Supreme BeastTamer: I Can Copy and Upgrade Skills 10x!-Chapter 548: The Vermilion Kingdoms [5] End
In the cramped space beyond the secret panel, a dozen young faces looked up at the purple-haired principal whose face now glistened with exhaustion, dark circles underneath her eyes.
These were the lucky few whom Bridget had managed to band together and escape with after the demons showed up.
At first, they had held their ground against the Order of Flaming Rose, but when the demons appeared, everything went south.
Bridget's purple eyes flashed as she recalled the person who had led the charge, and an involuntary shiver passed through her spine. She had met her during the Western Region Fight Summit.
Who would have thought one of the citizens from the Cromwell Barony was not only a necromancer like her but a demon general in disguise?
Sigh, and that strength... She could easily take out three expert-ranked Awakened. Bridget thought with a sigh, her gaze settling on the students.
They were alive and together, while so many of their classmates had been captured or slain above.
Bridget's heart clenched as she recalled the red-skinned girl whom they had thought to be male all this while. She had registered with the name Blake and always moved around with a mask on her face for some reason.
Because of his talkative personality, no one ever suspected she was actually an agent of the Order of Flaming Rose. She had single-handedly slaughtered one-third of the students.
If it wasn't for his timely intervention, then more lives would have been lost... By "he," she meant—
Her gaze drifted to the one figure who stood apart from the rest. Jack—that was the name he had given—was the mysterious student with the full-bodied armor who had hidden his face behind a helmet since his admission.
At the moment, he leaned against the wall at the edge of the group and seemed as if he was having a conversation with himself, which felt very strange, and some people even distanced themselves from him, saying he was mentally ill.
"Hey, you said you're friends with my brother, right?"
Just then, Jack heard a voice beside him. His eyes opened slowly, and his gaze settled on Nyx, who bore a very striking resemblance to Nox.
"Yes, I met him in Snowhelm," Jack responded. "But I never thought I'd find him here of all places. It seems fate really wants us to be together."
Jack smiled toward the end, which earned him a weird look from the students close by, some already calling him a creep in their minds.
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"I see." Nyx wasn't too bothered. She didn't fully trust his words, even if a part of her was compelled to. For now, she would give him the benefit of the doubt and only confirm with her brother wherever he was.
Bridget watched the conversation with an unreadable expression. In truth, even she didn't fully trust Jack. The only reason he was still alive and following them was because he had saved the students, which she was very grateful for.
Soon, a muffled sob snapped her back to the present. In one corner, a girl trembled in an older boy's arms, choking back tears.
Bridget forced a gentle smile and knelt beside them.
"We're safe here for now," she whispered, keeping her voice steady. "The demons don't know about these cellars. We just have to stay quiet and stick together, alright?"
The girl nodded, wiping her eyes with a dirty sleeve.
One older student finally mustered the courage to break the silence.
"Principal Bridget," he whispered, "what do we do now? We can't stay here forever."
It was the question all of them had been dreading, spoken aloud.
"We'll find a way," she answered softly but firmly. "There are old tunnels under the academy that connect to the city's catacombs, built by King Vermilion Bloodbane. If we can follow them, maybe we can reach the castle or even slip out of the city." She tried to sound confident, though she knew the catacombs were a labyrinth. Still, it was the only hope she could offer.
A few of the students managed timid smiles at the thought of the castle. If they could reach the royal island, the king's soldiers might protect them.
The older student who had spoken up hesitated, then added in an even quieter voice,
"When those demons were talking… they mentioned someone called Eve. A general, I think. And… a traitor who helped them take the academy."
Nyx paused as well, and even Wendy unconsciously tried to hide from the gaze of the other students, hoping that they wouldn't find out about their relationship with the demonic necromancer.
Bridget felt a chill crawl up her spine, memories of the one-sided fight between her and Eve surfacing in her head.
Bridget swallowed and forced strength into her tone.
"We don't know anything for sure," she said, addressing the group. "Right now, what matters is staying alive and unnoticed. Understood? We'll rest for a short while, then we'll try for those tunnels. That's our plan."
"Yes, till help arrives," she muttered in a barely audible voice.
"I hope the Lich Court won't deny my request."
---
In the city, atop the abandoned lighthouse, a tall figure stood watching the smoldering capital. General Eve surveyed her handiwork.
Her fitted dark purple gown clung to her body, and her lush dark hair fluttered in the wind as her ruby gaze watched the city with an emotionless look on her face. At a glance, one might mistake her for a noble lady at a royal ball—if not for the faint aura of death that emitted from her body and the cold gleam in her eyes.
Beside her stood none other than her trusty butler, Skulky, in his suit, his green orb-like eyes flickering with hesitation and anxiety, as if he wasn't pleased with this at all.
Eve clearly felt Skulky's anxieties but paid the butler no mind. Her attention was locked on the castle across the water.
Just then, the sound of footsteps came from behind, and a higher demon with handsome features appeared. He bowed to Eve, who didn't even spare him a glance, and said:
"Mistress, your brother has successfully captured the Snowhelm Kingdom and is currently heading here to assist you. In two days' time, the entire kingdom will be ours!"
