—— An Undying Oath ——
Eren held Seraphine tightly against his chest.
Her snow-white wedding dress was soaked through with blood, the stains blooming like an eternal hibiscus—searing his eyes and piercing deep into his heart.
"Seraphine... I won't let you die."
His voice was ragged, yet held the unyielding firmness of a sacred vow. "You're only sleeping. When you wake, I will make you the most beautiful bride in the world."
Lyra and Selene watched the scene in silence, their chests tight, neither daring to intrude upon his grief.
They had heard about the events at the wedding—
How Seraphine, fragile as a firefly, had dared to stand against the blinding might of power like the full moon, using her very life to show everyone the meaning of dignity.
Lyra opened her mouth. "Eren, you..."
But the words caught in her throat; all comfort felt superfluous.
"Everyone out."
Eren's eyes were closed, yet he seemed to see everything. His voice was weary and low, brooking no argument. "I wish to be alone with her."
The others withdrew silently, leaving him alone with the gradually cooling form in his arms.
An immeasurable time later, a soft knock echoed in the room.
"Overlord, the medicinal ingredients you requested are prepared."
Darius's voice was restrained and respectful.
Eren took a deep breath and pressed an almost reverent kiss to Seraphine's forehead.
In the next instant, a faint cyan light shimmered in his palm—
Seraphine dissolved into a strand of gentle radiance and was drawn into the Swordborne Gourd.
"This..."
Darius's pupils contracted sharply, a profound awe for Eren rising from the depths of his heart. This was no feat a mortal could accomplish.
"Good."
Eren's gaze fell upon the ingredients, the despair in his eyes replaced by a sharp, resolute edge. "Before I can revive her, I must become stronger."
He retrieved the bronze alchemy cauldron. As the flames ignited, the entire room seemed to blaze back to life.
Two hours later, the pill was complete.
When he opened the door and stepped out, the defeat in his eyes was gone, replaced by a chilling intensity that made it hard to look directly at him.
Vivienne and Clara were waiting outside.
"E...Eren," Vivienne's voice trembled. "Please give Seraphine back to me. She is my daughter... I... I want to lay her to rest properly."
"No!"
Eren's voice rose sharply, laced with a frantic stubbornness. "She is not dead! I will bring her back!"
"Eren, Seraphine has already—"
"Silence!"
His roar was like a beast whose reverse scale had been touched. "If I say I can save her, then I will save her."
Clara quickly pulled the protesting Vivienne away and handed a letter to Eren. "This is for you. As for Seraphine... we will hope for a miracle."
As the two women turned to leave, Eren spoke again. "Wait."
He handed a pill to Vivienne. "Take this. Your legs—I will heal them."
Vivienne swallowed the pill hesitantly.
In the next moment, a wave of warmth surged from her feet. She shuddered violently—and stood upright!
"This... this...!"
Joy, shock, and disbelief washed over her face, her voice quivering. "Eren... Thank you! I believe you... Seraphine will return! I entrust her to you!"
---
—— Forging the Path ——
After Vivienne and Clara departed, Lyra, Aveline, and Selene arrived hurriedly.
Seeing Eren's temporarily stabilized emotions, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Selene stepped forward, her expression grave. "Eren, you must be more cautious. The Vale family still has one Ancestor—rumored to have stepped into the 'Sovereign Warrior' realm."
"Sovereign Warrior?" Eren raised an eyebrow. "What rank is that?"
Selene glared at him. "You don't even know that? Your current strength allows you to instantly kill Ninth-Rank Great Grandmasters, and you're not a Sovereign? To reach Sovereign level so young... you're a monster."
Eren frowned. "I am not familiar with these martial rankings."
Selene stared blankly for a moment before explaining. "Martial artists are divided into Adept-tier, Grandmaster-tier, and Great Grandmaster-tier. Grandmasters and Great Grandmasters are further subdivided into First to Ninth Rank. Beyond that lies the 'Sovereign Warrior' realm. And legend speaks of a realm above even that—the Ascendant Saint."
"And above Ascendant Saint?"
"Above Ascendant Saint?" Selene was taken aback, shaking her head softly. "That... that is the domain of gods and immortals. Mere legend, with no verified records."
Eren nodded slightly but kept his thoughts to himself.
The silver-haired deity-demon slumbering for seven millennia in the Tibetan Plateau;
Eupheron the Drunken Sword Madman's power that seemed to transcend mortality—
These existences clearly far surpassed any so-called 'Ascendant Saint'.
Pulling his thoughts back, he turned to Lyra. "President Lyra, Darius requires significant funds to procure the medicinal ingredients and Mana Stones. I wish to borrow some from HelixPharm. I will repay it as soon as possible."
A faint pain flickered in the depths of Lyra's autumn-water eyes. "Eren, you saved my life. You protected the company. All my resources are at your disposal... You never need to say 'repay' to me."
Her tone was gentle yet tinged with loneliness.
She knew all too well—no matter how much she gave, it could never fill the void Seraphine had left behind.
Eren was silent for a moment, a bitter smile his only response.
This sentiment... he was destined to be unable to reciprocate.
---
—— Blood Curse ——
After everyone left, the room returned to deathly silence.
Eren slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, only icy killing intent remained.
"Damien."
He whispered the name like a verdict pronounced upon a condemned soul.
"It's time to repay your debt."
He flipped his palm, and a porcelain vial appeared.
Inside it—blood collected from Damien via the flying swords.
In the next moment, crimson runes glowed to life on the room's floor.
Blood flew from the vial, sketching out a sinister blood array on its own.
As the final line connected, a pungent, metallic scent of blood filled the entire room.
THRUM—!
A pillar of bloody light shot upwards, instantly vanishing into the void.
An invisible, forceful connection was forged between Damien's and Eren's auras across the vast darkness.
The red light illuminated Eren's cold, stern profile as he smiled like a demon returned from hell.
"From this moment, your life... hangs on my every thought."
With but a single thought from Eren, Damien would writhe in excruciating agony.
---
Meanwhile, in the Vale Family's Underground Chamber.
"Useless worm!"
A sinister, violent voice from the depths of the chamber made the walls tremble slightly.
Kurobane's roar seemed capable of tearing the very air. "Why did the pact fail? This Lord expended a decade of lifespan and nearly suffered a backlash!"
Damien knelt, trembling violently. "P-please calm your anger, Great One! I... I never expected that woman to take her own life! I offer fifty more infants in compensation! My promise of nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine infants still stands!"
"Hmph."
A shadow shifted within the blood cocoon, and the oppressive, cold pressure receded slightly.
Only then could Damien catch his breath, realizing his clothes were drenched in cold sweat.
"Great One, is there any way to remedy this?" he asked urgently.
"Find another woman with the exact same Destiny Constitution. This Lord can expend another decade to perform the ritual. But such a constitution... is one in a million."
Damien gritted his teeth. "No matter what, I will—"
Before he could finish.
THUD!
He collapsed violently, limbs convulsing, his tongue elongating as if being pulled from his throat. His screams were inhumanly shrill.
It was as if he was experiencing the torments of hell—having his tongue ripped out, eyes gouged, and sinews drawn.
"Save... save me... Great One...!"
He didn't know how long the torture lasted before the pain receded like a tide.
Damien lay limp on the ground like a drained sack, his entire body shaking uncontrollably.
"What... what was that?!"
Kurobane's cold voice replied. "Someone has cast a long-distance curse upon you."
"A curse?"
Damien's pupils constricted, before being replaced by vicious hatred. "Who?! I'll flay them, tear out their tendons—"
In the next second, realization struck him like lightning.
"It's Eren! It must be him!!"
Eren dispelled the array, but before he could savor the satisfaction of vengeance, a deeper terror crept over him once more.