The Duke's Passion

822  Don't hurt yourself trying to understand people

Explosions could be heard all across the land of Spade. Thick smoke formed into clouds in the lightless sky, creating fog in the surroundings that made everything hard to see. If not for the fires all across the capital and even on the outskirts, it would just be total darkness. Claude led the group of warriors into safety, fighting some undeads and knights. Those capable warriors backed him up with their newfound hope of witnessing the new dawn. Meanwhile, others assisted those injured ones who couldn't engage in battle. There was only one place Claude could think of that was safe. It was the mansion where Tilly, Samael, and Law stayed. That place was blessed by Tilly, so it was a safe, unnoticeable residence. Lilou had been with the troupe since two months ago; Samael would constantly visit her with Law if it was safe. After all, they were being discreet.

But when Claude and the warriors reached the plaza, they stopped. Claude panted for air, a little exhausted from fighting nonstop. Even though the undead they faced were weaker than Tristan, their numbers and continuous attacks were tiring. The undead weren't afraid to attack, even if it would kill them. Heck. Even if the undead lost a limb or inflict a deep wound, they wouldn't stop unless they died. "Seriously… at this point, it feels like an endless night," mumbled Claude, looking around at the countless undead surrounding them after repelling an undead. Every second, more and more undead thronged the plaza until there were just a bunch of them around. However, their movements weren't as fast as those they fought before. Claude didn't know the reason for it, but at this point, he realized that there were times the undeads would stop attacking as if they were taking a break before they attack fiercely again. "Without the light, no one can tell how much time had passed." Claude could only guess. If he was correct, it had almost been half a day since this mayhem broke out. Yet, there was still no sign that it would end soon. Samael was still fighting in the Colosseum; Claude might have gone far from that place, but the explosion and clash of bloodcurdling aura from that direction would still reach him. Outside the Colosseum, the numbers of the undead seemed they weren't already reduced. There were just a lot of them. But then again, Zero sacrificed his entire nation. So, it wasn't surprising that their numbers, even if they slaughtered a hundred thousand of them, wouldn't hurt their numbers. "Stand back!" Claude shouted from his chest, scanning the undead surrounding their group. "Stick close to each other. Those who had been fighting step forth. Surround those injured and make sure they won't get their hands on you. We don't know what could their touch do."

The warriors sported solemn expressions. Without giving Claude a look, those helping the injured stood close to each other while those able surrounded them with a protective stance.

"These are people of the Spade," said a warrior, observing the undeads approaching them slowly. "That damn mad king… how can he deploy all these innocent people to fight for him?"

The warrior's sentiments fueled the resentment they had toward Zero. They had been fighting for hours to understand that their enemies weren't their real enemies. These mindless monsters were simply being used and exploited by the man who was supposed to protect them. "He is heartless," another warrior uttered through his gritted teeth. "It's repulsive."

Yet, despite knowing that they were fighting innocent people, they couldn't help but fight back. These undeads wouldn't stop whatever they would say. It was futile. They already tried, and it proved to be pointless. The warrior who tried talking to them was now dead after they feast on him like hungry beasts. "Keep that anger within…" Claude breathed out after listening to their sentiments filled with hatred. "We all share the same sentiments. However, we needed to survive these seemingly endless nights. Keep your eyes and ears open for any call for help. I believe there might be some people who didn't turn."

"Yes!" the warriors shouted in unison, keeping their wary eyes on the undead. When a few undead leaped to reach them, Claude and the rest, who had weapons, repelled them. Some died on the spot, while others had to make a few moves to silence them. "But what I don't understand is that… why would that mad king do all this?" another warrior couldn't help but raise his real concern. "Surely, this isn't all about fighting one enemy, right?"

"I'm afraid that's the point." Another one answered after beheading an undead with a clean cut. "That king is probably scared and resorted to this madness."

Another warrior snickered, pulling out his blades from an undead's chest. "Only cowards do that. Acting all high and mighty… only to get scared when the real deal comes to teach him a lesson."

The warriors casually chatted as they defended their area from the undeads. They still had time to talk and fuel their determination, since the undeads were coming at them one by one.

"Focus!" Claude yelled after slashing through three undead all at once. "This is not the time to talk. Whatever vile reason Quentin has, we will never understand. You can only respect they are built like that, and thus, you take action on how you are also built. Don't hurt yourself trying to understand a person — you'll never figure it out." Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Just as Claude straightened his back and glanced over his shoulder, his heart clenched suddenly. His pupils went wide, gazing ahead, only to yell, "stand back!"

The urgency in his voice caught the attention of the warriors, looking back at him. As soon as they did, all they saw was the panic plastered on Claude's face. "Now!" yelled Claude again, and this time, the warriors didn't think twice about creating distance from him. But before they could even get far away, the ground shook as something or someone crashed into an area full of undead, and near them.