The Ethermal Chronicles-Chapter 4: The King Bloodline

The entire estate trembled violently as a massive explosion shook its foundations. Zelda's room was obliterated, buried under heaps of debris. Smoke rose thick and dark, cloaking everything in a suffocating haze. Amid the chaos, two piercing blue eyes glowed menacingly in the darkness.

As the dust began to settle, Zelda stood revealed, gripping two bloodied guards in her hands. Her face was unreadable, but the tension in the air spoke of an impending storm.

On her palm, a small black dot pulsed ominously. It began to spread across her body, rippling like an ocean of liquid darkness. The shape flowed and writhed, forming an ethereal, savage tatoo that seemed alive. Her transformation complete, Zelda exuded a primal, unrestrained fury.

Now fully revealed in her terrifying glory, Zelda's lips curled into a savage, bloodthirsty grin. The blue aura surrounding her surged, healing not only her wounds but those of the guards she held.

"You're asking for death, demon," she growled.

she gently laid the fully healed guards on the ground. Then, with a sonic boom, she vanished, leaving behind a shockwave that reverberated through the estate.

High above, Zelda reappeared on the roof, her commanding voice echoing through the estate.

"Sam, gather the elders and power the barrier! I'll deal with this pest myself, but we can't let our battle destroy the estate."

An elder's voice called back, "Sam isn't here, Matriarch!"

"Then do it without him!" Zelda snapped. "I won't see my family reduced to ruins."

As her words hung in the air, a shimmering blue veil began to rise, encasing the estate in a protective barrier. Just before the barrier sealed completely, a black shadow streaked out of the gap, followed closely by a fiery blur.

Then a shadowy figure with horns appeared accross zelda

"Isn't the weather nice?" came a mocking voice.

Zelda turned, her eyes narrowing. The demon Bale hovered in the air, his voice light yet dripping with malice.

"What are you up to, demon?" she demanded, irritation creeping into her tone.

Bale's grin widened. "Oh, it's perfect weather for mourning, wouldn't you agree? But mourning is pointless without corpses, right?"

Zelda's patience wore thin as Bale laughed, his tone dripping with mockery.

"I happen to know a fine cemetery where you can bury your soon-to-be-dead family members," he sneered. "I may not be able to destroy your family entirely, but I can certainly get some corpses."

"No one but you will become a corpse without a place to bury you," Zelda retorted coldly.

Bale's laughter twisted into a sneer. "Who do you think you are, Zelda? The Patriarch? Thinking you can kill me?" He paused, his eyes narrowing with disdain. "The only one capable of that isn't even here. But I don't mind playing with you in the meantime—"

His words abruptly stopped. A sudden and overwhelming sense of danger made him whirl around. Just in time, he raised his claws to block an attack. Standing before him was a figure of pure water, wielding a deadly scythe. Her features mirrored Zelda's, yet her presence carried a distinct, chilling aura.

"What—what is this?!" Bale stammered, his eyes darting between the two identical figures.

"You were too slow, Lucy," Zelda said, a smirk playing on her lips.

Lucy chuckled. "Not my fault. It's been a while since I had to fight. Blame yourself for letting me rust."

Bale, still shaken, noticed the glowing blue markings etched unto Zelda's body. "What... what are those markings? Why are there two of you?!"

Zelda's grin grew ominous. "You'll find out soon enough, demon. And when you do, you'll wish you'd never set foot in the human domain."

She raised her hand, and her voice echoed like a thunderclap.

"Water Domain: Water Prison!"

The world around them shifted. Water materialized out of thin air, enclosing Zelda, Lucy, and Bale in a massive, net-like structure. Bale's confidence faltered as the air grew heavy with power. Despite being at the peak of the Lord Realm, a minor level above Zelda, a chill ran down his spine. The pressure she exuded reminded him of only one other being—the Demon King.

Panicking, Bale darted toward the barrier, clawing at it desperately, but the net held firm. He pulled out a talisman, snapping it in his hand. Nothing happened.

"Nowhere to run, little pest," Zelda taunted, her voice cold and cutting. "I have complete dominion over this place. Only your Demon King could get you out of here, but I highly doubt he'd go to such lengths for the likes of you." She took a step closer, her eyes gleaming with menace. "You should have done your research before attacking my family."

The "King" symbol on Zelda's forehead began to glow, matching the ethereal markings on her body. In a flash, she appeared in front of Bale, her voice a deadly whisper.

"Don't disappoint me."

A glowing blue sword materialized in her hand, slashing down with lethal precision. Bale barely managed to block with his claws, but the sheer force sent tremors through his body. Grinning through the strain, he teleported away, only for another demon with a long tail to materialize behind Zelda, aiming for her head.

"Disgusting little demon," Lucy snarled, intercepting the attack. "I knew there'd be more of you."

Meanwhile, Aron and Chloe, alarmed by the explosion, turned toward Alex's room, dread settling in their hearts. The possibility of their son being caught in the chaos spurred them into action.

"I just got back from one battle," Aron muttered grimly, "and now i'm diving into another. Let's check on Alex."

As they hurried down the hallway, Aron suddenly stopped, his instincts screaming danger. Without hesitation, he grabbed Chloe and vanished, reappearing a safe distance away. The spot where they had stood erupted, revealing a pitch-black demon with gleaming, savage teeth.

"Hey, Aron, missed me?" Buzz sneered, his eyes glinting with malice. "I heard you decimated a platoon. Tell me, which of my students were among the fallen? Or maybe..." He paused, his grin widening, "I wonder how you'll feel if I take away your poor wife's life?"

Aron's jaw clenched, fury simmering beneath his calm exterior. Buzz chuckled, stepping forward. "But hey, since I'm such a good guy, I'll give you a chance. We'll settle this fair and square. Winner takes it all, loser..." Buzz let the words hang, his smirk deepening. "Loses everything."

Without hesitation, Aron advanced. The space between them disappeared in moments, and as they closed in, Aron launched a powerful punch at Buzz. But Buzz sidestepped effortlessly, his movements smooth and deliberate.

"See ya, Aron," Buzz said mockingly, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "I hope you cry when this is over."

Before Aron , Buzz vanished. A heartbeat later, he reappeared in front of Chloe, his hand reaching out to grab her neck. But just as his fingers were about to close around her throat, his wrist was seized in an unrelenting grip.

Aron stood there, his eyes glowing an intense, fiery red, radiating raw power. A symbol of a king blazed on his forehead, and a tiny dot on his lips began to spread like wildfire, forming tattoos of crimson flames across his body. His entire form seemed to pulse with energy, the markings glowing brighter with every passing second.

Buzz's smirk faltered for a moment before returning. "I thought you'd fall for it," he said, feigning nonchalance. "Well, no matter. I can always kill her once I'm done with you."

A sinister, bloodthirsty aura erupted from Buzz, filling the room with malice. The air felt suffocating as his intent to kill became tangible. "I see you've had an upgrade," Buzz continued, sizing up Aron. "You look stronger. But let's not kid ourselves. Your early Lord power is no match for my intermediate Lord—"

Before he could finish, Aron appeared in front of him in an instant, delivering a devastating uppercut. The force sent Buzz crashing through the roof and hurtling into the sky.

"You talk too much," Aron said coldly, his voice cutting through the silence.

A deep, resonant voice echoed in Aron's mind. "So, you've finally decided to get serious."

"Well, I can't exactly joke around when I'm facing a demon lord, can I, Inferno?" Aron replied, "Take care of my wife and child while I deal with this pest."

From Aron's chest, a crimson light burst forth, coalescing into a fiery humanoid form with hair that flickered like flames. Inferno stretched his arms, his molten features forming a wide grin. "Ah, it feels good to be outside again. I missed the fresh air."

"Don't forget your job, Inferno," Aron said sharply before vanishing in a streak of red light through the hole in the roof.

Inferno turned toward Chloe, who called out to him urgently. "Get over here, Inferno!"

"Why the rush?" Inferno asked, his voice playful.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

"I need to check on my son," Chloe replied, her voice laced with worry.

Inferno sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine. We'll go.

The two moved quickly down a long hallway, passing several rooms until they reached the one at the end. Chloe pushed the door open and froze. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight before her.

The room was drenched in blood and at the center laid....