"Ahh!!"
"Aries!" Conan's adrenaline kicked him to go to Aries. But just as he took a step and leaped, an incoming attack halted him from going to her. "London Leviticus!"
Conan's voice thundered, grinding his teeth at the person across the blade. "Will you truly interfere with me?!"
"Apologies, Your Highness." The smile on London's face disappeared without a trace, eyes glinting with equal danger and regret. "Her Majesty is an important ally. She was the real person who had established the world project — if not for her, my dreams wouldn't come to life."
"Then why… are you stopping me?"
"This gathering was not to harm Her Majesty, Your Highness." London's expression slowly turned solemn. "It was simply a ceremony she must take to become the real monarch of this land — it was an enlightenment. As much as I hated opposing you, I realized she was a perfect person to sit on that golden throne. With this, the Hakebourne Dynasty will finally end and this land will enter a new era it deserved."
"For that to happen — for the goodness of this land and this world, the Queen must be on our side of her own volition," he added. "I won't let you interfere unless she decides she wants nothing to do with the organization and the mainland after the ceremony. That is the only time I will respect her decision."
Conan's eyes blazed in anger, almost speechless at the level of ridiculousness he just heard. His fangs slowly grew longer and sharper, staring at London as if he was prepared to kill the latter.
As a royalty, Conan had heard of these gatherings many times in the past. His father would usually attend once every year or sometimes twice. Of course, he knew this gathering wouldn't kill Aries; his father survived many covens after all.
The reason Conan was unwilling for Aries to go through this ceremony was that he had seen how his father changed after his first coven. It wasn't a drastic change, but since then, the former king before Maximus IV stopped being a father to his children.
The former king put the mainland first before anything else. It didn't matter if he was harsh to his children, nor did he ever bother with his children's feelings. If anything, he was even stricter and unforgiving of them. It was sickening to the core.
"Fourth is a different case…" Conan's voice rumbled low to his chest. "Stand in my path again, and I will assure you, London Leviticus. I will tear you apart with my own hands."
"How terrifying, but I am already aware of that the moment I clashed swords with you, Your Highness." London didn't doubt Conan's warning. He took it seriously, keeping his guard up, and preparing himself for the worst. "I have nothing against you or the queen. This is simply a duty I must do because, at the end of the day, the mainland is still my motherland. It is the place where my family was born and raised, and even the land they rest."
CLASH!
Conan didn't waste a second after reassuring London's resolution was solid. He swung his sword while London blocked his attacks; their swords sparked with the intense battle between them. Conan was in a hurry, while London was determined not to lose.
"Out of my way!" Dexter shouted his lungs out, taking down another member of the Raven who had surrounded him. His eyes were burning, gripping his sword until it trembled. "Out of my —"
Dexter didn't finish his sentence as another member jumped on him. He had to defend himself before sending his enemy flying. His annoyance skyrocketed at their persistence. Compared to him, he was far better and stronger. What gave him a hard time was the number of enemies he had to face.
"Ahhh!!!" As soon as Aries screamed once again, Dexter looked in her direction. His heart pounded against his chest as his determination to go to her increased. He glanced in Conan's direction, only to see Conan battling against London.
Dexter and Conan had known each other for centuries. They bantered for many years and even competed in the direction the Haimirich Empire would take. Therefore, he knew Conan also wanted to rescue Aries. The problem was, London was in the way. For Conan to stop Giselle, he had to defeat London first.
'Damn it!' Dexter instinctively shifted his attention to Fabian, only to see him in a deadlock with Miguel Rothschild. Meanwhile, Marsella was still slumped on her knees and hands on the floor, fighting the crippling gravity cast upon her. Therefore, the rest of the members were now surrounding Dexter to stop him.
Seeing that everyone was preoccupied while Aries was screaming in pain felt like someone was stabbing his heart continuously. Dexter ground his teeth until his gums bleed slightly. He couldn't think of another solution but to finish off their opponents and stop Giselle as soon as possible.
"Damn it!" Dexter cursed, swinging his sword. Regret pooled in his eyes, but behind them was his burning determination. "Abel, what in the damn world are you doing?!"
He had heard Giselle's remarks previously, and it seemed Abel was trapped in something. Did Giselle foresee this would happen? And her only solution was to trap Abel? Even though everyone knew Abel would emerge from whatever trap he was in alive, if Giselle planned to stall time, then this plan was effective.
"I'm going to kill him if something happens to her — ahh!" Dexter leaped forward, initiating an attack this time. His attacks were vicious, forcing his opponents to take a step back. However, when he took down three at a time, a member of the Raven stepped in.
This member was by far different from his previous opponents. Just his stance alone was enough for Dexter to figure that out.
'So those guys earlier were just to exhaust me, huh?' he assumed, guessing there were more capable Ravens that he hadn't taken down yet. With this thought in mind, Dexter's hope of rushing to finish his battle totally disappeared.
They wouldn't make it in time.
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