Malfeasance Amidst the Dark Sky

Rin rushed to the district as soon as he heard the commotion. He'd pushed himself even though he is exhausted from the Divine Arts training. Still, there is literally no way he wouldn't act quickly seeing that his mother, who's sick and defenseless, gets arrested out of nowhere.

(What's happening? Why is she getting arrested?)

As he entered the Square, Rin finally caught up to the scene. Damniants are grouped together at the center of the road and they are accompanied by guards that belonged to an Eliad. He could hear murmurings from every side of the space but didn't pay any heed to it.

"Mother!" Without wasting any time, Rin forcefully squeezed himself up to the narrow space between the Damniants and saw his Mother getting chained by one of the guards.

"Mother!"

Hearing her son's voice, Auelina quickly turned to him. "Rin! Don't come in here!"

"Huh...?" What do you mean don't come in here? You're getting locked up by the guards. Rin wanted to ask that but his body moved instantly.

He pushed himself out of the crowd and ran to approach her. However, before he could reach her, two royal guards suddenly blocked him with their spears.

"Hey, get out of my way!" He tried pushing them but his strength wasn't enough. The guards overpowered him and he couldn't budge in.

"Damn it! Who are you?! Why are you taking my mother?!" He shouted.

Every single person in the scene was watching the commotion unfold. No one dared to help Rin, even those workers from the workshop that had been kind to him. All they could do right now was stare and pity him. But it is not like there's no initiative from the start. They had, on their morality side, the will to help him but it was not easy.

Because if they did, it is already guaranteed that their life would instantly end, caused by the despicable power of the Eliads. They couldn't defy them and would prioritize not getting involved in whatever issue Rin is facing right now.

Of course, Rin knew about this. All of them feared the Eliads, even him. But... Seeing as there's no one supporting him right now made him disappointed and mad.

"She is being taken because she has something that I couldn't really ignore..." While Rin was struggling to get into her, a sweet voice with a tinge of mockery and pompousness resonated throughout the district. It didn't belong to a single Damniant that was watching the scene but rather, it came from a man dressed luxuriously.

Rin glared at him. "What do you mean by that...?" His voice was devoid of tone. It was as if someone has been possessing him for a while now, prompting the man to step back.

"Hmm? Are you by any chance related to her?" He asked.

"I'm her son..." Rin answered.

"I see, so you're the bug that she has been defending for a while now." He scoffed.

"Why are you arresting my mother?"

"You sure don't have any manners, huh? Is this the true nature of your forsaken race? Address me with respect, you filthy animal. I am Henry Briant, a Marqui—"

"Shut your mouth, you ungracious spoiled bastard..."

"—!"

"Oh my..."

As though it was a comedy show, the Damniants from the sidelines stifled a laugh as they heard Rin's repugnant remark to the Marquis' introduction.

"Y-You..." Briant gazed around the field. They then averted their eyes from him, afraid that a continuous mockery would only lead to more trouble.

"I don't care who the hell you are, I'm asking you why are you arresting my mother..." Rin didn't even mind his tone. There's no going back this time. It was pure disrespect to an Eliad, not to mention that he was speaking with a Marquis. An insolence like this wouldn't be forgiven even if they make him a slave.

Even so, Rin didn't really care about his action's circumstances. There's no way he will respect him considering that they suddenly cuffed his mother without any reason.

"Hey, one more word, and I'll slit your throat..." The guard warned him, however...

"Stop it..." The Marquis gestured to stay in the line for a moment."Very well, since you've taken this stance, I shall tell you the reason why."

"..."

"Your mother is holding something valuable in her possession that is highly important for the Kingdom..." He turned to Auelina.

"Something valuable..." Rin immediately thought about the pendant that Auelina has been wearing for a long time.

"That pendant holds the Scarlet Stone, an artifact that was presumably lost during Ancient Times. There are only shards left according to our researchers but the one that she was wearing is the core of it. Do you understand what that means...?"

The Marquis waved his coat and walked near Auelina. He then grabbed her hair and smelled it like a wicked bastard. "That Scarlet Stone is a national treasure that belongs to our Kingdom. It shouldn't be in the hands of a mere Damniant like you..." He whispered.

Seeing how he molests her, Rin gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. A streak of blood dripped near his lips. "You can't be serious. That pendant is a memento of my late father. You can't just simply take it away and arrest my mother just because you want to retrieve it..."

It was an abuse of power. There are actually better ways to get the pendant through negotiations but the Marquis immediately incited a public arrest. Though he is interested in the pendant, Rin could feel something different from the way the Marquis act toward his mother. There was something in his eyes that screams diabolical—lustful, to be more specific.

"You have no right to take it..." Rin added.

"Hahaha! If I don't have any personal rights to take it, then so do you. It's far too likely for a Damniant like you to get hold of such a precious gem. It should be under the capable hands of Eliads as we know how to manage it. And I don't really care if it was given by your dead father..."

A low blow. That's how far he is going to take it. Not only is he arrogant, but he seems to enjoy the action of insulting and belittling them. He doesn't even respect the dead...

Compare to Eina, this kind of Eliad is the most devilish out of all of them.

"..." Rin hung his head downwards. The rage that was welling up inside him couldn't be described. It's a shame that he couldn't hit him as that would endanger their position. But...

"Alright, take her away..." With a single nod, the guards then started pushing Auelina while she was locked with magic chains.

"Wait! Stop it!" With another struggle, Rin attempted to rush once again.

"Tsk! You're so persistent!"

"Ugh!" One of the guards kicked Rin on his solar plexus and proceeded to pin him down to the ground.

The order has been released. Which means, they could now punish him however they want.

"Rin! Rin!" Auelina cried in despair as he saw Rin getting stomped multiple times. He could feel a crunch on his back and his forehead was bashing through the cold cement.

"Stop it! I'm begging you... Please don't kill my son..." She pleaded, but the Marquis only gave her a sneer.

It was a reply saying that this is his punishment for disrespecting him.

"...er go..."

"Hmm...?"

As the commotion was starting to get bad, Eina and Bella reached the scene and saw Rin's bloody figure.

"Rin!"

"Milady, don't!" Bella pulled her.

"Let me go, Bella! I need to save him!" Her expression changed the moment she saw Rin. Her royal eyes lit up and her magical power was pulsating to a high degree. It was something that Bella was unfamiliar with.

Eina is always loved by the people because of her beauty and personality but right now... she was shedding the complete opposite of it. Her expression was awfully different, she was in complete anger.

It was at this moment that Bella realized how fond and overprotective Eina is to the boy who made her happy.

But even so, she cannot let Eina interrupt. Otherwise, their house would get in conflict with the other nobles. This would mean that if Eina were to save Rin right now, it was like saying that she wanted a war with the Briants and they'll have to undergo a long process of, hopefully, a discussion or negotiation, or perhaps a war.

"Milady! You can't... Please..."

"Rin! RIN...!"

* * *

He could hear it. The voices of the people who are scared to do anything. The voices of the guards constantly depriving him of consciousness. He could hear Eina and his mother's pleading voices as they screamed to let him go.

It was painful. His body was already exhausted from expending too much magical power and now the guards are stomping him nonstop. His forehead was bleeding from the constant bashing and his bones are cracked. Yet despite getting beaten up, Rin didn't mind the pain that was pulsating throughout his body. It was unnerving.

It felt like he already knew this kind of pain and was used to it. But why is it? He is confident that this is the first time that he has experienced something like this. and yet, there was something that was keeping him intact.

A familiar scene flashed through his mind: A complete devastation of the world. It came from the dreams that he had been dreaming of for quite some time now. His mind was beginning to process the scenery that was full of monstrosity and vacuity. It becomes clear every second...

Rin lifted his head, eyes fixated on the image of her mother begging.

Begging? Why is she begging? Is it because he is about to die? Is it because Rin is powerless right now?

Impossible, right? They were just enjoying their life a few days ago and now they're in this state. Rin had promised that he will protect his mother just like how his father risked his life for the two of them. She is sick, defenseless, and emotionally unstable. Why are they experiencing this malfeasance while the sky is dark?

Is Eina the only Eliad who respected him? Does that mean that every other Eliad living in this world was capable of despicable acts like this?

Auelina was crying, Eina was pissed off.

The Damniants around pitied him. They don't have the power or the courage to help him. Because they know that a grave punishment will befall all of them.

A threat, huh? So that's how they are playing this game. They will use their authority to gain the power to punish or threaten someone while they enjoy the scenery of killing a child. Well, isn't that conveniently evil? This is how the world works right now. Separate the damned, and provide luxury and privileges to those self-proclaimed descendants of the Saints.

And kill innocent children every single day...

How is that any different from the evil acts that the Cursed King did back in the day? Isn't it just the same? Robbing Damniants human rights, inaccessible to education, strict rules, regulations, hard punishment, executions, slavery, corruption, poverty, and tyranny... All because of what the Eliads are implementing that they're currently living at razor's edge.

Haven't they already realized their evil intentions?

What does the church think about this? Do they even still have morals?

No, they don't. That was already clear from the start. It was obvious. They're nothing but a bunch of idiots who think that Damniants are toys that they could control and play with.

That's why...

"...Er... go..."

"Hmm?"

"I said... LET HER GO!"

As though the tides have turned, every single person in the area felt dread over Rin's intense scream.

Crimson lightning started flashing into the dark sky, and immense pressure rippled across the field as if they were getting pushed back.

"l̵̟͆̍̈̈̈͜ḕ̵̟̗̞̃̂̋t̸̨̿ ̷̻̒͋h̴͓̰̺̫͛̐̎̿̿ę̸̟̩͑̔r̵͔̯̈͝ ̵̧̫̑g̶̯̳͋̐͆͐̆ơ̸̤͂͗̕͠..."

An unnerving, deep, dark voice reverberated followed by a red electric blast that sent the guards' bodies crashing into the Marquis' carriage.

"H-Hey..."

"What is that...?"

Rin stood up slowly. A devilish color of his magical aura, mixed with both red and black pulsated.

They said that every single person's Mana or Magical Power who knows how to wield Divine Arts has its own color and it usually depends on how much Mana they have or how pure or potent it is compared to the others.

According to the scripture, this was the ranking of its intensity:

1. Gray Mana Signature - Normal

2. Blue Mana Signature - Above Average

3. Green Mana Signature - Medium Level

4. White/Silver Mana Signature - Saint Level

5. Gold Mana Signature - God Level

If that's the case then... What does a Black and Red Mana Signature mean?

"H-Hey! Get up and kill him!" Panicking, Marquis Briant ordered all guards to stop Rin.

The remaining stand-by held their grimoires and spears, preparing to intercept the child. However...

"Get out of my way..." With a flick of his hand, all of the guards received a strong gust of wind that sliced their arm. It coursed through the road and sent them crashing into the walls.

"No cast?!" Both Eina and Marquis Briant dropped their jaw in surprise.

How is he doing that? There are no records of someone being able to cast a spell without invoking or chanting the right terms. This is beyond what she has learned in the academy and it feels eerie that Rin was able to do it.

It wasn't normal.

"You pesky little brat!" With his guards gone, Marquis Briant raised his arms and pointed them to Rin. "Embers of the malevolent prince of flame, lend me thy ashen fire that crackles through thy veins, witness the blazing course and serve thy name! Vitendo Llaaeuin! (Flame Surge)"

A stream of fire washed over the carriage as it rushed through Rin's position. The intensity of his magic was strong and he could burn someone to a crisp if it hit a defenseless human.

"..." But it was negated. No, it would be more sensible to say that the flame he discharged vanished instantly when it reached Rin's field.

"H-How?! Impossible! What is happening?!" With another chant, he unleashed another volley of flames but all of them were disregarded. Rin's aura was more powerful than what he could shoot at the moment.

"Milady, this is!"

"Yeah, there's no doubt about it..." Eina thought that it was unusual for Rin to read all of the recorded spells in the 2nd generation grimoire even without learning how to read. Its contents were written in a different language that existed in the dark era, that's why most of the current sorcerers these days couldn't really decipher the spells engraved on it.

And yet, Rin was unconsciously casting it without any chant. A no-chant execution.

"Quick Bella, we need to stop him before it feeds his mind!" Eina prepared herself while Bella unleashed a Waterball straight into Rin's position.

"Eina..." The Waterball splashed into him, reviving all of his senses.

"Wisest judicator of the azure realm, Heed thy chosen's decree. Bless us with your pristine wisdom and fulfill our order! Tranqiite! (Tranquil Regeneration)"

A large magic circle appeared behind Eina's back, its bright light unleashed a slug of unpressurized force that soothed Rin's mind. She cast one of the most advanced-class magic spells in the world that cleanses someone's soul.

"AAAHHHHH!" Rin covered his head, he was experiencing an intense headache. The pristine light was consuming the dark matters around him and slowly reverting him back to normal. After a few seconds, the flare dispersed and Rin lost consciousness. Reflection from his eyes faded away and he dropped to the ground.

Everyone couldn't believe what just happened.

"Rin! Rin!" Auelina removed her chains and went over to her son. She checked if he was still alive by feeling his heartbeat.

"Don't worry, Ma'am. Rin is still alive. I just removed the dark energy inside him..." Eina and Bella came over as well.

"I see..." Auelina embraced Rin. So much has happened because of her carelessness. If she just gave the pendant from the start, they wouldn't be in this situation.

"I can't take this! Somebody kill them!" The Marquis stood up and screamed, he ordered yet again, the guards to take them out, however...

"Wait!" Auelina spread her arms and covered Rin. Her expression sheds that she has made up her mind on how to resolve all of this.

"Huh?!"

"Please don't kill my son! If you want the pendant, then I'll give it to you. I will also do whatever you want... Just please don't kill him..."

It didn't click at first but after a few seconds of processing it, the Marquis gave a sneer. "Whatever I want, huh? Is that what you're saying...?"

"Yes! Please pin all of the punishment to me... I'll take it all..." Auelina knelt down and bowed her head to the ground.

"Ma'am..." Eina knows what the Marquis was up to but Auelina gave her a smile as if she knows what's gonna happen.

"Please take care of Rin for me..."

It was a sincere request. She doesn't know what's gonna happen to her but just in case she dies, she knows that there will be someone to take care of Rin.

"Very well. Although I'm not fond of what happened just now, I will give you a chance and forget about it if you come with me. Is that fine?" Marquis Briant confirmed.

"Yes..." She nodded.

"Well then, please escort her..." His personal butler then chained Auelina again and proceeded to walk out.

This might probably be the most intense commotion that they have ever seen in their entire life. The Damniants are powerless against the nobles but what they saw just now was an eye-opener to all of them.

The way that Rin made him scared to death was still fixated on their mind and respected his otherworldly courage and power to stand up for himself. It gave them some kind of hope that their lives would change in the near future. So long as there is still someone out there who would risk their life to reset the order.

"Bella, please call our driver. We'll bring Rin to our personal doctor..."

"Milady, that was... Are you really going to let his mother sell herself like that?" She asked.

"I... can't do anything. No, I don't want her to do whatever that guy is planning but... she has already resolved herself in order to protect Rin..."

"..."

"If she didn't do that, they would've been sentenced to death..." She added.

"We don't have any counter for that, right?"

"Yes. Even if we negotiate, I'm sure that that bastard wouldn't accept it. Let's just hope that her punishment won't be that... bad."

Eina's hope was just a facade so that she wouldn't feel guilty about it later on. If Rin knew about all of this, she was sure that he'd be angry. Why did Eina let his mother go? Why didn't she save her?

As she thought about that, Eina grabbed Rin's hand and apologized silently.

When will this madness ever end?

If Rin is going to share what happened in his dream, then the answer would be:

"T̷̨̬̺͊̀̾̿͐̂͛̊͐ơ̴̡̫̹̪̓͆͗m̷̢̦̥̘̬͍̗̀̇͛͐̕͝ơ̶̧̲͈̪̰̠̙̆̾̀͊̓̀͝ͅr̵͍̦̹̎̍͛ŗ̶͍̝̥͗̚̚o̴̧̨̬̣̪̗̙̲͊͌̀͆̏̐̒̈́ẁ̵̡͎̼̌̍͗̀̇̋͌"