The Assassin's Seven Principles of Manipulation

Chapter 316: Chapter 311 — Trash

”Attack.”

Zephyrion’s voice rippled across the battlefield. The southern cadets erupted into violent roars that shook the land. Then, they poured towards the northern fortress like a tsunami.

The sight finally seemed to snap the northern Prime out of his daze.

”No... no, we can still win. We can still hold the fortress...” Malach muttered to himself before suddenly raising his voice. ”Prepare to engage! Every cadet, man your stations! Defend the fucking fortress!”

But the northern cadets only stared at him with dark expressions, some even openly glaring. After everything that had just been exposed, it was clear that very few of them were eager to keep fighting for their Prime.

”What the fuck are you all staring at?!” Malach roared, his expression twisting. ”They’re taking the fortress! Fucking fight!”

Several southerners had already scaled the walls by now. Yet the northern cadets barely resisted. Even the remaining head cadets made no attempt to fight, allowing themselves to be subdued one after another.

Malach watched it all happen, looking like he was slowly losing his mind.

”No... fuck! Fuck! What are you doing?! Fight! Why the fuck aren’t you fighting?!

His hands dug into his hair, pulling at it in frustration, when his gaze suddenly met a pair of calm eyes.

Malach froze.

Zephyrion was still standing there with that same calm smile, as though the bastard wasn’t currently tearing his entire life apart.

”You...” Malach’s breathing grew heavier, his eyes filling with murderous hatred. ”It’s you. It’s all fucking you. If you weren’t here... none of this would’ve happened.”

His hands immediately began carving furious signs through the air. Runes appeared one after another, flaring brightly before surging into his body.

BOOM!

Golden light erupted from Malach like an explosion, instantly hurling away the southern cadets closing in around him. As the light slowly dimmed, his transformed figure came into view.

His entire body glowed a radiant gold, thick golden veins throbbing beneath his gleaming skin. His eyes had taken on the same golden sheen, and his mere presence seemed to weigh heavily on the surrounding air.

”Absolute Enhancement.”

Gordon, along with those close enough to the Sarakhel primary line, had been taught Total Enhancement, a weaker variant of the true Sarakhel art; Absolute Enhancement.

Using the metal element, the art pushed every aspect of the human body towards its absolute limit. Strength, speed, sight, reflexes... everything.

Malach’s physical attributes had previously been around the middle of Mark Seven. Now, they had reached the peak. No. Now, they had gone even beyond the peak of Mark Seven!

Malach vanished. Only a moment later did the ground where he’d been standing explode, a violent shockwave sending dust and shattered stone flying in every direction.

The northern Prime appeared before Zephyrion like a golden phantom. His fist tore through the air like a meteor, hurtling straight towards Zephyrion.

”If I kill you...” Malach’s face twisted with desperation and rage. ”If I just fucking kill you, I can still fix this!”

Scattered across the battlefield, the head cadets barely managed to follow the attack. Even those who couldn’t clearly see it, though, could feel the terrifying power packed into that punch.

Yet Zephyrion hadn’t moved. Seeing him simply standing there, their expressions immediately changed. What was he doing? Of everyone watching, only Lumi, standing directly beside him, seemed completely unmoved.

Then the punch landed.

BOOM!

The shockwave from the impact swept across the battlefield, bringing every fight to an abrupt halt. Cadets hastily raised metal barriers as it tore towards them. Those closest to the clash were instantly hurled away, while those fortunate enough to be farther back barely managed to remain standing.

A deep silence followed as a choking cloud of dust swallowed the center of the battlefield.

At this point, none of the opposing cadets were even looking at each other anymore. Every gaze had turned towards the two Primes as the dust slowly began to clear.

”What the hell...?”

Kaelion, Kaelith, Draven, Lucien, even Nedra, Tobias, and Fiona watching from the southern wall narrowed their eyes. This...

Was this even right?

Malach’s punch, carrying enough power to send shockwaves across the entire battlefield, had been stopped completely by Zephyrion’s palm.

His arm wasn’t shaking. There wasn’t even the slightest tremble. No strain showed on his expressionless face, and not even the ground beneath his feet had cracked.

He had taken the full force of that punch without so much as flinching.

The shock that settled across the battlefield was immense.

For a moment, perhaps because Zephyrion had spent the past few days doing little more than standing back and giving orders, they had almost forgotten just what kind of monster the Lightning Prince was.

”H-how...?” Malach stared at the hand holding his fist, his eyes trembling. ”How the fuck did you block that...?”

Of everyone there, Malach was the most shaken. He knew exactly how much power had been packed into that punch.

Not even a fully grown Ascendant at the peak of Mark Seven could have taken it head-on. Their bones would have shattered instantly. So how had...

”I already told you, didn’t I?” Zephyrion’s voice was cold. Malach looked into his eyes and realized they were even colder.

”You think far too highly of yourself.”

Before Malach could even process those words, the distance between them vanished. All he felt was Zephyrion’s fist burying itself deep into his stomach.

His body folded around the blow, spit and blood bursting from his mouth.

Malach’s feet left the ground for one brief, almost weightless moment. Then he was sent hurtling through the air, smashing through the fortress wall and skipping violently across the courtyard before finally coming to a stop.

Forcing himself onto his hands and knees, Malach gasped desperately for breath before his stomach suddenly lurched. He doubled over and emptied its contents onto the ground.

Breathing raggedly, he slowly raised his head, only to find the entire fortress staring at him.

”You think you’re smarter than you are, and now apparently, you think you’re stronger than you are too.” Zephyrion’s voice carried clearly across the courtyard. ”Tell me, Malach, is there anything you don’t overestimate about yourself?”

Zephyrion walked towards him at an unhurried pace, while cadets gathered along the walls and throughout the courtyard, silently watching.

In all his life, Malach had never felt so humiliated.

”You...” His gaze darted across the surrounding cadets, his face twisting. ”What the fuck are you all looking at?! You useless fools... who the fuck are you to look down on me?!”

”Hm, I don’t see the problem,” Zephyrion said calmly. ”Trash is usually beneath people, isn’t it?”

”HAAAAAA! YOU FUCKING BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU CALL ME TRASH?!”