"Master."
Charlotte approached Blake quietly and reported in a low voice.
"Lady Messiah and Lady Semia are engaged in combat with someone."
"Who's foolish enough to provoke them?"
Blake twirled the teacup in his hand, watching the pale red liquid slosh inside, his face etched with boredom.
"It's just some trivial trouble, nothing they can't handle, I'm sure."
"Master, shouldn't you go take a look?"
Charlotte frowned slightly—a rare expression for her. But Blake seemed not to notice.
"I don't see any cause for concern… I doubt anyone capable of bullying those two little rascals is even born yet."
"I strongly advise you to come, Master."
To Blake's surprise, Charlotte did not drop the subject this time. She persisted in her suggestion, a rare display of resolve that caught him off guard. When he finally looked up, he was stunned to see that Charlotte—who was always smiling—was now wearing an expression of unprecedented solemnity. A faint sense of foreboding crept over him. Still, Blake did not press for details. Instead, he set down his teacup, stepped out of the room, and glanced up at the sky.
Dusk had fallen, and the sky was ablaze with blood-red sunset clouds, a striking and ominous sight. Hovering high above were four tiny black dots and a dazzling, glowing rune—impossible to miss.
But when Blake's eyes focused on the symbol on the rune, his face darkened instantly, his expression turning grim.
"You… were referring to this?"
"Yes, Master."
Charlotte's voice was eerily calm now, her face impassive and devoid of any emotion. For anyone who knew her well, this was an extraordinary sight. If Ophelia had been present, she would never have believed that the ever-gentle head maid could look like this.
"Where's Judy?"
"Miss Judy and my subordinates are already on standby, ready to strike."
Blake fell silent, turning to meet Charlotte's gaze.
Though her outward form had changed, the emotions in those eyes were the same as when he had first met her and the others—emotions that transported Blake back to that fateful day. He remembered wandering through that cursed land bathed in moonlight, listening to the girls' souls pour out their sorrows and grievances. They were abandoned by the world, forgotten by all. They should never have continued to exist in this realm, yet even the choice to vanish was denied to them.
"Master?"
"Don't worry."
A gentle smile spread across Blake's face, his expression softening like autumn sunlight. He reached out and brushed a hand through Charlotte's silky golden hair. Charlotte's eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then she closed them contentedly, savoring the touch.
"I have never failed to keep a promise I made to you all."
Blake paused, then withdrew his hand.
"Move out at once. I know you and Judy have been waiting for this moment for a long time… I'll be there shortly."
"Yes, Master!"
At those words, Charlotte broke into a bright smile. She snapped to attention, bowed deeply to Blake, then turned and strode away quickly. Blake watched her retreating figure until it disappeared, then shook his head with a sigh.
He really hadn't expected things to escalate like this, of all times.
With a bitter chuckle, Blake walked into the courtyard and waved casually at a corner.
"You—yes, you. Come here."
"You called for me, sir?"
At Blake's command, Lant trudged over with a pained expression. Ever since being rescued from the valley by Blake and his companions once again, these poor nobles had had their last shred of confidence completely shattered. Being taken hostage a second time was bad enough, but this time, their recklessness had cost a maid her life. Though Charlotte, Judy, and the others had shown no outward signs of caring (in truth, as spectral beings, they were incapable of dying, so such matters hardly concerned them), the young nobles were consumed by guilt. After returning this time, they had fallen into deeper despair, utterly adrift and unsure of what to do with themselves. Even Lant—once so full of youthful vigor and self-assurance—now looked like a shadow of his former self, his every move cautious and timid.
"Indeed."
Blake had not failed to notice the change in these men, but with the situation growing urgent, he had no time to spare on them now.
"I want you to go to the fortress immediately and report to General Celt. Tell him that we nobles have some private matters to settle, and ask him to turn a blind eye. I will repay his kindness in due time."
"Sir?"
"Go."
Blake's words left Lant thoroughly confused, but the young lord offered no further explanation. Lant hesitated, wanting to ask more questions, but found himself lacking the will to do so. He bowed hastily and scurried off to carry out his orders. Blake turned his gaze back to the horizon, sighed deeply, and shook his head in resignation. Then he reached behind his waist and drew his longsword.
By this time, the battle on the outskirts had reached a fever pitch.
The attacks from both sides were ferocious. Messiah and Semia darted across the ground like a pair of butterflies, dodging the volleys of spells raining down from the four mages above. The mages, meanwhile, maintained the eerie rune between them while bombarding the two girls. But unlike before, the attacks they unleashed now were strange, dim, jet-black beams of energy. Messiah and Semia wisely avoided direct confrontation, dodging and counterattacking in equal measure. For a time, the sky and ground erupted in a chaotic flurry of magic, leaving Ophelia standing awkwardly on the sidelines, completely forgotten.
Ophelia was caught in a dilemma. She wanted to rush in and help, but she couldn't fly—despite the strange wings on her back, she had never bothered to learn how. Part of her wanted to rush back and fetch Blake, but she hesitated. Strictly speaking, this was a private duel. Such a fight would have been unremarkable in the Twilight Forest or on a noble's private estate, but here, they were on military grounds!
While Blake and his companions were not soldiers, they were still expected to abide by military regulations. If the fighting continued unchecked, she could at least take responsibility for it. But if she called Blake in to intervene, it would mean dragging the Twilight Forest into the mess. Moreover, Ophelia had learned from Viscount Byrd and Della about the current tensions between the nobles—and the Mobius family in particular was a thorn in their side. Acting rashly now could give their enemies a perfect excuse to strike. This was no ordinary military training exercise; if someone with ill intentions got wind of what was happening and reported it to the royal family, Blake and the Twilight Forest could face serious trouble.
If Messiah and Semia had been in real danger, Ophelia would have rushed to get Blake without a second thought, consequences be damned. But as she watched the battle unfold, a sense of confusion washed over her. She had trained with the twin sisters long enough to know their true capabilities. While the fight looked intense, something about it felt off. After their initial exchange, the sisters had stopped casting their most powerful spells, opting instead for direct, brute-force clashes with their opponents. This directly contradicted the lesson they had taught her—that mages should never engage in head-on combat. What was more, the two girls were not just mages; they were formidable swordsmen. Yet so far, they had not drawn their blades, nor summoned their signature mounts. Even with her limited knowledge of swordsmanship, Ophelia knew that if the sisters had truly wanted to end the fight quickly, the four high-tier mages would not have lasted this long. For some reason, they were holding back—like they were stalling for time.
Just then, Ophelia felt a wave of intense heat wash over her. She turned around and was shocked to see Judy and Charlotte standing beside her, along with several others.
"Miss Judy?" Ophelia exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"The master has given us permission to strike."
Judy replied quickly, but her eyes never left the four mages hovering in the sky. Ophelia was even more confused. She turned to Charlotte, hoping to get some answers, only to find that the normally warm and smiling head maid was now wearing a face like ice.
What was going on?
Ophelia was at a loss for how to react to this unusual turn of events. But before she could voice her confusion, Judy stepped forward, drawing her slender sword from its sheath.
A surge of searing flames erupted around her, and waves of intense heat began to swirl and dance in the air. The red-haired girl let out a sharp cry, tightened her grip on the sword, and swung it downward with all her might.
A crimson fire dragon roared into being, soaring toward the four mages in the sky. The mages had been completely focused on their battle with the twin sisters, and the sudden attack caught them completely off guard. They panicked, their once-tight formation crumbling in disarray. The eerie rune between them wavered momentarily, then stabilized.
Seizing this opportunity, the twin sisters on the ground retreated in a flash, darting out of the battlefield and rejoining Ophelia. Despite the intensity of the fight they had just been in, they were not even out of breath. They shot Judy a grinning nod, then each took one of Ophelia's hands, moving in perfect unison.
"Judy sister, our part of the mission is done," Messiah said.
"The rest is up to you and the others now," Semia added.
"I understand."
Faced with the two young girls, the stern expression on Judy's face softened into a faint smile.
"Thank you, ladies."
"You're welcome, Judy sister," the twins chorused, then pulled Ophelia back a few steps.
At that moment, Judy gritted her teeth, raised her sword high, and swung it down again.
Crimson flames exploded from the blade, sweeping across the ground.
A roar like distant thunder echoed forth. Then, a pair of flame-wreathed wings unfurled, revealing a massive, angular head. A pair of golden eyes glinted brightly amidst the flames, and sharp, gleaming white fangs sent a chill down one's spine—flickering embers spilling from between them, exuding an indescribable aura of majesty and power.
It was a red dragon.
Ophelia stared in stunned silence. She had always known that these spectral warriors were powerful, but she had never imagined they were *this* powerful. She had never even seen a dragon before, let alone one as fearsome as this! But Judy paid the beast no mind. She leaped nimbly onto the dragon's head, raised her sword high, and pointed it forward.
With a deafening roar, a streak of crimson light shot skyward, hurtling toward its target.
"Miss Judy, what are you—?"
Seeing that things were spiraling out of control, Ophelia cried out in alarm. But her words were cut short as a pair of small hands clamped over her mouth. She looked down to find Messiah and Semia standing before her.
"Sister, this is not something we can interfere with," Messiah said.
"This is their fight—they must see it through themselves," Semia added.
"We are only observers."
"We have no right to stop them."
"No right to meddle."
"This is their oath."
"This is their destiny."
By this time, the four high-tier mages had spotted Judy and her dragon, and their shock turned to outright panic. As high-level practitioners with vast experience, they knew exactly what they were looking at. Good heavens—they were facing a knight, and not just any knight—a dragon knight!
"Don't panic!"
With the dragon bearing down on them, even the high-tier mages were beginning to lose their nerve. But their leader clenched his jaw and barked out an order.
"It's almost complete! Switch targets immediately—she's an even better candidate!"
With that, he reached into his robes, pulled out a small crystal pendant, and crushed it in his palm.
A translucent, circular barrier flared to life, enshrouding the four mages. The very instant the barrier materialized, the dragon's massive claws slammed into it with bone-shattering force.
**BOOM!**
Despite the dragon's immense strength, the strange shield held firm, withstanding the colossal impact. The four mages were now soaked in sweat. Ever since their leader had activated the shield, they had abandoned all defensive and offensive spells, focusing every last ounce of their power on the rune between them. Each mage held a black crystal, channeling their magic into it. Thin black lines shot from the crystals, weaving themselves around the floating rune, lending it an even more sinister appearance.
Judy directed the dragon to attack the barrier several more times, but each attempt failed to breach it. She finally called off the assault, fixing the mages with a cold, unwavering stare. As a top-tier warrior from the Age of Chaos, she recognized the shield for what it was—a powerful magical barrier capable of ignoring all forms of attack. But such barriers had a fatal flaw: they were extremely short-lived. All she needed to do was wait for it to expire, and the mages would be at her mercy.
What *is* going on here?
Ophelia was more confused than ever. She had spent enough time with these spectral warriors to know that they always followed Blake's lead and never caused trouble for their master. But today was different. Messiah and Semia fighting was one thing—but Judy had arrived and escalated the situation to this level! She was certain now that there was no way to cover this up. A giant dragon soaring through the sky was not something the fortress guards could possibly miss!
Just as Ophelia's mind raced with questions, a hand settled gently on her shoulder. She turned around to find Blake standing behind her.
"Lord Blake!"
Relief washed over Ophelia at the sight of him. The situation had grown far too bizarre and unpredictable for her to handle on her own. Though Blake had granted her considerable authority, she still lacked the confidence to stand up to Judy and Charlotte.
"What's—?"
"Let them be," Blake said, patting her shoulder, his smile unchanged. "This is their right. Besides…"
He shifted his gaze to the distance.
"I think we have some other trouble to deal with."
At that moment, over a hundred armored soldiers appeared on the horizon—and among them was the heir to the Mobius family.
"What do you think you're doing?! In the name of the Mobius family, I order you to cease this at once!"
His words were spoken with righteous indignation, but when directed at Blake and his companions, they took on an entirely different meaning.
Seeing the Mobius reinforcements arrive, the four mages in the sky breathed a collective sigh of relief. They exchanged a glance and responded in unison. At that exact moment, the black crystals in their hands suddenly erupted in a burst of light, disintegrating into fine powder that vanished into the air. The eerie black rune between them finally took its complete form.
"Dark covenant, I beseech thee to answer my call! I humbly beg for thy aid—seize this bright and radiant soul!"
As the four mages chanted in unison, the dark rune trembled violently, then flashed brightly and shot toward Judy like a bolt of black lightning.
At the same time, the shield's duration reached its limit, shattering into countless motes of magical energy that dissipated into the wind.
With their protection gone, the four high-tier mages should have been terrified—but instead, they wore expressions of pure elation. For they had seen it clearly: the instant the shield shattered, the black rune had burrowed into Judy's body!
It was over! They had won!
They knew exactly what the rune was—the most closely guarded secret of the Mobius family. This dark rune could bypass all levels of power and defense, seizing complete control over a target's soul and mind. It was unblockable and unavoidable. That was why, the moment they had laid eyes on Messiah and Semia, the four mages had chosen this spell. Such powerful young spellcasters were rare and valuable. If they could control them, the Mobius family's power would grow exponentially.
Then Judy had appeared out of nowhere, catching them off guard—but she had also become an even better target. A true knight—and a dragon knight, no less! In the entire Kingdom of Wester, there were no knights of such formidable power!
Thus, the moment the rune entered Judy's body, the four mages relaxed completely. That was when they heard the sound of rushing wind.
Freed from the barrier, the red dragon wasted no time. At Judy's command, it let out a roar of fury and dove straight down. Its massive claws clamped down on two mages who hadn't even had time to react. A third mage fared even worse—he managed to let out a single scream before the dragon's jaws snapped shut around him, crushing him instantly.
**CRASH!**
The crimson figure plummeted to the ground in an instant, shaking the earth beneath them. Cherton stared at the dragon in horror, his face contorted with rage as he looked at the pools of blood and flesh scattered at its feet. These were the elite of the family! He had gone to great lengths to bring these four high-tier mages with him—and now three of them were dead in the blink of an eye! The last one, trapped in the dragon's jaws, was clearly not long for this world.
"I order you to release him at once! Do you dare declare war on the Mobius family?!"
Cherton stepped forward again, shouting at the top of his lungs. Despite his fear of the dragon before him, he was confident that the beast would not dare harm him. After all, he was one of the heirs to the Mobius family and a viscount! This was the Crimson Fortress—who in their right mind would dare stir up trouble here? It would be suicide!
The red dragon dissolved into a shower of crackling flames, vanishing into thin air. Judy leaped nimbly to the ground, her face like stone as she walked over to Blake. In her outstretched hands, she held the very same eerie black rune.
Blake fell silent, his expression grave as he stared at the rune. Then he turned to the young woman beside him.
"This is indeed a necromantic curse rune," Charlotte confirmed, nodding slightly in response to Blake's questioning gaze, saying nothing more.
"I see."
Blake nodded, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. He turned to face the man before him and let out a long, weary sigh.
"Kill them all."
With those words, Blake issued his final order.