NOVEL NEXT Chapter 320: 320
A blade flashed in the air.
It cut across the air like a phantom slash. The sound it made was high-pitched, almost unreal. The speed of the attack left most of them frozen in place. They didn't even see it coming.
But Ariana did.
Her eyes widened in horror. Something about that movement struck her at the core. She felt it before she truly saw it.
"NOOOOOOOOO!"
Her scream tore out like a plea.
CLANGGGG!
A loud metallic crash echoed, sharp and deep. A faint shockwave followed the clash, pushing nearby carriages back and scattering dust through the air. The ground shook slightly, the air vibrated with tension.
Jess and Lyria both felt it at the same time. A bone-deep chill that made their hearts skip a beat.
Elifie, who saw it all happen in that one instant, roared with fury.
"Grandmaaaa!"
"YOUUUU!!"
Seraphina stepped back, eyes wide. Her lips trembled.
A figure stood in front of Emilia. He wore pitch-black armor that gleamed under the fractured sunlight. A massive shield in his left hand had stopped James' strike.
Three others appeared beside him, like ghosts.
They wore the same black armor, each piece covered in strange etchings. Their helmets looked like skulls, and their eyes behind the slits glowed with dull, dead light. The aura around them was like thick smoke — cold, foul, and suffocating. Death followed wherever they stood. It wasn't just armor; it was like a curse made flesh.
The air turned still.
Seraphina took a step back. "The Black Dogs of Veydrin…" she whispered.
The man in the middle, their leader —spoke with a calm voice that echoed like a death knell.
"What are you doing, Lord James?"
James clicked his tongue, annoyed.
"Tsk... You Veydrin bastards always show up like rats. Sneaky. Silent. But always at the worst possible time."
He slowly backed away, but there was no fear in his eyes. His lips curled into a grin.
Emilia fell to the ground.
Her knees gave in. Her breathing became shallow. Her whole body trembled.
Jess and Lyria rushed to her, each grabbing an arm to steady her.
Ariana clenched her fists and stepped forward.
Her voice was sharp, almost accusing.
"Lord James! What is this?! Why did you attack Her Highness?!"
Her gaze drifted towards the armored guards. She couldn't stop the shiver that ran down her spine.
They weren't just soldiers. They were monsters wrapped in black metal. Their presence alone felt like dozens of corpses pressing down on her.
James didn't answer.
He just laughed.It started low.Then it got louder.
"Hahahahahah!"
It was madness.
There was no warmth in it, no humor. It was cold, violent laughter that didn't care if the world burned. The sound alone made people want to cover their ears.
His face twisted. A grin so wide it looked painful. Eyes filled with glee, but not joy.
"Good... Good..." he muttered in a hoarse voice. "Looks like the mask's off now. No point hiding."
He raised his hand and shouted:
"Pranajal!"
That name fell like thunder.
Everyone paused.
Even the Veydrin guards blinked.
Then—
BOOOOOOOM!
A massive magic circle erupted under them. It pulsed with a blinding flash of light.
Ariana and the others instinctively raised their arms, shielding their eyes. The brightness wasn't just light. It felt like it burned into their bones.
Then silence.When the light disappeared, no one could speak.Everyone stood still, breathless.
They were standing in the middle of something horrific.
The magic circle was massive, carved into the very ground. Strange patterns and symbols circled the outer rim, flickering with black light. At the center of it, sat a priest.
Or what once was a priest.
His lips were gone, peeled back into a permanent smile. Blood dripped from his mouth. His skin was stretched, eyes wide and unfocused. But he laughed.
He laughed like he had just heard the best joke in the world.
"Kekekeke... Surprise... Surprise..."
Chains burst from the ground.
Black, thorned, and alive.
They wrapped themselves around everyone.
Ariana gritted her teeth. She tried to burn them off with magic, but it didn't work. The more she struggled, the tighter they got.
"Why... aren't they breaking?!"
The priest tilted his head.
And sang.
"Peace... peace in the world... no more pain... just rest in the dark..."
His voice was off-key. It sounded like a child humming in a graveyard.
"Why struggle unnecessarily?" he said in a casual tone. "Accept peace... and be in peace... forever."
Then he screamed, laughter tearing out like a howl.
"HAHAHAHAAH!"
Ariana cursed, pulling hard.
"FUCK...!"
Her arms shook. The chains felt heavier. Her limbs felt like they were sinking into the earth.
Vic, caught a few feet away, had both arms wrapped up. He looked around, panic in his eyes.
"Fuck this shit... This isn't right. This is bad... This is really, really bad."
The chains weren't normal.
They pulsed with something. Every few seconds, they got heavier. Like they were feeding on struggle.
James stood there, watching.
He turned to the black knight beside him. His grin wider than before. His eyes were glowing now.
"Kekeke... How is it, huh? You see this?! You see my masterpiece?!"
He held out both hands like a conductor.
"This is art! This is beauty! Chains of peace, right? No more chaos. Just stillness... quiet...
...death."
His body shuddered with pleasure as he said that last word.
The black knight didn't respond. But the others behind him stepped forward, weapons drawn.
The tension cracked the air like static.
Seraphina tried to summon her magic, but her fingers wouldn't move.
Elifie gritted his teeth, trying to rip the chains off his arms with brute force.
Lyria grabbed Elfie tightly.Jess kept whispering to Emilia to hold on.
Emilia couldn't speak. Her eyes were blank.
James tilted his head at them and whistled.
"What? No applause? No cheering for the peace bringer?"
His smile vanished. His voice dropped to a cold whisper.
"Then... die quietly."
He raised his hand. Another circle appeared beneath the priest.
The air turned heavy.
Even the Veydrin guards looked uneasy.
Ariana looked up, fury in her eyes.
Her voice came out raw.
"You psycho bastard...!"
James smiled.
And winked.
The ground rumbled again.