Algernon exited the suffocating, silent halls of the Carmilla fortress, Issei walking a tight line behind him. They passed through the outer gates, ignoring the terrified glances of the guards, and re-entered the shadowed, high-magical density of the Vampire district.
Algernon spoke the moment they were clear of the main castle structure, his voice low and tactical.
"Now, you follow Sirzechs and his team," he ordered Issei, not breaking his stride. "They are mobilizing near the monastery. Your primary task is reconnaissance and defense. Keep an eye on every movements."
Issei nodded, his demeanor shifting instantly into mission-readiness.
Algernon flashed a chilling smile. "Wait for my signal. You can annihilate everyone who comes in your way after my signal."
Issei accepted the deadly command with a grim nod. "Understood, Your Majesty"
Algernon merely inclined his head in acceptance. He maintained his forward momentum, deliberately leaving Issei behind near the outskirts of the district.
Algernon, now alone and exposed, stopped in the middle of a deserted square. He raised his hand. He pulled forth his legendary soul blade: Exidio.
Algernon didn't lift it. He dragged the heavy blade directly on the rough cobblestone ground, forcing the tip into the earth.
The blade grazed a straight, deep line on the ground, leaving a visible, magically charged demarcation line running through the square.
With the ominous sound of screeching stone following the massive blade, Algernon resumed his walk. He was no longer moving toward the central, neutral parts of the city. He deliberately turned toward the territory controlled by his true target. He moved toward the area of the Tepes Faction.
Algernon's movement was no longer that of a diplomatic trespasser; it was a military invasion, cold and unstoppable. He did not bother with the formality of a front-door approach, nor did he allow any challenge to halt his pace.
The Tepes-controlled quarter was far less refined than the Carmilla area, characterized by grim, older architecture and a pervasive military tension. Guards, alerted by the sudden, massive intrusion of power, attempted to form crude barricades and interception squads.
But Algernon didn't deal with the guards this time. He didn't even slow down.
The moment any Vampire—guard or noble—attempted to place themselves within three meters of his person, a silent, deadly phenomenon occurred. The air around the victim would shimmer briefly, and then the figure would simply be cut straight down the middle by invisible, razor-sharp space blades.
The severance was instantaneous and clean, leaving no blood spatter, just two collapsing halves of flesh and armor.
The silent execution was devastating. Algernon continued his measured, deliberate walk, the heavy, purple-black mass of Exidio dragging on the ground, leaving a scorching line in its wake, occasionally grinding over the remnants of those who foolishly tried to intercede.
His ruthless, unyielding movement sent the whole Tepes area into an uproar. Hordes of Vampires began frantically trying to stop him with bursts of magic and speed, while others, more seasoned and terrified, ran away from him, abandoning their posts, spreading a wave of panic throughout the quarter.
Algernon's path was a straight, deadly line of spatial destruction. He marched through courtyards, tore through hastily erected checkpoints, and ignored the desperate screams and the failed magical attacks aimed at him.
In a surprisingly short amount of time, his unstoppable momentum carried him to his destination. He stood before a towering, oppressive fortress—the castle housing Valerie Tepes.
The castle's entrance was heavily warded, but the terror of his approach had already broken the morale of its outer defenders.
He brought Exidio up from the ground and with a single, horizontal sweep, the blade carved a massive, geometric tear in the very fabric of space where the gate stood.
He stepped through the resulting portal of purple-black nothingness, leaving the collapsing wards and the terrified surviving guards behind. His entry into the fortress's interior was marked by the systematic, terrifying removal of anyone who stood in his path, space itself slicing the air around him.
Algernon's unstoppable pace continued until he reached the center of the fortress: a vast, echoing hall that served as the Tepes throne room. The air here was strangely charged, thick with both raw demonic power and a faint, sweet scent of life-force.
t the far end, upon a stone throne carved with ancient Vampire runes, sat a young woman. She had short blonde hair and deep red eyes. She was dressed in an expensive, yet slightly oversized, gown that made her seem younger.
The most striking thing about her was her complete stillness. She was pale, almost translucent, and sat with no expression whatsoever on her face, her red eyes staring blankly straight ahead, entirely detached from the chaos Algernon had wrought to reach her.
Algernon paused his advance a respectable distance from the dais, finally lifting Exidio off the ground. The blade's purple light illuminated the throne room.
The young woman finally spoke, her voice thin, flat, and devoid of any emotion, as if reading from a script.
"Who are you?" she asked, the words hollow. There was still not a single expression on her face—no fear, no curiosity, no anger at the slaughter he had caused. She was an empty vessel.
Algernon looked at her, his gaze—going beyond the surface.
The Sacred Gear, which controlled life, death, and immortality, required an astronomical price. Valerie was the vessel, and the Graal was violently overexerting her soul, draining her essential spiritual energy to fuel its reality-bending abilities. Her lack of expression wasn't stoicism; it was burnout.
Algernon kept his gaze fixed on the utterly vacant expression of Valerie Tepes
As he watched, a figure finally emerged from the deep shadows and elaborate drapery behind the throne. A tall, pale man stepped forward, dressed in the dark military finery of the Tepes court. His eyes were cold and arrogant, possessing a cruel intelligence entirely lacking in the Queen on the dais.
"We welcome His Majesty the Demon Emperor," the man said, offering a smooth, calculating half-bow that lacked true deference. "I am Marius Tepes, older brother of Queen Valerie Tepes, and the current administrator of the faction."
Algernon did not offer any greeting or acknowledgement of the title. His calm, strategic demeanor snapped, replaced by something far more dangerous and utterly contemptuous. He suddenly flashed a wide, terrifying smile—a visceral, predator's grin that promised extreme violence.
"Marius Tepes," Algernon stated, his voice ringing with pure, unfiltered disgust. "Letting your sister be hollowed out and weaponized to serve a terrorist group that cares nothing for your lineage. That makes you one hell of a shitty brother you are."
He took a slow, purposeful step forward, Exidio scraping dangerously on the stone floor. The purple energy around the blade flared, eager for carnage.
His smile turning utterly murderous. "I hate waste, and I detest weak leaders. I'm gonna enjoy slaughtering the hell out of you."
Algernon's murderous grin was fixed on Marius Tepes, but just as he prepared to launch his attack—the final, annihilating step to seize the puppet queen—he abruptly stopped his advance.
His head snapped toward the entrance of the throne room.
Algernon turned fully away from the terrified Marius, his smile fading into a look of cold, intense hatred.
"Well," Algernon announced, his voice carrying the deep resonance of a man deeply offended. "Here comes another rat from the same sewer."
The throne room doors, which Algernon had violently breached, were pushed aside. Through the shattered frame, a new figure stepped with an air of casual, overwhelming arrogance. It was a middle-aged man in his 40's with dark silver hair and hazel eyes. He looked much like Vali, albeit with slightly longer hair and a distinguished beard, and his posture radiated a chaotic, unhinged power.
The man surveyed the carnage and the terrified Marius with amusement before focusing his predatory gaze on Algernon.
Algernon's eyes narrowed.
"Finally stepping out of your shit hole, Rizevim Lucifer." Algernon spat the name out.
Rizevim Lucifer chuckled, a dry, grating sound that held no humor. He took a leisurely step into the throne room, seemingly unfazed by the sight of the Demon Emperor standing over the terrified Marius, nor by the massive, glowing sword Exidio held ready for murder.
"Algernon," Rizevim greeted him, the familiar tone mocking. "Such strong language. But then, you always are terribly dramatic. And noisy, by the looks of the lobby." He gestured vaguely at the mangled doorway.
"I admit," Rizevim continued, a malicious glint in his hazel eyes, "I didn't anticipate after you disrupted my plan with Astaroth clan, you would be the one to breach this little arrangement I made here. You are getting in my way like a fly, always bothering me"
Algernon kept his grip tight on Exidio, the tension in the room reaching a breaking point. "Cut the commentary, Rizevim. We both know what I am here for."
Rizevim merely shrugged, walking toward the dais as if Algernon were a minor nuisance. "yeah, although I'm unwilling to admit it. our style of doing things are truly alike"
He stood beside the enthroned, vacant Valerie, placing a casual, proprietary hand on the back of the Longinus vessel's chair.
"But this time you're late and as you can plainly see, this little Dhampir is proving to be a magnificent battery for my experiments. Her existence guarantees the perfect stalemate, feeding energy and chaos directly into the Brigade. She is the future."
Algernon's face was a mask of cold fury. "I am sending you to hell to regret why for a pathetic little operation you decided to crawl out of your sewer."
Rizevim merely laughed, with horrifying suddenness and speed, he thrust his hand—not into the throne—but directly into Valerie's back. His arm penetrated her body as if it were air, bypassing flesh and bone with brutal, specialized magic.
He instantly pulled out the Graal, ripping it from its host. Valerie's eyes rolled up, and her already pale body went utterly limp, slumping unconscious on the massive throne, freed but potentially dying.
The artifact that emerged was far more complex than the myths suggested. The single Graal turned out to be a subspecies, a splintered manifestation of the original power. As it settled in Rizevim's grasp, it instantly multiplied, creating three distinct golden cups of the exact same appearance, shimmering with overwhelming life energy.
Before Algernon could move, however, Rizevim addressed the trembling figure of Marius Tepes, who had finally recovered from his shock and was blindly about to attack Algernon, trying to salvage his dignity and position.
Marius never completed the charge.
Faster than the eye could follow, Rizevim struck him from behind. A pale, demonic hand got thrust into Marius's back, emerging through his chest cavity. The beating heart, still pulsating and red, was fully exposed to the front, clutched in Rizevim's demonic fist.
Rizevim held the three shimmering Graals with his other hand and spoke without even looking at his unfortunate subordinate.
"You are of no use anymore," Rizevim stated flatly, the casual dismissal utterly chilling.
With a negligent, flicking motion, Rizevim crushed Marius's heart into pulp. He then flicked the body aside. The body slammed against a stone pillar, leaving a dark smear of blood.
"You die now, Rizevim!" Algernon roared, and he vanished in a purple-black tear of space, initiating the battle.
(END OF CHAPTER)
chapters are released early and uncut on Patreon, ahead of public publication along with exclusive NSFW works.
If you wish to walk ahead of the world…If you want to see the Empire rise before history records it—
You know where to stand.
Special thanks to all my EPIC members and,
LEGEND: Franco Steam
MYTH: Asaf Montgomery
patreon.com/xxSUPxx