Chapter 107 — The Cost
.
.
He moved before Sun Wukong could read the intention.
Not toward Socrates. Not toward the Monkey King.
Toward Amelia.
Sun Wukong turned a fraction too late — his body already committed to the space between Shira and Socrates — and Shira was past him, crossing the distance to the corner in the elongated stride of a Master Realm cultivator, his hand already raised.
"ASHUR CLAN SECRET ART — SEALING LIGHT—"
The attack left his palm in a concentrated beam — not aimed at her body, not aimed at her chest — aimed at her eyes. The shining eyes that were the whole reason any of them were here tonight. The eyes that the moonlight had activated. The eyes that Elder Phenius had died trying to claim.
Shira couldn't have them.
But he could make sure no one else did either.
The beam hit.
Amelia's body absorbed the impact without waking — her unconscious form taking it in silence, the corner briefly illuminated by the light of the technique as it sealed itself into her eyes with a precision that confirmed Shira had known exactly what he was doing and had been thinking about doing it since the moment the plan started falling apart.
The light faded.
The corner went quiet.
Socrates had seen every second of it.
He hadn't been able to reach her in time — Shira's movement too sudden, the distance too great, his own body too damaged from everything it had already been through. He had watched it happen and hadn't been able to stop it and that fact settled into him now like something cold and permanent finding its place.
Sun Wukong looked at Amelia. Then at Socrates.
He stepped aside.
Shira turned from the corner — breathing hard from the exertion of the technique, the temporary Master Realm cultivation already beginning its retreat from his system, the pill's window closing. He looked at Socrates across the space between them and read what was in the boy's face.
He raised his hand again — gathering what remained of the enhanced energy, preparing to press whatever advantage he had left while he still had it.
He didn't finish the preparation.
Socrates was already there.
He hadn't seen him move. One moment the Son of Trueblood was across the space — and the next he was simply present, the golden gauntlet closing around Shira's raised wrist and the forward momentum of Socrates' entire body driving behind the grip.
Shira's wrist gave way first. Then his shoulder. The sound of it was unpleasant in the specific way of joints being asked to articulate in directions they were not built for.
He screamed.
Socrates didn't let go.
He drove Shira backward — into the wall, through it, the stone giving way as the two of them crossed into the space on the other side. Shira tried to channel what was left of his cultivation, tried to get his free hand involved, tried to find a foothold in the debris beneath them.
Bloodsucker ended the trying.
Socrates stood over what remained of Shira and breathed — the sound of it uneven, the wounds across his body delivering their accumulated report all at once now that the movement had stopped. The moonlight came through the hole in the wall and fell across him without comment.
"How dare you?" Socrates finally found his voice as he smashed his feet on Shira's head..
"You.." He smashed his foot on his leg again..
And again again..
And again....
Till it was left with pieces with parts of brains splitting out...
He straightened up slowly.
Turned back toward the corner.
Sun Wukong was already there beside Amelia, crouched low, one golden paw hovering just above her face without touching. His expression — for the first time since Socrates had known him — had nothing performative in it. No theatrics. No commentary.
Just quiet concern.
"Master." He said without turning. "Her eyes..."
"I know." Socrates said.
He crossed the rubble and knelt beside his sister. Her face was still. Her breathing was steady. The moonlight that had shone so brightly through her eyes earlier was gone now — whatever Shira's technique had done sitting in the place of it like a door that had been locked from the outside.
Socrates looked at her face for a long moment.
His hand — still covered in the golden gauntlet, still wet with everything the night had cost — came to rest very gently against her hair.
He didn't say anything.
Sun Wukong sat beside him in the quiet and for once didn't find a single thing worth commenting on.
And then... It bursted out...
Cry... Extreme tears that resounded the whole temple
Loud screams of tears as he stared at her face as if she's dead... He cried, not like a man but a baby as his eyes clouded with tears...
Socrates cried as even his sister's unconscious body jerked because of how seriousness the tears was...
"Socrates..." Her voice was faint as she moved her hands....
Socrates stopped crying immediately as he looked down to his sister whose eyes was closed..
"Amy'er.." Socrates muttered as he watched her hand moves looking for the direction of his face but she couldn't find it...
"Where are you?" Her voice was weak as Socrates quickly reached to grab her hand..
The Monkey King understands as he activated symbiosis and the golden armor vanished from Socrates body...
His soft hand grabbed her hands as she felt the texture of her brother's hand..
"Socrates... You came.. You protected me..." She said lowly.
"I'm sorry Sister.. My oversight has cost you great pain.. I was trying to prove myself as a warrior instead of protecting you first... The Old monkey could have wiped those men in an instant, I could have chose to protect you instead but I didn't... I'm sorry... Sister... It's my fault... " Socrates sobbed as Amelia struggle to raise her body up... Socrates help her as she raised her other hand and placed it on his face..
"Nothing is your fault Socrates.. I'm the elder one, I'm the one that needs to protect you... You've been suffering because of me... You're still suffering because of me..." Their forehead touched each other as Streams of tears came out of her eyes...
But the tears weren't white... They were red, thick in color... It was blood... The blood mixed with Socrates tears as it dropped on the alter...
And at that very moment, the altar lit up as altar red runes circulated everywhere.. Runes of different inscription flaring with red energy color as a powerful forcefield knocked Socrates away from Amelia..
"Amy..." Socrates muttered as he crashed on the ground and stand up almost immediately..
"Socrates..." Amelia called as she tried to move but an invisible wall blocked her..
"Not in my watch..." The Monkey King launched a punch but the invisible wall sent him flying back...
Socrates moved in again but then Amelia screamed out loud which caused him unable to move as her body then floated in the air as red energy tore into her body with her in the middle.
Socrates reached to the alter but the invisible wall extend not allowing him to go further..
"Amelia..." Socrates called with all his strength as then a consciousness descended inside the invisible barrier....
A consciousness in energy form as it looked down on Amelia and then to Socrates....
"These Trueblood again.... You won't let my soul rest in peace, I'll just extinguish you all..." The Conscious eyes glinted with madness as it raised its illusory hand to wipe out Socrates and Amelia in one go..