Belladonna gave a slow, irritated pout. "Fine. I'll need some time to recover and prepare properly. After that, I'll kill Michael."
Rohan arched a brow slightly. "Do you even know who he is?"
"No," she replied airily, waving it off. "But I will."
Then her gaze sharpened as a sly edge entered her voice. "Tell me, what makes you so certain I won't simply disappear… or put a knife in your back the moment you turn around?"
In an instant, a bolt of lightning descended from the sky and struck her with precise accuracy.
BOOM!
Belladonna's body was instantly charred as she collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain.
Rohan watched her calmly as steam rose from her skin. "Did you see that? That was a warning from the Lord. Don't toy with His will. Just do as you're told, and praise the Storm."
At that moment, he froze.
Wait… that's actually a great line. Praise the Storm. I should start using that.
With that thought, he then began to notice the sheer strength of the lightning strike. Previously, it had never been enough to kill, even when he used it to punish those strange followers who had tried to offer him sacrifices.
Now, however, the power of the smite seemed dozens of times greater. If Belladonna had not been a powerful mage, she would likely have died. And he could still unleash hundreds more such strikes, as punishing his followers required no essence at all.
And even more, the lightning strike was able to accurately hit its target, whereas previously, the lightning strikes from the Lightbringer had been unable to strike Belladonna.
However, he still felt a slight regret.
Shame it only works on my followers… and not my enemies.
He also recognized the irony of the situation. Belladonna was extraordinarily strong, capable of incapacitating Arminius, Luciana, Keana, and Belluci in an instant, even with their physical enhancements from the church.
And yet, the only reason she had lost was because she had not attempted to kill him. Now, after swearing an oath, she was entirely at his mercy.
To think that the strongest mage I've ever fought ended up becoming my follower…
Whether his encounter with Michael had been a blessing or a curse remained unclear. It had placed his life in danger, yet it had also granted him a powerful subordinate.
After a moment, he exhaled slowly and dismissed the thought.
He then looked at Belladonna. "You need to make his death clean, untraceable to me."
"Well... that would be difficult," she said, coughing smoke from her mouth.
"It won't be a problem, because I have a plan."
"The plan is simple. I will risk my life. But in return, I won't be suspected."
"You, however, will be suspected, of course. But that shouldn't be a problem. You can leave this city, while I can't, not for now."
Without waiting for a response, he rose to his feet and walked toward the church. Upon entering, his gaze briefly fell upon Luciana, Keana, Belluci, and Arminius, who were asleep on the wooden floor.
He then walked closer to Luciana before stopping a few steps away from her. "I need to go. Tomorrow, tell Arminius he can go with Edmund without me."
After he finished, Rohan turned and left the church.
With a steady pace, he returned to Belladonna, who was already back on her feet.
He then threw her his Bone Blade. "Use it to carry us. On the way, it will give you time to recover, for a few hours at least."
Before they set out, Rohan, of course, explained the plan to her first.
…
Several hours later, Belladonna arrived in front of the Lastbender Great Palace front door.
Beside her, Rohan, of course, was already tied up by her.
In front of the gate, Alfred was waiting with two men beside him.
Alfred stepped forward and inspected Rohan, noting that the boy had no scratches or wounds.
"Why does he look so well? While you…" He glanced at Belladonna's battered state. "look so beaten."
"Well, it was rather troublesome," Belladonna said, her voice smooth and faintly amused. "Those vampires guarding him were quite persistent. But in the end… I took what I came for."
Her lips curved slightly as she tilted her head.
"But I do wonder… should I have marked him a little? A cut here, perhaps there… just to make the effort more visible?"
"…No." Alfred shook his head. "The young lord prefers his toy in good condition."
He then tossed her a head-sized box. "One thousand gold coins. Now get lost."
Without another glance, Alfred ordered the two men beside him to take Rohan.
They quickly seized him by the arms and dragged him inside.
Rohan said nothing. His gaze moved instead, quietly measuring the halls and corridors they passed through.
At the end of a long corridor, Alfred stopped before a pair of tall doors.
"The young lord is waiting," he said as he glanced at Rohan before pushing the doors open.
Without warning, the two men dragging Rohan shoved him forward and threw him into the room.
Before Rohan could steady himself, the doors slammed shut behind him.
While his hands and feet were still tied, Rohan lifted his gaze and took in his surroundings.
The room was lit by countless white candles, their light flickering softly over red roses scattered across the floor.
Then his eyes settled on a familiar face.
Michael stood before him, grinning.
"Electric cultist," Michael said, looking around the room with a casual smirk. "What do you think of the place? Kinda romantic, right? Thought it'd suit our little reunion, you know?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he kicked Rohan across the face.
Without resistance, Rohan was sent stumbling backward before crashing face-first onto the floor.
"Still giving me the silent treatment, huh? You did the same thing a few days ago. Man, you didn't say a word even while I was beating the hell out of you for hours."
He then rushed toward Rohan, leapt, and brought both feet down onto his back.
Rohan gasped as the air was forced from his lungs.
"Is it just me, or did your body get a whole lot sturdier since last time, man?" Michael said, rolling his shoulders slightly. "I mean, I ain't complaining. Makes things… interesting."
He nudged Rohan with his foot, then gave him a harder kick, like testing something.
"Yeah… yeah, that's different." A low chuckle slipped from his lips.
"You know what I like? I like when things change a little. Keeps the night from getting boring, you know?"
He stepped back, then kicked Rohan's side again.
"'Cause let me tell you, man… same routine every time? That gets old real quick."
He then sent another kick. "Now this? This I can work with."
Gradually, blood spread across the scattered roses as the beating continued, not for minutes, but for hours.
By the time morning arrived, Rohan was left in the room with his body covered in bruises. If anyone who knew him were to see him now, they would not be able to recognize him because of how battered and ruined his face had become.
Meanwhile, Michael had already left the palace to go to the academy.
Along the way, inside his personal carriage, Michael felt sleepy, as he had not slept at all the night before. However, he was still in high spirits and could not wait to meet Rohan again once he returned home after school.
Not long after, Michael arrived at the entrance gate of the academy.
The moment he walked past the gate, the surrounding students immediately averted their gazes and kept their distance.
"What the hell is wrong with these people, man? I walk in, and suddenly it's like I've got the plague or something. And they do this every time I come to school."
At that moment, he noticed someone approaching him. When she stopped a few steps in front of him, he saw the terrified look on her face.
Michael let out a small, amused breath. "Well, look at that. You must be this week's toy, huh? I gotta say, that's real considerate of you, just walking right up like that."
With a trembling voice, the girl muttered, "Ye… yes…"
Michael grinned, then glanced at the surrounding students. Hundreds of them were watching from afar.
"Damn," he muttered, shaking his head slightly. "You see this? Every time. Like it's some kind of show or something." He looked back at the girl, still smiling. "I mean, I get it. People like a little entertainment. Can't blame them."
He then rolled his shoulders casually. "Alright… I'm a little tired, not gonna lie. But I got a few minutes in me."
"Wouldn't wanna keep the audience waiting, right?" he said with a lazy smirk.
However, just as he was about to kick the girl in the face, blood suddenly gushed from his forehead and chest.
Michael slowly lowered his gaze and noticed the hole in his chest.
With blood pouring from his mouth, he muttered, "The… fuck?"
Then, with a thud, he fell onto the paved ground.
Naturally, his blood also splattered onto the girl. However, upon seeing the lifeless body and the overwhelming amount of blood, she did not feel terrified. Instead, she felt relieved. Her expression gradually shifted into a smile.
Not only her, but the hundreds of other students felt the same, as if an invisible weight pressing down on them had finally been lifted.
It felt as though they had received a blessing from heaven.