Chapter 115
Chapter 115: The Black Sun Loses Its Light
“…Shut up!”
The Emperor suddenly burst into tears, crying out his son Mateo’s name.
Lupeon raised an eyebrow as he watched the incomprehensible man.
At that moment, the Emperor collapsed limply and emitted an ominous aura.
“…?”
An eerie black energy crept up and enveloped the Emperor’s body, turning his blue eyes red.
Curse-like markings appeared on his face and neck, and the Emperor began to laugh grotesquely.
The Emperor, who had been the great demon’s contractor, had finally become its host and been devoured by the curse.
Mammon, the great demon who had stolen a human body, revealed his true form and his eyes gleamed.
[So you must be the Grand Duke of Devonshire.]
His presence was overwhelmingly powerful beyond words.
Lupeon frowned at Mammon, who had robbed him of the chance to confront his uncle.
The demon knowing about him meant he must have heard it from the Emperor as his contractor.
Or perhaps he had stolen memories while eating away at the Emperor’s mind.
Whatever the case, Lupeon’s expression hardened in displeasure. He then infused his sword with powerful aura.
[My, there’s no need to be so guarded. I’d like to get along well with the Grand Duke.]
“Is meaningless conversation your hobby?”
Mammon, who had been laughing grotesquely, instantly dropped his smile and looked at Lupeon with a cold expression.
Yet when Lupeon didn’t flinch from his eerie gaze, he showed a satisfied smile.
[I find your vessel even more appealing.]
The great demon, who had been sitting on the throne moments ago, instantly approached Lupeon and whispered in his ear.
“…!”
[How about telling me what you want, and giving me your vessel in exchange?]
Lupeon, no longer willing to listen to such nonsense, looked at Mammon with cold eyes.
“That will never happen. I’ll kill you right here.”
The great demon, quietly listening to those words, showed visible disappointment. Then he muttered softly:
[Then I have no choice. I’ll have to take it by force.]
Simultaneously, Mammon lifted his foot and struck Lupeon’s abdomen hard.
Even with his power weakened from possessing a human body, the great demon was not an opponent to be taken lightly.
Lupeon defended against the ruthless attacks while waiting for his chance, finally raising his frost-cold sword.
The great demon quickly drew his sword as well, seemingly ready to fight.
Lupeon’s eyes sank into an abyss as he quietly stared at that sword – an imperial heirloom that had once belonged to the previous Emperor.
Noticing this subtle reaction, Mammon grinned until his mouth nearly split and made a shallow cut on Lupeon’s neck.
Slightly narrowing his brows at the minor pain, Lupeon deflected Mammon’s sword that had come right up to his face.
Only the sound of sharp blades clashing filled the banquet hall.
The collision of pure aura and opposing cursed energy created shockwaves, making it impossible to determine superiority.
[It’s not too late. If you hand over your vessel now, I promise to give you a clean death like your cousin.]
Lupeon’s brow showed a slight crack upon hearing the great demon’s words.
“What did you just say?”
[Ah, I merely received my payment from the Emperor.]
The great demon shrugged slightly and added casually, as if it were justified.
Only then did Lupeon realize why the Emperor had screamed earlier.
Mammon had taken Mateo, his precious existence, as payment from the Emperor.
‘They all seem to have lost their minds.’
Gripping his sword, Lupeon continued fighting the great demon who showed naked hostility.
Mammon possessed overwhelming power incomparable to any magical beast Lupeon had faced before.
Even while struggling, Lupeon couldn’t let go of his sword.
If he failed to deal with the great demon, the Valdeon Empire would completely collapse.
Holding onto his sanity by thinking of the faces of those he missed, he exerted his last ounce of strength.
The chilling sound of metal suddenly ceased.
Mammon, who had been emanating killing intent, thrust his sword into Lupeon’s left side as if finally ready to kill him.
When he pulled the sword out again, fresh blood dripped from Lupeon’s waist.
Feeling intense pain, he collapsed on the spot, and soon red blood seeped into the floor.
[I told you it would have been better to hand it over earlier. You won’t survive now.]
Just as the great demon was about to sheath his sword as if having completed his task—
Cough—
Red liquid poured from Mammon’s mouth.
From his pale skin to his slightly stiffened muscles and cold sweat running down, the great demon’s expression hardened.
Blood was flowing down Mammon’s leg from where a dagger had somehow been embedded in his thigh.
The great demon quickly pulled out the dagger and chanted a spell to stop the bleeding, but for some reason no power activated.
Barely supporting his staggering body, Mammon ground his teeth and approached Lupeon.
With his body seemingly paralyzed, he finally couldn’t reach Lupeon and glared at him murderously while kneeling on one knee.
[What trick did you just use?]
Lupeon, collapsed on the floor from heavy bleeding, raised one corner of his mouth crookedly.
“Did you think I would face you without any preparation?”
Barely enduring the pain from his wound, he slowly inhaled and exhaled.
“Holy water is like deadly poison to a great demon, they say.”
In preparation for the possible final battle with the great demon, Lupeon had studied the scriptures in detail.
Then he had sent word to the dwarves to obtain a dagger crafted with holy water.
Just as Lupeon was about to thrust his sword down at Mammon, who had lost his power and could no longer attack—
Cough cough—
The great demon, suddenly coughing lightly, looked at Lupeon while weakly pressing a trembling hand to his knee.
Judging by the blue tinge returning to his eyes, the Emperor’s consciousness seemed to have momentarily returned.
Just as he realized Mammon’s soul had been destroyed, Lupeon’s blue eyes sank coldly.
Recognizing that his uncle had little time left, he decided to have a final conversation.
He was certain there would be no more chances to talk with the Emperor if not now.
That didn’t mean his heart had softened or that he had any thought of forgiveness.
He was merely showing minimum courtesy as a human being to a despicable, hateful person.
Supporting himself by planting his sword in the floor, Lupeon spoke in a rather dry voice:
“I regret what happened to Mateo.”
He looked at his weakened uncle while briefly remembering the man he had once considered a sworn brother.
The Emperor glared at Lupeon with contemptuous eyes and clenched his fist.
“How dare you…! Mateo died because of you.”
As if unwilling to admit his sins until the end, the Emperor was pointing to his nephew as the root cause of all these events.
Lupeon was not unaware of how broken the Emperor was now, seemingly needing someone to blame.
He too had once lost family and loved ones.
Letting out a deep sigh, Lupeon shook his head and spoke to the Emperor:
“You’re wrong. You and Viscount Byzantium brought this all upon yourselves, not me.”
The Emperor’s eyes, full of hostility and anger, soon began to flood with regret.
Tears flowing down his cheeks pooled at his chin.
“Mateo… Father is sorry, so sorry.”
The Emperor, who had been screaming in anguish, eventually hung his head after crying endlessly.
It was the moment when the black sun that had dyed the Valdeon Empire in darkness completely lost its light and set.
* * *
The Hyporak that had spread through the North had completely disappeared. This also meant the end of the long resistance.
As everyone seemed to find their place, the whole world was gradually seeping into winter’s colors. Except for one person.
As if proving this, Elena’s complexion grew darker day by day.
Josephine, who had found Lupeon collapsed on the banquet hall floor of the Imperial Palace, had reportedly hurried to summon healers and ordered emergency treatment.
Fortunately, he had been found shortly after losing consciousness, so his life wasn’t in danger, but he still wouldn’t wake up.
Upon receiving news of Lupeon, Elena hurriedly boarded a train to the capital with Anasha.
