Chapter 60: Assault

Dain Vorn Zaireth, current wielder of the Ruler of Zeus, possessed an obsessive desire to hunt and kill Scar, continuing a tradition where every predecessor had hunted down and slaughtered each wielder of Flames of the Unknown.

Scar had no idea why the hunt had continued for generations. Since enlightening someone about their Inheritance beyond what they already knew would summon Vortex, Terror of Disgust, his only avenue for understanding his power was through ancient records and texts.

But given Dain’s hunter instincts, it seemed obvious he wouldn’t let Scar discover anything about his Inheritance. When Emma vanished while researching it, Scar quickly concluded she’d been eliminated by Dain’s command.

The three of them—Scar, Julien, and Mingle—searched the campus, treating the matter with utmost seriousness. Purple, despite being bedridden, had pointed them toward one place: the grand library.

It made sense to go there…

The grand library contained humanity’s entire recovered knowledge base from after the Red Day. They even had works from Ophelia Magenta, a scholar who’d died before Inheritances emerged.

With her photographic memory and voracious reading habit, she’d been able to rewrite countless books from memory after the Red Day. Thousands of volumes in the library bore her signature, all reconstructed from what she’d read before.

Ophelia’s work let people envision the pre-Red Day world. By all accounts, it had been paradise incarnate, a place where gods might have walked.

Few believed in gods anymore, unlike then when faith was everything. But everyone who saw those preserved images thought the same: it must have been a divine age. Science and mythology as one.

At the Grand Library, they ran into some trouble. Only staff members could enter.

The library rose nearly as high as the thirty-foot walls protecting humanity with books covering every wall and ladders positioned at intervals for reaching them.

“I’ll take point.”

Mingle said and, leveraging his authority, walked straight into the building.

Scar and Julien waited impatiently, anxiety making them irritable. Scar couldn’t stop pacing, desperate for Emma to appear safely.

Regulations limiting library access to staff and authorized personnel left the entrance abandoned.

Making matters worse, they’d left the academy grounds entirely under Arthur Rover’s authorization. They couldn’t wander further.

If Emma had stepped outside to read on the surrounding pavements, they’d see her. The place was empty. But she wasn’t there.

“Scar… shouldn’t Luccy be keeping an eye on her? She’s meant to shadow you. But she’s disappeared, we haven’t seen her for days.”

Julien’s words reassured Scar that his concerns were valid.

’But could that really be it? Emma’s Inheritance, Kin of Thoth, blesses her with boundless wisdom. She may not be manipulative, but she’s perceptive enough to see through Dain’s intentions… and to know he’d stop her from getting the books she needs. Please… just be okay, Emma.’

His thoughts were interrupted by Mingle’s return from the library. The researcher’s expression was ambiguous, somewhere between satisfaction and worry. But his words clarified everything.

“We should return to the academy. If only we’d waited just a little longer…”

His brief words didn’t fully make sense, but thinking Emma had gone back to the academy, they hurried there immediately.

At the academy, Mingle checked the Supreme Council hall first, the dueling grounds next, and the infirmary last. Emma lay in bed there, running a low fever, with Amber Rover keeping watch. Emma was soaked in blood, but Amber looked as though she’d been submerged in it.

“Wait… what happened?”

Julien hurried to let his concerns be known.

Seeing Amber there, Scar immediately understood what might have transpired.

“Wait… you killed them? And nothing’s going to happen to you?”

Amber approached Scar and pinched him on the face.

“Pull yourself together, Scar. I’m a human who took down an Akuma. The Supreme Council couldn’t care less… in fact, they praised me for eliminating the weak.”

She was attempting to minimize what she’d done, but it didn’t fool Scar. The least she could’ve done was smile, but the void in her eyes was too stark. Like someone who’d never seen daylight.

She’d ended someone’s life and discussed it without a hint of remorse. Scar wanted revenge badly, yet he’d never harmed anything, not even an insect.

He exhaled deeply.

“It’s frightening knowing you killed an Akuma… but you protected Emma. For that, I’m grateful.”

Amber furrowed her brow.

“There’s no need to commend me. I am a nun of the Rover family. Protecting you is my responsibility.”

Scar wore a soft smile.

The decision was made, though he hadn’t rejoined the Rover family yet. He’d need their protection against Dain, but only after settling things with Adisa.

EHEM

Emma cleared her throat and seized the room’s attention.

“Be honest, are you here because of me, or to keep giving your cousin those lovesick stares?”

She sneered.

Scar grimaced.

“She’s my cousin, you know. Have some decency. Now, if you’d said Haven, I’d have given you full credit.”

He walked closer to Emma and patted her on the forehead.

“I’m glad you are safe, little girl.”

He didn’t know what to make of it. He’d anticipated a tantrum from Emma after calling her a little girl, but she only blushed with a gentle smile.

Confused, he turned to Amber.

“What happened?”

She shrugged.

“Two of them are dead. She felt sick after witnessing it, so I brought her back.”

Mingle’s and Julien’s jaws dropped in shock.

“You killed two Akumas?”

Confusion crossed Amber’s face, like she couldn’t understand why they didn’t already know this.

“The moment Father told me Emma was missing, I went searching. I eliminated one guard myself and ended the other with my partner.”

When she said that, Emma started laughing uncontrollably. She laughed so hard that Scar had to help settle her down.

“Why are you so surprised? She’s Amber, an exceptional swordswoman. She defeated a Tier-7 alone. Yes, she needed assistance with a Tier-6, but that doesn’t diminish her skill.”

A smile crossed Scar’s face. To think his bluff had inspired her to train. Now, only weeks remained until she’d start teaching him swordsmanship, and he was eager for it.

While Scar smiled, Mingle frowned.

“What truly happened? At the very least, we deserve the truth.”

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