The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic

"Papa... Papa..." Elfie screamed, her small body shaking as she tried to unfurl her wings.

A cold wave of energy burst from her, freezing Emilia's hands the moment she touched her.

Lyria quickly stepped in, grabbing Elfie gently, pulling her close, trying to calm her down.

"Elfie... calm down... Papa will be okay... Papa is the strongest," she whispered, her voice soft and steady.

But Elfie was too panicked to hear her. Her breaths were short, eyes filled with fear. It took all of them working together—Lyria, Emilia, and even the knights—to finally calm her down a little.

Emilia looked at them, her eyes still wide with worry.

"Will he be alright?" she asked in a small voice.

The four Black Knights stood in silence, watching the battlefield without saying a word. Their expressions were stiff, unreadable.

"Kael was an A rank, wasn't he?" Jess said suddenly. Her voice was low, tense. "But that bastard... the way he moves, he might be S rank... maybe stronger."

Emilia panicked hearing that. She turned and grabbed one of the knights by the arm.

"Can you please save him?" she cried out, desperate.

The Black Knight's eyes trembled. Then they bowed their heads, deep and low, filled with a fear she didn't understand.

"Your Highness... please don't ask us. Just give us an order. But we also need to ensure your protection ," one of them said quietly.

Meanwhile, Vic was losing it.

"What the fuck... what the fuck!" he shouted, grabbing his head.

"This is fucking bullshit! You mean to say that guy was a complete psycho this whole time? Just playing with us? I can't believe it... Can you?" he said, looking at Barret and Chris.

They didn't answer. Both men had their jaws dropped, staring at the clash ahead.

Gare's eyes narrowed. His voice was low, steady.

"I've been suspicious. He was too friendly. Too... normal."

He looked at Ariana, his brows drawn in concern.

"Can my lord win?" he asked.

Ariana didn't answer right away. Her gaze stayed locked on Kael. Her voice finally came out, strained.

"Win? How the hell can he win? That guy's S rank. Kael's A rank. The gap is massive... It's just too much."

Seraphina turned sharply toward Ariana, but then stopped. Ariana's face had gone pale. Her eyes weren't afraid. They were horrified.

"What is it?" Seraphina asked.

Ariana didn't respond. Her eyes remained on Kael. She was seeing something she couldn't explain.

Kael's aura was always red. Crimson. Filled with bloodlust. But now... now there was something more.

Something strange. Something that didn't feel human.

She couldn't put it into words, but the sensation was similar to what she had felt long ago. Back when a priest had summoned the image of an evil god.

It was terrifying.

A normal man, no matter how strong, could only reach what they called the Demi-God level. And even then, they were still human. To go beyond that... to cross the line and shed mortality... you needed one thing.

Divinity.

A blessing from a god.

"No... maybe I'm just imagining things," Ariana muttered to herself, shaking her head.

"Maybe it's just anger. Maybe he's just... really, really angry."

...…

BOOOM!

A violent crimson blast exploded from Kael, swallowing the battlefield in a sea of red. It was as if blood had taken over the air, the ground, and even the sky. The heat didn't burn — it clawed into the skin and made hearts race in panic.

Kael's killing intent burst out like a savage storm, wild and untamed. It wasn't just strong, it was sickening. It came in waves, flickering and crashing, shaking every soul around to their core. Some men stumbled back.

Others dropped their weapons without knowing why. Their instincts screamed: run.

His presence alone felt like a curse crawling over their skin. The air around him was heavy, thick like drowning. Each breath burned their chest, and the very space around Kael seemed twisted — like the world itself didn't want to stand near him. It felt like a nightmare came alive, a monster that should've stayed buried.

The Black Knights turned their heads toward Kael. Their eyes, always cold and empty, had a faint flicker of something else now — something close to respect… or fear. They didn't move, but they noticed. Everyone did.

James, still trying to hold his pride, laughed loudly like a man trying to mask fear.

"For a mere A-ranker… you sure talk too much!"

Kael tilted his head slightly and let out a short snort."Hmm... A dog who got beaten badly still dares to bark at me."

James's smile dropped."What did you say?" he hissed.

Kael didn't stop walking. His boots echoed on the torn ground, steady and slow, as he moved straight toward James. The red mist followed him like a cape of blood.

He glanced once at the Black Knights and gave a wicked grin.

"Relax, boys…"

He stopped in front of James and lowered his voice with a smirk that didn't reach his eyes.

"This one's my prey."

And with that, the temperature dropped even more.

The moment Kael and James faced each other, the air grew tense — so heavy it felt like the world itself held its breath.

Then it happened.

CRACK!

Two monstrous auras clashed in a violent collision, creating a shockwave that split the ground beneath them. A dome of energy blasted outward, tearing trees from their roots and sending rocks flying like shrapnel. The sky above flickered as if thunder itself had been locked in the clouds, unwilling to come down.

The crimson aura from Kael spiraled like a vortex of rage, dripping with madness and killing intent. It howled like voices of the dead, screaming through the air. On the other side, James' dark violet aura fought back calm, cold, and crushing like a silent avalanche.

Where the two powers touched, the very space twisted, cracked, and groaned.

The ground between them exploded in a crater, sending debris flying in all directions. Blades of raw energy darted across the battlefield, cutting into hills, slicing through metal, and burning away trees with ease. Smoke and dust rose like the birth of a storm.

"Back!" one of the Black Knights shouted.

Another knight grabbed Emilia by the arm as the explosion rocked the field."This is no place for the unprepared."

Emilia tried to resist, her eyes wide with fear and awe, but even she could feel her legs trembling.

"Move!" the knight yelled again as more tremors hit the land.

They dragged Emilia and the others back, shielding them with their bodies. A group of knights formed a protective wall, pulling them to higher ground far from the heart of the clash.

Even there, the ground shook under their feet.

Crimson sparks and violet lightning kept colliding, flashing like lightning bolts in every direction.

It was more than a fight.

It was like watching two disasters trying to eat each other alive.

James looked at Kael with a twisted smile, his voice mocking. "For a mere kid, you really talk too much."

Kael snorted, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust. "It seems my dad fucked you..."

Swish!

Before Kael could finish, a sword sliced through the air and cleaved his body clean in half. The force of the swing tore through the ground like a violent gust, shattering the earth and ripping apart everything in its path. The impact was so sudden that most couldn't even register it but their hearts jumped to their throats, stunned.

"Kael!"

"Lord!"

Cries echoed out, filled with fear. But James's twisted smile faltered. His pupils narrowed as the sliced image of Kael wavered… and then vanished.

"An afterimage…" he muttered, his voice low.

His back tingled. A breath later, a sharp pressure rose behind him.

Flick!

A sword flashed just as fast, just as clean.

[0th Form – Kukan Saiki]