Paths: Changes×Chances

chapter 15

"Lord Neferpitou! That man knows your real identity. We can't keep him alive!"

"Don't you try it!" Neferpitou spat back. She was pissed at Kayla's behavior but still calm enough to be in control of the situation

However, Kayla was simply a lot more aggressive than Neferpitou had anticipated, wildly struggling to get free from her hold. In a desperate move, her aura flared up against Binolt

'She's an emitter!' Thought Killua as he instantly got in the way and deflected the attack with his Ken, fortunately it was rather raw and unrefined emission, improvised on the spot, it would have likely caused very little damage to Binolt regardless of Killua's help

What neither Neferpitou nor Killua had anticipated was what came with that raw emission: Ren, malicious ren filling the room

To Binolt, Killua, and Neferpitou, it was literally anything more than a light breeze of bloodlust

To Anna, however,it was hell. The girl had barely processed what had happened when she felt her skin close on itself. The air became cold, heavy and unpleasant, unbearable to her. She fell to her knees, the nausea building up and vomit coming up her throat. It was painful, raw pain with no real source. Anna was sensible to Nen, however she had no way to defend herself from it, and so, she found out the hard way the reason Binolt insisted on teaching her Ten

Neferpitou's gaze shifted to her friend and noticed her hyperventilating. Her eyes widened in horror when she realized what was happening, and for a split second, she lost her grip on Kayla, who tried to rush at Killua and Binolt

Kayla, surprisingly, had a smile on her face while running towards them. if she killed Binolt, she could prevent him from leaking Neferpitou's real identity as a royal guard. And Anna? She was delighted watching that girl suffer because of her bloodlust. 'How dare she even call Lord Neferpitou a friend? Lowly humans should just kneel in her presence!' She knew better. She was a chimera ant, and she had it written in her bones: Royal Guards were gods, she they couldn't possibly step low enough to talk with humans like that

Even if it meant going against her orders, Kayla would have done anything to keep Neferpitou away from these puny mortals, and the danger that Binolt represented in that moment. The King was a man who wanted to submit humanity, this is what Kayla had been taught, and the will of the King came first, even if that meant disobeying orders from Neferpitou herself

"I must do it! To protect you, lord Nef-"

____________

BOOM!

A sudden shockwave rippled through the ground, sending a tremor across the suburbs.

For a moment, everyone froze, their daily routines interrupted by the eerie disturbance. But just as quickly, life resumed, and they went back to their tasks, as if the tremor had never happened.

__________

Killua and Binolt were almost half hugged together, with their eyes widened in shock and their mouths hanging open. Looking down at Kayla's legs: the only part of the girl's body that wasn't buried in the ground

Neferpitou had her fist steaming from the sheer force of her punch

"T-thanks...I guess..." said Binolt, barely managing to get the words out

Killua on his side was speechless.'Did she just... help us?'

Neferpitou didn't stay looking at her hand for long before she immediately ran to Anna

She knelt down, ignoring Binolt and Killua and hugging her friend, trying to help her steady her breathing. She was completely open to backstabbing, the perfect condition for Killua. Despite this, he didn't attack