The Vengeful Extra's Ascension-Chapter 232: The Onyx Citadel!
The next morning came quietly, as if even the world itself was aware that something momentous was about to shift.
A pale crimson dawn bled across the Northern Region, light catching on frost-kissed stone and the spires of BloodHaven territory, and long before the sun fully crested the horizon, the estate was already awake.
Albedo woke up very early, mostly because his body had refused to stay still all night. He was full of energy ever since his breakthrough.
His mana hummed beneath his skin in a way it hadn’t before, and his mana pool had expanded greatly as well. Now, it felt like an ocean that was reveling in how much water it held.
He stood near the window for a while, breathing slowly, letting that sensation anchor itself into his instincts.
Today, they were leaving.
By the time he stepped into the outer courtyard, the others were already gathering.
Students from Zephyr Academy stood in loose clusters, still half-asleep, bags slung over shoulders, weapons secured but close. Lucian leaned against a pillar with his arms folded, green eyes sharp and alert despite the hour.
Zeus was stretching lazily nearby, cracking his neck with audible pops while chatting animatedly with Dorian, who looked far too awake for someone who claimed to hate mornings.
Elara stood with Morgana and Veronica, speaking quietly, already in her academic mode, eyes occasionally flicking toward the sky as if mentally cataloging the ambient mana density of the region one last time.
A ripple of attention spread through the courtyard as the Elves arrived.
Princess Fade led them personally.
She moved with the kind of grace that made even stillness feel intentional, silver-green hair tied back, her expression composed but curious. The Elven delegation was small but elite, each one radiating disciplined mana control, their presence subtle but unmistakable.
Fade’s eyes met Albedo’s across the courtyard, and she inclined her head slightly, nodding at him and Albedo returned it.
Then the air shifted again as the Demon students arrived, led by the duo of Lilian and Celeste. Albedo raised an eyebrow, as he sensed Lilian on the brink of a breakthrough herself, probably due to digesting all of what she had experienced in the past few days.
As if summoned by all of these arrivals, Raven appeared at the head of the courtyard.
She didn’t announce herself. She never did. One moment the space was empty, the next she was there, dressed in her usual dark attire, eyes sweeping over the assembled group with surgical precision. Conversations died instantly.
"Form up," Raven said. "Follow instructions. Don’t wander. Don’t touch anything you don’t understand."
Her gaze lingered pointedly on Zeus, whom she had seen looking around curiously as she arrived.
Zeus grinned, "No promises."
Raven ignored him. Ysvara emerged moments later, and the atmosphere shifted completely.
The Demon Queen stood at the forefront now, obsidian attire catching the dawn light, silver runes along her garments glowing faintly as she surveyed the group. Her wings were folded, but the authority she carried didn’t need physical manifestation.
"This way," Ysvara said, turning without further explanation.
They followed.
The teleportation site lay beneath BloodHaven territory, deep within a sanctum carved directly into ancient crimson stone. The descent took them through layered wards and blood-sealed corridors, each one older than most kingdoms, until they reached a vast circular chamber.
The Crimson Gate waited at its center.
The teleportation circle was enormous, etched into the floor with overlapping sigils of blood, shadow, and space. Ancient runes pulsed slowly, as if the construct itself was breathing. Pillars surrounded the circle, each inscribed with Pureblood lineage marks, proof of BloodHaven’s absolute authority over the array.
Even Fade paused, eyes widening slightly. Ysvara stepped onto the edge of the circle, her presence alone causing the runes to brighten.
"Everyone inside," Raven ordered. "Now."
They filed in carefully, filling the circle until there was no space left unused. Albedo stood near the center, Lilian at his side, Elara just behind them, Lucian and the others close enough that he could feel their mana signatures overlapping.
Ysvara raised one hand.
Blood-mana surged from Lilian and the other vampires instinctively, responding to the call of the array. The runes flared crimson, then black, then void-white, space itself beginning to bend.
"This will feel strange," Ysvara said calmly. "Do not resist."
The world folded.
There was no violent lurch, no tearing sensation, just a moment where reality seemed to forget which direction existed. Mana compressed, then expanded, and the Northern Region vanished like a discarded memory.
When sensation returned, it did so all at once. An immense amount of heat and mana pressure washed over them for a moment before they arrived at their destination.
They stood within another teleportation chamber, but this one was vast beyond reason, its ceiling lost in shadow, black stone walls etched with gold demonic script that radiated authority. The mana here was overwhelming—not wild, but absolute, like gravity itself bowed to a single will.
Nocturna.
The Demonic Capital. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
The Onyx Citadel.
The moment the group fully materialized, the pressure increased.
Then footsteps echoed and from the far end of the chamber, a towering figure approached.
Kael Nocturna, Demon King.
He was exactly as the stories claimed, broad-shouldered, towering, his presence alone crushing lesser wills. His purple skin bore ancient tribal tattoos that pulsed faintly with power, and his amber-gold eyes burned with intelligence and dominance. A long cape of scalded dragon-hide trailed behind him, and with every step, the air seemed to tighten.
He stopped several meters from the group.
Silence reigned.
Then Kael smiled.
A sharp, knowing thing.
"So," the Demon King said, voice deep enough to vibrate through bone. "This is the generation that keeps bending the world out of shape. It’s amazing to meet all of you on better circumstances, what happened at the Garden didn’t give us a chance to truly discuss after all,"
His gaze swept over the students, the elves, the demons, then settled on Albedo, lingering for a moment.
"Welcome to Nocturna," the Demon King said. "Welcome to the Onyx Citadel."
The pressure lifted slightly, just enough for everyone to breathe again.
"And welcome," Kael finished, "to the center of everything."
