She's That Knight Known As Zero

Those who had their legs and arms removed were already bandaged. And it was visible on some of the newer knights that they look pale.

The one with the most paled face was the person Eureka woke up. He even vomit the moment he arrived a while ago.

He woke the others and followed instantly, so the moment he arrived was the moment Raven just left to clean Eureka up.

The way he look at Eureka was far different from a while ago when he was still feeling suspicious of her. Right now all he felt was fear, he knew by the time the others have arrived, the rebels were already incapacitated by her.

Raven just gave him a glance as he continued walking.

"I will leave everything here to you. But I would like to meet all the escorts and knights after the clean up," he said to Hideyos.h.i.+.

Hideyos.h.i.+ and the others could tell that he had reached his limit. His anger have reached its peak.

If the knights were just a bit more cautious then Eureka wouldn"t have to be the one who dealt with them. But in the end everyone was complacent that nothing would happen.

Hideyos.h.i.+ could only nod, while the other knights could only lower their head and swallow their saliva knowing full well that they would be up for a beating once everything have settled.

The one who asked if they could trust Eureka was in an even more turmoil. He knew he would be in the worst position by then.

"Princess please go with Feena and Azusa, I shall bring back Eureka. Don"t worry she will be just fine," Raven then said to Hikari.

Hikari nodded her head obediently as she step towards Feena while not looking at the b.l.o.o.d.y scene around her. She was also feeling down because of this.

"Don"t worry princess, he just felt much more at ease if he would be the one to bring Eureka back. It may not show in his face but Raven must be very very worried about her," Feena squat down and pat her head with a smile.

"That"s right, princess. Come now, we also need to return. Your parents must be very worried about you right now," Azusa added as the two of them lead Hikari back to the carriage.

"If I didn"t persist that I go to the border, this wouldn"t have happened," Hikari started saying as they travel back to the kingdom.

"No, princess that was not your fault. We all became complacent and this is the result of it. None of what had happened was your fault," Feena couldn"t help but say after seeing the guilt look on Hikari"s face.

"No, you don"t understand. It"s because you didn"t see the way she looked after she had defeated all those people. Her eyes were so scared and she was trembling all over," Hikari answered as she bit her bottom lip.

Azusa and Feena could only look at each other, Hikari have always been an understanding child. That is why even though what had happened today could be known as a nightmare for a child her age. She still managed to stomp down all those emotions in worry of Eureka.

"Then please don"t look like that, Eureka would feel guilty if she finds out that you feel this way because of what had happened. It was a terrifying sight that even for us adults we find it scary."

"Once she wakes up and remembers this, she would feel guilty for allowing you to experience it. But if you look guilty towards her, then she would feel even guiltier. None of what had happened is your fault. She too was excited of going to the border."

They didn"t bother sugar coating their words, Hikari was a smart child so they knew if they sugar coat it she would just feel even more guilty.

"Brother Raven said that we will hide this from her. We will tell her that what she had done and witnessed was because she dreamt of it and that none of it were done by her," Hikari then looked up and told them Raven"s decision.

Feena and Azusa accepted such arrangement. Hearing from Hikari how Eureka looked upon realizing what she had done they knew she will have nightmares over it for the next days or even weeks if she knew that it was the reality.

*****

Upon returning, Raven brought her straight to the castle and called for Akito. He then faced all the worried people and explained what had happened.

"That is why, I wanted all of you to remain quiet about this. What happened and what she had done shall be a dream for her," he didn"t spoke in the normal respectful way that he do.

But instead he speak so coldly with a tinge of anger within it. Akihiro, Rino and Kaoru, somehow knew the reason for this.

Raven must be blaming himself once again for Eureka to experience this. If he didn"t allow the rebels to stay and act the way they wanted then Eureka wouldn"t have to move.

The travel back to the kingdom, Eureka always had her brows furrowed. Her body was trembling and she would also mumble words such as "cold blooded" or "murderer" or even the word she used once "ma.s.sacrer".

Raven blamed himself even more, in the past she had always been cold and indifferent towards her enemies but no one knew what she thinks whenever she was alone.

Was she really fine over this matters? Or was she hiding all her discomfort in order not to show any weaknesses to their enemies?

After he finished speaking, a silent agreement was made and he once again left the room. The others watched over Eureka for a bit before they too left her alone.

They knew that what happened today would scare her the most and she might remember all the moments she had killed so many people.

Haruka carressed her hair as she look at Eureka"s face both with guilt and pity, together with it was overwhelming love towards her child. For the actions of the adults it was her who had to suffer.

For the sins of the adults it was her who paid for them. She was but a child back then, even now, she might already be in her late twenties but she didn"t get the chance to live a peaceful life at all.

"I"m sorry dear child, I"m sorry," she whispered as she kissed Eureka"s forehead with tears streaming down her eyes.

Akihiro followed before Rino, all of them are feeling guilty for her. She did everything for her family and friends but in the end they can"t do anything for her.

"We really are not good enough to be called your family," Akihiro said with self ridicule before they closed the door to her room.

Upon returning to the kingdom, Hikari cried the moment she saw her parents and since Raven already told them what she experienced they decided to remain by her side for the time being.

The knights were then brought to the training area where Raven was standing in the middle. He has this cold indifferent look while facing them.

"Sir we..." the knights didn"t know what to say for even the past and current king didn"t tell them anything. Instead they were brought straight to the training ground and they were in full alert.

Just as they started speaking, a smell caught their attention and they instantly covered their noses.

"If you were this vigilant while guarding the princess then maybe this wouldn"t have happened," the then heard Raven"s cold voice.

"What were you doing back there? Were you in a field trip?" he continued speaking.

"We understood our mistakes and we were truly grateful to the aide by the princess"s side. This will be a lesson we will never forget and we will be forever grateful for the aide," one stepped forward and said.

They knew their mistake that is why they are acknowledging their mistake while making sure to say that they respect and are grateful to the aide.

But this further irritated Raven, "Grateful? There is no such thing in a war, if you died would you still be grateful? Do you think with your performance today you will still have your t.i.tles?"

His words were cold and somehow it sent s.h.i.+vers down their spine. They never saw Raven get mad and they never saw him act this way in anyone. This was the very first time.

"But sir, it was still the aide"s duty to protect the princess," despite being respectful they were feeling wronged that this scolding was because of the aide.

"Aide? *scoffs* It is because of that mentality that this has happened."

He walked towards them and his look scared them even more, "I"ll tell you this and only to all of you. But at the same time if I hear this outside I wouldn"t mind throwing you to the dungeon."

These knights knew he was serious, other than the king, Raven was one of the most respected person in all the kingdoms. He was after all only second in contribution to the end of the war.

Though no one knew who it was that lead to their victory. To be more precise no one could remember.

"You didn"t just neglected your duty to protect a princess, you neglected your duty to protect two princesses. Remember that, your punishment is still light, if it was only me, I would have sent you to  your deaths after hearing that it was the duty of the older princess to protect the younger princess."

All of them were in disbelief after hearing this, no one told them. No one told them the real ident.i.ty of that person.

"Watch your words. If this leaks out, I will do what I just said," after saying this Raven left them with their stupid looks.

After all what happened today was in reality their fault, they were negligent.

Raven feeling very mad and angered found his way to the cliff where he woukd always stand. But to his surprise it was Eureka who was there first.