"I didn't think you'd make it here.."
The Blackstone Duke slowly raised his head, casually smoothing his disheveled blond hair.
Brush back the strands of blond hair that are in the way of your eyes.
His movements were calm and composed, utterly indifferent to the tension hanging thick in the air of the grand hall.
He gently set aside the quill in his right hand and draped the deep red cloak, the symbol of his authority, over his shoulders.
His cold eyes glanced down from the elevated dais, gazing at the blond youth standing below.
The flickering candlelight cast wavering shadows on the walls, heightening the oppressive atmosphere.
The blond youth stood in the center of the hall, his gaze locked unwaveringly with the Blackstone Duke's.
His face was ferocious, his eyes sharp as cold.
His clenched fists trembled slightly, filled with a fury and hatred that had been suppressed for far too long.
Taking a deep breath, he spoke, his voice barely contained anger.
"Thanks to you, for killing my mother, I've had the resolve to see you again, no matter the cost, Father."
The last word, 'Father,' was almost spat through gritted teeth, laced with deep-seated hatred and years of buried anguish.
The Blackstone Duke's expression hardly changed.
His eyes narrowed slightly, whether out of disdain or indifference was hard to tell.
He didn't immediately refute the accusation. Instead, he maintained a cold, stony silence.
"You think your mother's death was my fault?"
The Blackstone Duke finally spoke, his voice calm, almost chilling in its lack of emotion.
To him, it seemed like just another trivial matter.
The blond youth's eyes flared with barely suppressed rage.
He took a step forward, his voice thick with the turmoil of pent-up emotions.
"Isn't it? She died because of you!
After you abandoned her, she called your name every day!
You never once sent anyone to visit her!
She spent her last days in agony, still hoping you'd come!
She prayed for your safety every night!
Even in her final moments, her last words were your name!
How is that not your doing?"
His voice reverberated throughout the hall, laced with deep-seated resentment.
Years of grief and suffering erupted all at once.
"I hate my golden hair! I hate that I have your blood running through my veins!"
The blond youth's composure was unraveling, his face twisted with pain and anger, his eyes brimming with an intense hatred.
He suddenly grabbed a handful of his golden hair and yanked at it fiercely, tearing out several strands.
The golden locks drifted to the ground, and he stomped on them furiously, grinding them beneath his foot.
Panting heavily, his eyes grew cold, and his voice lowered to a chilling, resolute tone.
"Then I realized, if I wanted to get close to you, to end all of this,
I had to use the Blackstone family name, leverage its reputation.
I'd do anything, it's all about killing you!"
The air in the room seemed to thicken with an overwhelming sense of foreboding.
His voice, now deep and resonant, seemed to emanate from the depths of hell.
"I'd even make a pact with a demon."
As soon as the words left his mouth, a thick shadow spread from behind the blond youth, filling the air with a dark, malevolent energy.
From that shadow emerged a towering demon, its form nearly blocking out the entire hall like a mountain.
Its skin was as pale as death, and two long, twisted horns jutted from its head, casting eerie shadows.
Its blood-red eyes glowed with a predatory light as it gazed down upon the Blackstone Duke, and its sharp, jagged teeth gleamed in a sinister grin.
The candle flames in the room seemed to flicker under the oppressive presence of the demon's aura, and the shadows on the walls twisted unnaturally.
The blond youth's gaze grew colder as he stood beneath the towering demon, consumed by thoughts of vengeance.
Yet, the Blackstone Duke remained unfazed.
His expression betrayed no fear or anger as he coldly regarded his son and the demon looming behind him.
To the blond youth's surprise, the Blackstone Duke suddenly erupted in laughter, his voice echoing through the grand hall.
The laughter was filled with pride and madness.
"Hahaha! This what the Blackstones family are supposed to look like!"
All your brothers are useless!
Nothing but drunkards and fools!
But you, Keynes, my son, you are the true heir of the Blackstone family!"
The Blackstone Duke's laughter shook his chest as he stood up.
His eyes burned with a wild fervor, as if he had found the one person who could carry on his legacy.
As his laughter subsided, his voice was filled with approval and admiration.
"I love your anger, that hatred and madness—that's the spirit of the Blackstone family!
You're willing to pay any price, even making a deal with a demon, just to achieve your goal."
The Blackstone Duke stood tall. Tighten the deep red cloak.
The air around him grew cold and hot all at once, two opposing forces erupting from his body.
In his left hand, frost gathered, and the cold air seemed to freeze the very atmosphere around him.
In his right hand, flames burst forth, flickering and crackling with intense heat.
"Come! Show me your true strength!"
The Blackstone Duke's expression turned serious, his eyes gleaming with battle lust.
At that moment, the demon behind Keynes let out a deafening roar, and its massive form fused with Keynes' body in an instant.
As the demonic energy surged into him, Keynes' body underwent a dramatic transformation.
He grew taller, his muscles bulging and hardening like stone.
His clothes were ripped apart by the sheer force of the transformation.
His skin turned deathly pale, his body radiating an icy cold aura.
Two sharp horns grew from his forehead, glinting ominously in the dim light.
Dark markings snaked from his head down to his limbs, spreading across his body.
Keynes' eyes glowed a deep, menacing red, filled with malice and cruelty.
His breathing grew heavier, and the air around him crackled with the power of his demonic energy.
The very foundation of Blackstone Castle trembled under the weight of his strength.
The demon's presence had completely merged with him.
Keynes' voice was now low and raspy.
"If you want to see it, i'll let you see it!"
...
Elric, watching from a distance, could see that Blackstone Castle was now tightly surrounded by a large number of guards.
The perimeter was sealed off, leaving no gaps. It seemed impossible to breach, even for the smallest creature.
Elric sighed in frustration, his stomach growling faintly.
Feeling hungry, he retrieved a piece of bread from his space ring and began eating while keeping a watchful eye on the castle.
The bread satisfied his hunger, but it did little to ease the growing unease in his heart.
"Mommy, are we really just going to keep waiting?"
Elric muttered between bites, feeling that this endless waiting was a waste of time, especially given the tense situation.
His impatience was rising.
"Be patient."
Calista's voice remained calm and composed.
Elric let out another sigh, about to continue his questioning, when he suddenly felt two overwhelming bursts of energy.
Two figures shot out from within Blackstone Castle at blinding speed.