The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic-Chapter 446

A figure emerged from the darkness. His steps were shaky and his breathing ragged. The moment he appeared, he dropped to the ground on one knee with heavy exhaustion, his palms pressing against the dirt.

Beads of sweat rolled down his face and dripped onto the broken stones.

"Damn..." he panted.

"That was fucking insane."

Kael muttered weakly as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. His hands trembled slightly while he reached into his eyes and pulled out the monocle. He stared at it for a moment, then tucked it back carefully.

If anyone had seen him wearing it over his right eye, his cover would have been blown instantly. His back chilled at the thought. If even one person had seen through his disguise, then everything the Heretic sect had built up until now would have been destroyed instantly.

"Thank God... I managed to keep the act," he whispered with relief and leaned back, taking a deep breath.

Acting mysterious was done.

Leaving behind a strong impression was done.

Creating doubt and curiosity was done.

Everything went according to plan.

He even managed to grab the remaining part of the Archangel which would be quite helpful in the future

Now he just needed to build this persona slowly and shift the people's perspective against the Church. For once, he was not alone. There were now people willing to follow him. With a group of subordinates, things would be much easier.

His mood brightened a little and he looked down at the gauntlet on his arm. Another stone had cracked. Only the stones of Present and Future remained.

Using the present stone would allow him to lock a certain time and return to it later. A useful ability if things went wrong.

Kael stood up slowly and glanced around.

The scenery was horrifying. Buildings were torn apart like paper. Huge cracks split through the ground and smoke still rose from burning debris. Blood stained the earth and broken weapons lay scattered everywhere. Corpses were being covered with blankets as survivors knelt beside them weeping in silence.

A little further away, camps were set up hastily. Doctors and medics rushed around treating wounded civilians. Their faces were pale with exhaustion and sleeplessness. The smell of burnt flesh mixed with medicine filled the air. People wailed and begged for help.

But there were no priests.

Not a single one could be seen

"This will give us the perfect chance to strike them," Kael whispered, a sharp glint appearing in his eyes. If the Church abandoned the people now, public hatred would grow naturally.

His mood lifted and he let out a slow breath. He only needed to find Mariana to clear up a few more doubts and everything would fall into place.

He took a step forward.

Suddenly his back tingled like an icy needle had stabbed him. His body stiffened. Kael turned around slowly, and the moment he saw what was behind him, his eyes widened in terror.

His blood ran completely cold.

A massive shadow loomed over him. A huge palm descended from above and grabbed him by the torso, lifting him off the ground with crushing force.

"Nooo! What is this? Kyaaaaa!" Kael screamed, his voice cracking with panic as the grip tightened and darkness swallowed him wholly as he flung up in the air.

......

The Capital of Heizen finally breathed in relief after the chaos ended, yet what remained behind was a disastrous sight of ruins. Entire districts lay crushed into rubble. Walls were reduced to piles of stone and dust. Broken buildings leaned against each other like dying giants.

Cries and wails echoed from every direction. Smoke lingered in the air and carried a heavy smell of blood and ash. Countless lives were hanging at the fragile edge of destruction.

The number of deaths had not yet been counted. People still searched through collapsed houses trying to pull out family members. Children screamed for parents who could not answer back. It felt like the entire world had lost its voice, leaving only misery to fill the silence.

The only hopeful thing was that the three SSS rank members from Nightstar had been detained. Their capture might be able to calm the situation a little and control the panic building among the people.

Inside a broken chamber lit only by flickering candles, a cough echoed.

"Cough... Cough..."

Beads of dark blood splattered across the floor as the man struggled to breathe. His breathing was so weak that his chest barely moved. His hands trembled when he tried to push himself up, yet he failed and collapsed again. His face was pale as paper.

The sight was shocking because this was the same man who only moments ago was tearing across the sky fighting the Archangel of War, splitting mountains and skies apart like they meant nothing. Now he looked like a dying old man whose legs were barely connected.

"Old sack, you should have held it a bit. Now see. Your two legs are going to be in a coffin," Ramos grumbled while looking down at him. There was irritation in his tone but also concern hidden behind his expression.

Instead of anger, a loud laughter filled the chamber.

"Hahahahaha!" Edward laughed with pure amusement until he suddenly coughed hard again, clutching his chest.

"Damn. Just shut up, coot," he hissed through pain.

"Even when I am dying, you can't even mutter a few praises of me, you bastard," he growled, a tired smile on his lips.

"Does it look good for an Emperor to curse?" Ramos responded with a raised eyebrow.

"So what? Am I not a human? Can't I curse?" Edward glared back, his voice sharp.

The two of them bickered like children arguing over toys, and Pleard, who stood by their side, felt his eyes turn misty.

His hands tightened at his sides as countless memories flashed in his mind as he remembered the days when the three of them trained together, fought together and celebrated victories like fools. He had accompanied them since childhood until today. It felt like a lifetime.

It had been a good time as long as it lasted.

Edward finished the playful argument with Ramos and then turned toward Pleard with a serious expression.

"Call for the report."

Pleard nodded silently and clapped his hands. A moment later, a black-clad guard rushed in and handed a sealed scroll to Edward. He broke the seal and opened it. Ramos leaned in immediately and squeezed his face close, trying to peek.

"Only the Emperor can see it?" Edward asked sharply.

Ramos just showed him a middle finger while shoving his shoulder aside and took a look at the report anyway. His playful attitude faded quickly, and his expression darkened.

The report detailed everything that had happened. Most of the people involved with the Abyssal Cult were already hiding under Rein's side, which allowed them access to the Empire without suspicion.

The imprisoned citizens had been killed and sacrifices had already been prepared. Relay points for Mana Portals had already been placed, which allowed the SSS ranks from Nightstar to appear suddenly and wreak havoc.

Their goal was clear. They had come to disrupt the Crown Games and kill the successor who should take the throne or kill the Emperor and cause bloody chaos.

The only breaking point in their plan was that no one expected Ramos to still be alive. They believed he was crippled and powerless. They counted on him being a useless figurehead. They never imagined he would return stronger and tear their plans apart.

Ramos's fall years ago had been a world-shaking event. Nobody expected him to stand again.

The second unexpected problem was the Archangel slamming and betraying the Allies. The Archangel act of beating SSS from Nightstar wasn't something they expected.

Even the Church was stunned by the sudden course of events.

"I told you, didn't I? Those women are quite feisty. She would not have acted if those idiots had not sneaked in like mice," Ramos clicked his tongue and spat to the side.

Edward nodded although his face stayed stiff. He turned to the next page and his eyes shook slightly. His grip tightened so hard that the paper crumpled between his fingers.

Nightstar had already started moving. They were attacking rapidly and had already taken control of a base in Nevan. Nearby nobles were on standby. They might be cooperating with Nightstar or maybe they were scared. It was uncertain.

But large chunks of the Heizen Empire had already been swallowed up.

"Let's just threaten them with those three and end this," Ramos suggested with a tired sigh.

Edward clicked his tongue loudly.

"It is useless. From the way things are going, I am sure Nightstar is not alone."

Ramos frowned deeply.

"Do you really think a big Kingdom would make such hasty plans? It is only possible if it is a sacrificial lamb to be used by those cults."

The moment he said this, Ramos's expression darkened badly. A cold realization spread in the room.

"It seems the problem is several times bigger than we thought," Ramos muttered.

"Then?" he asked quietly.

Edward turned toward Pleard and spoke firmly.

"Call Roosevelt and Martina. I have something important to discuss."

Pleard nodded and walked away quickly.