Chapter 229 - The Summon

"Ignis. Glacies." The king conjured, mixing elemental magic. "Naturalis malum."

A mix of type one magic, fire, and the branch of aquatic magic—ice. He mixed them together, forming a magic akin to a natural disaster.

The magic then flowed into his sword.

He ought to end this sooner before the snake would cause more problem in the town.

The king then calmly sauntered towards the snake, and then even with a considerable distance, he swung his sword mid-air; a slash formed with the color of purple then dashed towards the snake—and without any minute later, the large snake's body was cut into half, with is head falling back to the lake. The ground shook as the lake water splashed from the fall of the large creature.

The king then turned to Faustina.

And that's when he noticed it.

Her impossibly pale face, with expression agonized in pain. Her lips had no color, and she had dark circles under her eyes. The king blinked.

"Faustina!"

What was happening to her? She couldn't've got bitten. He paid close attention to protect her. The barrier was impenetrable. He couldn't have made a mistake!

Is it her mana leak? No… it's different.

The king gritted his teeth.

"Come out." He exclaimed darkly. "What did you do to her?"

Coming out from his hiding in the dark of the forest was a hooded man with a smile in his face. He held a staff that had the design of two snakes in them.

Slowly, he pulled his hood.

Paper-white hair, and red eyes.

The king's eyes widened.

"…Abe?"

--

The king stared at the man, who now smiled at him. And this time the king discerned it wasn't Abe, but a different person who was the same race as him. He bore fangs, something that Abe, the Vice-captain, did not have. 

His eyes were red, almost pink. His paper-white hair gleamed to the night, and his pale skin made him look like a white snake ready to bite. This man was clearly an Albino—an Albino that was a full-fledged Assassin. And his razor-sharp, vampire fangs were the proof of that.

Albinos such as Abe cut their fangs as to not drench blood out of human life—that is a pact they made with themselves and just to seclude themselves to the dark. The king remembers how Abe fought in the arena, lifeless and simply dead inside. But there was light in his eyes, as he chose not to kill.

But these ones—

They chose to choose the path their predecessors have paved for them.

The path of an assassin—a contract killer.

The king stared at the man who revealed himself. His staff, with two snakes wrapped around each other, confirmed another thing.

An assassin who can use magic.

"What did you do to her?" The king exclaimed, demanding an answer. He then pointed his sword to the vampire assassin, holding his anger. 

"King Alexander Octavius Feuerkrieger IX." The man bowed, pressing his hand over his chest as he bowed. "It is an honor to meet you."

"Skip the pleasantries. What did you do?"

"Impatient, aren't we?" The man smiled. "Worry not, King Alexander. She's only asleep."

"Asleep?"

"For now, at least."

The king tightened his grip around Faustina, drawing her closer to him. He clenched his jaw, repressing his urge to charge to the man and slice the answer out of him.

"I know you are frustrated, but worry not. I diluted the venom—enough for it to last an hour and thirty minutes."

The king's eyes widened.

"So… maybe now"—the man counted with his fingers—"she only have about twenty to fifteen minutes?"

In a split second, the king's blade was now in the man's neck—or more specifically, closer to his neck; the man had a magic barrier around him, which only deflected the sword of Feuersturm. He smiles at the king, who was quick enough to charge.

His sapphire-blue eyes was sharp and cold. 

The man cannot deny that it sent a shiver down his spine.

This man, after all, was the king of Feuersturm. A user of the Opus. 

"Don't you want to hear what I am about to say, Your Majesty?" The man taunted. "About the antidote?"

The king stopped; his expression in complete shock. But he was able to quickly recover by pressing his sword harder to the barrier.

"Give me the antidote. Now,"

The man smiled at the king, showing his fangs. 

"I was about to give it to you, My King." The man smiled, showing his fangs. "But all in one condition."

The king was ready to give anything to have Faustina survive, and so he waited in silence—waiting for what the man was about to ask of him.

"Let the first king take your place."

The king blinked, completely taken aback by his words.

The first king? How in the world did this assassin know of Nightmare's conditions—having the souls of the Opus users in his body?

Alexander Octavius did not respond, but he knew how critical time is. And the man was benevolent enough to talk again.

"I know for a fact that you harbor eight other souls in your body, King Alexander Octavius Ein Feuerkrieger IX." The man asserted. "I know you possess the souls of King Octavius, Julius, Sirius, Heinrich, Dietrich, Friedruch, Erich, and Roderich."

This man wasn't lying.

He does know.

And the only ones who knew are—the Priestess, his knights, the circle, the court, and…

"Are you… in league with the Forsaken?"

The man did not agree, but he did not deny it either.

"Agh!"

The king's eyes widened, returning to his senses as Faustina winced in pain. She began to grow even paler than before.

"She should take the antidote now," the man said. "Before her blood starts to clot."

The king gritted his teeth.

It seemed like right now, he had no other choice. 

'First king.' The ninth king whispered in his mind. 'I wish for you to take over this body.'

The clock seal in the king's left chest then struck into the uppermost part of the circle, with its hand pointing into the numeral I.

And with that, he awakens.

The first king of Feuersturm.

**

'She drank the venom, but she still looks alright.' L.u.s.t hissed. 'If this would not entertain me, then you know the consequences.'

'…the king will come in Magierstadt this night.'

'What?'

'I have set this all up for your entertainment, L.u.s.t.' The man smiled. 'Just see it for yourself.'

--

The first king slowly opened his eyes, expecting to be in the same dark, and gloomy throne room. Except now, he wasn't. In his arms was a girl… and he was in a forest, with a vampire assassin in front of him. 

What was happening?

For the first time in his life, the first king was entirely baffled.

"What are you staring at, Lowly Plebeian?" The first king coldly states, looking down at the cloaked man with cold, expressionless eyes.

"Hah! You are indeed the first king."

The first king was quick in his reflexes to catch what the person who now appeared from the woods threw at him. He then stared at it.

A vial?

"That is the antidote the ninth king exchanged for your summon."

The first king scowled. "Summon me? In exchange for this trivial thing?" He felt clearly insulted. 

"That is the antidote for the venom of the Herba Snake."

The king then turned to the girl, the vial now touching his lips.

Faustina slowly opened her eyes, staring at the king.

"Noah…"

The king paused, hearing that child's name. He then stopped, and then instead he just pressed the vial to Faustina's lips, making her drink it.

"You have gotten soft."

A woman wearing a black dress, with l.u.s.trous and curly coal-black hair falling to her waist. Her lips were red as cherry, and her foxy, sharp eyes were blood-red. The first king stared at her, sensing the familiarity of her soul to someone else.

"A fragment of Nathaniel?" The king raised his brow. "What is it that you want with me?"

The first king did not have any matters regarding the murder of his descendants—so this was all purely Noah's problem. 

"I am the child of Jonathan Unsterblich. I am no fragment. My name is L.u.s.t, Your Majesty." The woman exclaimed, clearly ticked. 

The king stared at her.

"You hold no Unsterblich blood." He retorted. "You are nothing but a mere fragment. A monster, with an artificial soul."

The woman did not like the first king's respond, but she was entertained for the entirety of the time, so she let this pass. She crossed her arms, and walked towards the king—and every step from her black stilettos turned the grass black, withering them to nothing.

"Your Majesty," the woman smirked. "It seems you have secluded yourself for long."

The king's brow furrowed to a deep scowl, but his eyes were still void of any emotion.

"Can't you sense the prophecy?" L.u.s.t exclaimed, as she leans to him. "Can't you feel the oracle coming true at each passing second?"

The king stares at her.

"Zuerst had won the war. Nothing will change."

L.u.s.t smirked, and then stares at the girl in the king's arms. She then propelled her arm forward, hand covered in sharp nails.

The first king stopped L.u.s.t with the sword of Feuersturm, with a dark expression on his face.

And his expression made L.u.s.t even more amused.

"Have you heard of the magic tower from Zweite?"

The magic tower—the home of the warlocks that was located in the second continent. It had been nothing but a ruin since the defeat of the warlocks at year 300. 

"And what of it?" 

L.u.s.t smirked.

"Have you heard nothing of the Homunculus?"

The king's eyes widened, and his expression was all enough for L.u.s.t.

"I will return to Father's side at once." L.u.s.t exclaimed, walking away from the king with the vampire assassin.

"I shall let him know that the first king of Feuersturm," the woman chuckled. "Will be the first to offer his head to us."

The king stared.

"And when will that happen?" The king challenged.

"When the blood moon rises," L.u.s.t then turned sideways, with red eyes gleaming. "When she awakens with the prophecy of destruction in her hand."

The king's brow furrowed.

"…And when that happens, Zweite… will not lose the war."