Chapter 131: ¹³¹The Crimson Night
?The glass lanterns along the marble bridge cast a false glow. The blue-white light was absolutely swallowed by the downpour of the deep red moon.
?Amidst the storm of Astrean citizens’ screams piercing the night, Ethan Valen stood frozen. His eyes were as cold as ice. His high-collared black shirt and dark coat absorbed the reddish hue exuding in the air.
?Behind his left chest, the Horned Crown tattoo throbbed. In sync with the madness that had just erupted.
?The humans before them slowly looked up. The adaptation phase was over. Their eyes glowed fiery red, with black veins bulging disgustingly from their necks to their temples.
?Thick saliva mixed with blood dripped from their gaping jaws.
?Their movements were not slow like the undead at all. Those cursed muscles tensed instantly. With abnormal speed, dozens of the new monsters charged forward in unison.
?"Kill," Ethan commanded flatly.
?Valera Voss grinned savagely. Her golden eyes glinted sharply.
?Shwing!
?The female knight dashed forward, drawing her massive Zweihander with her left hand. Her black-bandaged right arm gripped the sword’s hilt tightly.
?A single horizontal sweep cleaved through the air.
?Crack!
?The thick steel smashed into the three leading monsters. Ribs shattered, flesh tore. The three bodies were bisected in an instant, spewing pitch-black blood onto the marble. Their upper halves thrashed wildly before finally dying.
?Behind them, Laras let out a stifled shriek. The emaciated girl trembled violently, clutching the back of Kaelia’s tunic. Her pale, bruised face was drenched in cold sweat.
?Beneath her borrowed dress, the blackish-red rose Lust Brand throbbed warmly. The seal repelled the curse of the red moon that tried to force its way into her brain.
?"Stay behind me!" Kaelia shouted.
?The noble princess’s golden eyes narrowed. She raised her right hand.
?Fwoosh!
?Crimson Sin Fire—a dark red flame laden with sin—erupted from her palm. A wave of fire swept through five monsters on the right flank. They let out distorted screams, scorched to cinders in less than three seconds. On Kaelia’s stomach, her black flaming rose throbbed in harmony.
?Ethan didn’t stay idle. His right hand swung out.
?Sin Mana condensed in the air, forming Velcrasia. The dark red whip was alive like a pulsating vein. With an efficient flick, the tip of the whip lashed out like lightning.
?Crack!
?The skulls of two monsters were pierced simultaneously. Their lives were snuffed out before their filthy claws could even swing.
?Atop that bridge, sanity belonged only to the four of them. Anyone who dared approach had only three fates: cleaved by Valera, burned by Kaelia, or pierced by Ethan.
?Minutes passed, and the marble bridge finally fell silent. Leaving only puddles of black blood and scattered carcasses.
?Ethan lowered his hand. Velcrasia evaporated into shadows.
?He didn’t look at the corpses beneath his boots. The man looked up. There was a massive pull of mana. Something bizarre and sickening, and it wasn’t originating from the red moon at all.
?Ethan’s gaze locked onto the heart of the Capital.
?From the highest tower of Veylor Castle, a dense red glow radiated vertically. Resonating directly with the full moon, like a beacon tower inviting hell to descend upon the earth.
?Several miles from the festival center, the Rosenberg estate which was usually as cold as a glacier was now plunged into absolute chaos.
?Alaric von Rosenberg stood firmly in the middle of the lightly snow-dusted courtyard. His white bear-pelt cloak billowed. His ice-crystal adorned beard crackled softly, matching his pale blue eyes that were ablaze with pure fury.
?The elite Rosenberg soldiers who were supposed to be on guard were now slaughtering each other. Some had already transformed, their eyes glowing red, tearing out the throats of their own comrades.
?Ten meters in front of Alaric, a male servant screamed hysterically as two red-eyed soldiers pounced on him.
?Alaric snorted harshly. His right hand rose, gripping the hilt of the greatsword at his waist.
?Shhhk!
?The thick steel blade was unsheathed. The surrounding temperature plummeted due to the crushing pressure of his Master Knight Aura.
?Five cursed soldiers charged. Alaric didn’t move from his spot.
?The moment they entered a three-meter radius, Alaric swung his sword once.
?BOOM!
?A blast of ice-pressurized air slammed into the five soldiers. Their bodies froze instantly, then shattered under the impact of his Aura wave.
?Ice shards and black blood scattered across the snow.
𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
?The estate’s main doors were violently thrown open.
?Isolde von Rosenberg stepped out. Her elegantly pale face remained calm, though her platinum-blonde hair was slightly tousled by the wind.
?In her right hand, an ice spear formed. However, it wasn’t pale blue like her husband’s. The spear was pitch-black, radiating the corruption of Sin Mana.
?Isolde held it sideways, extremely careful to ensure her husband couldn’t see the forbidden magic from behind. Beneath her gown, the black rose root tattoo throbbed with heat.
?"Alaric!" Isolde called out, cutting through the panic. Her left hand pointed toward the horizon. "Look over there!"
?Alaric turned his head. In the distance, the Veylor tower radiated a blood-red glow that split the night sky.
?The Northern Duke’s eyes narrowed. The ice Master Knight Aura in his veins trembled. He could feel the epicenter of the magic nesting there.
?"Veylor..." Alaric hissed, his jaw grinding. "Evander... what the hell is that madman doing?"
?He turned to face his wife. "I’m heading to the Palace. I need to know what’s happening and sever the head of whoever orchestrated this."
?"I’m coming with you," Isolde interjected quickly, secretly fading her black ice spear.
?"No!" Alaric took a wide step, placing his large hands on Isolde’s frail shoulders. "This curse spreads in ways we don’t understand. You stay here. Seal the estate. Protect those who are still sane."
?Isolde bit her lower lip, suppressing the instinct of absolute obedience from her demonic seal, then gave a stiff nod. "Be careful."
?Without a second’s hesitation, Alaric’s massive body dashed off. Trails of blue ice crystals were left at every footprint of his boots, carving through the streets of Astrea toward the center of hell.
?In the opposite region, the Ashford estate also did not escape the mini apocalypse.
?More than twenty red-eyed humans—cursed citizens and guards—shambled toward the main stairs. Bloody saliva dripped, locking their targets onto the only life remaining in the courtyard.
?Duke Reinhard von Ashford stood with absolute composure. His dark silk robe accented with gold wasn’t wrinkled in the slightest. His hands were casually clasped behind his back.
?His golden eyes stared flatly at the crowd. A Sage-level fire mage would never fear walking corpses.
?Reinhard unclasped his hands. With elegantly lazy movements, he snapped his fingers.
?Snap.
?A small pop was heard. A second later, a storm of extreme temperature erupted.
?A ring of whitish-orange fire swept a twenty-meter radius in the blink of an eye. The twenty monstrous bodies were struck mercilessly. The excessively high temperature evaporated their vocal cords before they could even scream.
?In a single breath, they were reduced to black ash swept away by the wind. Erased without a trace.
?Reinhard closed his eyes again. He relaxed his body, letting his Sage senses crawl through Astrea’s night wind. The stench of blood. The damp air. And the flow of mana unnaturally being sucked into a single focal point.
?The Southern Duke opened his eyes, turning his head north. The Veylor Castle tower glowing red answered his calculations.
?"I see," Reinhard murmured. The thin, chilling smile of a politician etched onto his face. "So this is what you’ve been hiding for seven years, Evander."
?The man straightened the sleeves of his robe. He wouldn’t let the King of Veylor dominate the chessboard alone. With measured steps, the Southern Duke began his march toward the Palace.
?While the city burned in panic, the interior of Veylor Castle itself had become a slaughterhouse.
?Caelum von Valois sprinted down the marble corridors of the west wing. His leather shoes clicked rapidly. The Second Prince of Astrea’s breathing was slightly heavy, yet his aristocratic face maintained its cold calculation.
?Feral screams and growls echoed all around. Crown Knights tore at each other’s guts. Servants bit the necks of their own colleagues.
?Caelum avoided open confrontation. He navigated the narrow servant passageways to cut down on time.
?As his body was bathed in the red moonlight from a stained-glass window, Caelum reflexively touched his chest. Something throbbed warmly beneath his shirt. A mysterious ward repelling the invasion of the cursed magic. He didn’t have time to analyze it now; the upper tower was his destination.
?Caelum took a sharp turn toward the marble spiral staircase.
?Screech.
?His footsteps died abruptly. His shoes squeaked against the white marble.
?Ten meters in front of him, blocking the only way up, a figure stood.
?That overly familiar white-and-gold military uniform was torn and drenched in blood. The man had his back to the window, casting a horrifying silhouette. Beneath his feet, the corpse of a maid lay with her neck mangled.
?The man looked up slowly.
?Caelum’s breath hitched.
?It was Edward von Valois. His own older brother. The Crown Prince of Astrea.
?There was no longer any aristocratic pride on his handsome face. Black veins bulged roughly like live worms across his neck and forehead. His lips were wet with the fresh blood of his prey.
?And his eyes... that pair of sky-blue eyes that always radiated arrogance had vanished, replaced by a blazing, pure red hue staring at its prey.
?"Cae... lum..."
?The voice was deformed. Raspy and distorted, like a wild beast forcing itself to mimic human vocal cords with great difficulty.
?Edward stepped forward. His joints creaked stiffly, but beneath that hid a lethal, explosive speed.
?Tch. Caelum instinctively took a step back.
?Behind him, a long corridor filled with cursed servants. In front of him, his older brother who had transformed with the full might of a Crown Prince.
?Beneath the downpour of blood from the sky, the inevitable battle finally began.