The Saintess Returned to the Emperor’s Arms Chapter 144

Rampage

 

It was a “rampage.”

 

Kyle had drawn out an explosive purifying power from Riella and pushed his ability to its absolute limit.

 

It was a phenomenon Herhan had experienced before.

 

There was a time when even the thoughts of the citizens outside the imperial palace flooded into his mind, so it wasn’t strange that Kyle, with his eyes wide open like this, was controlling hundreds of people he had never even met.

 

But the problem was, this wasn’t a situation where it mattered whether Herhan understood it or not.

 

Riella was crumpled up in Kyle’s ruthless arm like a small doll.

 

Kyle pressed his filthy lips against Riella’s pure skin and drained all of her life energy.

 

And Riella lost consciousness in Kyle’s arms.

 

He couldn’t even tolerate a single strand of Liella’s soft hair being touched, and yet—

 

How could he not be furious?

 

How could he not lose his reason?

 

Herhan’s insides burned as if he had been thrown into blazing flames.

 

Rage surged, twisting his gut, his blood boiling violently.

 

All sense of human reason was blown away, and the only thing moving Herhan’s shell was fury.

 

Just then, he easily knocked away a soldier charging at his lord.

 

There was only one thought occupying Herhan’s mind.

 

‘I’ll tear Kyle apart and kill him.’

 

That man—he would personally rip him to pieces.

 

Those filthy hands that grabbed Liella’s delicate body, the chest that held her, those dirty eyes that looked at her—every single one of them.

 

“Move.”

 

Kyle was still far, far away.

 

Blocking the path ahead were countless puppets.

 

Bearing the imperial crest on their shoulders, they raised their swords without even recognizing their lord.

 

Under Kyle’s control, they would never listen to Herhan’s command, and Herhan had no intention of sparing them either.

 

‘Anyone who stands in my way—’

 

He no longer had the judgment to tell friend from foe.

 

Anyone who blocked his path to Liella was an enemy.

 

‘Clang! Clang!’

 

‘Thud!’

 

Dust rose in the garden, and the tender flowers in the flowerbeds were trampled.

 

The sounds of clashing swords, and the screams of those struck down by Herhan, filled the air.

 

Like the controlled soldiers, Herhan moved without focus, swinging his sword and advancing.

 

He couldn’t even think about the fact that his own people were falling beneath his blade.

 

A few times, their swords lightly cut his skin, but he didn’t feel any pain at all.

 

‘I’ll get Riella back.’

 

With that single resolve.

 

As he pushed forward, taking on every attacker rushing at him—

 

Suddenly, unlike the others, a swift arm shot out.

 

“……!”

 

Herhan turned his head indifferently, but in that instant, his mind snapped back, and he froze.

 

Breaking into a cold sweat, he gritted his teeth and muttered lowly,

 

“……Damn it.”

 

It was Asion.

 

“Why did you stop? Can’t you bring yourself to cut this one down? Is your resolve to protect Liella only that much?”

 

Using Asion’s voice, Kyle spoke.

 

Herhan’s anger flared even more.

 

This fool—who would gladly offer his own neck with a smile for his lord—and yet Kyle was using him like a puppet.

 

“How disappointing. If that’s all your resolve amounts to, shouldn’t you just let Riella go?”

 

Asion thrust his sword forward and attacked.

 

Even though he was being controlled by Kyle, his movements were on a completely different level from the other soldiers.

 

“If it were me, I’d cut him down without hesitation.”

 

Even as he continued swinging his sword and speaking, Asion’s dark eyes were unfocused.

 

In that instant, his blade grazed Herhan’s shoulder, scattering red blood.

 

‘Damn it!’

 

Clutching his shoulder, Herhan swiftly lowered his body, lunged in, and struck Asion’s nape with the hilt of his sword.

 

“Ugh!”

 

Asion let out a choked cry and collapsed, but soon staggered back to his feet.

 

Since he was being controlled anyway, knocking him unconscious wouldn’t change anything.

 

“Asion! Snap out of it!”

 

It would’ve been nice if words could reach him, but it was a futile hope.

 

Behind Asion’s already sturdy frame, other soldiers rose again and began to surround Herhan.

 

Pressed into a defensive corner, Herhan’s vision blurred.

 

The bodies of the soldiers who had once sworn loyalty to him blocked his view, and he couldn’t see Liella beyond them.

 

At that moment—

 

Someone suddenly burst in, breaking apart the formation that had surrounded Herhan, and dashed forward.

 

A movement different from the controlled soldiers.

 

Herhan quickly recognized who it was.

 

It was El.

 

* * *

 

“Why are you giving this back to me?”

 

Before the operation began.

 

More precisely, after invitations had been sent to the alliance executives according to the list El had provided.

 

Herhan secretly summoned El for a private meeting.

 

Now, even without being ordered, El knelt humbly on his own. What Herhan held out to him was a magic stone necklace.

 

“Kyle will enter the imperial palace.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Subduing Kyle isn’t difficult, but his troublesome ability is the problem. This magic stone also creates a barrier that blocks the power of descendants, so it will be the only defense against Kyle.”

 

“Yes. As you said.”

 

In other words, wearing this necklace meant one could avoid Kyle’s control.

 

And yet, Herhan did not take back the magic stone he had handed to El.

 

Still holding his palm open, staring intently at the stone, El asked,

 

“What I mean is… why are you giving something like this to me, instead of someone else?”

 

“Kyle’s power doesn’t work on Riella or me anyway.”

 

“Even so… wouldn’t it be better to protect Captain Asion or Sir Jes instead of me?”

 

“I’m not trying to protect you. I’m using you. They are my people.”

 

“……”

 

“You’re just my card.”

 

El didn’t even force a bitter smile.

 

Herhan stared at him.

 

He wanted to be a good ruler to all his people—but not to El.

 

If it was for protecting Riella, what wouldn’t he do?

 

Even if it meant becoming a king who used and discarded his own people like tools.

 

“Riella said this—she would become Kyle’s bait. But I can never allow that. So when the time comes, you will become the bait instead.”

 

Even if that made him a tyrant who ordered his own subject to become bait, he didn’t care.

 

“I know what your wish is, El. Even as I hand you this necklace, I can read what’s inside you.”

 

At those words, El’s eyes widened in shock.

 

“As emperor, I will grant you one final mercy. I will allow your wish, El Weiss.”

 

El’s wish.

 

It was to die protecting Riella with his own hands.

 

It was an irritating wish, even to the very end.

 

‘If it’s for protecting Riella.’

 

Even allowing the sacrifice of a rival—Herhan didn’t care.

 

* * *

 

Kyle pulled Riella closer into his arms.

 

Just holding her fragile body tightly and savoring her skin filled his entire body with insane power.

 

A strength incomparable to merely watching her from afar.

 

Kyle realized that his whole body was radiating intense heat.

 

At this rate, he felt like he could control not just the soldiers gathered here, but the entire world.

 

To do that… would kissing you be enough?

 

Would that make me the ruler of all?

 

Kyle grabbed Riella’s limp chin.

 

With her eyes gently closed, she looked even more beautiful, like a sleeping angel.

 

Her tightly shut red lips.

 

As he stared at them and began to lower his head—

 

“Ugh—!”

 

Suddenly, someone rushed in and shoved him violently, knocking him backward and making him lose his grip on Riella.

 

Riella collapsed onto the garden grass.

 

For a moment, Kyle’s head rang.

 

‘Wh-who dared defy me…!? There shouldn’t be anyone here unaffected except the emperor!’

 

Looking up, the one breathing heavily above him was a pale man with black hair.

 

Kyle recognized him instantly.

 

The one he had seen countless times and spied on through Duke Sion’s eyes—

 

‘El Weiss.’

 

‘Ha. So he’s wrapped himself in a magic stone barrier. And after someone kindly brought him here, he doesn’t even show gratitude.’

 

El held a sword he must have picked up somewhere, but Kyle knew well that he was a weak scholar who had never properly wielded a blade.

 

‘Just because you can avoid control doesn’t mean I can’t kill you. Or did you not realize you’d become prey instead, El?’

 

Kyle refocused and widened his eyes, giving a new command to those he controlled.

 

Following his orders, they turned toward El.

 

El awkwardly swung his sword, drawing attention from the puppets, but he couldn’t truly fight back.

 

‘What? Did you really think you could take me down looking that sloppy?’

 

The rest was simple.

 

He had been slightly startled by the unexpected appearance, but it wasn’t anything serious.

 

“I’m sorry. Making you lie down in such a dirty place.”

 

Kyle turned back to Riella.

 

Like a princess from a fairy tale, she lay beautifully upon the grass.

 

He reached out his hand toward her.

 

There was dirt on her pale cheek that didn’t belong there.

 

Just as Kyle reached out to wipe it away—

 

A sharp flash of metal cut through the air right in front of his eyes.

 

Before he could even understand what happened, blood burst from his arm.

 

“Don’t you dare lay a hand on Riella.”

 

Kyle looked up at the figure looming over him and froze in shock.

 

The one approaching with a blood-dripping sword, his body stained red in places—

 

It was Herhan.

 

“H-how are you still alive…!?”

 

Behind Herhan, many had fallen—but many also stood still, dazed.

 

The soldiers who had been attacking the emperor were no longer under control.

 

Only then did Kyle realize—when El had charged at him earlier, his concentration had faltered, and he had unknowingly left an opening.

 

“Y-you—”

 

Before he could even curse, Herhan’s heavy kick slammed into Kyle’s face.

 

“Don’t even look at her carelessly.”

 

Kyle was sent flying without even being able to scream.

 

Thud.

 

It seemed that Kyle lost consciousness from that single blow. Even those who had still been swaying under his control completely stopped moving and stood still.

 

No one attacked Herhan anymore.

 

Those who had been rushing at El also stopped, and Kyle could only cough up thick blood, unable to even make a proper sound.

 

“Don’t even breathe that filthy breath.”

 

But even so—

 

“Don’t even think about existing alive beside Riella.”

 

Herhan’s movements toward Kyle did not stop.

 

Kyle’s rampage had ended, but now Herhan’s rampage had begun.

 

It wasn’t as a descendant.

 

It was the madness of someone who had nearly lost the person he loved right before his eyes.

 

The blood Kyle spat stained the hem of Herhan’s clothes red.

 

Even knowing that at this rate he himself would burn away completely into ashes, Herhan couldn’t control himself.

 

As if his very soul had been seized by a demon, he writhed in agony, losing all reason and rampaging—

 

“……Your Majesty.”

 

At that one faint call, the dark clouds that had filled Herhan’s mind cleared away.

 

In the sudden light, he barely came back to his senses.

 

Even though his memory since the moment he had been surrounded by controlled soldiers was hazy—

 

‘Riella…’

 

Only that name, and her presence, remained clear to him.

 

Dust hung thick in the air all around.

 

“Riella.”

 

Herhan loosened the fist he had clenched toward Kyle and looked around, searching for her.

 

But when he still couldn’t see her and the flames in his chest began to rise again—

 

A soft, ticklish sensation brushed against the back of his neck.

 

For a moment, it felt like an angel’s wings had descended—

 

But it was Riella’s hair.

 

“……Your Majesty.”

 

From behind, Riella leaned her utterly exhausted and fragile body against him.

 

“Your Majesty. Please stop now.”

 

Her voice, damp with emotion, gently woke his mind.

 

“Stop now… and instead, please hold me. I… I need you.”

 

Herhan tightly held Riella’s arms as they wrapped warmly around his neck, and let out a breath against her skin.

 

The flames that had been burning away his reason now turned into a desperate prayer directed toward his goddess.

 

‘Yes… let’s do that. Let’s end everything now.’

 

* * *