The soil of Waverith quivered, grains of sand bouncing up and down as the sound of countless feet stomping against the ground thundered across the stronghold.

A colossal cloud of dust rose, enveloping Waverith like a cloak stretched by unseen hands as if to hide the mercy of the gods from the doomed stronghold.

All who had homes were already locked inside them — hiding, crying, clinging to false hope. But it was a useless attempt. Some knelt and begged the gods to save them from the approaching doom, others grasped weapons determined not to die without resistance, while still others surrendered entirely and simply waited for death.

Each reacted differently but ironically, their fate would be the same.

Vaela stood within the territory of the Cerveau, the very place where she and Kaden had once vanished into a Nest.

Encircling her were the Ruined Knight, the Masked Abomination, and Kaden's new familiar…the Necroweaver Spider.

After his ascension to Master, Kaden had gathered enough soul force to resurrect the Spider, and here it was again with its black carapace now streaked with crimson, etched with the symbol of the Crimson Veil.

All of them wore masks, their heads painted the color of coagulated blood. Crimson robes draped their bodies, each marked with the weeping bloody eyes, hoods shadowing their faces, making them look like deranged cultists ready to sacrifice the world for the birth of some outer god.

The distant sound of armies marching shook the air — the pounding of horses' hooves, the metallic clash of weapons, the roar of soldiers — echoing like the sky itself was raining boulders on them.

Vaela turned her head sharply, sensing the approach of an army, then faced her companions again, voice calm and serene.

"There is no need for me to add anything. You all know what must be done."

They nodded. Even the spider.

The Abomination smiled beneath her mask, yellow-grey eyes gleaming with vicious delight. "We kill the Cerveau and save the children?"

Vaela nodded her head.

"And if they dare assail us, what course shall we take?" Ruined asked, his voice rigid as stone.

"Some are already doomed, their wills broken and swallowed. Kill them and grant them the mercy of death. But those who can still be saved…save them."

A smirk twisted beneath her mask.

"My dear Harvester wants to be a hero."

Ruined grunted at her phrasing, but held his tongue.

"A hero who devours," Abomination chuckled.

Vaela withdrew a small vial and gave them each a bottle of her blood, then spilled her own onto the ground. The soil lit blue.

"Ocean of Blood," she whispered before vanishing.

"Ocean of Blood," the others echoed.

And at once, the three blurred into motion, afterimages splitting across the cracked ground as their speed shattered the earth, stones exploding behind them as they hurtled toward their designated Nests, eyes cold, eager to kill.

Especially Abomination. Especially the Spider.

…

Vaela reappeared in the sterile white room she had entered once before, but this time her body stiffened instantly.

Someone else was here.

An old man reclined in the main chair, legs propped on the table, cane still clutched lazily in his wrinkled hand, his eyes closed as if asleep.

Sensing her presence, he turned his head slowly. Neon blue eyes fixed on hers. A toothless grin spread across his face.

"I was waiting for you, little lass," he rasped, his voice creaking like a wooden door on a storm-whipped night.

"Changed your style, have you? Your mother would be disappointed."

Vaela clenched her fists so hard her nails cut into her skin. Her blazing eyes looked ready to spit venom.

"…Father," she said coldly.

Nur Cerveau's grin widened.

"Come give daddy a kiss, little lass."

…

Elsewhere, the other members of the Crimson Veil stormed into their designated Nests…each one already guarded, each one a trap laid with grim patience.

But they hardly cared.

The Harvester's followers began their slaughter.

…

Above the Cerveau mansion, the sky split apart like a curtain torn wide, and from its seam descended a woman.

Her red hair streamed behind her like a cascade of blood, glowing faintly, whipping against the wind.

She wore black armor that clung to her body like a second skin, every curve visible, though the killing intent radiating from her was so dense it seemed to smother the world.

Her black eyes swept the mansion below, where three figures waited: Neron, Ziriel, and Calix, their gazes cold and merciless.

Surrounding them stood not only the Cerveau but vassals of other houses as well, weapons raised, faces devoid of emotion…this was an army prepared to die.

Serena's lips curled into a wide, deranged smile.

"All of this for me? Please, you shouldn't have. I'm getting emotional." Her words dripped with sweetness, but her actions betrayed the truth.

She stretched out her hand.

A black spear appeared, long and impossibly thin, its tip jagged as a shark's tooth. Red runes writhed across its shaft like living scars.

The space around it folded in fear. Walls warped, objects vanished into nothing, swallowed whole by invisible jaws.

'Serena, no mercy today?'

The voice of the spear — Nixie — slithered into her mind.

Serena's smile widened. 'None. Today is slaughter's day. We will paint this mansion red for the gods to admire.'

Nixie quivered with delight.

In the next breath, Serena spun with vicious grace and hurled the spear.

It tore through the sky, shrieking like a banshee, detonating the air behind it in a trail of exploding shockwaves.

It struck the Cerveau's invisible barrier, devouring it whole, then plummeted into the mansion with apocalyptic force.

Flesh, blood, bone, intestines, and stone erupted into the air looking like a grotesque mural painted across the heavens by a mad goddess. Screams of agony shattered the sky.

Serena threw back her head and laughed, then hurtling downward with her spear once more in her hand, her black eyes fixed on Neron, Ziriel, and Calix.

"COME! COME ALL OF YOU TOGETHER!"

Her bellow churned the air like a storm-tossed sea.

The three Cerveau did not flinch. They readied their stances, cold and detached, while a tide of master and grandmaster-rank slaves surged forward to shield them.

Behind Serena, the Elamin army arrived, their banners snapping like knives in the wind.

The battle of Serena had begun.

…

Wilderness.

Kaden appeared in the heart of the military camp. And he immediately, he sensed it…

The ground shook with every impact of monstrous fists, explosions flaring like volcanic eruptions, and the deranged laughter of two monstrous beasts echoed across the wilds.

'Father is already going wild. I need to hurry.'

Around him, only a handful of soldiers remained. Their eyes gleamed with barely contained madness as they waited impatiently to be unleashed. When they saw him, their fervor sharpened, and they bowed deeply.

Kaden nodded once and strode to the largest crimson tent at the center of the camp.

Inside, Daela sat alone, cleaning her twin swords with delicate precision.

Reditha pulsed in Kaden's hand, humming in greeting toward the blades.

"Your girlfriend just departed," Daela said coldly.

Kaden smiled faintly as he approached. "Where did she go?"

"With the past queen of snakes and her daughter. They are with us now after having sworn oath of loyalty during the war. They went together to the snake tribe to kill."

"Oh? Betrayal among snakes? Fitting." Kaden chuckled.

Daela gave a small nod, then rose, stepping toward him until she stood inches away. She was taller than her brother, she looked down at him without blinking.

Kaden found this cute.

"We are about to march towards the battlefield. It will be your first war," she said.

"Well… not the first, theoretically."

Daela ignored his words.

"I don't want you to die, little brother."

"I won't." His voice was steady. "Do you remember what I told you during my first mission, when you came with me?"

Daela's response was immediate. "You said death is a friend of yours."

She would never forget any of his words.

"You have your answer, then." He chuckled. "So don't worry, sister. Your brother will not die."

He raised his hand, placed a finger on her forehead.

"And you, sister, you will not die either. None of you will die."

Daela allowed herself a faint, invisible smile.

"Why?" she asked, half curious, half amused.

Kaden turned, his steps carrying him forward, his voice sharp as steel left behind.

"Because Death is a friend of mine, sister."

Daela chuckled softly, following him out.

"Come, sister. We have beasts to slaughter."

And so they departed.

—End of Chapter 253—

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