The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic - Chapter 433
Chapter 433: 433
Atop the massive black dragon, Rein stood with several blurry figures cloaked in darkness. The air around them twisted, carrying a heavy and suffocating pressure. One of the figures stepped forward, his movements slow and deliberate. A wicked smile curled across his face as his voice echoed over the trembling Colosseum.
“You didn’t expect this, did you?” he said, his tone filled with mockery. “Even if you all somehow manage to win today, the entire Capital of Heinz will be flattened into dust.”
He paused, his eyes glinting under the hood. “And if it isn’t,” he continued with a cold grin, “we’ll make sure it happens.”
As soon as his words ended, explosions erupted across the city.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The deafening sounds shook the ground, and pillars of fire shot up into the sky. The earth quaked violently as buildings crumbled in the distance. Screams filled the air while the sky itself seemed to burn red.
The Dukes who stood on the ground froze for a moment, their expressions faltering as they watched the destruction unfold. A mix of shock and disbelief painted their faces.
“What… what is this madness…” muttered Duke Martin, his voice trembling slightly.
Then came something even worse. From the shadows of the arena, several humans began to convulse violently. Their veins darkened and bulged beneath their skin. Horrific black tentacles burst out from their backs as their faces twisted in agony. One after another, they lost all sense of self, their eyes turning pure white as they screamed in pain.
Their screams soon turned to monstrous howls.
Within seconds, dozens of corrupted humans were crawling across the ground, attacking anything in sight. Their tentacles whipped through the air, tearing through stone and metal alike.
Ruth, standing at the front, ignored the chaos. Her eyes fixed on one particular person standing behind Rein. Her steps were calm, deliberate, and heavy with emotion. “Adele,” she called, her voice cutting through the noise like a sharp blade. “Is this your choice?”
The surrounding chaos seemed to fade for a moment. Even the explosions in the distance felt quiet as Ruth’s voice reached Adele.
Adele’s expression faltered. Her lips trembled, and her hands clenched tightly. “I didn’t want this,” she whispered. “However, I’m helpless… I was drawn between both sides. I had no other way.”
Ruth stared at her deeply. Her eyes were filled with disappointment and sadness. “You still have a choice now,” she said softly.
Adele’s lips quivered again. She opened her mouth to speak, but then Rein’s cold voice echoed from behind her.
“Don’t worry,” he said, his tone flat yet full of mockery. “You’ll get what you deserve soon enough.”
Adele froze. For a second, her eyes dimmed, but then something in her changed. Her expression hardened, and she lifted her head.
Her gaze became firm and unshaken.
“Then,” Ruth said with a heavy tone, “there’s nothing left to negotiate.”
“Also…Don’t think that I will show you mercy because I am your father…The moment you made the choice,you are just an enemy.”
“I had enough prejudice…You can’t blame me for all this when you also had a hand in it.”As she spoke, the cloaked figure standing beside Rein stepped forward.
His body flickered like a shadow under the dark light.
“Stay back, Prince Rein,” he said coldly, his voice dripping with malice.
The next moment, the air exploded.
The two sides clashed in a blinding collision of light and darkness. The impact sent a massive shockwave through the arena, tearing through stone and steel alike. The air cracked, the ground split apart, and the Colosseum trembled as if it would collapse at any second.
The force was so great that even the sky above rippled like water. Waves of destructive energy surged outward, destroying everything in their path. Screams of soldiers and cultists filled the air as the battlefield turned into chaos.
Pleard quickly stepped forward, his face grim. He raised his hand, and golden energy burst from his palm, spreading outward in waves. The golden light clashed against the violent shockwaves, slowing them down and neutralizing the destruction around the royal platform.
“Your Majesty!” Pleard shouted, struggling to keep his balance against the violent wind. “You should evacuate at once!”
But Edward didn’t move. His cloak fluttered wildly, and his eyes stayed fixed on the battlefield below. He clenched his fists tightly, his expression solemn and unwavering.
“How can I?” he said quietly, but his voice carried strength. “As an Emperor, how can I run when all my people are fighting?”
Pleard’s mouth opened as if to argue, but he couldn’t find any words.
Edward then turned his head and looked at the bewildered Saintess standing near the edge of the platform. Her face was pale, and her eyes were wide in horror.
“Send guards to protect her,” Edward ordered firmly. His tone was calm but absolute.
Pleard nodded quickly and signaled several knights. They rushed to the Saintess’s side, forming a barrier around her as the battle raged on.
Below them, explosions and magic tore the earth apart. The smell of ash and blood mixed in the air.
And above it all, the black dragon spread its wings again, roaring into the crimson sky as the war truly began.
“Aahhh!”
Screams echoed across the chamber as the ground shook violently. The golden sigils that once glowed with divine power shattered, spilling radiant fragments into the air.
“What’s going on?”
“How did they even manage this?” one of the priests shouted, his voice trembling. The paladins around him raised their shields, but their faces were pale with disbelief. The sudden shift of the atmosphere, the overwhelming darkness that rolled in like a tide—it was something none of them were ready for.
Above them, the Black Dragon unfurled its wings, each beat creating a deafening gust that sent debris flying. Its roar echoed across the skies, filled with raw malice.
On its back stood figures cloaked in black, their presence arrogant and cold, like gods looking down on mortals.
“The Abyssal Cult…” Seraphina whispered, her eyes wide as her staff shook in her hand. “Did all the SSS ranks of the upper order come here?”
Her question hung in the air like a curse. It was almost impossible. Even the Empire only had a handful of SSS ranks, and each one of them could easily turn the tide of a war.
If they had truly gathered here, then their intention was clear. They were going to annihilate everyone present.
“This is madness,” Seraphina muttered, her expression grim. She could feel the weight of despair pressing down on her chest as she looked around.
A black circle opened beside the ruins, then another, and another. From within those dark portals, grotesque creatures began to pour out—some with writhing limbs, some crawling, and others hovering with distorted wings. Their eyes gleamed red like molten embers.
“They’re coming this way!” one of her guards yelled.
The monsters moved like a tide, all of them turning toward Seraphina as if drawn by her divine energy.
“Protect the Saintess!” the knights roared as they raised their shields and swords. Holy light flared around them as they formed a defensive circle, clashing with the rushing beasts.
The sound of steel meeting flesh filled the air. Screeches, snarls, and the sound of magic colliding created chaos all around. One knight was thrown back with a broken arm, another was dragged down screaming as a creature tore into his armor. Seraphina’s heart clenched watching them fall.
“Saintess, we need to run!” a guard shouted, blocking a monster’s claw with his shield.
“Where should we run?” she said breathlessly. The light in her staff flickered as she cast a healing spell on a fallen priest nearby.
“Rather… I would like to help the wounded,” she said, her voice steady despite the fear rising in her chest. “Take me outside.”
“As you command!”
The guards tightened their formation and began clearing a path, cutting through the monsters one by one. Blood splattered across the cracked stone floor as the knights pushed forward. One of them grabbed Seraphina’s arm and guided her toward the exit as the others held the rear.
Outside, chaos had already spread. A huge formation of knights and soldiers had gathered, shouting orders and building makeshift barricades. Carriages were being filled with civilians, and healers ran from one injured person to another.
The air was thick with smoke and the scent of blood. The city’s skyline, once bright with holy towers, now burned red under the reflection of the flames.
Seraphina immediately began chanting healing spells, kneeling beside the wounded. Her soft light spread through the air, mending torn flesh and easing pain.
But before she could finish her incantation, a scream pierced the air.
“Saintess! You need to leave!” a knight shouted desperately.
A chill crawled up her spine. She turned around, her expression tightening. From the shadows emerged a tall man clad in a black robe and silver armor. His face was hidden behind a mask engraved with a radiant sun. The air around him felt sharp and suffocating.
“Sir Inquisitor…” Seraphina breathed out, her eyes widening in recognition.
The man bowed slightly, his voice calm and heavy. “It is the order of His Holiness. You must leave this place immediately.”
“But I need to stay,” she said, frowning. “There are too many wounded. They need me.”
“His order is absolute,” the man said firmly. “Please don’t make this difficult for me, or I will have to force you out.”
“Shut up! How dare you talk to the Saintess like that!” one of her guards barked, his sword flashing as he rushed forward.
The Inquisitor didn’t even flinch. He moved faster than the eye could follow, disarming the knight with a single strike and knocking him to the ground.
Two more guards attacked, but he evaded with fluid precision, slamming one aside and twisting the other’s wrist before he even realized what had happened.
The clash ended in mere seconds. The guards groaned on the ground, unable to continue.
Seraphina stared in disbelief.
The Inquisitor straightened his posture and looked at her once again. “Please come with me, Saintess. I have no wish to harm anyone further.”
Seraphina looked around at her fallen guards, her lips trembling. She could see the determination behind the mask, and she knew he wasn’t going to back down.
“Haah…” She let out a heavy sigh. “Fine,” she whispered softly. “Let’s go.”
The Inquisitor nodded silently and stepped aside, motioning for her to follow.