"It will be alright... It will be alright..." Azalea whispered under his breath.
He felt November's heavy weight sinking in his left shoulder, with his strength on the verge of depletion. The warmth of viscous blood soaking his hands seemed to bring him back to his past.
Azalea could feel a warmth whispering by his ears. "Don't worry, Azalea. Your big sister will protect you... I won't let harm come to your way!" He reminisced the smell of burning smoke, clogging his throat and suffocating him.
The sound of cries and pleading screams seemed so close, and yet so far away.
All of a sudden, a shriek nearby had waken him up.
What was that? A bead of sweat slid down from his forehead. Before he had time to wipe away the evidence of his anxiety, November struggled in his hold.
"...let me down!" She cried.
Azalea was puzzled. "I can't do that. It will only aggravate your injury even more-"
"I don't care!" November felt fear dominate her heart. "I've already lost my leg!" Snot and tears slid down her face and cheeks. "It doesn't matter if I die!"
Azalea refused. He carried November on his shoulder, and continued running down the hallway. His footsteps seemed to race against the trepidation of his heart. Both competed to see which is faster. It felt like a hammer was constantly hammering down on his chest, sealing a bond upon him.
They advanced past the hallway for some time.
All of a sudden, Azalea felt like something was wrong. Earlier, November was struggling to be placed down. How come she was no longer moving anymore? Why was she being so obedient?
"...hey." November's voice was as heavy as the disaster made out of their school. "Do you think that I will live long enough to leave the school?"
Azalea didn't know how to answer such a question.
What would he do if he lost a leg? He would feel as if he'd lost the world. He could no longer pursue his dream of becoming a knight. There is also no such thing as a legless knight.
Sympathizing with November, Azalea softened his tone, "You can definitely make it. Believe in yourself. You won't die. When we leave, we can get someone to help you maneuver easily on one leg. We'll stop the bleeding, and have you resume your regular life as soon as possible. I promise, okay?"
November fell silent. Shadows muddled her expressions, making it difficult to see what thoughts were on her mind.
"We'll figure it out," Azalea said. "Don't worry. What's most important is that we leave."
Their match of purple and white hair had fluttered in the wind. Azalea didn't know what November was thinking of, but her situation reminded him of his own helplessness. He couldn't remember his childhood. All he knew was that he'd been living the wilderness as a young and helpless child, sick to the core, which had made him forget all about himself but a feminine voice calling out his name.
In the wilderness, he was found by the owner of an orphanage. There, he was taken care of and met his childhood friend; Daphnne.
Out of nowhere, a tired voice full of fatigue had rung from his side, "You're so kind, Azalea."
November was talking as if she'd just woken up from a nightmare, "If there weren't any demons that invaded the school, you probably would have won the swordsmanship tournament. Then, you could have received a good sum of money from Grand Duke Leinhart. If he saw potential in you, he could have recommended you to become a Royal Knight."
Azalea listened to her. Yes, indeed. November was right. If only the demons hadn't invaded the school. Then he could have steadily gotten closer to his dream.
"...how wonderful." A giggle came from his shoulder.
Instantaneously, Azalea froze on the spot. His feet seemed to have rooted into the ground, unwilling to separate. Frigid chill had clambered onto his limbs, freezing him in place, as if time had stopped.
November lifted her head from Azalea's shoulder.
She wore an insane smile, capable of making one question the rights and wrongs of their beliefs. "If only I had done this from the start, I wouldn't have had to work so hard!" Azalea was strong. He'd fought against boars, wild wolves, and all kinds of creatures lurking in the wilderness.
His hands were dotted in callouses, a sign of his strength in the sword.
However, at that moment, Azalea found his hold on the purple-haired girl slipping. He had no idea how...! He was capable of lifting ten times the weight of Lucilline!
Why isn't he able to properly lift a small frail teenage girl?
"I'm not what you think I am." November's smile was forever etched into his memory. She gently landed on the ground. Her dismembered left leg had stopped leaking blood. Instead, a void of shadow grew from her thighs, extending outwards until it shaped itself into the contours of a human leg.
Gradually, the shadow turned into a leg.
"This feels a lot better." November stretched. "Never ever have I had my leg cut off. My subordinate was too hasty in his job. He could have made me look injured in a whole more efficient way."
The words didn't make sense to Azalea. Huh? Subordinate? Job?
It took a long time for him to come back to himself.
November isn't what I think she is...? The purple-haired girl's words had haunted his mind. Azalea snapped out of it. He personally witnessed her dismembered leg growing out from her thighs! It had the appearance of a shadow, which resembled the appearances of those demons that invaded the school-
From his pure instincts, Azalea began running away from the girl. November is a demon..!
He didn't get to run too far when he slammed into a figure.
November's once fearful purple eyes were harsh and indifferent. She extended out a hand, holding onto Azalea's face with a firm grip. All the latter could see was her palm.
"It is over." November deadpanned.
She extended out her other hand, with shadows flowing wildly in her hold. Slowly, the shadow took form in the shape of a sword! "Goodbye." November smiled, with her eyes squinting in pleasure.
The purple-haired girl swung her sword at the male lead's neck—
All of a sudden, the swish of a dagger torn through the air! November had quick reflexes, as she leaped away, dodging the attack. She had lost her hold on Azalea, who quickly took this chance to run away. The male lead's back was flexible, with his white fluffy hair bouncing up and down.
November wanted to chase after him, but was interrupted by two figures.
One was masculine, and the other was too, but mild to the former.
"We're your opponent." Augustine and Gilg had stated.
Butler Augustine had a bunch of sharp weapons at his disposal. Meanwhile, Gilg pointed his sword at the frail-looking girl.
November paused in her movements. "You want to go up against me?" Her voice was childish and feminine, but it contained a strong sense of intimidation. Knowing that she was a demon who disguised herself to invade in a kingdom that banned demons—such knowledge pointed out that she was dangerous.
"What are you trying to achieve by killing Azalea?" Augustine wasn't dumb.
He could tell that everything November did was a plan to kill the male lead. She had the chance to kill other students. Why Azalea?
She must have known his identity as the male lead, right?
But it is impossible for a reincarnator to be a demon! All reincarnators were born in Lydia Kingdom as their own original body and appearance.
If November was a reincarnator, she couldn't possibly be a demon!
"There's no point in telling you." November squinted her eyes. "You're getting in my way, bugs." She looked at them as if they were absolute filth—this was ironic, considering that she was the one bleeding out earlier, and that she was also a demon.
All of a sudden, laughter rang beside the butler.
Gilg wanted to hug his stomach while laughing, but he stopped himself, considering that he was holding onto a sword. "She looks like she won't stop until she kills the male lead."
He smirked, "We both have to face the same enemy. Guess like we'll have to work together. But only this once, alright? I refuse to work with you again after this."
Augustine sneered, "Who would want to work with you?"
They looked at the purple-haired girl. The three people (?) were caught in a deadlock. Then, they moved at the same time.
Their figures vanished from plain sight.
The clash of metal against metal had rung aloud from the contact. Even though November's sword was coated in a clout of shadows, the material itself was definitely a sort of metal. She smiled wildly, completely abandoning her shy demeanour of when she was disguised.
November handled her sword skillfully. Her swinging became faster, with consecutive strikes falling down at the two reincarnators.
Augustine did not fret. Even if he did, it was not shown on his face.
He blocked every blow accurately.
Meanwhile, Gilg was not as skillful. He parried some attacks, then jumped back to dodge. He could barely keep up with this demonic girl...!
"You're so weak." Augustine offhandedly commented, as he continued blocking November's attacks. "No wonder you got defeated by Azalea in the swordsmanship tournament."
Gilg's face burned bright red at this humiliation. He barked, "Shut up!"
November pursed her lips. Her opponent's were not even concentrating on fighting her...! This was more humiliating than the humiliation that Gilg had just faced-
She let out an insane smile, as her shadow sword suddenly extended in length...!
It was no longer a sword, but a spear!
November spun frequently, then rapidly swung her spear face down at the reincarnators. Augustine and Gilg held their breaths, both blocking the spear before it touches their heads. However, the force in the spear was much stronger than they expected!
The frail-looking girl laughed, "Take this!"
Again, her weapon changed in form. The spear thickened, becoming a claymore instead! The sudden change in its weight had forced Augustine and Gilg to grit their teeth in frustration.
"You're cheating!" Gilg blurted out to the demon.
November lightly frowned. "In a battle to the death, there is no such thing as cheating. What you perceive as 'cheating' is merely tactics." All of a sudden, she ran closer to the two reincarnators. Her blade pressed even harder against their blocking swords.
As she ran closer, her blade shortened, making it faster for her to run.
November arrived before the two reincarnators in merely seconds, and delivered a strong kick! The winds changed their angle, and flowed in the other direction from the impact.
Both Gilg and Augustine had doubled over, collapsing onto the ground.
They spat out blood, with the crimson red liquid staining their lips.
"I was going easy on you guys too." November stretched her wrist, letting out a few miscellaneous cracks. She deadpanned, "Looks like you are truly live bait. Seems like you haven't experienced the harsh reality of Lydia Kingdom yet, hmm, foreigners?"
Time seemed to stop.
Augustine and Gilg felt a heaven-defying pressure fall down on his shoulders. He felt as if his entire body's source of blood had coagulated into ice. Foreigners?
"Surprised?" November smiled. "I know who you two are."
She stepped closer to them. Her sword pointed at Augustine's neck. "To be honest, I do not understand why you two have chosen to fight me. You both cannot defeat me—a demon. You are far inferior compared to me. Fighting me is the same as choosing death."
"Oh well." November sighed. "Whether you're looking for death or not is none of my business." She raised her sword. "It is time to end you both."
"Wait wait wait!" Gilg panicked. "Continue talking! Don't kill us yet!"
November frowned. "Stop stalling for time-"
"No." Augustine smiled. His handsome cold face had already cracked, revealing a victorious smile. "We've already stalled for enough time."
November seemed to sense something foreboding. "What-"
A spear nailed directly into her right arm! November was stunned, dropping her sword from the shock. She quickly pulled the spear out from her arm, throwing it hurtfully on the ground. She turned to look behind her, where an army of the Royal Knights were! A grimace fell onto her lips, as she horrendously laughed, "You were waiting for the bunch of foolish knights to save you... how befitting of foreigners..."
"But they're just a bunch of measly knights. They can't save you from a demon." November pulled out the spear from her right arm.
"What bunch of measly knights?" Suddenly, a domineering voice came from the back of the hallway.
The Royal Knights heard this voice as if they could recognize it from a mile away. They quickly parted ways, allowing a path to form down the hallway. The sound of armour clinked on the wretched cobblestone. Rich and wealthy daisy white fabric had shifted in the atmosphere, with resounding jewelry twinkling, like the stars amidst a moonless night.
"These are knights which I've personally selected." A chuckle came from the direction where the voice was.
Upon seeing the manly figure, November's pupils dilated, bloodshot with stricken fear. Immediately, her breathing had become heavy, as if something was choking her in its threshold.
"The knights selected by the Crown Prince shouldn't be belittled like that, right?" The figure was masculine, donned in pure white armour, resembling the tint of snowy capped mountains. He was a handsome and stunning young man, with brilliant blonde hair; the ends curled slightly. The young man's hands were covered in striking white gloves.
A beautiful earring of jadeite strung on his unblemished jade-like ear.
"You are..." November was like a cat with its fur rising. The Crown Prince of Lydia Kingdom! Dimitri Von Author!
Dimitri smiled, with his sharp hazel eyes piercing into the demon's flesh. "Hello there, my little prey."