(Arin's POV)
The battlefield was now merely the remnants of a horrific and pathetic chaos.
Thin yellow smoke from the remaining methane gas still hung low in the air, swirling slowly in the cooling afternoon wind. Around us, carcasses of Sulfur-Eater Centipedes lay stiff with green bodily fluids seeping out, staining the gray rocks into an abstract and disgusting canvas of death.
"Hah... hah..."
Vesper's breath sounded wet and heavy. He crawled on the ground with difficulty, dragging his shattered body. His right leg, whose knee I had destroyed without mercy, dragged uselessly behind him, leaving a long trail of blood on the rough stone. His left hand clutched his broken right wrist, his face deathly pale without glasses, and his eyes wild with terror.
He tried to get away desperately. Away from the monsters, away from the gas, and most importantly, away from me.
An injured centipede, missing half its legs, hissed weakly and tried to bite Vesper's leg.
"Do not touch me!" Vesper shrieked, kicking frantically with his remaining strength. But his kicks were weak, having almost no impact.
I just stood still, cleaning my Adamantium sword blade of monster slime with a torn piece of cloth.
"Pathetic," I muttered softly.
On the other side, Erika still stood sturdy even though her face looked very tired. Her magic staff glowed dimly, creating a dome formed from a Mana Shield to protect Tom from the remaining poison gas still wandering around. Tom sat hugging his knees, his eyes staring blankly at the chaos he helped create, but at least he was physically safe.
And in the middle of this stage of hell... stood Karl Benzzi.
He stood atop a pile of three centipede carcasses he had managed to kill. His expensive armor was dented here and there, scratched by sharp monster claws. His grand cape was torn and dirty. His face was swollen and red, his eyes watering severely due to gas irritation. His breath made a painful wheezing sound, a sign that his lungs were starting to succumb to the poison he brought himself.
He had killed many monsters alone. I had to admit, he was indeed strong. As a Class S Student, his physical abilities were no joke. But no matter how strong he was, without enough oxygen, he was merely a scarecrow waiting for the time to collapse.
Karl did not look at me at all. He also did not glance at the monsters dying beneath his feet.
His eyes were locked straight on one figure standing ten meters in front of him. A figure standing tall, clean, breathing easily, and staring at him coldly.
His own brother. Kars Benzzi.
"YOU..." Karl's voice was hoarse, raspy, and full of the poison of hatred. He pointed at Kars with the tip of his Saber trembling violently. "TRAITOROUS TRASH! HOW DARE YOU!"
Kars did not flinch in the slightest. He stood with a posture different from usual. No more obediently bowed back, no more head lowered in fear. He stood tall, holding a standard Rapier sword in his right hand, relaxed yet fully alert.
"Betray?" repeated Kars softly, tilting his head. His voice was calm, contrasting with his brother's hysterical shouting. "Who betrayed whom here, Brother? You were the one who threw me into a monster cage."
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Karl jumped down from the pile of carcasses, stumbling slightly upon landing because his legs were weak. "You conspired with the enemy! You left me to die here! You gave the mask to them! You stole mine!"
"You tried to kill me first, Karl," answered Kars coldly. "You told me to carry the spare supply box. Inside there was only one mask. You intended to sacrifice me along with Vesper and Arin here, right? For the sake of the 'cleanliness' of your plan so there would be no eyewitnesses."
Karl's face tensed for a moment, caught red-handed. But his massive ego refused to retreat or apologize.
"You are just a spare! A family asset! Your life is mine to use as I please!" roared Karl, his logic totally snapped.
Hearing that, Kars's cold expression cracked instantly. His face changed into a mask of wrath he had buried all this time behind his submissive smile.
"You... You truly are a Bastard!" snapped Kars, his voice booming, startling Karl into taking a step back. "You forced Vesper to sell Mother's inheritance land! That was the only memory left of her, and you wanted to sell it just to buy this damn gas?! Just to kill one person who does not even care about you?!"
Kars stepped forward with a real threat. Red mana aura began to envelop his body. It was a dense and controlled Senior Tier Aura.
"For years I was silent," hissed Kars, tears of anger welling in the corners of his eyes. "You beat me every day. You ordered me to be your servant. You took all credit for my achievements in front of Father. I was silent because I respected Father. But selling Mother's land... that is the limit, Karl. You are not my brother anymore. You are just a parasite rotting the Benzzi name."
"PARASITE?!" Karl roared in fury. "I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL SKIN YOU LIKE A DOG!"
Karl charged forward.
He swung his Saber with a brutal Overhead Slash movement. The attack was full of power, full of killing intent, and strengthened by the remnants of his unstable red Aura.
To the eyes of a layperson, that attack looked deadly and unstoppable.
But in my eyes... and in Kars's eyes... that attack was full of gaping holes. Karl was exhausted, gas-poisoned, and controlled by blind emotion.
Kars did not retreat. He also did not parry roughly.
He performed a Half-Step to the left with a very efficient and minimalist movement.
TING.
With just a light touch of his Rapier tip on the side of Karl's Saber blade, he deflected the heavy attack. Karl's sword struck the empty ground hard.
"You are so slow," said Kars flatly.
Before Karl had time to pull his sword back, Kars had already moved.
THUD!
The hilt of Kars's Rapier struck Karl's solar plexus squarely.
"Ugh!" Karl coughed blood, his eyes bulging out.
Karl tried to slash horizontally wildly in panic. Kars ducked slightly, letting the sword pass over his head, then swept Karl's legs with a low kick.
BAM!
Karl fell on his back on the rocky ground with a loud sound.
"Get up now," ordered Kars, staring at his brother sprawling helplessly. "You said you were the strongest? You said I was weak and useless? Get up and prove your words, Karl!"
Karl growled, trying to get up with trembling hands. But his body would not respond to brain commands. His gas-irritated lungs failed to supply oxygen to muscles. He could only crawl pathetically, trying to reach his sword thrown far away.
Kars kicked the sword away to the edge of the abyss.
Then, he kicked Karl's chest, forcing him to stay on the ground.
"You lost," said Kars. "Not because of Arin or Elena. You lost because of your own arrogance."
Kars did not kill him. He let Karl lie there, crying in frustration and humiliation, defeated by the younger brother he always considered trash and a spare.
The King had fallen before his own pawn.
Kars looked away, as if just seeing Karl made him disgusted. He then shifted his gaze elsewhere. Toward Vesper who was still trying to crawl away to save himself.
Kars walked approaching Vesper. His steps were calm, but every foothold radiated a cold threat.
Vesper, seeing Kars approach, had eyes shining with false hope. He thought Kars, "the obedient younger brother," would help him as usual.
"Master Kars..." Vesper reached out his trembling hand, his face full of blood and dust. "Help... help me... Arin is crazy... he broke my leg... take me away from here... I will do anything..."
Kars stopped right in front of Vesper.
A small centipede that had been bothering Vesper hissed at Kars, trying to attack.
SLASH.
One slash. The centipede's head was severed and rolled away.
Vesper sighed in relief. "Thank you... thank you so much, Sir... let's get away from—"
His words stopped abruptly when the cold tip of the Rapier touched the Adam's apple on his neck.
Vesper froze. He looked up, staring into Kars's eyes. There was no mercy there. There was only cold calculation exactly the same as Vesper usually used on others when collecting debts.
"You are not going anywhere, Vesper," said Kars softly.
"S-Sir...?"
"You cannot die yet," continued Kars. "Corpses cannot speak in court. And I need someone to speak and confess everything."
"What... what do you mean?"
"Someone has to take responsibility for this mess," whispered Kars, pressing his sword slightly until the skin of Vesper's neck was scratched and released fresh blood. "Karl is too stupid to plan this alone. And the Benzzi Family... cannot fall just because of one person's madness."
Vesper's eyes widened as he realized what was happening.
"You... you are going to make me the scapegoat?" whispered Vesper in horror. "I work for your family! I did all of Karl's orders!"
"Correct. You did his orders too well," answered Kars coldly. "You facilitated his madness. Including buying this gas and arranging the logistics. In the eyes of the law... you are the mastermind behind the scenes manipulating the unstable and stupid young master."
"NO! DO NOT DO THIS!" Vesper shouted hysterically. "I KNOW YOUR FAMILY SECRETS! I WILL REVEAL EVERYTHING IN COURT!"
"Go ahead," challenged Kars. "Who will believe a terrorist who tried to kill students with poison gas? You are the villain here, Vesper."
Kars kicked Vesper's shoulder until he fell on his back, then stepped on his chest strongly, holding him there.
"Shut up and enjoy your new role, Accountant. You are now the main villain."
Right then, the sound of crowded and firm footsteps was heard echoing from the main cave tunnel. Bright white light from illumination magic flooded the dungeon darkness, chasing away shadows.
"THERE! I SEE LIGHT! THERE ARE SURVIVORS!"
A group of people emerged from the bend hurriedly.
Elena led at the front. Her face looked anxious, but upon seeing me standing tall, her expression changed to sharp relief, then immediately switched to a cold and calculative mask of victory.
Behind her, Rose Carlos walked smiling satisfied, holding her rapier ready for combat.
Then there was Instructor Karim, whose face looked fierce yet worried, followed by two Academy Senior Supervisors in white robes who were neutral witnesses from the Disciplinary Board.
They stopped simultaneously, gaping at the chaotic scene before them.
Monster carcasses everywhere. Thinning yellow fog. Arin and Erika covered in green blood but standing tall. Karl Benzzi sprawling helplessly. And Kars Benzzi stepping on Vesper's chest while pointing a sword.
"By God..." muttered Karim, covering his nose with his sleeve. "This smell... Methane? And Sulfur? What happened here?!"
One of the Senior Supervisors stepped forward, his face pale. "This is a restricted area! Why is there gas here? And why are students attacking each other?"
This was the final stage play. And Kars was the main actor who would close the curtain.
Kars lifted his face to look at the instructors. He put on the face of a hero forced to do something heavy for the sake of truth. A face full of regret and moral firmness.
"Instructor Karim!" exclaimed Kars loudly, his voice trembling with perfectly feigned emotion. "Arrest this person! I just thwarted a mass murder attempt!"
Kars pointed at Vesper with his sword.
"What do you mean, Student Kars?" asked Karim confusedly, stepping closer while remaining alert.
"Vesper..." Kars looked at Vesper with convincing disgust. "He has gone mad. He manipulated my older brother! He took advantage of Karl's unstable mental condition to agree to this crazy plan!"
"LIE!" Vesper shouted from under Kars's foot, spitting blood. "KARL ORDERED ME! THIS WAS ALL KARL'S IDEA!"
"Shut up, Snake!" snapped Kars, pressing his foot on Vesper's chest until he coughed.
Kars turned to the supervisors with glassy eyes. "I found evidence of illegal gas purchase transactions in his room this morning. I tried to stop Karl, but Vesper had already poisoned his mind with promises of easy victory. I... I was forced to follow them here to prevent a greater tragedy."
Kars pointed at me.
"I cooperated with Arin and Erika at the last moment. If we hadn't acted, this gas would have killed everyone in this sector!"
I looked at Kars with admiration in my heart. His acting was extraordinary. He positioned himself as the savior, Karl as the victim of manipulation, and Vesper as the sole villain. A narrative that saved the Benzzi family's good name while getting rid of Vesper forever.
Karl, still panting on the ground, tried to lift his heavy head.
"N... no..." raved Karl weakly, his eyes rolling wildly. "Kars... you... liar... you rotten traitor..."
His voice was hoarse and sounded like a drunkard's raving due to hypoxia effects. No one would believe him. Karl looked pathetic and insane.
Elena stepped forward, taking over the stage with the aura of authority of a Duke's daughter.
"Instructors, Supervisors," said Elena firmly, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Look around you. Methane gas in a closed space? Closing ventilation? This is not mere juvenile delinquency or ordinary exam rivalry."
Elena stared at Vesper who was struggling in vain.
"There are noble students here. Tom Garius, a Baron's son. There is Kars Benzzi, a Duke's son. And there is me, who almost entered this zone if not prevented by Rose," continued Elena, exaggerating facts for dramatic effect.
"This is a premeditated murder attempt against noble heirs. Under kingdom law, this is categorized as Domestic Terrorism."
The word "Terrorism" made the supervisors jolt in shock. Their faces changed from confused to horrified. Terrorism was a heavy jurisdiction. Perpetrators could be sentenced to death or life imprisonment in the State Dungeon without retrial.
"Terrorism..." whispered Karim. He looked at Vesper with a new view. Not as a naughty student, but as a dangerous state threat.
"And the evidence is here," I said, finally speaking up.
I walked with a limp toward the corner of the cave, where the sabotaged ventilation pipe was located. I pointed to the empty gas tank lying there, and the magic trigger mechanism still attached to the wall.
"Industrial gas tank with erased serial number. Remote trigger. And rubble at the entrance detonated with military precision," I explained like a forensic expert at a crime scene. "This is not a mine accident, but a meticulously prepared execution chamber."
The supervisors examined the evidence carefully. Their faces hardened. No more doubt.
"Secure this area right now!" ordered the Senior Supervisor firmly. "Handcuff student Vesper! Immediately!"
Two instructors stepped forward, pulling Vesper from under Kars's foot roughly. Vesper screamed, struggled, cried hysterically.
"NO! THIS IS UNFAIR! I ONLY FOLLOWED ORDERS! KARL! SAY SOMETHING! MASTER KARL! DO NOT LET THEM TAKE ME!"
Vesper looked at Karl desperately. But Karl had fainted, or maybe pretended to faint because he couldn't face this bitter reality.
"Take Student Karl to the medical room too for detoxification and interrogation later," added Karim, looking at Karl with a gaze of pity mixed with deep disappointment. "He will need a very good lawyer to get out of this."
Kars retreated slowly, sheathing his sword with a trembling hand. Good acting, again.
"Forgive me, Brother... I had to do it for our family..." he whispered loud enough for the supervisors to hear.
"You did the right thing, Son," said the Senior Supervisor patting Kars's shoulder with sympathy. "You saved many lives today. Your family will be proud of you."
Kars looked down deep, hiding a thin triumphant smile behind his falling hair. He succeeded in executing a perfect coup without dirtying his own hands.
The medical team came rushing in, evacuating Karl, Vesper who was still screaming for help, and checking our condition.
I sat on a cold rock, letting a nurse apply ointment to my stinging wounds.
Rose walked up to me, a wide smile carved on her face. She patted my shoulder hard until I grimaced in pain.
"You did it, Partner!" whispered Rose enthusiastically in my ear. "The plan went smoothly. Perfect! Vesper is finished. Karl is mentally destroyed. Kars is on our side, or at least owes us his life. We won big today!"
I looked at the scene in front of me with a blank gaze.
Vesper was dragged away like an animal to be slaughtered. His career, his future, his life... finished.
Karl was carried out like a walking corpse. His reputation destroyed, his position as heir might be revoked after this scandal exploded in the media.
Elena was talking seriously with the supervisor, ensuring the "Terrorism" narrative was firmly planted in the official academy report.
Everything... went according to plan. Too according to plan.
I stared toward the dark tunnel where the instructors came from hurriedly.
The darkness there seemed thick and deep.
My mind drifted to one name absent from all this chaos. One name that should have been there.
Elian Delphine.
He knew.
Elian knew Tom was a double agent. He knew Vesper would use gas. He even knew I was making oxygen 'fertilizer'.
Why?
Why didn't he interrupt? Why didn't he warn Karl? Why didn't he send help for Vesper when they were pressed?
If Elian wanted, he could have destroyed our plan with one simple sentence to Karl: "Tom betrayed you."
But he stayed silent, letting everything happen.
Elian let Karl and Vesper walk into a death trap. He let the Benzzi Faction lose its most valuable henchmen.
Why?
I stared into that darkness, and as if I could see a pair of blood-red eyes staring back at me from the distance, smiling amusedly watching this show.
The smile of a small child who had just watched his ants kill each other inside a glass jar he shook.
A cold feeling crept up my back, colder than the methane gas earlier.
I did not feel like I won.
I felt like a chess pawn that had just taken the opponent's Rook with difficulty, bleeding, and cheering happily over a small victory...
While across the board, the opposing Queen just smiled casually, letting her Rook be taken because to her, that piece was no longer useful for the next strategy.
"He did not lose..." I mumbled softly, making Rose turn in confusion.
"What do you mean?" asked Rose. "We won, right?"
I stared at the dark tunnel with a blank gaze.
"He was just... taking out the trash."