Meanwhile, at the palace gate, only a few steps separated the beast from Adrian.
Its four arms launched at the same moment, its sharp claws lunging toward Adrian’s body with startling speed, until it seemed they would pierce through him before he could move.
At that moment, a number of guards arrived at the battlefield.
The instant their eyes fell on the scene, their pupils widened in terror.
They saw the prince standing unarmed, while four lethal claws closed in on him from every direction.
Their faces paled, and one of them screamed with all the strength he had:
“Prince Adriaaaaaan!!”
The echo of his scream resounded through the gate, while everyone’s breath froze as they waited for what would happen in the next moment.
Adrian closed his eyes the moment the claws lunged at him.
His body moved with astonishing calm, tilting his head to dodge the first strike, then turning his shoulder away from the second, then twisting his body avoiding the third, before stepping back half a step so the fourth passed directly in front of him.
He was avoiding them in sequence, as if he already knew from where each strike would come.
The beast paused for a moment, shock clearly showing in its eyes.
But it didn’t retreat.
It launched another attack, then another, then a continuous barrage of quick stabs, trying to hit Adrian at any cost.
As for Adrian, he didn’t attack.
He only evaded and retreated with measured steps, watching his opponent’s movements patiently, waiting for the right moment.
And suddenly…
His fist broke through the beast’s defenses, and a powerful punch landed square in the middle of its face.
The beast’s head snapped back, and it lost its balance for a moment, its claws retreating involuntarily.
At that moment, the guards reached the battlefield, rushing to save the prince.
But their commander extended his arm, stopping them.
“Stop!”
He snatched a sword from one of the guards, then shouted at the top of his voice:
“My prince!”
And hurled the sword toward him with all his strength.
Adrian turned at the right moment, extended his hand and caught the sword steadily, then drew it from its sheath in one motion.
The instant the beast’s eyes fell on the blade, it instinctively recoiled backward.
Adrian smiled faintly, then stepped forward once, and stomped hard on the beast’s foot, pinning it to the ground.
His grip tightened on the sword, and he said in a calm voice:
“Nothing remains…
but your heart.”
“Haaaaaaaa!”
And drove the sword directly into the beast’s chest, piercing its heart completely, then continued pressing with all the strength he had, forcing the beast down to the ground and pinning its body against the stones.
He didn’t stop there.
He turned the blade inside its chest, splitting the heart in two.
The beast’s body shook violently, its limbs moving in desperate attempts to resist.
But little by little…
that convulsion faded.
And that strange light that had pulsed from deep within its chest went out.
Stillness fell.
Then its body began to crumble before everyone’s eyes, turning into black ash scattered by the wind, until nothing remained of it but traces of blood scattered across the gate’s ground.
Adrian remained standing in his place, catching his breath calmly, while his sword still stood embedded in the ground.
He looked at the black ash remaining from the beast for a moment, then closed his eyes and let out a long breath.
And suddenly, the voices of the guards rang out behind him.
“Long live Prince Adrian!”
“His Highness the Prince has won!”
“Long live the knight of the Baldor Kingdom!”
The cheers rose throughout the gate, mixing with sighs of relief after the danger that had nearly devoured the entire palace was gone.
At that moment, the two guards who had been on their way arrived at the battlefield.
They stopped immediately the instant their eyes fell on the scene.
Bodies filled the place, and traces of the battle were carved into the ground, while nothing remained of the beast but a pile of ash.
The new guard’s eyes widened, then he looked at Adrian with astonishment he couldn’t hide.
The other guard smiled a confident smile, and gently patted his colleague’s shoulder, then said
“I told you.”
Adrian stood for a few moments, his eyes fixed on the spot where the beast had disintegrated, as if trying to make sure the creature had truly vanished and would not rise again.
The guard commander broke the silence, raising his voice firmly:
“Enough standing around!
Stop wasting time, check all the wounded, and confirm the bodies.
Perhaps one of them is still alive!”
The guards moved quickly, spreading through the gate’s grounds, some rushing to check on their comrades, others beginning to move the wounded, while others gathered the bodies of those who had fallen that night.
The prince was wiping the blood gathered above his right eyebrow, then shook his head calmly.
“Don’t worry…
I’m fine.”
One of the maids sighed in relief, then bowed to him respectfully and said:
“Blessed be your efforts, Your Highness.”
Adrian smiled faintly at her, then raised his gaze toward the guards who were moving in every direction.
“Make sure the gate is sealed tightly, and don’t let anyone in or out until we finish checking the area.”
He turned to the guard commander and added in a serious tone
“Double the guard tonight, and send a squad to search the entire perimeter of the palace.
If this beast made it here, we need to make sure it wasn’t alone.”
The guard commander nodded immediately.
“As you command, Your Highness.”
And as the orders began being carried out one after another, activity gradually returned to the area around the gate, yet the traces of that night remained carved into the ground, and into the hearts of all who witnessed it.
They had won the battle…
but the price paid for it was steep, and no one knew whether that night had marked the end…
or whether it was merely the beginning of something greater and more terrifying.
And in the heart of those events, on a towering tree standing at a distance from the palace, its high branches revealing most of what was happening at the gate, a man sat upon one of the thick branches, watching the scene in silence.
He took out his glasses, then began wiping their lenses with a small piece of cloth, before putting them back on as a faint smile formed.
“Oh…
so that prince won.”
He kept looking toward the palace for a few moments, then said in a calm tone carrying a hint of admiration:
“I won’t deny it…
that was truly interesting.”
He leapt down from the tree lightly, landing on the ground without making any notable sound.
He adjusted his coat collar, then slowly brushed the dust off his clothes, as if he hadn’t just witnessed a battle that had shaken the entire palace moments before.
“Well…
it’s fine.”
He turned his back to the palace, and began walking calmly among the trees.
“I wasn’t expecting much from that beast anyway.”
A mysterious smile formed on his lips as he gradually disappeared into the darkness of the forest