Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest novel Chapter 424

Chapter 424 97.2 - Breaking Down

"Estelle."

As the name "Estelle" left Irina's lips, the atmosphere shifted drastically. The calm night air turned heavy and oppressive, and a suffocating aura of death enveloped her.

Astron's demeanor changed in an instant. His eyes, which usually held a detached, calculating coldness, transformed into black voids, void of any warmth or light. His entire presence radiated a chilling, almost tangible malevolence. The pressure emanating from him was unlike anything Irina had ever felt, and she struggled to breathe, her vision beginning to blur as the weight of his killing intent bore through her body.

'This is…..'

It was an insane amount of killing intent. For this whole time that she had lived, this was the first time she was feeling such a thing.

'He really wants to kill me. Right here, right now!'

She shuddered, her body shaking uncontrollably. The world around her seemed to turn black as if Astron's very essence was consuming the light. Despite the terror coursing through her veins, she forced herself to stand her ground, refusing to back down.

"You…" Astron's voice was low and filled with a dangerous edge. "How do you know that name?"

The intensity of his gaze made Irina feel as though she was staring into the abyss itself. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she summoned every ounce of her courage to meet his gaze.

"I knew it," she said, her voice trembling but resolute. "Those were the events of the past."

Astron took a step closer, the pressure increasing. Irina felt as if her lungs were being crushed, but she refused to look away.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," he hissed, his voice barely more than a whisper yet filled with lethal intent.

"...Urghk….." It felt like he was strangling her down. With his hands covered on her neck. But she knew he was just standing still without moving. It was the result of his intent.

"Grrr….."

However, even if one had such a strong killing intent, that wouldn't mean they could kill everyone walking around. This world didn't work like that.

She started forcefully expelling her mana and strengthening her own aura. The fire in her chest burned, fighting against the intent.

She was once again regaining control of her body once again. She felt like breathing became easier, as did moving her mouth.

Now that it came down to this, she had no reason to back off. If she were to confront him, if she were to become his enemy, she didn't want to stay in darkness where she didn't know anything about him.

Just like a side heroine who just stood there as an accessory. She didn't want something like that.

"No. I know everything," she said, her voice growing stronger as she forced herself to stand tall. "Estelle was your sister. She was a good-natured, kind individual. A strong young girl who bore the responsibility of the village."

Astron's expression remained cold and unreadable, but Irina pressed on, drawing from the fragments of memories and visions she had pieced together.

"She was a strength to her younger brother, who was rather weak," Irina continued. "You grew up together, your bond unbreakable. You spent your nights together, sharing your dreams and fears, supporting each other through everything."

The intensity of Astron's killing intent began to waver, the pressure easing slightly as Irina's words struck a chord within him.

"But then, the demons came," Irina said, her voice trembling with the weight of the memories. "They took her from you. They took everything. And you were forced to watch it all happen, powerless to stop it."

Astron's eyes flickered with a mixture of pain and anger, the darkness within him shifting as the memories resurfaced. Irina could see the torment in his gaze, the agony of reliving those moments.

"She lost her life at the hands of those monsters," Irina said softly, her voice filled with empathy. "And you were left to bear the weight of that loss. The guilt, the anger, the pain—it has haunted you ever since."

For a moment, there was silence between them, the oppressive atmosphere lifting slightly as the truth hung in the air.

Irina took a step closer, her eyes never leaving Astron's.

"Yeah, you are right," Astron replied. But instead of feeling like reminiscing about the past or being in pain, his eyes were cold.

"All these were right." He said, his eyes turning cold once again. "You already know everything."

SCHLINK! Under the glowing moonlight, he drew the blades, getting them out of nowhere.

"That is why you already know what I am going to do." He mumbled.

Irina's heart raced as the realization struck her. He wasn't just angry—he was ready to kill her. The light flashed before her eyes as the blade approached her neck with terrifying speed.

She was caught off guard, unable to react in time. The swiftness of his attack left her no room to defend herself. The world seemed to slow down as the blade drew nearer, and at that moment, Irina felt a deep sense of regret. Not because she was about to die but because she couldn't help the person who had once helped her so much.

As the blade hovered millimeters from her neck, she sat there, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and determination. "Do you really think this is what Estelle would want you to do?"

The words hung in the air, and for a split second, everything stopped. The blade remained poised at her neck, but it did not move further.