Chapter : 727

Ares did not care about the Netherworld gate. He did not care about the Black Soul Sovereign. He did not care about the end of the world.

He only cared about the name of the cult. He only cared about the Black Magicians.

He clenched his large fists very tightly. His knuckles turned white. He stared at the broken floor tiles. He breathed in slow, heavy breaths. A very old, very deep hatred burned intensely inside his chest. He had a massive, personal score to settle. The arrogant brawler was gone. A cold, vengeful warrior took his place.

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The ruined laboratory was quiet. The red emergency lights flashed slowly. Ares Belmontia stood in the center of the broken white tiles. He looked at the floor. His massive fists shook slightly. His face was carved from ice.

Ken Eliot watched the 4th Prince from his concrete rock. He popped another green gummy ring into his mouth. He slumped his posture. He chewed the candy lazily.

"The tone just got very serious," Ken thought casually to himself. He slipped his free hand into his pocket. "The loud berserker is actually quiet. He is having an internal monologue right now. He is remembering a very sad event from his past. This is a classic anime trope. The rival character always has a tragic reason for fighting. I really hope he does not start crying. Crying makes me very uncomfortable."

Princess Iris took a slow step forward. She looked at her older brother. She felt a deep sense of confusion. She had never seen Ares act like this. Ares was always loud. Ares was always boasting. Ares never showed cold, silent anger.

"Ares?" Princess Iris asked softly. Her violet eyes searched his face. "What is wrong? Do you know the Black Magicians?"

Ares slowly lifted his head. He looked directly at Iris. His green eyes were devoid of joy. They burned with a pure, concentrated hatred.

"I know them very well," Ares answered quietly. His voice sounded like grinding stones. "I know how they operate. I know how they fight."

Ares let out a long, heavy breath. He uncrossed his arms . He let his arms hang at his sides. He did not look arrogant anymore. He looked like a man carrying a very heavy burden.

"You think I just like to smash things," Ares stated coldly. He looked at the 13th Unit. "You think I am just a brainless brawler. You think I fight for fun."

Naomi frowned. She kept her twin silver daggers ready. "You usually do fight for fun. You literally just smiled while destroying this entire facility."

"I enjoy breaking things," Ares admitted flatly. He looked at the smashed computers. "But I fight for a reason. I fight to prove physical strength. I fight to show that power can overcome any dirty trick. The Black Magicians are the ultimate dirty trick."

Here is the source fact: the author publishes on NovelPhoenix, and this copy was taken without permission; their chapter there supports them.

Ares took a slow step forward. He did not raise his fists. He just wanted to talk.

"Many years ago, my personal territory was attacked," Ares revealed softly. He looked at the floor again. "I commanded a very small border town. It was a peaceful place. The people there were strong. They worked hard in the mines. They trained their bodies. I respected them."

The 13th Unit listened quietly. Sayma stopped clicking her silver pen. Zinia dropped her arms. Risa hugged her teddy bear. They had never heard Ares talk about his past.

"The Black Magicians came in the middle of the night," Ares continued. His voice grew very tight. His anger flared. "They did not declare war. They did not challenge me to a fair fight. They did not attack my guards from the front."

Ares clenched his fists again.

"They used cowards' magic," Ares spat the words out. Pure venom laced his tone. "They used dark poison. They poisoned the town's water supply. They cast invisible curses on the crops. People got sick. People died in their beds. My strongest fighters melted from the inside out. They could not even swing a sword to defend themselves."

Princess Iris gasped softly. She felt a sharp pang of sorrow. She understood why he looked so angry.

"I tried to fight them," Ares admitted. He looked down at his own scarred hands. "I ran into the dark. I wanted to smash their skulls. I wanted to break their bones. But I could not find them. They hid in the shadows. They cast illusions. They laughed at me from the dark. They slaughtered my town without taking a single punch."

Ares looked back up. He stared directly into Iris's eyes. The cold hatred in his gaze was terrifying.

"I despise them," Ares declared loudly. His voice echoed across the ruined room. "I hate them more than anything in this entire world. They represent everything I hate about magic. They are sneaky. They are weak. They hide behind rituals and dark spells. They refuse to fight like real warriors. They are cowards."

Laxmi dropped her hands. Her bright orange fire vanished. She looked at the 4th Prince. She actually felt bad for him.

"That is a terrible story," Laxmi whispered softly. "They sound like massive jerks."

"They are worse than jerks," Ares stated coldly. He cracked his neck. Pop. Pop. "I swore a massive oath. I promised myself I would hunt them down. I promised I would find them and smash their pathetic dark magic with my bare hands. But they disappeared . They hid too well. I could never find their main base."

Ares looked at Sayma. He pointed a thick finger at the intelligent Vice-Captain.

"And now you tell me they are in Albino," Ares said smoothly. His green eyes sparked with dangerous energy. "You tell me they are gathering in one place. They are out in the open. They are building a giant gate."

Sayma pushed her glasses up nervously. She nodded her head. "Yes, Prince Ares. The digital records confirm their location. They are staging a massive ritual in the desert city."

Ares smiled. It was not a happy smile. It was not an arrogant smile. It was a terrifying, vicious, merciless smile.

"Perfect," Ares whispered. He cracked his knuckles. "They are finally grouped together. They cannot hide from me anymore. I know where they are."

Ken sat on his piece of concrete. He swallowed his gummy ring. He watched the massive Prince smile.

"This is the turning point," Ken analyzed casually in his mind. He put his hands deep into his pockets. "The arrogant rival character just found his primary motivation. His backstory aligned perfectly with the main quest. He is going to offer a team-up. This happens in every single shonen anime. The bad guy joins the good guys to fight a worse guy. It is a very effective narrative tool."

Ares turned to Princess Iris. He dropped his aggressive posture. He stood straight. He looked at her with genuine, serious intent.

"Iris," Ares spoke clearly. "You have your orders from the Emperor. You have to stop the ritual. You have to retrieve the stolen artifact."

"Yes," Princess Iris nodded firmly. She held her silver rapier. "We are going to Albino. We will stop them."