The Refuge of Fate

Chapter 140 - A Test of Beliefs

As the four magic circles ascended into the air, the atmosphere thickened with such a severe concentration of magic that it was nearly impossible for any ordinary creature to survive. Finley watched in horror. His jaw clenched and his eyes trembled as he realized the gravity of his mistake.

Pier wasn't just the young master from Taron. He was a man with an arsenal of sovereigns at his command—a dangerous entity whose mere touch could trigger cataclysm across the world.

Then, he saw them—three men.

"Ronnovian..." he whispered, recognizing the familiar face of the current Headmaster from the House of Masters. Ronnovian was staring at him, his face devoid of emotion, as he conjured a transparent magic circle.

Ronnovian Belmiunde.

'He wasn't a sovereign the last time I saw him,' Finley thought, his mind racing. How is it possible? How did Ronnovian Belmiunde become a sovereign in such a short amount of time since he disappeared after the war? Just from one person alone, Finley's mind flooded with endless questions.

His eyes then moved to the second figure—a man clad in silver armor. He couldn't see the man's eyes, but he instantly felt the contempt radiating from him, like a beast lurking underwater, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

"Who... is that..." he murmured, his vision blurring from the immense concentration of magic gathering in the palace. He could sense that this person had recently risen to the rank of sovereign, but why... why did it feel as though if Finley faced him in combat, he would be dead within seconds?

And lastly...

Finley's hands clenched into fists as he looked at the same man he had seen with Pier.

"He was a sovereign..." he whispered as Auraxion took flight, distancing them from the four gigantic entities casting their spells on the palace.

The vampire Pier Belmiunde had allied himself with was a sovereign all along. Finley hadn't known, as he had never met the creature before; he had only seen him through the eyes of the assassin who died.

'I should've known...' He swallowed his anxiety, his heart pounding with fear.

There were four sovereigns, excluding Pier, present in the throne room. Four sovereigns, each the strongest in their respective fields.

No, he couldn't even win against any of them. He didn't know what they were capable of. They were strong, that was for sure, but he had never encountered a fellow sovereign in his entire life. Battling one would mean the demise of his entire nation even if he were to win.

"Pier... You madman!" Instead of letting himself be drowned by his fears, he opted to strengthen his resolve. How could someone be this cunning? How is it possible to be this insane?

Once a sovereign bathes in power, they feel the greatest heights right in their palms. They would never want to lose the power they have. But Pier... he discarded his own sovereignty just so he could formulate a plan that led to Finley's downfall.

"Fuck... Fuck..." Finley couldn't read them. He couldn't read any of their auras. Each of their own was overlapping against one another, creating a vast light as if the universe was draped behind their backs.

"Fly higher, Auraxion! Do not let their spells touch you!" he commanded as they swiftly dashed through the air. The further they got, the lower the concentration of magic became... until Finley looked back at the destroyed throne room.

The giant magic circles started disappearing one by one.

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"He's getting away," Melfar commented, watching the Crown Prince of Belmaid soar through the skies to avoid the cataclysm about to befall his empire.