Crown of Thorns

41-46

CHAPTER 41

This is a battlefield.

The sword becomes a brush. The blood becomes paint, tainting the whole world with a shade of dark gray. The trickling drops of blood drench the faces and bodies of those wielding swords beneath. The glistening emotions in their eyes are murderous and make their hearts beat with purpose. Killing, killing, and killing again. This place is hell on earth.

They have no ill will toward each other. No, they never had any. However, if they don't kill, they'll be in a position of dying themselves, and as they watched their colleagues die, bad feelings arose. Maybe they've gone half crazy. Blood is bound to call blood.

I had set foot in hell.

The marble, which would have been polished countless times by maids, had long been covered in crimson blood. The bodies, which continued to pile upon it, were forming a river of blood.

The walls, which would have entertained the eyes of the passers-by, were also soiled and devastated that they could not retrieve their original form. However, the luxurious chandeliers hanging from the ceiling were still intact, creating a very strange feeling. But I kept an indifferent appearance, not caring what was going on under me.

It was as if, somewhere around here, the emperor was waiting for me.

"...Argh!"

I wanted to push one of the men confronting me with a sword back but he ended up hitting the opposite wall. The man's body had been buried into the wallpaper, staining it with blood. But no one paid it any mind. The master, who would have had them punished severely for even a single dust stain, would have either run away or died by now.

"Arghhh!"

The man pushed to the wall ended up with a sword stuck in his chest. His wide-open eyes flashed with an incredible feeling. But soon, they lost their light and drooped. And the man who stuck the sword in the other's chest was also pinned to the wall with a sword in his back.

I took my eyes off the two bodies that had become one ornament and walked forward.

The road was blocked by people who were struggling, but I didn't care. No one cared about me, either.

What a miserable and terrible reception. I hadn't known the way to meet him was so full of obstacles. But I didn't take my eyes off of it on purpose. It is the least I could do to respect those who are nothing but scapegoats to fill the stomachs of the greedy. It's the least level of consciousness I could afford, to those who die unmourned in the backstage of unacknowledged fairy tales.

Look at these dying lives. What thing is so valuable, so much so to be worth all their lives?

My destination was getting closer before I knew it. Gradually, I raised my body and breathed life into the shadow, and it simply moved according to my will. The smell of blood was pungent in the air. The world, which was all gray, had turned crimson. This place was brilliant with white and golden colors. So the red that was staining it became more prominent and horrible. When I took a step with my tangible form, I could feel the bewilderment from below.

"It's... it's the witch!"

Finally, the one who found me had loudly called out, and silence followed that one cry on the battlefield. Those who were aiming their swords to kill each other looked at me, stopping as they were. They had to kill the public enemy first before they killed each other. So it was by no means strange for them to rush right at me.

I turned again and walked towards my destination. The darkness that was slowly creeping from under my feet filled the space around me like fog from hell. I was lost in the dark and nowhere to be seen. They called out for me in confused voices and died with blows from a sword, not knowing whether it came from an ally or an enemy. I walked out firmly, listening to their painful screams.