It took about four hours for Aestrea to fully recover his mana.

And as soon as he did, he directly opened his eyes.

“Fuuu…”

A long breath left his lips as he sat up, eyes turning toward the dark night sky through the hotel window.

“…Alright. Let’s do this.”

『 Storage 』

He took out a strange black mask from the storage, and put it on his face. Along with that, he also wore an entire black outfit.

Without wasting time, he stepped up to the window, glanced once at the sleeping children, then—

Whoosh!

He jumped out, landing on the empty street below.

Then, he jumped toward the rooftops and started leaping from one to the next, disappearing into the deeper parts of the capital.

It wasn’t long before he reached the long stone road that led to the Royal Palace. The place was huge, surrounded by heavy gates and shining golden guards.

This was where the Emperor lived.

Of course, Aestrea wasn’t foolish enough to think he could kill the Emperor with his meager strength.

What he intended to do was measure the Emperor’s strength, and for that purpose, he specifically took out a Mana Elixir so he could use his Time Freeze as many times as needed.

Then, he pulled out a weapon wrapped in cloth.

『 Storage 』

The Red Slayer’s sword.

It was finally going to have a use.

But before invading the palace—Aestrea took out a tiny pouch from his side pocket and shook red powder into his hands.

Carefully, he rubbed it across his body. In seconds, his silver mana began to glow a dull red.

“Good… now I’m ready.”

His eyes glowed faintly beneath the mask.

Then—

FWOOP!

He vanished from where he stood, reappearing in front of the palace gates.

BAAAM!!

The heavy iron doors blasted open, flying off the hinges and crashing into the marble floor with a thunderous slam.

That was the alarm.

Inside, the royal knights jumped to their feet.

“INTRUDER!”

One of them quickly grabbed his communication stone.

“This is Sector 3—an unknown attacker has breached the front! Mana signature: red! Unknown identity!”

But he didn’t get to finish.

SHHHK—!

In a flash, Aestrea appeared in front of him, and the knight’s body twisted unnaturally before falling to the ground in pieces.

His sword had sliced clean through armor, muscle, and bone.

“Wh-what—?!”

The other knights rushed forward with blades drawn, but Aestrea was already moving. His figure flickered like a shadow, faster than their eyes could follow.

CLANG!

SWOOSH!

SPLURT!

Steel clashed.

Blood sprayed across the white marble.

One knight screamed as his legs were frozen mid-run, then shattered under the force of a clean kick.

Another tried to block with a shield, but Aestrea’s sword spun through the air and—

THUNK!

—Split him down from the shoulder to the waist.

More knights came rushing in, alerted by the sound and the calls through the communication stones, but by the time they arrived…

Silence.

Only the sound of dripping blood filled the hall.

And in the middle of it all stood Aestrea, sword in hand, not a single scratch on him.

He tilted his head up, his mask glowing faintly in the moonlight.

『 Judgement Eye (✦ S+ Level Skill ✦) 』

This time, they weren’t just foot soldiers.

Each one wore polished armor embedded with mana circuits, and they held their swords with practiced precision.

Glowing runes lit up their blades as they activated Royal Knight Sword Arts, their eyes burning with magic.

“Formation Four!”

“Engage the intruder—do not let him near the main hall!”

Spells started flying instantly.

BOOM!

SWOOSH!

CRACKLE!

Fireballs, lightning strikes, and waves of ice exploded in the air, tearing through stone and shattering walls as they surged toward Aestrea.

But he didn’t stop.

He blinked right through the first wave—appearing above one knight mid-cast and slashing straight down.

SPLURT!

The knight’s head separated cleanly from his body.

Another one tried to catch Aestrea with a wind binding spell, but—

THUNK!

A throwing knife, coated in frost mana, pierced his throat before the words could finish.

Aestrea landed in a roll, barely grazed by a fire spell that seared the edge of his cloak. His red-tinted mana flared violently, wrapping around his body like a shield.

『 Red Ice Series: Frost Barrage! (✦ 3rd-level Spell ✦) 』

Dozens of jagged red-colored ice spears exploded outward from his body—

SHHRKK!

SPLAT!

CLANG!

—Tearing through knights, piercing through magic shields, sending limbs flying in every direction.

“KEEP FORMATION!” one of the captains screamed.

But the formation was already broken.

They couldn’t stop him.

And Aestrea—he didn’t hesitate.

One slash turned into five.

One blink became a blur.

Every attack was deliberate, every step soaked in blood and precision.

It wasn’t a fight.

It was a massacre.

Splurt!

Finally, the last elite knight guarding the principal gates fell with a broken sword in his hands and fear still frozen on his face.

Aestrea stood in front of the massive golden doors that led to the palace’s heart.

He raised his sword.

BOOOM!!

With one violent strike, he shattered the gates open—cracks splintered through the ancient walls like spiderwebs.

The dust cleared slowly…

And then, Aestrea saw them.

The Main Hall of the Royal Palace.

It was silent. Tense.

At the far end, sitting on a throne made of obsidian and gold, sat the Emperor himself.

His golden robes shimmered under the moonlight pouring through the glass ceiling, and his eyes burned like dying stars—old and cruel.

He rested his cheek on his fist as if bored.

But watching closely.

Next to him…

A dozen figures.

Each of them powerful.

Commanders of the Royal Knight Legions, standing tall in ornate armor that pulsed with high-grade enchantments.

And at the front of them all—stood the Sword Duke.

A man said to have reached the very peak of swordsmanship. His blade was sheathed, but his presence alone made the air feel heavier.

Like it could slice your breath in half.

None of them spoke.

They just looked at Aestrea.

And Aestrea looked right back.

Blood dripping from his sword.

‘This son of a bitch…’

‘He really likes having a sense of security, huh?’

The silence lingered for a few seconds longer.

Then, the Emperor shifted in his throne ever so slightly.

The light from the crystal chandeliers above flickered across his gold-trimmed robe as he raised his head, resting his chin on one hand.

His voice, when it came, was calm… but bored.

So very bored.

“Really now…” he exhaled, long and lazy, as if Aestrea’s bloodied intrusion had only mildly disrupted a nap.

“…You storm my gates, slaughter my knights, paint my marble halls with their guts…” He let his voice trail off, gazing down at Aestrea with half-lidded eyes.

“Was it personal? Political? Or did someone actually pay you for this nonsense?”

Aestrea didn’t speak.

He didn’t move.

He simply stood there, his cloak still dripping blood onto the palace floor.

The mask on his face hid his expression, but the tension rolling off him in waves made the mana in the room stir slightly.

The Emperor waited.

Then blinked, unimpressed.

“…No answer?” he said, tilting his head slightly.

Sigh…

He leaned back into the throne, resting his head in his palm again like a tired teacher lecturing a hopeless student.

“How dull. I thought you’d at least say something poetic. Maybe a speech about revenge or justice, mm? No?”

His fingers lazily tapped the armrest.

“…Kill him.”

The words dropped like lead.

At that moment, the Royal Knight Commanders stepped forward, their armor clinking, magic surging through the hall.

Each of them radiated intense pressure—seasoned killers, wielders of mana arts passed down for generations.

They didn’t hesitate.

But the Sword Duke?

He didn’t move an inch.

He stood at the Emperor’s side, like a silent blade still resting in its sheath.

Watching and measuring Aestrea’s strength.

He didn’t need to step in yet.

Not until it was interesting.

And as the Commanders drew their weapons and charged, Aestrea still hadn’t spoken.

Not a word.

But the moment they crossed that invisible line—

His fingers twitched.

And his red-stained sword rose once more.

‘…..Five peak S-rank knights…’

Aestrea thought inwardly, gripping his sword tightly as he looked at them.

‘This is a bit troublesome… if I could use my power, I could defeat them, however, my identity would be revealed.’

‘…Wait, there are a few skills from Lumi that I can use still, except [Bleed]. That’s the only known skill that I used from her.’

‘I also have the Crimson Torrent skill from the sword itself… it should be enough.’

Aestrea shifted his stance slightly, blood dripping from his cloak.

His eyes locked on the knight commanders.

“Formation B,” one of the knights snapped.

Without another word, all five surged forward—fast.

CLANG!

Aestrea raised his blade just in time to block a heavy downward strike from the first Commander.

Sparks exploded.

The floor cracked beneath him.

Another knight appeared behind.

WHOOSH—THUD!

Aestrea twisted, parrying, but the third knight’s flaming spear pierced his left thigh—

SPLURT!!

He gasped sharply as blood gushed down, his leg nearly giving in.

‘…Alright… It’s time to use the Demon Beast Series from Lumi…’

Aestrea exhaled.

『 Demon Beast Series: Shadowstep Claw 』

WHOOM—SLASH!

Aestrea vanished into black mist, reappearing behind the fourth knight and slashing downward.

A black claw of energy ripped into the knight’s shoulder—he screamed, armor splitting open.

But the fifth knight was already mid-air.

『 Royal Sword Art: Heaven’s Descent 』

CRAAASH!!

A wave of holy energy came crashing down on Aestrea like a meteor. He raised his sword, bracing himself—too late.

BOOM!

He was sent flying, his body slamming through two stone pillars.

Dust and blood exploded across the hall.

He coughed hard, blood spilling from his lips.

His arm—his right arm—was torn at the joint, barely hanging on by tendons.

‘…Damn it…’

The knights advanced again.

“You’re done!” one of them shouted.

But Aestrea’s eyes burned beneath the mask.

『 Demon Beast Series: Mindveil Howl 』

He let out a phantom scream—not from his mouth, but through mana itself.

A piercing psychic shriek echoed through the minds of the knights, making them freeze, their vision shaking.

Aestrea staggered to his feet.

『 Crimson Torrent 』

His blade glowed—a sickening red mist rose from it.

The cursed sword unleashed its power.

SWISH—CRACK—SLASH!

He charged, a blur of blood, speed, and flames surged.

His mangled leg dragged slightly, but it didn’t stop him.

SLICE!!

One knight’s head flew—his body collapsing in a pool of red.

The others barely reacted when a second slash spun through the air—

SPURT!!

A chest was cleaved open.

“AHHH!!”

Another knight raised a barrier—

『 Frost Howl Blast 』

Aestrea’s palm released a freezing roar of mana—ice exploded forward, trapping the knight’s legs.

SHLUNK!!

The Red Slayer Sword pierced his heart before he could move.

Three down.

Only two remained.

Both backed up, panting, now hesitant—until they launched a combined strike of wind and lightning magic.

『 Dual Art: Storm Execution 』

Aestrea raised his broken arm.

『 Demon Beast Series: Core Overload 』

His body flared with unnatural mana—red, black, and violet.

The spells collided with his energy—

KRAKOOOM!

The whole hall shook, debris raining, the carpet catching fire.

Smoke filled the space.

Then… silence.

The two knights stared, weapons raised.

From the smoke, a figure limped forward.

Blood dripping.

Mask cracked.

Left arm dangling.

Right hand dragging a cursed blade.

Still alive.

Still standing.

Aestrea didn’t say a word.

He simply raised the sword one final time—

And in a blur, he was in front of them.

SHHHING—SLASH!!

A straight, clean cut split both their torsos open in the shape of an X.

Blood exploded from their mouths before they fell back.

Dead.

Five bodies.

Five Commanders.

Gone.

The whole palace fell quiet.

And from the throne, the Emperor slowly clapped his hands once, bored.

Clap, clap!

“Now that was a fight,” he muttered lazily.

“I must say, those beast skills… you’re not just some rogue knight.”

A beat passed.

Then, without looking away from Aestrea—

“Sword Duke.”

The man beside the Emperor—tall, silent, clad in platinum armor—stepped forward at last.

“You may go now,” the Emperor said simply.

“Kill him.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep