Chapter 34: Yam Soderbell
“Ridiculous!” Yam bellowed in anger.
He had just warned Akar not to cause trouble, to avoid leaving any evidence or giving others an excuse.
Yet, not long after his warning, Akar dared to brandish a weapon within a marquis's residence!
As Yam's furious shout echoed, a flaming arrow had already been loosed.
…
Andre seized Anna's arm, dragging her away.
Back in their own territory, Anna had always avoided him, giving him few opportunities to act. So, during this banquet in the Red River Territory, he had already made up his mind.
Unexpectedly, nearly a week had passed, and Anna had been spending almost every day with Monica, sharing meals and accommodations, never returning to her own room, leaving him with no chance.
Now, seizing the moment when Anna was separated from Monica, he stepped forward and grabbed her.
Seeing Andre's crazed expression, Anna's already fair face turned even paler, her enchanting sapphire eyes filled with fear, enhancing her allure.
She never imagined that her frightened appearance would only excite Andre further.
“If you dare to scream, I'll make you suffer a hundredfold!”
Anna was about to speak, but upon hearing Andre's threatening and cold tone, despair washed over her beautiful face. “If Father finds out, he'll kill you! You're ruining his plans!”
“Ha!” Andre sneered as if he'd heard a joke. “Burton is already dead! Father's plans have long since failed. You're worthless now!”
Anna's face grew even more ashen, her eyes filled with despair. “Impossible! You're lying!”
But Andre couldn't be bothered to argue further. He dragged Anna away without another word.
This action jolted Anna into a sudden realization: if she were taken away now, her life would be truly over.
She had always been confident in her appearance. Having been raised in the Kasein family from a young age, she had early contact with Burton Kasein, the marquis's rising star.
Although her bloodline aptitude was poor, unlikely to reach even a second-tier Bloodline User, her stunning beauty compensated for many shortcomings, especially in politically significant marriages.
However, as her father gained more of Marquis Visen's trust and permitted her interactions with Burton, allowing her to return to her own territory, she hadn't anticipated that this would mark the beginning of her nightmare.
Andre, her own brother, coveted her beauty!
If she hadn't been promised to Burton, she couldn't imagine what might have happened.
Even so, Andre frequently sought opportunities to touch her, and over the past two years, his behavior had become increasingly brazen, making her afraid to be alone even in her own home.
“Help…”
Seeing no hope of escape, Anna tried to call for help in desperation.
But as soon as she opened her mouth, Andre covered it with his hand, his eyes filled with violence. “Monica won't even look at me, and now you dare to give me attitude? I'm the future Baron of the Gem Territory! You little slut!”
“Buzz—”
Just as Anna reached the peak of despair, a tear sliding down her cheek, a scorching arrow shot straight toward Andre.
Fear flickered in Andre's heart, but his violent expression intensified.
He suddenly flung Anna aside, clenched his left fist, and flames burst from between his fingers, instantly forming a blazing gauntlet of fire on his hand.
“Bang—”
His heavy punch collided with the flaming arrow.
With a loud explosion, the arrow shattered into sparks, scattering in all directions.
Andre looked up at the two figures on the balcony, his face fierce and menacing.
…
“Orange-yellow flames, rapidly condensed—it's either the [Fire Wolf] or the [Tailfire Bull].”
Seeing Akar shoot the arrow, Yam had already rushed over.
Upon stepping onto the balcony, he witnessed Andre punching the arrow into pieces.
Yam was well aware of his younger brother's strength.
A single arrow, unless the target was an ordinary person, could be caught even by a first-tier Bloodline User. Even a surprise attack might not be lethal.
Thus, Akar's single arrow was more of a warning than an attempt to kill.
However, the fact that the opponent could shatter Akar's arrow with a punch indicated significant strength. Yam, having recently read extensively in White Forest Castle, had a solid theoretical foundation and could roughly deduce the opponent's bloodline.
Both the [Fire Wolf] and the [Tailfire Bull] bloodlines were known for their rapid flame condensation, almost at will.
However, their flames were not as hot as those of the [Flame Sparrow] or [Flame Hound] bloodlines.
The former had an explosive effect upon impact, while the latter enhanced the user's muscle strength, giving an impression of fiery force.
These two bloodlines belonged to the typical blood combat faction.
The blood combat faction referred to Bloodline Users adept at using weapons and engaging in close combat.
Yam himself was of the blood combat type.
Akar, on the other hand, belonged to the void manipulation faction, those who manipulated and shaped bloodline abilities.
The distinction between these two factions stemmed not only from combat skill classifications but also from the versatility of certain bloodlines, which could adapt based on the user's talent.
For instance, the [Flame Demon Hound]'s [Flame Stream] was suitable for both factions.
Bloodlines like the [Flame Hound], [Fire Wolf], [Tailfire Bull], and even the previously encountered [Armored Demon Rabbit] were more suited for the blood combat faction.
Akar's publicly claimed [Flame Sparrow] and its advancement path, the [Flame Hawk], belonged to the void manipulation faction.
The former emphasized "blood battle and martial combat," while the latter signified "void and meditation."
Upon hearing Yam's assessment, Akar pondered briefly before speaking. “It should be the [Tailfire Bull]. The Baron of the Gem Territory's Billy family rose to prominence with the [Tailfire Bull] bloodline. I recall the baron mentioning that Hess Billy was notoriously difficult to deal with on the battlefield.”
Yam nodded slightly, then glanced at the woman lying on the ground.
With just one look, he understood why Akar had referred to her as a beauty.
Anna had long, golden hair, her features delicate with a unique three-dimensional charm.
What should have been sharp features were softened by her lively sapphire eyes.
Her skin was pale, though her wrists and cheeks were now red, bearing visible fingerprints.
Before meeting this woman, Yam had always thought Lily was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
But upon seeing Anna, he realized she was the most beautiful woman he had ever encountered.
"Good eye," Yam nodded.
The two brothers exchanged a glance and shared a knowing smile.
But in Andre's eyes, watching from not far away, this scene ignited his fury. He let out a beast-like roar and charged forward.
The balcony where Yam stood was only seven meters high, a significant height for an ordinary person, but to a second-tier Bloodline User, it was nothing more than a leap.
Andre propelled himself upward with a powerful jump, landing on the balcony, and delivered a punch from above toward Yam and Akar.
"Looking for death!" Akar, unlike Yam, was not one for patience.
His eyes sharpened with killing intent, and in his right palm, he began to form a blazing, sculpted flame pebble.
The penetrating power of these flame pebbles was so great that even Yam found them alarming.
At a range of under three meters, a hit to a vital spot could kill nearly any Bloodline User under third-tier.
But Yam suddenly reached out with his left hand and held Akar’s right wrist, stopping him from launching the lethal firestone.
At the same time, his right hand grabbed the longsword at his waist, still sheathed, and swung it fiercely forward.
A blast of flames erupted instantly!
The scabbard struck Andre's right wrist with precision, knocking his punch off-course and completely interrupting his attack.
Then—
Yam’s eyes focused. With a sudden step forward, he shifted half a meter ahead and thrust his sheathed sword sharply forward.
[Eagle Strike Swordsmanship – Piercing Peck]!
The tip of the scabbard rammed directly into Andre’s chest, smashing into the area over his heart.
The tremendous impact shattered the manifested bloodline energy around Andre, instantly extinguishing the flames on his right hand and sending him flying from the balcony, he first slammed into a wall, then rebounded and crashed onto the ground.
If he had been an ordinary person, not only would the fall from seven meters be lethal, the blow to the chest might have shattered his heart.
Yet even after such a fall, Andre didn’t suffer a single broken bone.
However, he couldn’t get up immediately either. The moment he hit the ground, he coughed up a mouthful of dark blood, Yam’s blow had inflicted far more damage than the fall itself.
Andre’s face flushed deep red.
Overwhelming humiliation pushed him toward madness.
But in the next moment, the sound of rapid, approaching footsteps made him realize that this disgrace was not something he could erase easily.
“Sister Anna! Are you okay?!”
“Monica.”
Marquis Visen’s granddaughter had arrived with a group of guards.
One glance at the red marks on Anna’s left wrist and cheek told her everything she needed to know.
But when she turned her gaze toward the two brothers on the balcony, looking down at her from above, she felt a chill run through her heart.
The one holding the bow was obviously the now-famous [Blazing Bow] Akar Soderbell of the Red Eagle Territory.
The other, calmly re-fastening the sword at his waist, Monica Kasein did not know personally. But seeing Akar standing half a step behind him, she could already guess his identity.
The eldest son of Baron Ster of the White Mountain Territory, a household knight under Giggs Bole, current head of the Soderbell family, and the elder brother of [Blazing Bow] Akar Soderbell—
Yam Soderbell.