TWFLLYM Ch 108

Resurrection (1)

[Eaton] "This is madness!"

His voice thundered with outrage.

[Eaton] "A Servel Tiger! How can this be a duel? Not even the slave gladiators across the sea in Darya are forced to face such a thing!"

The Emperor shared this shock. He only intended to settle a wedding date; he never harbored even a shred of desire to put his son's life at risk.

[Belto I] "Neira! What have you done? A Servel Tiger! How could you bring such a beast into the palace!"

The Baroness raised her green eyes—eyes that usually held a wise and innocent light—to meet the Emperor's gaze.

[Neira] "Your Majesty gave your permission."

[Belto I] "I? I did no such thing!"

[Neira] "Did you not tell me to bring whatever I wished?"

[Belto I] "I did! But that was because you had so little, and I felt pity for you. Wait, your belongings fit into only two trunks. No trunk could hold such a massive predator!"

[Neira] "One did."

She stated flatly.

[Belto I] "No, it is impossible. That is why I asked why you had so few possessions."

[Neira] "You already gave your permission. You promised a duel with the Crown Prince. I want you to fulfill that promise, Your Majesty."

[Belto I] "No, this is absurd. How can a human face a Servel Tiger? If you insist on such nonsense, I will have to......"

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

[Belto I] "Mm? That is strange. Were your eyes always purple? I thought they were green."

He recalled those modest, beautiful green eyes that made him fall in love the moment he first saw them.

[Neira] "Yes. They were always this color."

[Belto I] "No. That isn't right. They were definitely green......"

She smiled at him. At that moment, strength drained from the Emperor's limbs. A strange scent hit his nose. It was sharp and spicy, reminiscent of pepper or cinnamon.

[Neira] "They were always purple, Your Majesty."

[Belto I] "Always...... that color...... no, always...... purple......"

He repeated her words with a slow, heavy tongue, as if falling into a deep sleep.

[Neira] "Yes. Purple."

[Belto I] "I see......"

She leaned down and cupped his face with both hands.

[Neira] "Your Majesty. It is time to start the duel."

[Belto I] "......"

Staring into those purple eyes—eyes that felt both foreign and familiar—Belto I nodded slowly.

[Belto I] "Begin...... the duel......"

[Neira] "Haha!"

She laughed aloud and waved her hand.

[Neira] "Go now. Bite him to your heart's content, my lovely puppy."

Roar!

The Servel Tiger lunged at Kalart.

---

[Roserikta] "There's a huge problem!"

She burst out of the room. Startled, Elona threw off the invisibility cloak and stood up.

[Elona] "Lady Roserikta! You mustn't shout so loudly in this—"

[Roserikta] "We don't have time!"

She grabbed Elona's arm and began to run. Clobellina's eyes went wide as saucers as she scrambled to keep up.

[Elona] "Lady Roserikta! At least tell me what's happening!"

[Clobell] "Exactly! Why are you acting like a crazy person all of a sudden!"

She spoke breathlessly as she sprinted toward her room.

[Roserikta] "The Black Witch used Liberation."

[Elona] "Pardon? What is that?"

[Clobell] "What is she talking about?"

[Roserikta] "It's a dark magic spell. Liberation brings drawings or images into reality."

[Clobell] "Did you say the Black Witch? Is she here?"

[Elona] "So the Baroness was the Black Witch all along?"

[Roserikta] "I believe she swapped bodies with the Baroness."

[Clobell] "Gasp! What kind of magic is that!"

[Elona] "Wait. Does that mean the Emperor has become a black agent?"

[Roserikta] "No. Fortunately, I don't think so. She probably lacks the mana required to create a black agent. But this might be worse. Using Liberation means she will use any means necessary."

[Elona] "Wait, wait. Then what exactly did she liberate?"

She took a sharp breath before answering.

[Roserikta] "A Servel Tiger."

[Elona] "What?"

[Clobell] "What did you say? ......Gasp!"

In their shock, Elona and Clobellina nearly tripped over their own feet.

[Elona] "A Servel Tiger...... what is that?"

[Roserikta] "A tiger with long fangs. The largest, fiercest, and most violent of its kind."

At the mention of a tiger, Clobellina trembled.

[Elona] "And that thing is inside the palace right now?"

[Roserikta] "Yes."

Elona shook her head vigorously.

[Elona] "No, that's impossible. Think about it, Lady Roserikta. If such a beast suddenly appeared, would everyone be this quiet?"

[Roserikta] "The Liberation spell was just cast......"

Unfortunately, the palace didn't stay quiet for long.

Screams! Help me! Aaaaagh!

Ear-piercing shrieks began to echo clearly from the distance.

[Roserikta] "My goodness! It really appeared!"

She spun around and began to run again.

[Elona] "Lady Roserikta! Where are you going?"

[Roserikta] "I need that book!"

A human couldn't face a Servel Tiger. She needed a way to turn the Liberation spell back into a blank page.

---

It was pure horror.

The fear a single Servel Tiger could inspire was overwhelming. Most people had never seen one in the flesh; they only knew the beast from illustrations in biological encyclopedias.

The actual tiger looked exactly like the drawings. However, no one imagined the real thing would be this massive.

Terror led to chaos, madness, and a total loss of control. The crowd that gathered to watch the duel trampled one another in a frantic attempt to escape, causing more injuries than the beast itself.

[Eaton] "Your Highness! You must get away!"

Eaton and the Royal Guard threw themselves into the center of the arena, disregarding their own safety. He blocked Kalart's path as the Prince stared into the tiger's yellow eyes.

[Eaton] "Your Highness! Please!"

It was a reckless move. No one knew how a wild beast would react to the sudden movement of a third party.

[Kalart] "That thing is fake."

[Eaton] "You must flee...... Pardon? What did you say?"

[Kalart] "That tiger. It's a fake."

Kalart gestured with his chin toward the Baroness, who sat a distance away. While the Royal Guard scrambled to evacuate the Emperor, the Baroness remained motionless.

[Kalart] "Do you think a human can tame a beast like a Servel Tiger?"

[Eaton] "I suppose not...... No, don't worry about that and just run! How can that be fake? It looks so vivid! Even if it is a fake, I must get you to safety!"

[Kalart] "It is fake. I'm only curious if it can harm a real person despite being an illusion. I'm betting it can't."

[Eaton] "What does that...... Your Highness!"

Kalart was certain the tiger was fake because it looked perfectly normal to him. Usually, his vision distorted and warped living things. Yet, he could see every detail of this tiger, from its whiskers to its claws, with perfect clarity.

If the situation weren't so dire, he might have admired it. He never knew such a handsome beast existed.

[Kalart] "I will handle this. You go and seize the Baroness. That woman clearly has a dark purpose."

Kalart lunged forward.

Roar!

The Servel Tiger charged at him.

[Eaton] "Your Highness!"

Thud!

Kalart blocked a massive paw aimed at his head with his shield. The tiger's paw was nearly the size of a child's head.

[Kalart] "......Heh."

The impact felt heavy against the shield, but something felt wrong. The force was far lighter than what he expected from a predator of that size attacking with full strength.

Kalart pushed the shield forward, drew his sword, and swung it beneath the shield.

Swish!

The blade clearly grazed the tiger. If the hide were too thick to cut, the sword should have at least sliced through that glossy black fur. But nothing changed.

[Kalart] "As I thought. You aren't alive."

He glared at the snarling beast over the edge of his shield.

[Kalart] "Then how am I supposed to kill you?"

Grrrr!

The tiger bared its teeth and aimed for his throat. Kalart ducked quickly to protect his neck and kicked the tiger in the belly.

Thump!

The tiger ignored the strike and continued its assault as if it felt nothing. That, too, made no sense. A beast of this size should have pinned him down with its weight, yet Kalart held his ground with surprising ease.

Bash! Bash!

He struck the tiger's paws with the edge of his shield. From a distance, it looked like a desperate struggle between man and beast.

[Kalart] "Eaton! Move the Royal Guard. Help the people escape safely. If I leave this spot, the beast will follow me."

[Eaton] "Your Highness! Even so, I can't just—!"

[Kalart] "Look closely! This isn't a Servel Tiger. The appearance is correct, but the inside is something else entirely. It can't overpower me."

[Eaton] "That......"

[Kalart] "Get the people out first, then capture the Baroness. If I haven't finished this by then, find out from her how to destroy it. Do it now."

Eaton finally accepted that Kalart was right. He couldn't say the tiger was harmless, but at the very least, Kalart was holding his own.

If this were a real top-tier predator, the Prince wouldn't stand a chance. Even the most seasoned knight couldn't face a bear, and a Servel Tiger could rip a bear apart like paper.

[Eaton] "Understood. Then...... please stay safe!"

He gritted his teeth and ran into the chaos.

[Eaton] "Royal Guard, this way! Clear a path to the exit! Ensure no one gets hurt!"

Slowly, the chaos began to subside as a path to safety opened. Once he saw the situation was under control, Eaton turned his eyes to find the Baroness. Kalart's command to find out how to destroy the beast rang in his ears. It meant the Baroness was no ordinary human.

[Eaton] "Just what is......"

His suspicion swelled in an instant.

[Eaton] "Could it be...... has the Black Witch returned?"

Surprisingly, a voice answered him.

[Neira] "No. I didn't return because I never died."

[Eaton] "What!"

Eaton spun around. The Baroness stood right in front of him. She had a strange face, but she smiled at him with vivid purple eyes he remembered all too well.

[Neira] "I needed you. You are such an obedient child."

[Eaton] "Gasp......!"

Eaton inhaled the sharp, spicy scent that stung his nose.

[Neira] "The Crown Prince is too clever. He already realized my creation is fake. Isn't that a shame? I thought I would finally see him trembling in fear this time."

[Eaton] "......"

After inhaling that scent, he couldn't move his body. Eaton stared at her with wide eyes.

[Neira] "So, you go and help. My paper puppy isn't enough on its own."

Her purple eyes deepened.

[Neira] "Go and kill the Crown Prince."

---

[Belto I] "This is impossible! My Neira is still over there!"

The Emperor barked an order. He insisted he couldn't flee alone. Arad tried to persuade him with a troubled face.

[Arad] "Your Majesty. The Baroness is the one who summoned the Servel Tiger."

He implied she wouldn't have done something that put her own life in danger. He also wondered why the Emperor wanted to protect the person who caused this disaster.

[Belto I] "No, something is wrong...... Of course. It's a curse. Neira was cursed by the evil entity that the fairy cat mentioned. She doesn't even know what she is doing. I must go and bring her back."

He shouted with absolute conviction.

[Belto I] "The fairy cat will break the curse!"