Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods-Chapter 141: The Crimson Bloom

Back in the capital, a strong wind began to rise. It swept through the streets, carrying dust and whispers.

Everyone turned toward the source, eyes wide with fear and confusion.

"Did she say... Crimson Bloom?"

"What is that?"

"A title?"

The crowd murmured, unsure, confused.

Elysia stood in the center of it all, smiling, bloody face, calm and pleased.

Crest stared at her, shaking, but it wasn’t from fear. It was anger, deep and burning.

Beneath Elysia’s foot, Dusteria’s broken body barely moved. She was still alive, but only just.

He couldn’t take it anymore. He shouted her name.

"Elysia!!"

He rushed forward, ignoring the cries behind him. He raised his sword and swung with everything he had.

The blade clashed with a strange, black, twisted dagger.

Elysia didn’t move. She leaned in close, her voice soft and mocking.

"Still trying? I admire your spirit. But as always, you never deliver."

Crest roared and struck again, harder this time.

Elysia shifted her dagger, catching the blow and twisting it aside. Her blade cut up under his arm, slashing him across the side.

He cried out, stumbling backward in pain.

She smiled again.

Then, she stopped. Her eyes flicked upward.

And she jumped back, just in time to avoid Airi who landed with a crash, her sword cutting through empty air.

"Stay, the fuck, back! You fool!" she snapped. "I told you this isn’t your battle!"

Crest clenched his jaw. A healer ran up to him, hands glowing.

But Crest pushed him away.

"No, not me! Help Dusteria! Heal her first! Please!"

Heavy footsteps echoed through the streets. Out of the rising dust came the Royal Knights. Sacred Warriors followed, and at the center of the group, Aurus.

Everyone watched in silence.

Elysia looked up from where she stood. A slow smile crept onto her face.

"Well, look at this," she said softly. "The prey, surrounded by predators. No escape, no mercy. Just a pack ready to tear me apart."

Aurus stepped forward. He was composed, but his energy burned beneath the surface. His eyes locked on hers.

"You can laugh about it," he said. "You’ve been playing us from the beginning."

The warriors behind him stood ready, the air tense.

"It started with Lloyd’s death," Aurus said. "I see now, I should have realized. You always asked the right questions, always fishing for information. If Sylphera had been here back then, Lloyd might still be alive."

Elysia gave a small, amused smile.

"You understand your mistake? And yet here you are, giving out another name."

Aurus ignored the jab.

"You asked me what would happen if a demon hid in the capital. But you weren’t curious. You were testing us. Because that demon... was you. You wanted to hear we were weak. That no one would be ready if you attacked."

The crowd tensed. The silence grew heavier.

"And when Midas appeared, wearing Lloyd’s face, he walked right past our defenses. Because you helped him. You could slip past the divine light, and you lent that power to him. That’s how he got in."

He stood straighter.

"Your ability is to become someone else. Completely. And if you could sell that power to Midas... then you’re not just any demon."

He paused, the tension was palpable through every blink of eye..

"You’re a Demon Lord."

The words struck like lightning. The crowd gasped. Hands tightened around weapons.

Then... A soft laugh.

Elysia scratched her cheek, tilting her head.

"Not bad," she said. "A bit rushed, but close enough."

Her form shimmered. Skin shifted. Hair changed color. Eyes became someone else’s.

Lloyd.

Several gasps echoed. Her voice came out in his.

"Except... It wasn’t a sell. It was a loan."

She walked forward. Her face changed again, to the king’s, then Logan’s, then a mime, a random adventurer, Dusteria, and finally Aurus himself.

She spoke as she shifted.

"Wearing a face isn’t just disguise. It’s devotion. You don’t copy someone. You become them. You feel their pain. You laugh their laugh. You carry their weight. Every motion must be perfect. Every breath must be theirs. That’s how I live. Not pretending. Not acting. Becoming. And when that role is complete, when you embrace the true self... Then, the bloom turns crimson."

Then she changed again.

Long dark hair fell down her back. Her skin was pale, her robe black and revealing, flowing like ink.

It was her, the woman who attacked the manor.

Her true form.

Beautiful and terrifying.

She raised a bloodstained hand.

"This is who we are," she said.

"The Crimson Bloom."

The knights stood frozen, every muscle tight, hands gripping weapons.

Sacred Warriors were just as tense, holding back their power like an arrow on the string.

Even the wind seemed afraid to move. The street held its breath.

Aurus stepped forward. His voice was quiet but sharp.

"One last question. Were you involved in Darwin’s death?"

A cold gust swept the space between them, carrying with it the weight of a hundred silent witnesses. freeweɓnovel-cøm

Every heartbeat, every breath felt louder than ever.

Elysia chuckled softly. She tilted her head with a curious smile.

"Why ask that now?" she said, her voice light. "Do you need more fuel for your hatred? Or will your judgment change if I say no?"

Aurus didn’t answer right away. His expression darkened.

"Were you involved?" he asked again, voice lower, firmer.

The world held still. Not a foot shifted. The question hung in the air like a blade.

Elysia remained perfectly still.

Then, slowly, her smile stretched too far, an unnatural grin that didn’t reach her eyes.

She brought her hands to her cheeks, her fingers brushing gently. Her knees rubbed together in a small, familiar gesture.

Crest’s chest tightened. That gesture, he had seen it before. So many times.

It was her, all along.

"We had to," she said, her tone like a child whispering a secret. "He wasn’t even our target at first. But there he was, drowning in wine, talking about unity. About how if all the races worked together, they could defeat us."

She looked around with a sweet, empty smile.

"Do you believe that? That friendship and courage are enough to stop someone like Lord Ravager?"

Her voice was soft, but it cut deep.

She straightened, smoothing the folds of her dark dress with practiced grace.

"It shocked me, honestly. I almost slipped up. Apparently, he knew. But he didn’t say a word. A real gentleman. So I didn’t spill his blood."

The crowd tensed. No one spoke.

Darius, silent until now, lifted his head.

His gaze locked on hers. His voice was steady.

"So it really was the Slumbering King."

He stepped forward, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Thank you for your honesty."

The air changed. The wind picked up. Power surged like a wave waiting to crash.

"Now, prepare to die."

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