"Could it be that you are all [Devil Possessors]? Descendants of heroes? No... that's impossible! The treatment method was lost long ago!"
Viscount Olba was completely stunned.
Girls with strength far beyond that of ordinary people—one or two might be shocking, but now there were more than a dozen of them. That was simply unheard of.
There could only be one explanation: they were descendants of heroes—those who had broken through the curse of [Devil Possession] and awakened their powers.
Otherwise, their strength was simply inexplicable.
"[Dark Night Courtyard]—just who are you? How have you managed to master a method of awakening that even the cult has failed to achieve?"
"Everything we have is due to the wisdom of our Lord," one of the girls said coldly. "For our great Lord, nothing in this world is impossible. Thief—you may die now."
"Damn it! How could it end like this?!"
Viscount Olba's expression twisted with rage. He released all of his magic power at once, hoping to force the awakened girls back.
Then, seizing the opportunity, he quickly pulled a red vial from within his robes and swallowed one of the pills inside.
"Graaahhhh!!"
His magic ran wild the next instant.
His body swelled grotesquely, muscles bulging, veins pulsing. His strength increased severalfold—yet his appearance became hideously monstrous.
"...I see," Alpha muttered, assessing calmly. "First, you let your magic run wild, then forcibly suppress it. Is this some sort of drug that imitates [Devil Possession]?"
The scene was surreal—the beautiful, elven-like girls facing a hulking monster. From a fairy tale perspective, the contrast was clear. The girls should've been the weak ones.
But reality begged to differ.
"That cheap trick, and yet you still dare challenge us?" Alpha's tone turned mocking. "You're an adult, but your thinking is so immature."
"Wha—what?!"
"Not only is it false power, but the side effects are also severe. In the end, it's merely a poor imitation of Devil Possession. But we... are the real deal."
Viscount Olba's heart sank.
What Alpha said was true. His potion only mimicked the power of the Devil Possessed—it couldn't compare to the real thing.
Alpha calmly drew her sword. What followed was utter domination.
The elven girl's swordsmanship was a graceful and deadly dance, one she had learned from the Black Prince himself. In just a few swift movements, she severed Olba's limbs with precision and speed.
"How… how can this be?" Olba collapsed to his knees, his body crippled and trembling.
"It's not just magic… it's also technique. How did you reach this level at your age…?"
He couldn't believe it. He was no weakling—he had once participated in the God of War Festival, earning his place among the strong in the outer world. And yet, this girl who appeared no older than a teenager had overpowered him completely.
"…It's over."
Alpha's voice was devoid of emotion.
She gathered magic energy into her sword. As she swung down, the force of the slash caused a deafening sonic boom.
"GUHAHH!"
Olba let out a guttural scream.
Even after such a devastating blow, he remained barely alive. The medicine's regenerative effects were more potent than Alpha had anticipated.
"So you're still clinging to life," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Let's finish this."
"Wait! WAIT!! PLEASE—WAIT A MOMENT!"
Seeing Alpha place the tip of her blade to his heart, Olba panicked.
"Do you have any last words? If you offer valuable information, I might make your death a little less painful."
"Calm down! Think this through! You don't have to follow Prince Alhaitham, do you? With your talents and strength, you'd thrive if you joined us. I can guarantee you a bright future!"
Alpha's expression darkened.
"Prince Alhaitham has the lowest inheritance rights to the throne! Why would someone like you waste your talents following that little devil? Spare me, and I'll introduce you to the religious order!"
The atmosphere grew cold.
The girls of the Dark Night Courtyard released an overwhelming killing intent.
Zeta, the sixth of the Seven Shadows, clenched her fists, trembling with anger.
"That black hair... not even gold... it's ominous. Evil!"
Squelch!
The sound of flesh being pierced echoed sharply.
Olba's eyes widened in shock. Agonizing pain surged through his mouth and chest.
He looked up, horrified. Somehow, he was now surrounded.
The emotionless girls now stared at him with ice-cold eyes.
"Shut up, you b*d!" x2
Alpha's voice was laced with venom as she drove her blade into Olba's mouth, skewering his tongue.
Zeta didn't even draw her sword. With bare hands, she pierced his chest and crushed his heart.
"You dare insult our beloved Lord?" she spat.
"I'll never forgive you!"
"Only one end awaits you!"
"Death! Death! Death!" xN
The girls let loose a collective fury unlike anything seen before. Their blades rose and fell in merciless synchronization, tearing into the man who had dared mock their Lord.
At the very moment Olba died, he understood—he had stepped on a landmine.
To the girls of the Dark Night Courtyard, the Black Prince's name—Alhaitham—was sacred.
Insulting him was the greatest blasphemy.
And the cost of that sin was his life.
"Fool who rushed to die," Zeta said coldly, flicking the blood from her hand.
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