Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 175 Similar Things

Chapter 175 Similar Things (Part 1)

Thales stared blankly at the small red sword in his hand.

Even as the little rascal trembled and approached him, struggling to pull him up from the ground, he was completely unaware.

The Blade of Purification.

Is this the name?

The blood-red blade was incredibly vibrant even in the dim moonlight.

Thales tried his best to clear his mind, even forgetting his current surroundings.

Is this sword alive?
If so, why did it remain motionless in Black Sword's hands before?
If not, then what exactly was that voice...?

Why does that sound coming from my ear—no, more like from the bottom of my heart—sound so similar to what the High Priest of the Bright Moon Temple experienced during his prayer?

The moment he touched it, the burning sensation that seeped into his body reminded him of the scene when the magic energy "went out of control." Was there any connection between them?

Also, it said: My blood brother. What does that mean?
It also said: It's been a long time.

Has he seen this thing before—the legendary anti-magic weapon?

More and more questions arose in Thales's mind, but none of them were answered.

This only made him more confused and bewildered.

"what have you done!"

The voice of the black sword came from beside my ear, serious and sharp.

Thales was startled, and when he came to his senses, his right hand unconsciously loosened its grip.

Bang!

The small red sword in his hand slipped to the ground.

Black Sword struggled to lift his upper body, his weakened form to its feet.

Whether from emotional shock or physical injury, his face was extremely pale, and his sharp eyes were fixed on Thales's face:
"Why, why did it suddenly become effective?"

Thales then realized what was happening. He looked at the small sword on the ground, took a deep breath, and looked up to meet the black sword in his eyes.

"This..." The second prince forced an awkward smile, "You...don't know?"

Black Sword's brow furrowed more and more deeply.

The little rascal let out a soft "Eh?"

"Look!"

The girl pointed to the ground, her voice filled with surprise: "It's turned back to normal!"

Black Sword and Thales were startled, their gazes once again drawn to the small sword on the ground.

The small sword that had once shone with a red light in Thales's hand began to slowly change color.

The bright red, blood-red blade faded and dimmed on the ground, turning into a dull, dark red, just like before—as if all the blood had been drained from it.

Thales blinked in surprise and uncertainty.

He wasn't the only one who reacted this way.

The Brotherhood's legendary assassin shook his head tremblingly, his expression one of utter confusion.

"What the hell..."

"If Ramon were still here..." Black Sword looked at the dimming Little Sword, gritted his teeth, and his eyes were full of resentment.

Just then, another huge roar came from afar.

"boom!"

Before anyone could react, a dilapidated house not far away suddenly turned to dust!
A terrifying, giant, blood-red tentacle shot into the sky.

In the distance, the figure of the multi-headed serpent could be seen faintly in the smoke and dust.

Thales and Little Sly were both startled, staring in astonishment as the tentacle split into countless tiny limbs once more, sweeping towards them like a dense swarm of writhing snakes!

Black Sword reacted extremely quickly; he rolled to Thales' side and swiftly picked up the small red sword from the ground.

"What are you waiting for?"

A deep, somber growl echoed from the black sword: "Run!"

Thales shuddered.

Without a word, he grabbed the pale-faced little rascal, ignoring everything that had just happened, and charged headlong in the opposite direction from the tentacles!

It's those tentacles again...

So—Tails gritted his teeth—Aishida, did she really lose?

Aren't magic users immortal and indestructible?
So how did he lose?

Damn.

He has to keep running!
As for the black sword still behind, bearing the Blade of Purification...

Wish him good luck in killing monsters.

However, this time the tentacles seemed exceptionally swift and powerful. They swept across the streets littered with corpses like a tide, making a terrifying "sizzling" sound wherever they went!

When Thales heard this, he felt a chill run down his spine and his soul seemed to tremble.

Without Ashida's cover and protection, this time, they had only run four or five steps when the first small tentacle chased after them.

This time, its target is only Thales!
In an instant, Thales felt a weight on his feet as his ankle was tightly wrapped by the first tentacle that came at him.

Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

How come... even with that sword, Black Sword still couldn't eliminate them, or at least block them?

"Boom!"

He stumbled and fell to the ground!
The tentacle began to coil, dragging him backward.

"No!" the little rascal cried out, turning around and grabbing Thales' arm tightly, trying to free him from the tentacles' grasp.

But how could two children possibly overcome the tentacles of the serpent?

They were dragged together toward the snake-like tentacles.

"Damn it!"

Thales felt a chill run down his spine as he watched his ankles being wrapped tighter and tighter.

He glanced behind them again and saw other tentacles getting closer and closer, reaching out to them in just a few seconds!
The limbs that were either melted or broken and stuck together in the tentacles were already clearly visible before my eyes!

Thales shuddered and immediately turned around, shouting, "Run!"

But the little rascal just bit her lower lip, clung tightly to his arm, and shook her head desperately.

They were dragged back several meters.

"Zizi..."

The terrifying sound of flesh rubbing together grew louder as it approached.

Thales felt a chill run down his spine.

Oops.

That's too late.

Soon, countless tentacles, blotting out the sky and the moon, swept in like a surging tide.

The first tentacle wrapped around the little rascal's left arm.

The second one covered Thales' back.

The third one, the fourth one, the fifth one...

From his limbs to his body, these tentacles bound him and the little rascal tightly together!
"No!"

Slippery, warm, yet nauseatingly dismembered tentacles covered Thales' eyes as he roared, shutting out the tearful little rascal from his sight.

The little rascal screamed and let go of Thales's hand in a tug-of-war.

Thales stared in horror at the little rascal's weeping face, which was then obscured by tentacles and disappeared from sight.

no no!
As the tentacles pulled at his entire body, Thales desperately reached for the JC dagger.

In the face of life and death, he no longer cared about secrets or side effects.

He must use magic... or something he thinks is magic!

But just as the second prince was about to grab the dagger and stab himself, another tentacle came from behind and bound his right arm.

Then drag it backwards as far as it can!

He couldn't reach the dagger.

Thales gritted his teeth in frustration.

No.

He was like prey hunted by a spider, trapped firmly in its web, unable to move.

The only option is to close your eyes and await death.

But that's about it.

The long-absent low growl of the Black Sword suddenly came from beside my ear.

"what!"

Immediately afterwards, a series of sounds of flesh tearing apart followed.

"Wow!"

Thales was jolted, feeling the momentum of being dragged suddenly decrease.

The next moment, the tentacles that were wrapped around his head and face suddenly broke free!

Amidst splattering blood, the battered and bruised Black Sword came into Thales's view.

Thielston was immediately invigorated!
Before he could even speak, Black Sword roared and swung out his small red sword amidst the surging tentacles.

"call!"

The wind howled, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and the sword's edge drew arcs through the countless fleshy tentacles.

Severing and cutting off the tentacles.

The tentacles shuddered violently, like a boiling oil pan, and charged madly toward the black sword!

Despite his battered and bruised body, Black Sword displayed a speed that defied his physical condition. His body would tremble as he broke free from the entanglements, and at other times he would dodge attacks with lightning speed, fighting fiercely amidst the swarms of tentacles from all directions.

The black sword flashed past a tentacle reaching towards his left shoulder, then his right arm trembled, shaking off a section of the tentacle that was attached to it with a strange rhythm, before roaring and severing a tentacle that was binding Thales' left leg.

Black Sword's face was grim. He was standing on a field of tentacles, his legs already entangled without his knowledge, yet he remained completely oblivious.

The small sword in his hand never stopped swinging, sometimes slicing through a tentacle binding Thales, and sometimes cutting horizontally through a tentacle that was trying to block him.

Amidst the countless tentacles, Black Sword stood before Thales, his eyes resolute, his figure shifting and darting.

At that moment, he was like an insect caught in a spider web, yet still restless, stubbornly struggling and trembling.

Thales stared blankly at the scene.

"Hold on to me!"

Black Sword roared, and his left arm, wrapped in thick cloth and stained with thick blood, reached out and gripped Thales' shoulder tightly.

Then he swung his sword again, instantly severing the three tentacles that were entangled with Thales!

"laugh!"

The next moment, Black Sword's expression turned fierce. He pulled Thales out of the pile of tentacles like pulling a radish!

Thales clung tightly to Black Sword's arm, coughing incessantly.

With a powerful swing of the black sword, Thales was thrown out of the tentacles' range!
Thales rolled to the ground, panting heavily.

Several tentacles tried to follow Thales, but were mercilessly severed before their eyes by the black sword.

Black Sword, however, was increasingly entangled by the tentacles.

Before Thales could catch his breath, he turned around abruptly, only to see the Black Sword, which was almost submerged by tentacles, struggling desperately after a burst of energy that had rescued Thales.

Thales instinctively tried to crawl backward, but when he looked up and saw Black Sword's eyes, he stopped in his tracks.

The man, amidst the pile of tentacles, continued his relentless battle.

"This sword... it's not working!" Black Sword roared, staring at the small red sword in his hand. "These things haven't disappeared!"

Having just escaped death, Thales felt utterly exhausted. He braced himself against the floor, listening to the sizzling sound of the tentacles behind him. The helpless expression on Little Sly's face as he was finally dragged away flashed in his eyes, and he felt an unbearable resentment in his heart.

how come.

He gritted his teeth and roared back without thinking, "How the hell should I know! I was just holding it..."

The moment the words left their mouths, the two of them were both startled!
Thales understood something.

A tentacle seized the opportunity to wrap around Black Sword's neck, causing him to tremble violently.

In the critical moment, Black Sword stopped swinging his sword. Almost engulfed by tentacles, he gave Thales a deep look.

“Little guy!” Black Sword suddenly raised his voice.

Thales gasped for breath and struggled to his feet.

Several tentacles had bypassed the black sword and reached Thales's side!
However, the next moment, Thales saw the black sword move its arm, creating a whooshing sound.

A dark shadow suddenly appeared, spinning as it lunged toward the prince's face!

Thales squinted instinctively and involuntarily raised his right hand to protect his head and face.

But the dark figure turned perfectly at the right moment and landed precisely in Thales's raised right palm.

Prince Xingchen unconsciously clenched his fist and felt a weight in his hand!
Thales bent his knees and frantically grabbed the dagger that the black sword had thrown at him—the hilt flew right into his hand.

Although I hate to admit it, — Thales took a deep breath — the black sword was thrown with great accuracy.

Black Sword glanced at Thales one last time before being completely engulfed by the tentacles.

The tentacles encasing the black sword lifted the "prey" and coiled it backward.

Thales was breathing heavily, but he knew what he had to do.

Please.

He gritted his teeth, brandished his small sword, and ran forward, stepping over the ruins and snow.

Give it to me right now...

Make it work for me!
"what--"

The next moment, Thales roared desperately, as if that would calm him down—he swung his small sword at the tentacles lunging at him. One tentacle touched Thales's face, making him feel numb, while another tentacle reached for his hands, making a grating hissing sound.

But the next instant, that strange burning sensation surged through his heart again, and his blood vessels began to pound once more.

Thales's dagger has changed.

As if infused with some power, its lifeless, dark red blade gradually changed color and began to glow, starting from the hilt that Thales had grasped.

It regained its vibrant, blood-red color, as if it had been reborn—just like before.

A red light emanated from the area.

The two tentacles closest to Thales trembled simultaneously before the blade of the small sword!
In just a few seconds, they withered and shrank from warm, strong flesh into ashen limbs, emitting a sizzling sound and red steam as they were roasted by flames, turning into ashes!
Thales was startled: It worked!

He didn't stop, but charged forward as if his life depended on it.

Not far away, the Blood Mage who was confronting Griveo and Nikolai turned his head thoughtfully and glanced in this direction.

Giza's tentacles were quite "impressive," and Thales never wanted to experience the warm, substantial, and sticky sensation of hitting them again.

too disgusting.

But this time, Thales simply lowered his head and charged forward with his dagger raised.

However, Thales surprisingly encountered no real obstacle that held him back for more than a few seconds, despite how terrifying the tentacles had looked earlier.

Thales stared intently at the ground, refusing to let the surging tentacles obstruct his vision, and kept running, relying solely on his last breath.

He stumbled headlong into the mass of tentacles encasing the black sword.

The wall of flesh and blood formed by tentacles crumbled at the slightest touch, and ashes fell continuously in front of him.

If any part of his sword gets entangled by tentacles, Thales instinctively moves the blade toward that spot—and in just a few seconds, the tentacles tremble slightly and then loosen and turn to ash.

Like ripples on a lake, the tentacles trembled and retreated in front of him.

It coiled up towards the base at an even faster speed than when it came.

But Thales remained oblivious, charging forward with his sword raised.

The next second, he felt his feet sink into the ground.

Thales panicked and fell downwards!

But he did not fall.

A muffled thud was heard.

Thales felt a sharp pain in his head, as if he had bumped into a thick wall.

He was caught by something at just the right moment.

"enough!"

Black Sword's cold voice rang in my ears.

Thales was startled and then raised his head.

Black Sword, now freed from his predicament, looked grim. He gripped Thales's wrist tightly, holding the small red sword to his neck.

“That’s enough,” Black Sword said coldly, releasing his arm along with the small sword.

Still shaken, Thales finally regained his breathing.

Having survived the ordeal, he looked around and saw the tentacles retreating in droves, sparsely curling back, withering in place, or disappearing into the darkness.

It was as if nothing had happened.

But not a single person was to be seen.

Thales ran forward a couple of steps in a daze, but all he could see were corpses and withered tentacles scattered on the ground.

“It’s too late,” Black Sword said weakly, his sharp eyes fixed on the darkness in the distance. “We can’t catch up.”

Thales' heart skipped a beat. He clutched the small red sword, then slid helplessly to the ground, biting his lower lip.

However, his left hand accidentally pressed something.

A hard object.

Thales lowered his head, then shuddered.

Those are Little Sly's glasses.

Those black-rimmed glasses that seemed out of place on her.

One of the lenses is already partially scratched.

However, its owner...

Thales felt a pang of sadness.

Little rascal...

He dragged her away from King Nunn, pulled her away from Ashida, and pulled her out of Giza's tentacles.

But now, she has ultimately been...

Thinking of this, Thales felt a lump in his throat and a huge rock lodged in his heart.

No.

Thales picked up the badly damaged glasses and bit his lip hard.

In his mind, however, he couldn't stop recalling the moment when the little rascal clung tightly to his arm, then was submerged in tentacles, screaming as he was dragged away.

No.

Black Sword clutched his chest, swayed as he sat down, spat out a mouthful of blood, and after calming his breathing, finally raised his head.

Thales closed his eyes tightly and lowered his head.

Seeing Thales's state, Black Sword sighed deeply.

"It seems you really did something..." Black Sword looked at the withered, blackened tentacles around him, which had even scattered into ashes, and said slowly:
"It only reacts to your touch."

"That sword seems to only work in your hands—to restrain magic users."

Immersed in unspeakable sorrow, Thales trembled slightly.

Thales's eyes swept blankly over the bright red weapon in his hand.

"Do you have anything to explain?" Black Sword shook his head, his previous expression vanishing, and said calmly.

Thales frowned, looking at the black sword with a mixture of resentment and annoyance.

Why is he still concerned about this?

Thales remained silent for a long while before speaking.

"An explanation?" Thales gave a mournful, cold laugh. "An explanation my ass."

Black Sword ignored his words and instead stared at Thales' face.

A few seconds later, Black Sword suddenly spoke:
"Azure Ambition".

Thales replied absentmindedly, "What?"

"What's your connection to that place?" Black Sword asked seriously.

At this moment, Thales felt a surge of resentment filling his chest. He had no intention of paying any attention to the black sword and coldly said, "What the hell does it have to do with me!"

Thales lowered his head and gritted his teeth.

He closed his eyes, trying his best not to look at the corpses lying on both sides of the street, which were even more unrecognizable after being attacked by the tentacles.

Black Sword did not answer him, but simply tilted his head, frowned, and looked at the darkness in the distance.

"Don't you know?" After a moment, Black Sword's tone turned cold: "She suffered this because of you."

Thales raised his head, trembling, and looked at the black sword with a flicker in his eyes.

“Everyone here, including Ramon, thousands upon thousands—died because of you, and you should know that yourself,” Black Sword said emotionlessly. “How does it feel?”

Thales was breathing unconsciously, his eyes empty and lifeless.

"This is the disaster brought by those monsters," Black Sword said calmly. "Twelve years ago, I witnessed such a tragedy: corpses everywhere, countless ruins, comrades taken from us, innocent people caught in the crossfire, and the monsters' indifferent, hateful gazes..."

"To those monsters, we are nothing more than thinking and talking insects, insignificant compared to their goal—even if it is an utterly absurd and ridiculous one."

Thales gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes: "What are you implying?"

“The mage destroyed the entire city, and I, including you and me, must take responsibility for it,” Black Sword let out a long breath, seemingly his injuries had healed considerably. “So we have to do something… even if it’s just for the girl beside you, isn’t it?”

Thales gripped his black-rimmed glasses and regulated his breathing.

“You need my help,” Thales said firmly.

Black Sword nodded slowly.

“This sword only works when you have it,” the black sword stared into Thales’ eyes. “Now that we have this weapon, we must do something.”

“So—yes, I need your help.” Black Sword repeated his words.

"What do you want to do?" Thales' breathing became erratic, and his voice was somewhat hollow.

This time, Black Sword stared at him for a long time before slowly speaking.

“Look around us, look at the ruins they left behind…” Black Sword stood up shakily from the ground, his eyes gazing into the distance. “That thing is still raging—I guess Dragon Sky City has lost control of the situation.”

Thales was jolted awake; he realized what was happening.

"You want..."

Thales was somewhat surprised. He followed the black sword's gaze and turned to look at Kirika in the distance: "You want to go find... the Blood Mage?"

“We must end all of this,” Black Sword nodded.

"End the nightmare in this city."

"If we're lucky..."

"They might even be able to rescue that girl..."

"If she hasn't been eaten by that thing yet."

Thales' breathing gradually quickened.

“Otherwise, as long as you’re here, as long as that thing is here,” Black Sword said meaningfully, “you and the unlucky ones around you will never have peace—even if that girl is rescued, she will eventually fall back into the hands of those monsters.”

"Even if you have this sword."

Thales frowned and looked at the small sword in his hand.

“The Blade of Purification.” He whispered a few seconds later.

"What?" Black Sword frowned.

“The name of this sword,” Thales stared at the sword in his hand, at its blood-red blade, a resolute glint in his eyes: “is called the Blade of Purification.”

Black Sword looked at him and suddenly laughed: "So you do know something after all."

“Not much more than you,” Thales said, his eyes lifeless and devoid of emotion.

"So, little one, what's your decision?" Black Sword didn't continue the topic. He looked at the little prince with piercing eyes: "As the youngest... legendary leader of the anti-magic forces in history."

Thales took a deep breath.

He looked at the Purifying Blade in his hand.

All that remained in my ears was the howling wind and the faint hissing sound of the multi-headed snake.

The image of Ashida's deep gaze appeared before his eyes.

Giza's gentle smile.

The little rascal's tearful expression.

The cries of the northern inhabitants fleeing for their lives echoed in my ears.

In that instant, Thales's eyes hardened.

"Okay, I'll go with you..."

But before he could finish speaking, Black Sword suddenly spoke up: "Just a heads up."

Thales was taken aback.

“Overuse of legendary anti-magic weapons will put a huge strain on the body,” Black Sword said calmly. “If you can’t control their power—it will be dangerous.”

Thales was slightly taken aback by what he heard. He lowered his head and examined the Cleansing Blade in his hand again.

Under the moonlight, its blood-red sword blade looked so vivid and dazzling.

"Danger?" he asked, bewildered.

“Especially those who haven’t reached the pinnacle, they can’t guarantee absolute control over the legendary anti-magic forces…” Black Sword’s voice continued, “And you…”

"You'd better think this through." Black Sword's words were utterly cold.

Thales frowned deeply.

In that instant, he suddenly thought of Gilbert and Yodl, and Ginny.

He recalled their eyes—though he had never seen the Yodl's eyes.

He recalled Gilbert's words to him: when disaster strikes, the first thing to do is to protect yourself.

But then he remembered his identity.

Isn't every time we use magical energy, the cost is always high?

And—he remembered Giza's smile again, and her gentle yet resolute gaze.

She won't let herself off the hook.

“You were just trying to persuade me to go with you to find the mage,” Thales sneered, “and now you’re saying this?”

"And what's your answer?" Black Sword raised an eyebrow slightly.

Thales's gaze gradually focused.