The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 383: Ramios’s Disobedience

Chapter 383: Ramios’s Disobedience

"We must help him!" Damon’s voice rang out with urgency.

Catching the knight’s words, Kiev shouted in reply, his breath ragged, "No! Don’t... stay back!"

Kiev strained to hold Ramios at bay with his blade and trembling hands. Anna’s strength intensified, and the ominous black aura thickened around her. Growling with effort, she exerted more force to overpower the Mederian Prince.

The knights and the two women watched alarmingly, knowing that if Kiev faltered, it would spell catastrophe.

In a decisive move, Kiev raised his leg and delivered a careful kick to Anna’s body. Though knowing it would bruise her, he was left with no alternative and had to take drastic action to free himself from her relentless assault.

The princess fell back and staggered from the unexpected blow, allowing Kiev to rise, his chest heaving. Throughout the confrontation, he had focused on defence, evading and parrying, only retaliating when necessary.

Despite his efforts to avoid harming Anna, he realised their prolonged combat only fueled the dark spirit enveloping her.

With determination, Kiev sought to neutralise the malevolent force without causing harm. His gaze fell on his blade, miraculously unscathed despite enduring Ramios’s barrage onslaught for hours.

In a swift moment, Anna lunged forward, thrusting her sword. Kiev narrowly evaded the attack, the blade grazing his arm and tearing his attire. He could feel Ramios grazing his skin.

"Haa!" Anna’s voice sounded, twisted with satisfaction, but she was met with disbelief as Kiev’s unscathed arm defied her expectations.

"What in the world!" she exclaimed in fury, bewildered by the lack of injury.

Kiev, too, was taken aback by the sword’s failure to harm him as expected. Not a single scratch marred his exposed flesh, visible through the tear in his sleeves.

It was as if the emperor’s sword were as blunt as a butter knife. Then, he realised something...

"That’s it! Ramios won’t cut!" he exclaimed, a glint of understanding sparked in his eyes.

"Why won’t my sword harm you?" Anna demanded, her voice laced with frustration.

"Because you are not its rightful owner!" Kiev retorted.

"I am its rightful owner!" she shouted angrily.

"No, you’re not! You’re a dark spirit inhabiting Princess Anna. While the sword may have come to you through her, it will not harm me because it recognises the soul that wields it!" Kiev asserted.

"Silence! This is my sword! It will obey me!" the princess yelled.

Raising Ramios, she gazed at it with her black eyes blazing with fury.

"Ramios, ke sill akut ettar! Slit thes aman!" Anna commanded her sword.

("Ramios, you shall obey me! Kill this man!")

The black aura enveloped her hand as she tightly gripped the hilt, commanding the sword. Suddenly, Ramios shook as if struggling to break free from her grasp.

Anna clenched her hand even tighter, refusing to let go.

"Akut ettar! Akut ettar!" she cried out to the sword.

("Obey me! Obey me!")

Ramios shook even more, seeming to resist her commands. Anna grasped it with both hands, feeling its defiance to obey her.

Observing the scene, Kiev paused, contemplating gaining control of the emperor’s sword. He couldn’t simply snatch it from Anna; she would likely retaliate, potentially causing harm.

Then, a thought ran through his mind. Both Ramios and Angel’s binding spell belonged to the Ro’an lineage. Sharing the exact origin, their powers wouldn’t clash, no matter how compelled, as they were designed to safeguard the princess.

Realising this, Kiev retracted his magical blade. It transformed back into the shimmering golden cord encircling his arms. Slowly advancing towards Anna, who struggled to control the resistant Ramios, Kiev made a strategic move.

"Why has he disarmed himself?" Garin exclaimed, puzzled by Kiev’s actions.

To the knights and Sylvia, the magical golden blade now vanished from their sight. They assumed it was a form of Kiev’s magic that had dissipated.

"There must be something..." Callis murmured, her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out her brother’s ploy.

Sweat beaded on her temple. Noticing her distress, Luke inquired anxiously, "Mrs Amares, are you truly fine? Your barrier has been up for hours. Are you still able to hold on?"

"I’m fine! Just don’t leave the barrier, or it will collapse," she cautioned them.

Unexpectedly, Kiev’s expansive barrier also retracted, surprising the group.

"What the h*ll is he doing now?" Noah cursed in frustration.

"Oh, dear God! Brother, please ensure you know what you’re doing!" Callis prayed quietly.

She raised her hand again, infusing her barrier with mana to fortify it. With Kiev’s barrier gone, she knew she had to create a stronger shield to protect them.

"Please don’t move, everyone! I’m doubling the shield strength to secure us!" she announced.

Her hand glowed as she reinforced her barrier with mana in the absence of Kiev’s protection.

The group, feeling helpless, grew increasingly restless and anxious, fearing the worst outcome.

Meanwhile, on the training ground, Kiev stood just two steps away from Anna, facing the trembling emperor’s sword in her grasp. With a calm demeanour, he appealed to the sword for assistance.

"Ramios, I cannot summon you as I’m not your true master. But if you’re the true blade of justice that would only sever the evil and can sense the compassion within me, please allow me to wield you against this dark spirit. Help me," he implored.

Enraged, Anna cursed at Ramios to hold steady, but the sword surged her with the current.

"Aaa!!" the princess screamed in pain and released her grip.

Ramios flew towards Kiev, who swiftly caught it, a relieved smile crossing his face.

The knights and Sylvia collectively gasped at the Mederian’s seamless retrieval of Ramios from Anna, a moment that also relieved Callis.

"I told you my brother wouldn’t let us down!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Let’s not celebrate too early. The outcome is still uncertain. Our lady is still possessed," Eric cautioned. "Hopefully, His Highness Prince Kiev can quell it with the help of Ramios."

The group’s focus returned to the training ground, where Anna, filled with contempt, spat her saliva on the ground.

"Ramios has rejected you. It has chosen me! Now, I will vanquish you, dark spirit!" Kiev retorted.

Alarmed by his confidence, Anna retreated. Despite her powers returning, she had never fully harnessed them. Her enhanced physical abilities, combat skills, and summoning prowess were evident, but Kiev sensed her reluctance to tap into her full potential.

The spirit within Anna could replicate what she had witnessed and experienced. This allowed her to mimic combat techniques based on her training and summon Ramios, drawing from what she had observed during King Kyden and Kiev’s duel.

However, a lingering mystery remained; how did she succeed in reclaiming her powers?

Stepping forward with assurance, Kiev raised Ramios, aiming it at Anna. Taking a few steps back, the princess scanned her surroundings, seeking a means of escape.

The spirit within Anna delved into her memories but found only useless visions. Even her past trick of conjuring a sea storm to deceive the pirates was irrelevant on land.

Amid her thoughts, the image of Kyren, the man with striking blue eyes and dark-raven hair, dominated her mind.

"F*ck you!" Anna cursed, reaching the edge of the training ground.

Spotting the stable nearby, a recent recollection triggered her mind.

"Maximillian!" Anna exclaimed, alerting the warhorse.

Kiev recognised her attempt to escape and shouted after her, determined not to let her flee.

"You won’t get away!" the Mederian Prince’s voice echoed as Anna made a beeline for the stable. Despite his efforts to catch up, the empowered princess outpaced him.

"Maximillian! Come to me!" Anna called out again, pleading for the horse’s aid. "Help me, Max! I need you!"

A resounding neigh echoed from the stable as Maximillian, Kyren’s warhorse, responded to her summons.

The stallion burst forth from the stable, liberated by a powerful kick that shattered the door, answering Anna’s call.

As Kiev closed in on her and almost reached her shoulder, Anna hastily shoved loose hay bales in his path. The bales cascaded down, obstructing Kiev’s pursuit and buying her precious seconds to mount Maximillian.

With a swift motion, Anna grasped the reins and urged Maximillian into a gallop towards the exit, determined to escape the mansion.

Emerging from the fallen hay bales, Kiev cursed in frustration, "D*mn it!"

Determined to pursue, he quickly stood up and rushed into the stable to mount another horse.

***

When the knights, Callis and Sylvia, observed the initial chase, Eric, driven by a strong intuition that Anna was attempting to escape, urgently pressed the Mederian Princess to drop the barrier.

"Lady Raychard is fleeing! I must go after her! Lower the barrier, Mrs Amares!" he implored urgently.

"What?" Callis’s voice expressed uncertainty.

"Do it!" Eric’s tone was insistent, driven by the urgency.

The knights and Sylvia glanced back at him, their expressions full of concern. Conflicted, the Mederian Princess hesitated, unsure if it was the right moment to withdraw the barrier.

Frustration tinged Eric’s voice as he spoke, "I apologise, but I cannot remain idle this time! Please lower the barrier! His Highness Prince Kiev needs me!"

Witnessing the unwavering resolve in the second-in-command knight’s eyes, Callis conceded. With a quick motion of her hand, the barrier dissipated, causing her to slump to the ground from exhaustion.

Eric wasted no time, instructing the others to remain as he dashed after Anna.

Sylvia assisted Callis in standing and helped her to a bench while Drystan quickly offered the weary princess water from his waterskin.

The rest of the knights, eager to assist, were restrained by Callis’s plea.

"Please, stay here. It’s still dangerous," she implored after sipping the water.

"But we can’t let only Sir Navin help His Highness! Lady Raychard is our responsibility too!!" Luke protested.

"I understand your concern for her. But, please... listen to me. The more of you go, the more dangerous it will be...," the Mederian Princess pleaded earnestly.

Eli spoke up, echoing her sentiments, "She’s correct. Sir Navin instructed us to remain here. Let’s abide by his command."

A few knights sighed in frustration. However, they understood the hierarchy within their ranks—the directives of the second-in-command knight were to be obeyed.

Reluctantly, they accepted the situation, knowing there was little they could do but wait.