CHAPTER 175: CHAPTER 175 | SOLDIER

The blade flashed through the dim evening light so fast that most of the soldiers didn’t even understand what had happened. One moment the courtyard was drowned in tense silence, and the next, a cold, thin glimmer of metal was already cutting through the air toward the terrified man’s neck.

It moved with such deadly speed and intent that every soldier was still frozen in place, their bodies refusing to react or argue with the princess and protect their friend, afraid that they too would suffer a cruel fate.

Though they heard the order of Akavi, none of them could see the blade clearly due to its speed, none of them could’ve raised a hand in time if they tried to—

All except for Jinn.

Jinn’s body moved forward in a sudden instantaneous snap, his instincts burning as he saw that one singular gleam within the background.

*click1 *hisssss!

His synthetic arm hissed loudly as it activated its mechanism, the surge of mechanical strength flowing through it as he reached out and caught the assassin’s wrist already mid-strike.

Metal slammed against metal, yet Jinn didn’t even flinch.

His grip tightened, crushing down with a force that completely halted the dagger’s deadly arc, saving the soldier who was still frozen on the floor, trembling, too scared even to breathe, not knowing whether he would live or die.

"You dare intervene and defy the orders of the princess?" the wraith snarled, his masked face twisting with frustration. His arm trembled under the pressure of Jinn’s grip, shock filling his voice as he realized he couldn’t pull himself free.

The dagger shook and trembled in his hand, but Jinn didn’t speak.

Nor did he raise his voice or bother explaining himself.

He simply stared at the wraith with a cold, sharp glare—one that carried a promise clear enough that no were needed.

If the man tried again, Jinn would end him without hesitation.

"T-The princess’s orders are not to be disobeyed!" the wraith shouted in desperation, forcing his duty as a wraith and to carry out the orders of royalty without hesitation.

His free hand then reached to his belt, pulling a second dagger with a quick snap as he twisted his body to strike again, this time aiming low, hoping to bypass Jinn and strike the helpless soldier on the ground.

But again, he never made it.

Jinn’s leg moved in a blur—instantenous, cracking like thunder—as he kicked the wraith in the stomach with brutal force, a force strong enough to knock the breath completely out of him.

"Aghk!" The assassin’s body folded for a moment before he was thrown several meters back, crashing across the ornate stone ground of the courtyard, smashing into multiple tables, before finally skidding to a stop.

Not a single soldier dared to lift their head, but many flinched at the sound.

Without wasting a second, Jinn drew his sword mercilessly.

A sharp, metallic rasp filled the courtyard, followed immediately by the sound of something cracking deep within the blade.

Red eidra surged along its surface, forming thin, unstable fractures of crimson light that pulsed like veins ready to burst.

*crack!

As Jinn swung it in one clean, practiced motion, the blade finally snapped open, unleashing a sudden crack of explosive crimson eidra that tore through the air like a violent whip.

The strike hit the wraith before he could even rise. The crimson arc sliced cleanly through his body, cutting him in half in an instant.

Blood burst across the courtyard floor, splattering violently in a messy spray that made several soldiers flinch in terror, though none dared to look up.

*splat!

The wraith’s body landed in two separate pieces, twitching once before falling still.

Silence followed—deep, heavy, and suffocating silence.

And every soldier at the courtyard understood... In that moment, Jinn had not only defied the princess.

He had done it to protect one of them.

Akavi narrowed her eyes at the body of the wraith... before shifting her gaze back at Jinn. Then, almost too suddenly, she smiled—an expression that looked polite on the surface yet carried something faintly artificial underneath—a fake smile.

*snap!

She then snapped her fingers shortly after.

At her command, black eidric flames curled around the corpse like snakes, consuming it in an instant. Flesh, bone, and even the blood that splattered across the stone vanished until not a single trace of the wraith remained.

It was as if nothing happened.

She crossed her arms afterward, not out of anger, but more as a poised gesture while she finally spoke back to Jinn.

"Fiiine! Whatever you say, Jinn," she spoke with a subtle teasing tone as a small smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth.

With a quiet huff, she let the matter fall away before changing the subject as if the individual who died for her didn’t faze her.

She then extended her hand toward Jinn.

"Now, let’s stop wasting any more time—my father has been wondering where my partner is, and where the esteemed apprentice of Venedix wandered off to."

Jinn tilted his head slightly.

"My name wasn’t called," he replied, his voice steady and firm, as if sending a message that he knew perfectly well why he wasn’t summoned.

"Clearly, they don’t want me there."

*clack! *clack! *clack!

Akavi then marched toward him with exaggerated impatience rather than anger.

She grabbed his arm and held it firmly.

"Are you crazy? Sure, there are people who hate you, but there are far more who value your merits over your birth," she said, her tone sounding tired from having to convince him.

"And you have me beside you. No one defies me... except for you, maybe. But I’ll let you pass since I like you."

Jinn didn’t bother arguing.

The princess was already pulling him toward the palace entrance, and resisting would only drag the moment further, wasting time.

Instead, he glanced back over his shoulder. The soldiers were rising from their kneeling positions, some still shaken, others quietly relieved.

Jordan—the man who drunkenly mocked Jinn, yet was saved by him from the brink of death... remained on his knees, staring at Jinn with wide eyes.

He slammed a hand over his chest and nodded in solemn gratitude.

Other soldiers followed with silent salutes, each one acknowledging him.

Jinn gave a small nod in return, a simple gesture, yet meaningful enough to answer them all.

That night, something settled deeply within the hearts of every soldier who had witnessed what happened. They saw that Jinn was strong—unmatched even—but not merciless.

He was cold and methodical, yet also precise and restrained.

He was more than a weapon forged for nothing but war, more than a boy shaped by hardship.

He was someone who understood loyalty... and someone willing to protect his people no matter the cost.

A true soldier.

And a true leader at heart.