Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 772 Broken Sword
Thales finished speaking.

The reverse scimitar remained silent, with only Miranda's labored breathing echoing in the tunnel.

Thales slowly raised his hand, trying to negotiate:
"You see, I know you, so..."

“You’ve mistaken me for someone else,” the Extreme Assassin’s gaze shifted, and he coldly denied it. “I’m not the boss, nor do I own a bar.”

what?
Telston was taken aback.

"Admit, admit your mistake? No, no, no, how could that be? I've been very careful with this knife of yours..."

Thales glanced at Miranda, who was being held hostage, and hesitated about how to explain—wait, what?

In that instant, Thales suddenly realized something was wrong!

What about the knife?
Where is the curved knife that was held against Miranda's neck? Where did it go?
If he didn't have that knife, how was he supposed to explain them to her...?

The next second, the Sin of the River of Hell within him erupted into flames!

A chilling killing intent spread through Thales's hellish senses, making his hair stand on end.

"Your Highness!"

Miranda, now free from her captivity, turned around and hurriedly reminded him:
"careful!"

Thales jolted awake, as if from a dream:

It's not just a knife.

What about people?

The reverse scimitar standing behind Miranda... is gone?

Where did she go?

When did you disappear?

Wasn't I staring at him the whole time—damn!

The next instant, amidst the mad roar of the River of Sin, Thales, who instinctively wanted to retreat, was horrified to find that the strange blade that had mysteriously disappeared had suddenly reappeared, just inches from his eyes!

Oh no, when did we arrive?
Thales was terrified and desperately tried to dodge, but he found that the distance was too close and he couldn't avoid it!

Was this a plot device reminiscent of Batman, or did the other person cheat by using an invisibility cheat?

The River of Sin roared in despair. In his dying moments, the boy struggled to move while lost in thought.

But at that moment, a sharp sword light appeared from behind him, striking first despite being behind, and went straight for the curved blade that was sure to win!

call!call!
The wind howled, causing Thales' eardrums to ache.

But the anticipated clash of swords did not occur.
The sword's momentum was unstoppable, while the saber's moves were swift and retreating.

The wind from the blade and the light of the sword clashed in the air, barely grazing Thales's forehead.

Thales' eyes widened; the Sin of the River of Hell enhanced his senses, allowing him to see clearly in the slowed-down time:
The curved blade narrowly dodged the deadly sword light, and landed steadily with a side flip.

Beside Thales, a thin, plainly dressed, scruffy swordsman raised an old, rusty sword.

The first round ended there.

The clashes between the prince, one sword and one blade, were swift and tortuous, ending inconclusively. Yet, they left Thales drenched in cold sweat, the sins of the River of Hell within him stirring restlessly.

“Well hidden, swordsman,” the curved blade raised his head, his eyes flashing coldly behind his mask. “You almost killed me.”

No, it's very different.

The gaunt and disheveled Knight Cassien stood beside Thales, on high alert, as if facing a formidable enemy.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness Thales, the ambush failed."

Cassandra felt heavy-hearted, knowing that he had already been at a disadvantage in their initial exchange.

The opponent was merely testing the waters.

However, he couldn't restrain himself and exposed his ambush.

Add to that the bizarre ability to suddenly disappear from sight...

This is an unprecedentedly formidable enemy.

If you want to live, you have to be prepared to die here.

"Ambush and kill?"

Reverse Blade glanced at Thales and gave a disdainful sneer, "I knew you were just making things up to stall for time."

"No no no..."

Thales, recovering from the near-miss, didn't have time to console himself and quickly waved his hand:
“Knight Cassien, this is not an ambush…this is…this is one of our own…”

"Since they're one of our own..."

Cassandra's gaze was like a sword, fixed on the assassin:
"Then why doesn't he just submit to orders?"

The curved blade seemed oblivious, remaining completely still.

"This one……"

Telston was momentarily speechless, as if in a dilemma:
"Well, not all of them are our own people, just acquaintances, old acquaintances... Anyway, Lord, Boss, before we make a move, let us..."

Thales turned to look at the reverse scimitar, but he was immediately startled:
She...

Disappeared again?

No way, they're doing it again—

The next second, Cassandra frowned, his aura changed, and he held his longsword horizontally in front of his chest!

"right!"

Miranda struggled to retrieve her weapon, covered one eye, and shouted from afar:
"On the wall!"

Cassandra's expression changed, he pulled Thales behind him and pointed his longsword!
On the right side of the pit wall, an unremarkable shadow moved slightly.

Under the solemn and suspicious gazes of the three, the curved blade, which had somehow become one with the shadows and pressed itself against the wall, finally let out a cold snort, slowly slid down to the ground, and returned to view, looking at Miranda behind it:
Cheating is wrong.

Cassandra stared at the mysteriously vanishing and reappearing assassin, his eyelids twitching, his grip on his longsword tightening.

"It's really not good."

Miranda gritted her teeth, covered her eyes, and shook her head, as if enduring some pain.
"Very... bad."

Unbeknownst to them, the three had once again come to an end in this round of contest between ambush and discovery, stealth and reconnaissance, assassination and counter-assassination.

What the hell...

As a witness, Thales breathed a sigh of relief:

Unlike the Yordles, who hide without a trace and never make a move until the very last moment or the decisive opportunity.

As an assassin, the Reverse Blade switches between appearing and hiding, deliberately putting pressure on and provoking opponents, leaving them caught off guard and uncertain of what to do. This makes him even more terrifying and chilling than the Masked Guard.

“Knight Cassandra, be careful. Besides being adept at disappearing into blind spots…” Miranda gritted her teeth and raised her sword, standing in front of and behind Cassandra to block the curved blade. “He is also very strong in head-on combat.”

“Very good,” Cassandra said calmly, “How does he compare to Lausanne II?”

"Compare?" the reverse-curved blade scoffed.

The Extreme Knight and the Extreme Assassin exchanged a glance, and the killing intent in the air returned.

Oops.

Thales scratched his head in frustration.

No, no, no, no... This shouldn't be happening... If this continues, we'll both suffer heavy losses...

"Oh! Old man—boss, do you remember me?"

Suddenly, Thales thought of something and quickly spoke up:
"When you were little, you hugged... uh, you even hit me!"

what?
Upon hearing this, the two experts, who were gathering their strength and exchanging sharp blows, both paused.

"Yes, that day was Fuxing Festival. I was hungry, so I sneaked into the kitchen... but you, the boss, found me when you came back, and you thought I stole something..."

Thales took a deep breath, recalling the events as he drew the dagger from his lower back:

"Yara's things."

Seeing the dagger's unique reflection, the curved blade's eyes flickered.

“A lie,” she said coldly.

"And your knife!"

Thales quickly spoke, finishing his sentence before she disappeared again:

"This knife of yours, it was a birthday gift from her, Yara... You also have four spare knives with different weights to deal with different situations, right?"

Miranda and Cassandra both looked at them with surprise and suspicion.

But the reverse-curved blade neither spoke nor moved.

well.

This is a good sign.

“I know, that year, your old cleaver got badly chipped and couldn’t be repaired, so Yara wanted to give you a new set of knives, a set of knives that could ‘chop faster’…”

Thales dared not delay and carefully considered his words:

"This knife started as just a concept, but turning it into a finished product was no easy feat: its unique shape, wider at the front and narrower at the back, the curvature of the reverse bend and the width of the belly, the proportions of each part, the choice of materials... everything required precise calculations and repeated verification..."

Looking at the strangely curved knife with a familiar shape, he sighed:

"Karachi in South Street is a very skilled blacksmith. He took a lot of money and made a huge promise, but he couldn't finish it even after a year, and it was past your birthday... In the end, Yara had to rely on Edmund's connections to find an expensive workshop run by a dwarf master to finally—"

"you."

The reverse blade suddenly spoke, interrupting Thales.

She slowly raised her knife, the curved tip pointing directly at the boy before her:

"you……"

Cassien and Miranda both frowned, poised to strike.

But the reverse blade ignored them, focusing solely on Thales.

She remembered.

One year, for the Revival Festival, Sunset Bar went all out and imported a batch of top-quality Allenby ham.

But the observant woman noticed that, for some reason, the hams in the warehouse were getting thinner and thinner. It was as if someone was picking a sliced ​​ham every day and slicing off a thin layer with an extremely sharp blade, and each time they were using a different ham to avoid being discovered.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she brandished a knife and threatened her gluttonous cook and brother, forbidding them from embezzling the shop's ham.

It was only then, seeing the shock, bewilderment, innocence, and grievance on the latter's face, that she understood something and resolved to wait and catch that despicable outsider thief.

Of course, because of Yara, the thief's punishment changed from a slit throat to a spanking.

"It's you."

The curved blade stared coldly at the boy and the sharp, familiar dagger in his hand:

"You little brat who stole ham."

Miranda and Cassandra both looked at him at the same time.

Sensing his boss's gaze, Thales instinctively put away his dagger and rubbed his backside.

Yes, it's me.

He forced an awkward smile:

"it's me."

The man with the curved blade scrutinized him for a while, then looked at his two opponents, one in front and one behind, and his expression gradually became serious.

"They call you Your Highness... Your surname is Canxing?"

"Yes, I..."

Thales suddenly remembered the “past” with Surreyton and the Palace of Renewal, and his words faltered.

"I……"

Thales was extremely troubled:
"I only found out later that my surname is Canxing."

Miranda and Cassian were both on high alert, quietly awaiting the outcome of Thales' negotiations.

But the reverse-curved blade remained silent.

She simply stared at Thales with an icy gaze, which grew colder and colder.

This is bad; trying to get closer to them doesn't seem to be working.

Thales's eyebrows twitched:
As the owner of Sunset Bar, who rarely shows his face, the old guy is as aloof, fierce, and unapproachable as ever, and he also hates bratty kids—even though he's no longer a bratty kid, he's a teenager!
We have no choice but to resort to other means.

Of course, if you can persuade the other party to put aside their hostility, or even take their side...

Thales took a deep breath and considered his strategy:
“Listen to me, boss. Regardless of whose money you took or whose instructions you were given to do this job, I believe the employer must have given you specific instructions and had certain concerns beforehand, especially since it involves Emerald City—”

"That's really clever."

The curved blade interrupted him with a cold laugh, no longer bothering to conceal its clear voice:
"A shining star, right under my nose for so many years?"

And she was completely unaware.

The other party also coincidentally came to her bar and got involved with her daughter.
What kind of conspiracy could possibly involve her?
And also, Black Sword... did those country bumpkin mercenaries who recklessly got involved in the royal conspiracy and wanted to compete with the disaster know about it?

Was it for this prince that they came to Black Street, seized territory, and founded the Black Street Brotherhood?

Did they reach another agreement with the Black Prophet?
Or did they have some kind of connection with Fuxing Palace?
But she was kept in the dark?

What a black sword!

The man with the curved blade had a cold gaze as he lightly twirled the blade in his hand.

You deserve to be killed by the mage again—no, you deserve to have your brothers killed again.

"Speaking of this, boss..."

Thales noticed that the other person's attitude was becoming increasingly hostile, so he quickly changed the subject:
"I heard you and Yara both moved... Sunset Bar has a new owner... I even asked someone to look for you two..."

But before he could finish speaking, he felt the sins of the River of Hell burning fiercely within him.

The curved blade in front of her hadn't disappeared, but she moved swiftly and rushed towards Thales!
Thales was suddenly startled.

"Watch out!" Miranda shouted as she chased after the assassin.

Cassandra raised his sword.

Seeing the conflict reignite, Thales was horrified:

"Do not--"

But it was too late for him.

"Back off."

Cassandra calmly shielded Thales, carefully observing every detail of his opponent's movements. He patiently waited for Thales to rush in before unleashing a powerful, waist-slashing sword strike!
The rapidly approaching curved blade's pupils contracted.

The next second, the Extreme Assassin touched the ground with his toes and his body inexplicably leaped into the air, narrowly dodging the sharp sword strike, and continued towards Thales.

But just as the curved blade flashed past the sword tip, Cassandra seemed to have foreseen this, taking a step and turning his wrist. The previous powerful sword move immediately dissipated, transforming into a long-hidden counter-attack sword that went straight for the curved blade's landing point!

Reverse Scimitar's heart sank.

The opponent's counter-move was premeditated, with perfect timing and angle.

It left her with no way to avoid it.

As expected, it is the sword of the ultimate realm.

but……

The Assassin abandoned Thales, turned around and slashed downwards, barely managing to block Cassie's blade!

The immense force caused her to groan.

Despite the tremors and pain that shot from his arm to his chest, Recurve Blade used the momentum of Cassandra's sword to push off the wall and leap into the air!
The opponent is undoubtedly the Extreme Realm, the only drawback is...

That's so amateurish.

The curved blade, enduring the pain, glanced regretfully at Thales below and thought coldly:

Will you kill someone?
If it were the Black Sword...

He would probably use himself and even the boy as bait, risking injury and hostage-taking, to hide this deadly follow-up sword strike in an even more dangerous place, leaving the reverse-curved blade no room for defense or deflection, let alone using its force to break through.

In just one round, both Black Sword and she, friend and foe, will fall.

Then it depends on who falls more completely, or who gets back up first.

After all, to fight against extreme conditions, one cannot be afraid of death.

Of course, if it were Black Sword instead, she wouldn't be foolish enough to face that chosen nemesis head-on, exchanging blood for blood and life for life.

As for now...

With a fierce grip, the man with the curved blade reached out and miraculously grabbed onto a gap in the wall. He swung through the air, barely dodging Cassandra's swinging sword!
Thales was pinned to the ground, only having time to see Cassandra's blade slash past his head, while the silhouette of the scimitar swept over him from even higher above, meeting his stunned gaze.

The next instant, the Extreme Assassin flipped over and broke through the encirclement, landing not far behind Cassandra and Thales.

Miranda rushed to Thales' side and shielded him behind her.

"No wonder he was the assassin who once infiltrated Kongming Palace and forced Emerald City to change hands."

Cassandra suppressed his surging blood and calmed his breathing before slowly turning around, ready for battle:
"Are you an unforgivable assassin, or a fearsome shield of shadows?"

With a cold laugh, she turned around, her gaze sharp and piercing.

"There are so many assassins in the world, and you only recognize Saridon?"

Cassandra frowned upon hearing this.

It must be known that from ancient times to the present—the scimitar scoffed—thousands of years have passed, and countless assassin families, gangs, groups, and organizations have risen and fallen, lived and died…

As for the so-called flower of assassins, Saridon, they were just a small group of those who were luckier and survived longer.

"As for the Shadows... they're just a bunch of killers who get paid to do their jobs."

The reverse-curved blade snorted coldly, its disdain evident in its words:
"You dare call yourself an assassin?"

Cassandra frowned.

"is that true?"

Thales got up from the dirty ground and insisted on asking:

"Boss, did you really kill the old Duke of Emerald City more than ten years ago?"

Upon hearing this, the reverse blade glanced at Thales.

Thales gritted his teeth and said:

"Who exactly commissioned you? Or who is blackmailing you? Why? Is that why you're hiding under an assumed name? And this time, what's the reason?"

The reverse blade didn't answer; she just gave Thales, who was surrounded by Cassandra and Miranda, a deep look.

"Kid."

She said coldly:

"Don't look for us again."

In that instant, the words of the reverse-curved blade seemed to come alive, piercing through the air and coldly reaching Thales' ears, causing him to tremble:
"Unless your butt is itchy again."

Ah, an ass?

Thales paused for a fraction of a second, then reacted and quickly spoke:
"Wait, I just want to—"

But in the next instant, the reverse-curved blade flashed and disappeared around the corner.

Thales stood there, his hands raised, staring blankly at the spot where his boss had disappeared.

But Cassandra remained motionless, his eyes fixed on the dark corner of the tunnel.

Miranda also covered one eye, gritting her teeth, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

Finally, after several seconds, Cassandra slowly lowered his longsword, looking at a new wound on the back of his hand with a complicated expression.

“The sense of threat has disappeared,” he said quietly, “at least in the vicinity.”

Upon hearing this, Miranda finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hold."

She shook her head, closed her eyes tightly, and leaned on the ground with her sword.

With the enemy gone and the tense atmosphere still lingering, the three remained silent, and the tunnel was quiet for a while.

But soon after, Thales and Miranda realized what was happening and hurriedly asked in unison:
"Is everything alright? How about Hilly? What about the others?"

"Your Highness! Why are you alone? Where are the others?"

The two were talking to themselves in a hurry, but Cassandra turned his head and looked solemnly at another corner of the tunnel.

"Thales?"

A trembling female voice rang out.

Thales was startled and quickly turned around:

"Hilary?"

Hila's figure appeared in the dim light; she leaned against the wall, weakly reaching out towards Thales.

"Taylor...is that you? And...Cassian?"

“Madam.” Cassie bowed respectfully, but her voice choked with emotion.

"Great!"

Thales strode forward, not even noticing the trembling prosthetic hand he kicked away along the way, and caught the swaying Hillay:

"It's good that you're alright, Hilla. Otherwise, Jenn might have... Hilla?"

Thales's voice trembled.

With the aid of his hellish senses, he was astonished to see:

Hilly's eyes were wrapped in thick bandages, almost covering half of her face from her forehead to her cheekbones.

"Your eyes...you're injured? She hurt you?"

Hilaire, who was blindfolded, trembled and quickly let go of his hand:
"No! It's nothing. My eyes got splashed with dust and dirty water, and they hurt. I used some eye drops to relieve it, and they'll be fine soon. By the way, how's the situation up there? What about Chadwi?"

“Chadvi…Chadvi…Oh, Chadvi is alright…but you…”

Perhaps Hillary herself cannot see it, but...

Thales stared at the girl in disbelief:
her eyes...

The bandages covering Hilly's eyes were stained with blood.

Even more crimson blood seeped out from under the bandages, staining them red inch by inch, which was quite frightening.

Her eyes, this is...

“It’s nothing,” Miranda said, stepping past Thales to support Hilly and fix her appearance, while coincidentally blocking his view. “The attack came too suddenly, and the lady got some dust in her eyes while trying to dodge. It’s not a big deal, but it’s embarrassing and she needs to rest and recover.”

"Yes, I'm fine, I just need, I need to rest... Let Cassandra, let Cassandra take me..." Hilly, blindfolded, spoke weakly, her head tilting to the side.

"Hilai!"

Thales was startled, but Cassandra appeared from behind and gently, slowly, yet undeniably, took the unconscious Hilla from Miranda's arms.
"As you wish, ma'am."

He carefully lifted Hilly up around the waist, his movements so practiced and his expression so calm, as if this wasn't the first time.

“I will escort the lady back to Kongming Palace immediately,” Cassien said decisively, turning around to block Hillay’s face from their view. “I will leave things here to you, Your Highness.”

“Of course, backup will arrive in fifteen minutes, but…” Thales stared blankly at the knight’s departing figure, still incredulous, “She, she is…”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” Miranda said, her expression grave, “the situation in the dungeon… may be quite bad.”

A few minutes later, Thales stood blankly outside the dungeon where Lausanne II was imprisoned, watching Miranda first help up Rolf, who had just regained consciousness, and then pull up Glov, who was still unconscious.

"Dumb? Dumb, are you alright? Do you remember what happened before you fainted? Did you see the enemy clearly? Were you taken down by a superpower or an assassin?"

Rolf clutched the back of his head in pain, his eyes glazed over, seemingly not fully awake yet.

But Thales ignored them, staring incredulously at the wide-open dungeon door and the crimson and blackness inside.

Behind that door, the hellish senses returned unsettling messages.

blood.

Blood was everywhere.

The blood was thick and had a strong, foul odor.

"Grover? Gorover Vanguard? Zombie? Wake up, wake up! Do you know where you are? Do you still recognize me? I am Aaron..."

Thales breathed heavily, and despite Miranda's attempts to dissuade him, he stepped through the dungeon door first.

As expected, the stone shackles that once bound the vampire assassin in the center of the dungeon were now empty; the prisoner had vanished without a trace. King Losang II was gone.

but……

Thales paused—he had accidentally stepped into a shallow pool of blood, the sticky, slippery sole of his boot making his foot tremble.

but……

In the dim light of the ever-burning lamp, Thales raised his foot, staring blankly at what lay before him:

A person.

A man lay quietly against the wall, motionless.

His sword lay forgotten beside him, stained with blood.

Thales paused for a moment in his thoughts.

That was not a prisoner, nor was it Lausanne II.

That is……

Thales took a deep breath, used all his strength to pull up his boots, and walked step by step toward the wall, until he reached the person on the ground.

That is……

The moment Thales saw the man's face, his mind went blank, his body went numb, and he felt as if all his emotions had vanished.

Then there are the Guardian Wings... Ordinary heroes, great protectors, who ensure your safety with their own flesh and blood, and pave the way for your glory with their blood and sweat...

[I am Danny Doyle, Your Grace, and the most reliable of your six guards!]

At this moment, DD—First Class Royal Guard Officer, Danny Doyle from Mirror Lake—was lying quietly in a pool of blood.

A horrific knife wound, covered in congealed blood, was clearly visible on his neck.

No.

Thales stumbled forward in a daze, came to the person on the ground, and slowly knelt down.

Is this really... him?
DD was still as handsome and dashing as before, but he no longer made that lazy, annoying voice, no longer cracked inappropriate jokes, no longer wore that ever-present smile, and no longer did anything stupid that made people angry.

He simply stared calmly and serenely at the dark ceiling, his eyes wide open, motionless, his face peaceful in death.

Just like at the royal banquet that day, when he stepped down from the platform, preparing to sacrifice his pawns in a duel.

[Your Highness, I know I've been overacting and trying too hard these past few days to please you, but... you're a good person.]

[It's much more relaxing here than at the Palace of Rejuvenation.]

If my father ever comes into this world... please remember this day.

No, how could it be, how could it be DD...

why.

Golov and Rolf outside are both fine, but why, why is DD the only one...?

The dazed Thales tried to reach for DD, but halfway through, he couldn't bring himself to lower his hand.

"Your Highness..."

Miranda's footsteps sounded behind her, then abruptly stopped, accompanied by a suppressed gasp.

This was followed by Rolf's hoarse, sorrowful voice, and Golov's voice filled with shock and pain:
"This is... no, no, no, Your Highness... how could this be..."

Thales didn't turn around. He stared at the motionless DD, trying his best to activate the Sin of the River of Hell, suppressing the trembling all over his body, and maintaining the last bit of his remaining rationality.

With a thud, Golov knelt down in disbelief beside DD, his still-wet blood splattering onto Thales' face, leaving a crimson stain.

“I…I placed him here…I thought it would be safe here, that the assassin couldn’t break free of his shackles…”

Miranda sighed, hesitating to speak:

"Golover Vanguard..."

Golov grasped DD's already cold hand, shocked and stunned:

“I thought that if someone were to break into the prison, they would have to… they would have to kill us first… DD shouldn’t… he shouldn’t be in this situation…”

Rolf, equally somber, limped over to Golov's side, hesitated for a moment, then knelt down on one knee and placed his hand on the latter's shoulder.

[What if you, Wyatt Cassel, were destined to be crushed to pieces and die simply by standing beside me, following in my footsteps, or even approaching me?]

"Then I'll have to choose a good spot."

“Your seat is taken, Wyman.”

Thales spoke softly, letting out an unconscious chuckle.

He stared intently at the blood-stained wound on the corpse's neck, and then he understood.

That's right, it's a reverse-curved blade.

A single stab to the neck caused fatal bleeding.

So, the boss—that old woman—is decisive and ruthless, showing no mercy to her subordinates.

No wonder she's Yara's mother.

Thales scoffed softly, his expression stiff.

From the very beginning, the man with the curved blade was prepared to kill.

However, Thales himself still harbored the illusion and wishful thinking that "everything can be settled" and "why should we both suffer losses," and wanted to eliminate the contradictions and stop the conflict.

How naive.

How sad.

The enemy is ruthless and cruel.

But you are weak and incompetent.

Thales looked at Danny Doyle's half-open, half-closed eyes, as if he were taking a nap, gave a self-deprecating laugh, and scoffed dismissively.

No, it's not just today.

The voice inside him grew stronger, as if it could conceal his guilt and remorse.

Throughout Emerald City, whether it was fear or worry, everyone involved knew and was prepared for a bloodbath, a fight to the death.

In fact, people have been dying in Emerald City for a long time.

It's just that it wasn't someone close to you who died.

Even worse, bloodshed began to occur throughout the entire kingdom.

Only you, only you, Thales Star, still cling to that pitiful, pathetic, hateful, and despicable fantasy.

Only you still want to charge towards that unattainable giant windmill with your old, sick horse, tattered armor, broken lance, and that ridiculous, self-righteous persistence.

The only result can be utter destruction.

It affects those around you.

And so DD died—the cold, blunt voice in Thales's heart, tearing his soul apart with a bloody thud, helping him withstand the overwhelming grief and sorrow:
Because of you.

Thales Shining Star.

And how will you respond?

Thales took a deep breath and opened his eyes coldly.

Correct.

Response.

Thales stared blankly at DD's body.

He must respond forcefully, no matter who he is dealing with.

Let this never happen again.

Thinking of this, Thales suddenly stood up, only to see a flurry of stars before his eyes.

He swayed, and his hand, which was supporting him on the ground, pressed into a pool of blood.

It feels cold and sticky to the touch.

For a moment, Thales' breath caught in his throat.

He stared blankly down, and with his blood-stained fingers, he scooped something up from the pool of blood beside DD.

It was an old, crooked structure, covered in blood, yet it was grinning at him...

Little teddy bear?

For a moment, Thales' pupils froze.

The sin of the River of Prisons suddenly became ineffective.

The boy began to tremble uncontrollably.

"why?"

Thales spoke in a trembling voice.

The three people, immersed in grief, turned around at the same time.

Why did he bring it with him?

Thales trembled as he picked up the blood-stained teddy bear, trying to wipe the blood away, but the more he wiped, the redder it became.
"Doesn't he usually keep it by his bedside?"

"Your Highness?" Golov asked, puzzled.

Why is he carrying this little bear?

Thales clutched the teddy bear, staring blankly at DD, who had been dead for some time, on the ground. His speech grew faster and more urgent, as if the question were of utmost importance:

"Why did he bring it with him? Why did he bring it here? Why bring it to such a dangerous place?"

The other three lowered their heads and remained silent; no one answered him.

"Why, why? Why?"

Unable to get an answer, Thales became increasingly anxious and couldn't help but shout:

"Why!"

“Because it was you who gave it to him,” Marius’s voice came from behind.

Thales was slightly taken aback.

Everyone turned around and saw Marius walk through the doorway, looking at DD on the ground with a complicated expression.

Before they knew it, their reinforcements arrived.

Morgan, Oscar Elson, Kusta, Neshi... many members of the Star Lake Guard stood outside the door, watching in shock and sadness what was happening in the dungeon.

“He said that with your temper, you never know when you might take it back,” Marius said softly, “so he has to keep it with him just in case.”

For occasional needs.

As soon as he finished speaking, Thales collapsed to the ground like a deflated balloon.

“Your Highness…” Miranda tried to help him up, but Marius stopped her with his hand.

"But I don't need it."

Thales remained expressionless, yet involuntarily gasped for breath, each breath an uncontrollable exertion of all his might, as if trying to expel every last ounce of air from his chest.

"I don't need this ugly bear. Who the hell needs this?"

“Your Highness…” Golov said hoarsely.

"He can keep it himself...why give it to me...I don't need it!"

Thales raised his voice and emphasized again.

He knelt on the ground, staring at the blood-red teddy bear in his hands, pounding the ground as he roared in a trembling voice:
"I don't need it!!!"

The subordinates inside and outside the dungeon looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

Miranda felt a pang of pity and was about to step forward, but someone was faster than her.

It was Marius.

The Watcher knelt beside the prince, embracing the out-of-control, howling Thales, gently patting the boy's trembling back, and burying his face in the crook of his shoulder, where no one could see him.
"But you need it, child, you need it."

Thales shuddered violently, and his shouts abruptly ceased.

Miranda looked at them with a complicated expression, thinking of her comrades who had died on the battlefield.

“It’s alright, I understand, it will be fine in a while… Death is not pain, it is relief… Don’t look, don’t look at him… He needs to rest… He will no longer suffer…” Marius patiently comforted Thales, while calmly looking at DD, at his dead subordinate.

A few seconds later, Thales, clutching the teddy bear in his hand, came to his senses, and the trembling gradually subsided:

"I'm sorry, Thor, I just... I just..."

But he was interrupted.

"...Courage, the burning flame of a great life..."

Miranda's voice echoed through the tunnel, chanting a few lines of a funeral song unique to the North.

Her singing was melodious and sorrowful, causing everyone to bow their heads in sadness, and also concealing Thales's tears and sobs:
"Death... is nothing more than a long-awaited homecoming."

Thales regained his composure, broke free from Marius's embrace, and wiped his eyes, ignoring the blood on his hands.

Golov swallowed hard, reached out and closed DD's eyes. Rolf sighed and stepped forward to hold DD's arm.

"Wait, the oath."

Everyone turned around and saw the youngest vanguard officer, Nate Nesh, with red eyes and a hoarse voice, pointing to DD's body:
“He…DD is a member of the guard, and also a knight. According to tradition, we need…we need someone…someone for him…”

He choked up and couldn't continue.

Everyone remained silent, turning their gazes toward Marius.

The watchman sighed.

"The Emperor's Guard, First-Class Guard Officer, Danny Doyle."

Marius spoke softly, and the royal guards inside and outside the dungeon bowed their heads, their expressions solemn:
"Your sword is broken, your mission is over."

Golov trembled slightly, gritted his teeth, picked up DD's sword, paused for a moment, and then stuffed it back into his colleague's hand.

"You have fulfilled your duty, and you will surely rest in peace by the Emperor's side."

Glov gritted his teeth, working alongside Rolf to tidy DD's appearance and posture, while chanting in unison with his fellow guards inside and outside the dungeon:

"Only through continuous inheritance... can we witness eternity."

The chanting ended, and silence fell over the dungeon.

"Hmph, the person is gone," Morgan snorted angrily, kicking away a pebble at his feet in frustration. "What's the point of all this?"

“It’s useful,” Paul said, leaning against the wall, looking at DD with a complicated expression. “It’s useful as long as someone believes in it.”

Just now.

"My fault! My fault!"

The corpse in the pool of blood suddenly convulsed and sat up, grabbing Golov's collar and screaming madly:
"I'm sorry, it's all my fault! It wasn't hers! It was me! I killed her! I killed her!"

What are you doing?
Thales was startled and watched the scene with trepidation.

The scene was so gruesome that the others were equally startled and instinctively reached for their weapons.

"DD!"

The closest one, Golov, was the first to react. He was initially shocked, then overjoyed, ignoring the corpse grabbing his collar and its incoherent ramblings:

"DD! You're not dead! You're alive! He's alive! He's not dead!"

The crowd, already startled, were taken aback again and looked at each other in bewilderment.

"My fault! I killed her! Me! All of us!" The corpse convulsed wildly, screaming uncontrollably.

Thales' expression changed, and he immediately rushed forward, grabbing the corpse's shoulder:

"DD? You're still alive?"

Marius was even more direct; the Watchman stepped forward and slapped the corpse hard across the face.

"Come to your senses!"

The convulsing corpse paused, then shuddered violently, and spoke differently:

"Left...left! Left! Assassin! He's on the left! Knife! A knife facing backwards!"

The resurrected "DD" was covered in blood. He looked at the people around him, initially terrified and panting heavily, before collapsing weakly into Golov's arms and fainting.

Thales, clutching the blood-soaked bear in his hand, stared in shock at everything, completely unable to process what was happening.

He...DD him...

Is he still alive?

The crowd erupted in a buzz:

"What, what happened?"

"Fake corpse?"

"How could that be? I just checked..."

"May the goddess of sunset protect you... and keep away all evil spirits..."

"I haven't offended DD before..."

What did he just say?

"Do not……"

Amidst the chaos, Marius, having examined DD's condition, solemnly concluded:

"Although he is very weak, Doyle is still alive."

Everyone was in an uproar again.

"How is that possible? Such a big blow to the neck..."

"So much blood was lost..."

"Could it be that the prince used some kind of evil magic..."

"Pah, even if it exists, it's divine magic. The Starry Sky Royal Family is deeply blessed by the goddess..."

Thales reached out with a look of surprise and uncertainty and wiped away the bloodstains from the fatal wound on DD's neck.

He was surprised to find that the skin beneath the bloodstains was intact and firm, with no other wounds except for a scabbed scar.

This is……

"Carry him up and treat him immediately," Marius decisively ordered.

The bewildered guards received orders and immediately sprang into action, tearing down the door panels and carrying DD out of the dungeon in a flurry of activity.

"DD, what... happened to you?" Thales asked in surprise, holding the teddy bear in his hand.

Marius frowned, his expression unchanged.

Just then, Miranda sensed something.

She picked up the inextinguishable lamp beside her, stood up, and slowly walked towards one side of the dungeon.

"Here!" the female swordsman shouted.

Everyone turned their heads at the same time.

The moment the female swordsman lit up the corner with her lantern, everyone was shocked.

"This is……"

Golov held DD's sword with unbelievable skill.

In the deepest, most secluded, darkest, and narrowest corner of the dungeon, a person was curled up.

To be precise, it was a "person" that was not human-like.

“Los Santos II.” Marius’s gaze froze.

what?
Upon hearing this name, the guards in the dungeon tensed up, quickly drawing their weapons and protecting the still-shocked Thales in the center.

But a few seconds later, Marius waved for everyone to withdraw their defenses.

"No need."

Marius cautiously stepped forward and stood side by side with Miranda and Golova.

Thales broke free of his guards and, upon seeing Lausanne II in the corner, was stunned:

Is this really him, is this the same Lausanne II?

In a corner of the dungeon, the once invincible vampire assassin was curled up in an awkward position, hugging his knees with his remaining arm. He was stiff and tense, his joints and limbs twisted exaggeratedly, yet he remained completely still.

His face was covered with withered, bluish-black lines, making him look ferocious and terrifying. His hair and skin were dry, shriveled, disgusting, and ugly.

Lausanne II remained motionless in this awkward pose.

His eyes were lifeless.

His complexion was ashen.

All hope was lost.

Like a...

"he died."

Marius poked Lausanne II's motionless, withered body with his sword sheath, looked at the man's cracked skin, and drew a conclusion.

Thales was stunned.

Lausanne II... just like that, he died?
He watched the vampire assassin's final, dying posture, his feelings a complex mix.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Great!"

"Finally dead!"

"We succeeded!"

"Honor and revenge!"

"How about we give him a few more cuts to the head?"

"When the intruders came, he didn't run away? Or was he killed along with them?" Golov looked at the man's cowering posture in the corner and asked suspiciously, "Is this posture out of fear, or is he hiding from something? The intruders?

"Do not."

Miranda carefully observed Lausanne II's posture, understood something, and put away her weapon:

"He was avoiding...blood."

Thales's gaze shifted:
At the vampire assassin's feet, a few feet away, the ground was covered with DD's blood.

Lausanne II could only huddle in a corner, struggling with all his might to stay away from the blood.

Until the very last moment arrived.

Thales understood and couldn't help but feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a feeling of deep emotion or reflection).

"Then... what exactly happened here? Did Losang II just... die like that?" Golov asked in confusion.

Miranda shook her head.

Marius was silent for a moment, then reached out and took the ever-burning lamp from Miranda, turned around and held it high, illuminating the wall where DD had been leaning.

Thales's expression changed!
"This is……"

Everyone looked up.

On the dungeon wall, two lines of large, crooked characters, smeared with blood, were illuminated by the light:

Don't let him die again within a day.

Thales's brow twitched.

"I see."

Marius sighed. He looked at the blood-written words, clearly written with great effort and trembling, then turned to look at the withered corpse of Lausanne II in the corner, and finally looked in the direction where DD had been carried away.

"Your sword..."

Marius closed his eyes and gently lowered the lantern:

"It's broken."

(End of this chapter)