The Arranged Suitor Was the Kidnapper

Zenox raised his sword as Rubenta commanded.

Then he kicked off the ground and lunged towards Laria.

Clang-!

A dull metallic sound rang out as a long crack appeared in the barrier.

A few more attacks and even the sturdiest barrier would shatter.

Laria bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.

‘Can I break the brainwashing spell while fending off Zenox?’

Frankly speaking, just dealing with Zenox was overwhelming. Especially in a situation where she could only defend.

Above all, she wasn’t certain if she could properly break the brainwashing spell.

Though she had experienced quite a few forbidden spells before, this was on a different level.

In the worst case, she had expected Rubenta might kill someone like he did in the North. But she never imagined he would make all his loyal subordinates commit suicide.

Rubenta’s obsession with Zenox was beyond imagination.

‘What should I do…’

Before she could finish her thought, Zenox’s attacks continued. With a strong impact like a falling comet, the barrier mercilessly shattered. Far from withstanding a few more hits, it was completely destroyed in just two strikes.

As Laria immediately deployed a new defensive barrier, Zenox swung his sword.

“Ugh!”

A sharp blade of energy grazed her skin, drawing blood.

If she had been even a little slower, she would have met death with her eyes open.

Marquis Hashir, watching the fight, burst into laughter.

“You’re like a cornered rat, Laria Rohan.”

The Marquis crossed his arms, wearing a cold smile.

“It’s a shame I can’t kill you with my own hands, but this isn’t bad either.”

Regardless of how it happened, his goal was Laria’s death.

But Laria had no time to pay attention to the Marquis. She could feel her once-vast magical power gradually depleting.

Even the ample supply of gems she had brought would eventually run out.

‘Maybe it would be better to pour it all out at once.’

And like before, Zenox needed to realize and break free from the brainwashing spell himself.

She decided to place her bet on Zenox for what might be the last chance.

Laria released all the power remaining in her body.

A light so bright it was impossible to keep her eyes open burst forth.

As she was breaking down the complex spell formations of the brainwashing spell one by one, Laria shouted:

“Zenox, come to your senses!”

Zenox, about to swing his sword again, hesitated for a moment.

It was the first response.

‘Please.’

She poured out her magical power with all her might, but the resistance was intense.

The evenly matched forces gradually tipped to one side.

The dark red aura enveloping Zenox began to greedily devour the pure white light. The spell formations that had been dismantled piece by piece found their places again.

Like trying to cut water with a sword, they were recovering faster than she could break them.

As her magical power drained instantly, it was hard to even stand upright.

Fearing she might collapse, Laria forced strength into her legs.

Laria barely lifted her head to look at Zenox.

His blood-red eyes reflected her.

But they were empty inside.

The Zenox that Laria knew was no longer there.

This realization was so painful that Laria’s face contorted.

As time passed, Zenox’s sword grew fiercer and sharper, and conversely, Laria’s magical power gradually weakened.

Now she had few options left.

Would she let Zenox kill her, or flee and leave him behind?

But she didn’t want to choose either.

‘I promised to save you.’

Even knowing he might completely lose his sense of self, Zenox had willingly walked into the trap because he trusted Laria.

Because he had bet everything on her.

“I won’t give up.”

Zenox raised his sword high.

There wasn’t even enough magical power left to cast a barrier.

If that sword hit her, she would die.

Instead of dodging, Laria forcibly drew upon her nearly depleted magical power and sent it towards him.

A faint, gentle light like a butterfly brushed past Zenox.

Flutter-

A single lilac petal from his breast pocket rose on the wind, floating in the air.

Zenox’s empty eyes slowly followed the falling petal.

For a fleeting moment, light entered his eyes that had been as dark and lifeless as an abyss.

“Zenox!!”

As Laria’s voice rang out like a scream, the raised sword split the air.

The sword’s tip pointed towards Rubenta.

“…!”

Rubenta’s face, which had been gleefully observing, belatedly froze.

Swallowing his bewilderment, Rubenta examined Zenox.

The brainwashing spell had definitely taken effect. As proof, Zenox’s eyes were still red.

“Kill Laria Rohan.”

As Rubenta repeated the order, the sword tip wavered.

Unlike his expressionless face, Zenox’s body trembled violently.

The veins on the back of his sword hand bulged like mountain ranges. The cold sweat trickling down his neck showed he was desperately resisting.

Zenox was now fighting himself to regain his sense of self.

Noticing this, Rubenta poured out the Power of Words.

“You were born to follow my orders.”

“…”

“Kill Laria Rohan!!”

At the repeated command, Zenox’s eyes began to cloud over again.

Laria anxiously fumbled in her pocket, then bit her lip.

‘No more gems.’

Even her magical power was exhausted.

There was nothing more she could do…

‘No, there’s one thing left.’

Laria checked the ring on her finger.

The magical power she had been accumulating to return to Zenox was still stored in the ring.

“Do you want to kill me that badly?”

When Zenox’s sword tip didn’t point towards Laria despite the Power of Words, blood vessels appeared in Rubenta’s eyes.

As if daring him to try, Rubenta thrust his own neck towards the sword.

“You’re struggling in vain, since you can’t kill me anyway.”

The first brainwashing spell cast on Zenox had taken root long ago.

He had already had several chances to kill Rubenta, but had failed each time due to the brainwashing spell.

It would be the same this time.

They were merely repeating the same process as before.

“Zenox, you can never live a normal life.”

Rubenta declared as if cursing him.

Born in the form of a complete wolf, pretending to be an ordinary beastman – it was laughable.

Zenox was meant to live solely as a sword for Rubenta.

Because…

“You are a calamity.”

“That would be you.”

Rubenta turned to look at Laria and closed his eyes tightly.

Crack-

The large diamond embedded in the ring shattered, emitting a bright light. The magical power accumulated over a month exploded all at once like a burst dam.

The dark red aura surrounding Zenox began to be swept away like vomit.

“Aaaaargh!!”

Marquis Hashir screamed and collapsed.

As the brainwashing spell was broken, the backlash hit him, the caster, full force.

After the white light disappeared, Zenox opened his eyes.

It was like the sun rising, pushing away the darkness.

His brilliantly golden eyes showed no impurities.

“Laria. Close your eyes.”

These were Zenox’s first words after breaking free from the brainwashing spell.

Laria reflexively closed her eyes.

“!”

Rubenta’s body shook violently.

Feeling the belated intense pain, Rubenta slowly lowered his gaze.

He saw a long blade piercing his body.

His gaze traveled up the blade to find Zenox at its end.

“…How.”

The eternal principle that ‘Zenox cannot kill Rubenta Krassium’ had been broken.

The first brainwashing spell cast on Zenox should still remain, so why…

Could something have happened to Marquis Hashir?

But Rubenta’s thoughts went no further.

“So it was you who killed my parents.”

Rubenta’s eyes widened.

He should have been unconscious under the brainwashing…

Instead of resolving Rubenta’s doubts, Zenox roughly pulled out his sword.

Blood gushed out, soaking his feet.

“Huk, ughh…”

Zenox silently watched Rubenta gasping for breath.

Rubenta spoke between labored breaths:

“Are you, going to, kill me, like this? Isn’t it, huk, a waste, to settle your grudge?”

As long as he had life, he could always seek another chance.

He could start over from the beginning.

If he returned to the North, there were wolf clan heads who would support him.

So…

“…”

Rubenta’s words didn’t continue to the end.

His body fell with a thud, meeting death without even closing his eyes.

Though the grudge was deep, it wasn’t worth risking Laria’s safety.

If he posed even the slightest threat to Laria, it was better to kill him now.

Zenox took off his coat and threw it over Rubenta’s corpse. It was to avoid showing Laria a horrific sight.

Carelessly tossing aside his sword, Zenox turned around.

“Laria. You can open your eyes now.”

His voice was incredibly tender, as if it was the name he most wanted to call.

At Zenox’s call, Laria slowly opened her eyes.

“…”

Though she said nothing, countless emotions passed between their gazes.

This moment would surely be unforgettable for a lifetime.

Staring blankly at Zenox, Laria realized she could no longer hold on. With her magical power depleted, she felt she might revert to her fox form at any moment.

‘No…’

Finally, Laria’s body collapsed.

At the same time, Zenox stretched out his arms.

Laria’s body grew smaller and smaller…

At last, a pure white fox fell into Zenox’s embrace.