Ascension of the Dark Seraph - Chapter 166

Chapter 166: Checkmate Chapter 166: Checkmate Nerissa bit her lower lip, she was confused and tired about this situation.

In the hours of them wandering aimlessly in search of Lucivar through the street, this citadel was the sixth place that Leandra had shouted at-thinking that Lucivar was supposedly inside.

Nerissa wanted to trust Leandra, she really did, but she couldn’t.

For better or worse, she didn’t share the same view as Leandra about Lucivar.

On top of that, like the five previous places, without a doubt, Leandra’s call wouldn’t be answered.

Nobody was inside this citadel, it looked worn down and abandoned.

“Leandra, please…” Nerissa pleaded.

But her persuasion was denied, Leandra shook her head, “Just wait and see, you’ll see the truth!” Upon hearing this, Nerissa’s expression wavered as her gaze fell to the floor.

‘Lucivar is not a saint, far from it, I’m sure’ Her grip on Leandra’s arm tightened.

‘But he threw himself in front of the Rock Sentinel’s attack, risking his life for the city.

Isn’t that a reason enough to trust him?

Shouldn’t we, as his family trust him the most?

Why is Leandra being like this to him?’ Several flashes of Lucivar smiling and laughing during the breakfast crossed her mind.

Nerissa couldn’t fathom how Leandra could doubt a good person like him.

“Come on, that’s enough…” Nerissa whispered meekly, she couldn’t bear to see Leandra tearing apart the family like this.

With a gentle pull, she forced Leandra to turn around, away from the citadel.

“We could talk with Lucivar once he’s back from searching for Mirel” “Why…?” Leandra grimaced, gazing at Nerissa in disbelief.

“Why won’t you trust me?” Instead of answering, Nerissa pulled her away but stopped abruptly.

“Huh?” Her eyes widened.

“Si-Since when this many people gathered behind us?” Having her focus fully fixed on Leandra who was being unreasonable, Nerissa didn’t realize that behind them was a sea of people.

It seemed Leandra’s outbursts, shouting at empty buildings had gathered the attention of many.

As Nerissa was about to disperse the crowd out of shame, a loud, grating sound of steel echoed.

Upon hearing this, her body stiffened.

In a slow and hesitant manner, Nerissa glanced over her shoulder and gasped, seeing Lucivar along with the executioner coming out of the citadel.

Her shock deepened when she saw Lucivar was marred with blood-his uniform, face, and hands were all smeared with blood.

Seeing this, Leandra’s eyes flickered.

“You see now?!” She exclaimed, looking at Nerissa intently.

“Now you’ll see what kind of man he is!” On the other hand, Lucivar walked out and scanned the crowd.

As Sabrina mentioned earlier, the people had gathered with Nerissa and Leandra leading them.

‘More than a hundred, by the looks of it.

Not bad, Leandra.

I can feel how hard you’re trying’ Lucivar mused, a flicker of amusement breaking through the annoyance he has over her.

Being defied like this, though vexing, carried its own thrill, especially when he knew, beyond a doubt, that victory was already his.

‘Fine, I’ll play along… for now’ Breaking free from Nerissa who was petrified, Leandra stumbled towards Lucivar.

Lucivar watched her silently as she stopped several meters away.

Seeing Lucivar standing before her was all the confirmation Leandra needed.

She wasn’t losing her mind.

More importantly, it proved to everyone else that she had been right all along.

Keeping eye contact with Lucivar, she straightened her posture, her eyes sharpened with defiance, “Do you really think you can do whatever you please?

No.

Not while I’m here” She declared, her voice was steady and resolute.

“I told you I’d drag you out of the darkness, and I meant every word” Hearing this made Lucivar’s face twitch.

But he was able to keep his composure and silence, only staring at Leandra intently.

Just then, Nerissa came from behind.

“Lucivar…” She called, her voice shaking.

“It’s not what it looks like, right?

Tell me that it isn’t” Believing in Lucivar one hundred percent, Nerissa assumed-he was out searching for Mirel, as his absence suggested.

Mirel was the sole reason they hadn’t returned to the academy, and for all they knew, he could be in serious trouble.

Had Leandra didn’t put up these antics, Nerissa would also search for Mirel to see if he was okay.

Seeing Lucivar here, however, broke her positive assumption.

Finding no words coming out of Lucivar’s mouth, Leandra becomes even more brazen.

It was clear that she had caught him off guard.

“Tell me,” She whispered in a cold tone.

“If I stepped through that door, what would I see?” “…” No answer, Lucivar’s lips remained sealed.

“Answer me, Lucivar,” Leandra demanded before she tilted her body a little to point at the crowd behind her who was undecided about what to make of this situation.

“If you don’t answer, what would these good people think about you?

Also, don’t try to lie… Just confess what you did, the city and you could come into an agreement if you confess” Clearly, this situation was very bad.

Lucivar has no way to escape from this, he is completely stuck.

All he could do was confront this problem.

From above, Ravenna wanted to leap down to help-her foot was already stepping on the edge.

Surely, Lucivar needed help and even if it would blow up her cover as Lucivar’s new ally to Leandra, it would be worth it compared to Lucivar being judged or worse, handed over to the Hybrid Association, which would be extremely fatal for him and her.

Despite her desire to help, she caged her desire when she saw Lucivar stealing a glance at her.

It was fast but definitely a clear sign that she shouldn’t interfere.

He has something up his sleeves.

Even Sha and Gandr could be seen on the side, anticipating what Lucivar was planning to do.

Reading Lucivar’s mind was something they could do but there’s no anticipation in that.

So instead, these two celestial beings only observed from the sidelines.

“Hunter Lucivar requested the city to take up all the prisoners from the prisons across the city and gather them here in this citadel as his reward for closing the dungeon,” the executioner suddenly declared, his expression and voice steady.

“He didn’t ask for any glory or resources, he only asked for this” Upon hearing this, Leandra’s eyes squinted, “And what did he do with them?” A pause happened when she asked that with the executioner stealing a glance at Lucivar hesitantly.

“He… He killed them,” the executioner eventually continued.

His words cut through the air like a blade, and the crowd erupted into a cacophony of gasps and frantic whispers.

Just the weight of what they had just heard left many stunned, their disbelief painted across wide eyes and parted lips.

“I knew something was off about him,” “Hush!

What are you talking about?” “I mean did you see back when the dungeon closed?

He immediately picked a fight with another hunter” “Even so, how could you say that?

He saved us!” “Clearly, he saved us with a purpose in mind, his bloodline must be of a dark one.

He wanted to kill” Naturally, the crowd was torn into two groups.

One side was still defending Lucivar while the other instantly turned and showed their contempt.

However, one thing for certain, none of them expected Luciva to be this daring.

Among them, Nerissa froze, her pupils trembling as she clasped a hand over her mouth.

A sickening and unbelievable realization settled in, she had been wrong all along.

Leandra had been right.

Seeing the backlash he was receiving, Leandra smirked sharply, a triumphant glint in her eyes as she straightened her posture again.

Though she hadn’t arrived in time to save the prisoners, her resolve had borne fruit.

She had exposed Lucivar’s actions and planted the seed for his reckoning-a chance for him to change.

It wouldn’t be long before he was pulled out from the darkness.

Leandra marked this as her first step in fixing Lucivar.

“It is true that I killed them but not all…” Lucivar finally spoke-his voice boomed through the air.

Once he opened his mouth, the crowd died down almost instantly.

Nerissa, who was still hopeful, quickly asked, “What do you mean?

Please Lucivar, explain yourself” Upon hearing this, Lucivar nodded and took a couple of steps forward.

He faced the crowd with an unyielding gaze.

Seeing the shift in the air around him, Leandra could feel her chest tightening.

“Many of you might not be aware of this but a normal proselyte couldn’t enter the dungeon like that, it took a strong proselyte to do that, a Nexus…” Lucivar explained before pausing, letting his words hang in the air for a moment.

“A proselyte who had turned into a Nexus meant that he had killed a lot, the energy he amassed was vast and although now he’s dead, the effect from him lingers.

It caused the dimensional fabric to thin in this area, meaning… it would be easier for another portal to appear” “Lucivar!” Leandra bites down on her teeth hard.

“That’s a lie, you don’t know that!” “Is it…?” Lucivar replied, the corner of his lips curling.

As she was about to say more, some people from behind intervened-registering the information.

“Is that true?!” “Then would another portal appear soon?!

We can’t afford that!

We’d all die!” “What if it opened inside our walls?

We’ll be massacred!” Panic surges through the crowd-the thought of another portal appearing terrifies them.

Even though they managed to ask the Hybrid Association for help this time, it wouldn’t guarantee that they would be answered again the second time, especially when the time frame was close.

Being a city that couldn’t produce a Hybrid, they got lucky this time but luck can run out.

“I killed these prisoners because of that very reason,” Lucivar said again.

“Crossers could influence those who are unstable and insane.

I gathered the prisoners here to check them, to see if their mental conditions were good enough to not be influenced by the Crossers, and unfortunately, almost all of them weren’t suitable except for one…” Upon saying that, Sabrina came out from the citadel while supporting a woman.

“She was the only sane one, and she could attest to my motive” Lucivar said, presenting her to the mass.

Leandra, Nerissa, and the crowd looked at Pippa’s mother with anticipation.

On the side, Sha shook her head, “Stupid people, he got them now…” Compared to her, Gandr was on the edge of his seat-watching the situation unfold interestingly.

And from Pippa’s mother’s small lips, a whisper escaped, “It’s true…” As soon as she said that, Lucivar stepped in front of her, commanding the attention once more.

His voice measured, yet heavy with a feigned weight, “With great reluctance, I’ve taken it upon myself to handle the city’s dirty work-to ensure all of you remain safe even when I’m not here anymore.

After all, this is my first time saving a city from a blue dungeon, and, in truth, I’ve grown rather attached to the city” “Attached to you…” He continued in an emotional whisper.

Following that, he extended his arms as if giving himself at the mercy of the people.

“If safeguarding this city and ensuring its safety are crimes, then I stand guilty of them both,” He concluded.

“…” Everyone was dead silent-if a pin dropped in the background, it could be heard.

But then, that silence was soon shattered.

A low, gravelly chuckle slipped from Gandr’s lips, despite the oppressive silence cloaking the area.

“HAHAHA~!!” The sound grew, twisting into a dark, uncontrollable roar of laughter that filled the air-like a sinister hymn.

His laughter was unhinged, tears glinting in his eyes as he bellowed with a maddening delight, finding the situation extremely funny.

Nobody but Lucivar could hear his laughter.

Lucivar tried to keep his composure but he almost broke character at the deranged mirth.

Glancing back at Leandra, a thought came to his mind, ‘Checkmate’