Aziel's point.

Was this true strength?

The power to stand above all, did he truly possess such might?

Turning to look at Aziel, she was met with the same unperturbed gaze. From the look in his eyes, it was made to seem as if this result was natural, something preordained.

"Who…are you…?"

Yue couldn't help but question, her words flowing unconsciously from her lips. This absurdity, this mystique, this charm, all of it, it was far too inordinate.

But despite her initial surprise at her own words, Aziel simply opened his mouth, voicing it as if it were mere fact.

"...I am 'him'."

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Let us turn back the clock a few weeks…

Kaori Shirasaki stood in front of one of the palace's bedroom doors, her hands remaining pressed against her chest worriedly.

Shizuku stood not too far behind, gazing at her with visible concern.

The summoned heroes had all been granted rooms inside the Heiligh palace, and they both were currently standing outside of them.

It had been five days since their desperate life and death struggle in the labyrinth. They had rested one night in Horaud's inn, before taking the express carriage back to the palace.

After having experienced such a gruesome spectacle, feeling the cold chill of death and despair creeping up on them, the students were quite understandably under equipped to continue their training.

Furthermore, a member of the hero's party, the cheerful and energetic barrier master had died, and that fact needed to be reported to the king and the holy church.

And though they knew all too well how cruel they were behaving; the knights couldn't allow the student's fighting spirit to break. It was paramount that they restored their mental stability before their psyches shattered completely.

Every individual who became aware of Suzu's death was evidently shocked that a member of the hero's party had died, especially so upon realizing how indispensable her position was.

As such, the king and Ishtar; the pope of the holy church, set about downplaying her importance. After all, one of the powerful heroes who had saved this nation couldn't be allowed to die in a mere dungeon excursion.

Someone who couldn't survive such favorable odds would stand no chance against the demons. It would only serve to spread further unease among the people.

The messengers of Ehit, the heroes summoned from another world, had to be invincible.

Still, the vast majority of those who carried high status, such as nobles, were all well aware of the true situation. Thus, they carried on the only way they could; consoling themselves by projecting their inaccurate viewpoints as though it were fact.

During their private conversations, they all minimized Suzu's presence in the party with words like—

"Tch. If it's just her, then it should certainly be fine…"

Or—

"As long as the hero still lives, what good is she, right?"

And—

"What a shame, the hero will be forced to bear the burden of her abrupt departure…"

Worded in such a way, it could even be interpreted as though they were actually blaming Suzu for dying and leaving the hero to deal with everything all on his own.

When students such as Shizuku and Kaori caught word of their snide remarks, they trembled in fury, nearly coming to blows with those noble's multiple times.

And had Kouki not flown off the handle before the two, they probably would have beaten them senseless.

Due to Kouki's heated protests, the king and the holy church ultimately decided that it'd be counterproductive to let a negative opinion of Suzu spiral out of their control.

Therefore, they quietly dealt with anyone who badmouthed her openly. However, the only thing it served to accomplish was increase Kouki's popularity.

The majority saw Kouki's anger as proof of his pure hearted righteousness, caring even for a deceased member who, in the holy church's words, had not contributed much to their efforts.

The realization that he truly was, in fact, a noble hero remained cemented in the minds of the people.

Despite the fact that the only reason Suzu died was because of a sole treacherous classmate, one that was yet still hidden amongst the flock of naive high schoolers.

However, due to Kouki's influence over the class, their resentment toward Eri had lessened by a considerable extent, some even speculating that it wasn't her fault to begin with.

They closed their eyes to reality, believing that she died due to some freak accident, or perhaps even due to her own mistakes. After all, it was impossible for Eri to have intentionally killed her.

No one, not even the quick witted Shizuku, could believe such a horrific outcome.

Without any collusion on their part, the topic was not discussed any further.

In order to glean specific details and give Eri the counseling she needed, Captain Meld decided it was necessary to pull her away from the class and proceed with that particular course of action.

He didn't think the truth was innocent as a freak accident, and even if it were, it was all the more reason to speak to Eri, who might've accidentally killed Suzu, one on one.

The longer the matter remained unsettled, the more problems it would undoubtedly cause down the line. And most importantly, Captain Meld simply wanted to know.

Even though it was his job to mentor the student's, he had allowed one to die on his watch, making his position as hollow as he now felt.

However, he wasn't given permission to follow through with his plan, because Ishtar had forbidden him from personally questioning Eri.

Captain Meld had protested the ban vehemently, but even the king had forbidden him from meeting with her, so he had no choice but to comply.

"Nagumo-kun, please open the door. I know you're afraid, but trust me, I can help you…"

Kaori voiced anxiously, grabbing hold of the doorknob and attempted to open it, but to no avail.

It was locked.

"Kaori…"

Shizuku stretched out her hand before thinking better of it, clenching her fists and bringing it back to her side.

There was nothing she could do.

Hajime had not come out of his room since that time in the labyrinth, seeming utterly mortified due to his near-death experience. As he had indeed almost died, the knights decided it'd be better off to give him some space rather than push him to the breaking point.

After all, everyone had different methods of coping.

"You're so kind, Kaori, but I think you should leave Nagumo alone. If he doesn't want to contribute like the rest of the class, we shouldn't bother with him either."

At this moment, Kouki came walking down the long hallway, Ryutarou following close behind.

Shizuku and Kaori both turned to look at him, unconcealed annoyance appearing on the former's face.

While they were both aware of Kouki's one-sided viewpoint, Kaori wasn't in the mood to entertain his antics at present.

"How could you even say that Kouki-kun…? Nagumo-kun was almost killed in the labyrinth, if anything, he deserves to be given a little special treatment."

Noticing Kaori's furrowed brows, Kouki's smile twitched, suddenly feeling a bit more passionate than usual.

"Nagumo was almost killed because he wasn't attending our training sessions like he should have. If he wasn't so weak, don't you think he would have been better off facing such monsters?"

Although this much was to be expected from him, it only contributed to pissing Kaori off further. But before she could give him a piece of her mind, Shizuku cut into the conversation.

"That's enough, Kouki. We've all been through a lot during these past few days, and hounding Nagumo-kun for Kaori's sake won't help anything. Try being more considerate, moron. And she doesn't need you to advise her either."

Shocked, Kouki also furrowed his brows, not knowing how to deal with both of their displeasure. Still, he couldn't be satisfied with ending the conversation on that note, thus, he began preaching even more.

"But…"

Due to Kouki's overly self-righteous behavior, a heated argument broke out between all three of them, leaving Ryutarou to look between the trio worriedly.

It was a mix of Kouki defending his own claims while both Kaori and Shizuku tried to get him to back off. The argument only escalated to this point because Kouki refused to admit he was wrong.

Meanwhile, standing a few meters out from the group, a figure remained hidden in the shadows, watching on with a grim expression. Seemingly remembering something unpleasant, they gnashed their teeth, hatred burning in their gaze.

"Why couldn't you have just died…Nagumo…"

______________________

Hiyah, Heyo, Hello~

Greetings fellow human and nonhuman readers, I've come today expecting an offering.

Offer your power stones to the great lord 'Depraved Chap'.

Throw it at him, feed it to him, kill him with it—Do whatever you have to do.

Just deliver the power stones, okay? Pleasure doing business with ya.

I will see you all when I do…