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Chapter 366: Unmerciful Promise
🕑 Added 2021-12-17 16:59:57 +0000 UTCTITUS GRANBEHL
“Oh, I nearly forgot to mention,” my wife said from across the dinner table. Smiling happily, she set down the skewered chunk of pink meat she had been about to bite into. “The Vale blood has agreed to our terms. A messenger arrived only an hour ago with their letter.”
I finished chewing and reached down with my fork and knife to cut another piece. “Yes, I thought seeing what happened to the Rothkeller blood might set a fire under the Vales…”
Karin’s cool eyes darted to Ada, but the girl was paying us no mind as she stirred her food around her plate mindlessly.
“Anyway,” Karin continued, her eyes widening slightly as if to remind me, like I would need a reminder of our agreement.
My grip tightened around my utensils as I sawed deeper into the scorched white-tailed sambar. Ada is too frail, too weak to suffer the knowledge of our actions.
I thought of Kalon and Ezra. My eldest was too proud and self-righteous to have understood what we did now, but had he survived, perhaps such extreme actions wouldn’t have been necessary. Ezra though, he was the child who most took after me.
With my appetite leaving me, I pushed my unfinished plate away.
If only Ezra had survived instead, I thought bitterly, casting a dour glance at my scarecrow of a daughter.
“And I’ve sent out feelers to some likely highblood candidates regarding our proposal,” she went on. As she spoke, she reached over and began to cut up Ada’s food, even lifting bites to the girl’s mouth.
“Karin, let the girl feed herself, she’s—”
She shot me a fierce glare, and I relented, biting back my words.
Her and her obsessive doting.
I watched as Karin spoon-fed my daughter like she had no arms, yet I said no more. As difficult it was to admit, much of what we had accomplished in this short time would have been impossible without my wife.
She was cunning, charismatic, and ruthless. But she was also a mother that had lost two of her children. With Kalon and Ezra gone, Ada had become the woman’s entire world. While that had pushed her to lengths I would not previously have imagined possible, in her mind, it was all done for Ada.
“Titus, are you listening?”
“Of course,” I said, searching my memory for her half-heard words. “Highbloods Lowe and Arbital. Both fine candidates for Ada.”
I pushed away from the table and a servant rushed in to collect my dishes and utensils. “I’m going to make my rounds, then perhaps we can retire together?”
A knowing smile played at the edge of my wife’s lips. “Of course, Lord Granbehl.”
“It’ll be Highlord soon,” I said before marching out of the dining room and making my way outside.
There was a salty sweetness to the warm breeze blowing from the west, from the sea. When the winds turned, they would bring bitter cold down from the distant mountains. And yet whichever way the wind blows, it is always at our backs. Even our defeats turn into victory.
My failure to secure Ascender Grey’s holdings had been a dangerous time for Named Blood Granbehl. When the justices we’d bribed were executed in their cells, I had worried we might soon meet the same fate. With my heir deceased, our entire blood rested on a sword’s edge, and any wrong move could spell our end. But fate, as it turned out, was kind.
At least to us.
The sun was just setting as I began my evening rounds to review the estate’s enhanced security. We had turned many rivals into bitter enemies, and in a rather short amount of time. Although they had so far been too cowardly to attack us directly—thanks in large part to the rumor of our benefactor’s involvement—I had thoroughly prepared for such an eventuality anyway.
Despite my good mood, I affixed a thunderous scowl to my face as I marched slowly past each group of mercenaries, guards, and ascenders I’d hired as security for our Vechor estate. They had to fear me if I expected them to stay in line, after all.
As I passed by the main gates, my head of guards came out of the gatehouse and snapped to attention. “Lord Granbehl.”
“At ease, Henrik.”
The man bowed, then pulled a rolled parchment from the satchel at his side. “This arrived for you only a few minutes ago.”
I suppressed a victorious grin as I held up the rolled parchment, which was marked with the Central Academy seal. “Perfect. The grounds look in order, Henrik.”
The man—loyal to a fault and dumb as two rocks, but good with the other guards—bowed again and returned to his post.
I, on the other hand, hurried inside, eager to read Professor Graeme’s report. I came up short when I noticed Petras lingering in the entryway. He flinched back at the sight of me.
My lips curled into a sneer. “What are you doing up here? Stop lurking and return to your dungeon.”
Petral bowed deeply, his dark hair tumbling over his face like a greasy waterfall. “My apologies, Lord. I wished to tell you that the last of the prisoners has…expired, and the body has been taken away. The dungeons are empty, and—”
“Report received,” I said, making a shooing motion with my hand. “Now leave me. You’re spoiling a rather long-awaited victory.”
The torturer slunk back into the shadows and vanished down the servants’ stairs, leaving behind a strong scent of oil. Shaking my head, I returned my attention to the scroll, ripping open the seal and unfurling it, a boyish grin spreading over my face.
My grin darkened and I gnashed my teeth in frustration at the hastily-scribbled words in the letter. The fine parchment crumpled in my fist as I slammed it into the wall.
“Incompetant fool. Perhaps I placed too much trust in Janusz for being a highblood.”
With our mutual distaste for Ascender Grey, it seemed obvious at the time to use Janusz, but that sorry excuse for a highblood couldn’t even keep Grey detained by the Ascenders Association for a day.
My thoughts carefully skirted around my benefactor, who had left the details of this part of the plan entirely up to me. If I failed to deliver…
“Father?” I spun at the sound of Ada’s voice. “Is everything all right? You were muttering to yourself.”
Giving her a false smile, I quickly replied, “Nothing to worry about. Why aren’t you in your rooms? Study, and then go to bed. You know you need your rest.”
The girl’s simple, defeated shrug was so pathetic—I didn’t know whether to hug her or slap her across the face. With a heavy sigh, I placed a hand on her small shoulder. “Ada, it’s time to move past this. You’ve moped long enough. Now stand up straight and—”
I cocked my head, listening carefully. It had almost sounded like a—
Shouts from outside. A burst of spellfire.
A red glow radiated through the front windows, staining the foyer walls and floor a bloody scarlet. A heartbeat later, the warning bells began to ring.
“Ada, go down to the basement,” I said, not looking at my daughter. She whimpered, hesitating, so I snapped, “Vritra’s Horns, girl, now!”
I heard her quick steps recede, vanishing down the servants’ stairs the same way Petras had gone, but I wasn’t thinking about her any longer. Faltering steps took me to one of the front windows, where I confirmed that the estate’s shield had been activated, creating a red dome that covered my entire property.
The courtyard flashed with spells as bullets of fire, arcing bolts of lightning, and spears of ice cut through the early evening gloom. All I could see of their target was a shadow that seemed to flicker within a shroud of purple electricity, appearing and disappearing more quickly than I could follow.
“A rival house?” I muttered, my knuckles grinding down into the windowsill. “But who would dare…?”
My thoughts leapt unbidden to our benefactor, the source of our recent successes…but surely it could not be him. He could not know about our misstep with Grey yet, and even if he did, we had time to correct the mistake, there was no need to—
I froze as a cold sweat began to pour down my face.
Grey…
I crushed the letter in my hand before tossing it to the floor. My face was nearly pressed against the glass as I looked for any sign that I was right.
A bestial form shrouded in purple flames rushed past the window, causing me to gasp and step quickly back.
Men were screaming all around the estate. Screaming and dying.
The front doors—warded to magically lock when the estate’s shielding barrier activated—shook under the weight of a heavy blow.
A muffled voice was shouting and cursing incoherently—Henrik, I realized, though I’d never heard such panic in his gravelly voice before—then cut off abruptly as a purple blade of pure light thrust through the door with the cracking shriek of splintering hardwood.
I stared at the blade protruding into my home, not ten feet from me. It was like nothing I had seen before, like liquid crystal amethyst folded over on itself. The color shifted subtly but continuously, growing darker and more deeply purple, then brighter and more violent. For a heartbeat, I became lost in the otherworldly depths of that blade.
Then it vanished. Blood began to run in a thin stream from the hole in the door.
I backed away slowly, already picturing what was about to happen. The wards shouldn’t allow it, but I knew they wouldn’t hold.
The warded doors exploded inward, sending a shrapnel of sharp shards of wood and twisted black iron spraying across the entry hall. A shield of bright blue fire roared to life in front of me, evaporating both wood and metal, and I heard the hurried footsteps of more guards running from the interior of the house.
Through the distortion of the blue fire, I could see only a rough silhouette standing where my door had been, Henrik’s corpse at his feet.
“Get me out of here,” I snarled to the guards approaching from behind me. “And kill that unblooded cur!”
A firm hand grabbed my shoulder and began pulling me away, the fire-shield moving with us. Two heavily-armored Strikers thudded past me, weapons blazing and magical energy suffusing their armor. A spinning wheel of wind and flame cut the air between them, aimed at the intruder, but he was no longer there.
A choking gasp made me spin around. The Caster, one of my elite guards, was already tumbling to the ground, his body bisected at the waist. His legs crumpled to the floor while his torso fell backwards, a look of a surprise etched on his already-dead face.
A dark silhouette flickered next to us, lashing out at my protector. The Shield hurtled backwards with a screech, too quickly to adjust his spellcasting. His scream cut off as his own blue fire burned away the air in his lungs, and what hit the wall was no longer recognizable as a man.
Both Strikers were staring around in confusion, trying to find their attacker, their weapons ready but useless when he appeared between them, the bright purple blade blurring in the air as it passed through their weapons, armor, flesh, and bones like they were made of silk.
Both men collapsed, dead.
The lingering aspect of the fire shield faded away as the Shield choked out one last, rasping breath.
Grey simply stood there, staring at me, the red barrier defending my estate flickering pointlessly in the background.
My fists clenched, my body shaking—not with fear, I told myself, but fury.
“Y-you overstep,” I said, my voice cracking. “The Granbehls are protected. We are being”—I swallowed heavily, my mouth suddenly very dry—“elevated. You have no station, no authority, while we are protected by a Scythe. Do you understand? You’ll die for this. You’ll—”
“You were told what would happen if you came after me again,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion.
I flinched back as a creature—a huge wolf wreathed in black and purple flames—appeared in the doorway, stepping up beside him. “The backside is all clear.”
Trying to bolster my courage, I stood straighter and cleared my throat. “I am under the protection of Scythe Nico of Central Dominion. You dare attack me? He’ll—”
Grey took a step forward, and I backed away so quickly I nearly tripped over the dead Caster’s outstretched arm.
“He’ll come after me,” he finished. “I know.”
The blade blazed in his hand, and his summoned wolf growled low in its throat.
“No!”
The yell had come from the top of the stairs.
“Karin!” I shouted, time seeming to stop as I stared wide-eyed up at my wife. Her hair was wet and she was wrapped only in a sheer gown that clung to her body. She must have been in the bath, I realized distantly, my mind rushing to process information while my body remained frozen in place.
She should have run, escaped out one of the back entrances or down into the dungeon to hide, but instead she had come running to defend our blood’s home. And unlike me, she hadn’t frozen. Her hands came up and I sensed the swell of mana from her as wind began to dance between them.
Damn it, woman, you need to—
The wind spell blew through the room like a hurricane, tearing portraits and tapestries from the walls and upending furniture. White cords of wind condensed around the ascender to form an ensnaring web, trapping him. I wished again that she would flee, but Karin tightened the web, clamping down on Grey and pummeling him from several dozen different directions with her powerful emblem.
I’d seen mages pulled apart by this spell as the gusts ripped and tore at them from every direction. My wife preferred to suppress her power in public, but she had never been shy about getting her hands dirty if it meant assuring the future of our blood. I would have felt a swell of pride in her spellwork, had Grey not simply stood there, the emblem-level Wind Web spell doing nothing more than mussing his hair…
“No, Karin you—”
My words caught in my throat as I turned and met my wife’s eyes, already glossy with death. Behind her was Grey, his violet blade sheathed in Karin’s blood.
I opened my mouth, trying to say something—say anything—but I could only stare like a fish gulping for air as the light left my wife’s eyes.
Then the spell was broken as her lifeless body tumbled forward, rolling grotesquely down the stairs to land at my feet.
I fell to my knees next to her, dragging her limp form up into my lap. My body was trembling, even the breath in my lungs seemed to shake, and I could do nothing but stare down at Karin’s corpse as the debris of her dying spell clattered to the ground around me.
Heavy, awkward bootsteps broke the silence, and I saw Petras appear from the servants’ stairwell. Grey was standing at the top of the stairs, his distant gaze emotionless, unreadable.
“Petras, kill him,” I choked out around an icy fist of raw emotion that seemed to be crushing my throat.
Grey started down the stairs, his brow raised in Petras’s direction. “It’s been a while, old friend.”
Petras, the gangly weasel, dropped his curved blade to clatter on the ground. He turned his back on me—on me!—and stole out through one of the many doors off the entry hall without a word.
“Bastard,” I muttered. To Grey, with as much venom as I could muster, I said, “Why couldn’t you just die?” I shuddered as a cold emptiness suffused me. “I thought, when Scythe Nico contacted us…” My fist slammed into the floor, and I felt the knuckle bones break. “It should have been easy.” I glared up at my killer. “So why couldn’t you just fucking die?”
Grey approached wordlessly, a thunderous pressure exuding from him.
I spit on the floor. “Do you think you can get away with this? You are the reason my sons are dead. You—”
The man scoffed as he slowly descended the stairs. The wolf was stalking toward me from the door, its mouth hanging open, a dark hunger gleaming in its bright eyes.
“Even now, you try to use your family to justify your greed.”
“Who are you to assume my reasons?” I hissed, clutching my wife’s cold body tighter. “You are no god to know that, nor do you have any authority to judge me!”
The ascender walked toward me, unhurried as tendrils of violet condensed to form a shimmering blade. “You’re right, Granbehl. I’m no god, and I’m not a judge, either. I’m just here to keep my promise.”
Primal fear coursed through me like poison in my veins, but I refused to show this bastard any semblance of weakness. I jutted out my chin and chest so that the Granbehl insignia emblazoned on my collar would stare right back at the unblooded. “Go to hell—”
I heard rather than felt the violet blade slide into my chest. Raw coldness spread through me, seeping through every inch of my body as I slumped forward. The ground caught me as I stared up past my killer and at my home.
Everything that we had worked for to rise above everyone else—to become a highblood—had been for naught. Only Ada would remain as my legacy, the weakest of the Granbehls, a poor eulogy by which we would be remembered.
My thoughts blurred, losing all shape and form.
Then, the world went dark.
ARTHUR
The aetheric sword melted away as I released my hold on its form. Lord and Lady Granbehl lay at my feet, their corpses intertwined.
“Well, that’s done,” Regis sniffed, looking down at Titus Granbehl’s corpse before turning to me. “So…you want to grab some shawarma on the way back?”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath; the smell of scorched flesh hung heavy in the air. “Neither of us need to eat, and I’m pretty sure that dish doesn’t exist in this world.”
Regis opened his mouth, paused, then slowly lowered his head. “I mean, yeah, sure, I guess you’re technically right, but it seems appropriate.” He wrinkled his nose. “Or maybe the smell is just making me hungry.”
“Regis,” I said slowly, “these are the kinds of thoughts you really should keep to yourself.”
The sound of soft steps echoed nearby, drawing my eyes to a narrow alcove in one wall. The familiar young girl who crept out of the servants’ stairwell was even thinner and paler than the last time we had met.
“Hello, Ada.”
Ada wiped a hand down her face, smearing dirt through half-dried tears. “You killed them.” The words weren’t an accusation, merely a statement. “I knew you would.”
“Maybe if your father had known…” I stepped away from her parents’ corpses. “It wouldn’t have come to this.”
She was so silent and pale, she could have been a ghost.
I thought about just leaving, not wanting to burden the poor girl further, but I needed her. “Ada?”
“Hm?” she mumbled, looking past me at the bodies. Although she stared, she made no move to come closer.
I withdrew the Rothkeller emblem. Using a decorative spike protruding from the bottom, I drove the emblem into the banister of the main stairs leading up to the second floor, where it stuck up like a flag of victory.
Ada flinched from the noise, but made no other movement.
“People are going to see this and assume the Rothkeller blood took retribution on your family. Do you understand?”
She took a few tentative steps around so she could see the scorched symbol of her family’s rivals. “I’ll tell everyone I didn’t see anything—”
I shook my head. “No, not everyone.”
Ada tilted her head in confusion.
“You’re going to tell the Scythe that will come find you the truth…” My eyes watched her for signs of understanding. “And that I’ll be waiting for him at the Victoriad.”
***
It was an abrupt transition between the second layer of the Relictombs and Darrin Ordin’s country estate in Sehz-Clar. It was still warm in the south of Alacrya, far from the mountains, and a sweet-smelling breeze was tumbling lightly across the rolling hills and rustling the low shrubs in Darrin’s front yard.
From Vechor, I had entered the Relictombs via the local Ascenders Association Hall, then used one of the second level tempus warp chambers to get to Darrin’s, where Sulla had told me my “drunk uncle” would be waiting.
We found Alaric sitting on a bench near the front door, staring down the path. Due to the delay between my appearance and his reaction, which was to belch loudly and lean back on his elbows, sticking his ponchy belly out in front of him, I assumed he was somewhat intoxicated.
‘You know, I’ve missed this old coot,’ Regis said happily.
“So,” Alaric said as I reached him, “I hear you’re once again in need of legal counsel.”
“Not exactly,” I said, sitting on the bench beside him. “What do you already know?”
“I know you’re in trouble,” he said with a scoff. “And that, as usual, you’ve bitten off twice what you can chew.” He peered at me with unsteady eyes. “The Granbehls tried to finish the job, but you finished them instead, aye?”
I filled him in on exactly what happened, but I left one important piece of information for last. “They were backed by a Scythe. Nico, of the central dominion.”
Alaric’s permanently bloodshot eyes went wide, and he heaved himself to his feet and stared disbelievingly down at me. “Sovereign’s sack, boy, why in the hell are we just sitting around talking? The professor identity is right and truly buggered then, and your connection to Darrin and myself compromises most of my usual contacts…”
He began to pace rapidly back and forth, careless as he stepped on one of Darrin’s carefully tended plants. He was speaking rapidly in a low mutter that I couldn’t follow. Instead of stressing him further by interrupting him, I let the old man go on like this for a minute.
‘I think you just knocked the buzz out of the poor drunk,’ Regis noted, a hint of concern in his voice.
Alaric stopped suddenly and glared down at me. “How the hell did you get on the wrong side of a Scythe anyway?”
“We’ve got history,” I said, deadpan. “As for why he’s out to get me now…”
Alaric shook his head and sat back down, resting his head in his hands as though he were utterly exhausted. Voice muffled, he said, “It doesn’t matter, boy. It doesn’t matter how you’ve managed to get a Scythe on your ass, only that you have.”
“Whatever got you into this,” he said after a minute, “it won’t be easy to go into hiding. Not with so much power sniffing around behind you.”
“That’s fine,” I said, leaning back as well, “because I won’t be hiding. I’m here to secure a couple contingencies in case I might need to escape Vechor.”
“Vechor…? You don’t mean to—”
“I’m still attending the Victoriad,” I answered firmly.
He looked at me with a wry grin. “Now, I know you’re joking, because only a moron would think of doing a thing like that.” His eyes narrowed. “You’re not kidding. You moron. What the hell are you thinking?”
I leaned back, putting my hands behind my head and crossing my legs as I stared up at the blue sky.
“I’m thinking of killing a Scythe.”
Comments
Tawwab Rahimi
We’ll have a replay of Greys first life where grey is abt to finish nico but Cecelia jumps in and from that point on everything shifts to straight pandemonium
Manfatten
I dont really understand why arthur cannot tell he is being allowed to integrate by the vitra. It’s obvious they know about him, with a scythe after him it should be obvious to him. So why does he not think this is something they want to happen.
Poor Ada, a kind girl left mentally damaged and all alone. She is done for sure
It's entirely possible Nico does die as Agrona really has no reason to keep him around. He is the weakest of the Scythes and not respected by many, besides he is slowly losing favour with Cecilia cause while time passes she needs him less and less. In the end if he does die Agrona can alter her memories to the point that he never existed.
Jennie (Eirine)
I JUST re-watched Avengers, so the Shawarma reference is especially appreciated, you glorious nerd. XD Poor Ada, though. I hope she gets someone good to look after her from now on.
Azazel
“Thinking of killing a Scythe.” That is quite possibly the best idea I’ve ever heard him come up with.
Fluxxx
will there be a new chapter today?
I hope things won't be rushed. Please take your time with the events. No one is complaining.
I suspect a certain three-eyed Asura attempting to unleashing a mana bomb at Victoriad, forcing Grey to protect the Alacrayans.
Kyle Loomis
Secondary topic of discussion but what’s going to happen to our favorite Alacrayans when Grey eventually flees from the public view? Say Grey returns to Dicathen some short while after he causes a ruckus at Victoriad, are we never going to see them again? Caera can likely get access to Dicathen via Seris, but what about Mayla, Briar, Aphene, Darrin, Alaric, Ada, Enola? Grey has suspected that among some of the kids (Valen, for example) aren’t the puppets blinded by Vritra propaganda that the adults assume. Endgame of series has to be downfall of Indrath and Vritra clans, and then there’s Seris’ seeming rebellious plans, so there’s going to be some kind of revolution in Alacraya. I know we’re all anxious for Grey to reunite with his family and Dicathian friends but unfortunately it doesn’t seem to make logical sense for our favorite Alacrayans to all defect when Grey flies the coop. Maybe this is where Seris steps up on behalf of Grey and either shelters them as subordinates or brings them to Dicathen to work with Grey.
Kyle Loomis
Things that should probably happen at or just before/after Victoriad: 1. Crucial memories of Cecilia are unlocked (the truth behind her death) 2. Nico is thoroughly humiliated and further spirals 3. A scythe dies Given these 3 prerequisites, I theorize that Nico and Grey will fight, and Nico will not be his match. While Grey plays around with him, there will be some hint of talk-no-jutsu where Grey reveals that Cecilia wanted to die by Grey’s hands, and Nico goes into some kind of psycho denial. Before the killing blow, Cecilia stops the fight, and reveals that she knows. Either she unlocks memories by eavesdropping on the talk-no-jutsu, or she tells Nico “I’ve realized this for a while” (Agrona let her learn the truth). Hopefully Nico has lost at least one limb before the fight is stopped. Now since we the readers have pretty much assumed that Grey is well above Nico’s level, these events don’t really prove the drastic increase in capability that we seek to affirm. Therefore, I think that Dragoth or another scythe (not Seris and not Cadell) will step in and fight Grey. They’ll be offended by Grey’s attitude or some other generic self-righteous villain hot air. Then Grey gets everyone’s attention when he somewhat easily kills a scythe other than Nico. The other scythes then take him seriously since they never took Nico seriously. At that point, idk what will happen, whether he lives in hiding on the 2nd floor of relictombs while he completes the tasks assigned by Sylvia, or if he flees to relictombs and discovers a means to emerge from relictombs back in Dicathen, or if Seris shelters him as her retainer. Agrona dismisses Grey as a non-threat and I think that he maintains that attitude even if Grey kills a scythe.
Aaron
We dont know what happened to nico after art helped Cecile commit suicide...is it possible that it was nico who poisoned grey? I know he doesnt know for sure why he died but he suspected poison. Nico had no combat skills only long term plans and sneaky tech skills(which I think would include poison)
Michi
I’m thinking Arthur will actually challenge Dragoth and kill him to prove a point to nico that he is not to be messed with. This would be more strategic in my mind then going after nico himself. Also I think Arthur/Grey should cut his hair short because his current self looks more like his previous life. This could direct some resemblance from both Cecilia and Nico.
Life has peaked, Regis knows what a Shawarma is
I think that Arthur won’t fight Nico at the victoraid, and if he does he won’t kill him either because Cecilia stops him, or because he will need Nico to help him bring back Cecilia’s memories. I don’t think Turtle is quite done with Nico yet and is going to bring all three of them back together eventually which will cause massive waves through the vitras and and indrath clan.
Jesse Gibson
I can’t decide how I feel about him meeting Nico so soon yet. I was hoping for a scene where Nico and Celia are together and something triggers her memory of her real death and she tells Nico… and this causes him to spiral. Because now his whole reason to hate Art has been snatched away from under him and his abilities rely on his burning hate/anger. I wanted him to have a sort of rock bottom moment too where Celia is also like you’re a piece of shit and have become the very thing we hated and look at all you’ve done to me. I was hoping for that, maybe too cliche but he deserves to lose it all. I still hope something similar happens before they even get to the Victoriad, and they don’t actually end up seeing each other. But I hope either way Art goes OP on some Scythe asses.
Carth
IM SO EXCITED FOR WHATS TO COME AHHHHHH!!!!!!
Caleb Mandrake
It was a great chapter, if anything negative could be said i can only find 2: (1) is that the retribution was somewhat too quick BUT under the guise of concealment this is understandable since going unknown is key. (2) Ada. I do not likely to influence matters but rather wait for TurtleMe to reveal them but if there is a campaign to revive Ada's fortunes in the novel I would sign up. Her state is so tragic and it adds an integral backdrop to the foreboding fate of the Granbehls so I fully support TurtleMe and why it was written. But I feel so bad for her that, if she was ever brought back so she was able to flourish somewhat to achieve something for herself under Grey, Orrdin or even the Deniors it would be some form of karmic justice. She really has suffered and is due a blessing Really curious what Regis new powers and success in Destruction Aether Arts are now
Aaron
Does everyone think.....that unlike nico and art, who were resurrected into babies, tessie being an adult with a strong beast will in her core, was able to hide her will in the core or in the beast will portion of her core? Seems like having a mana core and having a strong beast will in that core wasnt a variable agrona tested...or even had the opportunity to test since he wiped out all the strong beasts long ago on his continent
Yes… and Tescellia is gonna see him do it.. he has a history of shooting the messengers
Why?
Pov swap most likely
Dragon/basilisk x human with a little djinn thrown in the mix
Pov switch prolly
Please please please don’t switch pov’s b4 they fight lol
Breamson 𒉭
I see where you are coming from and Nico deserves to die, but from Arthur’s perspective it would be really dumb. I mean he currently only guesses that Cecilia reincarnated into Tess (although it’s pretty obvious by what he saw), so killing Nico will only hurt Cecilia and will completely backfire on him.
Irakli Jishkariani
"I am thinking of killing a scythe". So no talk no jutsu stuff and friendly chat while semi fighting. Yeah it will be better story, though agrona will use it for cecillia and it will complicate things, and someone may regret nico's death. If nico survives by friendly chat and not by someones help that will be really bad and i am sick of that kind of stories.
Don't know why, but i do believe that it was in Nico plan....Pretty sure he knows Art enough to knows the kind of reaction he would have. Using the Grandbhel was thus just a way to force him out and gauge him. (And potentialy gain material against him)
Irakli Jishkariani
Well, if things go that way and grey is completely revealed and fighting, whoever had any contact with him will be in real trouble, including caera and her family. He is just sealing their fate ( fate lol :))) ).
Dope chapter! This sets up so much. I think Grey will challenge Nico at Victoriad but Dragoth will ask to fight in his place (remembering Grey from the relic room in the library from the academy). Maybe a short Grey vs Nico fight but before Nico is killed, Cecilia saves Nico and we'll find out what Agrona told Cecilia a chapters back about her past. Then a return to Dicathen! I really think one of the Relictombs is in the Beast Glades. Does anyone remember which Scythe and retainer are guarding Xyrus, The floating capital? Because Arthur will definitely recapture that.
Ossif
What an Amazing chapter poor Ada tho she didn’t deserve this. On another note Nico is finally gonna get his ass whooped what an exciting chapter (that shawarma part was hilarious)
Jamie Mcnair
Nice national treasure reference
Sean Defrank
Oh my god, are we going to get a Nico vs Grey duel where Nico Is about to get executed but Cecilia Interrupts It, like a cinematic parallel to the original Cecilia vs Grey, except Cecilia doesn't standby helplessly as Nico did originally? God, I am so excited to see Cecilia's reactions to Grey.
Raymond M
Lukas lol. Don't get me wrong...screw Nico. But as terrible as he is, with some deranged reasoning he thinks it's revenge. Lukas...well yeah
I hope that Nico dies screaming. F*ck reconciliation. Nobody in this novel have ever deserve dies as Nico. Change my mind.
I feel bad for ada… she was born into a power hungry family and had to sit back and watch their downfall. I hope this isnt the end of ada’s importance in the story
Ezekiel2517
Totally agreed, hope Grey helps her out
carson
Hope Ada lands on her feet somehow after all is said and done.
Aaron
The confusion and strangeness of Cecile interrupting the fight could allow the opportunity for him to announce his direct, non-lesser-blood relation to agrona through silvie and therefor be eligible by direct decsendency to challenge one of the sovereigns. Agrona I think would find it amusing and interesting so would allow it....additionally, it would kinda make Arthur a named enemy against the indrath clan even at the trade of giving Arthur more power over agrona. So....I think agrona will sanction it.
Aaron
Whatever "victory" outcome against a scyth that occurs....aurthur has no training prospects left so he only has political aspects. FOR INSTANCE being silvie, agronas direct assurance daughter, he could, after defeating a scythe, challenge a sovereign. As others have said, I think hasnt had the experience to challenge a named asura....but an unnamed asura would be in his league. In each domain there is a currentl unnamed asura acting as a sovereign. If defeating a scythe allows him to challenge one of these weaker sovereigns, he can both step up in political power AND gain practical experience in fighting a real assura.
Aaron
Satish nadeem said it. The best twist is for Cecile to interrupt and save nicco, since hes the only person she knows. Also...separate topic in new post.
Mattiew
Good chapter, I anticipate reading about everyone's reactions to this little incident.
LETS GOOOO
yes my theory has been confirmed i knew some crazy reunion was gonna happen with either nico or cecilia or even both at the victoriad hahahaha amazing i cant wait
CyberSkieth
That last line has got me so excited
unfortunately yes :(
Jan
Probably one of my fav chapter in the novel ngl. The way he just teleported around killing everybody or how he killed Karin way to good ngl
xroninx
“I’m thinking of killing a scythe” one of the most hype lines that I have read so far in this book, just keeps getting better and better.
Bernardo De Cabrio
If TBATE ever gets its own animated series, I pray to god that whoever gets to animate and publish it, brings the biggest guns to the party that they can get their hands on. The story deserves the best music producer and animators. But most importantly: For the love of god, don't you dare change or cut content. It has frustrated me on multiple occasions were studios thought to themselves "Hey! That part is awesome, lets change it." and I sit there reading the original material afterwards and think to myself "Why? Why did you change/cut the best/most important part of that volume?" And it gets me to quit a series even more easily if I already read the original material.
Justin Garcia
Exactly what I’m expecting. The ending of this chapter verifies this with a backup plan to escape. All to obvious but it’s still great.
“I’m going to steal the Declaration of Independence” vibes heavy with that last statement
Sam
Cicilla will interrupt the fight before Nico gets killed
Jamie Mcnair
Not every character needs redemption. It’s because of his forces that authurs father was killed, friends killed, and his girlfriend was taken and possessed. It’s shonen-anime esque for a main villain in which there are irreconcilable differences ‘seeing the light and becoming a friend again’. Whether Nico and cecil love or hate arthur has nothing to do with his goals to protect his land and his people from gods.
How does it keep getting better? Teach me your ways, Turtle.
Anrike
*Muah* Chefs kiss
I can't get over how great TBATE is 😩
Breamson 𒉭
Ok, that was a really great chapter and it just made me hyped for what’s to come and the fight against the scythe. However, as much as I hate Nico, please Arthur, don’t kill him. That would just completely backfire on him and it would be not the smartest choice. If he does that, then Cecilia will come to hate Arthur, not only by her fake memories or or the fake story from Nico, but she will hate him for what he actually did. It also would rob Nico of a potential redemption arc, so (while he is my most hated character), I really don’t hope that Arthur kills him
Arthur improved his aether skills right? Cause he now got a sword instead of a dagger which is pretty damn cool
jake ginder
Excellent chapter! Glad to see that he isn't trying to hide from Nico and that they are on a collision course.
cant wait till next week man, you know how to get us hooked turtle
I dont think he can fight on par with a asura not yet.. i think he still needs to improve his new style, need some long distance attacks or a way to fly..
SKYNET REAPER
Any1 else think ada gonna get killed by nico for failing
Isaiah
Omg this was a juicy chapter
Kenneth Evans
I don’t see Nico by himself taking on Arthur at this point. So either he gets help or a change of heart. It could be that Arthur finally tells his side of the story.
LordCruaver
Hell yes! I've been waiting for this moment. Yes follow the way Arthur, show them the the power of the gods. By my estimate he's already on par with the Asura and still getting stronger.
Jacob S
What the hell are you thinking?” “I’m thinking of killing a Scythe.” Arthur savage x2
Cory Crowell
Nico vs grey can't wait!!!
Jon Chefitz
A nico pov would be pretty sick ngl
This might be one of my favorite stories ever man. I pray one day this gets animated cause this story is 10/10. Keep up the amazing work Turtle!
Kenneth Evans
“You’re right, Granbehl. I’m no god, and I’m not a judge, either. I’m just here to keep my promise.” Arthur savage
Jon Chefitz
YOOOOO ART V. NICO SOONNNNN WHICH MEANS PROB A RETURN TO DICATHEN TOO LETSSSS GO
Jacob S
Probably best for Alaric’s blood pressure, he not know his nephew is actually on the bad side of multiple scythes, rather than just one… This chapter has me even more hyped for the Victoriad, if that’s possible. I wouldn’t mind a Nico pov, next chapter, as he surveys the aftermath of the Granbehl house, and hears Arthur’s message from Ada.
AntiMatterDynamite
avengers reference was cool, but the fighting was even better
Cherish
GREY V NICO NEXT FEW WEEKS LETS GOOOOOOO
Reddd
Arthur is going to demolish Nico when they fight. Id see Nico being really good but he also does not have the body of a dragon/human.
One of my favorite chapters, great job Turtle!!
Friendly consumer
2v1 let's gooo
Hm... What will next chapter be I wonder
Bernardo De Cabrio
One delicious chapter. That's some fine gourmet menu right there. Exquisite.
Darijum Lee
I honestly can't wait to see how the events at the victoriad unfolds!!!!!! I'm so hyped!!!
Sam Miller
Let’s F$&@ing goooooooo!
Hi Its Fire!
ight everything about this chapter is amazing im so hyped AHHHHHH.
Evankhell
Absolutely incredible 🔥🔥 I wonder if Ada will even mourn her family’s blood. Arthur warned them 🤷🏻♂️
Fantastic chapter turtle, can’t wait to see what comes next. Thanks for your hard work as always
Well we got confirmation that Nico backed the Granbehls, something most of us theorized. Glad to see Alaric again, and maybe Darrin soon. Sounds like Arthur is planning to assassinate Nico at the victoriad, but I doubt it will succeed. Maybe he'll kill Dragoth, cause that fights been hinted at for a long time now and I doubt Nicos purpose in the story will end like that. Personally I was hoping for some form of reconciliation between the two but Nicos 362 POV kinda squashed any hopes for that. Was really cool to see an outsiders description of Grey/Regis while they fight.
This chapter was an absolute masterpiece
Ryzn
FIRE CHAPTER 😼
Kevin Catambay
Getting home from seeing No Way Home and now this? Truly blessed right now Thanks for the chapter!!!
Caleb Mandrake
Been waiting for this all week!!! Thank god its Friday
Gamer Guide
Lets GO
Yay
