CHAPTER 294: CHAPTER 293 - ROYAL MUTT.

Silence.

Valeria’s words carved through the courtyard like a blade. The revelation sank deep into the air, twisting every heartbeat into dread.

On Raven’s side, the reaction was instant.

Clara’s usually composed eyes widened, her lips parting as her hum faltered. "That can’t be..."

Her hand hovered near her blade of light-vibrations, yet it trembled—not from fear, but from disbelief.

Illusions and vibrations could deceive, misdirect, confuse... but not if the opponent were untouchable.

Siris blinked once, then twice, before tilting her head with a lopsided smile. "So... wait. He’s basically immune? Tch. That’s cheating. That means I can’t stab him...?"

Her voice dropped darkly, like a predator denied a hunt. "Unacceptable."

Lia gasped, her hands flying to her chest. "Raven, if that’s true... you’ll get hurt no matter what. You can’t—"

Her vines twitched violently, sprouting at her feet like anxious nerves, but she forced them still, her gaze locked on him with open worry.

Jessy’s brows furrowed, the magnetic field around her rippling with her unease. "So this isn’t just a metaphor. It’s literal. The royal bloodline makes him untouchable... even for you?"

Her tone was sharp and testing, looking for cracks in the impossible law.

Rufus blinked inside his suit, the red lights flickering with confusion. "Wait... so he’s like... the invincible DLC boss edition? Bro, that’s busted."

He smacked his helmet. "Cluckles, you got cheat codes?"

"Cluckles knows..." The sage-like chicken muttered gravely, his eyes glinting. "...This is fate’s cruel script."

His red scarf fluttered dramatically in the wind.

Jake stood silent, his grip tightening on his scythe.

Shadows coiled at his feet like snakes seeking prey, but even he hesitated—because if no Vaise could harm Zephyr, then Raven’s entire blade of destiny faltered.

Alex, of course, reacted the loudest.

"WAIT, WHAT?!" He flailed his arms. "Hold up, so we’ve been hyping ourselves up for the final boss fight deluxe edition only to get the patch notes saying, ’sorry, bro, damage disabled’?!"

Blargh snickered in his chest. "Bro, that’s exactly what just happened."

Tinny and Binny slapped their tiny paws to their faces, squeaking in tandem. The corrupt panther tilted its head, tail lashing, clearly confused but sensing the fear in its friends.

Across the battlefield, smugness blossomed.

Zephyr’s lips curled into a slow, satisfied smile. His violet eyes glimmered with the cruel assurance of one who knew the weight of inevitability. Behind him, the elders straightened, their murmurs thick with pride.

"See? It is as we said."

"Royal blood cannot be touched."

"Even Argon... even Argon himself..."

Valeria’s footsteps echoed sharply as she ran the last distance, breath ragged, face pale. She stood beside Raven’s group now, clutching her chest.

"Raven," she gasped, her voice cracking, "listen to me. You can’t fight him. Even Father—Father himself couldn’t do anything to Zephyr. He was forced to retreat."

Her eyes burned, desperate and pleading. "Don’t throw yourself against something impossible."

She wanted them to retreat.

The weight of her words pressed down like an iron lid. Smug satisfaction rippled through Zephyr’s side.

But Raven...

Raven stood relaxedly, one hand in his pocket, his other lazily brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve. His crimson eyes flickered briefly to Valeria, then back to Zephyr.

"I know that," he said with a smile.

His voice wasn’t strained. Not bitter. Not fearful. Just... calm. Like he’d been aware of this inevitability all along.

Stunned silence swallowed his side.

Clara exhaled softly, her shoulders easing. "Is this the fourth step you were talking about?"

Siris grinned faintly, whispering, "Of course."

Lia blinked, relief flooding in as she nodded, reassured.

Jessy’s fists unclenched, tension bleeding away. Rufus thumped his chestplate proudly, while Jake’s shadows stilled, folding back obediently.

Alex threw his hands up. "See? Told you he always has a plan! My boy’s a walking cheat code!"

Cluckles flapped his wings. "Cluckles never doubted."

Tinny and Binny squeaked a salute.

The panther bounced happily, sensing the shift in the mood.

However, there was one question on everyone’s mind.

’What could he have planned for this?’

Zephyr especially wanted to know it.

After all, his royal blood was his trump card, and if someone knew about that, then things could get dangerous.

As he racked his mind, his eyes paused on Lia, Cluckles, and the corrupt panther, who was surprisingly acting so normal that people hadn’t even noticed that it was a corrupt beast.

Others followed his gaze, and they finally realized why Zephyr was looking at those three.

They were the only ones present in the group who weren’t bound by the curse of the Vaise blood.

Well, everyone but the three who were at the center of the gazes knew why they were being stared at.

Lia stiffened under the weight of so many eyes. "W-Why are you all looking at me...?"

The vines at her feet curled defensively.

Cluckles puffed up, feathers rustling. "Cluckles is honored... but Cluckles does not approve of being volunteered."

The panther tilted its head, tail flicking, before bounding in a circle as if thinking it was a game.

Zephyr tilted his head, his smirk sharpening. "So this is your grand plan, little brother? To rely on a woman and two beasts to fight in your stead?" His voice dripped with disdain. "Is that how far you’ve fallen?"

Raven’s expression didn’t so much as flicker. He shook his head once. "I wouldn’t do such a thing."

He didn’t say that because he didn’t believe in Lia.

He did because both he and Zephyr knew the truth: even if Lia poured her heart and soul into her vines, even if Cluckles pulled wisdom from the ages, even if the panther fought with every ounce of corrupted muscle—it wouldn’t be enough.

Lia had grown strong—very much so—but Zephyr was one of the bosses of the story.

The worst thing was that Raven still didn’t know how strong Zephyr was.

Zephyr’s violet eyes, on the other hand, lingered on Lia.

She stood frozen, disappointment flickering across her face.

Her vines writhed faintly at her ankles, as though they wanted to prove themselves in her stead.

To Zephyr, it was an easy read.

She was likely feeling like a subordinate whose master refused to trust her.

He smirked, his voice like poisoned honey.

"So that’s it, then? You don’t even believe in your own people? You won’t let them try?"

Raven tilted his head, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly. His tone was casual, almost bored.

"First, you accuse me of throwing them into the fight. That I’ve fallen so low I’d sacrifice my own. Now, when I say I won’t, you demand a reason for it?"

He chuckled coldly. "Make up your mind, royal mutt."

The title landed like a slap. Zephyr’s brow twitched.

Behind him, the elders bristled at the insult, their smug whispers choking in their throats.

But Raven didn’t stop. He stepped forward, shadows stretching with him.

"No, Zephyr. It’s not that I don’t believe in her. Lia could defeat you—somehow, some way. Of that, I’m sure. But..."

His gaze flicked toward the pink-haired girl, soft for just a heartbeat before turning razor-sharp again. "...I won’t let her soil herself by standing anywhere near a filthy traitor who couldn’t even stay loyal to his own blood."

He said all that because he didn’t want Lia to feel weak.

She wasn’t weak. It was merely that Zephyr was stronger, and if his abilities were anything like the plot, then he was the worst opponent for Lia.

His words, however, hit harder than any spell for Zephyr.

His smirk vanished, his face shadowed with fury. His voice turned ice-cold, every syllable heavy with venom.

"You dare... You speak of loyalty to family? It was because of you, Raven. If you hadn’t been born—if you had died like you were meant to—I would have stood as rightful patriarch. Everything would have remained... pure."

His teeth clenched, fury leaking through. "But no. You had to grow stronger. You had to steal what should have been mine. All of this chaos, all of this ruin—you are to blame."

The courtyard went silent for half a breath—before Raven’s group broke.

Clara scoffed under her breath. "That’s the weakest reasoning I’ve ever heard."

Siris tilted her head, grinning. "So his big excuse is: ’Mom, he touched my toys first.’ Pathetic."

Jessy pinched the bridge of her nose. "Unbelievable. Does he even hear himself?"

Alex cupped his hands around his mouth. "Bro! That’s like blaming the sun for rising! Zero out of ten villain logic!"

Omni snorted at Raven’s hand tattoo. "Trash-tier cope."

Even Cluckles flapped his wings dramatically. "Cluckles deems this... a child’s tantrum."

Tinny and Binny squeaked in agreement, slapping their tiny tails on the ground in mock applause.

Zephyr’s brow twitched violently.

A vein pulsed on his temple as the roasting continued like a barrage of knives. His aura rippled, violet energy cracking the stone at his feet. Finally, he snapped.

"ENOUGH!" His shout boomed like thunder. He stepped forward, fury radiating in waves, ready to teach them all what it meant to mock a royal.

But Raven’s hand lifted casually, palm outward.

Then... he waved.

As if swatting a fly.

Zephyr blinked. For a split second, he felt nothing. No surge of mana, no detectable attack, nothing—until a colossal force slammed across his cheek.

CRACK!

The sound echoed like the heavens splitting.

Zephyr’s body whipped sideways, eyes wide in disbelief as the invisible strike sent him sprawling across the courtyard.

Stone shattered beneath him, dust and rubble exploding outward as he crashed into the ground with bone-rattling force.

Silence.

The elders gaped, their mouths hanging open. His siblings stared, frozen, unable to process what had just happened.

As for Zephyr... He lay in the crater, cheek burning, confusion carved into his once-smug face.

Raven lowered his hand, crimson eyes glinting. Calm, cold, and absolute.