Raze's own killing intent was already overwhelming.
He wanted to rush up and tear Viktor to pieces more than anyone else.
But he is Lucian's blade.
This is the last line of defense for the wolf pack's order.
Raze roared:
"Stop!! Hold on!! Obey the leader's orders!!"
The elite guards formed a human wall, holding down the tribesmen who were attacking them. As they struggled, the roars of beasts shook the heavens and the commotion was deafening.
Many more Werewolf were on the verge of collectively going berserk.
Lucian's eyes flashed with extreme intensity; he had no choice but to act. His thunderous roar crashed down, "Stop!!"
Only then did the Werewolf finally stop.
The Werewolf, who had completely lost control, were held down by the guards and forcibly dragged backward. They struggled, howling incessantly, their claws scratching the ground, leaving deep marks on the stone.
Order is barely maintained.
Lucian then stepped onto the trial platform, his gaze sweeping across the entire hall. His cold, solemn voice pierced the room, quelling the unrest:
"Today, there will be no vigilante justice, only witnesses. Viktor, the villain of a thousand years, is here. Today, a public trial will end a century of hatred."
The Wolf's Den fell into a deathly silence.
Lucian surveyed the scene, confirming that the situation was barely stable, and then, without further ado, said directly, "Since the crimes are known to all, there's no need for further discussion. Execute them immediately."
Selene stepped forward from the line of onlookers.
" Lucian, please allow me to go with you."
The atmosphere in the room froze after those words were spoken.
A vampire, about to personally execute his own ancestor?
Immediately afterward, a commotion erupted in the hall, and an uneasy commotion arose again. Many Werewolf in the front row tensed up, their half-beastly features reappearing, and they stared warily at Selene.
Many Werewolf whispered,
"She's a vampire... she's going to attack their progenitor?"
"Could this be a trap? A scheme to use this opportunity to rescue Viktor?"
"Why should a vampire be involved in the execution?"
The unrest quickly escalated within the crowd, and it no longer remained merely as whispers. Several battle-hardened Werewolf warriors, unable to contain their anger, shouted at Selene across the crowd.
"Shut up!"
A burly Werewolf with a scarred face roared, "You know how many lives of our people are on your hands! You've killed so many of our brethren, and you still dare to step forward and propose execution!"
"That's right, you're in our wolf clan's lair, shouldn't you at least keep a low profile? Do you want to die!" another veteran chimed in.
"It's none of your business, you filthy vampire, to speak here!" Not just these two, but a chorus of muffled roars echoed from all around, and many Werewolf joined in with their dissatisfied howls.
"You want to participate in the execution of your vampire leader?"
Lucian also momentarily stunned.
" Selene was also one of the victims of Viktor's era," Draco explained on her behalf. " Viktor slaughtered her entire family, forcibly turned her into a vampire, and used her as a killing machine for hundreds of years, so this is also part of her..."
Draco's words left the wolves in a brief moment of astonishment.
But then new discontent arose. "What does this have to do with us? So what if she has a grudge against Viktor? Does that mean past battlefield grievances can be wiped clean?"
Another Werewolf was even more resistant. "This is our Werewolf territory. Allowing you to survive here and witness the trial is already the greatest tolerance we can show. Why should we let you participate in the execution? This revenge should belong only to us!"
Others joined in with low growls:
"She has the blood of our people on her hands. Even if she hates Viktor, she doesn't deserve to stand in the execution position!"
Lucian responded loudly to the crowd:
"That's right. The blood debts from the old battlefields won't disappear just because of her background, but having her executed along with them is a way to bring closure to the victims destroyed by Viktor."
"Moreover, Viktor is able to stand here today not solely because of the strength of our wolf clan," Lucian concluded.
The leader has said so.
Even though the middle-aged Werewolf looked resentful, they only whispered among themselves, while the older generation of Werewolf, who had suffered the hardships of enslavement, had complex expressions.
However, they were only focused on Viktor to justice; as long as the culprit was punished, they could accept the current outcome.
The young Werewolf was the most defiant, baring his teeth incessantly, but he was intimidated by Lucian's prestige and dared not raise his voice in protest any longer.
Lucian made the final decision:
"The matter is settled. Execution will proceed."
Viktor completely broke down when he saw the two of them being executed together.
His crimson eyes trembled violently, bulging out, his facial muscles contorted wildly, the majesty of the thousand-year-old vampire leader vanished, leaving only the madness and despair of a trapped beast. Finally, bound by magic, he managed to squeeze out two sentences, his voice strange and hoarse:
" Lucian... you are nothing but a slave beneath my feet... Selene... I created you... how dare you commit patricide?!"
After speaking, Viktor struggled again, the chains digging deep into his flesh, leaving bloody gashes. He used all his strength to fight against the magical restraints, but it was all in vain.
The chains only tightened further.
Fresh blood dripped down the chain links.
Viktor wasn't afraid of death; what he feared was that the tribe he had enslaved for millennia, the pawns he had manipulated throughout his life, would both end his life with their own hands. This was more humiliating than death itself.
Lucian expressionlessly handed a sword to Selene. Selene took the sword and hesitated for a moment. "Aren't you going to use it?"
Lucian shook his head slightly and said, "I'll use this."
A flash of light appeared in his palm.
Claws extended.
It pierced Viktor's chest with a sudden thrust.
Under the magical restraints, Viktor's defense and self-healing were no different from normal, so he was easily pierced through the chest cavity by a single claw.
Viktor's eyes widened.
Looking down at the wolf's claw that had pierced his chest,
Lucian then withdrew his hand.
A blood-soaked hole was suddenly revealed.
Immediately afterwards, Selene pierced Viktor's heart with her sword.
The sword tip emerged from behind, blood gushing along the blade. Viktor's pupils dilated, his madness subsided, he stopped struggling, his knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground, his head bowed.
As most Werewolf relaxed their shoulders, many warriors who had been tense throughout the entire battle slowly lost their half-beastly characteristics, their taut backs gradually loosened, and their clenched fists, which had turned white, finally opened.
There was no celebratory shouting or triumphant laughter in the main hall, only low, hoarse sobs rising and falling.
Some of the Werewolf who had experienced enslavement trembled uncontrollably, their eyes brimming with tears; they had endured until this moment.
The young Werewolf, unable to contain his excitement, gritted his teeth and breathed heavily, wanting to roar in celebration, but was stopped by the old soldier beside him with a look; this land had buried too many souls.
This is not a place for boisterous celebrations!
Just then, at the entrance of the main hall, a huge black bat-like shadow suddenly pierced through the dim light and landed inside the hall door.
Draco and the others, along with Lucian, all looked in that direction.
That was a monster.
But before anyone could see clearly, the monster's terrifying aspects quickly diminished; its wings folded and dissolved, and its shadow shifted, transforming into a human form.