Chapter 46

Subjugation (2)

The intense cornering ripped up the pavement entirely.

Seeing her stab her hand into the ground to use it as a pivot just to make a turn made it clear how fast Noel was currently moving.

And then—

The outskirts of the Imperial Capital, a ghost town filled with nothing but abandoned buildings.

It was the place Aiden had led Noel to. Just as he had requested: spacious, and completely deserted.

"Is this the place?!"

Seeing the Warden of the Realm charging in like a tank, Noel asked in a hurried voice.

It was only natural she sounded urgent. If they stopped for even a moment, he would be upon them in an instant.

In fact, the Warden was sprinting toward them without even the slightest sign of being out of breath. Compared to Noel, who was at least sweating, he looked almost too lively.

In other words—

The fact that even Noel, who had endured a battle that drained her stamina, was now facing someone who looked completely unscathed was proof that his capabilities were clearly beyond normal.

And tying down someone like that wouldn’t be possible with ordinary means.

Aiden glanced around quickly.

"What exactly did you prepare here—"

"That."

When he replied and pointed with his finger, Noel's expression twisted.

"……Your Highness the Princess?"

Even before those words could fully leave her mouth, a massive pillar of flame burst forth, as if tearing the sky apart, coloring the surroundings in fire.

It was an attack Katya had unleashed from a standstill, without any preparatory movement. The ease with which she wielded such power sent a chill down the spine, but what followed was even more chilling.

Against ‘Holy Flame’, a power that held an elemental advantage over spirits—

Seeing the Warden of the Realm charge through it, practically taking the attack head-on, Aiden let out an involuntary groan.

"……Oof."

"It’s not effec—"

"—tive, of course."

The only saving grace was—

The attack she had just unleashed was merely a preliminary step for what was coming next.

Even before Noel could blurt out that it was useless—

-!

-!

Dozens of pillars slammed into the ground in rapid succession around the Warden.

It was something Katya had prepared in advance at this location.

Recognizing what they were, Noel's eyes widened as she asked,

"……Subjugation Pillars? When did you even prepare those?"

"I swore I’d use them the moment I saw them."

They were among the items confiscated from a group that had been supplying goods to the Capital under orders from the prince and the Minister of Administration.

Back when Noel had said, "We’ve gotten everything we need," he had already confirmed the inventory and begun planning.

"You really don’t let anything go to waste, do you?"

"……."

Being complimented in a situation like this felt a bit strange, but oh well.

Although Noel had broken through those Subjugation Pillars easily before, this time they had poured in several times that number.

And then—

-!!

-!!!!!

A sonic boom far beyond what had been heard when they previously subdued Katya began to crush down upon the Warden of the Realm.

The engraved objects crafted from sacred wood resonated with each other, forming a seamless barrier.

It wasn’t even meant as an attack—its sole purpose was to pin the target in place—yet the air was torn apart and pressure blasted out in every direction.

Everyone watching was visibly overwhelmed, their reactions saying more than words ever could.

"……If I got caught in that, not even the Empire’s founding ancestor could survive it, let alone me."

Even Aiden responded with silent agreement to Noel’s weary remark.

However—

‘……And yet, he's still moving? That makes no sense.’

Aiden let out a hollow chuckle as the thought repeated in his mind.

Even trapped inside that, the Warden of the Realm showed monstrous strength, moving his limbs.

Still—despite that.

‘Up to this point, everything’s going according to plan.’

It was clear that his movements were gradually slowing. No matter how powerful he was, maintaining peak condition in there had to be nearly impossible.

Slower, and slower, and slower still.

Until finally, he dropped to one knee, as if even moving had become too much.

That meant—it was now Aiden’s turn.

He took a deep breath and drew his sword.

The technique Meyer had passed down didn’t have a long range. He had to get in close, no matter what.

He approached the Warden, who had slowed, preparing his sword.

All he had to do now was unleash the skill he had prepared. Then victory would be his.

And at that moment—

Aiden locked eyes with the Warden of the Realm.

*

*

*

*

*

*

—Suddenly.

Goosebumps ran all the way down his body.

Clearly.

A chilling instinct crawled down his spine: something was wrong.

That look in the Warden’s eyes—he had been baiting them. Exposing his weakness to lure the enemy in, like a predator drawing in its prey—

‘This—he exposed a weakness on purpose—’

Even before Aiden could finish that thought, the Warden’s arm was already in motion.

It wasn't slow like someone subdued—but at the same terrifying speed he had always displayed.

"Dodge—!"

Then, someone rammed into Aiden’s side.

It was Katya, the one who had been watching most objectively and had assessed the situation faster than anyone else.

If Aiden wasn’t dead instantly, it was probably thanks to her.

"-!"

Before he could even properly brace himself, a sword flashed in like lightning and slashed into Aiden’s side.

It cut straight through the Holy Flame barrier and Katya in its path, then dug halfway into Aiden’s flank.

The sensation of skin, muscle, and even the area near the bone being torn apart gnawed at his nerves.

Then came the agony—so intense he could barely breathe—as Aiden let out a ragged gasp.

The Warden of the Realm, who had just unleashed that devastating attack, was already moving into his next motion.

[Subjects of the Empire, do not fear—]

Beneath his battered armor, the same cold, unshaken voice echoed.

With his words, qi gathered.

Fierce and deadly—like a bomb on the verge of detonation—an intense concentration of hostility converged at the tip of his sword.

[—For I have come.]

The next moment—

—the world went black for an instant.

▣

His consciousness buzzed.

His vision was blurry. A tingling sensation ran through every nerve in his body.

‘……This is so unfair, seriously.’

Coughing up a clot of blood, Aiden found himself mulling over that thought.

It hadn’t really hit him before—he’d copied and wielded so many terrifying skills from all sorts of people that it barely registered anymore.

But fundamentally, he was just an ordinary person who’d stumbled into the world of superhumans.

And this is what happens—one unexpected hit up close, and he was already at death’s door.

No—

If Katya hadn’t completely shielded him with her body, that spot just now would’ve been his grave.

-System Message

▶ Critical injury detected.

▶ 'Skill: Sanctified Body' has been activated.

▶ Wounds will begin healing, and regeneration speed is increased.

The one bit of luck was that he’d managed to acquire at least one skill that helped in situations like this.

He didn’t have natural Holy Flame power like Katya, so it was vastly inferior to the original—but even so, the kind of injury that should’ve easily resulted in shock and death was now slowly, bit by bit, regenerating.

"……It freaking hurts, seriously……"

He barely propped himself up, leaning his whole body against some kind of unknown structure nearby.

Then Aiden noticed—he was now on a completely different main street from the alleyway he’d just been in.

There was no way to tell how far he had been launched by that last blow.

One thing was clear: the surrounding scenery was nothing like before. He hadn’t flown a short distance, that was for sure.

-!

And as if to mock the distance he had been sent flying, he heard a loud thud—someone landing nearby.

The Warden of the Realm.

He raised his sword and began walking toward Aiden, one step at a time, ready to fight.

‘-Da...nger...ous...’

His mind registered it, but his body wouldn’t move. Even though the Sanctified Body skill was healing him, his recovery was still far too slow to react.

The Warden’s sword lifted when he reached striking distance. It looked, for a moment, like the grim reaper raising his scythe.

But then—

The sword stopped mid-air.

“-?”

Even with his battered body, Aiden looked up at him, full of confusion.

He had to admit—even saying it himself—this was the perfect opportunity for the enemy.

There was no reason to hesitate. So why was he?

As he puzzled over that thought—

Someone slammed bodily into the Warden of the Realm. Even through blurred vision, Aiden could clearly see it—a knight cloaked head to toe in pure white qi.

It was Noel, shouting like thunder as she gestured urgently to Katya, who had followed right behind her.

Her stance was firm, unwavering—but even through Aiden’s hazy gaze, he could see the tremble in her hand gripping the sword.

She was clearly shaken, standing there pointing a blade at someone who was both her master and a parental figure.

And yet—

Resolve soon settled in her eyes. As if reminding herself that the man before her was nothing more than a puppet now.

“—Stand back!”

With those words, Noel charged at the Warden.

As if finally recognizing her, the Warden of the Realm, who had halted the blade meant for Aiden, turned his crimson, lantern-like eyes toward her.

A roar, like a boiling warcry, burst forth from beneath his visor.

And then—it exploded.

A battle so fierce it seemed to flip the surrounding scenery inside out erupted between the two knights.

Meanwhile, Katya had reached Aiden and was desperately trying to support him.

“—Get up, quickly! We have to run!”

“……Run?”

“Lionhearted will handle it. Someone like him isn’t going to lose!”

“……”

In theory, that made sense.

Even if the Warden was a knight on Noel’s level, he still wasn’t beyond her.

But if the Warden hadn’t become stronger due to the quest—

“-Kh!”

Noel was being pushed onto the defensive. Even Lionhearted was falling behind.

And worse, she was only managing to deflect the incoming blows, which meant she was gradually accumulating more injuries.

If they let it continue like this, she would lose. It didn’t take long for that conclusion to become clear.

“……What are you doing? I said we need to run—”

Katya’s voice urged him from just outside his fading field of view.

But Aiden remained rooted in place like he’d been nailed down, sweeping his hazy vision around them over and over.

‘A way—’

Their original plan had gone off course, but—

He had to find something. Adapt. React.

Unless he found a way to win, Noel would die.

He locked his gaze on the Warden of the Realm.

Then at the spot he had been leaning on earlier.

He looked toward what the Warden had seen—the thing that made him halt his attack.

A statue. Draped in the Empire’s flag.

It was likely one of the many decorations hung up around town for the Harvest Festival.

And once he fully registered what it was—

Click—

Something clicked in his mind like a switch being flipped.

“……”

The realization hit him. What he had been missing until now.

‘Ah.’

Aiden let out a deep sigh.

What an idiot.

He couldn’t help but scold himself with that bitter assessment.

‘……If I really wanted to subdue him, we never even needed those Subjugation Pillars.’

Once you thought about why that man was fighting to begin with—everything made sense.

It was the obvious conclusion.

"Katya."

He took a deep breath and barely managed to speak.

"Please help me."

▣

Her breathing was ragged.

It wasn’t because she was tired. Noel's body had been trained to never betray her will, no matter the circumstance.

And yet—

-!

She couldn't remember the last time she’d faced someone this strong.

Once again, sparks flew as their blades clashed and both figures recoiled from the shock.

Noel gripped her increasingly trembling wrist with her other hand.

Cold sweat beaded down her temple.

It was a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time during battle.

Anxiety. Fear.

‘……Why?’

There was also fear of defeat—and of death.

But she knew, without a doubt, there was something else mixed in.

Noel…

…still couldn’t bring herself to believe that she was crossing blades with Teresa, staking her life on it.

‘—Still!’

She forced those emotions down and tightened her grip on her sword.

The Warden of the Realm, his eyes glinting ominously beneath his visor, raised his blade toward her once again.

So she responded in kind. She controlled her breathing, aligning the flow of her qi.

The tension peaked—both blades radiating a chilling pressure.

And then—an instant slash.

The swordlights of the two knights scattered in all directions—

"-?"

Noel’s eyes widened in shock.

It took her a moment to even register what she was seeing. That delay alone made her reaction inevitable.

And then—her wide eyes filled with horror.

"Aiden!"

Of course.

She had thought she'd grown used to this man’s endless absurdities by now, but for him to throw himself right into the middle of two flying slashes from both sides—

That was something she never saw coming.

Especially in a body so wrecked, blatantly ignoring every call to retreat!

Noel clenched her teeth, focusing all her nerves on the hand holding her sword.

As someone who fought near the pinnacle of superhuman level, she just barely managed to redirect her attack, altering its path within a fraction of a second.

While her diverted slash drastically reduced the size of several nearby buildings, Noel didn’t even have time to process before she hurled herself toward Aiden.

Even if she pulled back, there was no guarantee the enemy would do the same. If she left him there, he was definitely going to get torn apart!

"Aiden, you have to get out of the way—!"

But Aiden remained still, wrapping something around his body.

It was the flag of the Empire, bearing the symbol of the lion.

And even as the Warden’s slash came barreling toward him—

"I'm sorry, Warden of the Realm."

He offered an apology that made no sense and merely stood there, cloaked in the flag, staring back at the Warden.

‘Why? What the hell is he—!’

Noel’s mind went blank. She had no idea what he was doing, but the despair came crashing in instantly—she was already too late.

She could already see the horrific image: Aiden being cut in two, his upper body flying through the air, blood spraying everywhere.

The Warden’s sword swung with no hesitation—showing absolutely no regard for Aiden’s life.

But then, just as the blade neared—

As soon as his eyes caught sight of the imperial flag draped around Aiden—

"……Huh?"

The Warden's movement froze in place. Completely.