To kill or not to kill?

Before the energy aftershocks of Beelzebub's fall had completely subsided, Luo Li had already torn through space and appeared in the inconspicuous town at the foot of the Alps that Lu Xiao had mentioned before his death.

Unlike the Rappa of most of Europa, this place seems to maintain an unusual, cold Order, perhaps because it is close to the edge of Pride 'Lucifer sphere of influence.

Snow covered the pointed-roofed wooden houses, the streets were so clean they were almost devoid of debris, the air was frigid and filled with a lingering chill, and even the Blood-Erosion Clouds seemed exceptionally thin and dim here.

Luo Li walked along the quiet street, [Eyes of the Time Abyss] silently activating, quickly locking onto a wooden house on the edge of town, surrounded by a small garden and with several pots of hardy plants on the windowsill.

There, there was a clear A-rank vampire aura, but unlike the filthy madness under Beelzebub or Asmodeus's command, this aura carried a restrained, seemingly deliberately suppressed coldness, and a trace of... barely perceptible weariness and sorrow.

Without hesitation, Luo Li appeared directly in front of the wooden house. He didn't even knock; the power of Spacetime swirled around his fingertips, and the internal structure of the door lock quietly crumbled.

He pushed the door open and entered.

The interior furnishings are simple yet cozy, a stark contrast to the coldness of the outside world.

A faint flame flickered in the fireplace, dispelling the chill.

A woman wearing a plain-colored long dress, with light golden hair and ice-blue eyes, was gently rocking a hand-woven cradle with her back to the door.

Upon hearing the door open, the woman— Elysia —froze abruptly and slowly turned around.

Her face was beautiful, possessing the delicate pallor unique to vampire nobles, but her icy blue eyes held no bloodlust or cruelty, only intense vigilance and a hint of hidden pain and... resignation?

When she saw Luo Li and felt the chilling killing intent emanating from him, which, despite his best efforts to conceal it, was still as terrifying as an abyss, and the dark red longsword in his hand that seemed to devour light, her face instantly turned ashen.

"You... you are..."

Her voice trembled, and she instinctively spread her arms to block the cradle.

This action is full of the mother animal's determination to protect her cubs.

Luo Li's gaze passed over her and landed on the cradle.

In the cradle lay a baby who looked only a few months old.

He had soft, light golden baby hair inherited from his mother, and his chubby little face was fast asleep.

However, around his slightly open mouth, where he was spitting out milk foam, one could vaguely see two small tiger teeth that were slightly sharper than those of an average baby.

The aura emanating from him was faint, yet clearly mixed with human vitality and the chilling aura unique to vampires.

Half-vampire.

That madman Lu Xiao... actually left behind a child.

"He... he is innocent!"

Elysia's voice trembled with tears, her icy blue eyes filled with pleading. "Please... he knows nothing... he's never hurt anyone..."

Luo Li silently looked at her, and at the baby.

kill?

Enma hummed thirstily in his hand, urged on by his instinct for Endless Blood Drain and his loathing for vampires.

Before him stood an A-rank vampire and a half-vampire offspring. Eliminating them was in line with his mission to "Purification Era" and the cruel logic of this apocalyptic world.

Lu Xiao is dead, and no one can verify his words.

Not kill?

The madman's resolute gaze and hoarse entrustment at the end still seem to echo before my eyes.

"Don't kill her..."

"Send it to my brother..."

That guy who saw explosions as art and lived a reckless life left behind only one concern at the end of his life.

A rare moment of hesitation flickered in his otherwise icy heart. The urge to kill clashed fiercely with a heavy promise.

Just then, as if sensing the heavy atmosphere in the room, the baby in the cradle shifted restlessly and made a soft whimper.

Elysia immediately bent down and gently patted the child, humming an old and melancholic lullaby. The fear in her eyes was temporarily replaced by pure tenderness.

This scene caused the cold killing intent in Luo Li's eyes to fluctuate slightly.

"What's his name."

Luo Li spoke, but her voice remained emotionless.

Elysia paused, seemingly surprised by the question. She answered cautiously, "... Xingyan... Lu Xingyan... is... it's the name his father gave him."

When Lu Xiao was mentioned, her eyes dimmed, clearly indicating that she already knew his fate through some means.

"Xingyan..."

Luo Li repeated the name.

The flames, like those of stars, certainly resembled the style of that explosive madman.

Just then, Xiao Hong, who had been quietly staying in Luo Li's personal space, seemed to sense something and crawled out on its own.

After evolving, she became larger, with four-colored light slowly flowing within the energy sphere, exuding a sense of majesty.

Curious, she floated above the cradle and circled around the baby Lu Xingyan.

The baby seemed to sense something, and stopped whimpering, opening its eyes.

Those were eyes like the purest sapphires, gazing curiously at the red orb of light floating in the air, even reaching out its little hand, babbling as if trying to grab it.

Instead of attacking like she would a vampire, Xiao Hong carefully lowered her altitude and gently touched the baby's cheek with her energy, emitting soft, joyful chirping sounds. The four powers within her (Greed, Wrath, Lust, and Gluttony) shimmered, seemingly becoming exceptionally peaceful under the influence of the baby's pure aura.

This scene stunned Elysia, who was extremely nervous.

Luo Li watched Xiao Hong interact with the baby, then looked at Elysia, who was standing in front of the child, her body tense but her eyes filled with despair and a hint of pleading.

The crimson in his eyes slowly faded somewhat.

Pack your things.

Luo Li withdrew her gaze, turned and walked to the window, her back to them, her voice still indifferent, but she had made her decision.

I'll only give you ten minutes.

Elysia looked up abruptly, her icy blue eyes flashing with an unbelievable light of relief, tears welling up instantly.

Without any hesitation, and without even having time to thank her, she immediately began frantically packing some baby essentials and a few simple pieces of luggage, her movements so fast they almost left afterimages.

Luo Li stood by the window, gazing at the faintly visible, seemingly timeless ice crown deep within the Alps —there lay the royal court of "Pride" Lucifer.

This is the last one.

Just as Elysia finished tidying up, holding the sleeping Lu Xingyan, and stood anxiously behind Luo Li, the terminal on his wrist received two messages at the same time.

A message from the Su'e'ai military's highest command, worded directly and forcefully, is full of the fighting spirit of the Russian people:

[Mr. Luo Li:]

[We have learned of your 'cleanup' operation in Europa.]

' Pride ' Lucifer is a common threat to Europa and indeed all of humanity; its ' Eternal Ice Crown ' also poses a severe frost threat to our northern border.

[We are willing to provide all necessary support, including but not limited to: long-range strategic fire support, extreme environment combat equipment, and an elite commando team led by the S-class ' Icefield Ripper ' Vasily, to help you smash that old idiot's head.]

[If you agree, reply with the coordinates. Su'e'ai artillery fire will guide you.]

[--Supreme Su'e'ai Supreme Command]

The other message was a short message that Luo Li edited herself and sent back to Longxia through an encrypted channel as soon as possible, with the recipients marked as [Lu Jingheng] and [Longxia Ability Management Bureau Headquarters]:

[Lu Xiao has fallen.]

[Location: Europa, former XXX town, vs. ' Gluttony ' Beelzebub.]

[Beelzebub confirmed dead.]

[The will has been accepted.]

After sending the message, Luo Li turned off the terminal screen.

He glanced at Elysia, who was holding the child and waiting anxiously, then looked out the window at the majestic snow-capped mountains.

Su'e'ai aid? He didn't need it, but it might save him some trouble.

As for Lucifer...

Luo Li's fingertips unconsciously brushed against the cold blade of Enma's sword.

He turned around and said to Elysia in a calm tone, "Let's go."

The next moment, a silvery-white Spacetime force enveloped the three of them, and their figures instantly vanished from the warm cabin, leaving only the faint flames still flickering in the fireplace.