"So tell me and depending on your answers, I might decide if your lives are spared or forfeit"
SCREEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
The moment they heard his words, their minds seemed to finally register just where it is that they were...
Their bodies trembled violently..
Forget the menacing creature that seemed ready to pounce on them at the slightest hint of movement..
The fact that theyâd dared to act impetuously before HIM, they didnât doubt it, if he decided to kill them all, then there was nothing they could do about..
"My lord.." it was Helios Calder, the current emperor of the eastern domain that stepped forward..
"Forgive our impudence" he bowed...
The emperor had bowed his head and it wasnât only him, the others following behind, representatives of other empires joined in the prostration as well..
The candidates watching this couldnât help the shock that ran through their bodies..
The look they gave valen now filled with awe..
They didnât know his status, all they believed was that Aeternumâs name was what solicited such reactions from who theyâd believe to be the peak of power....
.....
"Damn... thatâs the type of power I want"
I couldnât help the thought as I watched valen silence such powerful men with nothing but a few words...
"We meant no disrespect" the emperor, that jealous dickhead resumed his explanation as he finally raised his head..
"But you must know, you have witnessed it yourself, his abilities are similar to those of that being" he continued, his expression grim..
"Hmmm? Abilities? Which one? And which being?"
Literal question marks were popping out my head..
"Hey...what are they talking about" a gentle tug from the back alerted me to Cara, her question being one I myself had no answers to..
"I donât know, weâll just have to keep listening"...
....
"And what do you know about
that being
for you to assume that his abilities are similar? Are those abilities things so casually inherited? Besides, that should be a problem for those bloodsuckers, nothing a little emperor like you should be overly concerned about, right?" Valenâs voice was still as emotionless and factual as always..
His voice didnât waver even when he called the emperor "a little emperor" it didnât feel like an insult, it felt like something normal...
"This...." Helios became tongue tied..
"Hahaha... suck on it you idiot"
I wasnât going to lie, I was enjoying the turn things were taking, I didnât believe it would feel this good having someoneâs backing....
Yet, before I could enjoy it properly..
Hummmmmmmm!!!!!!!!
A solemn hum, fell upon the entire area..
It wasnât loud, wasnât dramatic, merely the settling feeling of something
heavy
arriving..
And then..
Bzzz...zzzt...
A crimson portal materialized within the hall, a bloody aura drifting out of, the entire hall trembled violent, cracks running along its surfaces, before I could even react, a terrible chill had traveled up my spine, freezing me in place...
Death....
Cold.. Absolute...
Iâd never felt so sure before...
If whatever had locked unto me decided to make a move, then even chaotic denial wouldnât be able to save me, thatâs how final the death Iâd felt was..
But just as fast as it came, it vanished, a warm aura enveloping me instead..
I looked ahead, valen hadnât turned, hadnât acknowledged anything, yet I could feel the source of the aura shielding me to be coming from him, once again, my chest suddenly felt warm....
Step...
Step...
Calm, measured footsteps came from the portal..
"Hmmm... to think a minor E-rank welp would be the cause for so much trouble.." came an elderly voice from behind the portal...
"Grandpa, you canât be like that, he might be an E-rank welp, but he might have that ancestorâs ability, so these steps are necessary" a younger male voice responded..
"Yes..yes.. letâs just get this over with, my old bones are aching" following that, two figures finally emerged from the portal...
Their appearance eliciting a wave of gasps from the crowd..
Blood red eyes, black hair, pointed fangs and a bloodthirsty aura surrounded them...
"Fuck me... vampires"
Yep, fucking vampires, as if things werenât crazy enough...
"Ohh? It seems some others got excited and went ahead before us" the aged man said, amusement clear in his tone..
"You canât blame them, they must be having nightmares already just imagining the revival of that dreadful ability" the younger one added with a rueful sigh...
Their attention turned toward us, their gazes landing simultaneously on valen, all amusement and games vanishing from their faces...
"WAR"
Theyâd spoken together..
"War? Who? This old guy?"
I couldnât begin the match this old guy with such a cool epithet...
"So,
Nightingale
wishes to get involved in my business as well" was valenâs reply..
"We wish No hostility, we are merely here to apprehend the one thought to have inherited the ancestorâs ability" the younger said, his tone measured..
"Then you should know, that youâre the last group Iâd trust with such a thing, even if he were to indeed have it" his reply was cold, dismissive..
Yet before the vampires could reply, another portal spawned within the hall...
A man appearing immediately, his breath short and heavy, he seemed to have been in a rush, as to why, no one couldâve guessed...
"Ahhh... of course the Drakenâs would get involved" I could hear valen murmur to himself softly, the contents a bit too jumbled to understand..
Yet he wasnât even done before more portals started spawning...
I knew right then and there that this had gone far beyond just cucking an imperial prince...
I couldnât tell what expression Valen had on, but from the rising irritation I could feel from him, I could guess it wasnât very good...
The moment the portals stopped spawning, valen dragged his gaze across the room slowly, his voice sounding out calmly as he called names I had no idea the meaning..
Twilight...
Draken....
Elowyn....
Solstice....
"Ahh even those hypocrites from the church"..
"Very well, it seems those are the only fools arriving today, good"...
Iâd only recognized one name on there...
Draken...
My eyes followed his gaze and they landed on the sweaty fool that had arrived just after the vampires...
"So... thatâs one of them...my so called "family".."
Their expressions twisted the moment he called them fools, yet before they could say a word...
"Let me make this clear, and I do not fancy to repeat myself.." Valenâs voice, for the first time ever, rose an octave..
"I do not know what you believe youâve heard, I do not know what you believe he has received, but know this one thing."
"The young man you see behind you, is my personal student, so whatever doubts you have, whatever worries you have, you can assuage them"...
The newly appeared individuals seemed unconvinced..
"Naturally, OâWar, we would have taken your word on any matter, but this concerns the safety and stability of all of terra, we cannot handle it so carelessly.." an elderly woman in a blue mages robe standing among the newcomers, those heâd labeled
Elowyn
said..
"Indeed... for the stability of terra, the young man will have to come with us" the sweaty man that had arrived earlier added, the one from the
Draken ancient family
...
.....
.....
"Should I take this as a sign of disrespect to my Aeternum? For daring to try and capture a potential student of ours?" Valenâs voice answered after a lengthy silence..
"Or shall I take it instead as a sign of disrespect to me for entertaining the thought of taking my student captive?" The temperature within the hall dropped....
"You need to understand us, OâWar, the stability of the world is at hand" the elderly vampire tried persuading...
"I see..."
Screeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!
A blinding golden light illuminated the skies as the silhouette of a ginormous griffon appeared within the skies...
"If thatâs your choice, allow me to say this once"..
Valenâs voice this time was cold, murderous..
"I am Valen Wildeheart..."
Dum...Dum...
The sounds of beating drums began echoing all around, I could see the faces of those whoâd appear turn grim, they knew what was coming...
Valenâs robes started changing, their black turned into a bloody crimson, transforming into a jagged crimson armor with spikes running along the sides of the arms, deadly looking spikes growing out of the Pauldrons...
"I am
WAR...."
Dum...Dum...Dum...
The beating of drums intensified as a murderous aura started filling the whole place..
A demonic helmet with four demonic looking horns curling out of it appeared on his head...
"Those who wish to lay a hand of my disciple, lay hands upon death itself" he stretched his right arm sideways, a massive sword, measuring over 12ft from the tip to handle materialized in a fog of crimson, the blade wrapped in a crimson bandage, the hilt nothing but a bare black iron...
"Those who wish to die, step forth and accept your fate.."
DUUUUMMMMM!!!!!!!
Clang!!!!
He planted the menacing looking blade into the floor, his aura exploding outward, a suffocating killing intent bleeding into the atmosphere, so dense the world had turned a crimson red,I could hear the wailing of lost souls and vanquished foes, it was one of the most dreadful yet beautiful things Iâd ever witnessed..
*********
A/N: Might do another Chapter later, I canât promise it, but Iâll try...
Donât forget to join our Tr33_House on discord..
Link in synopsis
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Thanks for reading...