TYND 77

The demonic energy oozing out took shape and rushed at Theon causing him to step back. All over Ken Bane’s body, grotesque boils began to bulge and bubble, and as they burst, streams of demonic energy shot towards Theon. 

Theon swung his sword, batting away the droplets like he was slicing through the train. He swung again, this time leaving wounds on Ken Bane’s flesh. 

CLINK! CLANG!

The fallen managed to block a few strikes but wasn’t able to stop every hit. From each wound, demonic energy seeped out instead of blood. Fallens were spiritual entities without physical flesh of their own. If the host body sustained too much damage, the vessel would break, and they could no longer possess it. 

“Ue-hi-hi, you transcendents are such a nuisance. I’ll devour your body instead!”

True to their nature, the fallen tried to abandon Ken Bane’s body. 

FWOOOSH!

A burst of demonic energy exploded ferociously causing Ken Bane’s sword to melt away without resistance. Theon’s blade, however, was forged from labyrinth’s magic stones and withstood the blast. The pitch-black energy rose again to reach the ceiling and spread wide enough to touch both walls. Theon, standing before it, looked no larger than a mantis blocking a carriage. 

The curtain of demonic energy, rising like a tidal wave, crashed down on him. Theon managed to shield himself with aura and met the wave head-on. The demonic energy, splintered into dozens of tendrils, bound his arms and legs tightly. The fallen let out a gleeful roar, thinking they’d finally got him. 

But that was exactly what Theon had intended. Grabbing the strand that coiled around his arm like a rope, Theon twisted his wrist and started coiling it tighter as he pulled. Ken Bane’s body was dragged forward, flailing as it tried to resist, but alas, a mere frame of flesh couldn’t overcome the physical strength of an Aura Master. 

Theon restrained Ken Bane’s body once it was pulled within reach. However, the time he could endure within that curtain of demonic energy wasn’t long. 

But he wasn’t worried at all.

WHOOOSH!

From behind him, a tremendous wave of magical energy exploded. A curtain of light surged forward, sweeping over the dark curtain. Shadows grew stronger when under bright lights, but when the light’s intensity became overwhelming, the shadows vanished entirely. Rothy’s magic had successfully pushed back the demonic energy, allowing not even a speck of darkness to remain. 

GGRRRAAAAAAUGH—

The fallen let out a different kind of scream of pain, this time, it was filled with unspeakable agony. Theon didn’t know exactly the workings of mind magic, but he could tell that the curtain of light casted by Rothy wasn’t a basic spell. 

But it was also then when the fallen suddenly shouted through Ken Bane. 

“Aah, I found it…! So it was here! Ue-he-he-he-he! I found what the Archduke had lost! Ue-he-he! Ue-he-he-he-he-he-he-he!”

Ken Bane’s blue-grey eyes were shining with pure glee. The fallen, bursting into maniacal laughter, didn’t give Theon time to ask questions before abandoning Ken Bane’s body. The figure collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. 

Theon hurriedly spread his aura as wide as he could but there was no trace of the fallen anywhere. Though they might’ve been cornered, they could still fight. That made its sudden retreat disturbing. 

It left Theon with a deep sense of unease. 

“You say I was… possessed by a fallen?”

Ken Bane, who’d regained consciousness after seven days, asked while blinking his eyes. Depley Rose pressed a hand to her forehead at how dazed he was looking. 

“That’s right. According to the holy priest, the fallen had been eating away at your soul for a year or two before the war ended… I should’ve realised…”

“……”

Ken Bane’s mouth now hung upon. He really did look lost. 

“A year or two? I admit, I did have trouble controlling my anger towards the end of the war, but… did a fallen really took over my body? That can’t be. I definitely acted on my own will… I made my own decisions… with my own judgement…”

“The fallen manipulated you to think that way… Consider it again now with a clear mind. Would you poison Crown Prince Joseph now if you could? No matter how much of a coward he was, would you really poison your own older brother? Especially knowing full well how history would judge that… for someone like you who’s so obsessed with honour…”

“……”

“Your contempt towards the crown prince, your rage towards Maton’s offspring, and your disillusionment with the war allowed the fallen to find its way in. This is my fault too. I should’ve known better… I’d just assumed your change in personality was the result of long years on the battlefield.”

Ken Bane lowered his head in despair.

Depley Rose watched him in silence, quietly offering her consolation. Duchess Yilaine came to visit after giving Ken Bane enough time to accept reality. The man himself, still badly injured, received his cousin from his bed. Even though his face was troubled, he lowered his head with humility.

“Yilaine.”

She looked down at him, assessing him calmly. 

“Ken Bane. Even if it wasn’t your will, too many lives were lost.”

“I know. What punishment do you plan to give?”

“The nobles are calling for your execution.”

“I— I want to live. I’ve fought for twelve years on the battlefield to survive. Can’t my contributions to the war be taken into account?”

Ken Bane muttered, but with a resigned expression on his face.

“Crown Prince Joseph wanted to live too. He deserted and bore the shame of a coward because he wanted to live.”

“You’re right. But if I’m spared, I’ll spend the rest of my life atoning for my sins against my eldest brother.”

“How can I trust that you won’t be consumed by a fallen again?”

“The fallen only covet bodies of aura controllers or mages of sixth-grade and above. My meridians were severed by Theon Detre Falsen, so I can no longer wield a sword. The fallen will never touch me again.”

“A swordsman who held a sword all his life can no longer wield one, and you still wish to live?”

Ken Bane looked away. 

“I want to live. I didn’t fight that war to die… I want to taste a little of what peace looks like after all of it before I die…”

Yilaine exhaled a long, deep sigh. Silence stretched between them before she spoke again.

“Before deciding your punishment, there’s something you must do.”

“What is it?”

Yilaine signalled to the attendant who then opened the door to the room. 

Ken Bane’s eyes widened. 

In walked Archduke Falsen of the Zibiah Empire with his spouse. As if they’d arranged it beforehand, Yilaine exchanged a glance with Theon and left. For a moment, a thought occurred to Ken Bane, ‘Has Yilaine given this man the right to decide my fate’?

But he quickly realised that wasn’t the case.

“Ken Bane, I heard you’ve memories of the fallen that possessed you.”

“Yes…… vaguely.”

Theon had come to obtain formation about the escaped fallen. Since the topic of living magic stone might come up during the conversation, he’d asked Yilaine to step out beforehand. 

Ken Bane’s eyes turned to Rothy who was peeking out from behind Theon. 

Fluffy snow-white hair and round emerald-green eyes that were full of wariness and unease towards him. Yet strangely, there was no contempt or hatred in them.

“Rothy, take a seat.”

“Mmhm…”

Even as he sat, Rothy kept both hands clutched tightly around Theon’s coat. Theon continued to stand close to him to allow Rothy to comfortably hold onto his clothes. 

Scree~

The weasel in Rothy’s arms wriggled free and began sniffing around the room, but neither Theon nor Rothy stopped it. 

“Tell me everything you know about that fallen.”

“I’ll gladly tell you… Just do me one favour after. Let Yilaine know I’ve cooperated fully with all that I know. And if you could add that I contributed greatly to the war… I’d be very grateful. I don’t want to be executed.”

“Executed? But the duchess had already decided to exile you…”

It was Rothy who said that. His big round eyes quickly turned teary. 

“Theon… did you lie to me? Are you actually executing Ken?!”

Theon immediately cupped Rothy’s cheeks to assure him.

“No, why would I lie to you? Ken Bane will be exiled to an island in the southern seas of Givarche. The duchess must’ve deliberately left out the part.”

“I see… that really surprised me…”

The archducal couple had spoiled the surprise Yilaine had been saving to savour. 

“Is it true? I’m… not being executed, but exiled…”

“Ken Bane. You should be grateful to your aide who knelt on your behalf in front of the palace for an entire week until Duchess Yilaine made her decision.”

“……”

Ken Bane’s thoughts turned to his taciturn aide. The one who foolishly waited in silence whenever Ken, sized by rage, hurled and smashed every piece of furniture and object in his office. The man had once been a low-ranking soldier whose life Ken had saved on the battlefield ten years ago. 

He let out a long sigh and rubbed his face with both hands. It was a relief to still be alive. The sins he’d committed would sit on him like a heavy boulder for the rest of his life, but he was glad he could continue living in this world where peace had been protected… This Araxys which he had defended to the end despite wanting to flee countless times. 

“I’m truly glad. This is such good news.”

Rothy, who’d no reason to be happy, whose only connection to Ken Bane was being the victim of a failed kidnapping attempt, was shedding tears for him. His glistening green eyes were shining with joy.