In the center of the grand banquet hall, an emaciated figure sat on a luxurious velvet chair,pletely enveloped in a voluminous tinum robe.


    It was evident that this person was none other than Rafael Hardy, Nina''s father, Beatrice''s husband, and the current Lord of Dawn City.


    To Rafael''s right sat his eldest son-inw, Anz Hatton, the Supreme Commander of Dawn City''s cavalry. Even at the evening banquet, he remained d in his armor. Above his gleaming silver chest te was an unnaturally fair and strikingly handsome face. Under the bright, daylight-like illumination, a hint of dark crimson flickered in Anz''s pupils.


    Anz''s lineage was anything but ordinary. He belonged to the fabled Bloodline, a race that stood in legendary repute alongside the Angels.


    Here, in thend of Eternal Night, Anz''s race was undeniably powerful, with even their professions being exclusive and rare.


    Anz himself bore the rare title of [Night Knight], a testament to his formidable heritage.


    It was precisely because of such distinctions that Anz ultimately triumphed over numerous rivals to be the eldest son-inw of the Lord of Dawn City.


    Regrettably, a few years prior, Anz''s wife, the Lord''s eldest daughter, tragically perished in childbirth, leading to the untimely demise of both mother and child.


    Otherwise, tonight''s banquet would have surely been more jubnt.


    To Rafael''s left sat the Lady of the City, Beatrice.


    However, unlike her earlier appearance in Nina''s dressing room, Beatrice now donned a voluminous tinum robe, much like Anz''s, whichpletely enveloped her delicate frame.


    As the banquet''smencement drew near, the servants of the Lord''s mansion busied themselves with final preparations.


    Suddenly, with a graceful demeanor, Anz lifted a pre-set goblet from the table. He swirled the crimson liquid within and addressed Rafael, "Father, it''s been days since west met. How has your health been?"


    In truth, it was quite improper for Anz to help himself to a drink before the guests had arrived, a gesture bordering on disrespect towards Rafael, the host of the evening.


    Yet, curiously, neither Rafael nor Beatrice seemed to acknowledge Anz''s provocative act.


    Among those present, only Nina''s slightly pouted lips betrayed her displeasure.


    Beatrice appeared ready to speak, but Rafael gently raised his hand, forestalling her.


    The tinum robe rustled softly as Rafael''s parched, raspy voice resonated, "How my health fares, you have always known."


    Anz''s hand, poised to lift the goblet, froze momentarily. Forcing a chuckle, he responded, "Father, I''m not sure what you mean by that. "


    A faint, inscrutable smile seemed to tug at Rafael''s unseen features. "Anz, do you really think I am unaware of your actions?"


    "I remember, it was the day we drove away the Shadow Dragon.You escorted me back to the city, did you not? And it was immediately after that day I fell ill, stricken by a curse."


    With a loud "bang," Anz mmed his goblet onto the table. "Father, do not falsely use me. There were numerous witnesses to your being attacked by the Shadow Dragon boss''s skill that day."


    Shaking his head, Anz''s voice emanated from the shadows, not with anger but with a hint of amusement. "You might find this hard to believe, but just a few days ago, Master Bard advanced from asenior alchemistto a grandmaster alchemist. Upon reaching this new level, Master Bard identified that what afflicted me was no Shadow curse."


    "The grandmaster dered that I was under the influence of a rare Bloodline concoction, an exclusive potion of the Moonlit Witch known as the Shade Curse Elixir. Am I correct, my good son-inw, Bloodline Night Knight, Anz?"


    Upon hearing those words, Anz was momentarily stunned. Then, he downed the wine in his goblet in one gulp and stood up with augh, saying, "I knew it, Father. A mere Shadow Curse Elixir could never bring you down."


    Anz turned abruptly, his eyes now filled with malice as he stared at Rafael. "Since you knew everything, why didn''t you just bear with it a bit longer?"


    At this point, Anz''s treachery was ringly obvious.


    Perhaps fully aware of the situation, Beatrice''s eyes were cold, but she remained silent.


    Nina, on the other hand, was entirely stupefied.


    She could scarcely believe that Anz, who had always cared for her like an elder brother, was capable of such treachery.


    Indescribable fury surged through Nina''s mind. With a tter, she pushed her chair aside, stood up, and angrily pointed at Anz, "Anz, how could you do this to my father, to my sister?"


    Anz cast a cold nce at Nina, not even deigning to respond.


    Rafael burst intoughter, flinging off his tinum robe as he stood up. He grinned at Anz, a mix of relief and bloodlust in his expression. "I feared that if I continued to endure, my dear son-inw Anz, our family might not live to see another sunrise."


    A look of surprise shed across Anz''s face. "You knew?"


    Rafael shook his head. "I''m not so senile yet."


    "Unfortunately, Master Bard''s breakthrough came toote. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have had to take such a risk."


    With a resounding "ng," Anz suddenly drew his Knight''s half-sword from his waist.


    With a cold smile, Anz dered, "Even if you know, it doesn''t matter. I''ve undergone Transcendental Awakening. You''re no match for me now!"


    As he spoke, a tangible shadow rippled out from beneath Anz''s feet.


    Everywhere the shadow touched seemed to enter a dimension under Anz''s control, instantly bing his dominion.


    Simultaneously, a radiant tinum halo began to form beneath Rafael''s feet.


    The two forces collided almost instantaneously.


    The sound of ss shattering echoed in the air as fragments of light in two colors continuously appeared. With a thunderous crash, the solid wood table between them was rent in two by their unknown abilities.


    Following this, the air seemed to burst with countless invisible explosions, the crackling sounds unending.


    The carefully arranged banquet was utterly destroyed by the surging waves of energy.


    At this moment, the entire banquet hall was divided in two, the tinum light and the dark red glowing shadow shing like two worlds devouring and pressing against each other.


    All of this happened swiftly; in the span of just a few breaths, the hall was reduced to ruins by the twobatants.


    Countless servants, caught off guard, were instantly affected, their screams echoing through the chaos.


    Nina, though taken by surprise, was unharmed thanks to Beatrice''s protection.


    Although Nina''s dress was now disheveled, robbing her of her earlier elegance, she paid no mind to such trivialities.


    The two before her seemed on the verge of determining a victor.


    The tinum halo beneath Rafael''s feet, though initially more brilliant and solid than the blood-tainted shadow ripples beneath Anz, began to falter after just a few moments.


    Anz, visibly exhrated, veins bulging on his forehead, intensified his efforts. "Old man, your injuries haven''t healed yet, have they? You want to fight me to the death? Look at yourself—how many days do you think you have left to live?"


    "Heh, back then, you looked down on me and did everything in your power to obstruct me and Katherine. You never imagined it woulde to this, did you?"


    Rafael seemed indeed to have reached his limit. Faced with the mockery of his former son-inw, Anz, he offered no retort.


    With a thud, Rafael wavered, his body momentarily faltering as he half-knelt on the ground.


    Despite his predicament, his face showed no trace of panic.


    Gazing at the snarling visage of Anz, a flicker of anguish crossed Rafael''s eyes. "Had I known earlier that you were such a heartless beast, I would never have married Katherine to you."


    Anz, like a dog whose tail had been stepped on, erupted in fury. "Shut up! You will not mention my wife''s name in front of me!"


    Instantly, Anz''s aura surged. Already at the end of his rope, Rafael spewed a mouthful of blood.


    Seeing Rafael''s tinum light about to bepletely devoured by Anz, Beatrice suddenly appeared by Rafael''s side.


    Anz''s eyes flickered with a hint of bewilderment as he saw Beatrice''s sudden appearance. However, this confusion quickly turned to outrage.


    With a single raised hand, Beatrice unleashed a burst of tinum light identical to Rafael''s from her lithe form.


    In an instant, the tide turned.


    Anz could scarcely believe his eyes, trembling as he questioned, "You... you''ve also undergone Transcendental Awakening and mastered the extraordinary realm?"


    Ignoring Anz, Beatrice gently helped the half-kneeling Rafael to his feet.


    Only then did she speak, "What, are you surprised?"


    Anz, beside himself with rage, burst into a mockingugh. "Well, well, well, my mother-inw is also a Transcendental Awakener, and I, as her son-inw, had no idea. I knew you always treated me as an outsider!"


    Rafael coughed lightly. "The truth is, Anz, you were never truly a part of our family."


    With the battle now two against one, Anz seemed on the brink of defeat.


    Yet, he showed no signs of panic.


    Shaking his head, Anz remarked, "Indeed, I am not part of your family. I''m not as foolish as you!"


    Just as Anz finished speaking, countless attacks rained down upon the Lord''s mansion like a torrential downpour.