Eldritch Assassin: Reincarnated With An SSS-Rank Devouring System
Chapter 33: Kael’s Choice

Chapter 33: Kael’s Choice

Kael forced himself to stand, his enhanced constitution dulling the pain. Voss and Garrick advanced, their eyes burning with fury. Evelyne hung back, inscribing another rune, her sword glowing brighter.

Kael’s gaze flicked to Dorian, who stood at the edge of the clearing, his golden armor gleaming. The Lvl 16 noble had watched the fight with a smirk, his arms folded, confident in his guards’ superiority.

But now, as Isolde’s body lay still and Voss’s shield lay in ruins, that smirk faltered. His eyes narrowed, a flicker of unease breaking through his arrogance.

Kael seized an opening. He charged Voss, feinting left before diving right. The Shieldbearer swung, missing by inches. Kael slid under his arm, grabbing Isolde’s fallen dagger from the ground. He spun, hurling it at Garrick.

The blade struck the Crimson Knight’s thigh, sinking deep. Garrick laughed, ripping it out, but the distraction was enough.

Kael closed the distance to Voss, his fist glowing with devour energy. He struck the Shieldbearer’s chest, the impact cracking multiple ribs.

Voss gasped, blood spraying from his mouth and nostrils, and he dropped to one knee. Kael didn’t hesitate. He grabbed Voss’s head with both hands and twisted sharply. A sickening snap echoed, and the massive knight collapsed, lifeless.

Garrick’s manic laughter stopped abruptly. Evelyne’s runes flickered, her composure cracking. "Voss..." she whispered, her voice tight.

Seeing another one of his knights down in a lifeless heap, Dorian’s patience snapped. Whether in fear or loss of face, only he knew.

"Enough!" he roared, his voice dripping with disdain. He drew his longsword, its blade shimmering with peak pre-awakening aura.

The air around him thickened, his Lvl 16 cultivation radiating like a storm. His golden armor gleamed as he stepped forward, his eyes locked on Kael.

"You dare challenge the Valcroft name? A lowborn insect like you?"

Kael straightened, wiping blood from his lip. His silver eyes met Dorian’s without fear. "Talk less," he said, his voice low and steady. "you’ll be joining him soon."

Dorian’s face twisted with rage. He charged, his longsword slashing in a perfect arc. The blade hummed with aura, its edge sharp enough to cleave stone.

Kael dodged, the sword grazing his cloak, tearing it further. Dorian didn’t stop, his strikes were precise and relentless, each one backed by his superior cultivation.

Kael’s enhanced dexterity kept him alive, but only just. The noble’s speed and power were overwhelming.

Evelyne and Garrick regrouped, flanking Kael. Evelyne’s sword flared with new runes, amplifying her strikes. Garrick’s axes burned brighter, his wounds fueling his rage.

Kael was boxed in like trapped prey, their attacks coming from all sides. He ducked under Dorian’s sword, blocked Evelyne’s with his dagger, and twisted to avoid Garrick’s axe.

Blood sprayed from fresh cuts, but he kept moving, his bloodline devouring the pain.

Dorian’s blade came again, a thrust aimed at Kael’s heart. Kael sidestepped, grabbing Dorian’s wrist and pulling him off-balance. He drove his knee into the noble’s stomach, forcing a grunt.

Dorian recovered instantly, his aura flaring. He swung his sword upward, catching Kael’s arm and drawing a deep gash.

Kael staggered, gritting his teeth as blood poured.

The timer blinked: [Selection time frame ends in: 00:09:52]

He breathed deeply, the timer was nearing its end with only nine minutes left now.

He lunged at Garrick, who swung his axes with manic glee. Kael caught one axe with his dagger, deflecting it, and drove his fist into Garrick’s throat.

The Crimson Knight choked on his laughter, his grin fading. Kael twisted the dagger free and stabbed it into Garrick’s chest, piercing his heart.

Garrick’s eyes widened, blood bubbling from his mouth. He let loose a weak chuckle and then collapsed, his axes clattering to the ground.

Evelyne screamed, her runes blazing. "You’ll die for this!"

She swung her sword, a runic explosion tearing through the air. Kael dove, the blast scorching his back. Dorian attacked simultaneously, his longsword slashing Kael’s thigh. Pain flared, but Kael’s enhanced constitution kept him standing.

He faced Evelyne and Dorian, his body battered but unyielding. Evelyne’s runes glowed, her sword heavier with each strike. Dorian’s aura pressed down, his strikes precise and deadly.

Kael dodged and countered, his dagger flashing, but he was slowing down now. His bloodline devoured their negative emotions, but the toll of the fight was mounting.

Kael’s silver eyes burned with defiance. He was outnumbered and outmatched but not outfought. He cracked his knuckles, blood dripping from his wounds. "Come on," he growled.

His breath came in sharp gasps, blood dripping from his wounds onto the torn earth. The clearing was a graveyard of lifeless bodies, the air was thick with the stench of iron and scorched grass.

Evelyne’s sword hummed with runic energy and her eyes were blazing with fury. Dorian’s longsword gleamed, his golden armor unmarred despite the chaos, his aura a suffocating weight over Kael.

Kael’s body ached, his enhanced attributes were barely keeping him upright against their relentless assault.

The timer in his vision continued ticking:[Selection time frame ends in: 00:03:12]

He ducked under Dorian’s slashing sword, the blade whistling past his ear. Evelyne lunged, her rune-etched blade aiming for his chest.

Kael twisted, deflecting it with his dagger, but the force sent him staggering. Pain flared in his thigh where Dorian’s earlier strike had cut deep, blood soaking his tattered pants.

The Eldritch Devouring System churned, converting pain and essence into strength, but it wasn’t enough. He couldn’t defeat the three of them and get a hold of the royals in time.

Evelyne’s runes flared, a new pattern forming in the air. "You’ll fall," she spat, her voice cold. Her sword grew heavier and its edges turned sharper as she swung again.

Kael dove to the side, the ground exploding where he’d stood. Dorian followed, his strikes precise as each one forced Kael to expend more energy to dodge.

The noble’s arrogance was gone, replaced by a focused intensity. "You’re nothing," Dorian hissed, his sword thrusting for Kael’s heart.

Kael sidestepped, grabbing Dorian’s arm and twisting. The noble grunted, pulling free and slashing upward, catching Kael’s forearm. Blood sprayed, and Kael gritted his teeth, his enhanced constitution dulling the pain.

He countered with a quick jab, his dagger grazing Evelyne’s side. She hissed, stepping back, her runes flickering as she inscribed another.

The timer ticked: [Selection time frame ends in: 00:01:47]

Kael’s mind raced. He couldn’t win this fight—not in three minutes. Getting to the royals was out of reach, and letting the war burn wasn’t an option he was comfortable with.

His eyes flicked to the system’s interface, the Side Quest third option glowing faintly: Blood for Peace, Execute the royals, End the war’s justification. It was a brutal and cold-hearted option, but it would force peace. He hesitated for a moment and then selected it.

The system chimed:

———

[DING!!!]

[Option 3: Blood for Peace selected. Objective: Execute the royals. Time remaining: 5 minutes]

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