Chapter 128: Public Announcement
No more than a single second had passed after Riku and Anya had left the belfry when a new presence washed over. It was a suffocating power, carrying the same metallic tang of the Crimson Creep, but far more potent.
A figure emerged from the shadows of the balcony doorway, his features completely obscured by a deep hood. The figure first looked at the fallen Vyon and the cowering Marquis, and then at the onlooking crowd who were whispering among themselves.
"Enough," the hooded man said. His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority that silenced the murmurs of the crowd below. "The spectacle is over. Disperse. Now."
The onlookers, sensing an authority far greater than that of the Marquis, quickly scattered, leaving only those closely involved behind.
The hooded man then turned his attention to the unconscious Vyon. He knelt, placing a hand on the man’s chest. A thick, crimson mist, far purer and more potent than the energy Vyon had used, flowed from his hand. The broken bones in Vyon’s body visibly reset with sickening crunches, and his wounds sealed over.
Vyon coughed, his eyes fluttering open. He scrambled to his knees before the hooded figure, his head bowed in shame. "My Lord... I have failed you. Even with the strength you granted me, I was defeated."
"What is your report?" the Lord asked, his tone flat.
Vyon recounted the fight, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and disbelief.
"He uses spells without incantation, moving from one to the next instantly. But his swordsmanship... My Lord, my blade was infused with the Creep’s full power. It should have shattered his plain steel sword on contact. Instead... he defeated me. Not with overwhelming power, but with pure, absolute skill. He used finesse to counter my strength, turning every move I made against me." Vyon gritted his teeth, admitting that he lost despite having every advantage.