[Elio is about to Encounter numerous Enemies.]

  [Species: Human.]

  [Age: 17 - 42.]

  [Similar Reigncraft Classifications Detected: Seed, Sapling, Core.]

  ‘Godspeed to me, I guess.’

  [Take care.]

  ‘Aye, aye, ma’am. If you can, find out a way to create some diapers or new underwear.’

  [Why?]

  ‘I’m shitting myself, woman!’

  [...]

  [Does Elio want to Craft that Ability?]

  ‘Is… that possible?’

  [Yes.]

  [Initializing.]

  ‘WAIT! No, absolutely not. I am not wasting an ability slot on that bullshit. I was joking.’

  [Understood.]

  “Your Grace?” Enna asked as we waited for the signal to advance. “All well?”

  “This is the closest I’ve ever been to witnessing history in the making,” I muttered, staring at the towering spike of earth rising in the distance. “Not used to it, I guess.”

  The giant old titan barked out a laugh, the sound vibrating the air in my lungs. “That’s why it’s easy to kill vampires. You lot spend a thousand years in your caves and forget how to walk properly.”

  Apart from the obvious insult, I must clarify, you rock-based bastard, that I am the prideful owner of a Castle, not some damp cave like every other bloodsucker.

  Also, quick note: I have a very dangerous shadow lurking near my trousers right now.

  She does not appreciate insults toward her race.

  “Whatever you say, old man,” I sighed, right as a horn blasted in the distance. The signal.

  The titan slammed a fist to his chest, then launched himself toward the sound with terrifying speed for someone who looked carved out of a giant piece of marble.

  “To war we go.”

  I guess so.

  The Second Legion, as William called them, had smashed through the iron gates of the estate with terrifying ease. The confused guards barely had enough time to process whether they should run from the collapsing mansion behind them or the army of pissed-off Royal elites charging straight at them.

  Not a good day to be a traitor and attempt an assassination on the Princess and her fiancé, evidently.

  Bile crawled up my throat as we crossed into the estate grounds. The gore was… a lot.

  Luckily, killing men before, and seeing Christof’s situation a few days ago, had hardened my guts enough to keep me moving. But it was still far from easy.

  “What now?” Airina asked, her weapon drawn, magic swirling around her fingertips. Enna and Silvien mirrored her, ready for whatever came next.

  A fair question, honestly. A hundred soldiers were already in front of us, cutting down anything in armor, while the giant titan behind them casually sliced through anyone they missed, upper and lower bodies separating with one lazy swing of his colossal blade.

  It was the same titan who answered her.

  “You go,” William rumbled. “Kill whatever tries to kill you and find the Princess. We’ll wait for their reinforcements and make sure none of these bastards and their mothers leave this place alive.”

  Enna and Airina nodded sharply. Silvien and I exchanged a mutual look of dumbfounded terror.

  “Say, Silvien,” I whispered to the catwoman beside me while Enna spoke to the stone giant. “Ever killed anyone before?”

  She shook her head, ears lowering, her whole body trembling. “N-No.”

  The poor woman didn't get to forget what terror felt like, not even for a moment. I see it even now how that slave trader grabbed her by the hair and slammed her against the iron bars of the cage they were in, only a small, quiet moan of pain leaving her lips. It broke my heart. Trauma digs deeper than anyone understands. I knew that well enough.

  My sense of humor was practically built on trauma. But compared to what she’d lived through, my ‘bullying childhood’ was a damn luxury.

  It didn't matter if she had mastery in a weapon or a Weapon Road that could make her swordsmanship frighteningly brilliant. She was afraid. So I smiled gently at her panicked eyes. “Then let’s make sure today doesn’t change that. Stay behind us, watch our backs, tell us if anything comes. Okay?”

  “Y-Yes, Your Grace,” she stammered, pink in the cheeks, surprised and embarrassed.

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  With a nod, I turned back in time to hear the tail end of Enna’s question.

  “Are you certain we can find them there?” she asked the titan.

  “Those three spots, yes,” William said, stone lips barely moving as he glanced at his troops. “Craiena always picks three spots. Check them all.”

  As he finished speaking, my eyes caught the rising cloud of dust to our left.

  “The reinforcements are coming,” William laughed, seeing what I was seeing. “Come, men! Let’s greet our guests properly!”

  “Let's go too,” Enna said, turning toward me as William’s soldiers sprinted to regroup with their commander. “I know the way.”

  She flicked her chin, and we began moving.

  I was sick. Exhausted. Hungry. Probably going insane. Pumped full of adrenaline and panic.

  I was in the middle of a mansion-turned-battlefield, surrounded by corpses and dust and screaming metal.

  So, forgive me if I couldn’t quite hold in the shit threatening to exit my body and ruin Relia’s good opinion of me forever.

  But just as we were making our way through the ruins of the broken part of the mansion, past the colossal earth spike near us and looking for the first spot William told Enna and Airina about, Ephe disturbed my attempt at calming down with bad news.

  [Warning.]

  [One Lifeform Approaching Elio.]

  [Intent: Kill.]

  [Species: Human.]

  [Age: 17]

  [Reigncraft Classifications Detected: Seed]

  [Direction: East.]

  [Spell Incoming.]

  [Recommendation: Veilstep or Denial.]

  At that, I dashed in front of Enna and Airina, my mouth already moving.

  “I, Elio Welchia, Ruler of Calcan Castle, Seed of the Reigncraft, Negate your order. Denial.”

  An invisible wave left my body, moving eastward and striking a piece of rubble that was hurled our way, making the women behind me panic at the suddenness of it all.

  But I saw who it was, a young man, barely an adult. From what I could gather, one of Stevin’s older cousins, his uncle’s firstborn and third in line to the House behind Stevin and his younger brother.

  “Esteemed guests,” said the man, clearly frustrated with his sudden attack, “You were supposed to be someplace else. What are you looking for? Stevin? Probably below all this rubble, but… maybe I am wrong. Where are we heading?”

  “You?” Enna chuckled lightly, “You are going to the Gods.”

  Her words, for some reason, sent a shiver down my spine. Enna was angry, more than I ever remembered.

  And before I knew it, she hurled one of her magical flashbangs without any proper warning, successfully blinding Stevin’s cousin, Sivien, and me in the process.

  But she and Airina were up and running by the time I regained a flicker of eyesight, rushing toward the man, weapons and magic at the ready.

  Airina threw a wind attack, barely visible to the naked eye, hitting the blinded man straight in the chest, taking him off his feet, and slamming him against a big piece of rubble, taking the air out of his lungs.

  But before he could figure out how to breathe, a fist full of light magic descended like a templar’s verdict upon the man’s cranium, cracking his skull against the same rubble.

  Somehow, even that wasn’t enough to properly send the poor man on his way, as while Airina brandished her sword and while Enna gathered more magic into her fist, the man struck the rubble with his fist in a rhythmic pattern known to my ears.

  Boom, boom, boom.

  I wanted to yell, but it might have been too slow. I was too exhausted to do this more than once, but still, my mouth moved quickly, before the growing spikes below their feet could impale the two.

  “I, Elio Welchia, Ruler of Calcan Castle, Seed of the Reigncraft, Deny the order of time. Veilstep.”

  Color vanished from the world, sending the night, barely lit hallway, into a clearly visible shade of gray, the spikes inches away from impaling the two women.

  Luckily, my Veilstep increased in potency from the last time I used this power.

  [9 Seconds Remaining.]

  Yes, a whole nine seconds… but I wasn’t feeling good. My head was exploding, threatening to split my skull like that of the poor man before me.

  But nine seconds meant fuckall if I didn’t move in those seconds, so I took a step forward… only to feel my knees give out.

  [8 Seconds Remaining.]

  I was feeling dizzy, the grayness of the world spinning around my eyes. I tried shaking the dizziness away, but that only made it worse somehow.

  [7 Seconds Remaining.]

  Still, I managed to push myself to my knees, crawl toward Enna and Airina, and use their frozen-in-time bodies to get to my feet.

  [6 Seconds Remaining.]

  I first grabbed Enna, raising her off the ground carefully, and putting her down a foot away from the growing spike. Next.

  [5 Seconds Remaining.]

  Dizziness threatened to bring me back to my knees, but I managed to grab a hold of Airina.

  [4 Seconds Remaining.]

  Just as gently, I moved her away from the spike and turned toward the man in front of me, but I almost fell, losing my balance just enough to turn and catch myself onto the first thing I could grab. Boobs.

  [3 Seconds Remaining.]

  My dizziness was gone. My mind was clear.

  Julia, as you can see, I didn’t mean to. I was falling; Airina, forgive me. As you can see, I let go of them the instant I realized what I grabbed.

  [...]

  ‘I didn’t mean to!’

  [2 Seconds Remaining.]

  Ah, yes, the man.

  I turned around, walking the two steps it took me to get above him, my mind throbbing in my ears as I unsheathed my sword.

  May Stevin forgive me. May the Gods forgive me. May Julia forgive me.

  [1 Seconds Remaining.]

  I crouched down, placed the tip of the sword above his heart, and with a grimace at the feeling of stabbing a man through leather, clothes, skin, flesh, and bone, I thrust my sword into his heart.

  [Expired.]

  [Returning.]

  Color returned to the world.

  Enna and Airina yelped, seeing as the two spikes shot up in front of their eyes, making them lose their balance and fall. But then, both of them and Silvien looked dumbfounded at seeing me basically teleporting in front of the man, sword in hand.

  I could only imagine their expressions. I was seeing only one. That of a young man with brown hair and eyes, staring at me with a shocked expression, blood pouring from his forehead and lips, realizing what was happening.

  But he was Stevin’s cousin, set on killing him. And not only that, he almost managed to kill Enna and Airina. He was no victim in this. The man before me, whatever his name was, was just as guilty as the rest of his ilk.

  The Law of Justice may have been broken, but for now, for this eternal second, I will be the Justice that the world required.

  “Do better in the next life,” I said, looking into his eyes before I pulled my sword, sending his soul to whoever was to claim it.

  Silence reigned in my surroundings for the seconds it took me to wobble my way back to my feet and slowly turn toward the shocked women staring at me.

  I was a long blink away from collapsing between the rubble, but still, there was a bastard that needed saving.

  “Lead the way.”

  Patreon where you can read the entirety of Volume One and the beginning of Volume Two ahead of Schedule!