The scales of killing quickly tilted to the other side, and the corridor that had been surrounded a few minutes ago suddenly turned into a one-sided massacre.
The black storm spun wildly, growing larger and larger in range. Soldiers screamed as they were swept into it, and in the blink of an eye, all went silent.
Only the rumble of the wind remained, carrying countless pieces of shredded flesh—like a black hole devouring life.
"Run, my lord!"
The last surviving guard captain, seeing the exit blocked by the murderous demon, hurriedly led the Thorn family back into the dark hall.
After a brutal slaughter in the hall, it seemed no one had been left alive. It was quieter now.
The captain guided the Thorn family—four people—toward another exit, following the light.
"Over here! This way!"
Their footsteps crushed soft rubble and scattered debris, blood soaking into their shoes and socks.
But there was no time to care. They stumbled, fell, scrambled up again, fleeing like terrified birds.
By the time they emerged from the hall, their clothes were soaked red. Half their bodies were drenched.
"Father… Father… I'm scared…"
Wachel clutched the corner of his father's coat with trembling hands.
Tears blurred his face. Gone was his usual arrogance; now he wept like a frightened rabbit.
His pants were soaked at the crotch, fear and urine blending into one.
"Child… don't cry…"
Riprest, bloodied and disheveled, her long blonde hair matted and wild, could no longer hold her noble composure.
Seeing her son cry in terror, she abandoned all pride.
Crouching down, she embraced Wachel, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I'm so sorry… it's all my fault."
Thorn watched the mother and son break down, exposing the most vulnerable side of human nature. His heart clenched.
Guilt and helplessness surged through him. He cursed his own incompetence for bringing them to this point.
It reminded him of Yuni and her child from six years ago—how similar this was—yet he had never comforted them back then.
"Sir, just a little farther! We'll reach the forest beyond the manor!"
The captain had served the family for years and knew the manor's structure well.
If they could just escape into the woods, maybe—just maybe—that horrifying child wouldn't find them.
As he spoke, the captain lifted Riprest and Wachel and dragged Thorn along, desperate to flee.
But after just a few steps, a chilling wind blew overhead. A cold, familiar voice cut through the air.
"Too late."
A blast of wind slammed behind them. The guard froze, terror shooting up his spine. Then came a dull thud.
Iggy appeared midair and descended like death itself, stomping down onto the captain's head with one devastating kick.
The impact split the man's skull from the center outward, like a lotus in bloom.
"M-My lord…"
The guard couldn't even finish his words. He dropped to the ground with a dull thud, dead instantly.
Iggy landed lightly in front of the Thorn family, flicking the brain matter off his boot with visible disgust.
"Now it's your turn."
His gaze locked onto the remaining three. They froze, feeling as if they'd already died in a thousand horrifying ways.
"Ahhh!!!"
As if driven mad by grief and terror, Riprest broke. She ran toward Iggy in a long skirt.
Before reaching him, she tripped on her heels and crashed to the floor.
Lifting her face, her ruined makeup mixed with nosebleeds, tears, and snot.
In the distance, Thorn and Wachel stood frozen in shock. The woman they once knew had lost her mind.
"Please! Please… don't kill me!"
There was no time to get up. Riprest crawled toward Iggy on hands and knees like a dog.
Her vacant eyes stared up at him, her fingers clutching his pants while her voice begged pitifully.
"Heh. Just like one."
Iggy stared down at her expressionlessly, then casually shoved her off.
The force sent her crashing back down. Still, she pressed her palms to the ground and began to kowtow.
She bowed repeatedly until her hair clung to her bloody, tear-streaked face. Half her features were now a mangled mess, her voice hoarse from pleading.
"Please… please…"
Her begging cut off as Iggy stomped down hard, his foot crushing her skull with a sickening pop.
Riprest fell silent, face buried in the ground, lifeless. She didn't look back at her husband or child again.
"Mother!"
"Riprest!"
Father and son screamed in horror but dared not move. They could only watch.
Half of Riprest's head was flattened under Iggy's foot, eyes burst, brain matter splattered, a pool of red expanding beneath her.
Iggy stepped off the corpse, walking casually toward Thorn and Wachel.
The crunch of bone echoed with every step—her spine snapped, her ribs collapsed.
Her chest cavity caved in under the pressure, organs bursting like overripe fruit.
Finally, with a final stomp to her pelvis, Iggy reached the ground before them. He stood there, calm, staring into their pale faces.
The once-elegant woman—just an hour ago the picture of nobility—was now unrecognizable, a mangled heap of flesh.
"You… You're insane! You're insane, Iggy!"
Thorn shouted in anguish, unable to even look at his wife's corpse.
But deep down, he knew his words were meaningless to someone consumed by revenge.
To Iggy, they were no more than trembling prey. Worthless. Pitiful.
"Now… can you feel even a fraction of what I felt?"
---
Name inconsistency?
Tell me, I'd change.
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