Ⅰ
The Marquis of West Berlin had high hopes for his Chief Swordsman.
It was not merely because Sweet was young, exceptionally gifted, and already at entry rank. More importantly, he was loyal!
Sweet possessed unparalleled loyalty to him and to the West Berlin Family.
That made Sweet one of the most important tools he would leave to his daughter.
He believed Sweet would need only another ten years or so to reach the threshold of ascension rank. By then, his daughter would also be starting to take over the West Berlin Family.
And when Sweet truly became an Ascendant, his daughter would be ready to take full control of the West Berlin Family.
Then Sweet would be his daughter's right-hand man, as well as a "face-up card" the West Berlin Family laid openly on the table-a card everyone knew about, yet feared!
Anyone targeting the West Berlin Family would have to deal with that card before they could get to his daughter!
But now!
Sweet was dead!
Feeling the other end of the Lionheart Salute dissipate, the Marquis involuntarily froze.
And in that very instant-
A glow lit up on one side of West Berlin.
It was not bright.
Though it was light, it felt deeper than the darkness of night, and even more...
Evil!
Yes, evil!
An evil that made one want to howl madly with every breath and drag every living thing nearby into hell. That glow was a radiance emerging from hell itself!
Anyone with a strong will would instinctively back away at the sight of it.
But far more people would be drawn toward that radiance.
In fact, amid the shifting silhouettes, several hundred people had already walked toward it.
The instant they touched the radiance, their entire bodies began to melt.
Their skin rotted.