Chapter 60  

Kuang-!!

At first they thought it was the sound of the ground splitting in two. The earth shuddered with a deafening roar.

“Ear, earthquake?!”

Marronnier screamed and hugged Aria’s head as if protecting her.

The chandelier hanging from the ceiling shook violently once, then stopped.

“…what was that just now?”

Aria removed the bewildered Marronnier. And, she turned to Cloud, who stood motionless for a moment as if shocked.

The boy’s face, whose expression changes unusually rarely, was pale.

“Ah, no way…”

He stood by the window and opened it. Aria followed him and looked out the window.

‘Gasp.’

And she saw a black pit.

Originally there was supposed to be huge traces of the place where the endless garden was supposed to spread.

It looked like an imaginary animal : a dragon, ravaged the spot. And at the center of it was Grand Duke Valentine.

‘Did the Grand Duke do it?’

How?

No, more than that, why?

‘It’s not like the Grand Duke….”

He was ruthless and had a bad personality. However, he wasn’t the kind of person who would break the ground as if to show off his own power.

‘Recently, he seems to be in a very bad condition.’

No matter how it is.

Aria panicked and she looked at him more closely.

Thanks to the Siren’s excellent eyesight, she could see his condition at a glance even from a great distance.

‘I don’t think he’s in his right mind.’

She was sure she’s seen that expression before.

‘Ah.’

Lloyd 10 years later.

With only one old sword, he annihilated all living things in the Imperial Palace.

“It’s the same as back then.”

As he swung the arm holding the sword, an eerie sound erupted. It couldn’t be called a sharp slashing sound. It sounded like it was being crushed by a presser.

Dozens of people fell at the same time. Like a trampled dead ant.

As if everything was washed away by a tsunami that reached the sky.

“Are you really going to become the devil and try to destroy this world!”

The Emperor exclaimed desperately.

It was more of a helpless movement than of anger.

“Becoming the devil. Your Majesty, I was born a devil from the beginning, and wherever I am, there is only hell.”

Lloyd pointed his sword at the emperor and walked slowly.

and….

“Young Madam.”

Aria was immersed in her thoughts, and she was startled by the sound of calling her.

“It seems the time has come.”

Cloud said.

‘The time?’

Aria questioned herself, but she still kept her gaze out of the window.

Quite a number of people surrounded the Grand Duke. Lloyd, the shaman Carlin, the Black Falcon Knights, those who had the power to stop the Grand Duke.

And Gabriel.“I’ll immobilize him, so distract him.”

Lloyd drew his sword.

However, the 14-year-old boy was not yet skilled enough to defeat Grand Duke Valentine. Even Aria, ignorant of swordsmanship, felt that the Grand Duke was overwhelmingly strong.

Of course, that could be a different story when Lloyd grows older than he is now, but at least for now…

‘You’re going to get seriously hurt.’

As she terrifyingly thought so,

Kuang-!!

A sound similar to the roar that split the ground broke out again.

A white flash of light flashed from the two swords that collided violently. A cold sweat broke out on Lloyd’s forehead from a single blow.

“Kugh!”

He clenched his teeth and swallowed a groan of pain.

Aria trembled and leaned her body in front as if she was about to jump out of the window.

Then Tristan saw a flash of light from the sword he was holding.

‘The sword?’

No.

At first glance, they may look similar, but it had a completely different feel.

So blatantly corrupt that it’s hard to believe it’s of this world…..

“The devil’s malice…”

Gabriel, who was watching the scene, murmured.

It was horror.

Everyone who watched the scene, without exception, was overwhelmed by the energy and felt absolute despair. Tears welled up in the corners of their eyes at the pain similar to seeing the sun with the naked eye, and their whole body trembled at the eerie ringing in their ears.

A rotting stench stung the nose, it was hard to breathe, and they couldn’t spit a single word out of the heavy pressure that blocked the vocal cords. Pure malice that tramples on every insignificant creature that lives in reality, and makes even sickness and death groan.

An incomprehensible existence.

‘That’s the devil’s malice that Valentine’s heads have been embracing for generations…..’

Aria was the first to have a glimpse of its essence. Chaos itself condensed from the depths of the abyss.

She shut her eyes tight for a moment.

‘I had to purify that.’

If it’s something no one has ever done before, there must have been a reason. It was only when Aria saw the essence of malice with her own eyes that she realized why.

‘I would be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid.’

But she only came to her senses when Lloyd moved his sword into his left hand. All of a sudden, she forgot her fears and started worrying.

‘Is your arm broken?’

The boy gave up his right hand after judging calmly.

And he stood up again.

Tristan also raised his sword and swung it, as if he had no intention of looking at Lloyd. Twisted and distorted malice followed the sword and drew a trajectory in the air.

It was an instantaneous situation.

At that time, Aria was terribly surprised.

‘Gasp, Sabina!’

Because Sabina was heading straight for Tristan from afar without hesitation.

‘No matter how much you get better, you are not fully recovered….’

Her body, which had been damaged by her long illness, was not something that could be fixed in a single day.

To approach the Grand Duke on the verge of a runaway with such a body!

‘It’s dangerous!’

Aria desperately grabbed the window sill.

Scared of thinking so, Sabina slammed Tristan in the head.

“.…”

Did she just hit his head?

It was a very fierce fist.

The Grand Duke’s eyes, which had been hazy for a moment, returned to their original state.

“…what are you doing here?”

“That’s what I’m going to say!”

“Why are you here in danger?”“You are the most dangerous!”

Tristan continued the conversation at his own will and then picked up Sabina. And he went back to the palace without any hesitation as if he had not caused a commotion, .

“…”

What the hell is this?

Only those who were left were stunned.

***

Aria immediately went to Lloyd, checked the condition of his right arm, and sang her healing song.

And she asked about the time that Cloud said.

“You don’t have to worry about it. It’s just that the time for replacement of the head of the family has come.”

“What?”

She asked in surprise.

“Isn’t Lloyd still 14?”

“He’s not going to be replaced right away.”

He turned around his healed arm and started explaining more in earnest.

“It means that I have begun to properly inherit the malice that has been passed down through the generations.”

“But why is Father like that?”

“Because only the shell remains.”

Shell?

“Even though it’s malice, it is the power of the devil. It’s transferred to me, leaving only a powerless and corrupt human body.”

Aria had an anxious expression on his face.

“Then what will happen?”

“He will suffer from madness for the rest of his life. If his body is weaker than that, the moment the malice is completely gone, he becomes a handful of dust and scatters.”

Lloyd spoke as if explaining the logic of the world. As if it was a very natural process, like circulating nature.

‘That means he’s going to die.’

Or if not, he’ll go crazy.

Either way, it was a negative outcome.

‘Oh, I thought it was strange that Lloyd led the meeting instead of the Grand Duke.’

She didn’t know that it was a signal that started the beginning of a generational change.

“When will that happen?”

“It will be at most five years.”

Lloyd said five years at most, but Aria knew what would happen here four years later.

‘Valentine’s Incident.’

Maybe it’s related? She thought it might be something.

“There’s no need to make that kind of expression because all the previous grand dukes have been through it.”

“Was he going to keep doing that until then?”

“It will only get worse.”

The answer that came back was even more hopeless.

“Before he goes out of control, he will have to enter the detached palace with several barriers.”

But Lloyd, who said those words, was calm enough to feel cold.

“Haa….”

Rather, seeing Aria concerned for the Grand Duke’s safety with a desperate face, he brushed his bangs in annoyance.

“I’m sorry. The reason to marry me is gone.”

Not only that, but he also said things that can’t be understood at all.

“I think I know why.”

Because Tristan’s present is Lloyd’s future.

“If you accept what is happening to the Grand Duke now as a tragedy, my future will also be a tragedy.”

Lloyd couldn’t help but react like this.

“You’re still okay, right?”

“Relatively.”

So that means it’s just a matter of time.

Aria thought for a moment, then nodded her head as if she understood.

“Then, Lloyd?”

“What?”

“Then what will happen to Lloyd?”