Chapter 42: The Train (4)

It was hell.

Blood splattered in every direction. Pools of red were scattered across the ground.

The sight of bodies collapsing helplessly under a single strike burned into my eyes. I tried to turn my head away, to ignore it—but the afterimage clung to my vision.

The masked figures in black rampaged through the carnage.

They were nothing more than machines of slaughter, built solely for the purpose of killing. And so, they moved to take even one more life.

Shhk.

“Move!”

Evan shouted, his voice unusually loud.

His sword, pulsing with blue aura, sliced through the enemies with ease. Their heads parted from their bodies like tofu, the sight alone enough to churn my stomach.

“Ugh…”

Lily ad long since fainted.

Even for someone who had witnessed and survived dozens of deaths, this was unbearable. It was only natural that she lost consciousness.

With Lily hoisted onto my back, I barely managed to follow behind Evan. He cut through the enemy with sharp battle cries, severing their legs to clear a path forward.

“I’ll carve a way through! Stay close!”

With a rough shout, a blue sword slash flew forward. I shut my eyes tightly at the sight of bodies being cleaved in half.

Then, gripping Lily’s arms tightly, I sprinted like mad.

I had thought I’d already abandoned modern notions of morality—but this? This was beyond me.

No, even people from the Middle Ages would probably vomit at this sight. Even Evan, for all his resilience, was dry-heaving from the stench of death.

No one could ever grow accustomed to such a scene.

“You’re in my way!”

Evan gritted his teeth and swung his sword. With each step forward, a sickening squelch echoed beneath my feet.

I had stepped on something.

For a brief moment, an unfamiliar sensation crawled up my leg. But I refused to look down. If I saw what I had stepped on, I might collapse right then and there.

If ever there was a moment to use the phrase ‘a sea of corpses and rivers of blood’—this was it.

“Ha…”

It was revolting.

That single thought consumed my mind.

The further we moved through the train cars, the worse the scenes became.

My nose had long gone numb. Whether it was from the sheer intensity of the stench or from my body’s own defense mechanism, I couldn’t tell.

Squelch.

Each time Evan swung his sword, blood sprayed in every direction. He wiped a crimson streak from his cheek with the back of his hand.

Then, without hesitation, he cut down an enemy lunging at me from behind.

“Damn it!”

Our pace slowed drastically.

It was as if a portal had opened—more of The Emperor’s Hands poured in endlessly.

By now, they had abandoned precision or technique. They were simply charging in waves, using sheer numbers to overwhelm us.

Even Evan, skilled as he was, was forced to step back slightly.

“Stay right behind me, My Lady.”

“…Alright.”

A blue flame surged.

Evan’s black eyes gleamed with an eerie blue light.

With a sharp exhale, his figure disappeared from sight.

Shadows flickered, and in the next instant, flames erupted across the enemies’ bodies.

Nearly ten of them collapsed in a blink.

Evan steadied his breath, gripping his sword tightly.

“There’s no end to them…”

Watching the horde swarm like mindless zombies, he let out a frustrated sigh.

“My Lady, go ahead.”

“Evan, but—”

“The Duke will arrive soon.”

He said it with a smile—one filled with unwavering faith in Abel.

At his words, I nodded and turned away.

With a loud whoosh, flames roared behind me, followed by Evan’s battle cry.

The exit… the exit…

We were close to the emergency exit.

Just as I reached it with Lily on my back, a dark silhouette emerged ahead.

One of The Emperor’s Hands —hiding among the corpses.

“…Ah.”

A dagger flew straight toward my face.

The chilling sensation of death seized my entire body. Instinctively, I squeezed my eyes shut.

But the pain never came.

When I cautiously opened my eyes, I saw the dagger—frozen in midair.

“You insignificant pests…”

Abel stood before me.

At that moment, my legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground.

The fear, the anxiety—it all melted away, leaving only a long, shaky sigh of relief.

“Are you alright?”

He reached out a hand.

I shook my head and grasped it.

“No. I’m not.”

“I figured.”

With a soft chuckle, Abel pulled me to my feet. Then, he turned his gaze away, raising his right hand as he murmured a short incantation.

“Calculation Expansion.”

A brilliant white magic circle spread outward from him, expanding across the entire train.

Light flared.

“Annihilate.”

Dozens of spears shot forward.

In an instant, the enemies surrounding Evan in the next car collapsed, their throats skewered by flying spears.

A single gesture. That was all it took for Abel to resolve the chaotic situation.

It was yet another reminder of just how terrifying his strength truly was.

When I turned my head, I saw his face—slightly weary.

“Abel, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Abel landed lightly on the floor as he answered. He looked a bit exhausted, but seeing no visible injuries, I felt a small sense of relief.

“My Lady, are you unharmed?”

Evan, drenched in blood, approached me. The sheer brutality of his appearance made me flinch involuntarily.

A man of his size, covered in gore, was intimidating in more ways than one.

With a snap of Abel’s fingers, the blood staining Evan vanished instantly.

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief.”

Clearly exhausted, Evan leaned against a nearby seat, letting out a slow breath.

It was no wonder—he had cut down nearly hundreds of enemies in such a short span of time.

“Hah… What a mess.”

Abel muttered as he took in our surroundings. Then, he stepped toward the shattered train window, peering outside.

After observing the scenery for a moment, he let out a deep sigh.

“We’re still far from our destination.”

“How much farther?”

“About halfway.”

Halfway.

Of all the places for an ambush to happen, it had to be in the middle of our journey.

If it had happened at the start, we could’ve turned back.

As I stood there, arms crossed in contemplation, a thought suddenly struck me.

“Abel, can’t you just teleport us there using spatial magic?”

At my question, Abel shook his head.

“It’s not that simple.”

Spatial magic was originally designed for personal teleportation. Transporting others made it dangerously unstable.

A slight miscalculation, and we could end up stranded on some unknown island.

“But that man…”

I trailed off, recalling a certain red-haired individual.

Abel answered matter-of-factly.

“There’s no need to be cautious with enemies.”

I nodded at his words.

“…You’re right.”

Now that the situation had calmed, I finally took in my surroundings.

Bloodstains splattered across the shattered windows. Corpses piled across the floor.

My mind grew hazy at the sight.

I was the one who had insisted on accompanying Abel to Arc.

If I hadn’t, he would have simply teleported there.

If he had teleported, The Emperor’s Hands wouldn’t have attacked this train.

And these passengers… they wouldn’t have died so horrifically.

Once the thought took root, it spread, tormenting me.

‘If only I hadn’t spoken up first…’

Would they still be alive?

Surely, none of them had wanted to meet such a terrible end.

Maybe…

The negative thoughts spiraled endlessly.

I knew there was no point in dwelling on them.

But I couldn’t stop.

One undeniable fact remained—if not for me, this wouldn’t have happened.

“Adele.”

At the sound of my name, I looked up.

Abel was gripping my wrist, his expression slightly tense.

A frown creased his brow.

It wasn’t until I followed his gaze that I realized—

I had been biting my thumbnail.

“…Ah.”

“Get a hold of yourself.”

“…I’m sorry.”

So, this habit still hadn’t changed.

Even in my previous life, whenever I got overwhelmed with negative thoughts, I would bite my nails.

It was the only way to ease my anxiety.

Even after all this time, I still couldn’t break the habit.

Abel let out a quiet sigh.

“This isn’t your fault, Adele.”

“…What?”

Had I misheard?

I lifted my head and looked at him again, but his expression remained as indifferent as ever.

“This happened, but it wasn’t your doing.”

He gestured toward the corpses as he spoke.

I hadn’t expected those words.

In this situation, I never thought he would be the one to offer comfort.

But whether he realized it or not, he continued speaking in his usual calm tone.

“You’re still too soft-hearted.”

Soft-hearted.

That was something I had never been called in this world.

Here, I was infamous as a villainess—cursed and scorned wherever I went.

No, wait.

There was one other time I had heard those words.

During our contract negotiations, when Abel first spoke them to me.

Was he right? Was I truly soft-hearted?

‘I don’t know.’

As a child, I had often been told that.

But after growing up, not once had I heard those words again.

I had assumed that meant I had changed—that I had become an adult.

But was that really the case?

The more I thought about it, the more my head throbbed.

Noticing my distress, Abel stepped closer.

“The one to blame isn’t you—it’s the Emperor.”

“…Is that so?”

When I murmured my doubt, he answered firmly.

“Yes.”

Then, gently, he placed a hand on my head.

“If you keep tormenting yourself over things beyond your control, you’ll destroy yourself first.”

His face remained unreadable, yet his words carried a quiet warmth.

The unexpected gentleness made my chest tighten.

“…Okay.”

I lowered my head, unsure how to respond.

“Rest for a while.”

Abel slowly withdrew his hand.

Then, without another word, he turned away.

On any other day, I might have thought his back looked cold and distant.

But for some reason…

Today, it felt warm.

– – The End of The Chapter – –

 

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