AHEIAID Chapter 46: I'll Take You Out to Play
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The air was filled with a pink mist.
The sickly sweet scent was carried by the wind, so thick it was almost nauseating.
Two hours later, Harry stood at the ruined gates of the manor, arms crossed, a serene smile on his face.
His short hair curled slightly at the tips, reaching his ears. Dressed in pristine white, his exquisite appearance made him seem as though he belonged in a library, quietly and gently immersed in a book.
Blood spread across the ground, staining his slightly-heeled shoes. Harry admired the grotesque mountain of corpses with satisfaction, lazily waving a hand.
"Move the bodies blocking the entrance. Can’t you see they’re in my way? Such good dogs of the Heine family—still guarding the door even in death. Oh, right, take a photo. I’ll show him later—how tragic! Hmph, he’ll love it."
"Yes."
"Yes."
The agents standing behind him, assigned to protect him, nodded and stepped forward. They grabbed the mangled bodies by their legs, dragging them aside and leaving thick, crimson streaks in their wake before kicking them down the steps.
Unseeing eyes, still wide with defiance, and broken limbs tumbled onto the lawn, soaking the grass and flower petals in thick, glistening red.
They had held their ground until the very end.
Even as their comrades fell one by one.
Even with no reinforcements, no escape.
As long as they still drew breath, they defended this gate—
Retreating, retreating, until there was no more ground to yield.
Until the last soldier’s weapon slipped from lifeless fingers,
And his body collapsed onto the heap of the fallen.
The communicator crackled.
Harry crouched, yanking up a corpse by the hair, his lips curling gleefully. Pressing his face against the half-destroyed skull, he angled the shot for a close-up.
"Say cheeese~ Hmm, perfect."
After snapping the photo, he discarded the severed head without a second thought. Admiring the image, he chuckled in delight.
He’ll go mad with rage.
Hehehe.
He’ll turn into a rabid dog!
A cold, indifferent face flickered in his mind—high and mighty, those eyes turning blood-red in fury… The thought sent a shiver of excitement down Harry’s spine.
Ignoring the agents trying to restrain him, he eagerly stepped over the partially cleared corpse pile, his shoes squelching into the blood-soaked fabric. He tossed his communicator into the air, catching it as his glowing red eyes scanned the surroundings. A smirk spread across his lips as he giggled softly, humming a tune while he searched the estate.
"Little lamb~ playing hide-and-seek~ Where are you? In the wardrobe? Under the bed? Behind the door?"
"Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. I’ll find you very soon… Hehehe…"
"Don’t worry, you’re absolutely, absolutely going to love the grand finale I’ve prepared for you."
"Everyone will love it~!"
Because the only thing that truly moves people—
Is tragedy.
Hahahahaha!
The agents filed in methodically, sweeping the estate for any survivors. None of them dared to meet their deranged master’s gaze. Just hearing his self-muttering was enough to send chills down their spines.
—What a lunatic!
Who knew how many loyal agents secretly feared and cursed him in their hearts?
Meanwhile, in the manor's AI-controlled surveillance room, Butler Lucian gazed at the lifeless bodies with sorrowful eyes. He silently bowed toward the camera before shifting his gaze to the prince—an angel in appearance, yet a demon at heart—and the intruding agents.
A few seconds later, Lucian calmly lifted a small glass cover on the console, revealing a hidden switch.
The Heine family had never known peace every single day.
When this manor was built, many secret chambers and mechanisms were designed, known only to a few.
Among them, the previous Lord Heine had foreseen a day when the manor might be invaded, when the heirs of the Heine family might fall into enemy hands. So, he had added two special features—an underground safe house and a self-destruction mechanism.
The young master was in the underground safe house. The shelter's reinforced defenses would shield him from the blast, and it had enough food and water for a month—long enough for the master to return.
Lucian smiled as he thought about it.
"Lord Heine, you truly left nothing to chance."
As soon as he finished speaking, he pressed the button without hesitation.
"Beep—"
"Program activated."
The manor’s AI system announced the command in a gentle female voice.
The agents who were searching the estate, along with Harry, froze for a moment.
But the next second, the battle-hardened captain's face twisted in horror.
He lunged at his master, slamming the mech core onto Harry’s chest.
"Activate the mech—it's a damn self-destruct sequence—"
"Boom—!"
The hidden micro-bombs, powerful enough to turn the entire manor into a mushroom cloud, detonated all at once.
Corpses, unicorns, the breathtaking view of the snowy mountains—
Everything vanished into dust in an instant.
Even the massive mothership, floating in the sky like a celestial whale, was jolted backward by the shockwave.
Oh, gods... The pilots, staring in disbelief at the rising cloud of smoke, murmured.
A deafening explosion.
Nothing but ruins—where no life should remain.
The burning sensation in his ears.
The metallic taste of blood, the relentless ringing.
So hot...
So much blood...
Someone frantically lifted him up, removing their mask and calling out repeatedly.
Harry shot up with a violent cough, vomiting a mouthful of blood. His nose and ears were dripping with crimson.
He seized the agent supporting him, his pupils dilated, but his expression was twisted with manic obsession and ruthless determination.
"Where... where is he...?"
The agent choked up. "The captain used his mech core to protect you, activating it at the last moment. He... sacrificed himself. And the others who reacted too slowly... they also..."
But Harry, still spitting blood, roared hoarsely, "Who the hell asked you about that?!"
"I'm talking about the human! Find him! He's carrying Heine's bastard! Heine will never let him die!"
The agent stiffened.
He lowered his head, looking at his deranged master, and at that moment, his heart turned ice-cold—so cold that even hatred began to bloom within it.
We risk our lives for you, but to you, our lives are worthless.
A master like this...
...is not worth dying for.
Suppressing his sorrow, the agent quietly withdrew his emotions. He placed Harry back on the ground, then obeyed orders, standing up to organize the search.
Yet deep in his heart, a silent seed of resentment had been sown.
—
Inside the safe house, Joey could hear nothing from the outside world.
At first, he chatted idly with the system, but soon, his anxiety grew. He fell silent, his gaze fixed on the sealed entrance, unable to eat a single bite.
When the explosion hit, the system was trying to coax him into eating.
Joey weakly shook his head, about to speak—only to be violently thrown to the ground by the blast's tremor. He scrambled up, pressing his hands against the door, pounding on it desperately.
"Lucian—"
"Are you there? Open the door! What happened outside?? Lucian—"
"Goddamn it!!"
No one responded. No one came.
After a long silence, Joey slammed his fist against the door in frustration, cursing.
His heart pounded wildly in his chest, so hard it felt like it would burst. His thoughts were a chaotic mess, as if his brain was clogged like a blocked drain.
Pacing restlessly inside the safe house, he couldn’t calm down.
[Joey… It’s okay. Please, eat something. If you have to run, you'll need strength…]
The system, worried about his tense state, repeated its plea.
"I know you mean well, but, Tong’er, please—just let me breathe. I really can’t eat right now…"
Joey clenched his brows tightly. Seeing his pale face, the system had no choice but to stay quiet, silently praying.
An entire day passed in restless fear.
Then—finally—sounds came from the entrance above.
Joey froze for a moment before breaking into a hopeful smile, rushing toward the transparent glass, pressing against it to see outside.
"Lucian? Is that you?"
He didn’t dare call out too loudly.
The system was initially relieved, thinking help had arrived.
But then—it sensed something was wrong.
[Joey, get back! It’s not Lucian! They’re breaking in by force!]
If it were Lucian, he wouldn’t enter like this.
Joey’s expression shifted drastically.
He stiffened, backing into a corner, his hands and forehead slick with cold sweat.
Who’s out there?
Where’s Lucian?
Could it be…
A terrible thought formed in his mind, making his chest tighten like a noose pulling taut.
When the door was finally forced open—
A figure emerged.
Bloodied from head to toe.
Eyes dark, predatory.
A crazed smile stretched across his face.
Harry.
Joey’s breath hitched, his vision blurring with emotion.
"You… you bastard—what the hell did you do to Lucian and the others—you lunatic!!"
He slammed his fists against the glass in rage.
Harry, standing outside, lowered his gaze, watching the black-haired human—his eyes glistening with tears, brimming with hatred.
His smile widened.
"Hi, baby."
He cooed,
"Did you miss me? Let’s go out and play, okay?"
—
Everyone had underestimated Harry’s madness.
Lucian never imagined that even after the manor was reduced to rubble, this psychopath would keep digging.
The ministers who feared the Heine family never expected the ambitious prince to abandon his claim to the throne.
Even Crown Prince Joseph and Amon of the District 13, ruthless in their pursuit of revenge, never thought he would hold out for ten hours—
Fighting through a battlefield of blood and ruin, breaking into the underground safe house.
Abandoning most of his subordinates, using them as bait.
Only taking the human.
And a handful of agents.
Throwing everything away.
From a promising candidate for the new emperor—
To a fugitive.
—
The Ottoman Empire was part of the District 13, a nation held firmly in the palm of the Heine family.
To offend Heine… was to doom one’s future.
To become a criminal.
So, who would dare send a mothership to attack the Heine estate?
Who would, after attacking, refuse to retreat—
And keep fighting?
None of them had ever considered it, which is why they were caught off guard...
If Amon hadn't been closely monitoring the manor, he might not have been able to mobilize all the remaining forces of the District 13 in time to rush over for support.
However, Harry fought like a rabid dog, launching a desperate counterattack. He sacrificed most of his forces, using blood and brutality to drag them down.
And so, in an absurd, dreamlike twist, Joey was really taken away by Harry…
Harry was covered in wounds, his light golden hair matted with dirt and blood. His nose and ears were also caked with blood. His once-white clothes were so stained they were unrecognizable. Only two of his subordinates remained alive beside him.
Yet, as he looked at the bound Joey, he seemed overjoyed. While crudely tending to his own wounds, he commanded his men to pilot the aircraft toward a destination of his choosing.
Finally, he crouched down, eyes filled with curiosity, grinning childishly as he poked Joey's stomach.
"The first time we met, I had no idea. So this is the kind of relationship you have with him? How interesting, how interesting… What do you think a human and an Ottoman would give birth to?"
"…"
Joey swallowed nervously, the touch on his stomach sending chills through him.
Meanwhile, the system in his mind was completely losing its temper, desperately wishing it could break free from Joey's brain and ram itself into this lunatic.
【"What the hell! Get your hands off my host, you damn pervert!"】
"No response?"
【"Like hell you're getting one! Garius is going to hunt you down sooner or later and rip you apart, you piece of trash! I swear, you better let my host go, do you hear me, you psycho?!"】
"Oh? That look in your eyes... Are you wondering how I found out about your pregnancy?"
Harry reeked of a faint medicinal scent, mixed with something sickly sweet. He leaned in, so close that Joey could feel his breath against his own face. A slow, sinister smile crept across Harry's lips…
His golden-green eyes gleamed like fangs coated in sugar.
His voice rose with excitement.
"Of course, I heard it from the doctors at the Biology Bureau~
"That guy had quite a tough mouth. But his friend was too much of a coward. All I had to do was test him a little, and he spilled everything, begging me to let his friend go.
"But why the hell would I listen to them?
"Bang, bang! Two shots. They both died. Hahaha."
"…………"
Holy shit.
Joey flinched at the sudden "bang bang!" sound effects, his body turning ice cold. His fingertips trembled slightly.
Even the system fell silent under the sheer weight of Harry's twisted, pitch-black aura.
Seeing the soft curls on Joey's head trembling, Harry burst into laughter. He reached out, ruffling them, then patted them a few times.
Unlike Garius, he didn't control his strength. He yanked out a whole chunk of Joey’s hair, nearly smashing his head against the ground.
Tears welled up in Joey’s eyes from the pain, but he gritted his teeth and held them back.
I won’t cry.
I won’t cry.
I'm Garius Heine’s partner.
I refuse to cry in front of this psycho!
It’s just a few strands of hair. When Garius catches you, I swear I’ll stomp on your damn face and personally tear your head off like a light bulb!
Luckily, in his haste to flee, Harry didn't have time to torment Joey further.
Aside from the initial threats and the hair-pulling, Joey remained unharmed. But the constant tossing around and starvation left his stomach aching faintly.
When Harry finally fell asleep, Joey, hands and feet bound behind him, stared longingly at the bottle of water on the table, licking his lips.
Just then, a certain soldier noticed him. He paused for a moment, then walked over.
Shit. He saw me!
Joey tensed up, curling in on himself protectively, bracing for a beating.
But to his surprise, the soldier slung his weapon over his back, silently picked up the water and some food, and placed them on the ground in front of Joey.
Joey: …
Stunned, he watched the soldier turn away.
Then, realizing what had happened, he tossed aside his pride, hurriedly biting the bottle's rim and tilting it back to gulp down two mouthfuls of water. Crawling forward, he grabbed the hard, dry biscuit and chewed it down.
When the soldier finished erasing the evidence, Joey whispered in Ottoman's language:
"Uh… Thank you."
"…"
The soldier didn’t respond, as if he had done nothing at all.
But with a little food in his stomach—aside from the torture of holding in his pee—this tiny act of kindness became a life-saving branch.
It kept Joey from slipping off the edge of the cliff.
Feeling slightly more grounded, he reluctantly fell asleep.
The next morning, the system shrieked in his hazy mind.
【"Joey! Joey, wake the hell up! That psycho—he’s gone too far! I swear to God, even as a ghost, I’ll haunt him for eternity!"】
【"Joey, open your damn eyes! Get up!"】
"Ugh…"
Joey groaned in pain.
That slap from yesterday had seemed fine at the time, but the delayed impact hit him like a truck. His head pounded like it was splitting open.
He forced his eyelids apart, his vision shifting from blurry to sharp.
And then—
His eyes widened in shock.
He was in a moving combat mech’s cockpit!
And through the screen—about a kilometer away—he saw a familiar, tall figure.
His mouth moved faster than his brain, his voice bursting out in joy and disbelief:
"—Garius?!"
T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you🍊🍊🍊
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