No Mercy, Just Mayhem (2)

The Battle God Academy boasted two Sacrificial Medical Sanctuaries: the Water Pavilion, aligned with the Water element, and the Bluntwood Tower, associated with the Plant element. These elements, by their very nature, possessed unparalleled advantages in the healing arts.

Louis, knowing full well that the Bluntwood Tower was Professor Mina's domain after he was injured, vehemently demanded that the priests transport him to the Water Pavilion for treatment. For the convenience of their investigation, the teachers simply had Charles, Steve, and all the other students injured in the brawls transferred to the Sacrificial Medical Center within the Water Pavilion.

It was only seven or eight o'clock when Du Chen arrived at the Medical Center, a time when teachers, students, and those with minor ailments were out enjoying the evening breeze, strolling and admiring the scenery. On the lawns encircled by verdant creeper walls, people gathered in small groups, leisurely basking in the twilight. However, some among them were in less than stellar moods—these were the students who had just participated in the brawls, still sporting fresh bruises and minor injuries, though none too severe.

They were split into two factions, congregating near the fountain pool in front of the Medical Center's main plaza. Du Chen observed these 'problem students' with an amused glint in his eye, and before long, he spotted a familiar face among them. 'Hey, Brother Sem, you're here too!'

The Xino Dwarf, Sem, who had been dejectedly awaiting punishment, leaped up the moment he heard Du Chen's voice. 'Brother Francis, you're finally here!' He thumped his small chest, bellowing, 'Our Ains Faction won!'

'Well done! We Ains people are all heroes!' Du Chen chatted with this group of students from the Aethelgard Continent for a while. In this situation, regardless of prior acquaintance, merely stating one's origin as an Ains was enough to earn a certain level of goodwill.

Du Chen quickly befriended a few senior students among them, then chuckled, 'Everyone, rest assured! I actually got the news this morning, but I've been busy pleading our case with Vice Dean Philip. Look, these are the trauma medicines I procured for all of you! While this may be a Medical Center, their remedies simply can't compare to those from Vice Dean Philip, can they?'

Distributing the two large packets of medicine to the students, Du Chen inwardly gloated. Not only did this gesture feel immensely satisfying, accomplishing a good deed, but it also garnered him a host of new friends.

Naturally, the students who received the medicine were overflowing with gratitude towards Du Chen. Hearing that he had gone to intercede with the Vice Dean on their behalf, their budding goodwill instantly transformed into profound appreciation.

'Everyone, I'm off to visit my two elder brothers now. My eldest brother has a fondness for fruit juice, hehe, I just bought him a few bottles!'

Carrying the gifts in hand, Du Chen entered the Sacrificial Medical building, first visiting his elder and second brothers, then, with a facade of concern, made his way to the Director's office at the Medical Center.

'Isn't this Francis? Have you come to visit your two elder brothers? Why so late?' The Medical Center Director recognized Du Chen and warmly invited him in to sit.

Du Chen didn't immediately take a seat. Instead, he reiterated the reason for his late arrival, then stated with feigned worry, 'Director, this whole affair truly started because of me. I am deeply saddened by Minister Louis's injury, and I—I'd like to visit him, but I fear he might take out his anger on me...'

'Oh, I see. Francis, you are a good student, there's no need to worry!' The Director considered for a moment, then said, 'Coincidentally, Priest Luke is just about to change Louis's dressing. Why don't you go with him? With a teacher present, Louis wouldn't dare act out too much.'

<em>Ah, my esteemed Director, you are truly a godsend!</em>

Du Chen's sole purpose in visiting the Director's office was to secure a 'human witness'!

Priest Luke, a fair-faced middle-aged man, led Du Chen to a private ward on the second floor of the building. Pushing open the door, they saw Louis, clad in a patient's gown, lying in bed, fuming silently.

'Hey, Francis, what are you doing here? Get out!' Louis roared the moment he saw Du Chen.

Priest Luke frowned. 'Student Louis, Student Francis is here to visit you out of good will. Watch your tone!'

'I don't need his visit!'

'This... Minister Louis, I brought a few bottles of fruit juice. Would you care to try some?' Du Chen, brazen-faced, followed Luke to Louis's bedside. At the same time, a lotus-shaped seal flew from his sleeve, and with a subtle sleight of hand, he slipped it into Louis's patient gown.

Du Chen had exerted all his power to shrink this Lotus Seal to its smallest form. Upon it were also several proportionally miniaturized special items—acquired from 'Tiger'.

'Damn it, your juice is definitely poisoned! Get out! I don't want to see you!'

Witnessing Louis's mad-dog-like frenzy, Priest Luke's brow furrowed deeply. Du Chen, however, feigned immense injustice. He uncapped a bottle and, in one gulp, drained the fruit juice he'd brought. 'Student Louis, you may dislike me, but you cannot falsely accuse me! I'll prove to you now that this juice isn't poisoned!'

With that, Du Chen abruptly tossed the empty juice bottle onto Louis's bedside table. Shielding his actions with his body, he deftly fiddled with Louis's clothing ties, then retrieved his Lotus Seal. Yet, several small, peculiar objects remained tucked within Louis's garments.

Having completed his mischief, he feigned a sudden calming of temper. His hand brushed over the water cup on the bedside table, then he picked up the bottle he'd just discarded, stating with a stern expression, 'Minister Louis, it appears you wish not to see me. Very well, I shall depart immediately. I'll take this bottle with me, lest you claim it holds some further strangeness!'

'Student Francis! Calm down, he...' Priest Luke was about to mediate, but Du Chen strode away without a backward glance. Shaking his head, Luke picked up the water cup Du Chen had just brushed, poured water into it, and said with a frosty expression, 'Student Louis, it's time for your medicine!'

...

Du Chen, calculating his timing, arrived at his eldest brother's ward. Steve had only suffered a few lashes, his injuries not severe. Du Chen helped him stand, chuckling softly, 'Let's go, eldest brother, to the outdoor pool for a show!'

Steve, half-supported by Du Chen, also laughed. 'What have you been up to, you rascal? You're smiling like a fox who just raided the hen house!'

'Just watch and you'll see!'

Just then, Louis, who had just finished his medicine, suddenly felt his mouth and throat parch, as if all the moisture was rapidly evaporating from his body. 'No, Priest Luke, there's something wrong with your medicine!'

'My medicine?' Luke hadn't even fully registered the complaint when Louis violently sprang from his bed, desperately grabbing him by the collar.

As Philip's assistant, Louis naturally possessed profound knowledge of alchemy. Based on his body's symptoms, he immediately deduced what he had ingested—a vile alchemical agent commonly found on battlefields: a Dehydrating Poison!

Even with his battle qi suppressing the effects, he had to find a large quantity of water quickly, or he would die of dehydration!

'Quick, tell me, where's the nearest water source?! Water, I need copious amounts of water!'

Luke paused, then casually pointed out the window. 'Copious amounts of water, you say? There's a fountain pool in the plaza outside!'

Without another word, Louis violently crashed through the window and leaped out. As a Fifth-level Battle-Warrior, he naturally paid no heed to a mere two-story fall.

However, Du Chen had tampered with his patient gown and left some 'things' behind.

With a 'CRASH!', Sem and the other students gathered around the pool only saw a second-floor window shatter, and a patient leap out. Immediately after, the patient's oversized gown flapped open in the wind, revealing a well-built body clad only in underpants.

'Look, someone's streaking through the air!'

The mischief-loving students burst into laughter. But that wasn't the end of it. Louis's patient gown held more than just his own underpants; as he 'streaked' through the air, a pair of seductive pink, distinctly feminine panties also fluttered from his clothes...

'SPLASH!' Louis landed in the pool, letting out a breath of relief. Then, as he glanced back at the 'trail' he had left in his flight, his face instantly drained of all color.

It was over. Tomorrow, the entire Academy would surely be abuzz with tales of 'Louis the Perverted Deviant streaking through the air!'

Just then, several teachers from the Academy office also arrived at the Medical Center. Upon seeing Louis in the water, they immediately surrounded him. 'Louis, a cleaning servant just discovered numerous morally depraved items in your dormitory. We demand an explanation!'

'What?! Louis himself hoards lewd items, yet he used <em>this</em> as a pretext to lecture us Ains people?! Damn it, Ains people, can we tolerate this scoundrel?!'

The 'brothers' arranged by 'Tiger,' tasked with stirring up ethnic discord, sprang into action.

The situation descended into chaos. After all, the students gathered by the pool were all Ains nationals who had just participated in the brawl...

Hidden behind a door, Du Chen watched with a wicked grin as the impassioned students mobbed Louis, while the teachers—who were actually Holy Church spies—made no move to intervene. He gloated inwardly, 'When it comes to tormenting someone, physical harm is the lowest form. Psychological torment is superior. But a double strike—that's the king's way!'

His scheme wasn't perfect, but what did imperfection matter? Even if the whole world knew Louis had been framed, the rigid Dean Zigurd would absolutely never tolerate such blatant moral flaws from his Student Council Minister of Moral Supervision—Louis's career was utterly ruined!

Tomorrow, he would be expelled from the Student Council! And from now on, his reputation would be 'interesting,' to say the least.

What fate awaited a man living in an environment constantly filled with strange looks? Degradation? Perversion? Hmm, that was certainly something to look forward to!

'How was that, eldest brother?' Du Chen asked, raising an eyebrow at Steve with a smile.

Steve managed a smile, but it was somewhat unnatural, his eyes openly revealing deep suspicion. Unfortunately, Du Chen was too engrossed in watching Louis's mortification to notice. 'My dear brother, did you do this!?'

'Of course!' Du Chen grinned proudly. 'Just a tiny bit of Dehydrating Poison. And this is only the first step; I've prepared an entire 'set' of things for him!'

Steve's lips twitched involuntarily twice. He forced a hearty laugh. 'Haha, my dear brother, you're far too cunning! It's a good thing I'm not your enemy! Ouch, my wound's acting up again, take me back!' He draped his arm over Du Chen's shoulder. 'Second brother is also injured, and the nurses here aren't exactly beauties, so you can keep watch tonight! No, better yet, just take care of your poor eldest brother while I recover!'

'Come on, eldest brother, are the nurses here <em>not</em> pretty?' Du Chen joked, but still helped his elder brother back to the ward.

Suddenly, his backside began to itch.

Strange! He hadn't exactly done a good deed, had he? Du Chen was utterly baffled.

But he quickly found a justification. Well, Louis was a scoundrel who usually threw his weight around, bullying many students. Taking care of him, Du Chen reasoned, could certainly be counted as punishing evil and promoting good!

At this very moment, in Louis's empty ward, Priest Luke watched the spectacle outside the window, secretly sighed, turned off the lights, locked the door, and exited the room.

No sooner had he left than a shadow emerged on the pristine white wall, as if a living person had been pressed into the very stone, perfectly embedded.

No, at least the iron hook clutched in the shadowy figure's hand wasn't perfectly embedded; its sharp tip protruded from the wall, and the cold, silver blade was stained with blood, testament to how many souls had become vengeful spirits upon it.

'Ramepatisu!' he, or she, murmured a profoundly strange phrase, one that belonged to no common tongue across the Three Continents! Slowly, the figure scraped the iron hook across its face, hidden beneath the shroud of darkness, its muffled words seething with fury:

'Any being that obstructs the Dark Sacred Punishment must be 'redeemed'! Phil, your son has interrupted my ritual... Damn it, why did Francis choose <em>tonight</em> to 'discipline' the one slated for punishment, Louis!? 'Flaying,' have you not yet contacted Francis!? What exactly are you doing!?'