The Drake Blood Tales

The party stood in stunned silence as Barn Grimgar's body radiated with divine energy, his form imbued with the holy might of Devotion.

"Wha...what?" Dofan stammered, disbelief etched on his face.

Barn chuckled darkly. "What's so surprising? I'm more surprised by how weak you are."

Despite his own Devotion state having worn off, Dofan raised his shield once more, ready to stand against the monstrous foe. But before he could move, Fallion stepped forward.

Without a word, Fallion activated his Holy Daemon Ascension. His form began to shift, revealing his daemonic features: fiery wings, clawed hands, and eyes that glowed a deep crimson.

"Lord Fallion, you're still wounded! You haven't recovered!" Dofan cried, concern in his voice.

Fallion ignored him at first, standing still. Then, in a low, almost broken voice, he spoke.

"I'm tired, Dofan," he began. "I'm tired of this endless cycle of danger and bloodshed. Ever since I left home, it's been nothing but battle after battle. Call me a child, call me naive, but I used to believe not everything had to end in violence."

He paused, his voice trembling as his eyes burned brighter.

"But this time... I'll kill. Kill. Kill."

Barn erupted into laughter. "Hahaha! That's more like it! A daemon embracing his true nature. That's what you are, after all!"

The two charged at each other with ferocious speed. Barn thrust his spear toward Fallion, but the daemon prince caught it effortlessly with one hand. With his other, he slashed at Barn's shield, tearing it apart as if it were paper.

As Fallion's fiery wings unfurled, a vortex of flames engulfed the area. Barn attempted to evade, but the fire cloaked everything, leaving no escape. Enveloped in flames, Barn cast Holy Armor to shield himself, but Fallion soared into the sky, dragging Barn with him.

From above, Fallion hurled Barn downward with immense force. Barn braced himself for the impact, but Fallion didn't stop—he dove straight after him. The edges of Fallion's wings morphed into bladed forms, slicing through the air as he descended.

When they collided, the ground shattered beneath them. Fallion unleashed a relentless assault, his claws tearing into Barn. But despite his injuries, Barn stood, bloodied yet unwavering.

"This... this man knows no pain," Fallion muttered, his eyes narrowing as he took in Barn's battered yet determined form.

Barn grinned. "You... truly are a monster," Fallion admitted begrudgingly.

Barn laughed again, a deep, guttural sound. "A 'forgiven shield' must be sturdy," he said cryptically. His body began to expand, his muscles bulging. "A forgiven shield must be solid," he roared, his wounds visibly healing.

Fallion watched in disbelief as Barn continued to transform, his body radiating an intense holy light.

"And a forgiven shield... must endure!" Barn bellowed, his form glowing brighter with divine energy.

Even Fallion, with all his newfound power, felt a moment of fear. But then, to everyone's surprise, he smiled.

"You're right," Fallion admitted. "Pain and guts alone won't cut it. But I, too, have something I desire. I'll win—for my brother. To bring him home, I'll win!"

The two warriors charged at each other again, their blows shaking the earth. Fallion summoned colossal black-flame swords that cleaved through the air with devastating power. Each strike forced Barn back, but the holy knight's defenses were unyielding.

"You may be immune to light," Barn growled, "but your flames are still daemon magic. They can't breach the barrier of holiness!"

Undeterred, Fallion summoned another weapon—an ornate blade wreathed in freezing energy, its icy aura spreading across the battlefield.

Barn's eyes widened in shock. "That sword... Where did you get that?"

Fallion didn't answer. He launched himself at Barn with newfound ferocity, slashing repeatedly with the icy blade. Each strike left a freezing wound, numbing Barn's movements.

Barn roared in defiance, grabbing the sword mid-swing and headbutting Fallion with brutal force. Fallion staggered but quickly regained his footing. To Barn's horror, the blade remained under Fallion's control, and the ice continued to creep up Barn's arm.

Desperately, Barn slammed his frozen arm into the ground, shattering the ice, but he was visibly exhausted. Fallion, however, showed no signs of fatigue.

"This is bad," Barn muttered under his breath, realizing his disadvantage.

Fallion pointed the blade at him. "Surrender now, or the next blow will sever your head."

Barn gritted his teeth, his once-mighty Devotion state flickering as his energy waned. "You little daemon... Where did you get that sword? And how the hell are you controlling it?"

"It's my mother," Fallion said coldly, gripping the icy blade tightly. "That's all you need to know."

Barn's eyes widened. "What?! Kath has a son... I see now. It all makes sense. Katherine... you..." His Devotion state flickered, then extinguished completely.

Samhain and Dofan rushed toward Fallion, concern etched on their faces.

"My lord, are you all right?" Samhain asked, his voice tense.

Fallion gave a silent nod, but his gaze remained locked on Barn. With slow, deliberate steps, he approached the defeated paladin. His fiery eyes radiated anger, and his voice came low and sharp.

"Do you have any last words?"

Barn laughed weakly, coughing through the pain. "Hah... like mother, like son. You're both terrifying when angry, but it's never enough."

"You knew Lady Katherine?" Samhain asked, surprised.

"Knew her?" Barn spat, a pained smile on his lips. He reached into his armor and pulled out an amulet of the Forgiven Shield Paladins, its edges worn but still gleaming. "I adored her. She was my mentor... but like everyone else, she too was corrupted by the system."

Rage flared in Fallion's eyes as he struck Barn hard across the face, sending him sprawling. Fallion then pointed the icy blade at Barn's throat.

"Don't you dare speak of my mother like that!" he shouted.

Barn, unfazed, met Fallion's fury with defiance. "Why? Do you think a daemon threatening to kill me will silence the truth? Go ahead—strike me down. It'll take more than death to shatter a paladin's spirit."

The blade's tip pressed against Barn's neck, drawing blood.

"She was the brightest star of the Spear of Justice," Barn began, his voice steady even as blood trickled down his throat. "She was my mentor, a truly kind and noble soul. I admired her more than anyone."

Barn's voice softened for a moment, tinged with bitterness. "There was a time I got close to her. I was appointed to guard a nobleman investigating corruption in Whiteford, and she was to judge the case. But when the time came, she dismissed the charges—citing lack of evidence to convict the accused."

Fallion's grip on his sword faltered slightly, his gaze narrowing.

"I begged her," Barn continued, his voice rising with emotion. "I begged her to give my liege another chance. I told her of the rot festering in Whiteford's halls, how the nobles were strangling the city with their greed. I pleaded with her to alert the Whiteford officials, to demand an investigation, but she refused. She said my duty was done."

Fallion's resolve wavered further, the glow in his eyes dimming.

"I thought if I spoke to her as an old friend, not as a subordinate, she might listen. I reminded her of the values she taught me, of her strength and wisdom. And do you know what she said?" Barn's voice cracked, tears forming in his eyes.

"She said she couldn't act without proof. That even if corruption was likely, justice required certainty. It broke my heart. The woman I idolized—my hero—chose to look away."

Fallion stared at Barn, his grip tightening on the sword's hilt.

"I tried to warn my liege, but I was too late," Barn continued, his voice heavy with grief. "He and his entire family—his wife and two little girls—were slaughtered on the road to Fonta Aria. The official report called it an accident, but I knew better. When I stormed the Whiteford nobles' palace, seeking justice, your mother stopped me. She defeated me easily with those very blades you wield now."

Fallion's hands shook as Barn's words pierced him like arrows.

"I begged her to kill me," Barn said bitterly. "But she didn't. She stripped me of my title, banished me from the order, and left me with nothing."

"You're lying!" Fallion shouted, his voice filled with anguish.

Barn reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring, its gold band inscribed with delicate etchings. "If you inherited your mother's power, then you can use it to see the truth. Look into this ring's past. It belonged to the man who tried to end Whiteford's corruption—the father of the family your mother's 'incompetence' left to die."

Reluctantly, Fallion activated his Resonance power. The memories tied to the ring flooded his mind: Barnes, a nobleman determined to expose the corruption in Whiteford, presenting his findings to Katherine. The evidence, though compelling, was deemed too ambiguous, and the case was dismissed. The vision shifted—Barnes and his family fleeing under the cover of night, only to be ambushed and mercilessly slaughtered.

Fallion stumbled back, his face pale with disbelief. "No... that's not true. It can't be true!"

"Think of your mother as an angel all you want," Barn snarled, "but that doesn't erase her sins. She deserves the wretched fate she met at Qa'stur!"

Dofan, who had been silent until now, gasped. "You're... the former Honor Guard Stewart Grimgar..."

Barn managed a weak smile. "You remember me, Dofan..."

Fallion's fiery form dissipated as he reverted to his human self, his strength fading. Samhain caught him as he staggered, whispering, "Rest, my lord. You've done enough."

Barn slumped against the wall, watching them with weary eyes.

"Go on, Dofan," Barn rasped. "Give me the death I deserve. Kill me, and prove once and for all the hypocrisy of your so-called righteousness."

Dofan stepped forward, his expression conflicted. "No... I won't. You must be misunderstanding my aunt's intentions. There must have been a reason for what she did."

"A reason?" Barn's voice rose with anger. "What possible reason could justify letting an innocent man, his wife, and his two little daughters—children, not even four years old—die in the middle of nowhere? Tell me, Dofan! What could justify that?"

Dofan stood frozen, unable to answer.

"I... I don't know. But I refuse to believe Katherine would have done something like that," Dofan said firmly.

Barn sneered. "I always knew you weren't fit to be a paladin.

A forgiven shield must be sturdy.

A forgiven shield must be solid.

A forgiven shield must endure.

You possess none of these qualities. The only reason you were even promoted to imperial knight is because of Katherine and your parents' influence. Hypocrites. All of them."

The two stood in silence, tension thick in the air. Suddenly, a vine shot out, coiling tightly around Barn Grimgar's body. Branches erupted from the ground, stabbing into him and draining his energy.

"Stewart!" Dofan shouted in alarm.

Mu Xianshi's voice echoed through the forest as eyes and lips manifested on the surrounding trees. "What a waste, Barn Grimgar. I expected more from you. Still, your defeat isn't entirely in vain—at least your mana will be of use to me."

Barn struggled against the vines, but his resistance weakened as more of his power was siphoned away. One of the trees spoke again. "LIT." The vines and branches surrounding Barn ignited, flames consuming him as they twisted his body. A final, cruel snap of the vines twisted his neck, ending his life instantly.

"You monster!" Dofan growled.

Samhain quickly intervened. "We need to retreat. Now."

Meanwhile, Blanchette continued her battle with Mu Xianshi.

"He can attack others even while his body is here?" she questioned, glaring at the forest around her.

Mu Xianshi chuckled darkly. "Oh, little girl, you severely underestimate me. My power is not limited to trees, branches, and vines. This forest, every inch of it, is me."

Blanchette froze in shock as the revelation sank in.

"I have seen, heard, felt, and known all that transpires here," Mu Xianshi continued, his voice oozing malice. "Your whispered plans, your desperate strategies—I was aware of them before you even acted. And now, I tire of this game."

With a rumbling roar, an enormous tree erupted from the ground, its towering form casting a shadow over the battlefield.

With a smug grin, Mu Xianshi's voice rang out:

"Bloom thy life!"

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