Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 256 Counterattack

Chapter 256 Counterattack
Two of the braziers in the Hall of Heroes have gone out.

But at this moment, no one in the stone hall was paying attention to the temperature anymore.

"Lumba's goal is not just to assassinate King Nuen."

Thales finally managed to catch his breath, and the Star Prince's voice rang out softly: "He also wants to make the most of King Nunn's death to achieve his goal!"

The prince raised his head and looked at the four dukes with subtle expressions: "You can imagine: King Nuen just executed one of the five dukes last night in the name of revenge, and in the blink of an eye he died beside the other four."

What kind of situation would that be?

Grand Duke Lecco clasped his hands together, his gaze fixed.

What will happen...?
The eldest prince looked at Rumba, his thoughts churning.

In contrast, Rumba's gaze toward Thales returned to its deathly stillness, making the latter feel uneasy.

But Thales remained remarkably calm, continuing, “I don’t know the specifics of Lumba’s plan, but in his mind, you would probably be the prime suspects, unable to defend yourselves and in a terrible predicament—and you would be in the unfamiliar city of Dragonstreet, where the shrewd and capable Prime Minister Lisbon would likely be a formidable opponent.”

The prince recalled the intelligence and truth he had gathered bit by bit during his tense and dangerous escape from the assassination attempt onwards, and sighed slightly: "Next, with the 'help' of the secret room, the Prime Minister of Lisbon and the four 'suspects' of the regicide will inevitably clash."

"To completely push you to the opposite side of Dragon Sky City!"

A subtle silence fell over the hall.

The dukes all looked at Rumba, each pondering Thales' words with a different expression.

Thales walked to the rectangular table, and under the displeased gaze of Grand Duke Ronnie, jumped onto a chair and met the eyes of Grand Duke Leco opposite him: "I just heard that even now, the Prime Minister of Lisbon is besieging the city gate?"

Rumba turned his head away without saying a word, as if he were not the main character in the conversation.

“I couldn’t understand why Lombard would bring an army along with the assassination attempt on the king,” Thales took a deep breath, recalling the soldiers disguised as patrols and his suspicions in the prison cell. “Now I believe that Lombard’s army was there to intervene in the conflict if things got out of control and rescue you dukes.”

Trudida raised his head.

"Why?" the Grand Duke of Rebuilding the Tower asked solemnly, "Assuming what you say is true, why would Rumba do this?"

Thales paused slightly.

"To persuade you," he said expressionlessly.

"What?" Grand Duke Trudida asked in surprise.

"You, who are suspected of regicide and are irreconcilable with the Prime Minister, will surely accept Rumba's proposal in order to protect yourselves, and will be willing and even eager to push the blame for the King's death onto the Star Kingdom and onto me."

At this point, Thales's face darkened.

“You will voluntarily become accomplices of Lumba, joining him in the invasion of the stars: both to eliminate the threat posed by King Nunn and to fulfill his long-cherished wish,” Thales sighed softly under Selma’s strange gaze.
"This is Rumba's real original plan—to use scheming and framing to tie his allies to his war chariot."

The dukes' gazes kept shifting back and forth between Rumba and Thales.

The Grand Duke of Black Sands remained motionless, his eyes growing increasingly calm.

Thales let out a breath, leaned back wearily in his chair, and looked at Grand Duke Ronnie's increasingly grim expression with a strange expression.

Did I offend him?

Archduke Aurelius tapped the square table solemnly, his deep voice resounding: "If this was Charman's original plan, then why did he change his mind?"

Thales clenched his fist, remembering Putila's words.

“To Rumba’s surprise, the assassination went awry,” Thales replied calmly. “King Nunn was not in Valhalla as he had intended.”

"Lumba had to expose himself and enter the city ahead of time to witness Nunn's death in the Shield Zone."

The prince raised his eyes, his grey eyes sweeping over each of the grand dukes:
"He has lost control of the situation and can no longer shift the blame to you or use the situation and crisis to force you to ally with him."

"That's why we're in this situation now."

"Lumba had to risk taking down the city gates and personally enter the Hall of Heroes to persuade you to put aside the mystery surrounding Nun's death and cooperate with him."

Thales let out a slow sigh: "Unlike his previous plans that relied on forcing people to join him, this time he will use a reason that you simply cannot refuse to persuade you to join his grand plan."

His words trailed off.

Leave the silence to the hall.

The expressions of the grand dukes were quite amusing.

"Is this all you wanted to say?"

Grand Duke Leco pondered for a moment: "Chaman originally planned to use some underhanded methods to drag us onto the war chariot?"

Rumba snorted coldly.

"Just empty words," the Black Sand Grand Duke said with disdain and indifference, "and there are many doubts about them."

Thales gritted his teeth.

But Trudida interrupted his rebuttal.

“Our Black Sands Grand Duke is very shrewd,” the Rebuilt Tower Grand Duke smiled slightly, “but so what?”

“Even if he originally intended to scheme against and frame us,” Grand Duke Trudida turned to the others and gently spread his hands, “it’s too late now.”

The Grand Duke turned his head slightly and looked at Thales.

At that moment, a cold glint flashed in Trudida's eyes: "For Exter's sake, what must be done must be done."

"You can't change anything."

Lumba remained expressionless, but the Grand Duke of Black Sands turned his face and nodded slightly to Trudida.

Thales was slightly taken aback.

He observed the expressions of the several grand dukes and found that they all seemed unmoved.

Selma approached him worriedly and tugged at the hem of his torn clothes.

But Thales laughed.

Before the grand dukes, His Highness the Prince smiled with relief.

"My lords."

“How did Charman Lumba convince you?” Thales scanned the powerful lords one by one, pursing his lips. “What irresistible reason did he give you to get you to cooperate?”

The dukes' expressions turned somewhat grim.

“It’s alright,” Thales closed his eyes and sighed. “Actually, I already guessed some of it on my way here.”

Rumba's pupils paused slightly.

"Did he tell you that, compared to Lombard's disloyalty," Thales straightened up and faced the dukes seriously, "that a far more terrible threat is rising in your southern kingdom, one that even the mighty Exter cannot withstand?"

At that moment, the dukes all seemed somewhat uneasy.

It seems a little unusual to hear those words coming from the Star Prince.

Rumba gave a soft hum.

But Thales ignored the Grand Duke of Black Sands.

This is his turn.

Thales clenched his fist lightly.

"Did he tell you that the country that followed the empire is undergoing a transformation of unprecedented magnitude?" Thales's eyes sharpened, his voice rising. "The power of their entire nation is being united like never before, becoming more efficient and responsive than ever before?"

Selma looked surprised.

"Did he tell you that only by striking first, by using war and violence, and by nipping the threat in the bud, could Exter find a way out?"

Archduke Aurelius and Trudida exchanged a surprised glance.
"Did he also tell you that if you don't do this, one day your territory will be taken away, your family will perish, your bloodline will be cut off, and everything you own will be reduced to ashes and cease to exist?"

Grand Duke Lecce's brow twitched, and the veins on his hands bulged again.

Thales took a deep breath and said his last words: "Did he also tell you that everything Chaman Lumba did, whether it was a coup, regicide, or starting a war, was a choice he had to make, a step he had no other choice but to take, a sacrifice he was willing to bear the stigma of, the courage of a ruthless leader, and the righteousness of sacrificing himself for his country?"

After saying that, Thales felt that Rumba's gaze was growing colder and colder.

“Well,” Grand Duke Trudida sighed softly, “for these few words—you certainly live up to your reputation, lad.”

Grand Duke Ronnie frowned:
"Who told you that?"

“That’s not important—but this is how he convinced you,” Thales gritted his teeth, ignoring the dukes’ strange looks, “you accepted his reasoning, you agreed to cover up the truth about the king’s death, you were willing to travel south to the stars with him, and you accepted his offer of the unclaimed Dragonhill City as a gift.”

"Just for Exter?"

Just as the dukes were filled with doubt and uncertainty, Thales suddenly raised his head and said through gritted teeth, "But don't you find it strange?"

Thales abruptly stood up from his chair, bracing himself on the square table with both hands, his expression grave:

"If he can convince you on his own—like now—then why did the original plan involve such elaborate scheming and framing, forcing you to the opposite side of Dragon Sky City?"

The prince clenched his fist: "Why didn't he just swagger in and tell you: 'For the sake of Exter, and to prevent everything you have from being destroyed by the future Star Kingdom, please understand his unavoidable predicament and cooperate with his selfless act?'"

Trudida looked up, glanced at the silent Rumba, and smiled: "That's what he's doing now, isn't it?"

Thales stared intently at Rumba, at his hand resting on the sword at his waist.

“As I just said, he’s being forced to do this now—it’s a backup plan,” the prince said softly.

"Otherwise, unless absolutely necessary, Rumba would never have used this reason to persuade you—he has no intention of telling you about the threat of the stars, the upheaval in that kingdom, or his true purpose."

Grand Duke Lecce frowned slightly: What's the real purpose?
Thales slammed his fist on the table, recalling what Srace had said: "Rumba would rather you join his ranks because of your opposition to Dragon City than because you have sensed the threat from Star City."

"Why?" Grand Duke Ronnie asked impatiently. "Just say it. Northerners hate beating around the bush."

Thales turned to him.

"Why?" The Prince of Stars narrowed his eyes. "Because this is his true feeling."

"Moreover, because he was afraid."

At that moment, Thales finally saw Rumba, who had been expressionless the whole time, slowly raise his head.

The Black Sand Duke looked at him, the coldness in his eyes turning into deathly stillness.

Thales stared back at him without flinching, biting his lip.

This is our battle.

It is also the fairest battlefield.

Are you ready, Rumba?

And now, it's my turn to fight back.

"Afraid?" Trudida asked, puzzled.

Thales nodded slowly but firmly.

"What he fears is that you will find something amiss in his words."

Thales Star took a deep breath: "He's afraid that once you start to think about it carefully, you'll discover how cruel the truth is hidden behind the reason of 'the threat of the stars'."

"The truth?" Grand Duke Ronnie murmured, repeating himself.

next second.

"My lords!" Thales straightened up, stepping onto his chair, his expression serious: "If you accept Lumba's proposal today and annex Dragonsreach City..."

"...They sent troops south to invade the stars."

Grand Duke Lecco unconsciously sat up straight.

Ronnie lifted his chin.

Trudida and Aurelius both looked grave. As for Rumba—his lifeless eyes hadn't moved for a long time.

But Thales had no time to worry about his opponent.

“From now on, every one of you, every family, every territory, every grand duke,” Thales gritted his teeth, solemnly sweeping his gaze over each grand duke, noticing their increasingly complex and nuanced expressions, “will all be caught in an unstoppable storm…”

"When disaster strikes, there is no hope of redemption!"

----

A sword wind strikes!

It cleaved straight down the back of the Fire Knight's neck!
At the critical moment, Tuleha, whose right hand was restrained by Raphael, decisively released his left hand and let go of Wya, whose struggles were becoming weaker and weaker.

The Fiery Knight swung his remaining left arm back!
"Clang!" A piercing, sharp sound rang out!

"Hiss!" Tuleha's neck turned bright red.

Cohen's powerful sword strike landed squarely on Tuleha's arm guard in mid-air!
The sword tip barely grazed the Fire Knight's neck, piercing his skin.

Blood slowly trickled from the knight's neck, and he let out a low groan.

Tuleha's arm armor was cleaved open by Cohen's sword, and blood seeped from the crack.

The officer felt a chill: the enemy had managed to defend against the fatal blow.

"Bet your lives? You bunch of hothouse plants," Tuleha said in a deep voice, pressing the longsword against his left arm and feeling the pain radiating from it, ignoring the blood streaming down his neck. "You are not worthy."

Cohen gripped his longsword tightly and slashed down again, causing Tuleha's arm armor to groan as it deformed.

Raphael gritted his teeth, and the strange muscles in his arm swelled up rapidly again, gripping the enemy's right arm and weapon tightly, trying to create another opportunity for Cohen.

Sensing the extraordinary strength of his opponent, Tuleha turned his eyes, his sharp gaze fixed on Raphael.

"Young masters."

“While your father was bestowing rewards for your mother’s swollen belly,” Tuleha’s face contorted, his right arm locked in a fierce struggle with Raphael’s suddenly increased strength, while his left arm withstood Cohen’s power mixed with the force of death, “I was shivering in the snow in the wilderness, beside my mother’s stiffened corpse, struggling through yet another damned winter!”

"Crack!"

The power of termination burned through his entire body like flames—Tuleha roared as he turned his neck.

He pulled back his arm guard, breaking free from Cohen's longsword, leaving a trail of blood.

The injured guard was pulled off balance by him and stumbled.

The next instant, Tuleha released the Rising Sun Saber in his right hand.

The Rising Sun Saber fell to the ground, its blade losing its scorching heat, and bounced with a clanging sound.

Raphael watched as his opponent's weapon fell beside him, and a sudden sense of unease arose in his heart!
Not good.

Sure enough, without the saber to restrain him, Tuleha stopped trying to wrestle with the ridiculously strong Raphael. Instead, he lowered his body and rammed his right shoulder into Raphael!

Raphael felt a sway in his body, followed by a jolt in his back!
"boom!"

Before Cohen could react, Raphael was slammed against the wall by the Fiery Knight.

Raphael's face turned pale, and he coughed painfully, but he still held the other's right hand tightly.

“While you were crying loudly in your luxurious swaddling clothes,” Tuleha said, burning with the power of endings as he held Raphael tightly, his eyes terrifying, “I was bleeding and covered in wounds in the dust of the countryside, for a piece of moldy bread.”

Cohen's heart tightened, and he thrust his longsword forward!

Tuleha, his face contorted with malice, turned sideways to dodge Cohen's sword aimed straight for his chest.

"laugh!"

Cohen's longsword sliced through Tuleha's shoulder armor, sending shards flying, and the blade sparked as it struck the wall.

But Tuleha ignored his shoulder injury and delivered another shoulder strike to Raphael, who was pinned against the wall!
"boom!"

He crashed heavily into Raphael's chest!
Raphael let out a painful groan and finally released the other's right arm.

"While you are comfortably reading and learning to read in your studies," Tuleha withdrew his right hand and spoke in a cold voice, "I am dragging my scarred shoulders, carrying the most stinking garbage and excrement, learning to count from the crisp sound of each coin."

The Fiery Knight whirled around and caught Cohen's sword as it slashed down again in mid-air!
"Keng!"

A sharp friction was heard between the sword's edge and Tuleha's iron gauntlet.

Blood flowed from between the knight's fingers.

The guard stared in astonishment at the beast-like, fiery knight, and tried to pull his longsword back.

“When you were learning to wield a wooden sword in the manor,” Tuleha punched Raphael in the stomach with his right fist, knocking him unconscious and causing him to bend over, “I fought with my last strength on the vast glaciers, wounded and battling wild beasts, my companions, the weather, the terrain, and all my enemies!”

The Fiery Knight grabbed Cohen's sword and charged back!
Cohen tried to raise his arm to defend himself, but Tuleha suddenly kicked him in the knee!

"boom!"

The guard dropped his longsword and fell to the ground.

“When you’re flirting with girls at a banquet…” Tuleha stretched out his right hand and pried open the shattered shoulder and arm armor.

The Fiery Knight coldly shed the cumbersome robes and other garments, revealing his grotesque, blood-red body with its skin torn open—from his neck and shoulders to his arms, it was covered in severe burn scars, pitted and terrifying.

Tuleha's expression was icy, but his eyes were fiery as he tossed aside Cohen's blood-stained longsword.

He turned around and threw a punch!
"boom!"

Raphael, who had just stood up and was preparing to launch a sneak attack, was struck on the head by the Fire Knight and slammed into the wall again.

"I crawled out from under the charred corpse burned by kerosene, groaning in pain from burns all over my body, hoping to see the sun rise the next day."

Cohen gritted his teeth and got up amidst anxiety and anger, roaring as he charged at his enemy, unleashing a powerful punch.

"boom!"

The fist struck the knight squarely in the cheek!
This caused the latter to pause slightly.

But Tuleha just roared and bent over, bracing himself against Cohen's charge, ignoring the heavy punch the guard threw at his face.

It seems like this is just a trivial mosquito bite.

“Born in the fires of hell,” he said, reaching out with both hands to expertly grab Cohen’s outstretched arm, pinning his legs and hoisting Cohen’s body onto his shoulders.

"—This is the true origin of the Fiery Knights!"

The next second, Tuleha, with a crazed expression, used his hands to forcefully turn around, arching the struggling Cohen into the air and slamming him hard to the ground!
"boom!"

The tall guard was thrown heavily to the ground, landing on his back.

Cohen felt excruciating pain all over his body, dizziness, and all his strength was leaving him.

"Risking your life?"

"You young masters will never understand."

Tuleha straightened up, shook his slightly reddened cheek, and spat out a bloody tooth without a care: "To stand in the same manor as you, I have crawled through mud and blood all the way, and risked my life countless times in endless hell."

Tuleha was half-naked, covered in wounds, blood streaming down his body, and his expression was ferocious and terrifying.

“Even if we are both at the highest level, our lives,” the Fire Knight turned coldly to look at Raphael, who had stood up again, “are far apart.”

Raphael wiped the blood from his forehead, enduring waves of dizziness, and drew his broken longsword from his waist.

“You are a formidable warrior,” the young man from the Secret Service said forcefully, throwing out a starting stance. He glanced at the dying Cohen and frowned. “As one of the ‘Five Warriors,’ you live up to your reputation.”

Tuleha turned his head and glanced at the Rising Sun Saber on the ground—it was still some distance away from him.

“But with your skills,” Raphael said in a deep voice, “why would you follow Rumba down this path of regicide and treason?”

"To experience more hell?"

The Fiery Knight snorted coldly, kicked up Cohen's longsword "The Bearer," grabbed it, and tested its weight and length.

The next second, Tuleha roared and charged in front of him!
Raphael's eyes narrowed.

"Clang!" The two swords crossed, and Raphael desperately blocked the opponent's horizontal slash.

But Tuleha had no intention of competing with his opponent in swordsmanship. Like a real beast, he pressed his left arm against the spine of the sword and pushed Raphael against the wall!
"Bang!" Raphael, trying to block the knight's sword, was slammed against the wall, his longsword pressed against his chest.

Tuleha's face was contorted with rage. His left elbow suddenly shot up, and the two longswords with their cross-shaped cross were twisted into an "X" shape!

The Fire Knight's left arm pressed down on the upper part of the "X," pressing firmly against Raphael's throat, making it hard for him to breathe.

“When you were traveling the world with your swords and glory on your backs,” Tuleha said through gritted teeth, “I stood before a desolate village, on barren land where even weeds could not grow, and wept bitterly for the first inheritance and the first title I had earned with thirty years of youth and life.”

Raphael struggled painfully, unable to breathe, but Tuleha pressed relentlessly on his sword, his elbows pressing against his trachea.

The Fiery Knight gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with a mixture of pain and hope: "Having gone through all this, I can stand here, facing you, the chosen ones of heaven, and raise my weapon to compete with you."

"You ask me why I follow the Grand Duke?"

"Bang!" The Fire Knight roared, and with a headbutt, he slammed Raphael hard into the forehead.

"clang!"

Raphael's longsword came loose and fell from his hand.

The young man from the secret society seemed to lose consciousness and slid helplessly off the wall, only to be grabbed by the collar by Tuleha.

"boom!"

The knight turned and delivered a knee strike, knocking Wyah, who had just gotten up from the ground, back down, spitting blood.

“You don’t understand…” Tuleha gasped for breath, habitually swinging the sword in his right hand—the weight-bearer was clearly not his usual weapon.

He looked at Cohen, who was struggling on the ground, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Your Excellency the Grand Duke of Black Sands..."

"His Excellency the Grand Duke..."

“What he sees is a much more distant future.” The Fire Knight took a deep breath, his expression filled with longing: “A new world unlike any other, where everyone can have their own future.”

Tuleha, panting heavily, stretched out his left arm, grabbed Raphael by the neck, and lifted him up.

"For the Grand Duke's ideals, and even more so for the future he promised," the terrifying Fire Knight licked the blood from his lips, pulled his enemy closer, and stared directly into Raphael's eyes:

"I am willing to pay any price."

The Fiery Knight let out a difficult breath.

Raphael just clenched his teeth, his eyes unfocused, staring helplessly into the enemy's eyes.

“Whatever the obstacle,” Tuleha raised Cohen’s sword, his eyes bulging, staring intently and fanatically at Raphael:
"I must all be crushed."

In that instant, Raphael saw the little girl from many years ago before his eyes.

Mira.

He thought vaguely, then closed his eyes.

I am sorry.

The next second, the Fire Knight thrust his sword forward without hesitation.

"laugh!"

The blade pierced Raphael's heart.

It came out from behind.