One's Eden: Hanayuki Travel

Chapter 32: Sold out

After the battle, I was paid a handsome amount of money. I was informed that the death match is the highest paying match in the underground fight club, but I never thought it to be this much.

On the other hand, I don’t have any complaints. Having these lots of money means lots of food and supplies for the people living in the sewers. I bought lots of food supplies for a week or several times a month. Free food for everyone was served. The kids and elderly eat their meals with bliss.

I was happy with the outcome.

The fight promoter was a nice man. He kept my identity a secret. He gave me a map of Ark. The ark is staying in this country for one more day, according to the promoter. I don’t have time to waste. When the sun fell down I had to make my move and save Eula from Noah.

The promoter must have a personal grudge towards Princess Noah, leading him to give me useful information about Ark. The most useful one is the main room where the princess is staying.

“Is this fine? Is it fine to give us all the rewards you get?”

The leader asked me.

“Yup, I already have some gold coins, enough to make my wallet fat and I already eat plenty. That’s enough for me.”

“But Hanayuki risked her life in a deathmatch.”

“I’m a traveler… I don’t like having too much luggage. Too many gold coins are heavy in the pocket. I can’t bring them all… And the reason I fight is to make them all have a full stomach.”

I said and turned my glance to the kids eating like there is no tomorrow. Eating with smiles on their faces.

Yeah, this is what I want.

Cake approached me and said:

“Hanayuki are you going?”

“Yeah, I’m going to attack the Ark tonight. The ark is said to be flying again for another mission. It will be bad if we don’t see Eula. The thing got personal. I wanted to beat that Noah using my own hands.”

“I have never seen you this pumped Hanayuki. Just like I can’t just stay here in the underground, I would like to do something. I lost my guard before I became hostage because of that. I was thinking that is the reason you didn’t move when Noah attacked you before. I felt guilty about it.”

I won’t say that… Noah is fast… Incredibly fast… I don’t know how she did it, but her movement is beyond human.

The ice magic that struck me before… There’s a time lag before it hits me… Her magic felt like it adjusted the time for a bit… Its just a theory of mine, but I don’t have the full explanation of Noah’s magical ability.

The cake had a wind ability, making her run faster. That’s the reason she was able to run away from me when she took my wallet.

“Fine, let's kick their butts!”

“Yeah!”

“Would you mind having me with you? I’m quite a swordsman myself. I could be useful in looking around and looking behind your back.”

Chelsea offered.

“The more the merrier… I have you along with me.”

I said.

Chelsea ran the sword that was on her waist as if she was reminiscing on something important.

“Are you going to fight again?”

Berry asked me as she pulled my sleeves.

“Yeah, we have to save our friend Eula.”

“Its dangerous… I don’t want my big sister to be hurt.”

Rasp said.

“No, I won’t be hurt. I am quite fast at running.”

“... But that scary princess is faster than Hanayuki… And Hanayuki is faster than my sister. I don’t want to see my big sister meet the same fate as Mama and Papa.”

Rasp started crying and had his hand embracing Cake.

Cake crouches down and wipes out the tears away from Rasp.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make it back.”

“You’re saying the same thing Mama and Papa said before they died.”

“I’ll make it back… I’ll make it back…”

Cake embraces Rasp, while both of them are hugging each other. Their bodies were penetrated by a sword.

Cakes and Rasp blood splashed on the ground.

“?!”

“Wonderful! Two siblings who loved each other died while hugging each other.”

Audrey said and twisted her sword. She moves her sword horizontally, cutting Rasp and Cake together in half.

“Sword skill: Cresent moon!”

Together with Chelsea… We attacked Audrey on both sides.

“Simple skill: Solidarity cube.”

Her body was imprisoned inside a rectangular prism. A barrier like magic that blocked Chelsea’s sword and my lightning punch.

I used my other hand and punched again… After the second punch, I attacked her with a continuous lightning punch.

No matter how hard I punch, my fist doesn’t break the barrier.

Cake and Rasp's magical presence was gone. There is not a soul living in their body any longer. Meaning, they are both dead. Worst, they both die in front of Berry, who had an astonished expression on her face. She was not moving, looking directly at her sibling's dead-cut body.

“Big sister Cake… Rasp… This is a nightmare, right?”

Berry murmured.

“How did you know about the hideout?!”

I asked.

We were extra careful and put up lots of barriers before going back to the hideout.

“Don’t tell me the promoter told you about me?”

I asked while I had my hand continuously clashing with her barrier.

“Nope, he's not the one who sold everyone out… I always have the feeling that he's a traitor. But the real traitor is among you guys. The person everyone respected was the traitor in this hideout. Is that right, Leader?”

Audrey said.

Followed by her reveal. Huge flames flew toward my position. I dodge the magic attack by creating a barrier to block it. While I’m in the middle of blocking the fire magic. Audrey slashed her Cube prism and slashed me from the side.

“Sword skill: Horizon s***h!”

“Lightning speed!”

“Oh? You dodge it… Expected from the evil incarnate. You’re strong like everyone said… But it's exaggerating when I heard the story that you managed to make one continent fall.”

The fire magic wore off and the caster appeared. It was the leader of the underground people.

The man who begged and bowed his head down to me last night.

I thought his words were sincere, but in the end, he was an enemy.

Chelsea felt defeated knowing the one who sold me out.

“Leader why? I respected you.”

“Respect? Pride? None of that is important… What I want is money… Money is the one that rules this world. Money could bring all of us back from this place to the surface. I called her last night to know if she is truly Evil incarnate. Looking at her and her insane magical presence. I know for sure that she is the evil incarnate that is feared by everyone. That girl has a 100 billion gold bounty on her head. We could make this land rise again by just sacrificing that girl’s life. I’m doing this for everyone, because everyone here is important to me.”

The leader said his words.

But I won’t take it lightly.

I turned to the leader and had my hand strangled. Constricting his neck with my right palm. Not allowing him to breathe.

Just because there was nobody in his life there, he sold me out. It cost Cake and Rasp life. Berry is traumatized. I decided to help these people… But he betrayed me.

“Hanayuki! No!”

Chelsea shouted.

“Lightning!”

Inside his head, I manifested a lightning bolt. It resulted in his head exploding. His dead headless body was dropped on the ground afterward.

“I won’t show remorse… To the people who betrayed me.”

I said, with a serious tone.

Audrey claps her hands in excitement.

“Expected to the evil incarnate! Master Noah didn’t kill you thinking that she could persuade you to join our ranks. If you join us, we might be able to rule the whole kingdom… No, the whole world. We’ll be the most powerful… That’s very wonderful really, isn’t it?”

“Lightning kick!”

I kicked Audrey but her barrier was once again activated.

“So powerful I won’t win against you without cheating.”

Audrey said and snapped her hand.

Chelsea’s eyes started to turn red. She gripped her sword and stepped forward to attack me. I avoided her sword and back dive dived, landing beside Berry.

What happens if Chelsea’s magical presence is gone and replaced with monster presence?

It's not just Chelsea… The kids and other people in the underground have their eyes red. Walking like puppets. All of them raised their hand and it turned into a blade.

“All of them become my dolls… Unfortunately, my magic can only affect humans. But that other beastmen is already broken… Look at her smiling at her sibling's dead corpse.”

Berry…

“This is just a bad nightmare… I’m not traveling with Eula and Hanayuki. I will wake up soon beside my twin and my big sister. That’s right, I don’t have to think. I have to wait and wake up.”

“All the dolls kill that girl!”

The dolls ran as fast as they could and showered me with slashes in all directions. I attempted to punch one of them, but I stopped my fist when I saw their faces.

They are still kids… Kids that have a bright future.

Because of my hesitation, her blade made a shallow cut on my arm. I carried Berry and decided to run away from the walls.

“Running way? That’s impossible!”

Audrey has another group of dolls waiting in other places in the sewers.

“We originally had other plans for these rats… But killing you because you became our enemy is our top priority right now. You killed many powerful knights after all.”

“Rats? Do you mean?”

“I transformed all the residences of this country. Did you ask them why they are not leaving this country?”

“...”

I was speechless because I never asked them why.

If there is a tyrant, they can’t defeat them in this country… All they need to do is go away and live in another place.

“... Anyone who decides to live in this country will have their body explode. Everyone here is controlled by us.”

Audrey took an item card from her sleeve.

“... Enjoy the fireworks Hanayuki… Teleport!”

“...”

After her call, her body disappeared with brimming white light. Numerous dolls arrived. There were hundreds of them. I could sense dolls above my head too. All directions have dolls.

There is no way to run.

“I’ll wake up in this nightmare… This is just a nightmare.”

Berry continued to talk to herself, smiling.

 The dolls have their bodies burned in bright red colors.

I realized… When Audrey said fireworks… She meant explosions.

The dolls got closer to me and exploded.

(At a standoff of 1.22 meters, the dolls produce a 0.9 bar/13 psi pressure wave; two produce a pressure wave of 1.2 bar/17 psi, while three results in a 1.9 bar/28 psi blast. The casualty radius of a doll is between 5 and 20 meters, with a minimum of 50% of exposed personnel becoming casualties within a radius of around 15 meters from the blast. A single exploding doll can kill an individual up to 10 meters away and can cause serious injuries up to 20 meters away.)

(There were a total of 578 people who turned into dolls and exploded near Hanayuki. The dark sewers burned bright red. The ground lifted upward and the explosion destroyed the ground of the whole country. The casualty is the destruction of the whole city.)

(Currently high above the flying ship. Princess Noah looked down while having a glass of wine in her hand. “I can’t feel her magical presence anymore… This might be enough to kill her… I lost my bombs but it's worth it. I can’t let her work beside my sister.” Noah muttered.)