8 — Ten Thousand Years

"Is this really necessary?"

"Yes."

"And you know I can break these in an instant, right?"

"... Yes."

Even after being chained, Seraph's smile did not disappear. He was surrounded by the knights, who in turn were backed by the mages, as they walked further up North.

And he did not stop talking for even a second.

"But hey, y'all can't really kill me, y'know? Could you at least walk slower so we can talk more?"

"You agreed on following us, so please shut that damned mouth, mister monster" Though Elare tried feigning respect, her voice was cold and sharp, with a slight hint of disdain in it.

Seraph flinched exaggeratedly, and for an instant, he felt like a hint of a smile escaped from within Elare's serious expression.

After recomposing, he felt like reminding her of something.

"I agreed on following you if you answer my questions, Little Elare."

Then, he flinched again.

'Why do I feel like I'm taking Asmodeus' speech pattern...?'

"Aaaaanyway, my questions! What year are we in?"

Elare stood silent for a few minutes with a strange look on her face.

"Year 1745 of the Elathris Calendar. Why are you ask—"

"Alrighty, next question! Who the hell is Elathris...?"

This time, not only Elare, but the entire group stopped. They all looked at Seraph like he was a complete weirdo.

'Which I kinda am.'

"Are you joking?" One of the knights spoke.

Seraph smirked.

"Not at all! You see, I've been asleep for a loooooong time! Let me rephrase it... How much time has it passed since the Endraphores Era?"

Elare's face went from confused, to bewildered, to perplexed; she could build a whole Spectrum system with this variety of faces!

As she was wondering how to answer, a man approached the group. The man appeared to be in his twenties, but his hair was turning white; he wore a kind of black suit — his figure screamed elegance.

"Around ten thousand years, I think," the man spoke calmly, but his voice hit Seraph like thunder.

'Ten... Thousand years?'

He heard the system saying the ritual had failed. But to think ten thousand years passed...

'I made the ritual as an idiotic child, but now I'm basically a grandpa!'

Seraph gripped his head while trying to supress a scream.

'Wait. By this time, my Flare would have ignited and Akhavella would take over my body, but I'm no longer a slave! I can live freely!'

Seraph drew some air, slightly surprising those around him. Sensing the mana that was starting to leak from the boy's body, the well-dressed man retreated a few steps, but...

"HELL YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAH!"

It was too late. Seraph's shout almost made his eardrums bleed. Some of the mages, who had weaker physiques, fell unconscious to the ground.

Elare was the first to recover.

With an angered face, Elare gripped Seraph's head, much like he had done to himself, gathered the mana in her body and...

"STOP SCREAMING OUT OF NOWHERE, DAMN IT!"

The woman shouted right by Seraph's ear, disregarding the safety of her own subordinates' eardrums.

"But you did the same!" Said Seraph, with his head still ringing from the sheer strength of that shout.

Elare sighed, then let out a chuckle. Soon, she was laughing loud.

"Hahaha! Aaah, that was exhilarating! I'm tired of acting like the serious soldier, uncle," Elare said while turning her gaze to the well-dressed man, still laughing.

"You don't have to, El. That man is not dangerous... Not to us." The well-dressed man gave a careful nod to his niece, then turned to Seraph.

He bowed in respect.

"We have awaited your arrival, Lord of the Blood Moon. My name is Andrew Van Arisefore, but a servant of the current House Vherius."

Now, it wasn't only Elare and the knights who were shocked, but Seraph too. He recognized the name and title mentioned by Andrew, and remembered it perfectly. It was the name of the demon god who conviced him to sell his soul...

'Demon God Vherius... The First Face of Ruin.'

Back when Seraph was still Atherios, the Demon God had divided itself into five Faces, each assigned a demon race to rule. The Lord of the Blood Moon, Vherius, ruled over all Vampires and Night Beasts.

Yet, if the system was right, Vherius was dead. That should be why the ritual failed and instead of a thousand years, Seraph's consciousness stayed afloat for ten thousand years.

Confusion was evident in Seraph's face, but there was one person who was even more shocked than him.

Elare took off her helmet and threw it to the ground, revealing the most beautiful person Seraph had ever seen. Her hair was blood red, like that of Seraph himself, that when coupled with her perfect face and red pupils, could make one collapse from sheer wonder.

"L-Lord of the Blood Moon? HIM!?" That face was filled with shock, which in turn transformed into fear. "U-Uncle, you mean to tell me I screamed at a Demon God? Do you want me dead so much!?"

"Wait a frickin' second! What do you mean by Vherius? I'm not that guy! My father is another bastard dem- I mean, another guy!"

Andrew merely laughed in response, gesturing for them to follow him.

"We shall discuss it at the castle, my Lord. Please, follow me."

'Okay, that is some weird plotting if i've ever seen one! If Asmodeus weren't enough, even that damned demon is scheming against me from the tomb!'

Meanwhile, it was as if Elare's soul had left her body. She just walked blankly alongside her uncle, not daring to take a look at Seraph.

Seraph's mind was moving at a hundred miles per second, trying to grasp upon what the fuck was happening.

Soon, they arrived at the end of the desolate grounds that Seraph had woken up to. There was a thin mark on the ground, reaching farther than the eye could see.

Seeing Seraph's curious expression, Andrew turned back to him with a measured smile.

"This is the border of the Divine Cemetery, my lord. A barrier was placed here, but..."

"But awhile ago, an outburst of mana destroyed the entire barrier in the span of a second. That's why I was sent here in the first place..." Elare continued.

Seraph could swear he heard an "but I had to meet this monster" coming from her, but soon rejected the idea.

'She couldn't be that petty.'

"Oh, that was probably me. Funny things happen sometimes, I guess. Haha!" Seraph dismissed the worry growing into the soldiers' faces with an innocent chuckle, but he soon found himself surrounded by a few auras of supressed anger.

"What is it?" he said innocently, still with that stupid smile.

"Of course it had to be you!"

Elare's shout broke that smile of his, stunning the crimson-haired boy for what felt like the tenth time today.