All that was left was to finish him.
Violet sprinted toward the broken Monk, her chains rattling with a sharp, metallic cry. Her violet eyes blazed with determination, her movements swift and predatory.
The Monk's eyes widened in disbelief.
SLAAM!
Blood splattered violently across the ground.
Violet's eyes froze in shock. Her strike hadn't pierced the Monk—one of the assassins had thrown himself in the way, taking the hit instead.
She snapped her gaze upward. Dozens of assassins leapt down from the rooftops, their dark silhouettes cutting through the misty air. Their eyes glowed faintly, glazed and unnatural.
Her chest tightened. "Their eyes… is someone controlling them?"
One assassin from the roof screamed in panic, clutching his head. "H-he is using it! The Monk is using us boss!"
Dan's cruel laugh echoed, sharp and mocking. "So what? You were useless anyway. At least now you're finally of some good use."
"What?!" an assassin shouted in horror, his voice breaking.
"Run from here!" another cried desperately. "Or else he'll control us too!"
But the Dan's laughter cut through them, low and chilling. "No use… you've already drunk his blood. You belong to him now."
The assassins convulsed violently. Their faces twisted, then fell blank. One by one, their bodies stiffened, movements jerky and unnatural, like puppets dancing on invisible strings.
Violet's chains lashed out with deadly precision, smashing through controlled assassins. Bones cracked, blood sprayed, yet they continued to rise, relentless and unyielding.
"Damn it!" Violet hissed, her hair whipping across her face as she struck them down again and again.
Then, suddenly—BAM!
A devastating punch slammed into her ribs, throwing her across the ground. She crashed down hard, dust and rubble exploding into the air, the stone beneath her fracturing from the impact.
The Monk stood tall above her, his body trembling from wounds, blood dripping down his arms—but his expression calm, almost serene.
His voice was cold and steady.
"I am ashamed… as a monk. I wasn't able to control my anger. That anger… caused my downfall."
He wiped the blood from his lips, his aura beginning to pulse again, ominous and heavy.
"But it won't happen next time."
"Lysa! Kill him!!" Duke screamed, desperation shaking his voice.
"Yeah, that's unfair!" Samaira shouted, her glaive trembling in her hands.
"Unfair?!" Derius snapped sharply, his eyes burning with fury. "What do you think this is—a contest? It was never fair! They're bandits—murderers! You think honor matters here?!"
Lysa's hands shook violently as she raised her bow, the string quivering, her arrow glowing faintly as she aimed at the Monk.
"Don't do it, Lysa," Violet's voice cut through the chaos, low but commanding. Slowly, she rose to her feet, blood trickling down her lip, her violet eyes locking onto Lysa's.
"Not now."
Lysa's breath hitched. Her fingers quivered. "O-okay…" she whispered, lowering her weapon with trembling hands.
The air grew heavy, thick with silence and dread. Every heartbeat echoed across the broken battlefield, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
"Hahaha… now don't call this an unfair battle," the Monk said calmly, his voice chilling as the assassins twitched under his control. "Controlling others is my power. When you fight them—you fight me. It was never fair from the beginning."
Violet smirked, her violet eyes narrowing like blades. "Unfair? No… you're just a disappointment. You can't even be called a demon."
The Monk's gaze darkened, but his voice stayed soft. "I know what you're trying to do. You want to get in my head. But it won't work. I won't lose myself to anger anymore."
Violet stepped closer, her chains rattling faintly, her smirk never fading.
"You're not a demon," she said slowly, every word dripping with mockery. "You're human… just like the rest of us."
The Monk's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Oh? Did I guess it right?" Violet sneered. "Then let me try one more thing. You've made a contract with someone… haven't you?"
The Monk froze. Sweat trickled down his temple. His body stiffened as a memory clawed into his mind—
A cold, rasping voice echoed through the shadows of his past.
"I will give you so much power… more than you could ever dream of as a mere human."
Before him stood a figure cloaked in black, the long coat dragging against the ground like chains. His face was hidden completely, swallowed in darkness.
"But in return… I need your eyes. Your face. Your mouth. Your very identity. So… what will it be? Will you accept my deal?"
The Monk's heart thundered, the voice slithering through him like poison.
—Back to the present.
The Monk's face was pale, sweat dripping down his chin. His breath shook.
"What happened?" Violet asked, tilting her head slightly, her smirk sharpened. "Your face looks… pale."
The Monk's fists clenched. His composure cracked, and his voice spilled out raw and furious.
"I will kill you. You… are truly unpleasant."
"Awww… did it hurt?" Violet smirked, her voice dripping with mockery.
The Monk's eyes burned with fury, but his tone remained sharp. "You still underestimate me. They are not normal pawns anymore. I have given them my blood. Now… they can all use Kendra Energy. Your death will be brutal."
Violet stepped forward, chains rattling faintly as her presence filled the battlefield. "When I stood in the middle of the ground, I was already prepared for this. For something like this to happen. I was always ready… to fight all of you at once."
Her smirk grew colder. "Your specialty is Demonic Meditation. Why haven't you used it again? Let me guess—" her eyes narrowed, glinting sharply, "—even you have limits. You need time to cool down before you can attempt it again, am I right?"
The Monk's jaw tightened. His breathing grew heavier as he struggled to keep his composure, veins pulsing faintly in his temples.
"She's… a genius," Derius muttered under his breath, his expression both impressed and unsettled. "In Velmora, she's known as the psycho who dedicated her entire life to studying about Kendra energy. She was always in the library… buried in books."
Lysa, Duke, and Samaira turned toward Derius, eyes wide with disbelief as his words sank in.
"Your specialty was decent—Demonic Meditation," Violet said coldly, her smirk unrelenting. "That's the only thing you'd ever get marks for. But your Kendra Energy control? Pathetic. Even my students back in class can manage it better than you."
The Monk's eyes twitched, his thoughts clouding with frustration. What the heck is she babbling about? Has she gone insane, talking like this while staring down so many opponents at once?
"Enough with this crap!" Dan barked from behind, his voice echoing across the battlefield. "Kill her off—I don't care how!"
Violet tilted her head and let out a mocking sigh. "Oh, forgive me. I have a bad habit of giving lectures… even to enemies."
"For real? She's giving lectures to the enemy?" Duke muttered, half-shocked, half-amused, a chuckle escaping him.
"Let's end this. Go get her!" the Monk commanded, his voice sharp and furious.
Violet's smirk didn't falter. "That's exactly what I was saying—don't rely only on specialties. Because when that's all you have…" she leaned forward, eyes glowing faintly, "…you're already finished."
The Monk's pupils widened, panic flashing across his face. What? What else does she have? Isn't that enough already…?
Violet raised her hands slowly, chains coiling around her arms, glowing with a spectral light. Her expression hardened.
"Now… I'll show you my specialty," she said, her voice low and final. Inside, she knew—This will be my last technique. After this, I'll be completely drained.
Her lips moved in a solemn chant, her tone resonating like a verdict passed down in a courtroom:
"I am the Judge.
These chains are the Sentence.
You are the Prisoner."
The air grew heavy. Shadows twisted. Chains of spectral Kendra burst forth, glowing with a merciless radiance.
Violet's voice thundered as she declared:
"Soulbinds: Final Judgment!"
Violet's chains began to levitate, rising as if pulled by invisible judgment. Even her violet hair floated upward, caught in the storm of power. The chains glowed brighter and brighter, swelling in size—almost double their normal width—burning with a fierce blue Kendra energy.
The pressure thickened. It pressed down on the battlefield like an unseen mountain.
The Monk's breath faltered. His skin prickled, every blood cell inside him screaming danger. His eyes widened in raw fear.
"KILL HER!" he roared, panic cracking his voice.
The students froze, their weapons trembling in their hands. Not one of them moved. They were speechless—helpless against the suffocating aura Violet now commanded.
Derius's jaw clenched so tight it hurt. His nails dug into his palms as he grit his teeth.
"I don't want to accept it…" his thoughts seethed, "…I always hated her. But damn it—she really is strong!"
His glare stayed locked on her glowing form, a storm of fury and awe boiling inside him.
CUT
In Velmora, the soldiers had gathered in the plaza, the air buzzing with excitement. An announcement was being made—a medal ceremony to honor a student who had captured an entire bandit group all by herself.
That student was none other than Miss Violet.
Seventeen years old, she stood proudly on the stage, the crowd's eyes fixed on her.
Marcus, Commander of the Stormspires, stepped forward, his deep voice carrying authority. "For courage, skill, and strength beyond her years, I present this medal as a symbol of honor."
He placed the shining medal on Violet's chest. She smiled gracefully and waved to the crowd as thunderous applause erupted, hands clapping in unison.
Among them stood a young Derius—just ten years old—beside his mother. His eyes widened as he stared up at her in awe.
"Wow… she's so beautiful," he whispered.
Smack!
"Ow!" Derius yelped, rubbing his head.
"Don't be silly," his mother scolded with a chuckle. "She's way older than you. Think of her like an older sister."
Derius pouted, still rubbing his head. "That hurts…" But inside, he was grinning.
Wow… the girls here in Velmora really are beautiful, he thought with a little laugh.
"We'll be going to meet her father," his mother said calmly.
"What?!" Derius blurted, his eyes going wide.
"Yes," his mother nodded. "She's from the King's family. They live in the palace, and we have a meeting with her father."
Derius froze for a second—then his lips curled into a grin. "Hehe… so that means I'll already have access to the palace? Surrounded by pretty ladies all the time?"
His mother gave him a sharp look, narrowing her eyes.
Derius laughed nervously, scratching his cheek. Mom forced me to come here… but maybe this isn't so bad after all, he thought with a little smirk.
After a while, inside the palace, Violet's father and Derius's father were in a heated discussion in a room.
"You're charging too much, you bastard!" Violet's father barked.
"I'm giving you the best price, my lord. Bad-mouthing doesn't suit you," Derius's father replied calmly.
"I know you very well. You're charging us highly just because I live in the palace? That doesn't mean I'm rich!" Violet's father shot back.
"Stop lying! You have your mansion near the lake," Derius's father retorted sharply.
"Huh… so that means you're charging high on me?" Violet's father asked, eyes narrowing.
"N-no, it's not like that," Derius's father stammered.
At that moment, one of the ladies in the room leaned forward, smiling warmly. "Aww, who is this cute kid?" she said, gently touching Derius's cheeks.
"Wow… look at his cheeks—they're so red!" another lady exclaimed.
Am I in heaven? Derius thought, grinning from ear to ear.
"What's his name?" one of the ladies asked.
"Hey, tell them your name," his mother prompted.
Derius straightened up proudly and announced, "Derius."
Then his eyes landed on Violet, who was entering the room.