Chapter 242 The War "Inside" [13]

A few minutes after the absolute order imposed by the Vampire Lord Duradel to the remaining families of the vampire nobles. In the underground of the Royal Palace, there's a vast space where eleven crimson portals used for emergency situations were situated. Each crimson portal was coordinated on each underground of each Royal Palace of the eleven Vampire Clans.

"Grand Duke Juruhad, we have received the orders from the lord."

In this underground area, Vampire Knights that were deeply loyal to the Vampire Lord were guarding this place seemingly without rest as they were supplied with high-quality monster blood that made it possible for them not to take any sleep as it would make them feel invigorated from time to time.

Without responding to one of the Vampire Knights, as the families of other vampire nobles followed behind, waiting to cross over the crimson portal to be transported to the Bloodcalm land, the Vampire Grand Duke Juruhad nodded at the Vampire Knight, who looked like the leader in this squad of knights.

Slash- Slash-!

"Argh-"

"Keuk-"

"W-wh"

"G-Grand Duke, w-what's the meaning of this?!"

Suddenly, the Vampire Knights struck the hearts of some of the vampire nobles, killing them almost instantly. Those who were spared looked at the scene in confusion, but the Vampire Grand Duke then responded to wash their incredulous expressions away.

"It's the order of the lord/… to eliminate the families of everyone whose minds are caged into our traditions!

"According to the judgment of our lord, some of you are spared because he has seen in each of you the repression of your emotions, the dejection all of you are feeling because of this war.

"If what we believed in is absolute, then how can war with the Elves be possible even if we're not in the Valley of Betrayal!?"

The Valley of Betrayal that could be found in their Pre-Emergence world was a traditional place where the war with the Elves must be fought, and in the traditions or the unholy book that they possessed, it was said to never fight outside of that specific battlefield.

With a different expressions on their faces as they listened to the words of the Vampire Grand Duke, the Vampire Grand Duke then continued:

"Haven't you noticed?! How can our Goddess encourage us in this war when the Valley of Betrayal isn't in this world? It just means that the tradition could bend or our Goddess' teachings are contradictory on itself!"

The remaining vampire nobles fell silent, contemplating the words of the Vampire Grand Duke. The Vampire Lord Duradel wasn't certain if he was the only one who noticed it first during the assembly with the other Vampire Lords, that the moment the enigma of the Crimson Goddess appeared on the sole Crimson Cathedral and blessed them, was also the moment their Goddess had contradicted herself as her support was against her own tradition.

"In the name of our lord, Duradel Vlad Salem, every one of you here that remains will now be free from your constraints and live the way you want.

"And the main reason for killing the others aside from all of you is because the lord has deemed these families – wives and children alike – to be all linear in their thinking and not possessing the ability to question one's belief. In other words, if they were left alive, they would become individuals who would continue the path of traditional vampires."

As the Vampire Grand Duke spoke, the vampire nobles just couldn't put out the right words any of them should be saying at this moment. They were just not used to hearing the word "free," but they felt somewhat liberated upon hearing such a word.

"G-Grand Duke, how about our lord…? W-why did he stay behind?"

A wife of a certain Vampire Duke asked, while her husband accompanied the Vampire Lord to fight against the Elves and Humans.

The Vampire Grand Duke Juruhad didn't reply to the query, instead, he said:

"Let's go to the Bloodcalm Clan. The time is ticking."

With that said, the remaining vampire families, together with the several Vampire Knights and the Vampire Grand Duke Juruhad, went through the crimson portal.

***

On the West of the Vampire Lands, the Bloodcalm land of the Bloodcalm Clan. In the underground area of the Royal Palace, where the crimson portals connected to every other clan's Royal Palace were situated. One of them had an increase in luminosity as the red hue whirled. After some time, around a hundred to a hundred-twenty figure walked out of it.

It was the Vampire Grand Duke, the vampire noble families, and the Vampire Knights.

Surprisingly, for those who had no idea about this sudden development, the Vampire Lord of the Bloodcalm Clan, the father of Almirah, one of the Crimson Princesses, Dregan Vlad Salem; and the Crimson Princess herself, along with Bianca, who was her maid, and some others were waiting for them on the entrance as if they were expecting their arrival in the first place.

"I greet the lord of the tenth clan, Lord Dregan Vlad Salem."

Wearing a majestic attire, Vampire Lord Dregan said in a solemn manner:

"...So, that's what he chose in the end."

Knowing the history between the lord of the Rainfire Clan and the Bloodcalm Clan, the Grand Duke fell silent, and pondered for a moment before making a response, but it was something related to their arrival as he felt that he had no right to discuss such a matter concerning the two lords.

"Lord Dregan, please let us live in your land."

Without hesitation, Vampire Lord Dregan replied:

"Granted."

***

'Why didn't father tell me about it beforehand...?'

Almirah, one of the Crimson Princesses, muttered inwardly. Although she had no right to know every business her father, the Vampire Lord, do, she felt she should have known about the migration of other vampires.

'Tsk... Perhaps we're like Humans, after all. We'd be destroying ourselves from within.'

Almirah added in her mind, recalling the moment that Almirah realized the actions of her father compared to other Vampire Lords during the assembly that happened some time ago.

'Sigh, it seems it's inevitable. It'd be chaos.'

After the war happening on the Rainfire land, it would be certain that the Elves would go for the eleventh clan, Disruption. Which also meant that the land would be in ruins similar to the current state of the Rainfire land.

'We need to prepare, too.'

***

In the capital of Rainfire, as the Vampire Lord Duradel bombarded Russell Moon, his companions, and the other Elves on the ground, with crimson spears with the speed that's almost at the speed of sound.

"Why don't you leave the youngsters to those similar to them...?"

A voice, from the back of the Vampire Lord, as he's hovering in the skies, was heard.

"I see. It's only a matter of time before someone like you shows up. Haha-! This will be fun."

The Vampire Lord Duradel responded to the interjection of the presence, whose voice possessed quite a coldness and resembled those of an old.

"Elder of the Elves, you've arrived."

It was one of the Elders of Elves, a backup that would fight against a very formidable opponent, thus, in this case, the Vampire Lord Duradel.

"It's been around 40 or more years since we've met in a place like this. Old times."

Clad in white armor, the Elder Elf, with two orbs flowing on his hands, emanated a pure green aura, which then proceeded with his body.

[Activating Skill: Ugly Flower]

It's a skill with the purpose of enveloping the enemy, which would then leave the enemy open, allowing anyone who could hit the entrapped target to receive amplification debuff.

"Your tricks won't work on me, Elder Rah."

Enveloped with repulsive flowers that came out of nowhere in the air, the Elven Elder named Rah responded:

"That's quite polite of you to address me as an Elder. Although it's a fact, I can't help but to see you as a little kid greeting their grandparents."

The Vampire Lord smirked. This time, he took out a crimson gigantic sword. Without hesitation, he cleaved it down to Elder Rah of the Elven Council.

Boom-!

As the clash between the two intensified, a loud sonic boom entered the ears of those on the ground.

They watched the battle between the Vampire Lord and an Elven Elder.

***

"What an intense fight. I'm feeling chills even from here."

Amelie Rose Merveil said, looking at the sky where the sonic booms could be heard.

"We'd be dead if we intervene in any way."

Russell Moon thought as he also glanced above. He's seeing it more clearly due to his profound vision.

After a few seconds, a certain thought surfaced in Russell's mind as he watched the two fighting in the sky.

'I think this is the perfect time to fulfill one mission for myself.'

Russell then proceeded to recheck the Star Quest bestowed to him by the Goddess of Night.