Chapter 434: Chaos and Destruction (1)

"Everyone, thank you for coming to this party," Ragan said, raising his wine glass. "In the end, everything went perfectly without a single problem. I hope you all make it back to your homes safely."

"Hahaha! Thank you, Your Majesty," the King of Serothia replied with a laugh. "Next time there’s a big party, don’t forget to invite me, alright?"

The others laughed as well, showering Ragan with compliments in the middle of the hall.

Ragan chuckled. "Everyone, raise your glasses. Let’s make this our farewell toast."

Everyone quickly lifted their glasses. Children under eighteen chose juice or milk from the right side of the hall.

Alicia, Masha, and Eliza picked orange, apple, and strawberry juice, waiting patiently for Ragan to continue.

Once everyone was ready, Ragan smiled and said eagerly, "Thank you all once again. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" everyone echoed enthusiastically.

They sipped their drinks, exchanging smiles amid the warm, cheerful atmosphere of the hall.

But suddenly...

"Ugh..." one of the heads of the baronial families groaned in pain.

The nobles nearby froze, then rushed forward.

"What happened? Are you alright?"

All eyes turned to him, filled with curiosity.

"I... I..." the man stammered incoherently.

The nobles exchanged uneasy glances.

"Maybe he’s sick. Have the servants take him to the palace medical room. I’ll ask His Majesty for permission," one of the heads of the families said.

The other nobles nodded and quickly helped the man to his feet.

But just as the noble who had spoken was about to approach Ragan, a loud explosion suddenly shook the hall from behind.

Boom!

Startled, he turned—and saw the head of the baronial family, who had been in pain moments ago, explode. His body was torn apart, fragments flying in every direction.

Red blood spurted, splattering the nobles who had just helped him.

For a moment, the hall was frozen in silence. Then, a woman’s terrified scream pierced the air, shattering the stillness.

"Kyaaa! Blood!"

Chaos erupted. The nobles who had assisted the man scrambled backward in panic.

Before they could even put a meter between themselves and the carnage, another explosion ripped through the hall, this time from their right.

One blast was followed by another, hitting those who had tried to help moments ago.

The atmosphere turned electric with fear, the air thick with the sense that terror could strike at any moment.

"What happened?" Ragan demanded, his voice icy.

Roswell hurried forward. "Your Majesty, just now—"

Ragan’s eyes widened in horror at the explanation.

"What did you say? How is that even possible?"

But he quickly pushed the thought aside. There was no time to dwell on the cause—he had to save the guests.

"Everyone, evacuate the hall immediately! Now!"

Ragan’s voice rang out like a bell, snapping everyone out of their shock.

Fear etched on their faces, the guests bolted, screams of panic filling the hall.

"Alicia! Eliza! Move!" Masha grabbed their hands, shaking them out of their frozen state.

At her voice, the two girls snapped to attention, their faces drained of color with dread.

"Run!" Eliza shouted, pulling Masha and Alicia along.

They sprinted past the mangled corpses of nobles, their bodies torn and strewn across the floor.

The thick stench of blood made Alicia gag, tears streaming down her face at the horrific sight and smell.

Eliza and Masha reacted differently. Masha, fearless by nature, had even once run away from her mansion just to meet Nolan.

Meanwhile, Eliza, after a month under Isabella’s care, had grown more mature, her mind and outlook both steadier and stronger.

Despite the horrific scene before her, she showed no dizziness or fear.

She remembered her brother’s advice clearly: in danger, keep moving and ignore everything around you.

But the hall was pure chaos. Hundreds of guests, all invited by her father, surged toward the exits, pushing and shoving in blind panic.

The three of them were trapped on the hall’s right side, forced to struggle through a maze of corpses and frantic people just to reach safety.

Suddenly, one of the corpses in front of them twitched. Moments later, it rose to its feet.

The girls froze in place. Alicia, already terrified, darted behind Eliza.

"Eliza, I’m scared..." Alicia sobbed.

"Don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you," Eliza said, her voice calm and soothing.

It would have been a lie to claim she wasn’t scared herself—this corpse coming back to life was terrifying.

But showing fear in front of Alicia and Masha could be deadly.

The corpse’s movements were unnatural. Its body darkened, a menacing aura radiating from it.

Soon, its form became clear: a black, horned creature with a face twisted in terror.

Masha turned pale, pointing shakily at the creature.

"T-That... that’s a demon!"

Alicia and Eliza stared in disbelief, eyes wide.

"A demon? Are you sure?"

"Yes! I’m sure! It’s a demon! My mother used to tell me stories about demons to scare me when I refused to sleep," Masha replied, her voice trembling. "I never imagined I’d actually see one. This is dangerous! We have to run!"

Without waiting for a response, Masha grabbed Alicia and Eliza’s hands and sprinted toward the back.

With the front completely blocked, their only option was to go around the back.

Alicia and Eliza snapped out of their panic and sprinted with all their strength.

"Argh!" the demon screamed, its gaze piercing them as it moved at lightning-fast speed.

In the blink of an eye, it was right in front of them.

Masha, Alicia, and Eliza skidded to a halt, backing away in terror.

"A-Alicia, you run! I’ll hold it off!" Masha’s voice trembled.

"What? No... I can’t leave you!" Alicia protested.

"But it’s too dangerous! If we all die, it’s worse! I’d rather face it alone."

Alicia felt a pang of emotion at Masha’s words, but it only steeled her resolve not to abandon Masha or Eliza.

The demon lunged forward, moving like a gust of wind.

Its hands, now transformed into razor-sharp claws, slashed toward the three of them.

Alicia and Masha froze, but Eliza acted quickly, shoving them aside.

Unfortunately, this left her exposed and vulnerable.

"Eliza!" Masha and Alicia screamed in terror.

Just as the demon’s claws were about to tear through her, a sword shot out from her right, clashing against the attack with a loud metallic clang.

"How dare you, lowly demon, touch my sister!?"