CHAPTER 288: THE FIRST STORM OF BLOOD

Seid’s body twisted in midair, his waist arching as he instinctively shielded Siana. The force of the impact sent him flying backward. He had planted his feet firmly, trying to brace himself, but once his balance was lost, there was no stopping the momentum.

He was flung away from Carl—straight toward Billford, who was waiting behind him.

Shhk...

The sharp whistle of a blade slicing through the air reached his ears.

Seid barely had time to react. His instincts screamed as Billford lunged, dagger in hand. Desperation fueled Seid’s movements as he snatched his sword with his left hand and swung it back with all his might.

Whoosh!

But his black blade never reached Billford.

Instead, he felt a sharp sting—Billford’s dagger had already pierced his back. Seid clenched his teeth against the pain. But Billford hesitated, his confidence faltering as Seid blocked his escape route with his Mana Blade. Then, before Billford could pull away, Seid threw his entire weight against him.

The two of them tumbled through the air, locked together.

Billford, acting purely on instinct, dropped his dagger and clung to Seid—his arms locking around him in a desperate embrace, even his broken limb trembling from the effort.

"Ahhh!"

A sudden scream.

Billford had grabbed onto the first thing his fingers could find. But instead of Seid, his grip tightened around Siana’s arm—twisting it brutally as their chaotic momentum dragged her along. Her elbow bent at an unnatural angle with a sickening crack.

Siana’s wail sent a chill through the battlefield.

Her agonized cry cut through the haze of combat, snapping everyone back to their senses.

Billford refused to let go. Seid, despite the pain lancing through his back, struggled to shake him off. His plan had been to drag Billford away—but with Siana now caught in the middle, escape was no longer an option.

The curse binding him to her took priority.

Damn it... So this is how it ends.

Seid let out a bitter laugh. His own body betrayed him, forced into the worst possible choice. The rational decision would have been to cut Siana free and flee. But that was no longer an option.

Gritting his teeth, he shifted his grip, preparing to counterattack. But he was too late.

Carl had already made his move.

With his spear in hand, Carl surged forward, his movements razor-sharp and merciless. Every muscle in his body coiled like a tightly wound spring. His eyes locked onto Siana.

This is it.

His entire body became one with the spear as he lunged. The weapon cut through the air like lightning, too fast for Seid to counter. Before Seid’s dagger could even rise in defense, Carl’s spear was already plunging toward Siana’s skull.

Even if her heart could regenerate—

Let’s see if she survives with her head crushed.

—Stop.

A presence.

A small shadow stirred from beneath Siana’s silk robes.

Carl’s breath caught in his throat.

Huge, unblinking eyes stared directly at him. They weren’t human. They weren’t mortal.

The voice that followed didn’t reach his ears—it resonated deep within his soul.

Carl’s vision turned black.

An unbearable itching sensation spread through his body, followed by a pain so intense it nearly drove him mad. Yet, despite it all, his hands refused to waver. His spear stayed true to its course.

"You truly are exceptional," the voice murmured, faster than sound, settling into Carl’s mind.

Thud!

His body shuddered—something had stopped him.

His spear pierced something solid, but it wasn’t Siana’s head. Carl barely had time to process it before—

Boom!

A devastating force struck his chest.

He was sent flying backward, ribs shattering on impact. His lungs seized, struggling for air. Yet, somehow, he forced himself to his feet, blood dripping from his lips.

Darkness.

His vision was gone. His melted eyes dripped down his cheeks in thick rivulets of blood.

But Carl didn’t waver. He roared, desperate.

"Kill Siana!"

His voice was raw, but his warning came too late.

The battlefield had already changed.

Dillin stood frozen, overwhelmed by the unnatural curse spreading through them. Catherine, Billford, and Jaren, who had faced this horror before, swung their weapons wildly, slashing at shadows they couldn’t see.

But Seid—though battered, bleeding, and barely standing—was still untouchable to those who fought blind.

Silent as a specter, he slipped past them and vanished into the night.

"...Stop," Carl gasped, his chest heaving. "It’s over. We lost him."

The presence that had pierced him so deeply withdrew, vanishing as if it had never existed.

Carl clenched his fists.

We had her.

He had prepared everything, endured everything, and created the perfect moment to kill Siana.

And yet, an unknown force had intervened.

Not only that—it wielded the same power that Garten once used.

Are they trying to harness Siana’s Black Tongue?

If so, the consequences would be beyond imagining.

Carl let out a slow, ragged breath.

The war was over.

No matter how much Siana struggled, she couldn’t change the tide. The east had fallen to Yusuf’s forces. Carl’s control over the west had tightened. And now, all of Tumari knew the truth—Siana was a witch.

Neither soldiers nor commanders would follow her now.

No curse was strong enough to bend the will of an entire army.

This was the end.

"Lord Carl! Are you alright? Where are you?"

Billford’s voice trembled as he crawled blindly through the dirt.

Carl exhaled, his tone steady despite the pain. "I’m fine. Just stay down."

Billford collapsed with relief, his face pressed against the cold earth.

Carl let his body sink to the ground as well, mindful of his shattered ribs. His enhanced physique had spared him from fatal injury—his heart and lungs remained intact. But even he wasn’t invincible. One wrong move, and the broken bones could puncture his organs.

Still, he had survived.

Three battles.

Three victories that would be recorded in history.

This had been his first war.

And he had endured his first storm of blood.

The winds of battle had died down.

&&&

End Of 2nd Volume