CG Chapter 80: Death flower, the devil's sonata
The words of Tom were heard by soldiers and the seven princes alike. However, of all the people there, only Alfred understood the meaning behind them.
Those words that seemed like nonsense to others were a sign to Alfred to start with the last technique of the manual Tom gave him.
Understanding this, Alfred looked reluctantly at Tom, memories of how he watched a crimson-haired brat grow into a man who was fighting against the gods flashed before his eyes.
However, you shouldn't mistake this reluctance for fear of death or dread of the enormous pain that was going to tear through his body once he began the technique.
Because this was the fear of losing the chance to serve his master for just a little bit longer.
Despite the sadness he felt, a chaotic mix of emotions, including a strange happiness that his final act and last battle would be fought for his lord.
"I have no purpose, so I made you mine."
He smiled as he remembered the words he told Tom in the corridors of the Flameheart castle. Now he finally had a chance to fulfill that promise by igniting his heart and body to light the road for his lord.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh."
Tears of blood fell from each of Alfred's eyes as they went down his cheeks.
His heart began to beat rapidly at an alarming rate. This caused his strength to rise at an astonishing speed. Unfortunately, this strength didn't come without an equal cost.
As soon as he started using the technique and just when he felt that his newfound strength broke all of his limitations, a single glance at his body returned him to his grim reality.
Cracks were spreading throughout all of his body. They started from around his heart in a pattern that represented blooming spider lilies.
When he saw this, he knew that there was no going back, and this belief was only fortified when he remembered the name of the technique he was using.
"Death flower, the devil's sonata."
The first stage would be igniting the death engine; this was the reason his heartbeat skyrocketed.
As for the second stage, it was the song of death, the devil's sonata, that would play in the background, and once the performer finished his act, the flower of death would bloom, and the grim reaper would soon follow to take his payment.
What was more tragic was that the main instrument in this symphony was none other than Alfred's heart and the tears from his body.
A song and a painting of death with his body as the medium, this realization would have broken him just a few years ago, but for some reason, his belief strengthened after he saw the new Edward that came from the sea voyage.
He breathed in as if it was his final breath, returning himself to reality as his blood thirst boiled.
Knowing that he didn't have much time, he didn't hesitate.
Alfred ran toward the exit while using his body to open a path through the soldiers.
The bodies of knights fell left and right, torn like paper tigers unable to withstand Alfred's strength during his rage.
He wanted to slaughter them, to sully the floors with the blood of the ones who dared to desire to do harm to his lord. But alas, if only this strength could last a little longer.
If only he had time to kill them all, then they wouldn't worry about any consequences or retaliation that might come from going against the royal families.
Following behind the path Alfred created, Tom ran after him while evading the attacks that came at him from everywhere else.
In the heat of the moment, he suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from behind him before feeling the pressure from a hand on his neck.
"I won't let you go this time, you filthy street rat; you will die here today, even if it's the last thing I do."
The scene repeated itself. The same prince that held his cloak in the basement was trying to catch him once more.
Previously Tom didn't have a chance to have a closer look and see which of the princes it was. But now he knew that the prince that grabbed him was but the weakest among the princes, Aurum Goldthorn, the crown prince of the Auroria kingdom.
The unfortunate Aurum didn't realize that he was the lucky one last time to get away with his life and not Tom.
"Goodbye."
In a split second, he heard the voice of the Grim Reaper.
Like a flash and without stopping while he ran toward the exit, Tom's body flipped as he slashed his dark claws at Aurum's neck.
Feeling the nearing danger, Aurum tried to move away, but the unexpected movement of Tom left him with no room to escape.
Just when he saw the light reflecting from Tom's claws, the grin that had filled his face just a moment ago quickly disappeared.
When he looked back, he was shocked to see that a headless body was in the place he was just standing.
When things turned dark, a thought came to him.
"Wait, that is my body…"
The fate of his royal highness was no different from that of a dog, as Tom threw his head at Techne Artisun before continuing to run toward Alfred.
Holding the head of Aurum, Techne's mouth was left completely open.
The shock he and other princes felt was not something that was easily explained.
Simply the thought of a crown prince, who represented the authority of the gods, dying in such a lowly way would get one branded as a blasphemous heretic in the eyes of the churches.
To sully the holy, to sully the royal.
This was but the first domino that fell in a long chain that was yet to come.