Episode 80

The moment Lian caught sight of Aiden’s dangerous smile, he flinched, albeit briefly—a reaction so faint that even Sione, who still clutched his collar, noticed it.

It wasn’t uncommon for the Serpent or the Eagle to wield their powers by choice. Though the price of their power was fatal, there were instances where their personal agendas drove them to invoke it, often leading to death.

But the Dog? No Dog in recorded history had ever done so.

The Serpents of the past had obsessively gathered information, and not once in three hundred years had a Dog willingly unleashed its power.

It made sense. When the Dog unleashed its power, reason vanished, leaving only pure aggression. No one in their right mind would choose to become a berserker, slaughtering anyone within sight until collapse from exhaustion.

He’d assumed that since it was possible for the Serpent and the Eagle, it would be possible for the Dog as well. He’d prepared for that eventuality. Yet, something in Aiden’s gaze warned Lian of an unknown factor he hadn’t accounted for—something uncontrollable.

Lian despised scenarios he couldn’t control.

Almost as if to mock the look of apprehension in Lian’s violet eyes, Aiden’s red gaze blazed.

“I protect her.”

Aiden’s voice rumbled as he locked his gaze on Sione, as if branding those words into the very air.

His voice was strange, vibrating deep in his throat like a beast’s growl as he turned to look at Amy.

“I save the girl.”

And then he turned back to fix his eyes on Lian.

“And I kill you.”

In that instant, Sione thought Aiden had vanished. Lian, too, lost sight of him, realizing where he’d gone only when a scream erupted from one of his men, far down the hall, as he crumpled to the ground.

Three of Lian’s soldiers fell in the blink of an eye.

Aiden’s red eyes left a burning trail in the shadows, then vanished again, only to reappear, clashing swords with the most skilled fighter among Lian’s men. Sparks flew as Aiden’s bloodstained face flashed in the dim light, a terrifying sight.

Locked in a deadly struggle, the soldier’s resistance ended with his life.

In the brief moments of reprieve bought with their comrade’s sacrifice, Lian’s men regrouped, launching themselves at Aiden. The entry hall erupted into a chaotic battlefield.

No, it was more like a slaughter by a single demon in a sea of prey.

Tito’s words about never wanting to witness such a sight again came vividly to mind.

Just moments ago, Sione had cursed Lian’s cruelty, wondering why he’d mobilized so many soldiers just to catch one person, even if Aiden was invincible with the power of the Dog.

But seeing Aiden’s transformed gaze and the deadly arc of his sword, she finally understood. *Invincible* and *berserker* were not just mere words.

The iron cage that had been meant to trap Aiden now felt more like a pen full of helpless prey with a ravenous predator let loose within.

“Aaaah!”

Amy’s scream rang out as she collapsed to the ground.

The soldiers who had been holding her had long since fallen to Aiden’s deadly blade, their bodies scattered like discarded rags. Sione clung helplessly to the iron bars, unable to help.

Even she, who had known of the Dog’s madness, found herself horrified by the sight. Amy, a mere child, must have been terrified beyond comprehension.

Aiden was nothing short of a rabid hound.

Yet even as Sione thought it best not to make any sound that might draw his attention, her worst fear came true.

In the midst of his rampage, Aiden froze, turning his head toward the source of the scream.

“No… No, Aiden!” Sione called out desperately, but his gaze was fixed on the trembling girl.

Just as she feared the worst, Aiden’s voice, low and guttural, escaped his throat.

“Close your eyes and don’t move. You’re safe.”

The words were slurred, his voice grotesque, but still recognizable as human.

Amy, shaking as she looked into Aiden’s unfocused, blazing eyes, seemed to understand, squeezing her eyes shut and curling into a ball.

Satisfied, Aiden turned away, his sword once more at the ready. Only corpses lay behind him, scattered around Amy.

Lian’s remaining soldiers, huddled against the far wall, gasped for breath, their faces painted with terror as they clung to the edges of the room.

“This… this is impossible…”

Lian muttered in disbelief beside Sione.

He remembered all too well the devastation wrought by the previous Dog, Ceshuf Tilender, ten years ago. It was during the time he had first awakened as the Serpent.

The Emperor had unleashed the mad Dog on the mansion of a noble suspected of assassinating the former Empress. For an entire night, the manor was filled with screams, and by morning, Ceshuf had been found unconscious, surrounded by a mountain of bodies.

No one survived. Ceshuf went mad afterward, and the Emperor mourned the horror he’d caused.

Only the master should have been able to stop the Dog.

Was it possible for a mad Dog to retain some semblance of sanity?

Realization dawned on Lian, and he clicked his tongue in irritation. Beside him, Sione exhaled a sigh of relief. The terror she’d felt while watching Aiden’s berserk state was now replaced by warm affection in her gaze.

Lian’s eyes, as turbulent as Aiden’s, flickered with unease.

“Please, spare us!” Lian’s soldiers, now completely broken, cried out, clinging to the iron bars.

“Let us out, Your Grace!”

“Have mercy, please!”

Lian ignored his men’s pleas, his expression cold and unyielding as they begged and cursed him in turns.

Meanwhile, Aiden advanced toward Lian and Sione with a menacing calm, his footsteps echoing ominously.

Some of the soldiers, driven to desperation, charged at Aiden. Others shrank back, pressing themselves as far away as possible. Some died instantly, while others threw themselves against the iron bars blocking the entryway, crying out for escape.

But as Aiden stood motionless on the opposite side of the bars from Lian, silence fell.

No one could hope to match him.

He had chosen his prey, and until the hunt was over, nothing else mattered.

A deathly silence filled the room.

Aiden glanced at Sione once, then at Lian, his stance firm as he raised his sword.

“You can’t possibly think you’ll break through this,” Lian scoffed, attempting a weak laugh. But Aiden said nothing, his breathing steady as he focused.

Lian felt a surge of frustration.

Aiden had fully unleashed his power, had seemingly lost all reason—yet Amy and even his soldiers were still alive within this cage.

‘Clang!’

Aiden gripped his sword with both hands and brought it crashing against the bars with a fearsome, metallic sound that echoed through the room. Sione let out an involuntary scream.

Aiden froze, seeming surprised by her reaction.

Caught off guard, he looked almost unsure, his sword hovering between lifting and striking. Sione felt an odd pang of guilt.

Seeing the bars unscathed, Lian turned to Sione. “Rest assured, madam. No sword can cut through that.”

Aiden’s eyes darkened with anger, while Lian wore a taunting smile, clearly savoring the moment.

Even now, Sione felt fury toward this mad Serpent who could smile amidst such carnage. While Aiden’s madness could be attributed to his power, what was Lian’s excuse?

With her brow furrowed in anger, Sione turned to Aiden, her loyal hound who watched her even amidst his rampage.

“No, Aiden—you can do it. Cut through it.”

At Sione’s urging, Aiden’s eyes flared an even deeper crimson.

Gripping the hilt of his sword with renewed determination, he raised it high once more and brought it down with astonishing force and speed.

The thick iron bars, too dense for any normal blade to cut, still stood between him and Sione. Yet, Aiden’s sword had carved halfway through them.

Lian’s face turned ashen as he watched, horrified, while the beast with red eyes fixed his gaze on him. Aiden raised his sword again, preparing for another strike.