Chapter 63: The First Display of Imperial Blood

The Bloodfang Alpha roared.

ROOOOOAAARRR!!

The sound alone shattered nearby windows.

Horses panicked.

Children covered their ears.

Even veteran soldiers instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons.

The Alpha's body trembled violently.

Black mana seeped from the strange rune carved into its forehead.

It slammed its own head against the ground once again.

Its massive claws dug deep into the earth.

"...Run..."

The word escaped through gritted teeth.

For just a heartbeat...

Its true eyes returned.

Golden.

Not crimson.

Then the curse tightened.

The beast screamed in agony.

Kael's expression became grim.

"It doesn't want to kill."

Walter frowned.

"What?"

"It's being forced."

The system appeared.

Forbidden Curse Analysis

Name:

Mark of the Fallen Throne

Classification:

Ancient Forbidden Magic

Effect:

Suppresses the host's consciousness.

Overwrites instinct.

Transforms living beings into berserk soldiers.

Creator:

Unknown

Warning:

Rare.

Kael narrowed his eyes.

"Someone is building an army."

The Black Dragons

Darius immediately stepped beside Kael.

"Your Highness."

"Give the order."

Kael looked around the battlefield.

Several Bloodfang wolves still attacked civilians.

Others circled the Alpha.

"Third Company."

"Continue evacuating civilians."

"Archers."

"Target the lesser wolves."

"No one engages the Alpha."

Walter smiled.

"So..."

"That's ours?"

Kael nodded.

"Together."

The Black Dragons saluted.

"As you command!"

The Alpha Charges

Without warning...

The Alpha disappeared.

BOOM!

The earth exploded beneath its feet.

Walter's eyes widened.

"Fast!"

The monster appeared directly before Kael.

Its massive claw descended.

CLANG!!

Ice erupted from Kael's sword.

The impact pushed him backward nearly twenty feet.

His boots carved trenches through the dirt.

Walter slammed his shield into the Alpha's side.

BOOM!

The monster barely moved.

Instead...

Its tail whipped around.

Walter barely raised his shield in time.

CRASH!!

He was thrown through the wall of a burning house.

"Damn..."

Walter coughed.

"That actually hurt..."

Blood Awakens

Kael exhaled slowly.

The battle around him seemed to disappear.

His heartbeat echoed inside his ears.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Then...

His blood answered.

Red lines appeared beneath his skin.

Not glowing.

Flowing.

Like rivers of crimson mana.

The system activated.

Imperial Blood Art

First Activation Confirmed.

Blood Authority:

5%

Current Technique Available:

Crimson Thread

Kael slowly extended one hand.

A thin crimson strand emerged from the tip of his finger.

It danced through the air like silk.

The Alpha lunged.

Kael flicked his wrist.

The thread wrapped around the monster's front leg.

He pulled.

The Alpha stumbled.

Its enormous body crashed sideways into the ground.

The entire battlefield froze.

Walter blinked.

"...What..."

"...was that?"

Kael looked at his own hand.

"I..."

"I don't know."

Light of the Empire

The Alpha stood once again.

Its curse intensified.

Dark mana erupted from every wound.

The system warned him.

Curse Strength Increasing

Forbidden Mana Overload.

Recommendation:

Use the holy or light attribute.

Kael instinctively raised his sword.

Golden light gathered along the blade.

Warm.

Pure.

Unlike fire.

Unlike ice.

The villagers instinctively shielded their eyes.

The Alpha growled.

For the first time...

Fear appeared in its eyes.

Kael swung.

SHIIIIING!

A crescent of golden light flew across the battlefield.

The Alpha barely dodged.

The attack sliced cleanly through three enormous trees behind it.

The forest shook.

Leon stared.

"...He's been hiding that?"

Walter laughed.

"I don't think he knew he could do it."

Three Powers

The Alpha attacked again.

Kael answered.

Ice covered the ground.

The Alpha lost its footing.

Crimson threads wrapped around its limbs.

Golden light exploded from Kael's blade.

The battle became a dance.

Every movement smoother than the last.

His body remembered techniques...

He had never learned.

The system spoke.

Combat Analysis

Synchronization is increasing.

Ice Affinity:

27%

Light Affinity:

14%

Imperial Blood Art:

8%

Swordsmanship:

Learning...

Learning...

Learning...

Darius Watches

Standing behind the soldiers...

Darius remained motionless.

His eyes never left Kael.

One of the younger Black Dragons approached.

"Captain..."

"Should we help?"

Darius slowly shook his head.

"No."

The soldier looked confused.

Darius smiled faintly.

"A commander..."

"...must know when to fight."

"And when..."

"...to let a king be born."

The Alpha's Last Plea

The curse suddenly weakened.

Just for one moment.

The Alpha looked directly at Kael.

Its golden eyes returned.

"...Please..."

Its breathing became ragged.

"...Kill..."

"...the curse..."

Not...

"...me..."

Kael understood.

He wasn't fighting the monster.

He was fighting the magic controlling it.

The system flashed.

Hidden Objective Updated

Destroy the curse.

Host survival probability:

Unknown.

Kael slowly lowered his sword.

Walter shouted.

"What are you doing?!"

Kael ignored him.

Instead...

He placed one hand over his own heart.

The blood inside his body pulsed.

The golden mana surrounding him became brighter.

Ice spread beneath his feet.

For the first time...

All three powers resonated together.

The system trembled.

Skill Evolution Conditions Met

Ice

Light

Imperial Blood

Resonance Successful.

Creating a New Skill...

...

...

Skill Created.

Imperial Judgment

Rank:

Legendary

Description:

The authority of one destined to rule.

Strike not the body...

But the corruption within.

Kael opened his eyes.

The world around him became silent.

He took one step forward.

Then another.

The Alpha charged one final time.

Kael raised his glowing sword.

"I..."

"...judge the darkness."

He swung.

There was no explosion.

No blinding flash.

Only a single line of golden light is passing through the Alpha's forehead.

Directly through the cursed rune.

For a heartbeat...

Nothing happened.

Then...

CRACK.

The black rune shattered.

Dark mana burst into the sky before dissolving like ash in the wind.

The Alpha stopped moving.

Its crimson eyes slowly faded.

Returning...

To gold.

It looked at Kael one last time.

Then lowered its head.

Not in defeat.

In gratitude.

Before collapsing peacefully onto the earth.

Silence consumed the battlefield.

Every villager.

Every Black Dragon.

Every surviving wolf.

Stared at the young prince.

No cheers came.

Only awe.

Because none of them had just witnessed an ordinary victory.

They had witnessed something far rarer.

The birth of a legend.