Reincarnated and Regressed Villain - Make heroines beg for forgiveness

355  Chapter 355- Bloodmoon Clan

In the airspace high above the ocean, a massive ship with an enormous shadow loomed over the gleaming blue water.

This vessel, adorned with sharp spikes of crimson, exuded an aura reminiscent of fresh blood.

Its design bore no resemblance to any modern crafts, resembling instead a devilish citadel hovering in the sky.

Soon, the faint glimmer of its aura revealed several other blazing objects in the distance, cutting through the clouds.

Though they appeared small from afar, their true size was deceptive.

Inside the citadel, an individual sat behind the front window, absorbed in reading some reports in his hand.

"Master, what if that same attack is launched against us?" Jambiun asked, bowing respectfully. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Despite his composed demeanor, the memory of the day they were en route to the Jade Dominion loomed in his mind—the day a sudden sword strike had devastated half of their battleship.

{ A/n: Keith's Illustration }

"…He won't be able to pull that off again," Keith replied, his voice steady, with crimson eyes focused on the reports in his hand.

His eyes were calm, unlike the memories in his mind, recalling how that unexpected attack had appeared out of nowhere, tearing through their defenses and injuring his arms as he had been caught off guard by the overwhelming sword intent.

The encounter had starkly illuminated the strength of the individual he was set to confront.

That sword strike served as yet another testament to Keith's fortune, as his luck had often granted him opportunities to shape his destiny—by warning him in advance.

On that day, the sudden attack reminded him that facing Ryuk Devereaux head-on could result in devastation.

Given the events of that fateful attack, Keith understood that he could not afford to underestimate the son of Alisia Devereaux—not until they were face to face.

Being optimistic about things, he understood that his luck was giving him a warning that day, and now he was here again with a much better plan.

Additionally, while going through the report he had received from the information guild called Excavan, it indicated that Ryuk Devereaux was at the Ascendancy level in energy value.

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However, after Keith's firsthand encounter with the force imbued in that strike—manipulated with a unexpected form of mana known as Ether—Keith realized there had been a grave error in assessing Ryuk's true strength.

It was clear that not everyone possessed the ability to wield Ether within their bodies, a realization that unsettled him.

Ether is significantly different from regular mana; it is ten times denser and very reactive.

Keith surmised that the individuals who assessed Ryuk's strength must have measured it based on mana alone, mistakenly concluding he was ten times more potent.

In reality, it was merely another form of energy.

This energy was used by Ryuk Devereaux and one other individual—him.

Indeed, Keith also used ether as his energy source.

Thanks to Keith's extraordinary regenerative capability and his unique talent for blood arts, he had always believed he was the only one able to wield Ether at will.

But now, he was confronted with the unsettling possibility that he was not alone.

"Master, I don't understand," the man said, his voice catching Keith's attention.

He tilted his head slightly and looked towards him, taking in the sight of Keith sitting with his hands folded, staring straight ahead.

"Are the energizers charged?" Keith inquired, seemingly disinterested in answering questions as he concentrated on how to confront Ryuk Devereaux.

Naturally, the reason he was sure they would not be attacked by the same attack twice was simply that he knew the tremendous Ether required to deliver such sword strikes one after another would deplete one's body to a great extent, making it impractical in the long term.

"Y-yes," the man replied hesitantly.

Jambiun was aware that there were other ships trailing behind them, but this vessel, which could easily accommodate a large army, was instead filled with an enormous energy energizer rather than weapons or troops.

This clearly confused him; it was definitely not a sound battle tactic, especially when facing the formidable first battalion of the Devereaux family.

After all, Energizers increase the density of a particular energy, but their drawback is the damage they cause to the energy cores of battleships. Since Ether serves as the energy source for these ships, artificially charging it makes Ether more vigorous and creates violent reactions, damaging the ship's core.

This particular battleship, in which they were present, always switches to blood crystal energies when using the Energizer.

However, using them consistently damages the energy cores, making it a very costly method where mutual destruction is possible—something that is used only in desperate times.

To put it simply, if they are going against battleships, it is possible for them to use the Energizer to destroy the Ether cores by stimulating the Ether within them.

However, if they are dealing with individuals who possess mana and battle power, they would not bring the Energizer, which can only destroy Ether Cores.

"Tell the main unit to engage the Devereaux army with sheer numbers, as they will likely be around 200 strong," Keith was not interested in explaining everything at the moment.

The reason he had brought the energizer was simply to cut off the source of Ryuk's strength and gain the upper hand against him.

While both may be able to use Ether, he faced a significant disadvantage against Keith.

Just like battleships, Keith could use two kinds of energy—Blood Art and Ether—while, according to his analysis, Ryuk Devereaux could utilize only Ether.

Therefore, if they were to engage in battle in a setting where Ether became violent and reacted vigorously, Keith would be victorious due to his Blood Arts.

This was just his individual strategy, but they were soon going to be in a war where numbers mattered. The soldiers of Devereaux Battalion might possess enough strength to be considered on par with him individually.

Though not all of them were exceptionally strong, a few certainly were, and to deal with such opponents, he needed overwhelming numbers.

He relied on a tactic derived from the insight that the greatest defeat in war often comes when soldiers surrender before facing death due to fear.

Thus, he summoned the mindless legion of the Blood Moon Army—those who would not be deterred by death itself.

They would continue to fight fiercely, exhausting his enemies until those with more awareness could take charge.

It was true that there were chances Ryuk Devereaux might be stronger than him.

However, in the grand scheme of war, a single individual could not realistically match hundreds of opponents at once.

Slaughtering weaker foes might be relatively easy, but when each enemy was as powerful as half his own energy level, the situation quickly became chaotic.

"I understand, my lord," the man said, "but shouldn't we have sent someone stronger to Heindal?"

He recalled that they had dispatched a few members back to Heindal with the intention of bringing someone more formidable, rather than just sending those who were comparatively weaker.

"We don't sacrifice strong individuals, Jambiun, not at all," Keith clarified, addressing the man's misunderstanding.

His aim in sending two specific members on a mission to Heindal was not to retrieve someone stronger but to undertake a sacrificial role where necessary.

'!?'

"Master, does this mean... Lady Amayara?"