With jaws clenched, Drayce let his gaze roam around, but there was still no sign of the agreed-upon signal that meant the two princes were safe.
"King Drayce, I can see your nervousness now. I have always known, though they call you a devil, you are nothing like that. Your heart is soft like that of a woman's," the marquis laughed loudly, his voice echoing everywhere.
When his gaze returned to the severely injured man on the ground, something inside Drayce snapped. The anger that was brewing earlier was now roaring to be released. The devil inside him that he never wanted to bring out was ready to show up and run rampantly.
His blood was calling out to him...
Slayer was not just his knight but his friend. They had known each other since they were kids, and seeing him in such condition was enough to break the walls that had kept the devil inside of him. What more, he had no idea how Arlan was faring. If what this Godfrey Percy was saying was true...
How could he remain calm when those closest to him had been harmed?
Marquis Percy broadened his grin, his gaze switching back and forth between Drayce and Slayer. "Now, I want to change my plan. Instead of letting this knight see his king's death, I would like his king to cry over his knight's death." The marquis signaled his men. "Cut all his limbs!"
Before the soldiers could take a single step towards Slayer, the entire Barknor Fortress shook as if there was an earthquake. The stone buildings around them swayed, and the ground underneath their feet cracked. Behind Drayce, the tallest tower of the Marquis' castle could be seen crumbling into ruin.
Destruction.
Ruin.
In a matter of several seconds, the entire fortress had seemingly started to collapse. Soldiers and civilians alike had to search for something to grab on to balance themselves to stand steadily, while the rest started to run about to seek shelter from collapsing stone buildings.
However, for the initially self-satisfied Marquis Percy, the world seemed to have zoomed in on a single point. His entire body had become frozen in fear and disbelief. He did not even realize that the horse beside him had run away. Instead, his entire attention was on the person in front of him.
A person who did not seem human at the moment.
Even Sir Berolt and other knights couldn't believe what was happening, but when they remembered the rumor about the King of Megaris, they felt both fear and joy at having such a strong and fierce ally.
Red eyes turned darker as if flames were burning inside them stared down at the trembling marquis.
"Dray!"
A hoarse, pained voice broke through the thick chaos inside Drayce's mind, bringing clarity back to those red eyes and stopping their owner from getting consumed by rage.
Just as the flames in those red eyes vanished, the ground stopped shaking. Drayce looked down towards his feet. Slayer, who had crawled down the short distance between them, had grabbed onto his king's ankle and looked at him with his teary and pain-filled eyes.
"Dray! Don't," Slayer said as he coughed blood.
Now that the earthquake had stopped, the majority of the people had calmed down enough to think rationally.
'It has to be a natural disaster!'
As military people, they found it impossible to believe that the unholy rumor about the King of Megaris was true. Even if it were, the King of Megaris should not have the strength that could only belong to a god, or else the continent should have long been united under the banner of Megaris.
'It is pure coincidence!'
With renewed vigor, Marquis Percy signaled his soldiers to get Slayer. But even before they could reach Slayer, they found themselves thrown far away before they could come close.
Drayce's eyes were fixed on Slayer. There was no way he would let anyone touch his friend.
It surprised the marquis and everyone else. No one had touched the soldiers. They were repelled as if there was an invisible force working against them. Although they had heard the rumors about him being a devil's son,? they were reluctant to accept such tall tales. Only commoners and bored nobles would believe that.
But with what they witnessed now, it would be foolish of them to continue doubting their senses.
"Wait for me. Don't pass out!" Drayce said to Slayer, who looked at him with eyes full of trust.
Slayer didn't care much for his injuries, but he cared for his order as he did not want to disappoint his liege anymore. He knew his king would make everything right, and they would make their way out of this fortress even without his king using his powers. Though he was not sure how long he could hold back, he would fight to keep his consciousness intact and watch his king gracefully slaughter the enemies.
Drayce looked at Sir Berolt and the other knights. "Protect him till I finish."
"As per your order, Your Majesty," Sir Berolt replied with a tightened grip on his sword, and the other knights joined him as well to form a semi-circle around the injured Slayer.
Drayce stepped ahead towards the marquis, leaving Slayer and the rest of the group behind. He pointed his empty hand towards the ground, and one of the bloody swords from a fallen soldier fled towards his hand.
Marquis Percy flinched upon seeing Drayce showing off another of his powers.
Drayce rotated his wrists as a warm-up for wielding two swords. With the flawless movement of the swords on each of his hands, it could be seen that he was a veteran of dual swords.
Drayce's fiery red eyes glared at the marquis. "You will regret not dying in the last battle."
Marquis Percy was shaken inside to find himself against such a terrifying opponent, but he tried to hide he was affected and spoke with a mocking smile. "I heard the King of Megaris believes in a fair fight, but with these powers…."