Myriad Devils-Chapter 77: The successors of the Knights

He had grasped the attention of all who were present. In this pin-drop silence, as all eyes fixated on him, such subtle yet heavy pressure could make the heart of anyone thump at an unhealthy rate. And yet, it was as if he, Jacob, did not sense nor feel their gazes.

Felix was the first to break the silence as his movements caused a twig under his feet to crack. But just as he approached Jacob, right before he spoke, Jacob also moved.

Crackle!

Seemingly only having eyes for one person, his gaze was locked onto Anon’s as he stepped towards him, voicing, "They say that interesting things follow interesting people."

Towards this figure, one who he had seen probably only once, Anon’s mind churned as he recalled: ’Isn’t he...’ A strange expression adorned Anon’s face as he deduced: ’At that time, I confronted the Alton family’s young master, one of the very first students that I taxed.’

In the confrontation, Anon sent a youth named Rowen Alton flying, unknowingly implicating the dread-haired boy that now stood before him. At that time, he was so focused on a rather large scuffle that he didn’t pay much attention to what occurred thereafter.

Seeing Anon’s change in expression, Jacob smiled, asking: "Has it clicked now?" He said: "What you did in the past month... I just knew something intriguing would take place in the Blood-Drip Jungle surrounding you."

Shaking his head, Jacob showed a pained expression as he continued: "It took me a while. You were in the first Bus, and I was in the third," As he said this, bolts of lightning seemed to flash in the depths of his eyes. He continued: "The Blood-Drip Jungle’s big. Dangerous too, but I’m fast, really fast!"

Crackle!

Tilting his head, his gaze went past Anon and to the figures a distance away.

At the same time, he took a step, appearing before Anon, and yet, he appeared next to Seth.

Andrew stood next to Jacob, and so did Felix, Melissa, and Catharina.

Bolan didn’t sense Jacob standing behind him, observing him silently. Staring behind Bolan’s head, Jacob’s pupils couldn’t be seen, instead, they were covered in a purple hue. Or maybe, this were his pupils.

"I see you’re in an intriguing situation," Jacob chuckled. His voice echoed out as all seven Jacobs voiced: "I also wish to live like this."

"You wouldn’t mind if I join in, right?"

...

Since Jacob’s appearance, Anon had gone mostly silent. In fact, Jacob had become the center of attention, so much so that, when Catharina’s initial shock had reduced, no one else perceived the change in her expression.

’Those vines?’ Her thoughts churned as she glanced towards the group of fourteen figures a distance away: ’Freya?’ She thought whilst stepping away from the group.

As she separated from the group, under Jacob’s gaze, she approached the fourteen figures clustered together, a distance away. And yet, Jacob didn’t seem to care as he continued interacting with Anon and the others.

"Catharina?" 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Unknowingly, by the time Andrew sensed her movements, drawing the attention of the others, she was already closer to the group of fourteen than she was to the group of seven.

"Freya?" She voiced out.

Staring intently towards one of the fourteen figures in particular, Catharina asked: "What are you doing?"

"What am I doing?" The figure mused aloud, replying with an amused tone. Stepping forward, she swept her hair to the side and forwarded her own question towards Catharina: "Didn’t I say that there’d be repercussions for his actions?"

They were housemates, assigned to a T manor. Naturally, Freya and Catharina had grown close over the past month.

’Those vines were her principle at work.’ Catharina thought: ’She had no qualms whatsoever with attacking us, attacking me?!’ This was what truly left Catharina stunned, to the point that she even left her companions and approached Freya, confrontationally.

"But honestly, even I didn’t expect this." Freya suddenly chuckled. Her gaze shifted from Catharina, and towards the group of individuals some distance away, fixating on Bolan and the others.

"Who’d have thought that it isn’t even the victims of your friend’s little antics who’ve come to vanquish him." She said, "Instead, a group of individuals more related than you may think, not affected by his actions, yet viewing his existence as a problem that needs solving. Catharina, take this with a grain of salt, but I’d suggest that you leave them. Come here, I can at least, assure you that you’ll return to the academy alive."

Hmph!

A burst of intent exploded from Catharina as a golden light encompassed her form, from which, shards of gold-colored snowflakes manifested. Though adorning the appearance of snowflakes, they were genuine shards of metal that spun like disks before rocketing towards Freya!

"I’ve heard enough," Catharina said this as she retreated several steps. But shooting out of the ground beneath Freya’s feet were thorny vines that formed a sturdy wall-like barrier.

Seemingly swallowing the onslaught of golden snowflakes with relative ease, the protective wall instantly dispersed into particles of energy as Freya stamped her foot against the earth beneath her feet and shot towards Catharina.

"Do you think coming and going as you please is so easy?"

As Freya said this, the ground under Catharina’s feet trembled before caving in. Wherever her feet landed, the earth sunk, transforming into a muddy mess that greatly affected her speed of retreat.

At the same time, darting towards her were several thorny vines that rotated in a vicious manner, like drills attempting to dig into her flesh.

Strapped to Catharin’s waist, was a sword.

For the first time in a while, she unsheathed it with her right hand whilst waving her left hand, causing eight golden snowflakes relatively larger than before to make their appearance.

As they suddenly shot towards the incoming vines, once colliding, these gold disks, sharp, severed the vines into several pieces before exploding into particles of golden lights. But with over ten thorny vines approaching Catharina, only eight golden disks were unable to free her of this danger.

The five vines that remained...

Though Catharina lost her balance for a moment, on her stumble, she still swung her sword. The blade’s edge was coated by a golden hue as it easily severed one of the vines.

Another swooped down but was successfully blocked by a piece of solid gold that manifested abruptly, protecting her as she regained her balance.

Just then, the three other vines assaulted her simultaneously, causing her face to contort into a frown. But slashing her sword horizontally, she almost blocked all three of them successfully.

Only, in the last moment before the vines impacted with her sword, the path in which the three vines approached her suddenly shifted, one slowing down tremendously whilst another, seemingly having a mind of its own, ducked under Catharina’s sword.

Her subconscious flared as she instinctively grasped at the vine that ducked under her blade, and at the same time, coated her palm with her principle.

"Urgh!"

Almost immediately, the coating on her palm shattered.

Piercing her palm, the thorny vine penetrated deep into her arm, and yet, she gritted her teeth and grabbed hold of the vine, before bringing her sword down and slashing it apart.

Still, there was one vine remaining, and more glaringly, its speed increased dramatically.

In fact, it was too sudden!

A burst of speed that was much more overwhelming than all the vines before. Catharina’s eyes widened as Freya, who approached some distance away, chuckled heartily.

’You once said that with the sword, I’m not your match.’ Freya thought: ’Foolish!’

Reacting to this vine.

Though Catharina saw it rushing towards her at breakneck speeds, and though she could process it, and even though her brain could command her body to react, it was still too little time.

Against this vine, her body simply could not move quickly enough.

Spinning violently as it approached her, Catharina knew that the instance it met with her flesh, it’d penetrate her chest and pierce her heart.

Crackle!

But just then, a crackle of lightning entered her ears as a blinding light momentarily disoriented her, causing her to stumble back and land on her buttocks.

By the time she caught her sense of self, when she looked forward, there was no vine. Even Freya had come to a sudden halt, because standing before her and Catharina was a young man with dreads framing his face, dark skin, and a pair of notable eyes with purple hues covering his pupils.

He had only tapped on the vine with his index finger.

Very lightly.

’It exploded from just a tap?’ Freya had seen it with her own eyes and still found it hard to believe.

"Indeed, just from a tap." Jacob, as if reading her thoughts, whispered in her left ear whilst wrapping his hand around her shoulder.

Freya stared at Jacob who stood some distance away from her, precisely between her and Catharina: ’He’s there, right?’

But, at the same time, a voice came from right next to her. She didn’t wish to believe, but as she slowly glanced to her left, Jacob’s gloating smile took up most of her vision, sending a chill that slowly trickled down her spine.

"That’s not me." Jacob pointed at the image of himself a distance away, and then at the other images all the way by group of six: "They’re all not me."

The moment his words fell, these images slowly began fading away, as if being erased by some supreme entity.

Wrapped around his arm, Freya’s shoulders quivered by these scenes.

Her voice was shaky as she threw a question out into the silence that had descended once again: "Y-You’re in the second world... Aren’t you?"

Amused, Jacob smirked and gripped her shoulders tightly before throwing her body like a ragdoll. Hurling across the open field, Freya lost control of her body as she was flung past Catharina who only stared on wide-eyed.

Crackle!

A bolt of purple lightning whizzed across the field, flashing past Catharina’s eyes before striking Freya’s fleshy body ruthlessly.

Burnt clothing, charred flesh!

A sizzling sound...

"F-Freya?!"

Catharina shakily stood up.

At the same time, the earth beneath Jacob’s feet trembled.

Hmm?

"I thought you guys had some sense?" Jacob turned around, shifting his gaze toward the thirteen figures.

Of which, a young man of average height stepped forward.

With a serious expression, he asked: "You’re in the second world, right?" But not even waiting for a response, he said: "As you can see, we did not intervene as you attacked one of our members. This is us expressing goodwill. I hope you can understand such intent."

Before Jacob could reply, he said in a low, yet threatening tone: "Even as someone from a greater family, there are many things that you’re not privy to."

With the fall of his words, the air immediately became chilly. But amid this cold atmosphere, Jacob had a strange reaction.

"Heh... heh... You guys are the inheritors, right?" Jacob chortled aloud.

Crackle!

His eyes flashed with a distinct flicker as he stepped towards the young man who previously spoke.

"You don’t really believe that you guys are special, right?" Jacob voiced: "The disciples of Otherworldly Knights... There are many such individuals. You’re only the center of focus for a while. One year, maybe two, five at most."

As he approached them, the group of thirteen also moved. Creating some distance from each other, they encircled Jacob, clearly viewing him as a threat.

"How haughty! How arrogant!" The young man had blue eyes that did not hide his irritation. These crystal blue eyes released an invisible power that traversed the field unassumingly, trespassing any physical barriers that Jacob held.

A formless pressure attempted to restrain Jacob’s physical form, and crush his spirit...