Chapter 54: 54: Blood Before Fire
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The Heartfire Lance formed in front of Dorian again.
The fire was thin, bright, and deadly. It was not like the wide flames he used earlier. It did not spread everywhere. It did not try to burn the whole street. It was compressed into one sharp spear of white and red fire, made to pierce through one target and destroy the heart inside the chest.
Lucard was still on the broken stone road.
Smoke rose from his chest. His clothes were burned. Blood touched his lips. His body had already taken one Heartfire Lance, and even with the First Blood Circle, Mortal Vessel, he could feel the damage inside him. His heart was not destroyed, but the fire had burned the flesh around it. Pain moved through his chest with every breath. His blood wanted to repair the wound, but his current power was still too low.
Dorian raised his hand and laughed.
"You survived the first attack because I was careless. Let us see if you survive the second one."
The spear shot forward.
It flew straight toward Lucard’s heart.
Jenny screamed.
Jake tried to run forward again, but Peter grabbed him tightly. Peter’s own face had gone pale. He could not stop the attack. Orven and Malik were still fighting off Ravencroft guards and Velkhur guards near the side of the shop entrance. They were strong Rank Three guards, but the enemies kept pushing them from different directions, trying to keep them away from Lucard.
The Heartfire Lance reached Lucard.
Then a silver barrier appeared in front of him.
Bang.
The fire spear struck the barrier and exploded into a wave of hot air and red sparks. The silver barrier shook, but it did not break. The remaining flames scattered to both sides and burned the broken stones. Lucard narrowed his eyes and looked toward the Marovain shop entrance.
Celia had stepped outside.
Her right hand was raised. A silver magic circle floated in front of her palm, and the barrier in front of Lucard carried the same silver light. Her face was calm, but her eyes were cold. She looked at the cracked stone road, the destroyed pillar near the entrance, the damaged steps, the frightened merchants, the fighting guards, and the broken decorations outside the Marovain shop.
Then her gaze stopped on Dorian.
"Who destroyed our gate stones, statue, and pillar?" Celia asked.
Her voice was not loud, but many people heard it.
The merchants hiding around the square became even quieter. Some of them looked toward the Marovain shop entrance and saw the damaged stonework. The small statue near the shop door had cracked from the shock wave earlier. One pillar had a deep burn mark. Several floor stones were broken. For a merchant family like House Marovain, damage to business property was not a small insult. It was money lost in public, and public money loss made merchant nobles colder than winter.
Dorian looked at Celia and started laughing.
"Well, well. Look who came out. Celia Marovain."
Celia lowered her hand, but the silver barrier near Lucard remained.
Dorian pointed at Lucard. "What are you doing here, Celia? How dare you stop me from teaching this bastard a lesson?"
Celia walked forward slowly. Her two female guards came behind her, but she raised one hand and made them stay back. Her eyes stayed on Dorian. She did not look scared.
"House Vardros is under our protection," Celia said. "Anyone who tries to harm them has to face House Marovain."
The square became even more silent after that.
The words were clear.
House Vardros was under Marovain protection.
Jenny heard it and felt some of the fear inside her loosen, but not fully. She did not know whether this was real protection or only part of the deal Lucard had made inside. Still, hearing a main line member of House Marovain say those words in public changed everything. It meant Ravencroft and Karswell could not easily touch them without considering House Marovain.
Jake looked at Celia with wide eyes.
"She is helping us," he whispered.
Peter nodded. "For now."
Dorian tilted his head and smiled in a mocking way.
"Since when did House Marovain become so charitable? What are you planning? Do you want to fight me for a fallen baron family?"
Celia’s eyes sharpened.
Dorian and Celia had known each other for years.
They had met many times in the capital during noble gatherings, hunting games, and founding family events. Every year, young nobles from the great families joined hunting games outside the capital. They hunted monsters, competed for points, showed their power, and tried to humiliate each other without starting a real war. Celia and Dorian had fought many times in those games. She was Fourth Rank. He was also Fourth Rank. Their powers were almost equal.
Neither of them had ever officially defeated the other.
Dorian’s fire was aggressive and destructive. Celia’s magic was sharper, more controlled, and mixed with Marovain defensive arts. In simple battle, Dorian pressed hard. In planning and timing, Celia was more dangerous. Every time their fight became too serious, someone from the elder side stopped it. No duke family wanted to lose a talented young member over pride in a hunting game. So the fights never became true life and death battles.
Because of that, they both carried unfinished pride.
Dorian wanted to burn through Celia’s defense one day.
Celia wanted to see Dorian’s arrogant face after defeat.
But today was not a hunting game.
This was the merchant square of Gravehold.
Celia said, "It is none of your business who House Marovain protects. Uncle Robi told me to protect them for some days. I am simply following his order."
Dorian’s expression changed when he heard Robi’s name, but only for a moment. Then he sneered.
"Hey, bitch, do not joke with me. Do you think you can stop me if I want to kill someone here?"
Celia’s face became colder.
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