Return of the Legendary Runesmith-Chapter 512 - 511- Fuck it

The trap was disarmed, and Sarah was given some water and a chair so she could calm herself down.

Ariana and Annabelle had also woken up after hearing the commotion. Well, Annabelle only woke up after Ariana shook her violently while calling out things like "Darling."

Now, the three ladies were facing the violet-haired woman, who was still quite pale from the sudden blockage of blood flow caused by the trap.

Annabelle wore an openly wary expression, while the other two looked uncertain.

"The trap... I believe it was Adrian’s doing?" Sarah asked, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

Ruby nodded. "And guess what? It fulfilled its purpose," she said, half-jokingly.

Sarah lowered her head. "I apologize. I didn’t want to come here like this, but I was being chased."

"By who?" Ariana asked.

Sarah’s brows drew together as she confessed, "By my father’s men. They know that I saw him meeting the cult’s leader."

Ariana was surprised. "Cult leader? I thought all the cults had disengaged after what Bella did to them last time."

Annabelle had annihilated one of the largest cults in existence in a fit of rage.

The moment she learned what they had caused, she vanished from their sight. The next thing anyone saw was a burning fortress and a smiling Bella.

"I don’t know who they were," Sarah added, "but they were definitely talking about a cult."

"I can fill in the information you need, my lady."

Everyone tensed at the sudden voice before turning toward its source, only to find a familiar green-haired woman.

"Tiffany?" Annabelle asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I was following Young Lady Borodicus. I knew she would meet Miss Vermillion," Tiffany replied as she entered the room.

On a side note, Ruby made a mental note to update the mansion’s security.

Two people had trespassed, and not a single alarm had gone off.

Annabelle then turned to the dark-skinned woman and asked, "What is she talking about? Has another cult formed in the shadows?"

Unlike her usual self, Annabelle sounded genuinely serious at that moment, and it was understandable given what had happened last time.

The ambush on the Vermillion family, followed by Adrian’s death, and then his origin awakening.

Annabelle couldn’t allow them to target those she adored ever again.

Tiffany sighed before informing them, "It appears that several of Sir Lockwood’s enemies have gathered to form a massive cult."

"Members of Twilight, remnants of the cult My Queen destroyed, and even a few other academies are supporting them financially. And now, Borodicus Clark has joined the fray."

Ruby’s lips parted slightly while Ariana’s eyes widened.

These were people who, one way or another, had been harmed or ruined by Adrian or the other three.

The other academies were targeting Runebound because they wanted to drag them down. Their attempt to recruit students after the ambush had failed, so now they were stooping to the lowest methods.

Twilight Vault, meanwhile, harbored deep hatred toward Ruby and Adrian for exposing their schemes and costing them their positions.

And now, Clark had a solid reason to target Adrian as well.

Sarah’s brows furrowed. "I knew a few men had been continuously contacting Father these past few weeks, but he rejected their proposals every time. However, now..."

Tiffany hummed softly. "Despite how calmly that person left the stage, he was seething inside. Now, his only motive in life is to get back at Adrian."

Crackle

Everyone jolted as thunder cracked around Annabelle. Her eyes turned deathly cold as she muttered, "They... need to perish."

There was no question about it. Even the thought of harming her beloved warranted only one punishment.

Death.

Ariana rested a hand on Annabelle’s shoulder and said, "While I wholeheartedly support your decision, we can’t rush in and be done with it."

Ruby nodded. "Now that Borodicus Clark is involved, we have to anticipate advanced defenses and reinforced offense."

Clark was a brand when it came to armaments and artifacts. It was said that he had kept some of his most advanced technology hidden from the world, ensuring that no one could easily stand against him.

Tiffany added, "And My Queen, if you charge at them now, you’ll only find a scattered bunch, not the whole pack."

She continued, "This time, they aren’t repeating the same mistake by keeping the entire cult in one place. Attacking them now would only slow them down."

"I don’t give a fuck. Even if it only slows them down, I will rip apart the mouths that spoke ill of my Adrian," Annabelle said, her voice eerily calm, silencing Tiffany instantly.

Ariana held both her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Bella, you know this battle would mean nothing if we don’t remove the major pieces. So calm down and listen to me."

Annabelle clicked her tongue. "But... they aren’t going to wait. As we speak, they must be strategizing how to ambush Runebound again. Once more, the students will be threatened. You will be sad again. How long are you going to let them strike first?"

Ariana fell silent, her grip loosening.

How many times had it been? Three? Four? Ariana couldn’t remember.

Every time someone targeted either Ariana or Adrian, the academy was attacked.

Those innocent children had nothing to do with any of this, yet they were dragged into the mayhem.

All the destruction, all the chaos, it never simply passed and faded. A lasting scar remained, one that had slowly begun to make the students wonder whether they could even sleep peacefully anymore.

Breaking the silence, Ruby asked, "What do you want to do Annabelle?"

Annabelle turned her eyes towards the violet-haired before uttering, "Take them down. Right now."

Sarah flinched but she didn’t lift her head. Her nails dug in her flesh but she refused to protest.

Ruby asked Ariana, "What do you say?"

Ariana took a deep breath before saying, "If Adrian finds out...he would probably stop us."

"Then don’t tell him."

Annabelle said, surprising everyone, "We will go there, finish the work and return back here. No one speaks a word to Darling."

Ruby was stunned, "Are you really telling us to lie to Adrian?"

Annabelle shrugged, "I am just saying that we would remain silent on the matter...if Darling asks us, then we would tell him."

Ruby was conflicted about this decision while Sarah looked resigned.

Annabelle turned towards Ariana and asked, "So? What’s your decision?"

Ariana’s clenched her fist on top of Annabelle’s shoulders before swearing, "Fuck it. Let’s destroy those bastards."

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A/N:- Thanks for reading. If you have been...well, a humble request, drop a comment. Anything works.