Priscilla left the necromancer, still panting on the ground, and prepared to leave. After taking a few steps, she suddenly turned back and added an order;
"Don't follow me, or you'll be left with nothing but fragments!"
-
In the middle of the night, the moon hid behind the clouds. Darkness poured over the earth. Several hundred meters away from the sleeping military camp, the agonizing sound of chains grinding and whipping flesh could be heard.
The night wind, carrying snowflakes, howled like a ferocious beast. Alphonse was shirtless. Several fresh bloodstains appeared on his chest. His waist-length white hair was stained with a considerable amount of blood.
The monsters lurking nearby had already caught the rich scent of blood. Though thirsty, they dared not approach, only casting their bloodshot eyes at Alphonse.
The shirtless man in front of him was no stronger than the demonic bear, but his killing intent was more intense than that of the demonic dragon.
They watched as this man with demonic bloodline whipped himself with iron chains, and couldn't help but wonder whether he was suppressing or releasing his bloodlust.
The iron instruments of torture swung back and forth, new wounds overlapping the still-wet old ones, the pain in the flesh reaching a breaking point. The more violently the force was applied, the brighter the blue light in his eyes became. This was not a demon, but a Shura.
Alphonse felt the urge to hunt from the hidden thickets.
Finally, one of the impatient dire wolves leaped from its hiding place and pounced on Elfons. If the moonlight were shining, one could see that this subspecies of snowfield giant wolf had a bright red coat due to its demonic transformation, and its ferocity in attack was comparable to that of a lion king.
Unable to suppress his thirst for battle, Alphonse spewed demonic breath from his bloodied wounds and clamped the wolf's mouth shut with the ten claws of his hands.
He caught the wolf's attack and stopped it in mid-air.
With a roar, he forcefully hurled the monster he had subdued over his shoulder.
The wolf's back slammed into a huge boulder, which shattered in two. The wolf's spine broke, its body twisted, and it died instantly.
Alphonse felt his blood surging, unable to stop the excitement ignited by the battle.
The monsters that had been lurking nearby suddenly appeared. If you counted them by their eyes instead of their numbers, there were almost a hundred pairs of red eyes surrounding Elfons.
Alphonse was on the verge of losing control of his demonic nature and almost broke through the limits of his endurance. He picked up the iron chain from the ground again, two thoughts swirling in his mind—as a weapon? Or as a torture device to restrain himself?
Until the dragon's furious aura surged from somewhere. The monster horde's rage was suppressed by the even stronger dragon's fury. The sturdy tree branches trembled, and the wind and snow howled even more fiercely.
Alphonse, who was suddenly awakened, could no longer see clearly and his vision began to become clear.
The second wave of dragon breath rippled through the air like a tidal wave. It was a warning sign that danger was approaching. The monsters cried out in agony and fled, leaving none behind.
Alphonse knelt on the snow, scanning the bloodstains he had left there.
If Desfield hadn't noticed her own transformation in time and awakened her with a burst of dragon breath... she would have long since been controlled by the demonic blood and become a demon from which there was no turning back...
After Desfield's dragon breath dissipated, Elfons heard its faint mournful cries coming from not far away.
He dropped the chains, and without bothering to put on clothes, he searched for Desfield from the source of the sound, shirtless.
Alphonse carried the torch and walked further away from the military camp. Soon, he came to the entrance of a cave. By the light of the torch, he found that it was not deep inside, and he could barely see the dragon's body lying curled up on the ground inside.
"Daisy".
The dragon Desfield had his eyes closed, as if he had seen through something, his expression serene. He stroked the dragon's body; its fur felt like nearly withered hay, stinging his palm and causing discomfort.
"Child, look what you've done to yourself!"
She opened her eyes and looked at her adopted son. Alphonse's bare upper body was covered in wounds. This self-mutilated child made Daisy feel heartache and pity, and she couldn't help but stick out her tongue to lick his horrifying wounds.
It regretted not telling the child beforehand that it was a demon, so the child would be prepared and not be so confused. Tears of remorse fell from its ruby-like eyes.
"What am I doing..." Alphonse couldn't help but blame himself, a bewildered expression on his face.
"The task you gave me isn't finished yet, and it's already like this... Leading the Silver Knights to serve the country... It's not finished yet..."
He put his arms around Daisy's neck.
"One day, I'll become a demon, won't I?"
Daisy managed to open her mouth and exhale.
"Rumors spread in the palace that I was suspected of assassinating the late king, so Vanrexor transferred Silver away from the capital and banished him to the desolate north. Has everything been abandoned halfway...? Dess, is it impossible to fulfill the long-cherished wish you entrusted to me?"
Dess looked up at the starry sky outside the cave and whispered, "Elfons, the ancient sages of Valentino once passed down this proverb: 'Those whose end is near can foresee the future.' I have a premonition that the answer you seek is already prepared in the far north of the continent of Valentino."
Besides giving Alphonse direction, Desfield's words seemed to hint at something else.
"Dess, you..." Upon realizing that her foster mother was about to leave her, Alphonse couldn't help but shed tears, weeping like a child as she hugged her dragon body, which was withering away just like its lifespan.
"I know that my days are numbered, so I have two final requests."
Alphonse, who had calmed down a bit, nodded vigorously, promising that he would keep his word.
"First, the Holy Sword of Extreme Ice, Danlithal, must always be by your side. Don't let anyone else keep it for you, like tonight. Only with it by your side can you suppress your demonic nature. It is your talisman. I regret not telling you sooner..."
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