CHAPTER 268: THEIR BLOOD.

The 10th of December was quite the turbulent day, and so was the 11th. What was supposed to be one of the biggest events in recent times, celebrating the marriage between the Stahlwölfe scion and the Romano princess, turned into a battle the world won’t forget.

For most people, it was an unprecedented disaster. One can only imagine how infuriating it was for such a joyous occasion to be ruined. Such a way of looking at things assumes that the people involved cared, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

The groom certainly cared little about the wedding so it never bothered him that his enemies chose that day for their raid. As for the bride, she was the one responsible for ruining the event, and she actively worked to ensure it proceeded the way it did.

At the edge of the Saint Barton district, in one of the city’s privately operated airports, a single jet was preparing to take off. Though it belonged to the Romano family, only one of them was currently on board. Strangely enough, they were the last person one would expect to see on the plane.

"It sure was a stressful day, don’t you think, Lady Bianca?"

At the mention of her name, Bianca, who was looking outside the window, was forced out of her thoughts. She turned around and saw Miranda, one of her personal maids, standing by her side.

The dark skinned Tenebrosan had such an innocent smile on her face. She had always been such an airhead, so it wasn’t that much of a surprise that she was completely fine after witnessing what happened inside that warehouse, and neither was her standing when the jet was preparing to take off.

"Sit down. You’re going to fall."

Normally, Bianca would have berated her for such a clumsy mistake, but today was different from their usual.

"Right, right!"

With light steps, the brown maid went for the seat facing Bianca’s and quickly fastened the seatbelt, all while wearing the same smile. Watching her start humming to herself, the white lady couldn’t help but smile as well.

"You sure are in a good mood."

"Of course I am." Said the maid. "After all, we have finally achieved our goal."

"You mean the lady’s goal." Someone said, drawing their attention.

On the other side of the aisle was Maria. Unlike her Tenebrosan coworker, she didn’t make the mistake of sitting close to their lady, having chosen a seat slightly to the back.

"A-ah! What I meant to say is..." Faced with Maria’s cold, scrutinizing gaze, Miranda stammered as she searched for an excuse. "W-well, our lady’s goals are our goals, right?"

"That might be the case," Maria let out a resigned sigh. "But you must not forget your position."

Bianca listened in silence then turned her gaze back to the widow, watching as the scenery outside began to shift, announcing the plane’s departure. Soon enough, Neo-Vatra became nothing but a conglomeration of lights—a colorful kaleidoscope full of vibrant life.

Though her stay was rather short, Bianca couldn’t be happier that she was on her way out. After all, she had achieved her goals. Her father was dead, and so were most of her brothers. The Romano family was no more, and with it gone, nothing was left to stand in her way.

As the plane settled in the air, she turned to the small stand before her and gave its surface a tap, causing it to part and for something to come out. It was an ornate wooden box, one that had been used to store jewelry for the longest time. Right now, it held only a single item, and when she laid eyes on it, the white lady couldn’t help but smile.

"Say, Maria..." Reaching into the box, Bianca took out the Moon Dagger. "I know it is a bit late for this question, but are you sure?"

"I have no doubts, milady." The dark-haired maid said. "All the necessary steps have been taken. Their lineage has been confirmed, and once their blood touches that blade, there will be no doubts."

Bianca studied the scythe, her eyes captivated by its blade. The jade from which it was carved was unlike anything she had seen, its white color so pure it surpassed anything she had seen before.

"I did not mean to cast doubt on your word, but it is a little difficult to believe." She said. "Every historical record I found says the Mikazuki bloodline was erased a long time ago."

During old times, it wasn’t unheard of for entire bloodlines to be erased for one reason or another, and such practices were most prevalent among those of the upper class. Once a new ruler rose to the throne, they usually ordered the execution of their rivals in order to secure their hold on the throne.

Having ruled the Tōseika Empire for the longest time, the Mikazuki clan faced eradication after its fall. The extermination has been especially thorough, with even servants and their families facing the same fate. Because of that, it was difficult to believe that an entire branch of the family survived, continuing to live on for centuries without being discovered.

"You aren’t entirely wrong, milady," Maria said. "That bloodline has been erased, no doubt about that."

"I will go prepare some tea!"

Not interested in the serious topic, Miranda made an excuse and hurried to the back of the plane. Not paying her any mind, Bianca glanced at her other maid, silently ordering her to continue.

"Their enemies have been thorough." Said Maria, her gaze cast down. "They created a tool with similar properties to the key, which helped them sort through people. Because of that, not only did they manage to unearth every descendant of the clan, no matter where they hid. They also massacred anyone who had the same natural qualities as them, ensuring that no one who could replace them remains alive."

"I see..." Turning away from the scythe, the white lady said, "That doesn’t answer my question, though."

The maid kept her silence, and after a while, she heaved a soft sigh.

"The tools they created were a type of Mana detectors." She said. "They were calibrated to detect a signature unique to those born with the Mikazuki blood, but there lies the problem."

"The tea is done!"

Miranda returned with a small tray carrying a single cup. Bianca felt a hint of irritation, not appreciating the sudden interruption. She was about to rebuke her, ask that she remain silent, but just as the maid reached her, a faint tremor ran through the plane.

As expected from her, the dark skinned maid lost balance right away and tumbled forward, the tray slipping from her grasp. The cup it carried, full of freshly brewed tea, went flying straight toward the white lady, painting the image of a moment before disaster.

Bianca remained unperturbed, however. Having anticipated such a development, she commanded the silver hidden in a nearby compartment, creating a hand that caught the cup before a drop of its contents could be spilled.

She caught the tray as well then looked up, waiting for the trembling to stop. Once it did, she turned to the clumsy maid and frowned.

"I didn’t ask for any." She said. "Take it back."

"Y-yes! Understood."

With an awkward smile, Miranda walked over and reached out to take the tray. At the same time, Maria spoke again, resuming her explanation without being prompted.

"The tools the hunters used only tested for Mana, and because of that, those who had none managed to survive."

Having failed to anticipate such an explanation, questions popped up in Bianca’s mind right away. She turned to the raven-haired maid, eager to learn the truth, but at that moment, her eyes suddenly fell on the clumsy, dark skinned maid.

As she reached out to grab the tray, Miranda’s right arm suddenly snapped, her hand splitting apart and her skin peeling back along retracting plates, revealing a hidden barrel. Bianca’s thoughts slowed down to a halt, and in the instant it took her to react, light flashed three times.

The world lost all sound, becoming strangely silent. Still unsure of what had happened, she looked down at herself, at the area where the hidden barrel was aimed. For a moment there, everything seemed normal.

Just then, a deep crimson color began to spread through her dress, like a field of roses blooming from under a layer of snow. Still struggling to understand, Bianca looked up, meeting her maid’s gaze. Miranda looked back at her, her smile carrying the same childish innocence as before. Her arm moved slightly up as if she was adjusting her aim, and in the next instant, the barrel flashed several times more, and with each one came a jolt of unbearable pain.

"What made the Mikazuki special wasn’t their Mana, but their blood."

In the silence that followed the fired shots, the sound of the tray falling seemed especially loud. When she spoke again, Maria’s voice sounded rather calm, unperturbed. She had stood up from her seat and walked over at some point.

As she did, Miranda’s arm shifted back to its normal form, the seams between the plates vanishing without a trace. She reached down and took hold of the relic, tearing it from her lady’s grasp without any effort. Bianca tried to hold on to it, but her strength betrayed her, and so did her control over her Mana, leaving her unable to activate a single Art.

"Children without Mana were usually killed at birth, their lives ending to preserve he clan’s image of strength." Maria held a hand out, and Miranda handed her the relic without a second thought. "Some were hidden away, however, their true lineage never revealed, and since they never showed any affinity to Sorcery, their existence went unnoticed, and they were able to survive the great purge, going on to live as mundane humans with no power to speak of."

Taking hold of the scythe, Maria examined it for a long moment, an inexplicable look in her eyes. She grasped its blue hilt, slowly turning it around, then held a finger up to the blade, slowly tracing its edge. Glancing at her lady once, she gazed back at the relic, then put some strength into her hand, allowing the white jade to slice through her skin and flesh.

Fresh crimson blood seeped from the wound and onto the blade. Instead of sliding off its surface, the crimson liquid traced the edge of the curved blade before losing its color, gradually getting absorbed into the white jade. An instant later, the relic began to emit a faint blue glow, its intensity growing until it illuminated the whole cabin.

"Our first ancestors weren’t chosen for their Mana," Maria said, her tone as calm as ever. "They were chosen for their special blood, the conduit through which they received the blessing. They were chosen to be the messengers of this world, but when the people didn’t like what they had to say, they turned their blades on them. They sealed humanity’s fate."