Evolution of the Ruined Heir

The distance was incomprehensible, and the live footage offered no sound.

However, it truly was a mystery how the sound of Malakai's fist slamming into Julius' face was all that echoed in the Sanguine Hall.

Everyone was silent.

Only the grinding of Varnel's teeth, the soft sobs of Khana behind him, and the relentless, meaty thuds of Malakai's punches thundered in their ears.

Varnel had never looked this furious in his life. He had forgotten that the highest powers of the Sanguine Clan were present in the hall.

He was on his feet, fists clenched, eyes blazing with a rage that couldn't be contained.

He looked like he wanted to leap into the screen and unleash carnage on every participant in that damn forest.

'Useless! Useless!'

The word boomed through his mind. He could hardly believe the level of incompetence he was witnessing. It shouldn't be possible. There was no way this… waste could have come from his blood.

Someone born from him couldn't be this weak. This pathetic.

"P-please, Varnel… let him stop…"

Varnel's eyes snapped back to Khana, who stood trembling behind his throne. Her face was soaked with tears as she gazed at him, silently begging him to make Malakai stop.

But all she received was a wave of cold, suffocating killing intent.

'Did she cheat on me?'

Varnel refused to accept Julius as his son. There was only one explanation. This woman, this bitch, had betrayed him.

'After everything I've done for your wretched self…'

He looked like a beast about to break loose. Khana stepped back in fear, clutching her ornate fan tightly against her chest.

Varnel looked even more dangerous than all the times he had "corrected" her.

'He'll do it here.'

She shivered. There was no doubt in her mind, Varnel had lost control, and he looked ready to pounce at her in front of everyone.

"Varnel."

A single voice froze him in place. He couldn't move.

The hall turned to the Sovereign, whose aura pressed down hard on the Third Pulse.

"The Hunt is sacred, to the region and to the Sanguine Clan. There is no mercy for interruptions."

Varnel gritted his teeth hard enough to crack them but forced himself to calm the storm of rage inside him.

He could feel the amused stares of the Highbloods and the other Pulses watching him. It only made the fury burn hotter.

He bowed. "I apologize, Sovereign. It won't happen again."

"Sit."

Varnel obeyed, slumping back onto his cracked throne. But the rapid tapping of his foot against the floor made it clear, his anger hadn't gone anywhere.

The gazes turned back to the screen. The scene hadn't changed. If anything, it had grown even more brutal.

…

Bam!

Bam!

Bam!

Time passed, but Malakai's fists didn't stop. Each strike came faster. Each one hit harder. The pain multiplied with every blow.

The youths who had helped Julius distract the shadows had stayed to watch the battle between the veins. But now, as they watched from a distance, their legs shook. Their hearts pounded.

A demon. A monster.

How had the Ninth Vein defeated the Eighth? Were their eyes broken?

Those with strong survival instincts didn't wait. Without a second thought, they turned and ran at full speed.

Once Malakai was done with Julius… he would come for them.

Fighting that demon…

The thought alone made them shudder.

But Malakai's punches only grew faster. More vicious.

Julius' arms hung limp at his sides. His body had taken so many hits, he couldn't move anymore. Couldn't think. Couldn't retaliate.

The blood on his face had already hardened, but Malakai had long since broken through.

To Julius, the world was a blur of crimson.

And through the overwhelming pain… only one thought echoed in his mind.

His father was watching.

Julius could already see the disappointment on his face. The disgust.

He had always looked up to his father, one of the Pulses of the Grand Sanguine Clan. A man respected by all.

Julius had lived his whole life trying to satisfy him. He had aspired to become someone his father would be proud of. That was why he had tried so hard to become just like him.

And now… he was failing.

That disappointment, Julius didn't want to see it. He didn't want to let his father down.

But he couldn't move. Couldn't stop the monster looming over him. So, he did the only thing he could.

He begged.

"Pwe-esee… s-stop… I-I'm so-orrry…"

The words were slurred, but Malakai heard them loud and clear.

Still, the punches didn't stop.

"In case you're too stupid to figure it out… I'm not interested in your apology," Malakai muttered. "I just want you to feel pain."

His fists blurred, speed exploding.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Each impact sent tremors through the ground. A small crater had formed beneath them, filled with Julius' blood.

Whoosh!

Malakai's eyes narrowed instantly.

'An attack.'

He felt it. Something fast, rushing toward his back.

He didn't turn. His instinct kicked in.

He dove to the side, the sharp whistle of air slicing past his ear as he narrowly evaded the strike.

He rolled along the dark earth, springing back to create distance. Then his eyes locked on the newcomer.

"Why did you have to go this far?"

A feminine voice echoed as recognition crashed into him.

'Aurelia.'

He clenched his scythe tightly, Julius' blood still dripping from his fists.

'I didn't feel her until she entered my vita field.'

Twenty meters.

That was his new range of perception. And considering how little time he'd had to react, Malakai couldn't even begin to fathom her speed.

Still, his eyes narrowed. That wasn't all he noticed.

'She has four nodes.'

Malakai was always watching. Always calculating. The moment she stepped into his range, he had seen everything.

'Two in her legs, one in her right arm, and the last…'

The last node was the reason his grip had tightened so much on his scythe.

'Her brain…'

It was bad news. Terrible news.

One of his greatest advantages had just been nearly made obsolete.

If Aurelia's perception was enhanced, she could match his movements, keep up with him in real time.