Chapter 630 Festival Of Blood (1)
Chapter 630 Festival Of Blood (1)
Panic erupted in the mine as a noisy explosion rocked the vicinity outdoors. The ground shook, sending shock waves through the roads. The miners and Xyran guards panicked, their screams and screams heating up into a chaotic chorus of terror.
The once orderly operation descended into chaos as miners and guards scrambled for cover. Tools rattled on the ground, and the air was thick with dirt and dust. The emergency alarm sounded, adding to the noise that stuffed the mine.
Xyrans guards hurriedly assessed the situation, their shouted orders barely audible in the chaos. They called for calm, for patience, trying to repair order to the fearful people. But the blast shattered any semblance of recurring, and panic had unfolded like wildfire.
The abnormal mechanisms in the blast groaned and rumbled as they trembled below the effect of the explosion. Instead of a consistent hum of activity, the blare of alarms created an ominous feeling of urgency in the air.
Faces of surprise and confusion rose as the miner helped the injured in the attack. Most of the injuries they had received were due to the Xyrans trying to beat them into submission. But they would never reveal so in the reports.
But most of all, everyone, from the Xyrans to the overworked miners, had a look of disbelief on their faces. After all, not many species could dare bomb a Xyran establishment, regardless of how small the operation was.
However, one thing was clear. Whoever was behind the attacks knew what they were doing as the blast left a trail of destruction in the form of cracks in partitions and unstable buildings.
As such, everyone from soldiers to non-combatants would be forced to stay outside as the unstable structures could kill anyone who wasn't levelled up enough to survive a building collapse.
It meant... the Xyrans were turned into sitting ducks, waiting to be hunted by the mysterious assailants.
As the dust settled, a moment of severe silence replaced the noise. But it didn't last long, as another explosion went off soon after the first one subsided.
Meanwhile, inside the deepest section of the mines, Ashton rushed towards the sector where Irina and Verina were being held. The chaos around him was the key to getting the twins out.
"Damn it! I told them to keep the use of explosives to a minimum!" Ashton cursed under his breath as he pushed through the dust and gravel.
[Hey, be happy that your plan is actually working for once.]
"And you just had to jinx it, didn't you? I wouldn't be surprised if the Xyrans killed you because you kept jinxing everything around you!"
[Oh, come on! It's not that big of a deal.]
Ignoring Astaroth for the rest of the way, Ashton soon stood before the makeshift prison. The doors were wide open, and it seemed like the guards were removing the prisoners... Irina and Verina.
At first, Ashton was happy to see them, but when he saw their state... rage took over. Their once radiant and assertive forms were now reduced to shadows of their former selves, battered and bruised.
Irina's usually fierce and determined expression was replaced with one of exhaustion and pain. Her white hair was matted with blood, and her body bore the marks of countless beatings. Her once vibrant eyes, which held an air of regal authority, now had a haunting emptiness.
As for Verina, she looked equally ravaged. Chunks of hair were missing from her head, and her ashen skin had turned red and soaked with blood.
Her bony arms were proof they had not been fed properly for days, if not weeks. They were so weak they could barely keep their heads up for more than ten seconds.
Ashton's fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms as he struggled to contain his anger. He knew he had to maintain his composure for the sake of the mission... but what he saw next made him snap.
One of the Xyrans grabbed Irina by her hair and slammed her onto the ground before ripping off her lousy clothes. The other guards saw it all and kept laughing while a few of them warned the others to keep moving.
[Ashton... don't! This is not the time- ASHTON!]
***
"Lucha, this isn't the time to-," one of the guards tried stopping the others but was pushed back.
"Stay out of this, Kio," the guard who had ripped Irina's clothes smiled smugly. "The Colonel wouldn't know what I did, especially in this chaos. Besides, you all can keep yourselves with the other bloodsucker-"
No one knew what happened next, but Lucha's mouth disappeared into thin air as blood spurted out of his face. Before the guards knew what was happening, a hand punched through Lucha's chest, ripping his heart out before crushing it.
"What the-"
The guards turned around to see Strig was the one that attacked Lucha. However, the scene only confused them even more. The guards kept staring at Strig, wondering whether he was always this strong. But even if he was, why would he attack and kill one of their own?
The guards might have been confused, but Ashton wasn't. His crimson eyes were burning with rage as he revealed himself. The Guards were shocked, not knowing what was happening, but they knew there was an intruder whom they needed to deal with.
One of the guards swung his baton, but Ashton expertly dodged the strike and countered with a brutal kick to the guard's abdomen.
His kick turned the guard's insides into a mess, and he crumpled to the ground... before Ashton stomped on his head, turning it into a gooey mix of blood, flesh and bones.
Ignoring the fear-stricken guards, Ashton moved towards Irina. His gaze softened as he approached her, his heart aching at her vulnerability.
Without hesitation, he swiftly removed his shirt, carefully putting it around her to shield her from the prying eyes of the guards.
"I'm sorry I was late..." Ashton said.
Despite his efforts, he couldn't even look her in the eyes. But Irina grasped his face with her bony arms and smiled.
Finally, Irina's tear-filled eyes met his, a mixture of gratitude, exhaustion, and love reflected in her gaze. Her voice was barely a whisper, too weak to form words, but her eyes spoke volumes as Ashton patted her head.
"Could you wait for a moment? I promise this won't take long." Ashton mumbled, and Irina nodded.
The peaceful moment only lasted a second, because as soon as Ashton got back to his feet, his bloodlust returned... far more fierce than before.
"Now then... which one of you bastards wants to die next?"