Song of the Blood Seraph (Part 2)

The words didn't match the situation. Anger, indifference, submission, Carmen expected many things, but not those words or smile. For a second, she couldn't help but wonder if Kilian failed to grasp the gravity of the events.

"Don't take this lightly. Status aside, Ernst is one of the academy's white-gold students, a 29 years old mid-level High Emissary. Even the professors treat him with courtesy. The imperial family has always been keen on promoting the aristocracy's infighting, so the academy never intervenes in students' matters—regardless of how unjust or bloody—granted that no von Skoll was harmed," Carmen pursued, eying any change in Kilian's eyes as she spoke.

None appeared. Instead, Kilian leaned forward.

"Noted. Thank you, princess. If a day ever comes that you need my mercy, as long as the circumstances are reasonable, I will grant it. But remember, emphasis on the reasonable," he whispered in Carmen's ear, turned heels, and with his arms crossed behind his back, walked away.

"Conceited. Why would a royal princess need your mercy? You'd think he's either von Karsten's son or imperial kin," Carmen sneered, ran her hand through her wispy bangs, and returned to class.

...

Meanwhile, Lena picked up Kilian's food order. In recent days, his orders had been getting more and more outrageous, making unsavory gossip spread about him. Knowing that he already faced rumors of being a bisexual rake and drug addict, Kilian couldn't care less. Lena, however, wished to contain them, chose times when most would be in class to make Kilian's orders in her name, and covertly pick them up.

At the same time, she bribed the cooks and waiters to silence the rumors. Knowing that money would stop flowing if they didn't respect their customer's privacy, both tightened their lips. But little did she know that by trying to solve one problem, she triggered another.

Lena had not even taken three steps out of the dining hall, that five men of various frames blocked her path. And while their figures differed, all wore white-gold wizard robes. At their helm, a tall and handsome man who appeared to be in his early twenties. But as she stared at his dark-brown eyes, Lena recognized his identity and true age.

"Ernst von Ruhkfort, 29. An outstanding student that already condensed four Greater Elemental Crystals," Lena noted.

Elemental Crystals determine a magus' strength. Though over-simplistic, those words held true for the majority of human magi. Elemental Crystals were the core requirements of magical growth, and from Jezebel, Lena learned that they were divided into three classes.

Minor Crystals, Greater Crystals, and Divine Crystals. Because they burrowed in Unlocked Dra Roots, 48 was the maximum number. On top of Dra Control needs, becoming a Core Emissary required 75 dra, two Unlocked Roots, and one Minor Crystal.

For a High Emissary, 500 dra, three Unlocked Roots, and three Minor Crystals.

At the Archon rank, the requirements leaped to 5,000 dra, nine Unlocked Roots, and six Greater Crystals. Naturally, with each additional crystal, the difficulty rose exponentially. At four Greater Crystals, Ernst was only a step away from becoming a top-level High Emissary.

And even without him, white-gold students all were High Emissaries. With her current strength, Lena wasn't their match.

"Girl, congratulations. You just won the lottery. The future Grand Duke of Ruhkfort fancies you. Leave your master to join lord Ernst, and who knows, you might even become one of his official mistresses." The student at Ernst's right began in a gruff but praising tone.

The words rang with such conceit, that for a second, Lena paused, and shifted her green eyes toward the gruff man.

"Was that supposed to flatter me? You think there's a woman in this world that'd drop her pants for such words?" She asked in complete puzzlement. Although by now she should have grown immune to the nobility's arrogance, they always found new ways to astound her.

"Naturally. As a commoner, being fancied by his lordship is good fortune you do not deserve. But since he saw fit to grace you, just kowtow in thanks and accept it," the gruff nobleman pursued, and Ernst nodded in approval. Although he planned to auction Lena, the more he looked at her, the more pleasing to his eyes she became.

"For someone named Ernst, you're not quite earnest. Instead of working on improving your magecraft, you're stealing a maid in broad daylight? Tell me, how much did daddy spend to help you reach this point?" Ignoring the deluded man, Lena shifted her attention back to Ernst.

Instantly, his face twisted in a frown, and he stretched out his hands.

"Enough for me to tame you. Are you coming, or do I have to take you by force?" Ernst countered, hands folded and chest stuck out in a stance that almost made Lena puke.

In a flash, she analyzed her situation. One, no one would come to her aid. Two, if she went all out, she'd not only lose but reveal abilities her age and background didn't allow. Three, only by letting the opponent lower their guard and release her strongest move in one instant, could she turn the tables. Four, with his current condition, contacting Kilian might do more harm than good.

Her eyes sank in a downcast display, and she sighed in helplessness.

"Very well, lead the way," Lena replied, making no show of resistance. Of the few bystanders, some ignored the scene, while others snickered at her "fortune." Satisfied, Ernst waved for two of his goons to surround Lena as he led the way back to his chambers.

It had only been three days since he took notice of her, and after observing her for some time, decided to make his move. As for her master, although according to rumors, the trio of master and servants had quite the intimate relationship, in might or in background, how could he resist him?

At best, like many others, he'd swallow his indignation. At worst, Lena's future owner would require his presence for one night, and Ernst would arrange it.

Back in his chambers, the junior duke sat on a throne-like chair and motioned for his fellows to do the same. All took various seats, leaving Lena to stand alone in the middle of the living room.

"Strip," Ernst commanded with an expectant smile, making his four pals flick their tongues across their lips. Naturally, Lena didn't obey. Instead, she stepped back, clutched her arms, and trembled like a startled, powerless woman, to lure in the hyenas.

"What, do you need our help? Fine, fellows, a nobleman should never let a lady wait," Ernst stated and stood up. His goons followed, and together, the five surrounded Lena from all sides.

High nobility scions spent the first 18 years of their lives in extreme training to prepare for the Imperial Academy, leading to built-up stress they often relieved on their inferiors. This world had too many Lenas—almost.

Clenching her fists, Lena gathered her 2,600 dra for a Third Circle Spell: Unary Explosion. As a soldier and servant, failing to protect her master was bad enough, but she couldn't allow herself to turn into his burden. At worst, she'd take them down at the cost of her life!

But as the five's hands neared Lena's form, a voice echoed from the entrance, "She's a commoner, not a lady. Though, I suppose that's just semantics." Alarmed by the intrusion, the five spun toward the entrance, and were startled to see Kilian leaning against the wall—sweeping them all with a poised, but eerie glance.

"How did you enter?" Ernst asked as a frown twisted his face. But ignoring him, Kilian stepped forward, and arms crossed behind his back, directly landed beside Lena. Wrapping his hand around her waist, he again vanished to return to the entrance, moving at a speed the five mistook for teleportation.

Their alarm turned into fright.

"Master..." Though delighted by Kilian's appearance, Lena couldn't face his gaze, silently cursing herself for not having one-tenth Jezebel's strength. Was there anything more shameful than a servant needing her master's assistance? Not only could she not assist him, but when faced with Arcadia's elite, she could only struggle at risk of life.

Driven by her self-loathing, Lena's heart pounded against her chest, and sensing her misgivings, Kilian placed a kiss on her forehead. Baffled, Lena raised her eyes, staring agape at Kilian's hazel eyes.

"First, you're 18, they're around 30. You just started your road, they've been on theirs for nearly two decades. Naturally, you can't compare. But who cares? Within a year, the likes of them won't be enough for you to chew on.

Second, though you're my hellhound, I didn't bring you to the academy because I needed servants. On this long, tedious road, I want partners, pals I can relax around, you're one of them," Kilian stated, lilac mist surged from his pores, and the hazel of his eyes took a lilac hue.

"Go, keep my tails warm, and I will cuddle you as a reward," he jested, and though she knew that when his eyes took the lilac shade, troubles awaited, Lena felt as if a weight had been lifted from her chest, and flashed a warm smile.

"As you command, master!" She replied, and walked out the door.

Human dra is blue. In all arcane circles, this is common knowledge. The clearer the dra, the better the magus' Dra Control.

Yet, Kilian's dra now took a lilac-shade, creating a sense of foreboding in the five white-gold students' hearts.

"Tsss…" But as their eyes narrowed at the misty dra surge, a hissing sound came from their back, forcing them to turn and face its origin.

The slithering form of two small, jet-black snakes rose from the shadows to appear before the five's bewildered eyes. But the longer they stared, the stranger the snakes became, first expanding to 10 meters in length, then merging to become a two-headed serpent!

At the serpent's back, a pair of scaled black wings sprouted, and as the massive reptile's slit, purple eyes locked on them, Ernst included, the white-gold students lost the ability to walk.

"Aaaaargh!" They shrieked and attempted to rush to safety, but their feet refused to obey, keeping them all trapped before the twin-headed serpent's paralyzing gaze.

"Inyoka, don't make the lads soil their pants, we have to maintain their noble dignity," Kilian admonished and beckoned for his abomination to slither toward him. Obediently, the monster ignored the paralyzed five and coiled around its master.

Bred from the flescrafted and transmuted remains of 42 Desolate Knives and their Archon leader, Inyoka not only possessed low-level Archon battle prowess but an energy shield capable of repelling weak Dra Shackles. Better, using the fallen Archon's genes as the template, Kilian managed to create a false Arcane Bloodline and make Inyoka an expert of Umbrakinesis. Alas, Inyoka didn't have a soul, so Kilian could never give him a true Arcane Bloodline.

Still, to this day, he was his best creation.

"Ernst, you're fucked. So fucked that an asshole taking a 30 cm long cock isn't as fucked as you are. But don't worry, I'm gonna make sure it hurts. Hurts so much that your mind breaks down, and your soul screams for all to hear—" Kilian paused, stroked Inyoka's cold scales with gentle care, and canted his head to the right.

"Kilian's people, no one can insult!" His tone underwent a 180 turn, and echoing its master's commands, Inyoka lunged at Ernst's subordinates, bared his jagged fangs at the oafs, and tore them all to shreds!

No amount of shrieking could save their lives, or hasten their deaths. Inyoka played with his prey, tearing them limb by limb. Their howls vanished in his maws!

Basted by his subordinates' blood, Ernst soiled his pants.