The Eclipsed Bloom
Chapter 75: Duel

Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Duel

Earth – California, Private Manor

In the basement of the grand mansion, Jack sat in a leather chair, his eyes fixed on Luke, who was seated across from him in a lab coat.

"So, the medicine is ready, right?" Jack asked.

Luke nodded, a proud smile spreading across his face. "Yeah. It’s ready for use."

A smirk tugged at Jack’s lips. "Good. Give it to me—I want to use it."

But Luke shook his head firmly. "Why are you in such a hurry? We need to test it on someone first."

Jack sighed, clearly annoyed. "It still needs testing? What a headache... At this rate, I don’t know when we’ll get rid of those Church bastards."

He pressed a button on the table. As the door to the basement creaked open, a girl in a maid uniform stepped inside.

Jack gestured toward her. "Luke, inject the medicine into her. We’ll definitely crush the Church."

At his words, the maid’s eyes narrowed, turning a radiant gold.

Luke’s expression twisted in alarm, and he instinctively took a step back. "W-What the hell? Jack, why are the Church people here?!"

Jack frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about? I bought her from the black market—how could she be with the Church?"

He turned to glance at the maid again. But when he saw her eyes, his face went pale.

"C-Carter? What are you doing?"

Carter smirked. "Sorry, Minister. But it’s your fault for going against the Church."

Her arm flicked, launching a hidden dagger from her sleeve. The blade sliced cleanly across Jack’s throat.

"Argh!" Jack gasped, eyes wide, clutching his neck as blood gushed between his fingers.

Carter slowly turned her gaze toward Luke.

Luke began to tremble under her stare.

"I didn’t expect the U.S.’s top scientist to go against the Church," she said coldly.

"I—I didn’t go against the Church, I was just—" Luke trailed off, his eyes falling to the dagger in her hand.

In a flash, he pulled a syringe from his pocket and jabbed it into his arm.

"You don’t need to explain anymore," Carter said as she threw another dagger—this one glowing with golden light.

Luke tried to dodge, but the blade grazed his neck, cutting deep. His eyes widened in shock as he clutched at the wound. With trembling hands, he collapsed to the ground.

Carter watched coldly for a moment, then turned and walked out of the basement.

Outside, she pulled a phone from her pocket and dialed a number.

"Hello, Priestess. The Minister is dead," she said calmly.

A woman’s voice came through the speaker. "Did he try to act against the Church?"

"Yes," Carter replied. "They were experimenting... trying to gain power."

"Understood."

Beep. Beep.

Carter ended the call, slipping the phone back into her pocket. As she walked away, she muttered, "Well, the time of bowing to that jerk is finally over."

Back in the basement, blood pooled beneath the lifeless bodies.

Suddenly, one of Luke’s fingers twitched. His once-empty gaze flickered faintly back to life.

A low, feral growl escaped his throat.

"Grrrrraaaaa..."

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Elarion World – Demon Continent

On the obsidian throne of the demon castle, Abyrion sat with his eyes closed, dark mana swirling around him like a storm. The energy pulsed, twisting and sinking into his body, feeding his core.

Kharzun stood nearby, his gaze heavy on Abyrion.

"Abyrion, the war has been halted. We can’t attack this world—not for years."

The flow of mana abruptly stopped. Abyrion’s crimson eyes snapped open, glowing with fury.

"What are you saying, Kharzun? Why would the war stop? And why can’t we attack?"

Kharzun let out a frustrated sigh and walked over, settling into the secondary throne beside him. He rested his chin on his hand.

"Because those cursed gods sealed off Elarion. We’re cut off. Not even a sliver of connection to the Demon realm remains. If our mana runs out, we’ll be reduced to fighting with raw strength alone."

Abyrion scowled. "But demons possess far greater physical power than humans."

Kharzun shook his head slowly. "That’s true. But what if the gods strike while we’re drained? In this realm, dark mana is so thin it could take years to recover. Decades, even. You know that as well as I do."

Abyrion fell silent, eyes narrowing in thought.

Then Kharzun added, "And there’s something else. Your son... he’s betrayed us. He saved the Saint when she was about to die."

Abyrion’s expression darkened. His gaze turned to Kharzun, colder than before.

"That boy is not my son," he said flatly.

"And if he truly did that... I’ll personally kill him."

A smirk crept onto Kharzun’s face.

"And that brat was hiding his strength. He’s already at General Demon rank. What a sneaky bastard..."

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Celestia Academy

Elric sat at his desk, arms crossed, eyes focused on Ishara seated across from him. Her blindfold rested over her eyes as usual, her presence calm—until he spoke.

"Our mana is recovering at an agonizingly slow rate. During the war, I had to rely on knight aura alone. That’s... troublesome."

Ishara gave a small nod. "Yeah, you’re right. It’s— Aghhh!"

Suddenly, she clutched her chest, her expression twisting in pain.

Elric stood up in alarm. "Ishara?! What’s wrong?"

After a moment, the pain subsided. Ishara slowly removed her hand, her breathing shaky.

"I think... it’s that demon’s dark aura. It must have penetrated my body."

Elric’s expression darkened. "You should rest. Don’t push yourself."

Selena’s Dorm Room – Outside the Office

Selena sat silently on her bed, her gaze distant.

Her fingers trembled against the blanket, gripping tighter each time an image of the battle and ishara getting hurt flashed behind her closed eyes.

On the nearby sofa, Mia and Elira watched her quietly.

Mia leaned close to Elira and whispered, "Psst... what’s wrong with her? Why does she look so sad?"

Elira sighed softly, glancing toward Selena. "She hasn’t spoken a word since we returned from the war."

Mia’s playful expression vanished, replaced with concern as she looked at Selena, who remained lost in thought,

Mia leaned in again and whispered softly,"I kinda miss Zara now..."

Elira let out a quiet sigh, closing her eyes.

"...Yeah, you’re right."

Mia glanced at Selena once more, then murmured with a hint of worry,"I don’t know where she is now. But... from what my father told me, the Caelvaris Emperor was planning something. That’s why they left."

Elira’s eyes opened slowly, her voice low and thoughtful."Planning something, huh...? That doesn’t sound good."

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Werewolf Realm – Arena

In the packed audience stands, countless men and women with white hair cheered loudly, their voices echoing across the massive stone arena.

"Princess Alpha! You can do it!"

From the high balcony overlooking the arena, Varek sat with his arms crossed. Hearing the roaring crowd, he rubbed his nose and glanced proudly at the woman seated beside him.

"See, Margaret? Our daughter has so many supporters. She’s the second strongest—after me," he added with a booming laugh.

Margaret, her white hair shimmering under the moonlight and a graceful maturity in her aura, looked at him and sighed.

"Yeah, yeah—you’re the strongest, and she’s the second strongest," she said with a wry smile tugging at her lips.

Suddenly, the heavy gates at one end of the arena creaked open. A tall figure entered.

Henry.

The cheering stopped instantly. The crowd fell silent, and uneasy frowns rippled across their faces.

Henry noticed. His jaw tightened, fists clenched at his sides.

These bastards... How dare they stop cheering? And how dare they claim that bitch is stronger than me...?

In the balcony, Varek’s expression shifted, turning cold and unreadable. Beside him, Margaret’s smile vanished, her face now still and unreadable.

Sitting behind Margaret, a woman in elegant fur-lined robes watched the scene unfold. She leaned forward slightly, eyes gleaming.

A smirk played on her lips.

My niece will be the future Alpha... but he—he’s the firstborn. He’ll be king. Hehe...

The arena anchor stood tall at the center, his voice booming through the magically-enhanced sound system as he saw Henry enter.

"Now, please welcome the Alpha... the one this Beta dares to challenge!"

The crowd erupted once again, howls and cheers shaking the very stands.

From the opposite gate, the heavy doors opened with a rumble—and Jane stepped into the arena.

Her black hair flowed behind her, catching the moonlight as she walked forward with a calm, commanding presence. The very air around her seemed to ripple with authority.

The anchor continued, voice rising with excitement.

"If the Beta wins, he will earn the title of Alpha and she will be in his pack. However—if the Alpha wins, she has the right to either accept the Beta into her pack... or banish him."

Henry’s brows furrowed. His gaze locked on Jane with burning intensity.

Banish me?

He clenched his jaw, the fire in his eyes turning icy cold. A smirk curved across his lips—sharp and full of venom.

No matter what... the title of Alpha will be mine. I’ll do whatever it takes.

The anchor, seeing both fighters in position, announced,

Lifting his hand, the anchor’s voice rang through the arena once more:

"Now... the duel will begin on the King’s command!"

With that, he turned his head toward the royal balcony, every pair of eyes in the arena following his gaze.

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