Count’s Youngest Son is a Warlock Chapter 284 - It's Snowing (4)

 

 

Bwoo.

 

With a brief sound of a horn, the space split apart.

 

As the space crumpled and closed like a wall from above, Veronia frowned.

 

The darkness he had delicately woven like threads was being severed as the space distorted.

 

“You don’t have to think about anything,” Lucion said.

 

Lucion unsheathed his sword and raised it above his head before Veronia’s darkness could writhe in response.

 

As Lucion drew closer to Veronia, he understood what he was preparing.

 

Like a spider waiting for its prey to step into its web, feigning weakness and being trapped by the light, Veronia had been preparing darkness beneath the ground.

 

“Now, you just need to die,” Lucion declared.

 

Without hesitation, Lucion plunged his sword into the ground.

 

Thud!

 

The violet darkness flowing through the sword began to shake the earth.

 

Veronia widened his eyes, boldly severing the light that had bound his hands and feet with his own darkness, instantly teleporting in front of Lucion.

 

Just as he reached out to grip Lucion’s neck, he froze at the sight of Hume appearing.

 

“Move aside. If you touch me, you’ll get hurt!” Veronia exclaimed, hiding his hands and stepping back.

 

Unlike himself, who had consumed the heart of the King of Darkness to gain power, Ravien would turn into a monster upon corruption, unable to return to normal.

 

“No. The one who needs to disappear is you.”

 

A chilling aura surrounded Hume.

 

Sharp ice shards floated around him in an instant.

 

“It’s me… it’s me! It wasn’t that vessel that created you, it was me!” Veronia raised his voice, meeting Hume’s cold gaze.

 

“So what?” Hume replied, extending his hand and launching the ice shards.

 

“…!”

 

Both Lucion and Ratta were startled by Hume’s unusually cold words.

 

—H-Hume? Are you angry? This is the scariest I’ve ever seen you.

 

“I’m not angry at you, Ratta.”

 

Hume quickly turned to Ratta with a smile.

 

—Right? Ehehe. Ratta likes Hume!

 

“…You.”

 

As the darkness enveloped the ice, Veronia’s eyes burned with rage as he glared at Lucion.

 

Thud.

 

Lucion pulled out his sword, sensing that all of Veronia’s darkness hidden underground had been severed.

 

“You’re the one who abandoned Hume. Feeling guilty? You lash out at me every chance you get.”

 

“You bastard…”

 

Swish!

 

At the sound of a fierce gust of wind, Veronia turned his head and raised his hand wrapped in darkness.

 

Heint’s white sword traced a faint trail of light through the air and slashed through Veronia’s darkness.

 

“Yeah, it seems like he has quite a serious guilt complex.”

 

A smirk tugged at the corners of Heint’s mouth.

 

Ssssshh.

 

Veronia screamed and staggered backward.

 

It was different.

 

This light wasn’t ordinary.

 

Gasping for breath, Veronia felt his own darkness and wrist melting away, realizing too late that his wrist was completely severed.

 

The blazing blue flames erupted from the cut edge, and the sharp blade pointed at Veronia’s only remaining eye.

 

Lucion was startled the moment he saw the unfamiliar man who had suddenly appeared.

 

‘Brother?’

 

Why was Carson here?

 

Boom.

 

Before Lucion could say anything, all exits were sealed shut.

 

The spatial separation magic had become far more refined in comparison to when they dealt with Hotram, the boss of the Hand of the Void.

 

A portion of the space had been folded and assembled like a vast sheet of colored paper shaped into a cube, with rocky terrain hanging upside down from the ceiling.

 

Clang!

 

With the sound of a blade deflecting an attack, Carson swiftly dodged the sharp darkness shooting toward him.

 

“Carson, why are you here? Did the Patriarch allow you to come?”

 

As Heint borrowed the power of the holy sword and burst forth with light, Carson didn’t even glance at the melting darkness. Instead, he moved to block Heint’s sword first.

 

“…”

 

Lucion hesitated, and Russell spoke up.

 

“That one is fine.”

 

“Did you just say…it’s fine?”

 

Carson narrowed one eye and questioned him.

 

“Yeah. So, why are you here?”

 

Russell, holding the mass of violet darkness that Lucion had passed to him, turned to Veronia.

 

“I came to kill that bastard. I have a personal grudge.”

 

Carson glanced at Lucion for a brief moment, but his focus was still on Veronia.

 

“Why…did you come?”

 

“I also have a personal grudge.”

 

Russell grinned as he stared at Veronia, who was clutching his severed wrist in pain.

 

“…”

 

Carson didn’t say anything more.

 

He didn’t want to disturb Lucion’s resolve unnecessarily.

 

[Don’t waver now, Lord Lucion.]

 

Bethel forced Lucion’s gaze away from Carson and back to Veronia.

 

‘Yeah. I won’t waver.’

 

Lucion tightened his grip on the sword.

 

“How….”

 

Veronia trembled, glaring at Heint, his wrist regenerating far too slowly.

 

“It’s working well, huh?”

 

“Isn’t it?” Lucion replied to Heint’s remark, violet darkness flickering along his blade.

 

Even with the space compressed, there was still ample room for all six of them—including Veronia—to move freely.

 

—Ratta can now…

 

“No. Wait. You know the surprise box, right?”

 

Lucion interrupted Ratta.

 

—Yup! Ratta’s favorite toy is the ball, but the surprise box is fun too!

 

“When I give the signal, you become the surprise box.”

 

—Ooooh! Ratta becomes the surprise box?

 

“That’s right.”

 

—Yay! Ratta wants to be the surprise box today!

 

“Good.”

 

—Let’s go!

 

With Ratta’s enthusiastic shout, Lucion moved forward toward Veronia.

 

Quietly, as Veronia’s thick darkness rose, Lucion raised his sword and strengthened his stance on one leg, swinging it downward.

 

But Veronia vanished, and the sword sliced through the air.

 

As his waist turned, Veronia’s darkness approached his now-exposed abdomen, but Lucion didn’t panic; he created a Black Wave with his unoccupied hand.

 

Flash!

 

Like a coiled spring, Heint bounced forward and sliced through the thick darkness that had been about to pierce Lucion’s stomach.

 

“Ugh…!”

 

Veronia screamed.

 

His body collapsed slightly, and his pupils shook.

 

Although it was much weaker than the light emitted by numerous priests, it felt entirely different.

 

Intense pain followed.

 

“Curious?”

 

Without hesitation, Lucion struck Veronia’s abdomen with the Black Wave.

 

“…Gah!”

 

The spreading darkness threatened to engulf Veronia as it bared its fangs and bit down hard.

 

Veronia’s darkness quivered.

 

Seeing Carson and Hume rushing forward almost simultaneously, Lucion stepped back and took out the holy relic he had taken from Nevast.

 

It was time to enhance the Holy Sword.

 

As the light emanating from the fragment of the Holy Sword spread rapidly, Russell seized the moment, waiting for the surrounding darkness to be enclosed by the holy glow. Then, he separated a portion of the darkness and swung it.

 

Startled, Lucion looked at Russell.

 

“Don’t worry about it. I told you, didn’t I? There’s another way to fight against light.”

 

Russell appeared completely composed.

 

Meanwhile, the fragment of the holy sword that Lucion had pulled out aimed at Heint.

 

“Wh-what?”

 

Heint was taken aback.

 

The relic was fusing into his sword.

 

Eyes widening in surprise, Heint stared blankly at his weapon for a moment.

 

Crack!

 

As the violet darkness extinguished, the ice shards that Hume had created rapidly adhered to the anguished Veronia.

 

“…!”

 

Veronia hastily lifted his head, looking at Hume.

 

He stared at him as if he had just been betrayed.

 

But Hume’s gaze remained unshaken.

 

The ice clinging to Veronia grew exponentially with Hume’s touch.

 

Realizing he was trapped in the ice, Hume gripped his great sword and charged forward.

 

Bang!

 

The only sound was the sword striking the hard ground.

 

A cloud of dust rose as Hume turned his head back toward Veronia, while Carson swung his sword like a club, leaving a deep, dark streak across Veronia’s body.

 

Swish.

 

It was a light but deep cut.

 

Black blood poured from the wound in Veronia’s abdomen.

 

“Ugh…!”

 

Veronia trembled.

 

Russell seized the opportunity.

 

Crash!

 

Russell’s darkness, cloaked in violet, struck down on Veronia’s shoulder like an icicle.

 

Whirr.

 

Though faint, the darkness supporting Veronia caused him to shake as he struggled to extinguish the fire.

 

‘First, the blood.’

 

Lucion quickly directed his darkness toward Veronia’s blood.

 

‘And then…’

 

After confirming the blood was melting away, he revealed his darkness from within Veronia’s shadow.

 

—Here I come!

 

Following Ratta’s excited voice, the violet darkness fiercely pierced Veronia’s legs.

 

No aggression was suppressed.

 

‘Darkness, bind his legs.’

 

Violet stars appeared on Veronia’s legs, causing him to collapse from the sudden pain.

 

Before Veronia’s head could touch the ground, Heint took a breath and aimed for Veronia’s heart.

 

However, the thick darkness barely evaded the strike, and the sword drove into his black abdomen.

 

“Die!”

 

With Heint’s cry, a pure light spread out.

 

“Aaargh…!”

 

As Veronia screamed in intense pain, Heint twisted the Holy Sword and poured his light into it.

 

Veronia’s screams intensified.

 

“The… Holy Relic! The true Holy Relic…!”

 

Watching the black blood drip down, Veronia turned away from reality.

 

There was no way that could be a true relic.

 

Surely, he had just seen the Sea of Death.

 

[Lord Lucion.]

 

Bethel sensed Veronia’s mental state, fortified by the light of the Holy Sword, beginning to crumble.

 

‘That’s right, now is the time.’

 

Lucion steadied his breath.

 

Now was the moment to use the curse’s power against Veronia.

 

No, he had to do it now.

 

With Veronia’s regeneration slowing down, once the space was released, all the light would be unleashed.

 

The winds began to pick up around Lucion.

 

He focused, closed his eyes, and gathered his darkness at his fingertips.

 

Thick.

 

Thicker.

 

At that moment, a malicious smile appeared on Veronia’s lips.

 

He saw Hume in front of him.

 

His darkness writhed at the touch of his fingertips.

 

For a brief moment, Hume’s shoulder slumped.

 

His eyes hollowed out as he slowly walked toward Lucion, quietly, without a sound.

 

Ratta tilted her head, watching Hume.

 

—Lucion, Lucion.

 

Hume was acting strange.

 

—From Ratta’s perspective, um, Hume is acting strange…

 

Swish!

 

Before Ratta could finish her words, a thick, icy greatsword was swung toward Lucion.

 

Bethel opened Lucion’s eyes and desperately blocked the greatsword.

 

—Hooop…!

 

Ratta froze in place.

 

Even with Russell’s darkness between the greatsword and Lucion’s sword, Lucion’s hands trembled against the overwhelming strength of Hume.

 

“Hamel…!”

 

As Carson approached, Lucion shook his head.

 

It was fine.

 

Asha was protecting Hume.

 

The light swirling around the mark embedded in Hume’s forehead indicated Asha’s darkness.

 

Seemingly drawn by the light, Lucion deflected Hume’s great sword and pressed him down with his own darkness.

 

However, Hume pushed through the darkness with brute strength and stood up.

 

Like a puppet without will or purpose, he merely lifted the great sword toward Lucion.

 

Lucion calmly issued an order.

 

“Stop.”

 

Thud!

 

Hume, as if subdued by a powerful force, hesitated and then ceased his movements.

 

Just as Shaela had done to him, Lucion gently tapped the mark on Hume’s forehead and flicked it.

 

Smack!

 

“You can’t sleep in the middle of a fight. Wake up.”

 

“…Hah!”

 

Hume gasped, as if surfacing from deep water.

 

Soon, he looked at his own hands, startled, and dropped the greatsword.

 

It seemed like he was going to attack Lucion.

 

Overwhelmed, Hume burst into tears, struggling to hold back his voice.

 

“Y-young master…”

 

“It’s alright. Asha protected you. Now pick up the great sword and face that bastard.”

 

Lucion placed a hand on Hume’s shoulder and let some of his darkness flow into him.

 

Hume flinched and looked at Lucion.

 

“…Ggah, that, uh…!”

 

Veronia screamed in panic, staring at Lucion.

 

Asha… Asha.

 

Crack.

 

The area where the Holy Sword was embedded began to dry up rapidly from the light emitted by Heint and the Holy Sword.

 

Asha had sacrificed herself to save him, and she had saved Hume, too.

 

But wasn’t it laughable to be used by such a bastard?

 

‘That bastard.’

 

Lucion moved his fingers in a sideways “8” pattern.

 

He issued an absolute obedience, an unyielding order coming down from a king.

 

‘Your two legs will never leave the ground.’

 

With the absolute obedience binding his movements forever, Veronia gritted his teeth and shouted, “No, I refuse!”

 

An ominous darkness flared up in Veronia’s eyes.

 

Bang!

 

A thick darkness burst from his body, sending Heint crashing into the wall, where he slid down helplessly.

 

Before Lucion could even react, a dark, snake-like form appeared in front of him, its jaws wide open.

 

[No!]

 

Bethel swung the sword, but the snake passed right through it.

 

Hiss!

 

It sank its fangs into Lucion’s arm, causing him to shudder and fall back, trembling.

 

“Lucion!”

 

Russell rushed forward.

 

The curse reflected back.

 

“Damn you…!”

 

This was black magic that couldn’t be stopped, unfolding between the one who cast the curse and the one it was cast upon.

 

“Damn it!”

 

Whether it was Carson or Heint, one of them had inflicted a wound that now returned to Lucion.

 

“One of my wounds is now yours.”

 

Veronia smirked as he looked at the blood staining Lucion’s abdomen.

 

He was the King of Darkness, and that bastard was nothing more than a vessel.

 

“Heint-nim!”

 

Hume called out urgently to Heint.

 

The smell of blood was thick in the air.

 

“Shit, Lucion!”

 

Groaning, Heint staggered to his feet, his face pale, and rushed toward Lucion.

 

The Sunbeam.

 

Now was the time to use it. He was the only one here who could wield the light.

 

Carson, staring blankly at Lucion, felt his breathing quicken. His hatred surged like a violent storm.

 

“You… You…!”

 

A sharp blue light flashed in Carson’s eyes as the ground trembled beneath his steps.

 

Veronia shuddered as he met Carson’s gaze.

 

Danger.

 

He tried to move, but one of his legs remained firmly stuck to the ground.

 

“…What now? At least one of them succeeded.”

 

Lucion’s mocking words sent Carson charging forward like a wounded beast.

 

Veronia’s darkness lashed out, but Carson, whose senses had sharpened after losing his eyesight to a previous curse, dodged with ease.

 

His sword cut through the darkness effortlessly—then slashed cleanly through Veronia’s arm.

 

With a dull thud, the severed limb hit the ground. Carson twisted his stance, pressing his feet flat against the floor.

 

Now, a predator closing in on its prey, he lunged.

 

“Damn it!”

 

Veronia shouted, summoning his corrupted darkness.

 

But just as Carson closed in, he retreated.

 

There was nowhere to step.

 

As Carson grimaced, violet darkness loomed just before him.

 

He shifted his gaze to Lucion.

 

The bloodstains on Lucion’s clothes were vividly red, and his chest ached painfully.

 

“…What are you hesitating for?”

 

In an indifferent tone, Lucion spoke, and Carson tightened his grip on his sword.

 

“I’ll pave the way, so just stay still for a moment!”

 

Russell shouted, looking at Lucion.

 

Darkness unfolded—Russell’s violet-infused darkness layered over Lucion’s own.

 

The corruption melted away, and a path began to form.