Ch. 15 It's all your fault

Chapter 15: It's All Your Fault

The stench of blood still lingered in the air.

The Curseuman slowly stood, his wings stretching wide, still stained with crimson. His eyes—cold and focused—fell upon Ryu's unconscious body sprawled before him.

"You can't be him…" he muttered, stepping closer. "There's a powerful Spiritumen inside you... but not enough to have killed Maw."

— — —

Far away, within the castle of the Aetheris Clan...

Ray sat on the edge of his bed, alone, silent. His head lowered, eyes fixed on the floor—but there was no light behind them. He wasn't looking. He wasn't seeing. His body was still, but his mind churned restlessly.

His thoughts wandered to a memory from just a few hours ago.

He had been sprinting through the corridors, his footsteps echoing against the stone, his chest heaving with every breath. Panic was carved across his face as he reached the entrance of the castle.

There stood Ryu—Yuki's father—shouting commands. Dozens of Spirit Possessors scurried around him, grabbing healing potions, enchanted weapons, armor. They were preparing for war.

Ray stumbled to a halt beside him, chest rising and falling.

"Ryu!" he tried, his voice strained. "Wait, I need to—"

But Ryu barked louder over him, giving orders to the troops. Ray tried again. And again. His words faded, as though they didn't even reach Ryu's ears. Perhaps they did, but the man's mind, locked in the storm of battle preparations—and fear for his daughter—simply couldn't process anything else.

Frustration built in Ray's chest.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Don't you hear me?! Why are you ignoring me?!"

The hall fell silent.

Dozens of heads turned to stare at Ray. Even Ryu slowly turned his gaze.

He looked at Ray… and then turned back to the soldiers.

As he barked out more commands, the room resumed its storm of movement.

Then, his eyes returned to Ray.

Anger simmered behind them.

He stepped forward—heavy, deliberate. His expression darkened, his features twisted in fury. Without a word, he reached out and grabbed Ray by the throat with one hand, lifting him clean off the ground.

Ray gasped, his legs flailing mid-air. No sound left his throat. He clawed at Ryu's arm, struggling helplessly.

"You... brat," Ryu growled, his voice low and shaking with restrained rage. "What do you want to say? After everything…?"

A deep, red aura burst from Ryu's body, coiling like flames, engulfing both him and Ray. The pressure was suffocating.

Ryu's grip tightened.

"You…" he spat. "Because of you—my daughter is injured. If you had never come near her… if you hadn't distracted her... she would've reached the battlefield on time. She wouldn't have been caught off guard. She wouldn't have gotten hurt."

His voice rose to a roar, cracking with fury. "It's your fault!"

The aura surged violently. Blood sprayed from Ryu's lips. His crimson eyes bulged, veins in them throbbing, his eyeballs swollen with rage.

"Before those bastard Curseumans…" Ryu growled, "…I'll kill you first. You're the root of this entire damn mess."

Crackling red lightning sparked around him. The power from his aura was so intense that fragments of his battle technique activated on their own. The castle trembled.

People around him froze, watching, unable to act.

And then—a woman pushed through the crowd. Aya.

"Master!" she called out, her voice desperate. "Don't kill him! He's a friend of Princess Yuki!"

Ryu's eyes darted to her and then Ray.

"Friend…?"

For a moment, his grip wavered. Then, the blazing aura vanished.

Ray fell. Crashed to the ground, coughing blood.

Ryu stood over him, fists clenched.

His fury slowly faded. His expression darkened, not with rage, but calculation.

This boy… he's not like us, Ryu thought. A Spiritumen of his level—with zero nature energy output—should've died from that grip. And yet… only a cough. He's not even gasping for breath.

Even a seasoned Spiritumen would've collapsed… But him? His breathing looks steady…

Ryu spoke coldly.

"I'm sparing you because my daughter has no friends… and maybe you're her first." His voice sharpened. "Don't appear before me again. Or I'll kill you a second time."

He turned.

Walked to the great castle doors. He stopped at the threshold.

Then slowly turned his head, eyes sharp as a blade.

"If anything happens to Yuki… I swear—I will kill you. No matter who you are. Remember that. And pray… pray that she's fine."

With that, he vanished through the doorway—followed by the clanking armor and heavy footsteps of the soldiers, all mounting carriages led by armored beasts.

Ray remained on the ground, trembling.

"I came here to ask him to take me to the battlefield…

But… he's too terrifying.

I forgot to say it… or maybe, even if I didn't… my mouth wouldn't have dared to speak in front of him.", Ray thought in his mind.

— — —

Now, back in the present.

Ray still sat on the edge of his bed, lost in that memory. The air around him was heavy.

Then—

Rushed footsteps. A door burst open.

Aya stood at the entrance, face pale, eyes wide. Panic and fear contorted her expression.

"Ray…" she said, trembling. "Princess… Princess Yuki—"

Ray stood up instantly, heart pounding, his expression shifting as he grasped what she meant before she could say it.

His mind screamed no—trying to reject the words before they came.

"What?" he asked, voice hollow. "What happened to her?"

Aya's legs gave out. She dropped to her knees.

Tears streamed from her eyes.

Her voice cracked.

"Princess Yuki is dead…"