The Demon King's First General
Chapter 149: Equinox Flower

Chapter 149: Equinox Flower

"It seems like you’re familiar with this flower?" Zeno turned around and asked.

Sinclair examined it for a second.

"Hmnn, it really is the death flower," she nodded and said after confirming her thoughts.

"This mostly blooms beside graves, and people think that its red color comes from the blood of the dead." Sinclair paused for a while and looked into the demon’s eyes before continuing. "Some even believe that this flower grows in hell."

After hearing her words, Zeno diverted his gaze from the woman to the flower on his hand. He let his fingers run on its crimson petals, and his lips curled into a smile.

"Yes, it’s widely known as the death flower, but it has another name," Zeno stated.

Sinclair’s brows furrowed; she stared at the demon while contemplating.

"Another name?" She pondered.

Throughout her whole life, she heard nothing aside from the red spider lily and the death flower. She continued to think for a few seconds before giving up.

"What is it?" She asked, curious about what the demon was talking about.

But Zeno didn’t answer right away; he looked up at the sky as if reminiscing about something. Then he raised the flower and set it free. It was so light that as soon as the wind blew, it drifted above the clouds.

"Equinox flower," he stated while keeping his gaze on the crimson dot floating in the sky.

. . . . .

The sweet melody from the buzzing of small insects and the rustling of leaves created a beautiful harmony deep within a forest where huge towering trees scattered.

In the nearby distance, a young girl was walking under the canopy. Her eyes were fixed on the ground, searching for every bush she passed by.

"Where did it fall?" She uttered while caressing the lobule of her right ear.

This scene continued until she stumbled on a flower with a peculiar appearance; it had thin, long petals, and its bloodlike color stood out from its environment. Attracted and curious at the same time, the woman crouched down to have a better look at the unknown flower.

"It’s beautiful," she whispered, but there were no slight changes in her expression; her eyes seemed dead and had lost all of their radiance.

The next second, she extended her hand and plucked it out of its stem. Then she tucked it behind her left ear along with her silver hair before she proceeded to search once more.

Several hours had passed, and the girl felt exhausted. She looked at every crook and cranny, but she failed to find her missing ornament. She bit her lower lip and clicked her tongue in disappointment. Then she moved her feet to leave the forest.

After traversing a few kilometers and crossing a small river, she arrived in a settlement surrounded by jet-black iron walls. Two large men with jet-black collars strapped to their necks were waiting and guarding the entrance.

"Where’s father? Did he leave?" The girl asked as soon as she stepped closer.

"The leader is inside," one of the guards answered without averting his eyes in front.

Upon hearing him, the girl entered the settlement. The inside of it was nothing grand; it looked like a simple and small village with plain houses. Most of the people in there had similar appearances; their hair was silver in color, and their eyes were all lifeless. Those who didn’t have these features, like the guards outside, had jet-black collars on their necks.

"Father," the girl mumbled upon seeing a man with a red dice dangling from his left ear.

Beside him was a young boy whose face was a carbon copy of hers; even their age looked similar. He was holding a scythe and a sword in both of his hands.

"Alleah, where have you been?" The young boy asked.

He emptied his hands and stepped forward; his arms were raised, ready to give her a hug. However, the girl extended her hand in front of him and stopped him from advancing.

"Stop right there; you’re reeking of sweat," she said.

Afterward, she returned her gaze to the man whom she called father, but to her surprise, he was already next to her, and there was a hint of surprise in his face. He crouched down to match the girl’s eye level. Then he got the flower tucked behind her ear, inspected it for a second, and stared into the girl’s eyes.

"Zeny Alleah." He called her name in full, then paused for a second before continuing. "Where did you get this?"

The girl was dumbfounded by his father’s action; it was the first time that he had seen him anxious about something.

"In the woods, when I was searching for my missing earring, I found it," she answered.

Then the young boy butted into their conversation.

"Is there a problem with it, Father? It’s quite pretty, don’t you think?" He asked.

"No, this flower is known as the equinox flower. It blooms when the suns align at the center of the world, creating an equal distribution of day and night," their father replied as he exchanged glances between them.

"But that’s not the concerning thing about this; it acts as a warning that the period of struggle between life and death is about to come," he added.

The two children looked at their father with their brows furrowed.

"What does that mean?" They asked at the same time, but what they received was a warm smile.

"You guys are too young for this. Go! Your mother might be looking for you," he said, patting them on the head.

They were about to complain, but their father stood up and vanished from their sight.

"Arthur, Father is quite rude sometimes, isn’t he?" Alleah looked at her side, but the young boy was busy murmuring while looking at the sun.

"The period of struggle between life and death, equal distribution of day and night," he repeated his father’s words.

Then his lips curled upward.

"It sounds fun," he uttered with a brilliant expression.

Meanwhile, their father, the man who had a red dice dangling from his left ear, observed them from a distance. Then, a black-haired man appeared behind him. He was dressed in leather battle armor and had the same jet-black collar as the others in the village.

"My liege," he said after lowering his head.

"Tighten the security and spread an information that the Eighth Sovereign’s curse has awakened," he ordered without even looking back.

"Affirmative," the black-haired man replied, and he disappeared without leaving a single trace of his presence.

Seconds continued to pass, and the silver-haired man’s eyes were still in the direction of his children, but this time his gaze was solely focused on her daughter.

"I need to protect you until that day comes, no matter what," he uttered with determination.

. . . . .

"Equinox? What is that? It’s my first time hearing that word," Sinclair asked the demon. Her curiosity was now at its peak.

"I don’t know either," Zeno answered, then pulled the black dice from his pocket.

Afterward, he tossed it upward, and a jet-black scythe fell on his hand. He swirled it around him and grinned.

"Maybe these guys might know something; asking them would not be that hard," he said, and as his silhouette vanished from the void of darkness, screams across the forest followed.

Afterward, he appeared right next to the Apostle of Justice.

"Well, none of them know a thing about it," he said before walking forward.

But as he made another step, an explosion burst forth at the center of the lake, and the revenant was sent flying in their direction. Zeno grabbed her by the waist and looked at the culprit levitating above. It was a man dressed in a black coat. Thousands of fireflies were swirling around him.

"That’s one nasty Legacy; too bad I’m not fond of insects," Zeno commented, the curl of his lips reaching his ears.

"Leave Subject Number Nine Hundred Twelve here, and I’ll spare both of you," he declared before adjusting his eyeglasses with his wrist.

Upon hearing his words, Zeno burst into laughter.

"Heh? A mere corrupted dares to threaten me," he retorted, then the scythe on his hand turned into a jet-black dagger.

However, Ruq interrupted him by holding his arm.

"Wait!" She exclaimed, then freed herself from his embrace and stepped forward.

"Let me take care of this bastard," she said, and particles of snow began to fall.

Upon seeing her determined look and overwhelming courage in her stance, Zeno’s weapon returned to its cube-like state.

"Well then, he’s all yours," he said.

Then he glanced at the woman behind him and nodded before they sprinted over the frozen lake.

"As if I’ll let you!" The man wearing glasses yelled, and with a single wave of his hand, hundreds of fireflies rushed towards the pair.

However, thin needles of ice were hurled upward and struck the swarm of insects. Those fireflies that were caught in the ice needle’s trajectory died and exploded, creating a chain of explosions midair.

The man was startled, which made him look where the attack came from, and there it was. A pair of eyes stared at him like a predator stalking its prey.

"I’m still full, but having an arrogant dessert won’t probably upset my stomach," Ruq said while slowly disappearing from the thick snow mist.

. . . . .