Chapter 712: POP!
Chapter 712: POP!
"There is no need to lose all decorum," said Echoless as he placed down his cup of tea. "I came here to assassinate the leader of these smugglers, who work directly for the Light Emperor."
"And the reason for that is?"
"Ilios is planning to kill a large number of its opposers. Your actions have led to public outrage as the true face of Ilios has been revealed. As a result, we are cutting their supply routes."
"What Ilios did to me has nothing to do with the people, so why would there be an outrage?" asked Arthur with confusion. His injustice was not their reasonability, either.
"You seem to be a clear-cut man. But unfortunately, the world is full of sentiments that affect the outcome of your logical thinking. The footage of your fight against Amelio to protect your city made the common blood boil."
"A short-lived sentiment that will pass and does not explain their actions of rebelling against a superpower."
"It is far from being short-lived. The seven families have abused the common blood for centuries, and you became their outlet. A single man of the common blood chose to stand against them in the way that matters."
"The way that matters?"
"You know about Yurirl," said Echoless with a sigh. "He was the genius of the common blood and the man once thought to be the destined one. But, unfortunately, Yurirl chose to climb the ladders of the most powerful guild, God's Blade, instead of supporting the commoners."
"He chose the right thing for himself."
"And might be the right thing for the world because he started making some real change. He is the greatest voice of the common blood in the Titans, but it was still playing by the seven families' rules."
"And I didn't do that," said Arthur, and Echoless nodded. "Are you trying to make me guilty of the massacre that is about to happen?"
"No one is responsible for the man who dies trying, but we need to know our impact on the world. You are more than what you think, Arthur Silvera. The world has a dark side, comprised of those who suffered injustice but could never voice it out. You are their voice."
"It doesn't matter what causes this event. There is no reason for you to stay here, Echoless," said Arthur after a short moment of silence. "You can tell that a few ships are approaching us. These are the children of the common blood, here to take fate into their own hands."
"I see," said Echoless as he looked at the ceiling. "Are you helping them, outsider?" muttered the old man.
"We share a common enemy, that's all. Ilios will pay for what it did to me; their enemies are my allies. You can teleport on your own, right?" asked Arthur, and Echoless nodded. "Well, better get to it since the attack is starting."
Arthur snapped his fingers, and the arrays turned off. The lights went out and a moment in the darkness preceded a loud explosion, accompanied by the ship shaking. The world started swinging left and right as chaos ensued on board the vessel.
"This much noise isn't my style," said Echoless before he jumped and hovered midair, giving Arthur one last nod. "Good luck on your next adventure, outsider," said the man before disappearing.
Arthur manipulated reality as he allowed his body to hover free of gravity to avoid the shaking. Then, he closed his eyes and sent a pulse across the existence around him, giving a rough idea about the situation.
"They are swift," muttered Arthur as he watched the rebels land on the ship and infiltrate it. They started killing the smugglers on sight and whoever tried to oppose them. However, they spared anyone who didn't fight and arrested him instead.
The chaos was immense inside the ship as screams echoed throughout the hallways, which Arthur entered after leaving the room. He hovered as if floating underwater as the boat was almost toppled.
Explosions rang everywhere as the soldiers on the ship tried to take down the enemies using the cannons, but it was futile. Arthur wanted to go to t
he deck, but he had to either go through the hallways or break through the walls since he couldn't use two runes simultaneously.
"Please, we are just passengers!" shouted a voice from a room ahead. "We are not resisting, so why are you doing this?!" the hoarse voice pleaded, but there was no response.
Arthur frowned as he hovered near the door and looked inside. A woman was holding a young boy, with a giant man standing in front of her. The young boy was carrying a weapon, which was dripping with blood.
"Those who wield a sword must be prepared for death," said the giant man in front of them. He then touched his leg and showed the blood that stained leg. "Your son attacked me, and that makes him the enemy."
"No, no. We are just trying to defend ourselves. But, please, show mercy!" the woman cried as she hugged the boy, who glared at the man with defiance.
"His eyes say otherwise," said the giant man as he grabbed his sword. "All enemies must be eliminated, whether they are young or old. The blade does not discriminate."
The man drew his long sword from its sheath, and it almost slashed the wooden walls of the ship. Arthur realized that this man had a genuine killing intent toward the child.
"How about you return the sword to its sheath?" said Arthur as he landed inside the room, which was shaking. "Your leader shouldn't approve of these actions."
The giant man paused and turned toward Arthur. He had a bald head filled with scars and a sharp chin that made him far from amiable. He glared at Arthur with confusion, without saying anything.
Swoosh!
The man rushed toward Arthur like a leopard launching toward its prey. His giant sword slashed Arthur's body in half before passing through him. The man stopped moving as he was near the door, thinking that he had finished the job.
"Don't worry, no harm will befall you here," said Arthur as he crouched in front of the woman. The giant warrior turned around in shock to see Arthur unharmed, giving the woman and her son a barrier. "You did well, kid. A man needs to protect what's important to him, even in the face of death."
The woman cried as she hugged her child, but the boy never looked away from Arthur's eyes. Then, he fainted and dropped the sword to the ground.
"Please, stay behind me. This man will never hurt you again in his life, which might not last for long," said Arthur toward the woman, who carried her child and rushed to stand behind him. Then, he turned toward the man. "As for you, stupid piece of scum, I have other arrangements."
"I seem to have judged well to consider you an enemy," said the man as he stared at his sword, which he saw cut through Arthur. "The leader asked to kill any opposition."
"Judged well?" repeated Arthur with a smile. "You have judged poorly, as you made an enemy of an opponent you can never defeat."
"I can tell that you are nothing but a Vetus-ranker," said the man as he took his stance. "I am half a step into the demi-rank. Know the difference, weakling."
"Is that the wound you wanted to kill this boy for?" Arthur asked as he stared at his leg. It had a small wound dripping with blood. The man didn't answer, but Arthur didn't wait and touched the blood on the weapon with his fingers. "How about I make that wound worth it?"
"Laughable. Perish!" shouted the man as he rushed forward again, stomping his foot on the hardwood floor and demolishing it. His sprint obliterated the ship behind him. "Sword of Light!"
"Pop!" said Arthur in response as he snapped his fingers. The radiating sword was about to slash the whole room in two when a popping sound echoed with blood splashing everywhere.
"AAAA!" the man screamed in pain as he topped and fell to the ground. His bleeding leg was nowhere to be seen, which made the woman screech and fall back behind Arthur.
"Now, that's a wound deserving of revenge. However, I won't let you do that," said Arthur as he reached out toward the man's head, but
a gale of wind entered the room. Before he knew it, someone was holding his arm.
"That's enough," said the man who wore a gleaming armor. His face was cold, and his hair was short and black. However, something about his almost-black eyes made Arthur recognize him.
"Do I need to explain what happened here?" asked Arthur as he pulled his hand away, and the man didn't try to hold onto him. Instead, the knight looked around the room at the woman and his subordinate before shaking his head.
"I understand everything. However, let me handle this since you have already helped us greatly," said the knight before he turned toward his subordinate. "Any last words?"