Evolution of the Ruined Heir - Chapter 327: Touch
Chapter 327: Touch
Of course not all in the Dome shared this belief, but it was of no news to the other clans that the Heliarch believed themselves superior to everyone.
However, there was little many could do. Their faith was backed with sheer power.
As one of the grand clans of the Dome, the Heliarch had the ability to manipulate cells. They were dangerous and deadly.
Regardless, the relationship between the Sanguine and Heliarch had never been good. The latter had expressed multiple desires to build churches in the West, but the Blood Sovereign had always refused, leading to the sour relationship.
In a sense, the Heliarch clan considered the Sanguine clan heathens. But there was little they could do. The Sanguine controlled the West, the region with the richest lands. It was the main food source of the Dome.
This was the reason many guessed why the Heliarch hadn’t branded the Sanguine as enemies yet.
Darke could understand how the Cardinal felt. Cardinals of the Heliarch clan were akin to council members, people in charge of controlling the whole clan. For someone of such status to be reduced to this state…
The humiliation, Darke could understand, grated at the man. But he did not care.
“What do you want?”
The voice dropped like thunder, the world falling silent in its wake. Darke also backed up. Now that the Sovereign had spoken, it was no longer his place to intervene.
The Cardinal gritted his teeth and clenched his fist. ’The mission is important.’
He was angry, but it was necessary to express the will of the Pope. Swallowing his pride, he bowed his head.
“I… I apologize for my earlier error. My name is Cardinal Veynar Heliarch, and I have come here carrying the will of His Holiness, the Pope.”
The silence that followed felt like a blade pressed to his throat, yet he took it as permission to continue.
“The Heliarch clan has sent multiple letters to the Sanguine, requesting the summons of your Ninth Vein. I have been dispatched here for that very purpose.”
The tension in the hall spiked. The oppressive weight bore down even harder, and Veynar’s body shuddered under the force.
“You summon… the Ninth Vein?”
The Blood Sovereign’s words rolled like molten iron, as though he had heard wrong.
Veynar realized instantly where the mistake lay, but there was scarcely anything he could do. He had to speak the Pope’s command, even if it meant death.
’He looks like he’ll kill me.’
The Heliarch might consider the Sanguine as heathens, but that never meant they were blind to their terror.
Othric and his descendants were monsters in human skin. Othric especially. The man had slaughtered blooms before.
“The Pope summons him,” Veynar forced the words out, each syllable hard. “We believe the Ninth Vein bears answers vital to our faith.”
Darke’s eyes narrowed, a sharp gleam in them.
’Because of the pit.’
Veynar pressed on, voice taut.
“It is to our knowledge that the Ninth Vein survived his descent into the Evil Pits. We believe the Pits are a trial left behind by our god. As you know, no youth has ever returned alive once they entered. The Ninth Vein alone stands as the exception. We wish to hear of his experience inside.”
’I see.’ Darke’s gaze sharpened.
The Darkness Pits were something close to sacred to the Heliarch. They dotted the south of the Dome, and rumor had it they still searched for its purpose even now. It was natural they would seek Malakai, who had entered and returned.
’But how will he react?’ Darke turned to the Sovereign, but even before the words left his mind, he shook his head. It was a stupid question. Anyone who knew the Sovereign already knew the answer.
The Sovereign’s gaze was molten iron. His verdict fell like the toll of a death bell.
“No.”
The Cardinal’s lips twisted into a frown. “But the Pope—”
“But nothing.” The Blood Sovereign’s voice crashed down.
“The will of your Pope is no concern of mine, nor is your hollow faith. If your flock wishes to waste its time chasing shadows, that is your burden. But Malakai is of my blood, my kin. To step upon him is to step upon me. And should that ever happen, I will raze your Heliarch to the ground and paint your sanctums in ruin. I will wreak havoc until your name is dust.”
The words struck like lightning, and with them came a tide of killing intent. The Cardinal’s body shuddered uncontrollably, his breath freezing in his throat.
It was so cold, so absolute, he felt as though he had been cast into the grave itself.
’He means every word.’
His faith had just been trampled upon, his god scorned, his Pope mocked, but the Cardinal dared not speak. He knew with a certainty carved into his bones, one more word, and he would die.
The Blood Sovereign rose from his seat, his aura surging like a storm, suffocating.
“Carry this to your Pope,” Othric said. “There will be no further warnings.”
He turned, steps echoing, preparing to leave, but in the next moment, he paused.
The expressions of Darke and the Iron Saint shifted at once, eyes narrowing. Their expressions morphed into dread.
The killing intent Othric had unleashed before had been overwhelming, but now, now it was a deluge. A flood that drowned every corner of the fortress.
They turned to see him, their Sovereign, his gaze fixed westward, his eyes burning with a light none dared meet.
He parted his lips, and spoke two words:
“Darkness Creatures.”
And then, he was gone.
A silence deeper than death followed. The world had stilled as though holding its breath.
Then, as though reality had only just registered the Sovereign’s departure, a shockwave of unimaginable proportions hit Crimson Hold.
…
A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you once again for reading. How are you enjoying the arc so far? Don’t forget to support with golden tickets and power stones. Cheers!
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