Blood Princess, Kill them All

Crushed by the Golden Dream

As the sky grew darker, enveloping the surroundings in complete darkness, Logan was restlessly pacing back and forth within the confines of his room.

For generations, his family had held dominion over this land. However, they were confined to governing a desolate rural village, while Captis, the prosperous city nearby, thrived in plain sight. Despite his pleas to have the mansion at least situated within the capital, his requests were always denied.

Driven by resentment, Logan resorted to tyranny, oblivious to the evaluations of other nobles that hindered his progress.

As a result, a sense of urgency burned within him. He refused to accept defeat and yearned for an opportunity to turn the tides. He believed that this was his moment. Even if it meant sacrificing everything, if he could just claim Mary’s life, he held a foolish hope that Dugan would finally acknowledge his accomplishments.

Just then, a soldier knocked on his door.

“Enter!” Logan commanded in an imperious tone. The soldier entered, visibly uneasy in his demeanor.

“How did it go? Did you find Mary’s body?!”

“We… didn’t find it.”

“You actually search properly or what?!”

“Y-Yes! But the thing is… we couldn’t find her body, not even those of the villagers!”

“What the hell! Can such a dumb thing happen? Did you even look?!” Logan angrily grabbed the soldier.

Suddenly, another soldier emerged from the still-open door, “Lord Logan, we have a problem!”

“What’s the fuss now?!”

“Mary Pulcherrima is heading this way. She’ll be here in a few minutes!”

“Wha—What did you say?!”

Logan struggled to keep up with the rapidly unfolding situation. But amid the chaos, something clicked in his brain.

“Hold on a minute! Isn’t this my chance? Yeah, even if the poison gas didn’t work, if I can take her out right here, it’ll be a big win for me! Even the Duke would have to give me credit! Hahaha… Ahahaha! That’s it! I was worried about how things would turn out, but the tables are turning! No doubt about it! Luck’s finally on my side!” Logan shouted at the sky, his back all arched.

The soldiers looked at him, briefly taken aback by his laughter and ramblings, but quickly returned to their usual malicious expressions.

“Why’re you all just standing there like fools?! Hurry up and get ready to face her! Send out those power suit soldiers too!”

“How many units should we send?”

“Send them all, you idiots! Quit with the pointless questions and get your asses moving, you worthless bunch!” Logan bellowed with a distorted voice.

The soldiers scrambled out of the room, rushing towards the storage warehouse tucked in a corner of the mansion.

“Oh, Maryyyyy… I’m gonna make sure you don’t make it out alive. You’ll be the stepping stone to my rise, oh my bloody princess! Ahahaha!”

Amidst his resounding laughter, Logan donned his robe and stormed outside to confront Mary.

◇◇◇

The ten power suit soldiers stood with anticipation, forming a rigid line near the mansion’s main gate. Their heavy footsteps reverberated with a thunderous thud, echoing through the air. Logan positioned himself behind them, using their presence as a shield.

On the other side, Mary advanced confidently, hand in hand with Ami, directly confronting them. Her expression remained icy, masking a simmering rage. As Ami caught sight of Logan, she gritted her teeth and fixed him with an intense glare.

“Didn’t expect you to come at us so boldly. Whether you’re some damn Arcana user or whatever, it’s like you’re begging for a swift death,” Logan sneered.

“Is that all you have to say?” Mary responded, her voice detached.

Hearing Mary’s emotionless tone, Logan’s frustration contorted his face. “Huh?” he grumbled, his features twisted in displeasure. “Coming at us so boldly—that’s my damn line. Saves us the trouble of hunting you down!”

“Huh I see… hahaha… hahahaha! You’re just shocked, huh? Surrounded by ten power suits! And here I stand, a mage, right in front of you! You really think you’ve got a snowball’s chance in hell to survive?! It’s laughable! You’re cracking me up! And to top it off, you bring along a filthy little girl, looking like the perfect target! What, planning some revenge, are you? How fucking ridiculous! I don’t give a damn who died. The lives of peasants, lower than garbage, mean jack shit compared to the life of a noble like me! It’s just goddamn absurd!” Logan deliberately took a step forward, provoking Mary and Ami.

However, Ami remained unfazed and retorted, “My father and mother were far more honorable than you!”

“Oh? Even though you owe your very existence to me, is that how you dare to speak to me? Looks like I’ll have to teach you both a lesson!”

Logan raised his palm and launched a ball of light toward Ami. But Mary stepped forward, shielding her effortlessly as she deflected the magic with the swish of her dress.

“Just some measly magic evaluation of around 1500, and yet you’re acting all high and mighty,” Mary remarked.

“You call that ‘just’?! Even you—hm? No, the numbers… ten thousand…?” Logan stumbled over his words. “Could it be a mistake? Nah, it has to be a mistake!”

Logan’s face turned pale as a ghost.

He had heard tales of the power of an Arcana user, but he genuinely believed that with the power suits and his own magic, he could overpower her. Yet, Mary’s magic evaluation surpassed his wildest expectations.

In an instant, Logan lost his composure, hastily issuing orders to his soldiers, “No, there’s no problem. I got the latest and most expensive weapons on my side! Hey, you sorry lot, quit standing there like brainless imbeciles. Shoot! Blast those fuckers into bits!”

The power suits were equipped with large-caliber magitech guns on both arms. Although they consumed a significant amount of mana, their firepower far exceeded that of regular magic guns. The recoil was substantial, but the suits were engineered to compensate for it.

Yet, the soldiers simultaneously raised their gun barrels, aiming them at Logan instead…

“Uh… huh?” Logan stammered, his voice betraying bewilderment.

Mary spoke in a flat, unemotional voice, addressing Logan, “They’re already dead.”

From her heels, bones sprouted like roots of a tree, spreading across the ground. They burst through the soles of the power suits, invading their insides, crushing hearts, and shattering brains.

In other words, those suits were nothing more than coffins. Inside them, everyone had turned into lifeless corpses, mere puppets under Mary’s control.

“That… That can’t be… H-How the hell did this happen?!”

“What’s the use of knowing that when you’re about to meet your demise?”

Mana surged through the barrels, and the unmistakable sound of big guns being charged echoed in the air.

Tears welled up in Logan’s eyes. “S-Stop… Stoooop! I can’t die! It’s not right for mere soldiers to defy meee! Cease this madness! If you’re already dead, crawl back from the afterlife and put an end to this!”

His pleas fell on deaf ears. Even if they did, the man lacked the popularity to make soldiers sacrifice themselves for him.

The gun muzzle radiated an intense light. The onslaught of unleashed magical bullets bore down on Logan, as if determined to crush him. But he, too, was a mage of sorts. He raised both hands before him, conjuring a shield of light to defend against the relentless assault.

“Ohhhh! Don’t you fuckin’ dare underestimate me! I’m a noble! I’m a mage! I’m strong, you hear?! Can you break through? Can a bunch of foot soldiers breach my grand wall of magical power?!” Logan boasted, his voice filled with misplaced arrogance.

The bullets continued to rain down, fired consecutively, gradually wearing down his barrier with precision. Cracks snaked across his once-proud shield of light, chunks of it starting to chip away.

“I… I-hahaha… Th-this… No, it’s different… Ah, I see! I’m not the weak one! It’s just those power suits that are too incredible! The weapons I bought from Marjoram are just too powerful!”

Tears welled up in his eyes as he forced a pitiful smile on his face. Reality must have finally dawned on Logan, the realization that he was helpless on his own.

Mary silently watched as the pitiful lord met his inglorious end, fully aware that it was his own power that had pushed him to this point.

Ami clung tightly to Mary, her eyes capturing the poetic justice that awaited the murderer of her family. And finally, after a prolonged struggle, Logan’s shield succumbed to a fatal collapse.

“That’s right! It’s the might of my wealth! It’s incredible! I’m incredible! Ahahaha! I… I’m so amazing that I’m going to dieeee!!”

The barrier crumbled under the relentless assault, and the bullets found their mark, tearing through Logan’s shoulder. His arm blew apart. One by one, his other arm, abdomen, legs, face—every part—became targets. The man’s body was ripped apart, losing its form like a tattered rag.

When the hail of bullets finally ceased, all that remained were unrecognizable shreds of flesh.

Ami distanced herself from Mary, standing in front of those shreds, and fiercely stomped on them. “It’s you! It’s you! It’s all your fault!”

Her hatred knew no bounds, directed not only at Logan but also at her own helplessness. She struck the final blow to the last fragment of Logan in this world, crushing it beneath her wrath.

As the pulverized flesh faded away, she stood there motionless, tears streaming down her disheveled face, “U… Uu… Uuuuuu… Uwaaaah!”

The sorrow surged within her once again.

Observing her demeanor, Mary was reminded of Francis who had showered her with more love than anyone. She felt her own powerlessness. She too was unable to do anything…

“Ami…” She approached Ami and enveloped her in a tight embrace. Ami, in turn, sought solace in Mary’s arms and crying uncontrollably.

◇◇◇

The mansion stood empty, like a hollow shell, as it seemed that everyone inside had fled.

After devouring the bodies of those inside the power suits, Mary scooped up Ami and hastily left Logan’s mansion.

With such a commotion, it wouldn’t take long for the soldiers directly under Dugan’s command in Captis to come rushing in. And the soldiers that Mary had spared not long ago wouldn’t simply give up.

“Ami, our first priority is finding a safe place. I wonder if there’s another village nearby.”

“I-Is there anything I can do to help you, Lady Mary? Can I come with you?” Ami asked, her voice trembling.

“I understand your intentions, but as you can see, I’m being hunted. What I’m doing is basically a fight for survival. It’s dangerous,” Mary replied, bending down to caress Ami’s head.

“But… but… it wasn’t just Logan’s fault that my parents and the others died. It’s because of Dugan. He’s the real culprit behind it all. So I…”

“I’ll carry that sentiment for you. I promise you, I will make him pay,” Mary reassured her.

“Lady Mary… I… I…”

Perhaps due to her tearful outburst, Ami’s face remained flushed, and the touch of Mary’s hand on her head felt warm.

“To run away like this… even if I die… I don’t care anymore… I…”

“Ami? Are you feeling unwell?” Mary asked, concerned.

“I… I don’t know. But my head is spinning… cough, cough.”

Supported by Mary, Ami coughed uncontrollably. Blood splattered from her mouth, staining Mary’s dress.

This… Could it be, she’s been poisoned…?

“Will I… just like my parents…?” Ami whispered weakly.

“I won’t let that happen!” Mary held Ami’s trembling body in her hands. She had no healing abilities herself. That meant she needed to find someone who did—a doctor or someone skilled in recovery magic.

Those who possessed magical abilities were likely to be nobles or have connections to the nobility. Mary was already a wanted criminal, so if necessary, she could resort to coercion to get their help. And the most probable place to find such individuals was…

“Captis… I have no choice but to return to Captis with Ami.”

Countless soldiers must be pursuing Mary by now. But that also meant there might be blind spots in the surveillance covering Captis. It was a layman’s thinking, but she had intended to go back to the city anyway. The timing couldn’t have been better.

Mary raced through the dark night, clutching Ami tightly. In her hazy consciousness, Ami’s voice, faint and dreamlike, escaped her lips as she murmured and called out for her family, “Mother…”