"I've no appetite for food at this moment. I'd much rather savor the spectacle of this tournament. Please, do not interrupt my viewing pleasure," Duke Avaron said, waving his hand dismissively at his diligent butler. His tone was brusque, reflecting his annoyance at being disturbed from his engrossment in the unfolding events of the tournament.
"My sincerest apologies, Your Grace," the butler replied, bowing his head in deference. "I meant no disrespect. If there's nothing further you require at present, I shall excuse myself. Do not hesitate to summon me should you need anything else." He retreated from the room, leaving the duke to his solitude.
Once the butler had departed, Duke Avaron could no longer conceal the fury that had been simmering within him. His gaze was firmly riveted on the screen that displayed the ongoing tournament. The object of his ire was none other than Laura, who was fearlessly taking on her opponents in the arena. His teeth ground together in suppressed anger.
"I shelled out a bloody fortune to have that woman removed from the equation. Why is she still breathing?" Duke Avaron fumed, his voice seething with venom. Despite his enormous wealth, he had a notorious aversion to spending his gold. The money he had unwillingly parted with to hire the Goddess of Lust - the most feared and skilled assassin in their world - seemed to have been wasted.
Laura's very existence was a potent threat to his position, and to the standing of his fellow dukes. This was why the four of them had banded together to commission the assassination of Laura, aiming to preserve their power and positions within the Empire. But so far, their expensive plan seemed to have hit a frustrating snag.
Engaging the services of the Goddess of Lust had not been an easy task. An exorbitant sum of gold had been demanded, and being the richest of the nobles, Duke Avaron was expected to shoulder the heaviest burden of the cost. Although his fellow dukes had contributed, their combined amount paled in comparison to the fortune that Duke Avaron had begrudgingly doled out. The sensation was akin to tearing his own flesh and feeding it to someone else, a grimace-inducing act that only the threat of Laura made him endure.
He saw the prospective demise of Laura as an investment, a long-term strategy that was supposed to be guaranteed. He considered Laura a parasitic presence, one that required a larger, more dangerous parasite to eradicate. The huge chunk of his wealth that he had parted with was a painful sacrifice he was willing to make, believing it to be a long-term strategy that would secure his power and position in the empire.
But now, Laura was very much alive and thriving, which infuriated him. He had handed over a king's ransom to Sasha, the Goddess of Lust, and her single task remained unaccomplished.
"I'm in dire need of a drink," Duke Avaron muttered, feeling the dryness in his throat amplify his irritation. He was about to call his butler to bring him some chilled wine or sake when an uninvited guest brazenly strolled into his living room. His immediate reaction was anger. His private space was sacrosanct - even his children and wives knew better than to intrude without first knocking. It was a rule that was respected, a norm that defined the reverence he demanded as the Duke.
"What on earth...who are you?" Duke Avaron blurted out in utter shock. He had not expected to see a stranger in his living room. But as his eyes caught sight of the intruder, his voice faltered. The robustness in his tone was replaced by a tremble of apprehension. His skin turned pale and a cold shiver ran down his spine, as if he was standing in the middle of a freezing blizzard. His eyes narrowed to the size of a pin's head, a reflection of his stunned surprise. The duke looked like a man who had just seen the devil himself, his entire body quaking, his soul trembling with raw terror.
"Who...who are you?" he stammered, struggling to maintain his composure.
The mysterious man who stood before him seemed to be the embodiment of a dreadful nightmare. His whole body was drenched in blood. But it was not his own blood, rather it was a chilling testament to the brutal path he had carved to reach the duke. The man held something in his right hand, an object that sent waves of terror coursing through Avaron.
"Who am I?" The man retorted coldly, his gaze piercing through Duke Avaron like an icy dagger. "I think you should be more concerned about this," he added casually, tossing something towards the duke. It was only when the object landed at his feet that Duke Avaron realized what it was. It was the severed head of his butler. The sight was so horrifying, so unexpected, that he almost lost consciousness. His body reeled backward, his mind grappling with the horror of the moment. The sheer brutality of it was more than enough to make the duke's blood run cold.
"You inquired about my identity? I am the one who is linked by marriage to the woman you so brazenly insulted," Aditya declared, his voice brimming with cold anger. He didn't take kindly to the way this man had hurled curses at Sasha.
That revelation caused Duke Avaron's already blood-drained face to go a few shades paler. His lips quivered as he tried to form a coherent sentence. "You mean... you're..."
A chilling grin crept onto Aditya's face, an expression of unadulterated menace, as he moved closer to the duke. "Indeed," he confirmed, his voice cold as ice. "I am Aditya. Now, your time is up."
There was a sudden, deafening bang, and then silence. Duke Avaron's body collapsed onto the rich carpet of the living room, lifeless. His head was nowhere to be seen. This wasn't just Duke Avaron's fate. Each guard that had dared to confront Aditya had been ruthlessly cut down. Any who dared to obstruct his path were met with nothing less than total destruction.
Aditya looked around at the carnage he had wrought. "That's one down," he said to himself. "Three more to go." But before he departed, Aditya made sure to take something from the duke. It wasn't for himself, as he had no need for wealth. Instead, he pocketed Duke Avaron's storage ring, filled with the duke's treasured possessions. He planned to give all of this to Laura. She could use it better than he ever could. With that, Aditya left the scene, leaving behind nothing but destruction and a grim reminder of his wrath.
The ongoing Oceanic Crown Tournament provided the perfect distraction for Aditya's deadly mission. While the Deep Sea Palace Empire's attention was riveted on the heated competition, he moved with lethal precision and speed. His mission? The elimination of the four most powerful figures in the empire: the old dukes.
Once done with Duke Avaron, Aditya shifted his attention to the next on his list, Duchess Envielle. Envielle was the living embodiment of the sin of envy. Her greed knew no bounds, her avarice outstretching beyond the materialistic confines of wealth and status. She was notorious for her incessant desire to possess everything that wasn't hers, a trait so profound that it was reflected in her eclectic mansion. The mansion was a bizarre amalgamation of styles and artifacts, lacking any trace of originality, mirroring Envielle's envious nature. 'Mirrored Desire', her unique power, amplified her greed, allowing her to replicate any ability she witnessed. However, her impulsive, rash nature, often the consequence of her insatiable envy, also made her vulnerable.
Next on Aditya's list was Duke Wrathschild, the living manifestation of wrath. Known for his volatile temper and intolerance, he was a figure who provoked fear among his subjects. His mansion was as grim and intimidating as his persona, littered with statues of his conquered foes serving as a dreadful testament to his wrath. His power, 'Rage Inferno,' was fueled by his anger, converting his rage into destructive energy blasts. However, his wrath often clouded his judgment, making him susceptible to cunning strategies. Yet, even his formidable power fell short in front of Aditya, the Dragon Monarch.
The final name on Aditya's list was Duke Glutonus, the personification of gluttony. His hunger was boundless, extending from food to power, and his mansion was famous for its decadent feasts and lavish gatherings. His power, 'Endless Maw,' permitted him to consume anything and assimilate the energy or power it held. But his insatiable desire often caused him to overstep his boundaries and overestimate his capabilities, setting him up for failure.
And so, one by one, each duke and duchess fell under Aditya's relentless pursuit, their mansions falling silent as their reigns of sin came to a sudden and brutal end.
Scene change____
The whole day passed peacefully. The whole city had gone to watch the tournament. The streets were empty. The shops were closed. The restaurants, inns, pubs, tarverns, the guild, and other stores in the city were closed. People from the nearby cities and all around and even from outside of the empire has had come. Even all the guards who were responsible for keeping an watch were busy watching the tournament instead of focusing on their own work. There wasn't any sign of a soul except for the stadium where millions of had gone to watch the tournament.
By the end of the day, the group stages of the tournament were over. 32 participants has reached the elimination round. Laura was someone among them. But as everyone was about to head back, the announcer who was a beautiful mermaid anxiously came to the stage to make an emergency announcement.
"Ladies and gentlemen," a solemn voice echoed around the arena. The mermaid announcer held a grim expression, her voice tinged with a sorrow she rarely displayed. "I come bearing news that is as shocking as it is disheartening."
A sudden hush fell over the spectators, the previous hubbub replaced by an eerie silence. There was a palpable sense of trepidation in the air. Something was amiss, the normal frivolity of the tournament overshadowed by a grave announcement.
"Duke Avaron, Duchess Envielle, Duke Wrathchild, and Duke Glutonus... " her voice trailed off, a lump forming in her throat. She swallowed hard, gathering herself to deliver the devastating news. "They have all been found dead in their mansions."
Gasps echoed throughout the stadium. The shock that rippled through the crowd was as palpable as a physical blow. The words hung heavy in the air, disbelief painted across the faces of everyone present. Those four figures were pillars of their society, their abrupt end was inconceivable.
"Their lives were taken in their very homes," she continued, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Every last guard, servant, and eyewitness has been wiped out. They were all brutally murdered."
A scream broke the tense silence, its shrill tone echoing the fear that gripped the crowd. Panic was seeping in, replacing the shock as the full realization of what had happened started to sink in.
"Further..." the announcer's voice cracked, "their severed heads have been discovered near the stadium."
The reaction was immediate. Wails of grief, exclamations of terror, and cries of disbelief filled the stadium. Everyone was reeling from the news. Mermen were clutching each other in fear, their faces pale. Aquatic elves, known for their calm demeanor, were wide-eyed and speechless. Other races attending the tournament were equally shaken.
"Who could do this?" whispered one terrified merman to his neighbor.
"Are we safe?" an aquatic elf questioned, her voice trembling with worry.
The specter of fear had descended upon the crowd, a chilling reminder of their vulnerability despite their perceived safety. The tournament, once a source of excitement and celebration, had been plunged into a dreadful nightmare. The news of the old dukes' gruesome demise would leave an indelible mark on the empire, and the shockwaves of fear and confusion would reverberate long after the tournament ended.
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