The corridor beyond Noir's defeat fell silent.
Only the sound of heavy breathing echoed through the ruined hallway while black tendrils slowly dissolved into fragments of corrupted Aether around the fallen Black Petal Number One.
Noir remained motionless against the shattered stone floor. Cedric walked past him slowly. Then stopped.
His tired eyes lowered toward Noir's chest wound. Blood stained the floor beneath him— …but not enough.
Cedric's eyes narrowed slightly. "…So that's your decision," he muttered quietly.
Renn glanced back briefly. Cedric simply exhaled smoke and continued walking. Ahead of them stood the massive doors leading toward the throne room of Shadowhaven.
Ancient black iron, covered in Veil markings.
The atmosphere alone felt suffocating. Kael rolled his shoulder once. Taren planted his spear against the ground. "Together, we will open it."
Lio silently stepped forward beside them. Even Garrick cracked his neck once before placing both hands against the giant entrance.
"On three."
The massive doors groaned violently.
BOOOOOOM—!
The throne room opened slowly. Darkness. Nothing but pitch-black silence greeted them beyond the entrance.
Renn stepped forward first. The moment his foot crossed the center of the hall—
FWOOOSH—
Purple flames ignited one by one across the massive chamber. Then another. Then dozens more.
The throne room illuminated completely. Massive black pillars stretched endlessly upward while Veil symbols glowed faintly across the walls like cursed veins spreading through the castle itself.
And standing at the center—
Seris.
Silver hair. Purple rapier lowered toward the floor. Motionless.
Taren's eyes widened instantly. "…Seris—!" He rushed forward instinctively.
"WAIT."
Cedric's voice stopped him sharply. Taren froze. Cedric's eyes narrowed dangerously toward Seris.
"…Something's wrong."
Silence consumed the throne room. Seris didn't move. Didn't speak. Didn't even blink.
Then, a figure slowly emerged behind her throne.
Black robes. Purple-black tendrils moving endlessly around him like living darkness.
Veyr — the King of Assassins.
Cold violet eyes slowly observed the intruders.
"…How disappointing."
His voice echoed softly throughout the throne room. "I expected Black Petal Number One to stop you."
Kael immediately unsheathed his blade. Lio lowered his stance silently. Even Garrick's expression hardened. Only Renn remained calm. Because he understood immediately.
Seris wasn't standing there willingly.
Thin black threads connected subtly around her arms. Her neck. Her fingers. Like invisible strings controlling a puppet.
Veyr noticed Renn's gaze.
A faint smile crossed his face. "…Sharp eyes." Purple tendrils slowly wrapped around Seris' body gently.
"Moonveil has always been my greatest masterpiece." His gaze shifted toward the group. "And yet you insects continue crawling toward death for her sake."
Taren stepped forward angrily. "Let her go."
Veyr laughed quietly. "Let her go?" His eyes narrowed mockingly. "I think you misunderstand."
"She belongs here. She was born in darkness. Raised in darkness. Forged by darkness." His smile deepened slightly.
"And unlike all of you… she understands reality."
The tendrils tightened around Seris slightly. "She knows emotions are weakness."
"Attachment is weakness."
"Love is weakness."
Renn's eyes slowly darkened. Then Veyr calmly raised one finger.
"…Kill them, Moonveil."
SHHHKKKK—!!!
Seris vanished instantly.
BOOOOM—!
A violent shockwave erupted across the throne room as Seris appeared directly before Renn, rapier thrusting toward his throat with terrifying speed.
CLANG—!
Kael intercepted instantly. Blue Aether followed immediately beside him.
CLANG—!
Lio's blade crossed against Seris' rapier as sparks exploded violently through the chamber.
The impact alone pushed both Knights backward several steps. Taren's eyes widened slightly.
"…Heavy."
Seris slowly raised her head. Empty eyes stared toward them. Bruises covered her neck. Cuts lined her arms. Dried blood stained parts of her torn uniform.
Renn froze slightly.
The realization struck him immediately. She had been tortured. Something inside him shifted. The golden Aether around his body slowly intensified.
Veyr noticed immediately. Then laughed. A cold, cruel laugh echoed throughout the throne room.
"…There it is."
"Hatred."
His tendrils twisted wider around the throne. "A mere group of children and failed assassins trying to threaten the King of Assassins."
The pressure inside the room intensified violently. Taren spun his spear once before stepping forward
.
"Seris!"
CRACK—!
Lightning burst beneath his feet as he rushed her directly. "Snap out of it!"
Seris disappeared.
SHHK—! SHHK—! SHHK—!
Multiple rapier strikes erupted toward Taren from impossible angles instantly. Fast. Far too fast.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Kael and Lio intercepted repeatedly beside him, barely blocking the incoming attacks before they reached Taren's blind spots.
Every impact shook their arms violently.
Kael gritted his teeth. "…Why the hell are her attacks this heavy?!"
Lio narrowed his eyes sharply. "She's reinforcing every strike through Veil Arts."
Seris spun low instantly—
SHHK—!
Her rapier crashed against Kael's sword hard enough to launch him backward across the floor.
BOOOOM—!
Even Garrick stepped in next. Their fists and blades collided directly.
CRACK—!
The impact alone forced Garrick backward several steps. His grin slowly disappeared. "…She's a pure monster."
Lyra immediately entered beside him. Thin blades flashed silently toward Seris from behind. But Seris reacted instantly.
CLANG—!
She blocked Lyra without even looking. Then countered immediately.
SHHK—!
Lyra barely avoided losing her throat by centimeters. Garrick laughed loudly despite the danger.
"HAHA…! So this is Black Petal Number One?!"
Lyra clicked her tongue while retreating beside him. "…Now I understand why everyone feared her."
The five continued struggling just to keep Seris occupied. And still—she kept pushing them backward.
Meanwhile—
Renn slowly walked toward Veyr. Cedric followed beside him quietly. Closer. Closer. Then—
SHHHKKKKK—!!!
Purple-black tendrils erupted violently from every direction.
BOOOOM—!
Renn blocked immediately. Cedric's tendrils intercepted beside him.
CRACK—!
The force alone pushed both of them backward several steps despite successfully blocking.
Cedric's eyes widened slightly. "…Heavy."
Veyr remained seated casually upon the throne. One gaze—
CRRRRACK—!
Cedric's tendrils shattered apart instantly beneath overwhelming corrupted Aether.
Cedric clicked his tongue. "…Damn monster."
Golden Aether erupted beneath Renn's feet.
BOOOOOOM—!
The manifested armor around his legs exploded with speed. Renn surged forward like lightning itself. Fast. But—
SHHHKKKK—!
Endless tendrils blocked every possible path toward Veyr instantly. Renn destroyed one.
Three more replaced it. He parried another. Five more emerged behind it. Veyr observed him calmly.
"…Comradeship." His voice echoed softly. "What a meaningless hallucination."
Black tendrils slowly surrounded the throne.
"Assassins do not need hearts."
"They do not need bonds."
"They do not need family."
"Those things only create hesitation."
Renn forcefully parried another tendril strike before answering. "…Then maybe that's why your kingdom became broken."
Veyr's eyes narrowed slightly.
Renn's golden eyes sharpened. "You taught people to survive alone. But the moment someone protects another person…" Golden Aether surged violently around him.
"…they become stronger than fear."
BOOOOM—!
Renn forced his way forward again. Another tendril. Parried.
Another. Destroyed.
Another. Dodged.
Veyr's eyes slowly sharpened. Because Renn was adapting. Every exchange. Every movement. Every attack. Renn adjusted faster and faster through the battle itself. Then—
SHHK—!
A hidden tendril erupted toward Renn's blind spot from behind. Too close. Too fast.
CLANG—!
Purple tendrils intercepted instantly. Cedric stepped beside him. The impact shattered part of the floor beneath Cedric's feet.
Renn glanced toward him briefly. "…Thanks."
Cedric exhaled smoke quietly. "…Focus on killing the monster in front of you."
Then, Cedric's eyes shifted briefly toward the others struggling against Seris. Toward Renn pushing forward endlessly despite impossible odds.
And a question slowly formed inside his mind.
"…Why?"
His voice lowered slightly. "Why do you people fight this hard… for someone who doesn't even share your blood?"
Far ahead—
Renn pushed through another storm of tendrils without stopping. And despite the hopeless battlefield— he continued advancing toward Veyr.