Chapter 74: The End
In the Vampire camp, Queen Shaya, her eyes half-closed, lounged on her throne, seemingly asleep.
But as Rolof and Bai met in the distant capital, her eyes opened, a faint, seductive smile touching her lips.
“Good. He’s finally met her…”
She had never intended to honor her deal with Rolof. Her only goal was to cause a bit of “trouble” for Bai.
Rolof, having suppressed the Shadow Demon runes with Shaya’s blood, had temporarily regained his human form.
But he was now carrying a hidden danger.
Shaya’s bloodline suppression was similar to the curse on Princess Lilia, using a stronger power to resist the demonic corruption—fighting fire with fire.
However, Shaya’s blood venom was far more potent than the beastkin shaman’s curse.
If not for the crimson eye she had sent with Rolof, using his aura to mask its presence and suppress the venom, he would have died already.
And Shaya’s true purpose was for this crimson eye to find Bai.
That’s why she had made the strange condition, for Rolof to hand over his command to Bai.
This would guarantee a meeting, and the crimson eye would be able to find her.
And then, Shaya had used the eye to project her power onto Bai, a power so subtle that even the perceptive Prince Kruse had mistaken it for Leticia’s aura.
Unbeknownst to Bai, a crimson rune had been imprinted on her back, slowly spreading.
“Bai, when you use your Demonic Runes… hehehe…”
The thought of what would happen to Bai when she next used her powers filled Shaya with a perverse joy.
As for Rolof?
Without the crimson eye’s suppression, the venom in his body was now raging unchecked.
Queen Shaya had no use for a Fallen Demonspawn. He had been a tool, and their “deal” had been a lie from the start.
A deal with a demon rarely ends well.
…
Hot… so hot…
As he was about to leave the Crown Guard headquarters, Rolof felt his blood boiling, his skin turning a grotesque red.
He wanted to rip off his clothes, but his remaining shred of sanity held him back. His steps faltered, his body swaying.
The guard at the entrance, seeing his distress, rushed to help him, then recoiled in horror.
Rolof’s eyes were bloodshot, his pupils glowing with a terrifying red light.
“Sir Rolof, are you… alright?” the guard asked, a familiar sense of dread creeping into his heart.
“Blood…” Rolof stared at the guard’s neck, his voice a hoarse growl. “Give me… blood…”
“Sir—wait!” the guard started to say, but then he saw Rolof’s open mouth, the sharp fangs. “It’s… a demon!”
Although the Crown Guards weren’t front-line soldiers, they were well-trained.
Even though Rolof had been their commander just moments before, he was now a monster.
As the guard shouted, Rolof, unable to control his bloodlust, tore off his clothes and lunged, his fanged mouth aimed at the guard’s neck.
—Authority: [Shatter].
A wave of power shot down from the upper floor, striking Rolof mid-air.
He fell to the ground, but now, as a Fallen Demonspawn, his physique was enhanced.
And Kweil, having acted hastily, and concerned about collateral damage, had held back. The attack had only rattled Rolof’s internal organs, not seriously injuring him.
At the same time, Prince Kruse also acted, his [Illusion] Authority creating a vision of Bai before Rolof.
…Not Isabelle, not Shaya, but Bai.
Even Rolof hadn’t realized that his deepest fear was Bai.
Since her appearance, his plans had been derailed, his life spiraling into an abyss he couldn’t escape.
Seeing “Bai,” Rolof’s sanity returned slightly, though his face was still contorted in a monstrous snarl.
He finally understood. Shaya’s deal had been a sham. Her true target had always been Bai.
He had no more value.
The illusion intensified, “Bai” becoming more real.
And there wasn’t just one.
The light brown-haired Bai, the long, black-haired Bai with black eyes, the black and red-haired Bai with crimson eyes, and a silver-haired Bai with dark-gold eyes he had never seen before, all of them appearing before him, their gazes calm, indifferent.
“The demonic aura… it’s Rolof? Quick, kill him!”
Kweil and Kruse arrived, their eyes widening at the sight of the “fear illusion” materializing before Rolof.
Even Kruse hadn’t expected Rolof’s fear to be so profound, the illusion manifesting so quickly.
But he couldn’t control it. He didn’t know what terrifying form Rolof’s fear would take. If it was Shaya, the capital might experience a premature demon invasion.
He had to be killed, before the illusion became real.
But before they could act, Rolof turned to them, tears of blood streaming from his eyes, a look of relief on his face.
“Finally, it’s over—”
He raised his longsword, the blade flashing as he plunged it into his own heart, his body disintegrating under the effects of the blood venom.
