My reason vanished completely.
Driven by the raw destructive impulse ruling my brain, I lunged at Klaus.
"Ngh!"
Klaus shoved his shield forward, desperately bracing for my heavy overhead slash.
CRACK!
A violent, metallic sound rang through the air.
The blade couldn't take it; my sword snapped in two. While the House Winterfeld heirloom, the shield Tria Petal, remained unscathed, the force of the blow slammed directly into Klaus’s left arm.
"Uguuuaaaaaaaa!?"
With a heavy clatter, Tria Petal fell to the ground. Klaus’s left arm, which had taken the impact head-on, was twisted at an impossible angle.
I threw aside the broken hilt and drove a full-strength fist into Klaus's gut just as he doubled over in pain.
"Guaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Klaus stood over 190 centimeters tall and was built like a tank, but the blow lifted both his feet off the ground. The sickening sensation of snapping bones and rupturing organs traveled up my arm.
Goh-hak. A spray of blood and bile erupted from his mouth.
I followed up instantly, a hook to the side of his handsome face. I felt his cheekbone cave in as his massive frame went spinning away like a kicked ball.
It was a tragedy in an instant.
The students' cheers died in their throats, replaced by a collective shiver of dread.
"Hii..."
"Wh-what is happening...?"
This was clearly different from the mock battles governed by set rules until now. This was a fight to the death—no, this one-sided display was nothing short of a slaughter.
My destructive impulse was not yet satisfied.
Clenching my blood-stained right fist and coiling my muscles, I prepared to pounce on the prone Klaus.
"Spell: Chain of Binding!"
Karia, an expert in barrier magic, threw her weight into a spell.
Immediately, chains of concentrated mana lashed around me. They bound me tight from my torso to my toes, pinning my arms to my sides like a wooden post. It was a restraint so severe I couldn't even wiggle a finger.
"Hee hee hee."
A grin spread across my face.
The moment I poured every ounce of strength into my limbs and threw my arms wide, there was a sound like a pressurized tank bursting. The magical chains shattered into a thousand shards of light.
"N-no way!? My barrier!?" Karia cried out in shock.
—Hah hah hah hah hah! Oh, how amusing! To think you thought you could stop Verdict's Frenzy with such a trifle! Bask in your own futility!
My freed body blurred, closing the distance to the fallen Klaus in a single step.
Klaus’s left cheek was a mangled mess, and his mouth was stained a vivid crimson. He lay there unconscious, eyes rolled back into his head. If I swung my fist down now, his skull would be pulverized against the stone floor.
"Ki hi hi...!"
Driven by the impulse, my right arm swung down—
And stopped inches from his face.
...I’d done it. I'd held back.
It took a agonizing effort, but my reason finally clawed its way back through the destructive urge. I’d managed to create a delicate, trembling state of equilibrium.
B-but! This!
I couldn't buy much more time. I felt like a crumbling levee trying to hold back a flood during a hurricane. If I let my guard down for even a second, I’d be swallowed whole.
—Ku ku ku! The sight of a lowlife desperately resisting is truly comical. You want to save his life? Pretending to be an ally of justice? To think you possessed such a decent spirit!
Shut up. It’s not like that.
If I need to kill, I’ll kill. If I leave it to the "Essence of Albert von Kronstadt" sleeping within me, I wouldn't hesitate. But being at your beck and call is what's unpleasant!
—Is that the stubbornness of a lowlife? Fine. Fuhahaha, it seems that stubbornness was not in vain.
The intense destructive impulse dominating my body suddenly evaporated. My strength failed me, and I swayed unsteadily. Rapidly, my consciousness began to drift away.
—Your vessel has reached its limit. If we go further, you will break. Since I enjoyed myself more than expected, I shall forgive today's insolence. You are a toy I finally obtained; it is too early to break you.
Stupid Tsundere King. Your love is a little too heavy for me...
Hey, don't you ever try to pull something like that again.
—Those are my words. As long as you are mimicking me, you must satisfy me. If you show me such a pathetic sight again, I will crush you along with your world. Refine yourself while my mercy lasts.
Shut up...
With that thought, I lost consciousness completely.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
Watching Knight Klaus being broken by Albert, Princess Eliana's breath hitched.
(To think he possessed such power!)
Even before Albert's atmosphere had shifted, Eliana had been surprised that he could match Klaus—and even overwhelm him—with swordsmanship alone. But this current scene surpassed even the word "astonishment."
To leave a powerhouse like Klaus in such a one-sided state of ruin!
She felt a twinge of pity for the loyal knight. However, more than that, she felt a profound admiration for Albert's superhuman strength.
For Eliana, the Demon King Subjugation was her singular, driving ambition. She was prepared to sacrifice thousands of lives to defeat the Demon King—she was ready to become a monster herself to see it done. Albert's current strength possessed the dark radiance necessary to achieve that goal.
(I have successfully drawn out Albert's hidden power. Klaus, your sacrifice was worth it.)
Karia's chains had briefly caught the rampaging Albert. Her relief that things would settle was short-lived, as Albert tore the chains apart like paper and lunged at the fallen knight.
(...!?)
There was no longer any way to save him. In that instant, Eliana's knuckles turned white as she clenched her hands.
(...Klaus—!)
But just as he was about to deliver the finishing blow, Albert's body suddenly swayed, and he collapsed onto the floor.
Klaus might still be saved. She hadn't decided that it was acceptable to lose Klaus permanently; he was still an excellent asset for the upcoming war. It was simply that, to draw out Albert's true value, she had to be willing to gamble with Klaus’s life.
Naturally, she had prepared a contingency.
"Hurry! A stretcher!"
While the teachers shouted for medical aid, Eliana approached a woman in priest's robes who had been watching the carnage with a pale face.
"Saint Seraphina, can you save Klaus with your blessing?"
"...Yes, Lady Eliana. Please leave it to me."
Saint Seraphina stepped forward. The teachers gathered around Klaus noticed her and quickly made way. After a brief glance at the unconscious Albert, Seraphina knelt on the floor and held both hands over the prone knight.
"Spell: Heavenly Light Healing."
A light of pure benevolence enveloped Klaus. Watching the scene, Eliana breathed a sigh of relief. She would not lose Klaus today.
With her concerns resolved, Eliana’s gaze drifted back to Albert.
(Indeed, Albert. You are the supreme force capable of opposing the Demon King—)
There was no room for doubt. Eliana, who sought only power, felt a sense of ecstasy. A sweet, intoxicating warmth spread through her chest.
(It will be necessary to settle the score with Hero Leon soon.)
Resources were limited. It was better to decide the true representative of humanity sooner rather than later.
Principal Galfried approached her. "...Lady Eliana. I apologize for this so soon after the training camp has begun, but shall we discuss how to handle Albert going forward?"
"I understand."
In his position as Principal, Galfried might advocate for Albert's expulsion or containment. However, Eliana had absolutely no intention of allowing that.