715. The Demon King Descends

Darean was one of only two Princes among the Twelve Pillars of the Empire. However, unlike Vesalius, who possessed vast territories and whose presence could be seen in every major event in the empire, Darean's existence was so faint it was almost as if he did not exist at all.

He had only one residence: an ancient castle deep in the Forest of Shadows, wreathed in vines all year round. He scarcely developed any Blood Scions, either, and his only interest was keeping giant bats whose wingspans blotted out the sky.

Unless the emperor personally assigned him a task, he almost never took part in anything.

Within the empire, he had long been in a state of being impossible to find.

Now that the empire was beset by storms, this forgotten Prince had finally made his move.

Only, the point of his blade was aimed at the Imperial Capital.

Darean led his few Blood Scions, driving swarms of giant bats before him. He broke through two intercepting castles in succession, his troops pointing straight at the heart of the empire.

Only when Vesalius arrived with redeployed troops and cut in across his path was he stopped outside the area where Emperor Mortis was located.

The night sky hung low. The moonlight was shredded by the bat swarm and scattered in sparse fragments over the wilderness.

The two Princes stared at each other from afar across that trampled stretch of mud.

Vesalius stood at the front of the formation, narrowed his eyes, and forced his voice out through his teeth. "Darean, what do you think you're doing? Instead of lying properly in your forest, you ran out to attack His Majesty's city—have you lain in your coffin so long that your brain rotted through with it?"

Opposite him, Darean stood atop