Chapter 113: A Blood Sacrifice
Miles away, Exa shuddered.
She felt danger like never before.
Something trembled within her, a survival instinct begging her to flee as far as possible.
When the rain of flames began reducing the calamities to ashes, she trembled with rage.
" You filthy human! " she screamed.
But her reason prevented her from being swept away by emotion.
She was convinced that this opponent was in no way inferior to her, even though she sensed no direct danger emanating from his presence.
" I cannot let them die in vain. "
<< Authority: Cocoon Cage >>
Miles away, the ether around Gramm vibrated.
Spider webs burst forth in a flash, imprisoning him within a cocoon.
Yet Exa felt that she could not stop there.
She poured a terrifying amount of ether into the threads to reinforce them before issuing this order.
" << Strangle him. Sever him. Cut him apart. >> "
At her command, the threads restraining Gramm began to spin, becoming as sharp as honed blades.
Seeing that Gramm was momentarily restrained, Exa exhaled, preparing to move personally, when a voice interrupted her.
" That would be pointless. "
Helion appeared behind her in his true form.
Having sensed the ether fluctuations, he could not remain on the sidelines.
Exa stared at him. There was, at first glance, no change in his physique except for his eyes, deeper, more calculating.
(" Is this the royal legacy? ") Exa could not help but think, noting how profoundly her son’s mindset had changed after that humiliating battle.
So much so that she wondered whether he was still the same proud prince who once acted purely on his whims.
Nevertheless, she suppressed her thoughts and asked what seemed most urgent.
" What do you mean by that, my son? Enlighten me with your thoughts. "
Helion remained silent for a moment.
His senses spread across his mother’s territory, seeking to probe Gramm through the attack he had just unleashed, before he finally spoke.
" There are humans whose power rivals that of dukes in single combat. They are called Transcendents. There is no doubt that the one responsible for that rain of flames is one of them. "
He paused before adding, his voice growing more perplexed.
" However, among these Transcendents, there are special cases. Geniuses whose strength, while not officially exceeding that rank, develops into a power their peers can only dream of. That human is one of them. "
Exa’s eight eyes widened.
The meaning of his words carried grave consequences.
" Do you mean... a power beyond that of a duke? Would he then be comparable to a— "
She stopped herself, fearing that speaking that word aloud would invite misfortune.
For Helion, there was no doubt.
(" That human deployed an attack with a range far too great for a mere Transcendent. And that level of control... ")
Cold sweat ran down Helion’s spine as he observed Gramm’s rain of fire.
At first glance, the attack appeared to be a simple area-of-effect strike.
Yet not a single human nearby had been harmed.
Looking closer, Gramm had targeted only minor calamities, eliminating nearly twenty thousand of them without so much as grazing the noble calamities.
As if he had deliberately chosen to put on a display.
" So, what do you intend to do? " Exa asked, pulling Helion from his thoughts.
Her son answered with a cold gaze, without the slightest hesitation.
" I will eliminate him. He is too great a threat to be left alive for even one more day, even if it requires sacrifices. "
The duchess felt a surge of pride mixed with dread.
She herself did not believe she could face such a human,
And yet her son, who was still only a count despite his title of prince.
" What do you mean by sacrifices? " she asked, more out of curiosity than opposition.
At that moment, Helion’s eyes locked onto his mother’s.
A dark resolve shone within them.
" If this human possesses a power no duke can rival, then I have only one option: to surpass the rank of duke myself. And to do that... sacrifices are required. Sacrifices for victory. "
Exa shivered as she grasped the weight of his words.
Her legs trembled, and she nearly lost her balance.
Her mind searched for another solution, but at that very moment, Gramm broke free from the cocoon intact, without so much as a scratch.
In a surge of despair, she dropped to her knees.
Her head struck her son’s feet as she released all defenses.
" My son... I pray that you become a great king. Promise me that you will eradicate the humans. Swear to me that you will raise our species to the summit. "
This cry burst forth from the depths of her heart, from the depths of her soul.
Helion saw his mother’s eyes for the last time as he replied,
" That goes without saying. "
Exa’s heart grew lighter.
The next second, six legs as sharp as swords erupted behind Helion and severed the duchess’s head.
" Farewell, Mother. "
---
Helion’s heart vibrated. He felt his authority rise to the rank of marquis, before exploding and propelling him to the rank of duke.
The progression was so brutal that he collapsed to the ground.
In dying, his mother had ceded to him the Duchy of Araceae, along with authority over all the calamities that had once been under her command.
He had no time to dwell on his pain: Gramm could strike at any moment.
Rising to his feet, Helion used his authority and issued an order.
No... it was not an order.
It was a command.
" Die by my hands. "
---
Meanwhile, Marquis Yorb, Marquis Broy, and all the calamities still alive felt Exa’s death and before they could even react,
A new lord had been crowned.
Upon hearing their highness’s voice, confusion seized them, but the command that followed froze them in place.
The two marquises, whose loyalty to him was absolute, simultaneously took the initiative to cut themselves, letting their blood flow as they chanted,
" Long live His Highness the Duke! Long live the future king! "
Immediately, wielding his royal authority of blood, Helion decapitated them.
The remaining calamities, witnesses to the scene, wanted to protest... but ultimately followed suit.
In the span of a few seconds, all the calamities of the Duchy of Araceae perished, under the stunned gaze of the humans.
---
At the border of the State of Mirage.
Aranud, the candidates, and the refugees erupted in joy upon realizing that all the calamities were dead.
" It’s over! "
" We’re alive! "
" I’ve never been this happy! "
The tension gradually dissipated, even among the enforcers.
However, Kori, having observed the manner in which certain calamities had died, realized that something was wrong.
(" That fluctuation... that wasn’t Gramm. Could it be...? ")
Sensing imminent danger, he raised his eyes toward the horizon and activated the coating.
A semi-transparent layer enveloped his body, enhancing his already transcendent physical abilities.
Without delay, he launched himself in a colossal leap toward the center of the duchy.
(" Gramm... please, tell me you planned for this. ")
---
At the same moment,
Gramm gazed upon the lifeless bodies of the calamities.
Behind him, only cries of joy echoed.
" This is becoming unpredictable, " San declared as he appeared at his side.
" The information on the duchy indicated the presence of a prince. The initial plan was to capture him... but the situation has clearly changed. "
Gramm turned and spotted Sirius, seated on the ground.
He hesitated for a moment about taking him along, then abandoned the idea.
(" At worst, I wouldn’t be able to protect him. ")
Entrusting San with handling the end-of-examination formalities, he summoned flames and shaped them into a staircase rising into the sky.
He climbed, step by step, under the astonished gaze of the candidates.
As for his destination: an enemy he hoped would finally be worthy of him.
