The Duke's Passion



849 A father's dilemma

"Tilly!!!"

Samael hopped from establishment to establishment, sprinting like a bolt of lightning. He didn't bother fighting any undead on the way, sprinting past them like nothing. As he did so, he would scream Tilly's voice.

Samael had no idea where the hell Tilly was. She only told him to come to him, but she didn't give him any coordinates. Ile understood. Tilly probably didn't tell him not because she couldn't, but because she didn't know her exact location as well.

"Tilly!!"

Samael skipped onto the top of the church, gazing down as he stayed midair dramatically. His eyes scanned those below him with his pupils constricting like the aperture of the camera. Countless undead were on the ground, looking like a colony of ants. He scanned further and caught some disturbance in the still surrounding.

Bodies and flesh would fly in every direction, but the undead slowly closed in on the area. Samael narrowed his eyes to see the person fighting off the hordes of undead surrounding the area. When he saw the person inside this small area all alone, his heart thudded against his chest.

Samael even forgot to breathe for a second and before he could even think of anything else, his body already moved on instinct. The moment his feet landed on the establishment, he skipped another step. But this time, he was catapulting down.

"You..." his voice rumbled down his chest, stretching his arm to his side. "... Catharsis."

Dark mist surrounded Samael's hand and weapon while the sclera in his right eye turned black. His red irises shone with bloodlust.

"Carnage."

As soon as that rolled out of his tongue, Samael flung his sword across. The dark mist created a slash in the wind, and just like an invisible blade, the wind slashed everything on the way. The force was so strong that it created a path for Samael, reaching the small clear area where the person was standing.

THUD!

Samael landed several meters from the last undead that were cut, panting for air. When he lifted his head, he instantly locked eyes with the pair of deep crimson eyes from him.

Law.

"Father..." Law called under his breath, catching up to his breathing. He looked ragged and exhausted as if he had been fighting nonstop. Considering the number of undead lying unconscious on the ground, Samael could say his son had been battling all alone for at least an hour or so.

"Where's Mathilda?" Samael's voice shook, unable to discern which emotion was dominant in him right now. "Law!"

"Father -" Law was cut off when an undead lurched toward him, defending himself by kicking the undead away.

Seeing that his son had repelled the undead, Samael's fangs grew longer. Even though his son had occasional spars with Fabian and Samael, and sometimes with Ramin or Charlotte - as well as Rufus, whenever the man would visit them - Law was never on a real battlefield.

Deep in Samael's heart, he knew his son was capable. That Law could fight his battles and wouldn't get bullied just by anyone. I lowever, seeing him right in the middle of the battlefield with enemies Zero created, Samael couldn't word the anger that was swelling in his chest. "I know this will happen in the inevitable future." Samael's face darkened, lowering his head while gripping his heavy sword tighter. "However... I haven't come to terms with it just yet." Dark air steamed from his back, which grew thicker and darker. The veins in the back of his hand protruded angrily. Raising his other hand and flexing his fingers, a dark sphere appeared on top of his palm.

When Samael raised his head, he cocked his head from one side to the other. He didn't blink as his other eyes darkened with his crimson eyes stretching into the veins of his eyes, making them shine in bright red.

As Samael entered a state of rage and embraced the darkness within him, Law could not help but swallow a mouthful of air. Ilis breathing slowed down, watching his father's appearance change into someone he could barely recognize.

Never once did Law see his father in such a state, and it scared him somehow.

Myriads of questions hovered over Law's mind such as; could his father recognize him? Would Samael hurt him as well? Law heard once from Fabian that his father went into slumber before meeting his mother. The reason for that was that Samael went berserk; a state where he was conscious but unconscious at the same time.

Tabian didn't go through the details of it, but Law always wondered what sort of state that was. Ramin also had a slip of the tongue that Samael also went berserk. Fortunately, Lilou was there for him. That... Law could remember that.

It was at that time Samael nearly killed Lilou in South Minowa, forcing Lilou into a temporary slumber.

But witnessing that infamous state everyone was wary to talk about was different. Never in his life had Law feared Samael. His father was dramatic and annoying, but he could be intimidating to others whenever he wanted.

This was different.

"Father..."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Law." Law flinched when Samael's shaking and rasped voice caressed his ears. "Jump to the highest establishment you can reach and close your eyes."

"Huh?"

"I am going to devour every single one of them."

Law's eyes shook, confused at his father's remarks. Still, he felt relieved that Samael still recognized him.

"I will go over there," said Law, pointing in a direction. "But I won't close my eyes. I am no longer a child, Father."

111

brave front, drawing a deep breath. When Law huffed, he bent his knees and jumped. Law was nimble thanks to his regular spars with Charlott. His jump was high, taller than an average stature of a person.

Law stepped on the level he could to gain momentum, jumping to another level to reach the top. But midair, he instinctively looked back out of curiosity because it was rather quiet. Much to his surprise, the undead were nowhere in sight, and so was Samacl.

All there was was nothing but a layer of darkness.

<