Chapter 209: Airam’s Decision [1]

"Enough. I offered you a peaceful return. If you refuse to come willingly, I will take you by force."

Ulrich watched Valdris facing the sisters.

He moved immediately.

The four remaining Valmorian knights reacted before he could take more than two steps. They rushed him from different sides, their serum-enhanced bodies crossing the trampled grass with terrifying speed.

Ulrich raised his sword.

The first black blade struck his crimson reinforcement spell.

Red light shattered.

The second knight attacked from the right. Ulrich turned his sword and redirected the strike, but the third soldier came in immediately after. His blade struck Ulrich’s guard and drove him backward.

The fourth knight aimed for Ulrich’s wounded side.

Ulrich jumped away.

Pain tore through his ribs as he landed badly near the stream. His boots slipped in the wet grass. He caught himself before falling, but blood rose in his throat.

He spat it onto the ground.

The world swayed for a moment.

Smoke, firelight, and crimson mana blurred together before his eyes.

"My ladies," Hendrick shouted from near the tent. "Stay back!"

Hendrick moved immediately in front of the sisters.

Rina joined him.

Both had swallowed healing vials after Hermione’s earlier spell, but the potions had only done enough to keep them standing. Hendrick’s armor was split across his shoulder and ribs. Blood still darkened the edges of the broken plates. Rina held her sword in both hands, though one shoulder had been badly injured and her grip trembled from exhaustion.

They formed a line before Airam, Hermione, and Esther.

It would not be enough against Valdris.

Ulrich knew it.

If the Valdris chose to move now, Hendrick and Rina would die quickly. They had fought too long, bled too much, and spent too much mana. Their healing potions had closed some wounds, but no vial could return the strength lost through battle.

Ulrich’s expression turned more and more annoyed.

The four Valmorian knights circled him again.

His hand moved toward his chest.

’Do I have to use it?’

The Hollow Core.

The thought remained in his mind like a blade pressed against his throat.

It was not a tool he could use lightly.

The Hollow Core held the power to turn the situation around.

He also knew the cost.

The power did not obey him perfectly. It poured through him with more force than his body could safely handle. Every use left him weakened, drained, and unable to judge how much control he would retain once it awakened. If he called on it now, he might become strong enough to kill Valdris.

Or he might collapse before the man fell.

There were still four serum-enhanced knights around him.

If Ulrich could kill them first, he could create a brief opening. Then he could use the Hollow Core against Valdris alone. The plan was dangerous, but it gave him the best chance of ending the battle before the sisters were taken.

The reason he didn’t use it from the beginning was because of the consequences following right after. He wanted to use it at least when he killed half of their forces, but it looked like he had no choice now.

A black blade came toward his neck.

Ulrich ducked.

He rose with a cut toward the soldier’s throat, but the knight turned his helmet in time. Ulrich’s blade struck armor and scraped away.

Then Valdris spoke.

"Move back."

The four Valmorian knights obeyed instantly.

They jumped away from Ulrich, placing several paces of distance between themselves and the wounded Count.

Ulrich’s eyes narrowed.

Valdris raised one hand.

Mana gathered around his fingers.

The air above Ulrich changed.

A large Formula Ring appeared in the sky.

It formed so high above the clearing that its outer edge reached beyond the trees. Four concentric circles rotated through the smoke, bright blue against the night. Runes ignited along the rings in rapid succession. There were too many to count in a single glance. Lightning-unity formed the core of the spell, followed by layers of shaping, targeting, acceleration, and destructive force.

An Advanced spell.

Rank 4.

Ulrich’s eyes widened.

Valdris had prepared it while Ulrich fought the ten knights.

He had not been standing idle behind his soldiers. Every second Ulrich spent defending himself had given Valdris time to weave the larger formation. He had built the spell slowly, hidden among the smoke, fire mana, and chaos of the battlefield, waiting until Ulrich had exhausted himself enough that escape became difficult.

Ulrich clenched his fist.

His sword was still raised.

But he could not cut a Formula Ring out of the sky.

"Try to stop this," Valdris said.

The outer circle flashed.

The spell released.

Thunder struck.

The sound was deafening.

A bolt of lightning crashed down toward Ulrich, bright enough to turn the clearing white. He raised his sword and threw every remaining fragment of crimson reinforcement around his body.

The lightning struck.

The ground exploded.

A shockwave tore through the camp. The stream burst upward. Trees shook violently. The burning branches near the supply wagon snapped and fell. Rubenhart shields, broken weapons, and pieces of armor were thrown into the air.

Lightning struck again.

And again.

Each bolt crashed down upon Ulrich’s position with ruthless precision. Blue-white fire tore through the smoke. The ground blackened. Stones cracked apart beneath the impact.

"U—Ulrich!!!"

Hermione screamed.

She tried to run forward.

Airam grabbed her arm.

"No."

"We have to help him!"

"You cannot reach him!"

Hermione struggled against Airam’s hold crying.

"Let me go, Airam, he can’t...!"

Esther had frozen behind them.

She stared at the place where Ulrich had disappeared beneath lightning and smoke. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She could not cry. She could not move. The horror had locked her body in place.

The final lightning bolt struck.

The Formula Ring above the camp faded.

Smoke rolled across the clearing.

Hendrick stood with his sword clenched in both hands.

Every instinct in him demanded that he rush forward. Ulrich was his lord. His Count. The man who had given him a purpose and trusted him with the lives of the sisters.

But Hendrick did not move.

He could not leave Airam, Hermione, and Esther exposed.

Rina stood beside him.

Tears ran down her cheeks.

She wiped them away angrily with the back of her gauntlet, but more followed. Her sword remained raised despite the trembling in her arms.

Neither Hendrick nor Rina stepped aside.

They kept their place in front of the sisters.

Valdris watched the smoke where Ulrich had been.

Then he turned toward them.

The four remaining Valmorian knights gathered behind him. Their armor was dented and marked from the battle, but the serum still carried them. Dark mana leaked from their bodies as they moved into formation around their commander.

Valdris’s expression remained composed.

"You should move aside," he said. "There is no reason for you to die with him."

Hendrick lifted his sword higher.

Rina did the same.

Valdris’s gaze moved past them toward the sisters.

"Those girls are not part of the pathetic Count’s household," he continued. "They are not servants, wards, or possessions belonging to House Rubenhart. They carry the blood of the Valmorian Emperor. They are royalty."

Hendrick’s eyes hardened.

"Lady Airam Van Rubenhart," he said.

Valdris’s expression changed slightly.

Hendrick did not stop.

"Lady Hermione Van Rubenhart. Lady Esther Van Rubenhart."

His voice carried through the clearing.

"They are ladies of House Rubenhart. They have lived under our roof. They have eaten at our table. They have trained within our walls. They stand beneath our protection."

He stepped forward, placing himself more firmly between the Valmorian soldiers and the sisters.

"I will die before I allow you to take them."

Rina’s mouth curved into a small, fierce smile.

"I will stand beside him."

Valdris looked at them for a long moment.

Then he laughed.

It was not loud.

That made it worse.

"You truly believe you have a chance?"

His gaze drifted across the camp.

The dead Rubenhart knights lay where they had fallen. Some remained beside the fire. Others were near the stream, the tents, and the ruined supply wagon. The clearing that had held Ulrich’s company only hours ago had become a graveyard.

"Look around you," Valdris said. "You had no chance from the beginning. Your knights are dead. Your camp is destroyed. Your Count has been struck by an Advanced spell. You two are all that remains standing between us."

Hendrick said nothing.

Rina’s grip tightened around her sword.

Valdris continued.

"More of my soldiers are waiting outside this clearing. They will join us within minutes. Even if you somehow survive the next exchange, you cannot survive what comes after it."

Esther began crying again.

The sound was weak at first.

She pressed her face against Hermione’s back and sniffed, her fingers holding tightly to the fabric of her sister’s nightgown.

Hermione reached behind herself and found Esther’s hand.

Valdris’s eyes settled on Airam.

"Princess Airam," he said. "Surrender. Do not make this more difficult than it needs to be."

Airam stood still.

Her face was pale from using witchcraft. Blood marked the skin beneath her nose. The dark veins beneath her wrist had not faded completely.

Hermione looked at her.

"Airam."

Airam’s hands closed into fists.

For several seconds, she did not answer.

Then she stepped forward.

"I will come," she said.

Hermione turned sharply toward her.

"Airam?"

Airam did not look back.

"I will come with you."

Valdris’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Hermione grabbed Airam’s sleeve.

"N—No! You cannot!"

Airam pulled free.

"The Emperor wants me more than Hermione and Esther," she said. "You know that."

Her voice remained calm, but Hermione could hear the strain beneath it.

Valdris watched her carefully.

Airam looked directly at him.

"You want the eldest daughter. The one who can inherit the strongest part of Mother’s power. You came for all three of us, but I know I am the one he truly wants."

Valdris did not deny it.

"I cannot accept only one princess," he said. "Your sisters must return to Valmoris as well."

"You will leave them."

"I cannot."

"You will."

Airam’s voice sharpened.

"If you take Hermione and Esther, I will kill myself before we reach Valmoris."

Hermione’s breath caught.

"Airam!"

Esther looked up, tears streaking down her face.

"E—Eldest sister..."

Airam’s eyes remained on Valdris.

"I am serious," she said. "Take me. Let them stay. Leave this camp and never return for them."

Valdris’s smile disappeared.

He stared at her.

Airam did not look away.

She stood with her back straight, though her hands shook at her sides. Her face held no trace of bluff or trick. She really meant every word.

Valdris understood that.

Then a voice came from the smoke.

"No."

It was short and cold.

The smoke shifted.

A figure emerged from the blackened ground near the stream.

Ulrich.

His body was battered and bloodied. His hair had fallen across his face. One side of his coat had been burned away. Blood and dirt marked his skin. His sword was broken near the middle, the lower half of the blade still clutched in his hand.

He stood on one knee.

For a moment, it looked as though he might fall.

Then he raised his head.

His eyes fixed on Valdris.

The gaze was cold enough to make Valdris’s expression tighten.

Ulrich had survived the lightning.

Valdris couldn’t believe it.

Without the Hollow Core, Ulrich knew he would likely have died there. The spell had struck with enough force to tear through his defenses and burn him where he stood. Even now, pain ran through every part of his body. His muscles shook. His mana core felt hollow. His broken sword was barely useful.

But he was alive.

And he was still between Valdris and the girls.

Valdris stared at him.

For the first time, genuine disbelief appeared on his face.

"You are a pestilence," he said.

Ulrich pushed himself upright.

The broken blade remained in his hand.

"Airam, Hermione, and Esther are members of my House," he said.

His glare was bloodied but still held much strength.

"They will stay."

Blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

"Let them go."

Valdris’s eyes narrowed.

"And what will you do if I refuse?"

Ulrich did not answer immediately.

From beyond the trees, footsteps sounded.

Many footsteps.

The forest around the clearing shifted with movement. Shadows moved between the trunks. Black armor appeared in the darkness beyond the broken barrier.

More Valmorian soldiers.

Hendrick’s face changed.

The last hope left his expression.

Rina looked toward the trees and swallowed hard.

There were too many.

Even if Ulrich could somehow defeat Valdris, more soldiers were coming. Hendrick and Rina could barely stand. Hermione and Airam had exhausted themselves. Esther was terrified. The camp had no walls, no reinforcements, and nowhere left to retreat.

Valdris looked toward the approaching soldiers.

Then he smiled.

"You see?" he said. "Reality has already decided this battle."

Ulrich looked at the black armor appearing between the trees.

Then he looked back at Valdris.

His expression did not change.

"I will kill all of you."

He said it calmly.

A shiver moved down Valdris’s spine.

Valdris did not show it. His face remained composed. But something in Ulrich’s tone, something in the coldness of his eyes despite his broken body and ruined sword, made the back of Valdris’s neck tighten.

Ulrich looked like a man who had already accepted death.

That made him even more dangerous.

Valdris raised one hand.

The four remaining knights shifted forward.

"Kill him," he began.

"Wait!"

Airam’s voice stopped him.

Everyone looked toward her.

Airam had stepped farther forward.

Hermione reached for her sleeve again, but Airam moved beyond her grasp.

"I said I would come," Airam said. "Spare them."

Valdris’s gaze narrowed.

"Not him."

Airam looked toward Ulrich.

Then back to Valdris.

"Him too."

Valdris gave a short laugh.

"Why?"

"Because Hermione and Esther need him."