Marcus’s voice trembled with both fury and desperation as he continued to lash out. “I don’t know what shortcuts you have taken, but look at you now—so powerful, so untouchable! You can challenge anyone, anyone at all, while I—I’m still stuck in a mere Sacred Realm!”
He clenched his fists, the death energy swirling around him as it amplified his rage. “If I had not met him, I would still be trapped in that miserable state, unable to break through, forever in your shadow! But no more, Julian! I have suffered enough, and today, today, I will kill you! This will be the day I reclaim what’s rightfully mine!”
The trident surged forward with renewed intensity, as if Marcus’s fury had given it even more strength. His eyes burned with a maniacal resolve. He was truly convinced that by slaying Julian, he could restore his pride and claim everything he believed was stolen from him.
Julian laughed with an amused smirk crossing his face as he eyed Marcus with a mocking gaze. Though the revelation of Marcus’s love for Isabel was unexpected, it didn’t change anything for Julian—in fact, it only made his amusement grow.
There was a twisted satisfaction in knowing he had taken something so precious from Marcus, simply because he could.
“Oh, Marcus,” he sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance, “I have always enjoyed taking what belongs to others.” His words were cruel, intentional, and only seemed to deepened the rage that burned in Marcus’s eyes.
Marcus who was completely desperate and furious, summoned yet another trident. Its dark energy whirling as it shot toward Julian.
But Julian was ready. With a calm but lethal focus, he infused his Cosmic Spear of Death with his own death energy, amplifying its power.
The spear pulsed with an extreme brilliance as it glowed in three distinct color; purple, golden, and black. Although the energies didn’t fully merge, their sheer intensity was enough to shatter both of Marcus’s tridents on impact.
The impact made Marcus collapse on the ground. He coughed up blood as he found himself struggling to rise under Julian’s relentless gaze.
Marcus’s eyes widened in shock. “What… is that? And why do you have the same energy as me?” He didn’t even know that the force he wielded was called death energy.
Julian simply laughed offering no answer, leaving Marcus bewildered and overwhelmed by the power he could hardly understand, let alone control.
Julian then called his spear back, and it stood firmly in his hand, emanating an aura of raw power. Behind him, the three energies; purple, golden, and black, swirled and clashed, each vying for dominance yet balanced under his control. It casted a menacing glow around him and the scene was nothing short of majestic.
Julian raised his spear and pointed it directly at Marcus with a calm yet ruthless intent. Marcus shuddered, feeling an overwhelming sense of fear.
“You know, Marcus,” Julian began “You say that I took what was yours, but I have never taken anything from anyone. I simply believe that everything belongs to me.”
A chill ran through Marcus, and goosebumps covered his skin as the weight of Julian’s words sank in.
Just then, the king and the four dukes arrived, their eyes widening in shock as they took in the scene. The sight of Julian holding a spear that glowed ominously with three different energies, among which two of them were unique to them, was too overwhelming.
The Duke of Norish gasped, “Marcus… what happened to you? What are you doing?” The disbelief in his voice was unmistakable and the revelation of Marcus’s transformation left them all stunned.
Julian turned to the Duke of Norish. “Oh, dear Duke,” he said with a chilling calm in his voice. “Your son has betrayed the kingdom, choosing to walk the path of a demon.”
His words landed like a thunderclap, and the dukes, as well as the king, looked upon Marcus with a mix of horror and disbelief. The Duke of Norish’s face paled as he took in his son’s twisted, corrupted form.
Alden turned to Julian, his voice tense. “Julian, is what you say true?”
Julian’s expression remained unyielding as he replied, “Look before you—is that not proof enough?”
His words carried an unsettling chill and laced with a boldness that sent a shiver through the gathered nobles, even the king. For a brief, heavy moment, they all felt the weight of Julian’s authority. They all were shocked by his cold resolve, and by the audacity with which he spoke, even to his own father.
Duke of Norish rushed to Marcus, embracing his son as fear and heartbreak flashed across his face. “My dear son, what happened to you? How did this happen?” he asked, his voice trembling.
Marcus’s eyes filled with tears as the weight of his choices settled heavily on him. “I… I don’t know, Father. I don’t know,” he said, barely meeting his father’s eyes.
Julian stepped forward, his gaze unwavering. “Oh, you know, Marcus. You were fully aware of what this path would lead to, yet you chose it anyway.” His words cut sharply, making Marcus flinch with a bitter pang of guilt and helplessness.
“And now you will receive retribution,” Julian declared coldly, raising his spear.
As he prepared to strike, Duke of Norish fell to his knees, desperation filling his voice. “No, Julian, please… don’t do it. Give him a chance,” he pleaded.
Julian’s laughter echoed. “A chance?” he scoffed. “What chance could there be for a traitor who sold his own soul and endangered the kingdom?”
The Duke of Norish turned to the king, his head bowed deeply. “Your Majesty, please… save my son,” he begged, his words thick with desperation. “I am prepared to do anything in return—anything, Your Majesty… just spare him.”
The king’s face was grave as he looked down at the Duke, torn between the loyalty of an old ally and the gravity of Marcus’s betrayal.
The king asked, “Marcus, how did this happen? How did you fall to this path?” His gaze was filled with sorrow, struggling to reconcile the boy he had known with the monster standing before him.
Marcus trembled under the king’s penetrating gaze as he finally spoke, “Your Majesty… I was approached by a masked man while we were in the city of Siracusa. He promised me power, but at first, I didn’t answer him. Then he said, ‘Make your decision, and I will return.'”
He paused and continued. “At the feast of Azazel, he came again. He gave me a potion, and after I drank it, I gained unimaginable power.”
The king’s face twisted in disgust as he absorbed Marcus’s words, the horrifying truth of the betrayal sinking in. “You… chose power over everything. Over your family. Over your kingdom.” The king’s tone hardened. “And now, look at what you have become.”
