Chapter 14: The Cursed

  In the monarch’s chamber, the air was tense. King Albert sat on his gilded throne, his son Marshall standing beside him, fnked by guards and members of the elite special forces. I stood defiant, calg my move. Behind me, Benjiro y motionless, his chest heaving weakly as blood pooled beh him, staining the pristine floor. His body was battered, with gashes running along his arms and a deep wound near his ribs that refused to stop bleeding. One leg y twisted at an unnatural angle, his face pale and torted with pain. The onsught had left him barely ging to life, a stark reminder of how close defeat loomed. Earlier, during our charge toward the king, I had trolled Benjiro’s body to dodge and attack, pushing him past his limits. When a powerful wind assault came my way, I abandoned his body to phase through the attack as a ghost. Unnoticed by me in the heat of the moment, Benjiro had borhe full brunt of the spell, leaving him in his current state. The sequences bore heavily on him—and me.

  A guard k, activating his blessing to cast an intricate spell on the ground. The faint glow of runes spread across the floor like veins of light. The king’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. "Excellent," he said. "Tend to these two. I want them alive." His tone was anding but detached, like a hunter iing freshly caught prey.

  Turning to Marshall, he said, "e, my son. We have greater threats to deal with outside."

  "But, Father," Marshall protested, his voice ced with frustration. "I want to kill them myself!"

  The king’s gaze hardened. "We have no time for your whims. Dangerous enemies are attag the kingdom as we speak. Let the soldiers hahese two—they ot escape."

  The monarch’s fidence was maddening. As they turo leave, Marshall gnced back. "If they escape, it’ll be on you."

  King Albert chuckled darkly. "Son, you’ve been away too long. You uimate the strength of our kingdom."

  I ched my fists, bristling at their arrogance. 'His overfidence could be their downfall.'

  The door shut behind them, leaving us surrounded. I sidered fleeing, my ghost form allowio bypass walls and guards. None of them could catch me. But one look at Benjiro, lying in a pool of his own blood, quelled that thought.

  The battle was one-sided. They attacked with devastating precision, their blessings plementing one another in a horrifying symphony of power. Shields of light deflected my strikes, teleportation spells whisked my targets out of reach, and attacks of invisibility and speed kept me on the defensive. Each attempt to gain the upper hand was crushed before it began.

  Bruised, burned, and battered, I stood my ground. Benjiro’s voice reached me, strained and desperate. "Ray... your efforts are futile. You escape. Leave me behind."

  His words struck like a dagger. I saw his tears and the anguish in his eyes. For a moment, my curse whispered agreement, urgio flee. Against my better judgment, I activated my ghost form and soared through the walls, the sensation of freedom momentarily intoxig.

  No one followed. But the weight of my decisio me. 'I left him to suffer from the attack I should have protected him from. Leaving now felt like turning my bay own mistakes.'

  Benjiro

  Ray’s departure was iable, I thought. He had done more than anyone could have asked, but his limits had been reached. Yet, as the seds ticked by and the guards stood eerily still, I realized something was off.

  The mog voice of a guard broke the silence. "You see, he’ll be back. Isn’t it just adorable? Such heartwarming friendship you share, leaning on each other like wounded animals, ging to hope that’s already slipped through your fingers." he sneered, his words ced with venomous sarcasm. "Or maybe it’s just that pitiful spell I cast, pulling him back like a dog on a leash."

  I ched my teeth, refusing to believe his taunts. But then, a familiar figure materialized—a fused Ray, standing in the ter of the chamber. My heart sank. 'No, Ray, why?'

  The mog guard stepped forward, his grin widening. "There he is! Right on cue!" He tipped an imaginary hat and gave an exaggerated bow. "Ketsu Rave, the Bastard Rave, at your service. Royalty, as you must have guessed, and thhly unimpressed by your antics. As long as I live, her of you will leave this room."

  Ketsu turo Ray, a twisted smile on his face. "Oh, don’t look so surprised. You thought you could just waltz out of here? How quaint."

  Theodore

  Chaned outside the pace walls. Amid the destru, a single figure stood out—a man with emerald-green hair riding an enormous boulder. His fmboyant e suit glimmered in the sunlight as the rock crashed into the ground, sending shockwaves that rippled through the battlefield.

  The impact obliterated dozens, f survivors to rely on their blessings for prote. I used my Gravity blessing to shield those around me, f a small pocket of safety beh the rock’s crushi. As the dust settled, I searched for my panions.

  "Maki?" I called, my voice strained. My eyes sed the age, finally nding on her. She stood under a pristine, spherical hollow in the debris, its shape unily resembling the protective sphere I had created earlier. Her hands trembled as she stared at them in disbelief, as if realizing something she couldn’t yet prehend.

  "Maki, are you okay?" I asked, approag cautiously.

  She turo me, a faint smile masking her uheodore, you’re unharmed. Of course you are. With the blessing you have, this attack won’t hurt you at all," she said, her voice steady as she looked away, g her hands tightly to hide their slight trembling. Her tone carried an almost admiring note, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of disfort—a quiet secret she refused to share. "I wish I could say the same for myself," she added softly before f another faint smile, a flicker of something unspoken lingering as she quickly ged the subject."

  I frowned but didn’t press further, though the simirity of her hollow to mine g my thoughts. "We roup. Akira should be nearby."

  Moments ter, Akira joined us, and together, we fought to fend off attackers. Despite the ost of our oppos were weak, their blessings undeveloped. It felt like swatting flies.

  Then the sky darkened, an unnatural shift that pulled all eyes upward. King Albert desded with a sweeping gust of wind, scattering the battlefield dust and clearing the view. He floated effortlessly, radiating an aura of calcuted authority, with the young prince Marshall by his side. Marshall’s sharp gre fixed on the green-haired intruder, his frustration barely cealed.

  "Who is this man?" Marshall demanded, his tone ced with indignation. "How does someone s remain unknown?"

  Albert, calm and deliberate, addressed his son with the weight of wisdom. "Your arrogance blinds you, son. Observe. Learn. This man isn’t merely strong; he’s a decration of war."

  The green-haired ma out a low chuckle, his smirk sharp and uing. "War? Don’t ftter yourself, old man. We’re just a band of terrorists who despise your kingdom—nothing more, nothing less."

  Albert’s ughter echoed, ced with superiority. "Terrorists? Led by freshly summoned novices and a vely anonymous figurehead? You insult my intelligence. Do you take me for a fool?"

  The green-haired man’s grin faltered briefly before snapping bato pce, his voice dripping with mockery. "And you, Albert Elthias—the so-called vampire king, blessing hoarder, and fraud. Tell me, how long will you g to your stolen intellect? Borrowed power doesn’t make you wise, it makes you desperate."

  Marshall bristled visibly at the insult, his fists g as his anger boiled over. The taunts struck a apping into the shadow of his father’s dominand his own struggles to prove his worth. Every unspoken doubt, every failed attempt to match Albert’s power, fred within him. "I’ll kill you, you bastard!" he bellowed, surging forward with urained fury, his as a stark trast to Albert’s posed demeanor.

  Albert’s hand shot out, gripping his son’s arm mid-swing. "trol yourself, Marshall. Your recklessness is why you ck what I have." He paused, his tone sharp as a bde. "If you stopped ag like a child and embraced your role, you’d surpass me."

  The green-haired man’s smirk widened, sensing a vulnerability. "Ah, yes, the rumors. The little prince’s curse. What was it again? But I hear you’ve fallen behind your father—not willing to do what it takes, especially with men."

  Marshall growled, his face flushing with rage, but before he could act, Albert raised a hand. With a flick of his fingers, Marshall vaeleported away from the battlefield. The king turned back to the intruder, his expression unreadable.

  "Impressive," the green-haired man mused. "Fatherly discipli its fi. But let’s test the other rumor, shall we?" With a sudden motion, he sshed his palm, flinging droplets of blood toward Albert. The crimson liquid arced through the air before nding on the king’s pristine clothing.

  Albert stood motionless, his face betraying ion. "Is that all? You thought a little blood would ule me?"

  The green-haired man tilted his head, studying the king. "Oh, no. That was just for fun. But it seems the great Albert Elthias hold his posure. Iing."

  Albert’s gaze sharpened, his voice dropping to a chilling tone. "Your tactics betray you. The blessings bolstering you are far too coordio be random. Such precision speaks of a guiding hand—someone who thinks they act from the shadows unnoticed. Tell me, does your beor truly believe this charade will go unchallenged?"

  The green-haired man’s smirk widened into a wolfish grin. "Ah, the vampire king shows his teeth. But that’s for me to know, and you to suffer."

  He paused, his gaze sweeping the battlefield, as if calg his move. Albert’s eyes narrowed, his posture tightening as he braced for what was to e. The green-haired man smirked, enjoying the moment of tension. Then, with deliberate grace, he raised his hand. "Let’s make this iing," he said, his tone calm but ced with mehe air above him seemed to ripple ominously, drawing scattered gasps from the soldiers below before the tensioed into chaos.

  With a andiure, the green-haired man summoned meteors from the heavens, their fiery dest casg toward the battlefield in a dispy of destructive power. Soldiers on the ground shouted warnings, scrambling for cover as panic rippled through their ranks. Albert’s eyes narrowed, his barrier already f as he watched the devastation unfold with measured precision, his expressioraying no fear. The bzing projectiles turhe se into chaos, leaviation in their wake. "Let’s see how strong your kingdom really is," he sneered, his voice thick with derision.

  Albert raised his hand, summoning a barrier of shimmering light to shield the kingdom. The air crackled with energy as the translut shield materialized, radiating a brilliant golden hue. Waves of light rippled across its surface like water, casting refles onto the battlefield below. A low, resonant hum filled the air, intensifying as the meteors struck the barrier with deafening booms. Each impact sent shockwaves through the ground, yet the shield held firm, glowing brighter with every collision. Soldiers paused, their gazes transfixed by the dazzling interpy of light and sound that seemed to envelop the entire kingdom in an unyielding embrace. As the meteors struck, their force dissipated against the barrier. Yet, even as the kingdom stood protected, the green-haired man ughed, untouched by the destru.

  "You see, old man, I’m not here alohey are supp me from afar, bolstering my meteors, my shield, and even my escape. And when I leave, it won’t be because you let me go." Albert’s eyes narrowed slightly as he processed the revetion. His mind raced, assessing the coordination behind the enemy’s tactics. "So," he thought, "the hand behind this attack believes themselves untouchable. We shall see about that." He raised his arms as a glowing sigil formed beh his feet, a teleportation spell activating. "Enjoy ing up this mess."

  As he vanished, Albert remained posed, his voice steady. "He’s gone. Resume defensive operations." Once alone, he gnced down at his bloodstained clothing. With a slow, deliberate motion, he removed the tainted fabrid cast it aside, his expression briefly flickering with a mix of irritation and unease, as though the stain carried far more weight tha on, before returning to its usual calm.