The Tyrant Won’t Let Me Go Chapter 111

 

However, every time that happened, the mana suppression device I had placed beside me emitted a blue light, and the dark mana that had begun to rise at Jayden’s fingertips scattered and vanished into the air.  

 

‘That was mana gathered over a full week.’  

 

The magic research department had calculated that the amount of mana would be sufficient, but I had still worried it might not be enough.  

 

Judging by Jayden’s reaction, thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case.  

 

“It’s all over now, Jayden Ackeleta.”  

 

At Cedric’s icy voice, Jayden stood still and glared at him. The calm, unmoving crimson eyes of a camellia met the greedy golden eyes filled with avarice.  

 

“Even if you are the emperor, I cannot forgive you for abducting my sister and forcing her into confinement.”  

 

Then, Jayden suddenly turned his head toward the King of Chitran and shouted.  

 

“The woman standing here on two feet is not my sister. She is either an imposter or my sister has been brainwashed, Your Majesty, King of Chitran.”  

 

It seemed he still believed he could sway the King of Chitran’s mind.  

 

Or perhaps he intended to divert attention and plot some other mischief.  

 

As my thoughts reached that point, I turned my body fully toward the King of Chitran, keeping my eyes fixed on Jayden, who was shouting.  

 

“They are clearly using my brainwashed sister to frame me and devour Ackeleta! If this continues, even Chitran will—”  

 

“Enough. It doesn’t seem worth listening to.”  

 

The King of Chitran waved his hand dismissively.  

 

“This is meaningless, brother.”  

 

Then, Persephine stepped forward, her sword drawn. Her violet eyes burned like flames even in the deep darkness.  

 

The unwavering determination in those vivid eyes made it clear they did not belong to someone who had been brainwashed, and it was impossible to think she was anyone but Persephine.  

 

Everyone present knew that fact.  

 

“The Empire refused to send me as a tribute from Ackeleta. Rather, wasn’t it you, brother, who tried to send me to the Empire to eliminate the only person who could threaten your claim to the throne?”  

 

“Persephine, to say such things against your own heart—it’s clear you’ve fallen under their brainwashing.”  

 

“I can prove all the atrocities you’ve committed right here.”  

 

Persephine shouted without backing down.  

 

“The traces of the curse you placed on me using your mana, and my words, will serve as evidence.”  

 

Then, the King of Chitran added, “I’ve already heard everything. Lying now won’t work.”  

 

Realizing that persuading him with words was impossible, Jayden bit his lip hard. So hard that a trickle of blood began to seep from between his lips.  

 

“How many times… how many times have I…”  

 

As he muttered incomprehensible words, the soldiers cautiously raised their spears and swords.  

 

But soon, he spat the blood pooled in his mouth onto the ground and raised both arms high into the air.  

 

“Fine. I surrender.”  

 

The waiting soldiers moved in to force Jayden to his knees and bind him.  

 

And at that moment, I saw his golden eyes, as vile as a snake’s, narrow slyly.  

 

‘Huh?’

 

When I saw that scene, a warning light went off in my head. I immediately rushed forward, channeling mana into my sword.  

 

But it was already too late. 

 

I could see Jayden’s Adam’s apple move.  

 

It was clear he had swallowed something small that he had hidden under his tongue.  

 

“Everyone, get back!!”  

 

I shouted, unleashing a powerful electric blast infused with mana.  

 

A bright blue flash struck Jayden directly, followed by the sound of an explosion.  The ground shook from the impact, and dust filled the air.  

 

“What the—what’s going on?!”  

 

“Protect His Majesty!”  

 

“Hold the formation! Don’t scatter!”  

 

As the dust began to settle, Jayden’s figure emerged.  

 

“What… what is that?!”  

 

He was now completely engulfed in pitch-black mana. The ominous black mana crackled with dark sparks, radiating a malevolent energy.  

 

‘Did he… swallow stored mana to absorb it…?’  

 

Except for his limbs, which had turned completely black, Jayden’s face, which still retained some of its original color, began to be overtaken by dark, swirling stains.  

 

His face and body, swollen with absorbed mana, looked like they were about to burst, and his eyes, now completely black, glowed like a demon’s.  

 

The moment I saw that, I instinctively knew that if we didn’t act quickly, we would all lose.  

 

“Rukia, increase the device’s output!”  

 

Normally, as long as the mana suppression device was active, even if he swallowed a mana-storing medium, the black mana shouldn’t activate.  

 

But the fact that black mana had appeared meant that the compressed amount of black mana within the medium exceeded the week’s worth of mana stored in the device.  

 

“Yes, I’ll raise it right no—”  

 

But Rukia couldn’t finish his sentence.  

 

Black mana gathered like clouds around Jayden’s arm, which he had raised into the air, and soon, an enormous amount of black mana erupted from his hand, spreading in all directions.  

 

“Aaaah!”  

 

Wherever his mana touched, screams echoed, and the metallic scent of blood filled the air.  

 

‘Caliberne, just increase the output a little!’  

 

I desperately channeled mana into my sword and stood in front of Cedric to protect him.  

 

But Jayden, who had directly absorbed the black mana into his body, moved at an inhuman speed, bypassing me and lunging at Cedric.  

 

“Your Majesty!”  

 

Cedric swung his sword at Jayden, but he missed as he dodged the black mana Jayden was emitting.  

 

Meanwhile, I tried to attack Jayden from behind, but he noticed with almost supernatural awareness and, without releasing Cedric, reached out toward me.  

 

“Ciel, dodge!”  

 

A pitch-black flash shot toward me, and I barely managed to avoid it by throwing myself to the side.  

 

“It’s better to deal with you first rather than waste mana on the rest of these pests.”  

 

At that moment, a black circle made of black mana appeared in the air.  

 

It was the same thing I had seen in the temple and Cedric’s bedroom when Felix attacked.  

 

“No!”  

 

The soldiers, seeing Jayden trying to escape with Cedric using magic, shouted and attacked.  

 

At the forefront was Felix, who had been pretending to kneel before Jayden just moments ago. But with a single gesture from Jayden, all the soldiers who had been moving fine suddenly collapsed to the ground.  

 

“I… I can’t move my body!”  

 

“Why…?”  

 

Felix, as if bound by invisible chains, struggled desperately to move, but no matter how hard he tried, his body, bound by black mana, wouldn’t budge.  

 

“Jayden Ackeleta! Stop this at once!”  

 

Despite Persephine’s scream, Jayden didn’t stop.  

 

And with that, he pulled Cedric into the black circle, his body swollen with mana, ready to burst.  

 

Everyone watched in horror, screaming as they collapsed to the ground.  

 

Except for one person—me, who, once again, remained unaffected by the magic and could still move.  

 

‘No.’

 

With all my strength, I reached out toward Cedric, who was gradually disappearing into a circle of black magic.  

 

“What…!”  

 

Jayden, noticing my movement, gritted his teeth and hastily concealed himself within the circle.  

 

Then, Cedric’s desperate voice echoed.  

 

“Ciel, no!”  

 

And just before the circle closed completely, I threw myself into the pitch-black darkness.  

 

For a moment, I felt my body being sucked into a whirlwind.  

 

The voices calling out to me from my surroundings were completely drowned out, and only the sound of the wind roared in my ears.  

 

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in an unfamiliar room.  

 

“Ciel, ugh! Run away!”  

 

Jayden, who had grown several times larger by absorbing magic in the corner, was thrusting his sword toward Cedric’s neck.  

 

Cedric, lying on the floor, was barely holding off Jayden’s sword with both hands gripping his blade.  

 

“Get your hands off him right now!!”  

 

Consumed by rage, I swung my sword, crackling with blue sparks, and cleanly sliced through Jayden’s neck.  

 

But…

 

“What the hell are you?”  

 

Jayden, who had been pointing his sword at Cedric, stood up unharmed, glaring at me with eyes that had turned as black as a demon’s.  

 

‘What’s going on?’  

 

I had clearly cut through his neck, yet Jayden stood on both legs without shedding a single drop of blood, completely unfazed.  

 

[Be careful, Ciel! That guy’s magic is unusual!]  

 

Caliberne’s urgent voice echoed in my mind.  

 

[That energy… I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before—]  

 

Just then, Cedric stabbed his sword into Jayden’s back, catching him off guard.