Madness

"What?" Cyril baulked. He knew he was no match for Lyla. Even though they were both in the same realm, Lyla was far stronger than him. She had gone through intense training from a young age. Her fighting skills were on another level compared to his. Then there was also Heartsbane. If she even let out a wisp of it during the battle he would be slaughtered like a pig.

"Hmph, I will not be a kinslayer like you!" He snorted, trying to keep his cool. "I will not stoop to your level."

"Indeed, she should be punished by the emperor lest Commander Denver be stained with the sin of killing his daughter!" Rob added thoughtfully. "Your Majesty, allow me to fight instead of Commander Denver."

"Are you mad, brother? You're a Martial Emperor and you want to fight against her?" Raymond tutted. "I have heard how she managed to escape from you last time. Don't tell me you're still sour about that!"

Raymond was spot on. Rob was still bitter about how he had let her go when she had tried to assassinate the emperor. If she hadn't threatened to unleash the Heartsbane on the entire inner city, he would've killed her that day. It was a black mark on his long life as an Imperial Guardian.

"If you're so worried about kin slaying then don't kill her. It's that simple." Raymond suggested as he looked at cowering Cyril. "Aren't you the great Commander Cyril Denver? Surely, you can hold back while fighting her." Raymond sneered. This was the man who was a replacement for his father? How the empire had fallen.

"What if she kills me? Wouldn't I be too dead to prove her wrong? She is the one guilty here, why should I risk my life?" Cyril was scared shitless. It was already bad enough that he had to fight this monster and now he was being told to hold back. He was as good as dead if he held back.

"Don't be a coward, Cyril!" Elmer thundered. "Do not forget you're representing our empire. I am confident you can defeat her!"

"But Your Majesty, I will be at a serious disadvantage if I can't use any life threatening spells!" He pleaded. "I am the head of my family. We have been serving this empire for centuries. Everything will be over if I die here. Your Majesty, please reconsider. Our family's future is at stake!"

"Fine! Have it your way, you snivelling shit." Raymond huffed. "She will hold back while fighting and will not put you in any mortal danger, happy?"

Lyla frowned as she looked at Raymond. But her worries were pushed aside as he winked at her subtly. She understood his signal.

"Your word is not enough! How am I to believe she will not try to kill me?"

"Stop embarrassing us, Cyril! Just accept the fight and be done with it!" Elmer roared in frustration.

"Hahaha, this is your commander, Elmer? How do the soldiers listen to him if he is like this?" Raymond let out a bark of laughter though his hands were twitching to kill him. His father would be turning in his grave if he knew his successor was like this.

"Have it your way, coward! I swear upon the heavens that Lyla will not kill you. If she does, let the heavens be a witness and strike me down!" Raymond held up his hand as he vowed.

Lyla's smile widened. She liked where this was going. They would understand who they were up against once they saw how even the heavens was afraid of her darling.

Cyril gulped. Lyla's smirk didn't give him any assurance but he couldn't avoid fighting at this point. He was sure the emperor himself would kill him if he further argued.

"You are not going to cheat, right?"

"Huh? Do you think I could joke about the heavens like that? I am just a man, I will be dead before I know it if I mock the heavens!" Raymond reassured.

"We agree!" Elmer quickly replied. This Denver had already embarrassed him enough. "Go fight her, Cyril. Bring glory to our empire. Show them what happens to sinners!"

"A-as you command, Your Majesty."

Everyone backed off forming a 50 metres radius circle in the middle. The guards lined up around the circumference providing extra protection to the people watching. There weren't many watching as the emperor had sent most of them back, having cancelled the festivities.

*******

"Don't worry, do whatever you want with him." Lyla felt his hand squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. "I will take care of the rest."

"Mmm…I know," Lyla nodded and hugged him tightly. "Thank you for everything you've done, Ray. No matter what you become in the future, this Lyla will always be at your beck and call."

She said sincerely.

Lyla knew killing her father was one thing and enduring an entire empire's wrath was another. She would have to be on the run forever if she didn't have Raymond's support.

"I see…" Raymond trailed off. It felt nice to have someone relying on him so much. "Good luck with your fight. Take your time and finish him off. No one will stop you today!"

Lyla nodded and gave a quick peck on his lips before walking towards the middle of the ring. Her father, no, Cyril Denver was waiting for her with his sword ready at hand.

-Clang!

Her trusty sabre sprang into action as she blocked a dagger that was thrown at her face.

-Clang! -Clang! -Clang!

She blocked off dozens of daggers thrown her way before jumping away from Cyril's line of sight.

-Dark Bomb-

Pointing her sabre's towards him she sent balls made of shadows. Cyril swerved and weaved through them, narrowly escaping the bombings.

-Dark Slash-

He sent a slash of dark energy towards Lyla. She squatted as the slash went above her head and sent a slash of her own towards him— parallel to the ground aiming for his legs.

-Dark Wings-

Cyril jumped to avoid the slash. Wings formed on his back as he flew higher.

-Dark Whip-

A 10 metre long whip was formed in his hands which he lashed down on Lyla.

-Mana Shield × Quadruple-

Lyla pushed her forearms upwards as the four thick shields made of pure mana took the burnt of that whiplash.

Their repertoire of spells was too similar and their cultivation was on the same level. The fight would simply drag on if she focused on defending, Lyla realised.

-Shadow Stitching-

Tendrils of shadows sprang into life as she hurled them at Cyril.

"Damn!" He cursed. There was no way a mana shield would defend against this spell.

-Dark Prison-

Thick walls made of dark energy covered him in eight directions as the tendrils struck them hard.

-Shadow Stitches-

Lyla pushed on harder, sending another volley of attack without giving him a moment of respite. Her mana went to her sabre as it became invisible and she sent it towards Cyril with another bunch of tendrils.

-Shadow Stitches-

The blade hummed as the sabre pierced through the walls unhindered.

Cyril was too focused on defending himself against the shadow tendrils that he was a step too late to recognise the Darkmoon Sabre.

"Aarrrgh!"

He managed to shift his body to the side but the sabre still managed to graze his waist. Blood trickled down his robes as he screamed in pain.

-Shadow Stitches-

Another volley of attack completely destroyed his walls and he was sent crashing into the ground.

Lyla quickly called back her sabre before he could get up.

-Dark Beam-

She sent a beam of darkness where Cyril was struggling to get up.

-King's Domain-

Cyril managed to call his domain into action before he could get struck by the beam of destruction, nullifying it completely. He grimaced, clutching at his waist, and looking at Lyla's smirk.

Whenever two kings fought, the one to bring up his domain first would be at a slight disadvantage. The other party could easily encase the first domain and overpower it by pumping mana.

Sure enough, that's what Lyla did. If their affinity were different this wouldn't have been possible. The domain itself would resist being encased. Unfortunately for Cyril, that was not the case here.

-King's Domain-

Another domain was formed, this one belonging to Lyla. It grew in size and completely enveloped Cyril's domain.

Lyla stepped inside the inner domain and stared at Cyril challengingly.

"Give up, Lord Denver. It's over!"

"No! I will not be defeated by the likes of you!" He spat.

-Dark Slash-

He slashed his sword in her direction but the spell never left his blade.

"I have complete control here. Do struggle and see if you can break free." Lyla said coolly but her trembling hands showed her excitement at finally having Cyril at her mercy.

Cyril started to push his mana into the domain as Lyla slowly walked towards him.

-Shadow Serpent-

A 15 feet snake made of darkness slithered towards him hissing loudly.

"Your Majesty, I give up! Help, she is going to kill me!" He shouted only to be met with a deafening silence. A loud hiss broke the silence as the snake wrapped itself around his legs before slithering up his body making him fall to the ground.

-Thud!

"I have cut off the sound from leaving my domain. There is only darkness around us. Your Majesty wouldn't be able to see inside let alone hear you crying!"

"What do you want? Yo…you can't kill me, your lover will die." Cyril threatened. "A…and you will be hunted down by the empire!"

"If he could die so easily I would have succeeded in my mission and still be a slave under you!" Lyla snorted, remembering the mission she had been given by Felix. "On that note, I should thank you. If it weren't for you ordering Felix to give me that mission, I wouldn't have met my darling."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Cyril's voice cracked in panic as Lyla kneeled by his side.

"Hahahaha!" Lyla cackled madly. "This is great. I forgot how much you hated Thomas Clover. Do you know who that man is? Do you know who broke my slave collar? Do you know who helped me kill your son? It's him! The one you sent me to kill! He is Raymond Clover, Hahahaha!"

"Cough! You're lying! His son is trash! He would never be able to harm my Felix!" Cyril coughed a mouthful of blood. "This must be the Clovers! They are behind this. They want to destroy my family!"

Lyla's mad laugh intensified looking at Cyril's ashen face. "What Felix? What Clovers? He doesn't give a shit about you or your family! He only entertained you this far because of me! You're nothing to him!"

Cyril reeled back in shock. He had never seen his daughter being so emotional. Her eyes were bloodshot as he glared at him.

"Don't overestimate yourself! You're a scum and you will get your comeuppance from a sinner like me!" Her breathing quickened as hearts appeared in her eyes. "You made me kill my mother let me complete the set by killing you! Hahahaha, I will be the biggest sinner who killed both of her parents!"

"But you know what? No one can do anything to me as long as my darling is there to protect me! Even your so-called heavens have to bow down in front of him! Hahahaha!"

"You're insane! You will all die, mark my words. The emperor will behead you for killing me!" Cyril shrieked in horror as the purplish hue gathered at Lyla's hands.

"Maybe I am insane but you're the one who made me like this and for that, you will have to die. Heartsbane!"

[Aye, Captain!] Heartsbane surged into action as Lyla grabbed Cyril by the face. The purple flickered in his vision as his body was set on scalding heat.

"Aaarghhh!"

Every pore on his body lit up in extreme pain. His body shuddered desperately trying to hold onto his slipping life.

As the moonlight peered through the dark clouds in the sky, Cyril Denver took his last breath.