For the heart - Chapter 7

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 7

‘I had a feeling, but it really was Baraguz.’

The ominous premonition had been right.

To think she would face that massive body again, with its hunched back yet eerily upright neck.

Nina gripped her sword with both hands despite the terror that instantly overwhelmed her. She tried to steady her ragged breathing and focus on the situation.

“Seeeeeeek—!”

Soon Baraguz revealed itself, flaring its nostrils as it sniffed around, then raised its head toward Nina and let out a roar like grinding metal.

With its massive body hunched forward, its hand with all claws extended shot toward Nina like lightning, cutting through the air.

It was instinctively aiming for her heart.

Swoosh.

Even though she dodged nimbly, the sharpness of the blade that passed right by her nose in an instant made her hair stand on end.

Gritting her teeth, Nina drew her sword across the ground toward Baraguz.

Crackle-sizzle.

The moment the chilling energy that burst from her sword, cold enough to freeze the ground, reached Baraguz, pure white frost climbed up the monster’s legs.

In bone-deep freezing pain, Baraguz let out a short “Seeek!” cry.

But Baraguz quickly stomped its feet to shake off the frost and charged even more fiercely.

Nina dodged once more, but before she could, Baraguz’s hand swept across her back.

“Ugh—!”

Even from just a light graze, Nina’s combat uniform instantly tore open, exposing her white skin beneath.

Then red blood began to seep from the long claw marks.

Nina, having distanced herself as far as possible from Baraguz, trembled while gripping her sword.

‘I can’t… get close…’

It was because of the terror consuming her entire body.

Though her physical condition wasn’t good either, Baraguz was Nina’s greatest source of fear.

‘I need to escape this situation as quickly as possible. The longer it drags on, the more disadvantageous it becomes.’

Nina was facing such intense terror that she forgot Desmorak’s warning that she must never kill it.

Without killing Baraguz, this terror would never end.

Steadying her trembling body, she devised a plan to finish Baraguz in one strike.

‘The heart, aim for the heart.’

Even Baraguz, who devoured hearts, would meet its end if its own heart was destroyed.

“Haah!”

Nina charged toward the monster that was rushing at her, aiming for her heart.

The moment its arms, as long as its body, spread wide, she dove inside and thrust her sword with all her might near its heart, then pulled it out.

“Seeeeeeek—!”

“…?!”

Nina, having separated from the monster that was roaring with its bulging, cloudy eyes turned skyward, was greatly bewildered.

‘It’s not falling?’

Surely her sword had shattered Baraguz’s ribcage and penetrated deep into its heart before withdrawing.

No matter how high-level a monster it was, with such damage to its heart, it should have died immediately.

Moreover, she wielded the ‘Chilling Sword’ that released ice energy through her blade.

From the moment the sword pierced through its heart, the heart should have begun freezing.

Yet Baraguz, far from collapsing, charged at her as if even more enraged, and Nina, caught off guard, was struck by an attack much faster than before.

Thunk—!

“Kugh.”

“Gasp!”

“Oh my, goodness…!”

The people watching either bolted upright or covered their mouths with both hands to stifle their screams.

Baraguz’s long, sharp claws had pierced through Nina’s chest.

She was suspended in mid-air, impaled by the monster.

Vice-Commander Bern, seeing Nina being attacked, placed his hand on his sword and spoke.

“All units, battle formation!”

Though he had heard Desmorak’s request for Nina to face it alone, he instinctively knew the situation was far from normal.

As soon as the vice-commander’s order was given, the waiting knights immediately spread out into battle formation.

Just as Bern drew his sword and was about to step forward, Desmorak blocked his path.

“Sir Hidrik. The Princess will not die. You know this well. It will be over soon.”

“This isn’t just your problem, Commander. Do you intend to kill everyone here?”

“Of course not. That Baraguz will be tamed for Arsed’s military use. I’ve completed the groundwork. Today is merely a test.”

At Desmorak’s leisurely words, Bern ground his teeth.

And at that moment, Baraguz, realizing there was no heart it desired in its prey’s body, roared in fury and flung Nina from its hand.

Cough, Nina rolled across the ground, pressing her forehead to the earth and spitting up blood.

Her eyes wavered, losing reason from the intense pain that threatened to consume her consciousness.

“Ugh, urgh…”

Writhing as she turned to lie on her back, Nina turned her head to look at the viewing stands.

The foreign ministers wore faces of horror, while the Emperor, Empress, and Lillien looked satisfied.

‘Right… This too is for Arsed…’

Her blood relatives—parents and sister—were watching her die in terrible agony.

Even so, Nina tried to think of even this situation as something she had to do for Arsed.

She was meant to sacrifice herself for the Empire, and she had lived that way until now.

Thud, thud, thud.

The sound of Baraguz, who had been continuously roaring, returning to its cage on its own feet could be heard.

Seeing that the ferocious monster had calmed down without even tasting the heart, it seemed Desmorak’s sorcery had been somewhat successful.

But the pain was always entirely hers alone.

‘Too… too painful…’

Her organs churned, and all the nerves in her body were torn to shreds, screaming in agony.

Sounds of breathless pain flowed from between her lips.

She thought she would soon lose consciousness.

“Bring a Healer.”

Only after Baraguz was completely locked in its cage did the Emperor give the order to his attendant.

But Lillien, with a bright smile on her face, coquettishly grabbed her father’s arm.

“Wait a moment, Father. Just leave her like that a little longer.”

“Why?”

“It reminds me of my sixth birthday. Since it’s a similar sight, this will become a memory too. Oh my, it would have been even better if today were my birthday.”

The Empress, who had been listening to Lillien’s words, nodded lightly and fanned herself.

“It’s a pity her body wasn’t torn more miserably. I wonder if this was enough to terrorize Hamer’s ministers.”

“Empress, real terror isn’t something like that. Showing Nina’s form that never dies—that’s terror. Our war won’t end until we win.”

“Hm, is that so.”

“Chief Attendant, bring the youngest among the runaway Healers first. It’s more dramatic when she comes back to life by taking a young life.”

At the Emperor’s sinister smile, the chief attendant relayed the command to a nearby servant.

“Huh, huh, p-please spare me! I was wrong!”

“Come quickly, you bastard!”

Soon the youngest Healer among the gathered runaway Healers was seized by a Knight’s hand and dragged to where Nina lay, forced to kneel.

The boy Healer, with tears and snot streaming down his deathly pale face, whimpered and repeatedly tried to hide his hands behind his back.

But there was no way he could overcome the Knight’s strength.

“Won’t you put your hands out quickly?!”

“Huh… please, I-I don’t want to die…”

Nina looked up blankly at the terror-stricken boy.

The faces of countless Healers she had killed on battlefields, who had pleaded with the same expression as this boy, flashed quickly through her mind.

“Stay still!”

“Huh-huhk!”

The moment the boy Healer’s hand touched Nina’s limp hand, her head dropped powerlessly to the side with a thud.

The boy, whose eyes widened the instant he touched Nina, tumbled backward onto the ground with a thump.

Subtle confusion spread across the tear-stained boy’s face.

“Pfft! Did he just faint?”

Next to Lillien, who burst into laughter as if amused, Casian kept his eyes silently fixed on the arena.

Though no readable emotion showed in his red eyes, they seemed somehow cold.

Lillien, who had been stealthily observing Casian’s expression, widened her eyes and tilted her head toward him to draw his attention.

“Were you surprised? It might be shocking since you’re seeing it for the first time. But Nina has an immortal body so she’ll be fine… Duke Montregger?”

Without listening to the end of Lillien’s words, Casian abruptly stood up.

And he descended from the viewing stands, striding purposefully toward the arena where Nina had collapsed.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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