Yours Lovingly, Cainhurst.
Maria stammered a few times, a rare occurrence, as a complex mix of emotions welled up in her chest.
Surprise, panic, unease, fear, and a touch of confusion and helplessness.
It all happened so naturally, yet so suddenly.
The truth was already written all over Maria's face, which prompted her to ask a question softly from her silence.
"What... is his name?"
"He?"
Lamaline tilted her head, then chuckled softly.
"It's almost impossible for Banshees's descendant to have a boy..."
"As for the name... that's not something I can decide on my own."
Upon learning that Maria wasn't angry, but simply too serious to know what to say, Lamaline smiled again, looking at Maria.
The tenderness in her eyes spread like water, and her breath carried a faint, fragrant aroma.
Do you have any thoughts?
"... I."
Maria's mouth opened slightly, but she didn't know what to say.
She never imagined that her mind would one day be so chaotic...
Even during the most dangerous moments of her battle with Gordan, her thoughts never ceased, but now, because of an unborn child, she was lost in confusion.
What confused her even more was... she suddenly realized why Gordan was waiting.
She needs a vessel, and that vessel... should ideally possess the bloodline of Great Ones.
Generally, they will choose a vessel with the bloodline they themselves have given them, but in special circumstances, it is also acceptable to have the bloodline of another Great Ones.
But... Gordan had no descendants. In this world, only Maria did!
"... My child."
Maria murmured, her gaze silently shifting from silence to a resolute intensity.
She took a deep breath and silently pulled Lamaline was still unaware of what was happening, into her arms.
"Have you... decided on a name for her yet?"
"Aifanier?"
Lamaline was unaware of Maria's current thoughts. She simply leaned against Maria's neck and, upon hearing Maria's question, shook her head helplessly, giving her own answer.
She actually lied. After realizing she was pregnant, she had been thinking about what name to give the baby.
In the end, she chose this name.
Aifanier...
"Aifanier Cainhurst".
Maria did not raise her head, but remained silent, offering her own answer.
This Lamaline somewhat stunned.
The delicate fragrance slowly filled the air around her, making her eyelids feel heavy.
Her keen senses made her suddenly realize something, but all she could feel was her body growing weaker and weaker, while the embrace grew tighter and tighter.
She wanted to say something more, but found that her consciousness was no longer under her control.
She lost consciousness within a few short breaths.
And Maria simply held her quietly.
Kneeling on one knee...
On the balcony, the long-awaited moonlight pierced through the thick dark clouds and fell upon the two of them...
Outlined with silvery-white lines.
Maria slowly raised her head.
Pupils, a terrifying scarlet...
"Gordan..."
She whispered, but her voice was suppressed, as if a fire were bursting from her throat!
373
Chapter 373 Yours, Cainhurst.
Tick-tock...
Water droplets slid slowly down the rough stone pillar and landed on the ground, splashing up tiny droplets.
Outside the towering balcony door, the long-awaited moonlight scatters its radiance from the sky.
At this very moment, two bright moons hang high in the sky.
One was azure, and the other... pale.
Everyone still in Kazdel deserves to enjoy the moon's radiance.
Many saw it as an auspicious sign of a turning point after the arrival of the Military Committee, while others saw a lurking crisis on the moon, causing them great unease...
Maria, carrying Lamaline, walked quietly through the land where the Banshees gathered.
She quickly found the place she was looking for.
It was a garden filled with strange little white flowers.
In the center of the garden, the dome supported by six pillars had broken and fallen to the side.
The broken stone pillars were wrapped by rampant vines, and dark green moss grew vigorously on the ground. In the middle, there was a round stone table.
Maria gently laid the person in her arms flat on her back. Looking at the uneasy look in the other's eyes with a slight furrow in their brow, she remained silent for a few moments before gently lowering her head.
Their crimson lips touched lightly, a few drops of saliva carrying a lingering sense of reluctance.
After just a few moments, they slowly separated again.
"Get some rest, you'll be fine."
Maria began to speak, her gentle tone like that of a loving mother telling her child a nightly story.
Behind her, at the entrance to the garden pavilion, a Lantern had somehow appeared and was now hanging on a stone pillar.
The figure that bore a striking resemblance to Maria slowly emerged from the void, its colors gradually solidifying.
"Hunter..."
The Doll stared at Maria's retreating figure.
As the other party's clone, she could clearly feel the flame burning in Maria's heart at this moment.
She understood that Maria was serious this time.
As the other's possession, the Doll knew it had no right to stop the other.
But...
"Hunter... please calm down."
The Doll slowly lowered its head, clasped its hands on its lower abdomen, and bowed to Maria.
She wasn't trying to make Maria give up her mission; she just hoped that Maria wouldn't act too impulsively.
After all, this time, they might be facing the most powerful enemy they've encountered since coming to this world!
Even now, they could die at any moment because of this!
She hoped Maria would be able to calm down by then.
"I know, the Doll..."
Maria did not turn around, but calmly continued speaking.
"Um..."
The Doll paused for a few moments, then turned away from the question and continued speaking.
"Yharnam has prepared everything for you, Hunter..."
When do you plan to hold the ceremony?
The Doll asks a question.
"Now."
Maria didn't waste any words.
She glanced one last time at the peacefully sleeping Lamaline with her brows furrowed, took a deep breath, and silently raised the Blades in her hand, handing it to the Doll beside her.
After hesitatingly accepting it, the Doll calmly took out another item.
It was a... uniquely shaped and precious necklace.
"..."
Maria's long eyelashes trembled slightly when she saw the necklace, but after a moment, she took it and hung it around her waist.
Then, he turned around and picked up Lamaline.
"It will be over soon."
Maria whispered, and the two embraced.
The Doll, in silence, slowly raised its Blades.
Then...
"Pfft!"
The long sword pierced through both of them!
Blood flowed freely from the blade, swirling and surging around the two people embracing.
The Doll quietly raised its Lantern, watching the spherical blood droplets that defied the laws of nature and trembled as they floated into the air. After sealing one of the droplets inside the Lantern, it took a step back.
Then...
Those people in Kazdel also looked up, seemingly lost in thought.
Above the sky, in the pale moonlight, a pair of blood-red eyes slowly opened!
Maria's Great Ones mode...
This was perhaps the first time Maria had seen her domain expand to such an intense degree.
She was just one step away from breaking free from the constraints of being human.
But that's not what she wanted to do.
A completely new world gradually appeared before her eyes. The color gamut that she could see before began to expand wildly, and the flowers that had been blooming around her now seemed to have a completely new visual experience.
The colors of life were expanding wildly in an unsettling way; Maria could even see its body swaying and growing rapidly.
Eerie flames burned on its body, but as Maria changed states, these life-giving forces flowed uncontrollably toward Maria.
Her body and consciousness were constantly expanding, asserting her sovereignty in an extremely forceful and domineering manner.
It was at this moment that Maria detected Gordan's presence.
Contrary to Maria's initial assumption that Gordan had not fully descended, Gordan had actually already descended!
However, it did not choose to release its aura and thoughts; it simply...
It has become part of the entire city!
As a human, one simply cannot see through such a vast body to what it is.
But at this time, Maria was already on equal footing with Him!
"You're faster than I expected."