Chapter 20

The four quickly made their way to the hall to see a shocking scene. Eva and Eveyln were expecting to see the shadow completely erased but what they saw was too stunning for them to understand. They both knew by the deafening roar they heard earlier that Benjamin had drank that vial. It was a grade SSS item and it's effects were quite formidable. It was known as the Strengthening elixir which was quite rare for one to get their hands own and ot was very expensive in the black market. Once drunk it would boost the person under it's effects one depending on their rank would boost their rank. If it was a D ranker then they could be boosted temporarily all the way to A rank but it would reduce the higher the rank the consumer was and the duration would last for an hour making the consumer unable to use his mana for one day and his mana pools due to the sudden increase in power difference, they would be severely affected and the person's rate of progression would be slowed or in extreme cases, they would be permanently unable to use their mana as the mana pools would be damaged beyond repair.

Benjamin had once used it during the great war amongst the dwarves but he was lucky and he was still able to use his mana pools but using it again could increase the risk of them being permanently damaged but he couldn't sit idly and watch a person he's never seen barge in,kill his guards and severely hurt his own family. Eva pushed the slightly opened door and she was shocked in what she saw. Bodies of her once family

members lay all over the floor but they weren't dead and as for Benjamin, he was impaled on the wall with broken furniture present but he was still alive. The culprit sat idly on a chair with Benjamin suspended behind him leaning on it but the moment Andrew walked in, he stood up and made a bow ,"They are alive and immobilized as you had ordered." He said before looking at Benjamin and returning back to form Andrea shadow. Benjamin saw this and was confused and worried looking at Andrew. 'If that was his shadow then what can he do.' but looking to Andrew's

side ignoring the blood sphere floating above him, he saw his daughters. "Eva and Eveyln, what is the meaning of this?" He asked ignoring the pain in his body from him being impaled on the wall.

Eva looked at the man she once feared but to think that she would see him in this situation was absurd ,"I'm here to avenge my mother." "Me too." Eveyln chimes in looking angrily at his father. "What do you mean?" He asked but Eva glared at him and as for Andrew, he took a seat watching the event unfold. "We know that you played a role in her death. You conspired with Antonia to kill her." Benjamin shook up quickly responded ,"No I didn't." Andrew from the side ,"Who is Antonia ?" Eveyln pointed to a woman who was rather stunning in terms of beauty. She wore a crimson red dress going along with her luscious lips and had long silk hair falling behind her as she was in a corner of the room during the fight between Benjamin and the shadow. Content with his answer,"You can resume." Eva then asked ,"As your first offspring, this should be my inauguration." Benjamin with a furious face put on ,"You are not my daughter so take your leave this instant. Don't this because I'm in this situation,I can't touch you." But seeing her fixed on her position,he released his aura which she felt for a split second before feeling nothing. Benjamin realizing that Eva wasn't affected, he asked ,"How are you fine? So you have any artifact to protect you or what?" Eva realizing that it was Andrew's doing pointed her finger to him and Benjamin finally paid attention to him. He saw the shadow he fought earlier was his before he asked ,"I don't know who you are but if you work for us, then your life will be smooth sailing as I am the Count of this kingdom. His Majesty's right hand man and have a high posi..." A sword plunged through his stomach making him cough up blood. He couldn't even sense it at all and if it was a life or death situation, he'd be dead if that sword went for his head. "Why does everybody keep telling me their position as if I care." Andrew leaning on his chair looking at Benjamin who was groaning in pain. Eva then remembered how she tried to intimidate Andrew earlier went silent. 

Andrew got up and said ,"This game of yours trying to find the culprit who killed Eva's mother is going nowhere so let's see it for ourselves." Everyone present was confused with what he was going to do as he cracked his knuckles and raised one of his arms and with the free hand taking a bite of an apple which was adjacent to him. Eva asked ,"What are you doing?" Looking at Andrew who looked like an idiom but he answered with a smile ,"Trying to see who killed your mother." Before she could continue a small crack started appearing before them. It tore through space and started to get bigger before Andrew started to tilt his hand and images formed within the spatial crack submerging the room in profound darkness. Everyone present was confused with what Andrew was doing before he said ,"Found it." An image of a woman in a beautiful black dress who seemed attractive similar to Antonia  with a warm smile was busy having a picnic with Eva and Eveyln who appeared three years younger. Eva and Eveyln were busy training with wooden swords. "The picnic's ready." She said in a warm voice before taking out a couple of sandwiches from a basket. They put their swords down and came over to her with smiles all over their faces. Eva asked ,"I hope it has lettuce in it." "It's just the way you both like it." Their mother said with a warm smile on her face before taking a bite to prove her point. Eveyln contorting her face ,"Lettuce, ewww. Mom did you bring any..." She saw her mother coughing up blood and asked with a worried expression ,"Mom, are you okay?" She looked at her dying mother and with her last breathe, she died falling over the blanket set up and Eveyln started crying and Eva gave her a hug trying to comfort her.

They both couldn't believe that their mother had died and they went back to the house to tell Benjamin. As they left, Andrew took a small stream of blood which was coming out of her mouth and stopped the scene from progressing any further. Eva and Eveyln looked at the events and remembered that day. The day their mother died and Andrew suspending the small amount of blood with his free hand, he reversed the scene back all the way to the kitchen and saw the sandwiches being prepared. Nothing looked weird till the maid in charge left to go get something and Antonio appeared and poured a black liquid from a small flask she had onto the sandwiches. Reversing it once more,  Antonio was seeing conversing with Benjamin about the inauguration day. She pointed ," Eva is a female and it is males who first must lead in the inauguration." Benjamin objecting ,"But she's the oldest and therefore she has to lead." Antonia ,"But she's a girl. Come on Benjamin,we both know that it's not traditional for girls to lead." She went on trying to convince him till she emerged successful. "And since you are killing her, might as well kill the rest of her family." Benjamin coldly stated before leaving attending to his duties and the crack vanished and the space was restored lighting the room once more. "I knew it. But I never knew that you were planning to kill me." Eva spoke in a faltering voice before falling to her knees crying. Eveyln went and gave her a hug but Benjamin said ,"You have to understand that it was for the greater good of our family, the Bloodhearts." Eva continued to break down in tears and Eveyln soon followed and they cried before many till they stopped. "Why don't you get inaugurated Eva ?" Andrew asked before taking a seat and resuming his apple with Eva's blood hovering his hand in the other ,"I can't because I have to be S rank and I'm stuck at A rank due to mana poisoning." Andrew asked ,"Anything else?" Eva continued ,"The previous Count has to willingly let go of his position and engage in a fight with the newly inaugurated and win." Andrew suddenly bursting into laughter making him seem out of place ,"Prepare yourself, Eva."

He suspended Eva in the air and removed Benjamin from the wall and levitated both of them side by side. He then proceeded to remove the layers of skin piece by piece of Benjamin's body till what was left was his flesh and removing that too, he saw he mana circuit and took note of it before doing the same with Eva. He noted black clogs all over her mana circuits but he removed them and started replicating Benjamin's circuit just like her's given the hour wasn't up. He then reassembled Benjamin's body dropping him on the floor and concentrated on Eva's mana circuit making it more developed and complex compared to Benjamin's. He continued this process for about ten minutes then stopped. Eva made a slow descent unlike Benjamin and surveyed her surroundings looking at Benjamin and then Andrew. "Congratulations Eva, you should be able to fight against your father with your newly found rank." He looked at Evelyn ,"And as for you." He made two swords with rather a bland looks as it didn't appear eye catching at all making them look rather average and a small necklace putting around her small neck ,"Incase of any trouble just smash it and help should be on it's way," giving a small smile. He looked at the swords and giving each to the two sisters and finally with their mother's blood, fused it with the blood sphere floating above him and made a body. "Mom." Evelyn shouted heading for the newly formed body which appeared infront of them. Their mother looked at Eveyln and said ,"Look at how much you've grown." Hugging her and looked at Eva with a broad smile. Eva without hesitation hugged her mother and a wholesome picture came out of it. "Keep an eye on your sister for me Eveyln." Andrew spoke as he was starting to get up from his seat and started leaving. "What do you want in return?" Eva asked looking at this human infront of her.

Though could he still be human. He cured her of her mana poisoning,gave her power to face his dad,freed her and her sister from slavery and brought back their mother. She wondered what she could give such a powerful person but he said in a jesting manner ,"Take over this kingdom for me and rule it on my behalf." With her newly found strength,she felt like she could easily overpower a SSS ranker so taking over this kingdom would be no problem and seeing him leave ,"But where will you be staying. You can stay here and rule this kingdom. Even if you want, you could take over the other kingdoms if it would please you." Andrew close to the door preparing to leave summoned a dragon similar to the one he found on the fifth dimensional plane and hoped on and teleported the owner onboard. Everyone present was afraid as they knew how powerful dragons were but Eva seeing Andrew commanding it,she wasn't worried ,"Keep your beloved ones safe." Looking at the mess he left behind,he joked ,"You should be able to deal with the rest and who said I won't be around. "What's your name?" Eveyln asked making Eva realize that she didn't know his name. "Aldritch." Andrew replied with his jade eyes glimmering mesmerizing everyone present before letting a small laugh and the dragon flew off into the distance. "Who was that?" Eva's mother asked and Eva looking at the dragon flying away ,"A man who holds reality in his hands."