CHAPTER 663: [BLOOD MOON WAR] [8] AMAEL OLPHEAN VS ERNEST OLPHEAN

"A vampire!"

"No way!"

"Run!"

"Protect us, Your Highness!"

The air rippled with panic as villagers scattered like startled birds. Gasps and shouts echoed off stone walls as people stumbled backward, forming a wide, trembling circle around her—around Alicia. Their eyes were full of disbelief, but more than that... fear. Pure, bone-deep fear.

She stood alone now, no longer hidden by the crowd. Her crimson eyes gleamed in the morning light, and her pale, porcelain-like skin did little to comfort anyone. To them, she may as well have been a walking nightmare.

Ernest, who had been frozen in place until now, finally broke his silence.

"Surround her. Now."

The knights obeyed instantly as they formed a tight ring around Alicia unsheathing their words.

I stepped forward and in a blink, I vanished and reappeared beside Alicia. A collective flinch rippled through the knights. They weren’t expecting that.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Ernest asked, raising a brow.

"I’m with her," I replied.

There was no point trying to lie. Not here. Not now.

For a moment, Ernest said nothing. Then he gave a short, dry laugh.

"So that’s it. The vampire’s already bewitched you." His voice grew colder with each word. "And she wanted me to bring you to the Resistance leaders. So she could warn the Blood Lords. Or maybe the Vampire Witch herself. Tell me I’m wrong."

"You’re not just wrong," I replied, folding my arms. "You’re so hell wrong I want to laugh."

His eyes narrowed into slits. Then he gave a quick nod to his knights. "Don’t kill him," he said, lips curling in disappointment. "He’s still one of my kins. But the vampire—kill her."

The circle tightened as swords inched forward, glinting with deadly intent.

I moved again—just a step—but the effect was instant. The knights froze mid-motion, caught off guard by my speed.

"Listen to me," I said calmly.. "She’s not with the Vampire Witch. Not all vampires are part of that madness. You’re condemning her because of what she is, not who she is. That’s not justice. That’s stupidity."

Ernest looked at me in silence. Then, slowly, he shook his head.

"I knew something felt off when a supposed ’kin’ of mine appeared out of nowhere, asking for Viessa. Now it’s clear as day. You’re under her spell."

"I’m not!" I snapped.

Ernest didn’t bother responding. He waved a hand instead. "Restrain him. I’ll handle the vampire myself."

"I don’t want to hurt anyone," Alicia said quickly. "I have no ties to the Witches. I was born in Edenis Raphiel, part of House Bloodspire."

That name—Bloodspire—stopped Ernest mid-step.

"Bloodspire?" He repeated. "One of the Sovereign Houses..."

Alicia nodded, then turned toward me briefly, as if seeking support.

"I came here with Amael—"

"Amael?" Ernest’s gaze snapped to me.

"..." I gave a stare at Alicia.

Alicia looked away, clearly realizing the slip.

Just great.

And she had been doing so well.

Still, she straightened her shoulders and finished her explanation, determined to see it through. "We came together. From Edenis Raphiel."

Ernest let out a long breath, rubbing his forehead. "I want to believe you. I really do. But there are too many inconsistencies. Too many risks. I’m placing both of you under arrest. As for you, you’ll stand trial."

"I’ve done nothing wrong!" Alicia shouted.

And to be fair, ’trial’ in this era didn’t exactly mean sitting in a courtroom with a suited lawyer and a comfy chair. I had a feeling it would be more... medieval.

And a lot less forgiving.

I didn’t have to be a genius to know Alicia wouldn’t be treated kindly by whoever the judges were. Vampires had razed entire villages to ash in recent years. They weren’t exactly swimming in public sympathy.

"It’ll be up to us to decide that," Ernest said coldly.

I stepped forward, planting my feet. "You really think I’m just going to roll over and let you drag us away?" I asked. "If we fight, the whole damn town will get caught in the crossfire. I’m not planning on being taken prisoner."

There were too many promises I hadn’t kept yet—too many people I still wanted to see. I needed to see Celeste and Alvara. I had sworn to Layla... I promised her I would survive.

Samara and Anna.

And obviously Cleenah.

I will survive and bring her back to my side.

"She’s in the same boat," I added, nodding toward Alicia.

Ernest’s brow furrowed.

"Strange," he said at last. "You don’t seem... bewitched."

"That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, dumbass!" I snapped annoyed.

A pounding headache was starting to form behind my temples.

The crowd collectively gasped—shock rippling through them.

I had just insulted a prince.

Ernest’s gaze turned to ice. "You don’t have to worry about the town," he said. "I’ll handle you myself."

And then he moved.

Fast. Inhumanly fast.

A blur of motion—he was definitely in the 9th Ascension.

No doubt about it.

As I should have expected from one of those Heroes who fought the Vampire Witch.

Ernest shot forward, and for a moment I thought he was coming at me, but at the last second, he pivoted. His blade arced toward Alicia, catching her completely off guard.

She barely had time to react—he was too far above her level. Nearly two whole Ascensions higher. She wouldn’t have stood a chance.

But I was ready.

In a blink, I appeared between them, my arm raised, stopping his sword mid-swing. The blade halted inches from my shoulder.

"I thought you wanted her alive for the trial," I said, staring him down.

"She’s a vampire. She’ll regenerate."

I see.

He wasn’t acting out of blind cruelty. He was a prince—trained, hardened, carrying the weight of his people’s suffering. He’d probably seen comrades butchered, entire battalions drained by Vampires. I couldn’t blame him for seeing Alicia as just another threat.

But she wasn’t one of them.

She wasn’t.

"You should step aside," Ernest warned. "For your own good... and hers. Surrender now, and this doesn’t have to get worse."

Maybe a few days ago, I would’ve considered it.

Played along.

Kept the peace.

But I’d made too many mistakes before—trusted the wrong people, waited too long to act. I wasn’t going to gamble with the lives of those I cared about.

Not again.

"No," I said quietly. "Move aside."

His stance shifted, more cautious now, but he didn’t lower his blade.

"If you could just take me to Viessa, that’d be better for everyone," I continued. "I just want to talk. That’s it. A few words, and then we’ll leave. You can even monitor us the entire time—I don’t care."

"Unfortunately, I can’t do that. Innocent lives depend on me doing the right thing," Ernest refused me.

I scoffed. "Innocents? You mean the elves behind you? Half of them probably hate your guts. They’ve been side-eyeing you this whole time like you’re some stray mutt who wandered into their temple."

Ernest’s teeth clenched and anger started flaring into him.

Behind him, the elves in the crowd stiffened—caught between anger and shame. Some, maybe most of them truly admired Ernest but I doubted all Elves liked Ernest.

"I’ve heard enough lies out of your mouth, AMAEL," Ernest replied.

I grimaced internally.

I glanced toward Alicia again, and—unsurprisingly—she averted her eyes.

He wasn’t going to let it go ever now.

"Senior..." Alicia looked at me then. Her eyes flicked nervously between me and Ernest.

"There’s no time to play along with this crap," I said loud enough for everyone—including Ernest—to hear. "Prioritize your life. Don’t get captured. Whatever dumb trial they have planned isn’t worth it."

That did it.

"I warned you!" Ernest shouted, and with a burst of speed, he lunged forward toward me a tremendous speed.

I reacted immediately, shoving Alicia out of harm’s way before reaching instinctively for Trinity Nihil.

But my hand froze halfway.

Was that really a good idea?

Letting Trinity Nihil appear here, now—in Sancta Vedelia, in the past...

I had no clue what kind of impact it would have on the timeline. Best to play it safe. For now.

I reached for a plain sword I kept tucked away for emergencies—nothing flashy, just functional—and met Ernest’s blade mid-swing.

-Crack!

The impact echoed and...my weapon splintered instantly, shards of steel raining to the ground. His blade had barely been slowed.

So much for the ’emergency’ sword.

When the hell is Randor going to finish my weapon already?

Fine.

I turned to my left hand, channeling mana into the amber emblem of the Olphean Bloodline. It pulsed with faint light as I summoned Perseus—

Or tried to.

The weapon materialized in my grip, but the moment I saw it, my heart sank. It was still broken. The hilt remained, but the blade... gone. Shattered since the last battle. I had assumed—no, hoped—it would regenerate over time.

That’s what it would work from what I knew from Christina. Her weapons recovered. Why didn’t mine?

Why was the Olphean Bloodline so damn inconsistent with me?

With a frustrated growl, I dismissed Perseus and instead pulled forth Khryselakatos—my amber bow. At least this one still responded properly.

Amber light shimmered around me as the bow came alive in my hands.

"The Olphean Bloodline..." Ernest muttered, his eyes narrowing. "And I can sense royal blood within you. Just who the hell are you?"

"I already told you," I said flatly, nocking an arrow and pulling the glowing string back. "Edward."

I loosed it.

The amber arrow screamed through the air like a bullet, but Ernest didn’t flinch. With a smooth motion, he sliced through the projectile mid-flight, triggering a shockwave that rippled through the field, scaring people around who covered their ears.

"Do you think I’m stupid?" He growled.

He moved again—faster this time.

I didn’t have time to nock another arrow. I broke into a sprint, darting away from him while keeping one eye on Alicia.

She was holding her ground, facing down multiple knights. But even then, it wasn’t easy. The knights weren’t fodder—they were good. They were mostly Seventh Ascension. A few of them fought in tight coordination, clearly veterans of many battles.

Alicia was faster, sharper, more gifted—but she was holding back. I could tell. She wasn’t fighting to kill, only to defend.

That restraint was costing her.

And if this dragged on much longer... I wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep it up.

"Just let us go, damn it!" I growled, throwing a glare at Ernest.

"You’re the one who came to me," he said with a chuckle, lifting his sword. A glowing mana circle spun into existence beneath his feet—fire burst from it like snapping serpents, writhing and lashing toward me in a blaze of heat.

"Reflect," I called out, summoning a shimmering mirror in front of me.

The fire whipped into the mirror—and was instantly redirected. The blaze reversed course, arcing back toward Ernest. His eyes widened in surprise and he launched himself backward just in time, the flames licking at the space where he had stood.

"You do have some strange powers..." He muttered, landing nimbly.

"You bet I do," I said, vanishing from sight for an instant.

Then I reappeared—right in front of him—and drove a heavy kick at his side.

Ernest raised his arm in time to block, but—

-BAM!

"Ugh—!" He grunted, staggering from the impact as my leg, reinforced by Ruah, slammed into him like a hammer. The force hurled him backward, crashing him into the rooftop of a nearby house with a violent crunch of tiles and splintered wood.

"Y–Your Highness!" The knights surrounding Alicia froze for a moment, glancing toward their prince in stunned disbelief.

But Ernest pushed himself up, brushing fragments of tile and dust from his gilded armor. "Focus on the vampire. Restrain her by force. As long as she is alive."

My eyes turned icy.

"Anathemas Fire."

A flare of purple erupted around me—raw, unnatural flames dancing across my limbs.

"W–What is that?!"

"Fire?! That’s not normal fire!"

"I’ve never seen fire like that!"

Gasps rose from the crowd and even some knights faltered. Ernest, to his credit, only flinched slightly.

I raised one arm. Three rings of violet flame coiled around my forearm, spinning like wheels. Ernest’s eyes narrowed as he sensed the intensity behind them.

"What are you—"

Before he could finish, I surged forward, vanishing in a blur using Samara’s Reach. Drawing my arm back, I poured mana into my fist and swung at him, aiming to shatter his defense.

But Ernest was ready.

"Athena’s Providence," he called, and his blade glowed a brilliant amber. A seven-layered mana circle materialized between us like a divine shield.

I slammed my fist against the glowing layers—

-BOOOOOOM!!

A massive shockwave blasted outward as mana exploded from the point of impact. The earth trembled. The air cracked. Wind howled. The pressure knocked bystanders off their feet. Debris whirled through the square. For a moment, all sound vanished beneath the roar of colliding powers.

I saw the barrier strain, cracks spreading like spiderwebs—

Then it shattered in a burst of amber light, and the force flung me backward.

I flipped in midair, barely controlling the momentum, and skidded across the cobblestones, kicking up dust as I came to a halt. Around me, the crowd scattered in every direction, coughing through the debris cloud now covering the square.

Several buildings nearby bore cracks, the sheer force of our clash having shaken the very foundations.

Ernest stood atop the fractured rooftop, brushing soot from his coat, a grim expression carved into his face. "That was dangerous," he said quietly.

I summoned another Ring of Vysindra. The fire shaped itself into a long, curved blade of purple flame in my right hand.

"I told you to let us go," I said. "If you don’t move, I’ll carve my way through. And it won’t be pleasant."

Just then, a cry broke through the chaos.

"Ugh!"

My head snapped toward Alicia.

She was still holding her own, but she was surrounded now—nearly twenty knights closing in. One of them had slipped through her guard, slicing through the black cloak I had given her and drawing blood.

My gaze sharpened.

I looked back at Ernest, then returned my eyes to Alicia.

"W–Wait—!" Ernest called, recognizing the change in my stance. But I was already gone.

Samara’s Reach launched me forward.

I appeared behind the knight who had struck Alicia—he never even sensed me coming. My grip tightened around the flaming sword, my vision tunneling on his back.

{Kill him.}

Nemes’s voice whispered again.

I wanted to.

Whether it was because she was holding some influence on me or not I didn’t know.

But no.

I wouldn’t cross that line toward someone who was doing just his duty and had the circumstances with it and in which case I didn’t need to kill.

Still... he wouldn’t get away without consequences.

I shifted the blade, aiming not to kill but to brand him. Burn him—deep enough that he’d never forget and as a warning for the others.

I raised the sword.

And then—

My wrist stopped, caught in an iron grip.

I blinked.

Someone was there. Standing beside me.

I turned my head slowly.

A pair of calm strangely familiar grey eyes stared back at me.