The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation

Chapter 310: Chapter 305 — Ugly

”Activate the barrier!”

”P-prime? But our people are still—”

Malach grabbed the head cadet by the collar and hauled him off his feet.

”I am your fucking Prime. I said reactivate the barrier.”

He shoved him away before raising his voice for everyone to hear.

”Nobody goes out! Nobody! Reactivate the barrier and hold the fortress!”

The northern cadets stared at him with wide eyes, but no one moved. Their expressions slowly darkened. Reactivating the barrier would condemn their people. Their comrades were right there, battered, injured, and trying to make it home, and they would be deliberately locking them outside.

That... that was not the Ferran way.

”Did I fucking stutter!?” Malach roared. ”Activate the fucking barrier!

Still, no one moved.

Malach’s jaw clenched.

”Fine! Fucking fine! Apparently, I’m surrounded by idiots. I’ll do it myself!”

His figure blurred as he rushed towards the barrier controls, roughly flinging aside the cadets stationed there. His fingers immediately began moving, carving through the air in rapid, practiced motions as runes flared to life one after another.

A moment later, the barrier activated.

Golden light surged upwards around the fortress, rapidly spreading until it enveloped the entire structure in its protective embrace.

”What? No! Why are you activating the barrier!?”

”Prime! We’re still out here!”

”You can’t do this!”

”Don’t leave us out here!”

Gordon and the injured northern cadets screamed desperately from outside the fortress as Kaelion and the others continued tearing through their ranks.

Malach, however, kept his expression cold.

”We’re holding the fortress. This is war, not some fucking bedtime story where everyone gets to go home happy. Wars are fought to win.”

The northern cadets around him continued staring at him darkly, disbelief written plainly across their faces. Several had even abandoned their posts entirely, turning to silently stare at their Prime.

As Ferrans, they had been taught from childhood that solidarity came above all else. You never abandoned one of your own, no matter the situation.

Never.

And now, their own Prime was asking them to go against that very belief.

Feeling the weight of their gazes on him, Malach clenched his fists.

’This is the right choice. It has to be. Let them glare. Let them hate me. None of it fucking matters if I win. Winners decide what was right. Once I beat that bastard, no one will give a shit about this.’

With the barrier reactivated, Kaelith and the siege corps had stopped their charge towards the fortress. Instead, they turned around and joined Kaelion in subduing the remaining northern cadets outside.

Steeling himself, Malach slowly exhaled and checked the time.

11:57 a.m.

Three minutes to noon.

’Once noon comes, he loses. He gave them his word, and he’ll fail right in front of everyone. Then let’s see how fucking perfect the Lightning Prince looks to his people.’

Three minutes. Just three fucking minutes.

A sudden beep from his rune tab pulled him from his thoughts. Malach glanced down, only to freeze at the message displayed across the screen.

The southern prime Zephyrion Calderalth has left his fortress.

”W-what?”

Malach’s head snapped towards the battlefield just as the ground suddenly flared with light. From within the glow, a tall, devilishly handsome figure slowly emerged, his expression as calm and unbothered as ever.

Zephyrion Calderalth.

Lumi was also at his side, glaring at him. However, for some reason, the mere sight of him after everything that had happened sent Malach’s heart racing.

’Calm down. Calm the fuck down. The barrier is up. I’m inside, he’s outside. There’s nothing that bastard can do to me.’

Malach clenched his teeth, forcing down the unease crawling through him.

The Vanguard and siege corps had already brought the battered northern cadets to their knees. Gordon, along with several of the head cadets, knelt at the forefront, beaten badly enough that they could barely even raise their heads.

”Prime.”

”Prime.”

”Brother.”

As Zephyrion stepped forward, Kaelion, Kaelith, Draven, and even Lucien greeted him respectfully. The other southern cadets followed suit, bowing towards their Prime as he passed.

Zephyrion acknowledged them with a slight nod before turning his attention towards the northern cadets on the ground, his gaze lingering particularly on Gordon.

’Gordon. So that’s him.’

Then, he looked towards the northern wall, meeting Malach’s gaze.

The northern Prime was freakishly tall, even taller than Zephyrion, and his expression looked far less twisted than it had earlier. He had clearly managed to compose himself.

Well, somewhat.

Zephyrion could still see the tension lurking behind his eyes.

Malach was intimidated by him.

’Good.’

A faint smile appeared on Zephyrion’s face.

”We meet again, Malach.”

”So we do.” Malach forced a smile of his own, his gaze briefly shifting towards Gordon and the others below. ”Though I have to admit, Lightning Prince, I expected better from you. Torturing my people, burning them to a crisp, laying traps... and after all that, you still have the nerve to stand there smiling. Cowardly, don’t you think? Certainly not the Ferran way.”

Zephyrion immediately understood what he was doing.

Malach was trying to control the narrative, painting Zephyrion as the villain while making himself out to be the victim. More importantly, he was trying to regain the trust of the northern cadets after what he’d just done.

Zephyrion couldn’t help but laugh.

”Is that really the story you’re going with?”

”...What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Instead of answering, Zephyrion waved his hand, causing a large screen to materialize beside him.

Footage immediately began playing across it, showing his conversation with Jozo and the northern cadets who had infiltrated their fortress on the first day.

The moment Malach recognized the scene, his expression darkened.

”Lies! That’s all fucking lies!”

”Hm.” Zephyrion raised a brow. ”You sound awfully panicked, Malach. Strange. If it’s all lies, what exactly are you so afraid they’ll see?”

”I’m not afraid of anything!” Malach snapped, his voice carrying across the fortress. He immediately turned towards his cadets. ”And you lot, stop watching! That is an order from your Prime! Turn away from that fucking screen!”

Zephyrion expanded the screen even further, making it large enough that practically every northern cadet could see what was playing.

Soon, the footage reached the moment Jozo had been about to speak. The runes engraved on his body suddenly flared to life, and a moment later, he and the other infiltrators exploded.

Gasps immediately spread across the northern fortress. Several cadets instinctively turned towards Malach, their expressions slowly changing.

Malach’s face had gone ugly.