The heavy shadows of the late evening hours slowly descended over the grand Rosenberg estate, plunging the landscape into a dark, solemn twilight.
Inside the quiet sanctuary of the grand library, the atmosphere was thick with scholarly peace.
Grand Duke Killian Von Rosenberg and Princess Evelyn were sitting close together at the massive mahogany desk, the flickering candlelight illuminating the pages of an ancient, heavy volume on arcane mechanics that Killian was carefully using to teach her about magic.
Killian turned a page, his midnight-blue eyes locking onto her attentive face as he broke the silence, his voice deep and smooth.
“When you unleashed your unique magic to heal my physical form…
the divine nature of that energy was so intense that even the very minor, older scars on my body were entirely cured.”
Evelyn blinked in surprise, her amethyst eyes widening as she tilted her head.
“Really?
Then…
what am I supposed to do from this moment forward?”
Killian adjusted his posture, his expression serious and absolute.
“You must place an exceptional amount of focus upon this latent power of yours.
You are obligated to thoroughly practice and learn to completely control it.”
Evelyn let out a soft, musical chuckle.
She leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her hands as she intentionally made a remarkably cute face, staring at him with a playful spark.
“Oh, I see!
So I must learn to control it with absolute perfection, exactly like you?
Just like the way you maintain absolute command over your own terrifying powers?”
The sudden, breathtaking sight of her cute face caught the formidable Grand Duke completely off guard.
Killian’s chest tightened, and his statuesque composure instantly short-circuited.
A violent wave of nervous flustered shyness rushed to his system, and he quickly darted his midnight-blue eyes away toward the bookshelves, clearing his throat as he stammered out, “Y-Yes…
precisely like myself.”
Knock.
Knock.
Sebastian’s low, deadpan voice broke the intimate tension from the heavy wooden door.
“My Lord, I have arrived.”
Killian instantly composed his features, shifting back into his stoic mask.
“Enter.”
The heavy double doors opened smoothly, and the sophisticated head butler stepped into the library.
Wrapped tightly within his strong arms was a massive, towering stack of exceptionally thick, dusty magical grimoires.
Sebastian marched forward with absolute efficiency, lowering his head in a respectful bow.
“My Lord…
exactly as you commanded, I have successfully gathered and brought all the ancient books that might possess crucial information and records regarding Her Highness’s unique healing powers.”
Killian nodded with absolute satisfaction.
“Excellently done.
Place them directly across the table.”
“Right away, My Lord,” Sebastian replied deadpan, stepping forward to neatly stack the heavy volumes on the mahogany surface before stepping back into a formal posture.
Evelyn took one look at the towering mountain of colossal books and went entirely rigid, her mouth dropping open in pure, wide-eyed shock.
“I-I am expected to thoroughly read all of these?!
But…
but every single one of these volumes is so incredibly thick and heavy!”
Killian raised a single silver eyebrow, his tone remaining entirely calm and unbothered.
“Why should you not read them?”
Evelyn made a helpless, cute expression, letting out a nervous chuckle as she looked at the mountain of pages.
“No way, Killian!
It’s far too much!”
Killian quietly scanned her desperate, beautiful face, his midnight-blue eyes softening to an unprecedented degree.
He let out a low, gentle rumble.
“Very well.
I shall personally read through every single one of these volumes myself.
Whatever crucial records or information I manage to discover, I shall directly explain it to you and teach you the methods myself.”
Evelyn’s face lit up with a radiant smile, her heart doing a violent flutter at his protective sweetness.
Standing rigidly by the wall, Sebastian watched the beautiful interaction, his expression entirely unbothered.
But without a single fraction of a warning, a sudden, terrifying chill violently ripped down the head butler’s spine.
His senses short-circuited as a bizarre, suffocating feeling took over his mind—it felt as though an ominous, invisible gaze was actively watching their every breath, a heavy cloud of pure black magic lurking right outside the gates.
Sebastian’s deadpan features instantly transformed into an incredibly serious, razor-sharp wall of gravity.
He locked his gaze onto Killian, his voice dropping into a tight register.
“My Lord…
I shall return momentarily.
I must conduct a brief perimeter check around the boundaries of the mansion.”
Killian caught the sudden, dangerous shift in his butler’s posture.
He looked straight into Sebastian’s eyes and nodded absolute understanding.
“Very well.
Go.”
“Thank you, My Lord,” Sebastian stated crisply.
He turned on his heel, marched out of the library, and firmly closed the heavy oak doors shut behind him.
Inside the quiet room, Evelyn looked at the closed door, her face pale with intense curiosity.
“Killian…
what exactly happened?
Why did Mr.
Sebastian suddenly become so entirely serious?”
Killian turned his gaze back to the text, his voice flat.
“I am uncertain.
Focus your mind and read this section carefully.”
Evelyn pouted slightly, letting out a defeated chuckle.
“Alright, fine.
I know you definitely won’t let me leave without studying anyway!
I am reading, see?”
Outside the grand fortress, the night air had turned entirely freezing.
Sebastian pushed the heavy iron main doors of the mansion open, stepping out onto the cobblestone courtyard before firmly closing the doors shut behind his back.
The head butler stood perfectly still at the top of the marble stairs, the howling winds violently tearing at the fabric of his black tailcoat.
He adjusted his spectacles, his sharp eyes scanning the empty, quiet dark square.
Blink.
Sebastian briefly closed his eyelids for a single fraction of a second.
The absolute moment he snapped his eyes wide open, the space directly in front of his face violently distorted.
Standing dead center in the middle of the courtyard, clutching a colossal pitch-black sword radiating a freezing aura of death, was the armored demon Alis.
His glowing red eyes locked onto the butler.
Sebastian did not step back, his deadpan mask remaining entirely absolute as he spoke in a low, measured tone.
“Who exactly are you?
And with whom do you desire to meet?”
Alis let out a raspy, mocking chuckle, his voice dripping with demonic pride.
“I do not consider it necessary to exchange words with a mere, common butler.”
Sebastian took a step down the marble stairs, his posture rigid and authoritative.
“Before you are permitted to secure a meeting with the Master…
you are forced to obtain the formal permission of his butler first.”
Alis’s features contorted into a menacing scowl.
He violently raised his colossal black sword, pointing the razor-sharp blade directly toward Sebastian’s chest as he roared, “My business rests strictly with your Lord!
Deliver his person into my custody this instant!
And furthermore…
hand over that girl named Evelyn along with him!”
Sebastian’s expression turned remarkably cold, his voice dropping into a dangerous rumble.
“Tell me…
who exactly dispatched you to this estate?
Because Princess Evelyn’s identity is now officially a Rosenberg.
She is the official fiancée of our supreme Lord.
Therefore…
you are obligated to speak of her name with the utmost respect.”
Alis burst into a sudden, loud, and devil-like laughter that echoed frantically through the trees.
“Hahaha!
What a ridiculous joke!
Both of them are absolutely going to be slaughtered tonight regardless!
What is the point of delivering respect to corpses?!
Move aside, you worthless servant, and send both of them outside this instant!
Otherwise…
you shall be the very first to die!”
Sebastian’s hands dropped smoothly to his sides.
“I will absolutely never permit you to step a single boot inside this mansion.”
“Is that so?!
Then perish!” Alis screamed.
FLASH!
Within the absolute blink of an eye, Alis moved with invisible speed, materializing directly in front of Sebastian’s face.
He violently unleashed a massive, heavy punch straight toward the butler’s head.
BOOM!
The sheer force of the impact violently threw Sebastian across the courtyard, his body crashing heavily into the far stone wall as a massive cloud of thick dust and debris exploded into the air.
Alis lowered his fist, a dark smirk touching his slavering jaws.
“Hahaha!
It seems the worthless insect died instantly from a single strike.” He turned his torso, casually placing his massive hand against the iron handle of the mansion door.
But before his fingers could turn the iron, his body froze.
A sudden, dangerous instinct yelled inside his brain, causing him to violently snap his head back toward the crater.
The thick cloud of dust slowly cleared away.
Standing perfectly straight, completely unbothered, and without a single scratch or drop of blood on his pristine black uniform, was Sebastian.
He was calmly adjusting his spectacles.
Alis’s red eyes widened in absolute shock.
“What…?”
Sebastian raised his head, his face remaining a deadpan wall of absolute composure.
“I did warn you…
before you are permitted to meet the Master, you must obtain the formal permission of his butler.”
Alis clenched his teeth with absolute fury.
“It seems you possess a remarkably tough skin!
Splendid…
slaughtering you will bring me immense joy!”
The demon violently raised his black sword to strike.
But before the blade could even descend a single inch—
SWISH!
Without a single fraction of a warning, Alis’s entire right hand was cleanly, violently severed from his arm, flying into the air before dissolving into black ash.
Sebastian had materialized directly beside his shoulder in a blur of terrifying speed.
Alis stumbled back, his eyes wide with absolute, wide-eyed bewilderment as he gasped, “What?!
When…
when on earth did he move?!”
Suddenly, a colossal, terrifying wave of brilliant red aura violently erupted from Sebastian’s body, the sheer pressure causing the ground to split beneath his boots.
His fingers morphed rapidly, his fingernails expanding into long, razor-sharp claws that shined dangerously under the moonlight.
Sebastian locked his glowing gaze onto the demon, his voice cold.
“I explicitly told you…
you must receive my permission first.”
WHOOSH!
Alis roared in fury, and within a split second, his severed arm completely regenerated, growing back out from the stump with absolute dark magic.
He swung a massive fist straight toward Sebastian’s chest.
Sebastian did not evade; he violently thrust his clawed hands forward, meeting the attack head-on.
BOOM!
The monumental collision of their forces unleashed a devastating, colossal shockwave that violently ripped through the entire estate.
A deafening blast echoed through the valley, causing the massive stone foundation of the grand mansion to violently quake and tremble.
Inside the library, the violent tremor caused the heavy chandeliers to sway frantically.
Evelyn gasped in pure horror, dropping her book as she clutched Killian’s arm, her voice trembling in pure ghabrahat.
“Killian!
What… This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
what on earth was that?!
Is there something horrific occurring outside right now?!”
Killian stood up from his chair, his towering frame casting a long shadow across the room.
His midnight-blue eyes remained entirely serious, his voice calm and absolute as he held her hand.
“Remain entirely calm, Evelyn.
Under no circumstances are you permitted to step outside these doors.
He shall manage everything with absolute perfection.”
Evelyn bit her lip, nodding frantically.
“O-Okay…
I understand.”
Killian stared at the heavy library door, his jaw clenching tightly as he muttered fiercely within the privacy of his thoughts, ‘Sebastian…
ensure you handle everything perfectly out there.’
Back in the blood-stained courtyard, Sebastian and Alis remained locked in the identical, crushing embrace of their shared shockwave.
Alis bared his sharp fangs, a terrifying shaitani smile breaking across his jaws as he growled, “Superb!
Truly magnificent!
From this moment forward, I shall absolutely not hold back a single ounce of my true power!”
Sebastian’s deadpan mask hardened into an absolute wall of gravity.
“Is that so?
Then I, too, shall completely cease to restrain my true force.”
Alis violently shoved his torso forward, pushing Sebastian back with immense force before leaping down into the center of the courtyard.
Sebastian followed instantly, materializing directly in front of him.
With a sudden surge of magical energy, Sebastian violently expanded his long claws, his speed accelerating to the absolute maximum as he launched a relentless, blinding storm of claw strikes directly toward the demon.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Alis swung his black sword frantically, barely managing to deflect the vicious claw strikes.
Realizing he was being overwhelmed, the demon roared, channeling a thick, rolling current of volatile black fire straight out from his blade, pushing his full demonic weight against the butler.
CRACK!
The sheer force of the dark flames violently shattered Sebastian’s long claws into pieces.
Sebastian moved swiftly, jumping backward to create a safe distance between them as the flames scorched the stones.
Alis laughed mockingly, panting slightly.
“Hahaha!
You truly possess an exceptional amount of strength for a mere servant!”
Sebastian stood tall, his voice dropping into a deep, profoundly loyal register as he adjusted his torn sleeves.
“I am the one who was formally placed here by the previous Master strictly to ensure the absolute safety and protection of Lord Killian.
We have existed side-by-side since the absolute days of our childhood.
I will absolutely never allow a single scratch or harm to touch my Lord as long as I draw breath.”
WHOOSH!
With a sudden, monumental explosion of crimson energy, two massive, terrifying bat-like wings violently erupted from Sebastian’s back, expanding across the courtyard.
Moving with god-like, bullet-like speed, he soared straight up into the dark sky before twisting his body downward.
Extending his regenerated, long claws forward like a devastating, sharp arrow, he plummeted straight toward the demon.
Alis’s red eyes widened in pure terror, completely unable to block or evade the sudden, blinding speed of the attack.
STAB!
Sebastian’s razor-sharp claws pierced cleanly and deeply straight through the center of Alis’s heavy armored chest.
Sebastian gripped the demon’s flesh, his voice echoing with absolute triumph.
“Now…
this is exactly how it ends!”
Alis let out a blood-curdling screech of pure agony, his body convulsing violently as he began to limp, pretending to fall into the throes of absolute death.
Sebastian relaxed his stance for a single fraction of a second, believing the battle was finished.
But the absolute second his vigilance faltered, Alis’s dying expression vanished, completely replaced by a psychotic, victorious smirk.
The demon violently spun his massive black sword in a rapid, fluid motion.
IMPALE!
Before Sebastian could even pull his hands back, the massive black blade was violently, ruthlessly thrust straight through the dead center of his chest, emerging out from his back.
Agh!
A sharp, agonizing gasp escaped Sebastian’s lips, a heavy stream of dark red blood coughing out from his mouth, staining his spectacles.
Alis laughed historically, violently swinging his heavy sword through the air while Sebastian’s broken body remained completely impaled and dangling from the iron blade.
With a brutal movement, the demon slammed the sword straight down into the cobblestones.
BOOM!
Sebastian crashed violently into the shattered ground, the massive black blade digging even deeper into his chest, pinning him ruthlessly to the stone crater.
Alis forcefully ripped the weapon out from his flesh, leaving the butler lying motionless in a massive pool of flowing blood.
Sebastian lay flat against the freezing stones, his vision blurring rapidly as the night sky began to fade away.
Deep within the absolute sanctity of his thoughts, his soul whispered a final, sorrowful message.
‘Please extend your absolute forgiveness to me…
Lord Rosenberg.
I have failed to remain of any true use to your person today.
The long, beautiful years we managed to spend together from our childhood until this very hour…
were truly, remarkably wonderful…’
Outside the crater, Alis violently raised his dark sword high into the air, his red eyes flashing with a murderous joy as he prepared to deliver the final, decapitating strike to end the butler’s life once and for all.
He brought the heavy blade down with absolute, crushing force.
CLANG!
The colossal sword stopped dead in its tracks, completely frozen a single inch away from Sebastian’s bleeding chest.
Alis’s jaw dropped in absolute, wide-eyed bewilderment as he looked up.
“What…?!
So you have finally decided to arrive…!”
Standing tall in the center of the crater, a blinding, terrifying explosion of pure blue light erupting from his midnight-blue eyes, was Grand Duke Killian Rosenberg.
He had stepped between them in a flash of lightning, his bare, unyielding right hand firmly, completely catching and stopping the massive demonic sword mid-air.
Killian looked down at the demon, his voice dropping into a freezing, demonic rumble of pure, unadulterated wrath.
“Your final countdown…
has officially reached its end.”
Thank you for reading!
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