Chapter 191: Chapter : 191 : Xerath Malvorn Kezreth!

The demon finally stepped fully into the open.

He was tall—his posture relaxed but coiled, like a predator that didn’t need to hurry.

Long white hair spilled down his back in loose, wild strands, catching the red glow of his own mana.

Two horns curved from his head, smooth and polished, their surfaces catching blue and crimson highlights as if stained by old battles.

His skin was pale, almost porcelain, contrasted sharply by black, intricate sigils carved along the side of his face—ritual markings that pulsed faintly with power.

His eyes were the most unsettling part.

Red. Not wild. Not furious.

Amused.

They gleamed with intelligence and experience, the gaze of someone who had survived countless wars and enjoyed every one of them.

A black, armored coat clung to his frame, etched with living crimson lines that pulsed in time with his breathing, like veins feeding a monstrous heart.

Mana leaked from him in slow, deliberate waves, setting nearby debris vibrating.

This was no assassin sent to die.

This was a founder.

Both launched again.

Their blades collided mid-air with a thunderous CRACK, shockwaves ripping outward and smashing into nearby buildings.

Stone walls groaned, cracks spiderwebbing across their surfaces as windows shattered from the impact.

The street beneath them buckled as mana compressed and detonated again and again.

Aiden skidded backward, boots carving deep lines into stone.

The demon slid opposite him, ring-blades spinning once before locking back around his arm.

Aiden straightened, rolling his shoulder once. His eyes gleamed—not with fear, but interest.

“You’re better than I thought,” Aiden said, voice steady. “What’s your name?”

They pushed off simultaneously, clashing again, sparks and mana spraying between them as they separated.

The demon halted, stance shifting.

One foot forward. Knees bent. Ring-blade rotating slowly, crescents humming like restrained beasts.

He smiled. “Xerath Malvorn Kezreth,” He said proudly. “A Founding member of the Pale Hands.”

His voice was strange—calm, smooth, but slippery, like it didn’t quite belong to one place.

“And I am here,” He continued, eyes sharpening, “to kill you.”

Aiden smirked. “If you wanna kill me,” He replied, raising his daggers, “then come at me.”

Xerath’s smile widened. He vanished.

Aiden twisted instantly.

The ring-blade screamed past his face, crescents carving through the air as Xerath reappeared above, bringing the weapon down in a vertical execution strike.

“—CRESCENT ART: HEAVEN CLEAVER!”

Aiden crossed his daggers.

BOOM!

The impact cratered the street, stone exploding outward as Aiden was driven knee-deep into the ground.

He grunted, muscles screaming, then twisted violently, redirecting the force and sliding out from under the descending blade.

Xerath landed lightly, spinning. The ring detached. Three crescents launched outward in different trajectories.

“TRI-FANG REAP!”

Aiden sprinted. Not teleporting. Not flashing. Just raw speed.

He ducked under the first crescent, vaulted over the second, then threw himself sideways as the third carved through the space where his head had been a heartbeat earlier.

The crescents curved mid-air, turning back toward him.

Aiden skidded, planted a foot against a wall, and launched himself upward, daggers flashing as he deflected one crescent, shattered another, and let the third graze his arm rather than his throat.

Blood sprayed. Aiden landed hard, rolling once before springing back up.

Xerath laughed. “Excellent reflexes!” He clapped his ring back into place. “Let’s raise the tempo.”

Xerath spun, mana surging violently. “RING DOMINION: BLOOD ORBIT!”

The crescents multiplied—six, then eight—spinning around Xerath in a lethal halo, each blade moving independently.

They screamed as they launched outward in spirals, tearing through stalls, walls, and pavement.

Aiden weaved through them. Step. Pivot. Duck. Slash.

He cut one crescent in half, shattered another, then leapt through a narrowing gap as two blades closed in from opposite sides.

He landed, pivoted, and hurled a dagger—

Xerath tilted his head.

The dagger scraped past his cheek, cutting a single white strand of hair.

Silence.

Then Xerath smiled wider.

Aiden reappeared behind him, dagger raised—

Only to pierce empty space. Aiden’s eyes widened.

Xerath appeared directly in front of him, ring-blade already swinging. “EXECUTION WALTZ!”

The crescents struck in a flowing, rhythmic sequence—high, low, diagonal—each strike chained into the next.

Aiden blocked, parried, twisted, his daggers ringing nonstop as sparks exploded around them.

One crescent slipped through and sliced his side, tearing flesh.

Aiden gritted his teeth and kicked off Xerath’s chest, flipping backward to create distance.

He landed hard, breathing heavier now.

Xerath stepped forward slowly, ring humming.

“You haven’t used a single technique,” Xerath observed. “No mana bursts. No beast calls.”

Aiden wiped blood from his mouth with his thumb. “Don’t need them.” He replied.

Xerath’s eyes gleamed. “Good.”

He vanished again.Aiden turned— And saw him. Right behind.

—

Under a shattered awning two streets away, Liri pulled Leona and Noir down behind a collapsed fruit cart.

The air shook with every clash.

Stone cracked. Mana screamed. The sound alone made Leona flinch.

Leona pressed her face into Liri’s chest, small claws trembling as she clutched fabric. Her tail curled tight around her leg.

“Daddy…” She whispered, voice breaking. “Please… please be safe.”

Liri wrapped both arms around her without hesitation, holding her tight like a shield. Her own hands were shaking, but she forced her voice to stay steady.

“He’s strong,” Liri said softly. “Stronger than anyone.”

Another impact rolled through the street.

Dust drifted down like ash.

Noir stood slightly apart, hands clenched at her sides. Her eyes were fixed on the battlefield—on the flashes of lightning and blue-violet crescents tearing the world apart.

“He is a demon,” Liri murmured, more to herself than to anyone.

Noir swallowed.

“Like me,” She said quietly.

Liri turned immediately.

“Noir,” She said firmly, gripping her arm. “No. I don’t care what he is. You’re my sister now.”

Noir’s breath caught.

“And I don’t want you feeling guilty about this,” Liri continued, voice sharp with emotion. “Daddy wouldn’t want that either.”

Leona lifted her head, eyes red and wet.

“Noir,” She sniffed, “Daddy said you’re family.”

Noir’s chest tightened painfully.

She nodded once, lips pressed together, fighting tears.

Another explosion rocked the street. This one closer.

Liri hugged Leona tighter.

“Look,” Liri whispered, forcing confidence into her tone. “You see how Daddy’s fighting? He’s not scared. He’s protecting us.”

Leona nodded shakily, burying her face again. “I trust Daddy…”

Noir looked past them.

Through the dust and broken stalls, she could still see him.

Aiden.

Standing alone against something terrifying—and smiling.

Her hands unclenched.

Her eyes hardened.

“Daddy…” She whispered.

Then she turned back to them, resolve burning in her gaze.

“Maybe… if I ask him… he will stop.”

Liri froze. “What?” She hissed. “Noir, what are you talking about?”

“I just know,” Noir said, voice steady despite the chaos. “He won’t hurt me.”

“Noir, but—”

Before Liri could finish, Noir bolted.

“NOIR!” Liri shouted, reaching out.

Too late.

—

Back in the street, the fight reached a fever pitch.

Aiden and Xerath slammed into each other again, blades colliding in a blinding flash.

The shockwave ripped through nearby buildings, sending entire sections collapsing inward. Roof tiles rained down. A stone pillar snapped clean in half.

Both fighters skidded backward, boots carving deep trenches into the road.

They landed almost simultaneously.

Aiden rolled his shoulders once and raised his daggers. Mana crackled along their edges.

“Thunderclaw,” He said calmly. Electricity surged through the blades, illuminating the street in blinding arcs of white-blue light.

The air snapped and hissed as charged mana wrapped around his arms.

Xerath laughed low and dangerous. “Twin Spin!”

The crescents on his ring-blade began rotating faster and faster, blurring into a glowing circle of blue-violet death. The hum rose into a shrill scream.

He launched.

The street between them evaporated.

Aiden surged forward to meet him—

“Please! Stop!”

The voice cut through the battlefield like a knife.

Aiden’s eyes widened.

“Noir—!”

She ran straight into the open, skidding to a halt between them, arms spread wide, tears streaking her cheeks.

“Please!” She cried. “Leave my Daddy alone!”

Xerath’s eyes snapped to her. “A demon—!” He snarled. “Shit!”

Aiden shouted, voice ripping through the chaos.

“Noir! MOVE!”

Too late.

Aiden moved first.

He sprinted toward her, boots shattering stone as he crossed the distance in a blur—

At the same time, Xerath twisted mid-charge, crescents screaming as his ring-blade shifted trajectory.

“Move!” Xerath barked sharply—not in mercy, but calculation.

Then—

A bolt of flame crashed into the spinning crescents from above.

The impact detonated in a violent burst, knocking Xerath sideways and ripping his trajectory apart.

The ring-blade shrieked as it lost momentum, sending the Pale Hands founder skidding across the street in a shower of sparks.

Aiden didn’t waste the opening.

He leapt, grabbed Noir mid-run, and spun, pressing her tightly to his chest as he carried her out of the kill zone.

They hit the ground hard behind a half-collapsed stall, Aiden rolling once to shield her fully with his body.

The street exploded again as Xerath slammed and rolled across the stone, finally stopping in a crouch, one hand braced against the ground.

From the rooftop above, a figure lowered her weapon and smirked.

“Kael,” Renn called lazily, voice carrying seduction despite the chaos, “you owe me a date.”

Aiden didn’t look up.

His focus was entirely on Noir.

“Are you hurt?” He demanded, gripping her shoulders, eyes scanning her frantically.

She shook her head fast, tears spilling freely.

“I—I’m fine. Daddy, I just—”

“That was reckless,” Aiden snapped, fear breaking through his control.

Then he pulled her into a fierce hug.

“Don’t ever do that again,” He said softly, voice shaking despite himself.

Before Noir could respond, two smaller figures crashed into her.

“Noir!” Liri cried, wrapping her arms around her tightly.

“What were you thinking?!” Liri scolded, half-angry, half-crying. “You can’t just run into a fight like that! Do you have any idea how scared we were?”

Leona clung to Noir’s side, small claws digging into fabric as she sobbed. “Bad! That was bad, Noir! Daddy said hide!”

“I’m sorry,” Noir whispered, choking up. “I just… I didn’t want Daddy to get hurt.”

Liri pressed her forehead to Noir’s. “We don’t want you hurt either.”

Aiden stood, placing a hand on all three of them briefly. “Stay back. All of you. Together.”

They nodded instantly.

Across the street, Xerath pushed himself upright, eyes burning now—not amused anymore.

Before he could fully rise—

A massive figure dropped from above.

A flaming greatsword carved downward in a brutal arc.

“Demon,” Kael roared, blade blazing white-hot, “die!”

Xerath’s eyes widened. He twisted hard, rolling to the side as the sword slammed into the street where his head had been a moment before.

Stone liquefied under the heat, molten cracks spiderwebbing outward.

Xerath sprang to his feet instantly, ring-blade snapping back into position.

—

END OF Chapter : 191 : XERATH MALVORN KEZRETH!

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A/N: Check the discord to see Xerath.

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep