Rebirth System: Blood and Ash

Chapter 100 Summoned Protection

Aric's grip tightened around the knife as he stood over Lady Lisellie Brienne, her chest rising and falling in the shallow rhythm of sleep. For a moment, he let himself feel the sharp thrill of what this act could set in motion, the first stone in a landslide of well-planned destruction.

But then her eyes flew open, catching the dim candlelight, and a small, triumphant smile crept onto her lips.

"You shouldn't have hesitated...bastard," she whispered, her voice as venomous as the glint in her eyes.

Before he could react, her fingers unfurled, revealing a crushed mana crystal, its shattered fragments shimmering with a faint, otherworldly glow. Aric's instincts flared, but it was too late.

The air pulsed, pressing down on him like the weight of a thousand boulders. His chest tightened, his pulse raced, and he felt the oppressive, unmistakable presence of a powerful ki—a bloodlust so intense it seemed to fill every corner of the room, like smoke that clung to his skin.

The air around him roared, and from the shadows, a figure stepped forward—a soldier clad in dark armor, his eyes fixed upon Aric with an unwavering stare that dripped with silent menace.

The presence alone was enough to make even seasoned warriors tremble, and Aric recognized it instantly: a bloodlusted Imperial Guard.

In Valeria, the Imperial Guard was one of three military orders, each a pillar of the empire's unshakable power.

The Imperial Army, strong and disciplined, swore loyalty to protect and defend the empire's borders. The Imperial Squad, a covert group hidden from most, carried out the emperor's hidden designs in secrecy and shadows. And then there was the Imperial Guard, charged solely with the protection of the emperor himself.

Their strength, though not the greatest among the three, was a force even the strongest noble houses could not wield. The law ensured it; these soldiers served only the imperial family, a precaution designed to concentrate power solely under the emperor's hand.

He eyed the shards in her palm, the faint glow now fading from them.

The magic was rare, its value far more than most could afford. A single mana crystal capable of such teleportation magic would cost a fortune, no less than three hundred million gold coins—a price so high it was reserved only for those deemed indispensable.

Such a price, such a protection, given to a mere noble, was telling. Sylas hadn't offered her a union merely for power or advantage; he had paid a king's ransom to ensure her safety. His loyalty to her, it seemed, went deeper than Aric had expected.

For a moment, bitterness twisted in Aric's chest.

His thoughts returned to his past life, to the image he had once held of his brothers. Find exclusive stories on empire

'First Darius, and now you, Sylas. I had idolized you all, held you all on pedestals of strength and wisdom. But to think you were all foolish enough to create such weaknesses.'

The Imperial Guard took a step forward, his movements slow, deliberate, each footfall carrying the weight of death with it. The air seemed to thicken even more, pressing down on Aric's chest as though daring him to speak, to answer the guard's demand.

But Aric's mind was clear, his eyes narrowing as he studied the guard's stance, the tension in his body, the way his fingers hovered near his blade.

Behind the guard, Lady Lisellie watched him, her expression smug, triumphant, as though she had already won. In her eyes, Aric saw a gleam of satisfaction, a belief that she had outplayed him, that her shattered crystal had sealed his fate.

But she didn't understand, couldn't understand. This was only a step in a much larger game, a moment he had anticipated, even hoped for.