A Black Shadow Falls Over the Imperial Capital (2)

By the time we finally returned to Cumul Territory after our long, winding journey, the atmosphere of the estate was in complete disarray.

The servants' attitudes hovered somewhere between helpless indecision and barely contained anxiety. These were people who had spent years in their posts, vetted under Ellie's watchful eye for both competence and integrity — for them to be throwing the whole household into such disorder meant something truly unusual had happened.

"Edgar!"

Ellie immediately went looking for the head butler. At her call, the maids and every other member of the staff abandoned their duties and rushed to report the situation to him, and Edgar, summoned by the servants, hurried over to us.

Ellie asked him directly. "What on earth is going on here? Why is the entire household in such an uproar?"

Her words were composed, but the sentiment beneath them was surely the opposite — so even you have your days of slipping up. And when she asked it with the faintest smile on her lips, Edgar's answer drained the color from both her face and mine.

"...Did you just say a Summons Decree?"

"Yes, my lord, I regret to say it is true. You must make haste in preparing to depart for the imperial palace at once."

Yeon-i, being from another country, had no grasp of what those words actually meant, so I quickly explained what kind of situation we were in. It was essentially the declaration of martial law a nation issues in times of dire emergency — and a privilege the Emperor could wield only once in his entire reign. The scope depended on how far the summons extended, though...

I asked Edgar without delay. "How many of the four families have been summoned?"

At my question, Edgar's face went ghostly white. "All four of them, my lord."

"...!!!"

The moment we realized this was no ordinary affair, we pushed through our travel fatigue and had the Cumul family carriage prepared, ready to depart for the palace at once.

Of course, Yeon-i — a Sword Master herself — insisted that with her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠along, any situation would go smoothly, and begged to be taken with us.

"What are you even saying? Of course you're coming with us."

Partly because she was my lover, but more fundamentally, she was a Sword Master. She was certainly weaker than her disciple and teacher — but the rank of Sword Master was hardly something easily attained. At her level of skill, bringing her was simply the right call. If I ever had to leave my post, I could trust Ellie and Yeon-i to hold the line with their blades.

Next was Seul-i. She had no right to refuse. She, too, was the 8th Successor of the Azure Dragon, and attendance was mandatory. Naturally, she accepted the bow I handed her and began preparing for the journey to the imperial court.

It pained me to drag her along, but there was no helping it. Edgar himself admitted that the decree said nothing of why we were being summoned — so racing straight to the capital was the best available choice.

We changed our clothes, mounted the carriages as they arrived, and within roughly two hours had finished every preparation and set out for the palace. This meant leaving Cumul Territory empty for more than two weeks, but there was no alternative. Gathering all four families together meant only one thing: the nation stood on the brink of annihilation.

And so we raced toward the imperial palace. Unlike the leisurely pace of our trip to report to the Emperor, there would be no rest along the way. Swapping horses and carriages without pause, our single highest priority was reaching the capital as fast as possible.

Naturally, the lords of the smaller cities and the mid- and large-sized territories all recognized the Summons Decree we carried and responded with whatever support we needed, letting us change carriages ever faster and reach the Holy Empire far sooner than expected.

It had been four days since we stopped briefly in Cumul Territory and boarded a carriage bound for the capital. Compared to the week our previous journey had taken, we had arrived at breakneck speed.

At last, the final forest on the road to the capital gave way to the capital's gorgeous, familiar scenery filling my eyes — but the situation inside the palace was sure to be something else entirely.

Just what kind of crisis could it be... to summon the four Successors and the heads of the four families that supported them...

At the checkpoint into the capital itself, the Imperial Charter issued alongside the Summons Decree let us pass through with no inspection whatsoever. At the palace gates it was the same — the Charter allowed us to bypass the queue of waiting carriages and enter without a single question.

Ellie pressed thirty copper coins, ten silver, and one gold into the coachman's hand and asked him to look after the carriage, and only then could we finally set foot inside the palace.

The imperial chamberlain's face brightened at the sight of us, and he ushered us inside. We asked him straight away.

"How many of the Successors have arrived so far?"

At our question, the chamberlain answered. "At present, only Lady Beryl Sicyurin, Successor of the White Tiger, has arrived."

It seemed she had already completed the Attestation before the Emperor, for the chamberlain himself acknowledged her as the White Tiger's Successor.

Just as we were about to enter the capital proper —

The man in black guiding us spoke. "Follow me."

A Shadow...

Because I knew exactly what he was, I wasn't particularly surprised. But the three ladies behind me looked quite startled. Seul-i especially — she was so rattled she plastered herself right up against Yeon-i's side.

"Please, do not be alarmed. I am one of His Majesty's Shadows."

The Shadows — the name given to the intelligence-focused espionage organization maintained by successive Emperors. The 'Crows' that Crow founded — the ones who had weathered the Tide of Corruption alongside me — were inspired by these Shadows. Though, of course, the Crows also handled assassination.

"His Majesty has commanded that you Successors — all of you — be brought to him."

'All' of us, hm... How much did they actually know?

"Fine. We understand."

When I answered, the Shadow asked us to wait a moment, then began chanting something over the very ground we stood on. It was something like a Trait — a skill unique to the Shadows that conjured a temporary passage, letting the caster travel instantly to a destination of their choosing simply by speaking an incantation.

It looked less like an impressive ability and more like outright cheating, but as I understood it, the drawbacks were severe enough that they never used it carelessly. The passage lasted only a very short time, and opening one took far longer than you'd expect. Worse, after a single use the caster's mana circuits were guaranteed damage at minimum — likely internal injuries, and in the worst case, a completely destroyed magic circuit. It was a skill that demanded great caution.

Yet the Shadows still used it for one reason, and one reason only: an overwhelming advantage that swallowed all those flaws whole. It allowed them to monopolize information.

At length—

"The passage is open. We will now proceed."

At the Shadow's word, we nodded, and I told Yeon-i to hold Seul-i's hand tightly. And just as Yeon-i clasped Seul-i's hand, the world flipped upside down, we passed through a space of pure black — and suddenly we had arrived at the audience chamber.

The doorkeeper recognized who we were and opened the doors immediately so we could reach the Emperor without delay. As they swung open, I saw the Emperor seated in the place of highest honor, looking utterly haggard, with the First Prince and First Princess seated side by side at his flank.

Except...

What is this? I almost didn't recognize her — that was the same woman who had been tearing her little brother apart not so long ago, and now she was managing her expression like a seasoned diplomat. And when my gaze dropped a little lower, Beryl Sicyurin — the white-haired 6th Successor of the White Tiger — came forward to greet us.

Given her personality, a smile should have been the bare minimum—

"Master."

She looked at me with a grave, solemn expression. From her face alone, I confirmed it: whatever this matter was, it was deadly serious.

First things first — greetings to the Emperor.

"We humbly stand before the supreme sovereign of the Holy Empire, the Sun and his descendants."

Seeing the Emperor nod, I lowered myself into a respectful bow.

The Emperor, noticing that our party outnumbered Sicyurin's, spoke. "Successor of the Azure Dragon."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"This matter is one of grave danger and deep uncertainty. If you wish to protect your companions even now, send back any who can be sent back."

The Emperor's gaze shifted toward Seul-i as he finished. But Seul-i, too, was a Successor who had inherited the Azure Dragon's power. She was of the dragon-blooded lineage, set to carry on the dragon's legacy after me. Her presence here was entirely proper, so I spoke quietly.

"Your Majesty, as difficult as it may be to believe, she is also a Successor."

"...I see. News from House Cumul has already reached me. Two Successors of a single Divine Beast in the same era... That is undoubtedly a blessing, and yet I find I cannot summon a single smile."

The Emperor cast a glance at Yeon-i as well, and perhaps having sensed something of her aura, said nothing about her and continued.

"The Successor of the White Tiger was informed in advance, so she will know — the Successor of one of the Four Perils has set his sights on the First Princess."

The Emperor's story was an unending parade of the unbelievable. A demon had infiltrated the imperial palace. The Successor of Taowu intended to move to take the Princess as his concubine.

Of course, the Emperor knew full well what would happen if she fell into the Taowu Successor's hands. 'Concubine' was just the polite word for it — the message underneath was plainly, 'Your daughter's quite the beauty. May I keep her as a plaything?' And more than that, it was nothing short of a threat: comply with our notification and our demand, or prepare for death. He simply found her beautiful, and he was going to take her.

Naturally, the Emperor had no intention whatsoever of handing over his own daughter. The Summons Decree was his gambit to protect the Princess and defend the Empire.

The Princess ranked below the First Prince, but she was a legitimate heir to the throne. If the First Prince vanished, she would be next in line; and if she were gone as well, then naturally the youngest of the imperial children — Sion — would have to take the crown. There was no chance the Emperor would ever let things escalate that far, and so summoning us was the obvious result.

Before long, Rare of House Ignit, along with Fairy and Khan of House Flott, entered the audience chamber. I exchanged a brief greeting with Khan through a quick message, and then watched both Rare and Fairy's faces turn ashen as they absorbed the Emperor's words.

I suppose I was no different when I first heard it. After all, how could it feel any different from being told that a Successor of the Four Perils intended to abduct someone?

And so, once everyone had assembled, the Emperor began the discussion in earnest.

"The demon gave me seven days when he delivered his ultimatum. Successors — can you protect the First Princess?"

Honestly? I couldn't say for certain. The battlefield would be the capital itself — I had to weigh the fallout of trading blows in the heart of the city, along with the disadvantages we would suffer for it. And the Successor of Taowu was, next to the Successor of Qiongqi, the most terrifyingly powerful of them all — so strong that alone, as I stood now, I could never hope to face him. It was a battle where we would need at least three or more people on him to stand any chance, and that made it impossible to give the Emperor a confident answer.

Besides — not to dismiss anyone, but among the current Divine Beast Successors, only Khan and I could even contend with him. Sicyurin, Rare, and Seul-i each stood at a lower realm; even if their Traits had completed their first evolution, they still fell short of Khan and me, who had already evolved and grown comfortable with our power. Judging by the Status Window, Rare had managed her first evolution but not long ago. Sicyurin, still lacking experience, hadn't even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠found a hint of evolution, let alone completed the first one.

I had no choice but to look at this coldly, and I believed this cold judgment was the correct one. In this battle, the instant a single foot slipped — we would plunge off a cliff and die. How could anyone choose carelessly, when every life present hung in the balance and a single person's fate might be decided?

Those two Sword Masters could hold their own against ranked demons, but beyond that, it was too much for them. If the Successor of the Four Perils weren't meeting scum like Florence, they'd be a truly formidable existence. Unlike the ranked demons, the Perils' Successors still wore human bodies, so they lacked that oppressive pressure emanating from the higher-ranked demons' fully demonic forms — but at the very least, they could radiate killing intent toward their target and inspire genuine terror.

I didn't know whether my famed blade, [Guardian Star], could carry through against even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠their psychological assault — but even setting that aside, martial prowess simply could not match an Authority. This wouldn't be a mere duel of sword against sword; it would be a storm of attacks where Authorities and weapons collided and interwove.

So even though we had received the Summons Decree, in this battle, those who should stay out had to stay out. The priority was to hold him with the fewest possible people — concentrating our strength to forge a minimal defensive line.

Having heard me out, the Emperor nodded slowly.

"Yes... I understand. I am not such a fool of a king as to command the present Successors to throw away their lives."

"I intend to station the 8th Successors of the Vermilion Bird, the White Tiger, and the Azure Dragon on the first defensive line, to initially repel the demons' advance and assault. Can you do it?"

From the Emperor's position, it truly was the last resort. If the Princess could not be protected, then the order was to eliminate Taowu and the demons who followed him — an order that could easily have wounded Rare's, Sicyurin's, and Seul-i's pride.

But they accepted the Emperor's command without hesitation. Moreover, the two Sword Masters, Ellie and Yeon-i, would serve as the final bastion — staying at the Princess's side, sharing her chambers to keep her protected. Since they were all women, it was presumably judged that this would pose no great inconvenience to daily life.

And finally, the twin pillars of our fighting force — Khan and I. We would hold the Successor of Taowu first and foremost.

And so, each of us to our assigned post, we had no choice but to prepare for the coming day of reckoning.

First of all, I was unable to share a room with Ellie and Yeon-i. They had taken on the role of close-protection bodyguards to the First Princess, so apart from training hours and mealtimes, I couldn't see them at all.

Still, during training hours I sparred with them, and I had Ellie teach me one of the remaining forms of the Imperial Sword Style, working out more ways to counter the Successor of Taowu.

And so time flew, the week racing past — until, at last, the appointed hour arrived: the time the Successor of Taowu had declared he would come for the First Princess. We divided our personnel and took our positions.

According to the Emperor, the demon had rendered his own body invisible to slip inside, and had vanished again by turning transparent once more — so we had to wait in the First Princess's chambers as long as possible.

That said, since I couldn't predict whether the demon would attack the Emperor upon hearing his refusal, I volunteered for the role of protecting him. If the Emperor and I withdrew into the audience chamber and presented our refusal to the waiting demon, every other defender was to guard the First Princess, evacuate her to safety as smoothly as possible, and block the Successor of Taowu.

Soon, in the center of the audience chamber, a black whirlpool spun open, and a passage thick with ominous mana yawned wide. The moment it did, he appeared — blue hair, blue eyes, and horns atop his head that flaunted his race without a shred of shame.

Ranked 21st among the demons — Morax revealed himself in the audience chamber.

Seeing me, Morax frowned and spoke. "What... is the meaning of this? You were told to give your answer... I don't recall being told to stand against us...?"

At Morax's words, the Emperor replied with an air of majestic severity. "No — this is my answer. I cannot... no, I will not hand my daughter over to him."

"So... I suppose I've been living far too gently lately... Because right now, I'm hearing that you'd rather die... isn't that right?"

"Can you kill me?"

Even with a demon baring his weapon before him, the Emperor showed not a trace of fear — he simply muttered that one line and watched Morax in stoic silence. That, surely, was how much he trusted me.

"...Ha! You think I can't?"

Morax advanced on us slowly, drew his sword, and in a flash brought it down from above to split the Emperor's skull — but I had already drawn the Guardian Star and snapped into a guarding stance, and his attack ended in pathetic failure.

— CLANG!

He bore down on my blade with all his weight, clearly intending to grind through it and cut me down along with the Emperor — but there was a reason blades earned the name of famed swords, and mine didn't so much as tremble, weathering his strength and holding firm.

"Doesn't look like you can. Think you can handle me with slashes like that?"

Provoking him like that, needling his temper—

"You vermin! Just wait until Lord Taowu's Successor arrives — see what becomes of you then!!!"

"Well, if he's at your level, let's see how I hold up against the one I've been waiting for."

"...You son of a—!"

The instant Morax, no longer able to contain himself, moved to unleash his fury on me—

A voice of impossibly low register rolled through the audience chamber, and I felt something walking slowly toward the Emperor and me.

"Expecting me... So you've been waiting for me, foreigner?"

Morax, who had been carrying on his conversation with me, retreated backward and knelt on one knee in a posture of reverence beside a man who was gradually revealing himself.

The man who emerged had dark green hair and looked, frankly, like a degenerate thug.

Prepared for anything, I flooded my entire body with tension at once.

"No answer, huh. I asked you a question. Did you wait for me? You piece of shit."

"....."

"Haah... I'm supposed to go see my new bride, so I'll let it slide for now. So — Morax? Where's the First Princess?"

At the Taowu Successor's words, Morax couldn't get a single word out — only cold sweat poured down his face.

— CRUNCH!

"GAAAAAHHH!!!"

When Morax failed to answer, the Taowu Successor crushed his hand to splinters and asked, "Not answering? What is it I hate again?"

Then he lowered his stance, seized Morax by the collar, hoisted him into the air, and asked again. Morax, his face twisted with terror, hurriedly spat out a reply.

"It is... when... when I fail to answer Lord Successor's question...!"

The Taowu Successor, who had been idly patting Morax's cheek, smacked him hard in a single flash and asked once more.

"You know the rules so well, huh? Last time I'm asking. So — where is the First Princess?!"

"Th-that's... His Majesty... says he cannot give up his daughter..."

He had been barking at Morax, hanging on his every word — and the moment he heard the answer, his expression crumpled in an instant as his gaze swung to us.

"What? Haha... did I fucking hear that right? Hey, Emperor. Is that true, what he just said?"

He hurled Morax across the room with such force that he slammed into the wall, and his gaze was now fixed on the Emperor. The Emperor struggled to endure the killing intent pouring off him in waves, but it was far beyond anything he could withstand — so I bled out a trickle of the Authority of Purification, shaped so that only the Emperor was touched by it.

Feeling somewhat steadier, the Emperor raised his head once more and, clearly and deliberately, conveyed his refusal to the Taowu Successor.

"I cannot give you my daughter."

Hearing the Emperor's answer, the man bowed his head for a moment — then began unleashing a torrent of monstrous mana directly at us. Mana so laced with malice that the Emperor would have vomited blood almost instantly if it touched him. I stretched out my hand and met it head-on with the Authority of Purification.

"...Fuck. Ha! So you all think I'm a joke...? Fine. If you're stronger than me, I can accept that. So then — are you stronger than me? Doesn't look like it."

Pointing a finger straight at me, the Taowu Successor began to mock me, jeering that I was weak.

"Trusting that piece of garbage... and stepping up in front of me... You've got some serious guts, don't you? So then — those guts... let me rip them out of you."

As he spoke, he sheathed his fist in mana of a sickening hue and came at the Emperor at full speed. To block the incoming strike, I had the Emperor duck behind the throne, then drew the Guardian Star from my waist in a flash and caught his fist with my blade.

— KWAANG!

Fist against blade — and yet the punch carried a destructive force that shook the whole chamber, still driving toward the Emperor, so I kindled Sword Flame along the edge and shook him off.

"Hey, Emperor. Get lost. I'll spare you for his sake — move, before I change my mind."

I gave the Emperor a small nod over my shoulder, and he quickly began moving to escape the chamber.

There wasn't even a moment to spare for the message flashing across my Status Window — the Taowu Successor was already on me with a blinding flurry of attacks. I swung my blade in desperate arcs, fending off fists wreathed in flame that would kill me with a single graze.

"Hey. Who told you to watch only my fists?"

"...What?"

— KWAANG!

A fist of fire came crashing down over my head; I twisted out of the way as the audience chamber was reduced to rubble, and before I knew it, the Taowu Successor was right beside me.

"Die, you piece of shit."

He drove a kick straight into my chest.

"Kgh—!"

Even blocking it with my sword's hilt, the shock tore through me and slammed me bodily into the wall.

"Haah... haah..."

I wrapped the Authority of Lightning around my whole body, ready to mount a counterattack — but by then, the Taowu Successor was already gone. He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had no doubt moved on to hunt for the First Princess.

Thankfully, the Princess's chambers could only be revealed through the capital's hidden mechanisms. That much was a mercy — but since I had no way of knowing when he might find the room, I had to shake off the pain and get up, fast.

"How is he this fast..."

My face twisted of its own accord.

— Heave!

"Ugh! Hahk!"

Something surged up from my stomach and I vomited it out. My mouth was flooded with the taste of blood — I had taken internal injuries.

But there was no time to rest. I had to chase after him immediately. If he was beyond me, then everyone else was even more hopelessly outmatched — that much was written plainly on the situation. So I dragged myself up, staggered out of the ruined audience chamber, and gave chase.