Dragon Pupils

Within a brief period equal to one-thousandth of a heart beat, death touched close to the neck-skin of Emperor Kieran. The Cactus Dagger blade bringing dark-green magic-poison tore apart the air, remaining just half an inch away from his nape. The assassin's black shadow floated in the void, a ruthless smile already germinating at his mouth-corner as he thought he was about to complete the grand endeavor of finishing off the arrogant monarch.

The entire grand hall was still immersed in the sound of sweet music and singing. The Noble dignitaries were still engrossed in raising their goblets, the Palace-guarding Mages were still nodding off far away. Not a single person realized in time the catastrophe descending.

Only one creature.

The girl — the person originally sitting motionless on the low chair like a hollow doll devoid of vitality — suddenly moved. That reflex surpassed every physical limit and martial arts theory of mortals. That was not a jump or a practiced martial arts stance, but the absolute hunting instinct of the species standing at the top of the food chain.

CRACK!

The silver chain connecting the Blood Ice Crystal shackles to the throne frame was immediately broken apart by a terrifying pulling force, shooting out glaring red electrical sparks. The girl's slender body-figure tore through the wind, leaping over the gold-plated banquet table before Kieran's extreme shock.

"What are you doing?!" Kieran startled speaking up, intending to reach his hand out to grab her.

But within a moment as if time stopped flowing, Kieran saw her body-figure blocking across before his eyes. Without needing to use a bit of magic, relying only on pure physical strength activated from the ancient bloodline, her two hands wearing ice-cold iron shackles grabbed straight into the void — terrifyingly precise at the head and chin of the assassin who was turning invisible.

"Die, lurking coward!" The girl roared a dry sound, her sound echoing like the roar of thunder.

CRISP CRACK!

A ruthless, dry, and powerful neck-bone twisting sound echoed, tearing apart the space of the Frost Grand Hall. The girl used force from both wrists, twisting the assassin's head a full 180-degree angle.

"Ugh...!" The assassin only had time to utter a choked groan sound in his throat.

His invisibility spell immediately shattered to pieces like a glass fragment falling onto the floor. His emaciated body materialized in dark-gray garments, both his eyes rolled back white, his bent-broken neck slumping down in an abnormal manner before collapsing heavily onto the banquet table, scattering expensive red wine goblets. The Cactus Dagger blade fell from his hand, plunging straight onto the granite base, emanating sizzling toxic smoke.

The harp music sound suddenly turned off abruptly. The entire Frost Grand Hall fell into a suffocating silence so deep it was ear-splitting. Every wine goblet on the hands of the dignitaries froze mid-air. The dukes who had just mocked her a few breaths before now stood open-mouthed, eyes wide staring at the invisible corpse of the supreme assassin lying motionless beneath the girl's feet.

The girl stood proudly right on top of the granite tabletop. The flap of her deep-purple velvet dress swayed according to each rapid breath of hers. Amidst the dead silence of hundreds of people, she slowly raised her head up.

And when the candlelight shone onto her face, the entire Ice Kingdom court seemed to forget even breathing.

The girl's deep-purple eyes were no longer mortal eyes. The black pupils inside had closed tight, transforming into a brilliantly glowing vertical thread — Dragon Pupils!

An authoritative and wild purple light erupted from that gaze, containing ancient bloodlust threatening to slaughter every living being blocking the path.

CRACK! SHATTER! SHATTER!

Extreme bloodlust erupted from the girl's body like an invisible shockwave. All glass goblets, crystal carafes, and chandeliers on the ceiling of the Frost Grand Hall exploded simultaneously into countless shattered fragments. The sound of breaking glass echoed like a heavy downpour, bringing along frantic panicked screams of cowardly nobles crawling and sprawling on the stone floor.

"He... Heavens! Her eyes... Look into her eyes!" A general trembled pointing his finger, his voice cracking due to horror. "Those are not human eyes! Those are the pupils of a magical beast!"

"Impossible! There is no way this is happening!" Duke Orloff fell backward onto the back of his chair, his face gray as ash, his two hands clasped trembling.

"A lowly beggar brat... How could she detect and snap the neck of a supreme invisible assassin in the blink of an eye like that?!"

The cardinal of the Church slammed his hand down onto the table, trying to maintain an authoritative appearance, but his voice was already trembling uncontrollably:

"She... she is a devil! Your Majesty! Do you see now?! She is precisely a monster bringing bad omens! Order the soldiers to rush in and eliminate her immediately!"

"Where are the archers?! Where are the Mages?! Quickly protect Your Majesty and strike down that monster!" Another dignitary screamed in panic.

"All of you get out for me! Whoever steps up one step, I will break that person's neck just like this guy!" The girl tilted her head, her Dragon Pupils sweeping across the ranks of trembling soldiers, uttering a bone-chilling threatening voice.

The royal soldiers and Mages stood frozen. Before the invisible pressure from the ancient bloodlust, not a single person dared to step forward even half a step.

Amidst the chaotic scene and screaming of the court, Kieran still sat still on the throne. His ash-gray eyes were glued tight to the slender yet authoritative back-figure of the girl. He did not look at all at the assassin's corpse beneath his feet, he only looked at her — the creature who had just saved his life with a raw neck-twist.

Kieran slowly stood up. His black robe swaying, he reached his coarse hand out, decisively grabbing her wrist wearing the Blood Ice Crystal shackle, pulling her hard to turn back facing him.

"Well done..." Kieran rasped a deep voice, vibrating with trails of dark magic. "You just saved my life, 'beggar brat'."

"I did not save you." The girl glared at him, her vertical Dragon Pupils pinned straight into the Emperor's eyes.

"I simply do not like others stealing my prey. Your life... must be taken by my own hands!"

"Arrogant." Kieran curled his lips.

But right at the moment his flesh made direct contact with her wrist, Kieran's face instantly drained of color.

Through her paper-thin layer of flesh, he felt the magic power inside her body was no longer completely suppressed by the Blood Ice Crystal iron shackles as before. The blood inside her person was swirling flowing underground, roaring and violent like a subterranean volcanic lava flow preparing to erupt to incinerate the world. The rare metal personally forged by his own hands now only resembled a clumsy toy trembling before her ancient strength.

"This power..." Kieran tightened his grip on her wrist even more, his voice dropping low enough for only the two of them to hear. "The Blood Ice Crystal shackles cannot seal you anymore either?"

"This cheap toy?" The girl curled her lips in a dry smile, raising her two wrists wearing iron shackles in front of his face. "Do you think a few sheep-iron rings can confine me forever, Kieran?"

The initial shock in Kieran's ash-gray eyes slowly faded, giving way to a crazy, ultimate arrogant excitement. He tilted his head, his lip-corners curving into an unhinged, horrifying smile.

Tonight, he had completely realized the truth. He had not picked up a filthy wild cat at the border to use as a toy or torture tool. He had brought back to his throne an ancient monster — a creature carrying Dragon blood that could level this entire continent if she awakened completely.

"So that's how it is..." Kieran lowered his head, whispering into her ear with all the bone-chilling threat yet brimming with possessive desire. "You hid it well from me, my monster. But the more dangerous you are... the more I cannot let you go."

"Then hold onto me tight..." The girl looked straight into his eyes, her Dragon Pupils blazing with wild light. "Because when I shatter these shackles to pieces, the first person I tear apart... will be you!"