The Damn Family Is Back Again - Chapter 271



271. The Sword That Split the Skin (4)

A tremendous roar echoes.

The dust cloud and the fallen stone pillars block out the midday sun.

Those passing by the scene scatter in panic, while some manage to hold their ground with magic.

From noble mtl dot com

From noble mtl dot com

“It’s just a minor scrape. You’ll heal quickly.”

“Ugh… Thank you.”

“And you?”

“I was just startled by the sudden collapse of the wall.”

Thanks to that, there weren’t many seriously injured.

Given that it was a martial arts tournament, there were skilled individuals present who were able to respond appropriately, which minimized the damage.

However.

That was only true for those on the outskirts of the fallen wall.

The area of the arena that was covered by debris was nearly a quarter of the entire space.

As I look at the heavy weight and size of the rubble that has tumbled inward…

A chilling thought crosses my mind.

‘The fact that such a pile of stones has buried them…’

‘It’s terrifying. I can only imagine what would happen if someone got trapped beneath it.’

‘Those who were inside… it would be hard for them to survive.’

Those positioned in the inner area faced the brunt of the stonefall.

They likely struggled not only to respond to the unexpected rocks falling but even to move their bodies.

Hearing the sound of something heavy enough to create a deep crater in the ground makes me want to cut off my imagination from the sheer horror.

It seemed impossible for anyone to be safe.

Thus, those whose minds had snapped were bound to cause a commotion.

“Let go! I said let go!”

“Duchess! Please calm down!”

“How can I calm down when my child is over there!!”

“If you go in now, you’ll be in danger too, madam!”

“Let go! I said let go!”

“Guard! Call the guards first!”

“Karsein, Karsein…!”

Isabella cried out as she looked at the pile of stones in the center of the arena.

“Why can’t I go? I’m going to save my brother, so why can’t I?!”

“Princess Claire!”

“Get the hell out of my way! I said move!”

Claire, her eyes wild, tried to push through the guards with magic.

“W-what do we… do… Karsein… you can’t be hurt…”

Flora trembled, her eyes vacant.

And then.

“…”

Someone began to feel a tightness in their throat at the sight of the vivid bloodstains before them.

-Ding!

▶Hidden Episode. The blade that cuts through flesh is in progress.◀

*

The ruins of collapsing buildings.

The darkness closing in from all sides, obscuring the light.

I throw myself over the shadows of the debris.

It was only after experiencing it a second time that I realized.

The memories in my head were a little off.

The memory of going to a meat restaurant after the sports festival was still vivid.

That memory, even now, feels dirty and is something I want to forget. It resurfaced because the situation was so eerily similar.

But that wasn’t from the sports festival.

‘When was it? My head is so foggy… I can’t quite remember.’

Ah. I remembered.

It was after the sports festival. So, it was a bit later.

Right. Something entirely different happened right after the sports festival.

The sense of déjà vu that I felt, as if this had happened before, stemmed from that moment.

The pillars of the gymnasium collapsing from the sky.

The playground beginning to be stained by debris and shadows.

—

The one who was beneath the shadow, and me, who had thrown myself for that person.

The sports festival began with an accident and ended with one.

Just like I did now.

How could I have forgotten that?

It was a huge event. Even aside from that, it shouldn’t have been a memory easy to forget.

‘…Ah. Now that I think about it, I guess it was forgettable.’

Just like now, one side of my back throbbed, and a liquid flowed down from it, soaking my clothes.

As I could tell from the acrid scent, if something like that stains the fabric, it’s quite stressful to remove.

But the real issue was on the other side.

My family.

The second one would be the first to tease me, nagging about why I threw away all my clothes.

That little brat would be hiding behind and mocking me or squawking away.

The eldest? Well, that goes without saying.

And that woman who suggested going to the meat restaurant would surely have something to say.

I’d be stressed out by my family. So I think I tried to erase this memory.

Buried in the recollection of going to the meat restaurant, I couldn’t bring it out… but experiencing it like this, I couldn’t help but recall the past.

‘Still, it’s not all bad memories.’

A place where shadows lingered between collapsing buildings.

I remember the person who was there was safe.

“─Resein, Ka──in!!”

With that strong voice, they seem fine.

From the way they’re shaking my body, it doesn’t look like they’re hurt either.

Yeah. Ji-eun was perfectly fine.

But, what about me, on the other hand?

‘Uh…’

My head began to feel fuzzy.

The liquid flowing down from my forehead blurred my vision again.

My whole body felt languid, and my eyes started to close. Why am I so sleepy?

I need to recall what happened after this.

I need to know that to plan how to get out of here.

—

I shouldn’t fall asleep.

If I fall asleep…

I can’t…

“Please ── don’t. So, so ── just don’t. Please.”

I don’t know what you’re saying. Can’t you say it a little louder?

No. More than that.

– I ── love you. So, so ── don’t. Please!

It sounds similar to what Ji-eun said to me.

Ah. Back then, Ji-eun had that same expression when she said it to me, so it must be right.

But…

I don’t know.

My head keeps going blank, and I can’t think.

I’m so sleepy. I want to sleep.

…But I shouldn’t.

*

It was an event that happened in an instant.

The arena, which must have been built solidly, suddenly began to crack, and in a ridiculous scene, it crumbled into pieces along the fissures.

While the question of why this happened was set aside, the royal side moved quickly.

It was true that there were participants scattered around, which minimized the damage, but relatively minor doesn’t mean there were no injuries.

They brought in more personnel and summoned doctors, prioritizing the urgent transport of the injured to the hospital for treatment.

And now, as time has passed.

As the debris was cleared, people trapped beneath the rubble began to come into view.

“Ugh, ugh… please, save me…”

“Here’s one person, I found them!”

“What’s their condition?”

“It looks like both legs are crushed!”

“Stay calm! If we carelessly remove the debris, another section could collapse. Move carefully to avoid further collapse!”

─Yes!

Soldiers began to clear the debris under the direction of Crown Prince Albert.

Only after the first rescue was completed could the royal side finally relieve the heavy burden on one side of their heart.

—

“Thanks to the Westerners who informed us of the structure and helped us read the flow of mana, it has become easier to determine our location. What a relief.”

“It’s because of you, Arshien. Your efforts to understand the internal structure of the debris have prevented a secondary disaster.”

“Ugh, ugh… But it’s still not the time to relax. Big Brother.”

“I know that. But you must stop now.”

“I can’t just…”

Thud.

Albert pressed down hard on Arshien’s arm.

Because he had precisely pinpointed the pulse of mana, the empty nerves accompanied by pain.

“Ugh!”

“What are you saying in this state? You’ve drained all your mana and squeezed it to the limit, and yet you still feel pain.”

Albert clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“Rest. I’ll take care of the rest. Or do you want me to witness you becoming a corpse?”

In a situation where he could no longer use magic.

Arshien reluctantly nodded.

“I understand. Please… take care of the rest, Big Brother.”

“Alright.”

With her head bowed, Arshien moved with his support.

Seeing his younger sister like that, Albert let out a deep sigh.

“Brother, your words are too harsh.”

At Florence’s gentle admonition, Albert clicked his tongue again.

“Isn’t this the only way for her to understand?”

“Even so, you could speak a bit more kindly.”

Kindly, huh.

That was not an option.

‘That’s how I protect her.’

He had to be strict, even stricter.

Because they were family, he had to be more cold-hearted.

Without that, he couldn’t protect Arshien.

That was the fate of Albert, who stood in the position of the Crown Prince.

—

“Stop with the nonsense and just follow me.”

“…Sigh. How harsh you are.”

For Florence, who understood the meaning behind her brother’s actions, it was nothing but regret.

“This way!”

“We found the two people!”

“We have a severely bleeding casualty. We need pressure bandages right away!”

“Please call a physician immediately!”

The rescue efforts continued.

Every time the Westerners pointed to a location, a successful rescue unfolded.

The damage was significant, as people were trapped under the debris of the collapsed wall. Among them, there were quite a few who were barely clinging to life.

However, a problem arose here.

“You can’t feel the flow of mana?”

“Right. They’ve set up measures to suppress our power in several areas. As long as we don’t know the cause… we can’t read or sense mana either.”

“Ha. Can’t we just lift the building?”

“If we dig here structurally, one side of the ground will collapse. The other side will be the same!”

“…This is a mess.”

If one side is saved, the other cannot be.

The weight of the debris was so severe that the time for choice had come.

Albert wiped his face, trying to regain his composure.

“How many people are left?”

“Two, but…”

“Of all things, two people.”

Two people indeed.

Two spaces as well.

It was truly a dilemma.

If two people were separated into two spaces, one must be saved while accepting the death of the other.

It would be fortunate if they were clustered together, but… even that was uncertain at this moment.

‘Especially since those two are the two people in question.’

Either way, they were individuals who would benefit Arshien.

Even if they had strength, they couldn’t use it.

Albert gripped the sword tightly.

In the midst of it all.

– Kugu-gugu-gugu.

The space that had been supporting one side began to collapse.

“What kind of foolish b*stard moved…!”

He turned around with a glare, but soon found himself questioning.

The soldier who had moved was nowhere to be found.

‘That means…’

He jerked his head to the opposite side.

– Kugu-gugu. Boom!

One side had collapsed, so the other side remained.

Therefore, there should have been someone here.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince…!”

And indeed, there was.

‘But this isn’t the time to feel relieved.’

A metallic scent of blood began to spread.

At a glance, blood was splattered all over Harnié’s clothes.

Considering the amount of blood and the intensity of the scent, it was clear that Karsein was in a very dangerous state.

“Karsein Vagrand. Harnié Teresia. I’ve found the two of them. There’s not much time, so have the palace ready for immediate treatment!”

He intended to clear the debris and proceed with the treatment, but suddenly, Harnié snatched Albert’s sword.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. It’s urgent, so I’ll borrow this for a moment.”

“Lady Harnié?! What are you…!”

Then she stabbed Karsein’s flesh with the sword.

“W-What is that…!”

“Oh my!”

The nobles gasped, covering their mouths in shock.

The participants watching held their breath.

And rightly so; to stab one’s fiancé with a sword? It was an incomprehensible sight.

Arina, seeing this scene, rushed forward with her eyes wide in disbelief.

“Lady Harnié, what on earth are you doing…!”

– Swoosh.

“…Your Highness the Crown Prince?”

“That is the right course of action.”

“What do you mean by that? How can you stab a sword into Carsein’s body…!”

“Ha.”

Albert replied in a lowered tone, letting out a deep sigh.

“Unlike you last year, who lost your reason and sliced your brother’s skin, that fiancée of yours cut flesh to save a life. Arina Vagrand.”