The woman didn’t answer immediately. In fact, for a brief moment, it seemed she didn’t even consider it necessary to answer. Her gaze remained fixed on Kael, motionless, too deep to be easily read, as if she were evaluating not only what he said, but what he was—layer by layer, beyond the surface, beyond the evident energy, searching for something more fundamental. And yet, there was no curiosity there. Only... confirmation.

Around them, the entire hall seemed suspended at that moment. No one moved. No one dared to interfere. Even those who had previously reacted with indignation now remained motionless, trapped between the instinct of submission and the shock at what was being revealed. Because it was no longer just a confrontation between two powers. It had evolved into something far more dangerous: a collision between forces that did not belong on the same level.

The presence surrounding Vlad continued to expand, fueled by something external, something that did not originate from him. It was evident now. The energy that pulsed around her body wasn’t stable—it grew unevenly, as if being forced beyond its own natural limits. Her posture remained erect, her expression still controlled, but there were cracks there. Small. Almost imperceptible. But real.

Kael saw.

And that was enough.

He took a step forward.

This time, there was no casualness in the movement. It was still controlled, still calm, but there was clear intention there. The ice beneath his feet responded immediately, expanding almost imperceptibly, following his presence as if it were part of him—not a separate element, but a direct extension of his existence.

The magic circles around him vibrated slightly.

Not in reaction to the woman.

But to him.

As if they recognized the change.

"Interesting..." he murmured, his voice low, almost thoughtful, but with a sharpness that cut through the silence like a blade. His eyes were no longer on Vlad. They were in it. "You’re not strengthening him."

A pause.

Short.

Necessary.

"You are using him."

The air seemed to sink a little more with those words.

The woman didn’t deny it.

But she didn’t confirm it either.

Her expression remained the same—distant, controlled, as if any emotional reaction was completely irrelevant in that context. However, there was a change. Subtle. Almost nonexistent for anyone else present.

But not for Kael.

She tilted her head slightly.

Not in curiosity.

But in... adjustment.

And then, finally, she spoke.

Her voice wasn’t loud.

Nor deep.

Nor soft.

It was... empty.

As if it carried no emotion whatsoever, but was still perfectly clear, perfectly directed.

"You observe too much."

It wasn’t a criticism.

Nor a compliment.

Just an observation.

Kael let out a small sound through his nose.

Almost a laugh.

"It’s a useful habit."

He didn’t look away.

Not for a second.

And then he continued:

"Especially when someone thinks they can hide their hands while handling the pieces."

The atmosphere tightened again.

But this time... it wasn’t just coming from him.

The woman’s presence in the shadows expanded slightly. Not aggressively, not as a direct attack, but enough for everyone there to notice—she wasn’t just watching. She was... truly present now.

And it had an immediate effect.

The magic circles around Kael responded.

Some rotated slowly.

Others glowed for an instant.

The entire structure adjusted.

Not as an improvised defense.

But as something that had been ready for this from the beginning.

Exelia watched in silence, but her posture shifted slightly, almost imperceptible to anyone else. Her weight shifted subtly, her hand close to the blade—not in tension, but in absolute readiness. Her eyes went from Kael to the woman and back, registering every microvariation, every alteration in the flow of energy that filled the hall.

She understood.

This was no longer about Vlad.

He had become... secondary.

A piece.

A conduit.

And, by the way his aura continued to grow erratically, it became increasingly clear that this could not be sustained indefinitely.

Kael also realized this.

And it amused him.

"You will break him," he said, without taking his eyes off the woman. Not as a warning. Not as concern. Just as a fact. "This kind of strength... wasn’t made for him."

Vlad didn’t react verbally.

But his body... did.

For a brief moment, his fingers tightened on the arm of the throne. His breath hitched—minimal, almost imperceptible, but sufficient. The energy surrounding him wavered, like an unstable flame trying to maintain its shape under pressure.

And then—

Kael took another step forward.

This time, the reaction was immediate.

His presence increased again.

Not in explosion.

But in density.

As if the space around him was being forcibly rewritten.

The magic circles aligned.

And, for the first time since they appeared... some overlapped.

Layers.

Structures.

Connections.

Something far more complex began to form there.

Something that wasn’t just power.

It was... dominion.

The woman watched.

And, for the first time—

Her eyes narrowed.

A tiny detail.

But enough.

She realized.

And that was... important.

Kael stopped.

Now, a few steps from the center.

His gaze remained fixed on her.

But there was something different now.

Less analysis.

More... decision. "You’re using the wrong place," he said, tilting his head slightly. His voice didn’t rise, but it became more... present. "And the wrong people."

A pause.

Short.

But charged.

"And this... is a mistake."

The energy in the hall responded.

Not like before.

But as if it had reached an invisible limit.

Something that could no longer grow without consequences.

Exelia felt it.

The vampires felt it.

Vlad—

Vlad felt it the most.

His body stiffened completely for a second.

And then—

A dry sound echoed.

This time, it wasn’t subtle.

A real crack.

Something inside him... gave way.

Not visible externally.

But absolutely real.

His eyes trembled for an instant.

Just one.

But it was enough to shatter the perfect image he had maintained until then.

Kael saw.

And sighed.

"Yeah," he murmured, almost disappointed. "You didn’t really come to talk."

His eyes turned completely to the woman.

And this time—

There was no more curiosity.

No testing.

Just... intention.

"Then let’s settle this properly."

The entire room seemed to stop.

There was no more movement.

There was no more room for doubt.

This had surpassed any political structure, any traditional power game.

Now... it was simple.

Two presences.

Two levels.

And only one possible conclusion.

Exelia smiled.

Slightly.

Almost imperceptible.

Because she knew.

This—

Was only beginning.

The silence that preceded the impact wasn’t long—but it was absolute.

For a moment that seemed to extend beyond ordinary time, everything in the hall remained suspended on that invisible boundary between containment and rupture. The accumulated energy, compressed until then into controlled layers, reached a point where it could no longer be held without consequence.

And then—

It broke.

There was no single point of origin. There was no clearly identifiable first blow. Reality simply... yielded.

The floor beneath Kael’s feet cracked in fine patterns, like glass under extreme pressure, while the surrounding magic circles exploded in motion, not in disorder, but in coordinated activation. Lines of energy intertwined, symbols swirled, structures overlapped in absurd complexity, forming a system that ceased to be mere preparation.

Now... it was war.

Kael laughed.

Not loudly.

Not uncontrollably.

But genuinely.

And that, more than any explosion of power, was what truly broke the remaining stability of the hall.

"So that was it..." he murmured, his voice carrying an almost absurd amusement at the situation. His eyes were fixed on the woman, and there was something there that wasn’t just confidence—it was absolute confirmation. "I thought I’d need more time to understand what was wrong with this kingdom."

A pause.

Short.

But laden with irony.

"But you revealing yourself like this..." he tilted his head slightly, his smile widening just a little, "...was almost comical."

The answer came.

Instantaneous.

Brutal.

The woman didn’t speak.

She acted.

The shadows around her didn’t move—they collapsed. As if the entire dark space of the hall were pulled into a single point, condensing into something dense, heavy, impossible to ignore. And then, without warning, it launched itself.

Not like a projectile.

But like an extension of her.

Directly.

To Kael. Exelia was already in motion even before the impact had fully occurred.

Her body surged forward with a speed that surpassed any ordinary reaction, her blade cutting through the air in a precise arc as she advanced not only to intercept—but to attack. Her intention was not defense.

It was elimination.

She went straight for the two of them.

The woman.

And Vlad.

Because she understood.

The connection.

The bond.

If that were broken—

But she didn’t arrive.

The impact came first.

Not visible.

Not tangible.

But absolute.

Something collided with her mid-air—not a blade, not a physical blow, but a dense, compressed force, as if space itself had been hurled against her. The sound wasn’t loud, but the effect was brutal.

Exelia was thrown.

She didn’t recoil.

She was hurled.

Her body cut across the hall in a straight line, traversing the air with violent speed, without any point of support, without any chance of recovery from the initial impulse.

But she didn’t lose consciousness.

Her eyes were open.

Focused.

Even in the movement.

She saw.

She understood.

And then—

Kael moved.

This time, there was no visible transition.

He simply wasn’t where he was anymore.

And in the next instant—

He was in the air.

Exactly where Exelia would pass. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

His hand reached out at the precise moment, firmly encircling her waist, completely absorbing the impact of the movement as if it were nothing. The ground beneath his feet yielded slightly as he landed, dissipating the remaining force without apparent effort.

The entire hall seemed to freeze again.

But now... for another reason.

Kael looked at her.

Quickly.

Directly.

Assessing.

"Are you alright?" he asked, without any urgency in his voice.

Exelia let out a small sigh through her nose, already adjusting herself in his arm, as if it were just... an irritating setback.

"She’s annoying," he replied, narrowing his eyes slightly, already looking back at the center of the room.

Kael let out a small "hm."

Agreeing.

And then he put her down.

Without haste.

Without dramatization.

But there was something different now.

He didn’t immediately look back at the woman.

He looked at Vlad.

For a second.

Just one.

And in that second—

It became clear.

He had already decided.

"Take care of him," Kael said, his voice low, but absolutely direct.

No doubt.

No room for interpretation.

"I’ll really solve the problem."

Exelia smiled.

This time, without hiding it.

It was small.

But... sharp.

"With pleasure."

And she moved again.

This time, not as a direct attack.

But like something more calculated.

More precise.

His focus was no longer divided.

It was Vlad.

Only Vlad.

Meanwhile—

Kael took a step forward.

Alone.

The magic circles around him instantly rearranged themselves, changing formation, creating a space... clean. Isolated. As if everything around him ceased to matter.

His eyes turned to the woman.

Fixed.

And this time—

There was no more conversation.

His presence increased.

Not gradually.

But all at once.

The air exploded.

Not in sound.

But in pressure.

The ground sank slightly beneath his feet, cracks spreading in chaotic patterns as the energy around him ceased to be contained and became... overwhelming.

The shadows surrounding the woman reacted immediately, rising like a black tide, protecting, enveloping, expanding to meet that force head-on.

And then—

The two collided.

Not physically.

But in presence.

And the entire hall felt it.

As if two different realities had been forced to occupy the same space.

And neither was willing to yield.

The battle—

Truly began.