The knightâs eyes widened, but only for a moment.
Clang-!
As Edmund pushed him away, the knight stumbled backward from the force.
Whoosh-!
Desperately dodging the incoming spear, the knight blocked it with his sword.
Clang, clang-!
Overwhelmed by Edmundâs relentless attacks, the knight turned pale and shouted toward his comrades.
“H-Help me! It’s not me! The Duke is misunderstanding!”
The other knights exchanged glances, hesitating to step in.
It was confusingâone of their own was pleading for his life, yet something felt off.
Then it happened.
Swish-!
A dagger flew from the terrace behind the knights, grazing the knightâs cloak.
Clang-.
Seeing the dagger land against the wall, Edmund lowered his spear and narrowed his golden eyes.
“You’re late. I thought you said you’d come across the terrace after finishing the transmission.”
Tale leaped down from the terrace railing, brushing past the knights as he stepped forward.
“Apologies, Master.”
Edmund tilted his head slightly, casting a piercing gaze at Tale.
“Leaving Etricia’s side and neglecting your duty… I’ll deal with that later.”
“Wow, that’s harsh.”
Tale grumbled for a moment before turning to the knight, his face growing cold. He twirled the Lebron dagger in his hand before catching it mid-air.
“Where else can you find such a loyal servant who follows his master’s will so wellâ!”
At the end of his sentence, Tale threw the Lebron dagger straight at the knight.
Slash-!
The knight flinched as the blade skimmed his cheek.
Sizzle! The wound burned instantly, smoke rising from his flesh.
His head snapped up, and his brown eyes turned crimson in an instant.
As blood trickled from his cheek, he glanced sideways and wiped the wound with the back of his hand.
Demonic blood spread like violet ink. Seeing it, he smirked.
“Impressive.”
“Impressive?”
Tale scoffed, rubbing the back of his neck casually before tilting his head.
“We donât call our master ‘Duke.’ If you were going to imitate someone, you shouldâve done it properly, you damn rat.”
His expression hardened as the atmosphere shifted.
“What the hell did you do to my subordinate? Why are you in his body?”
Lunox shrugged indifferently.
“I just borrowed it for a while.”
“Borrowed?”
Taleâs face twisted in disgust. The word didnât make sense to him.
“Where is he now?”
“Does it really matter?”
Lunox seemed to realize something then, his body relaxing as he lazily opened his eyes.
“Ah, I see. This knight must be important to you. What a shameâI should’ve killed one more.”
“Shut up and tell me where my subordinate is!”
“Tale.”
A stern voice interrupted. Tale, who had been bristling with anger, flinched.
Slowly, his face contorted with frustration. Turning his back to Edmund, he clenched his fists.
“I’m sorry.”
Tale gritted his teeth, forcing himself to calm down.
Sacrifices were inevitable in war.
He knew from years on the battlefield that losing control could lead to losing even more comrades.
Yet, his anger wouldn’t subside. Scowling, he gestured toward the stunned knights.
“What are you waiting for? Move.”
“Y-Yes!”
The knights, finally grasping the situation, rushed forward.
One kicked the back of Lunoxâs knees, making him collapse onto the marble floor. He didnât resist as they bound his arms, instead staring at Edmund with a mocking grin.
âThat bastardâĤâ
Something about his easy surrender unsettled Tale. He frowned, debating whether to tell Edmund his suspicions, but he trusted his sharp-witted master had already noticed.
“Stay in formation!”
At Taleâs command, the knights reorganized their ranks.
“Ready.”
Edmund regarded Lunox coldly before extending his hand toward someone.
“Etricia.”
Etricia, who had been observing with arms crossed, gracefully stepped forward, taking his hand.
Standing at the center of the floor, they moved toward the demon at a leisurely pace.
Lunox watched their approaching shadows with a lingering smirk.
“What a pity, Etricia. I was hoping youâd choose me.”
He chuckled, tilting his head to look up at her.
His eyes glowed red.
“A foul mouth and a taste for bratsâĤ quite the dangerous preference. Maybe I shouldâve tried that approach firstâurgh!”
Edmundâs boot crashed into Lunoxâs face.
Lunox rolled his eyes sideways, glaring.
“YouâĤ”
Edmund stared down at him, his expression unreadable, his golden eyes as cold as winter.
“Maybe stuffing filth in your mouth will shut you up.”
Lunox sneered, spitting blood-tinged saliva to the side before wiping his mouth with his sleeve.
“Kid, no matter what you do, your parents wonât come back. Why do humans always cling to the past, obsessed with revenge? I donât get it.”
His tone was mocking, as if speaking to a stubborn child.
“Past, revenge, love, entertainment. Humans are so greedy. Always wanting more, never recognizing what truly matters until they lose itâ”
Smack-!
A sharp slap snapped Lunoxâs head to the side.
It was Etricia.
Her lips quivered with rage as she glared at him.
“Donât you dare talk about him.”
âWho turned everyoneâs lives into hell with their greed? How dare youâĤâ
Instead of hitting him again, she clenched the mana stone in her other hand, feeling something molten churn inside her.
Lunox licked his lips, chuckling.
“Etricia, youâll regret this. We were meant to be family.”
His teasing whisper made her stomach churn.
“HaaâĤ”
Forcing her nausea down, she glanced around before whispering to Edmund.
“Step back.”
Edmund hesitated, then reluctantly took a few steps back.
“Farther.”
When she shot him a look, he scowled but retreated further.
Taking a deep breath, she gripped the mana stone as Lova had taught her and closed her eyes.
She tried to amplify the energy surging inside her.
But something was wrong.
She felt trapped, like being in a sealed box. No matter how hard she pushed, the power kept bouncing back.
Her breathing grew unsteady.
Thenâ
RIP!
Lunoxâs true form tore out of the knightâs body, snapping the Lebron chains as he lunged at Etricia.
“Countess!”
Clank!
Snatching her, Lunox leaped onto the terrace and vaulted over the railing.
Under the full moon, the demon and Etricia vanished.
“Edmund!”
Boom!
Her cry was swallowed by the night.
Edmund clenched his fists, fury burning in his golden eyes.
Thenâ
“Duke, what is this commotion?”
Jake had arrived.
