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nLiam walked over to Eve’s corpse and sat on his knees beside her, staring at her lifeless eyes fixed to the ceiling.

n“I kept saying I’ll get you out, but that never really happened in the end, did it?”

nThe light in Liam’s eye dimmed, turning murky and dark. Regret could be deduced from his golden retina, but it was laced with a veil of anger and frustration.

nHe stared solemnly at Eve’s corpse.

n‘Ego, self love, self loathing, ambition, pride, passion, willpower… everything gets tested on this path to power. But knowing that, you still walked upon it – you’ve forfeit every right to complain. No matter what happens.’

nThose were Lloyd’s words when Liam began cultivating. In a sense, they were true.

nLiam had taken countless lives. Young, old, guilty… innocent. He had no right nor ability to throw blame. Not with his own hands stained with so much blood.

nStrangely, Revel’s words surfaced next:

n‘Love and legacy are the sacrifices we make for power. Allowing your resolve to puff out is akin to letting your dream die.’

nA long sigh escaped Liam’s lips – deafening silence ringing in his ears – a bitter, empty taste of loss on his tongue.

nLiam opened the letter in his hand, starting with the first line.

n‘I’m sorry, Liam.’

n‘You’ve always been the one to protect me, but I’ve never did the same for you.’

n‘I’m a selfish mother, even in death.’

n‘I wanted to speak to you one last time before… this. Run my hand through your hair. But circumstances didn’t allow for it.’

n‘With this, you are free.’

n‘It’s not your fault. Forgive me.’

n‘I love you.’

nA small corner in the letter had been folded, which Liam opened. 𝐨𝘃𝗹.

n‘May you wet your blades with their necks!’

nLiam’s eye widened on the last line – taken aback by the sudden tone shift.

nHe abruptly chuckled, unable to hold in a wry laugh.

n‘You were just as frustrated as me, weren’t you?’

nLiam grabbed a large white cloth laying around the room, then gently covered Eve’s body – sneaking one last regretful glance at her face.

n“I’m sorry.”

nIt wasn’t an exaggeration to say Liam caused her death.

nAdrian explicitly said so.

nLiam looked at his mother’s corpse with pity in his eye and darkness on his face.

n“In the end, I chose power.”

n“I’m sorry.”

n“I hope you find your peace, Eve. You deserve it.”

n“I’ll live. I’ll go on. I’ll suffer a bit, but that’s normal. You won’t be there to see.”

nThough, as wrong as it felt, Liam felt… free.

nNo more lying, no more obligation, no more protecting.

nFrom this point forth, he was a vagabond.

nNo longer bound by kinship or responsibility.

nOutside, the cheers grew louder and louder – the final match was approaching.

nLiam steeled his gaze, his eye turning violently radiant, regaining its lost vigor.

n“I won’t let your sacrifice go to waste, mother.”

n“I’ll show them.”

nLiam’s face grew chillingly cold.

n“I’ll show them all.”

nHis gaze lingered on Eve’s body for a moment, before he tore it away and left the room.

nOutside, a few maids lowered their heads when Liam came out.

n“Take care of her body,” he commanded coldly, and the two women nervously nodded. He would’ve taken care of her himself, but the match was to begin shortly.

nAt the same time, Liam started to brew a plan of his own.

n‘My escape was a lot closer than I thought.’

n

/

/

/

nLisa, Adrian and Richard got the news that Liam’s mother had killed herself.

nTheir expressions twisted and turned.

nAdrian looked slightly taken aback, before shaking his head.

n“There goes our hostage,” said Richard with a grimace.

n“Does the boy know?” Lisa asked with hope in her voice.

nThe guard delivering the news nodded hesitantly.

nLisa cursed, clicking her tongue in annoyance.

nShe looked conflicted momentarily, letting out a brief sigh. With a reluctant tone, she spoke:

n“I didn’t want to do this, but we have to visit the other families. That kid is still capable of winning this tournament if we don’t. Come.”

nNodding, her half-siblings left the room and followed her.

n

/

/

/

nMeanwhile, deafening cheers and hyper music mixed as one within the stadium.

nA timer showcased the remaining time for the last fight, which was roughly ten minutes.

n“Ladies and gentlemen, you have waited long enough! The dark horse, the Blood Demon, versus the Piercing Blade!”

nAs soon as Liam arrived at the stage, he knew something was wrong when he assessed his opponents aura.

nGerard wielded an inscribed shortsword, roughly the same length as Liam’s katana but uncurved.

nGerard’s features were extremely feminine like – long eyelashes, thin but plump lips, and long silver hair that fell over his shoulders.

nHe wore an embroidered golden yukata, which looked to be inscribed.

nAt the same time, Gerard’s aura was suspicious.

nAlongside the hazel color of the earth element, there were ethereal strands of crimson that swirled around his lower abdomen.

nMoreover, his mental energy was much stronger compared to the previous fighters – on par with his own.

n‘He’s cheating,’ Liam thought with a dark frown, the grip on his katana and wakizashi growing tighter.

nHe shifted his gaze towards the familial booths above, the nobles that sat behind the mirror looked much less worried compared to before.

nAnger churned, but a calming sigh made him relax. That, and memorizing their smug faces.

n“It’s not personal, just so you know,” Gerard said with a smirk and a shrug. “You and I could’ve been friends under different circumstances.”

nLiam remained silent.

nWhyte took his time reveling in the tense air, his lips curving to a smile.

n“Begin!”

nLiam instantly shot forth, bloodlust tainting the air around him as he kept his body parallel to the ground.

nA black mist trailed Liam’s blades, causing the crowd’s eyes to widen in shock and awe.

nCorroding Touch, Lethality Mantle, and Cartilage Brace were simultaneously activated.

nThe shadowy vapor covering Liam’s blades suddenly burst into dark flames as he executed the first form of his arts.

n‘Dark Rend!’

nGerard’s eyes widened as he instantly jumped back, his instincts screaming danger at the black smoke’s sight.

nThe ground trembled as Liam closed the distance.

nThrough the King’s Eye, he could see dozens of spots on the ground rapidly gathering ‘Ora’, increasing in intensity by the second.

nLiam’s skin vibrated, sending a shock of strength throughout his body, bolstering his speed and every physical attribute.

nRazor sharp spikes burst out from the floor where Liam stood upon, barely missing him as his blades aimed for Gerard’s chest, but met with his glowing longsword.

n