Imperial Turmoil (3)
The fall of the empire was imminent. The gruesome battlefield, drenched in horrific death and rivers of blood, made that painfully clear. Monsters from the Chaos Realm were rampaging unchecked. Meanwhile, the imperial forces and rebel troops were locked in brutal street-to-street fighting that showed no signs of ending.
Ash-choked ruins stretched in every direction. Screams and shouts echoed from all sides. The Valtaria Empire, which had committed countless war crimes under the pretext of eradicating the wicked cultists, was now caught in the inescapable cycle of karmic retribution. To make matters worse, the empire’s ruler was a tyrant who had purged countless political enemies to seize absolute power.
There was no need for guilt. This was simply the empire reaping what it had sown.
“……”
The old man who had turned the empire’s magnificent capital into a living hell slowly raised his head. His gaze was utterly dry and emotionless. Even though this was the moment he was exacting revenge for his slaughtered kin, only a hollow emptiness filled his chest.
“Staff Officer! Ludmilla has appeared again!”
“So she’s finally shown herself.”
A crimson beam of light shot into the pitch-black sky before slamming down onto a monster from the Chaos Realm. A violent impact rang out as the creature lost its balance and collapsed. The Apostles of the Calamity Gods watching the scene turned pale with shock.
It was unbelievable. The Iron Spike Dragon had been felled in a single blow.
The razor-sharp iron spikes that had covered its body like armor melted away under the blazing heat of the red dragon. The sight of the monster screaming as its entire body dissolved struck pure terror into the hearts of the cultists.
“The empire’s Red Dragon…!”
“As expected of one of the Seven Strongest of the Warring States.”
Transcendent power so overwhelming that it erased even the will to fight. The cultists, witnessing Ludmilla’s rampage, lost all desire to resist and began retreating in fear.
─────────!!!
The Iron Spike Dragon, on the verge of death, tried to rise once more using its powerful regenerative abilities. Ludmilla responded with a relentless barrage of strikes, crushing the monster’s windpipe and ending its life. Only two beasts remained. In the blink of an eye, three Iron Spike Dragons had been burned to ash.
She clearly intended to suppress the chaos as quickly as possible and return to the imperial palace. The staff officer signaled the temple knights and ordered them to prepare their trump card.
‘Using a diversionary tactic against a monster who ranks among the Seven Strongest… If this were the old me, I wouldn’t have even considered such suicidal behavior.’
Having spent three years in the Chaos Realm, he knew nothing about the Saintess Party. But he was intimately familiar with the terrifying reputation of the Seven Strongest of the Warring States. The seven supreme martial artists who ruled the continent. The absolute power of these transcendent monsters had shaped the current balance of the world.
The Seven Strongest, who turned every battlefield they entered into mountains of corpses and rivers of blood, were an untouchable sanctuary that no one dared challenge.
“It’s time for the empire’s Red Dragon to fall.”
She was undoubtedly the strongest, but she was not invincible. If the priests of the Calamity Gods poured everything they had into it, they could at least buy some time.
They would cage the Red Dragon.
The passage to the Chaos Realm that had summoned the ferocious Iron Spike Dragons began to stir. At that moment, Ludmilla was completely preoccupied with subjugating the monsters and rescuing the citizens. She had not yet realized that she had been lured straight into the center of the gateway connected to the Chaos Realm.
* * *
After parting ways with Ludmilla, Edanant hurried back to the imperial palace with urgent steps. As expected, the palace had fallen into complete pandemonium.
Nobles hostile to the Valtaria imperial family had launched a rebellion. Just like the city streets where fierce close-quarters combat raged on, the palace had become a battlefield between imperial troops and rebel forces.
“Execute all traitors!”
“Kill the emperor! Kill the emperor!!”
Edanant sprinted down the corridor and drew Aldebaran. He cut down the enemies who had stormed the palace and pushed deeper inside. Every sharp scream he heard made his anxiety spike. What had happened to Elizabetta and Rue?
They might have been trapped in the banquet hall. According to the original plan, Elizabetta and Rue should have been peacefully attending the banquet. That only made him more uneasy.
‘If impure elements who hate the emperor have risen up, they would definitely target the banquet hall first. It’s the perfect opportunity to massacre all the high nobles loyal to the Valtaria imperial family at once.’
As if to prove his grim premonition, the closer he got to the banquet hall, the more rebel soldiers he encountered. Edanant broke through the densely packed troops like a war chariot charging across the battlefield. Soon he was drenched head to toe in blood. Yet he never stopped, advancing in a straight line.
“It’s a Holy Sword user!”
“That bastard’s a monster! Fall back for now!”
When the rebel soldiers retreated, a barricade blocking the banquet hall came into view. It was clearly an obstacle hastily erected by the high nobles to stop the rebels. Edanant leaped high over the barricade in a single bound.
Stunned faces greeted him. As soon as he entered the banquet hall, his eyes met those of nobles dressed in dazzling finery. They clearly never dreamed a rebellion would break out. The small number of knights guarding the hall proved it. Their forces were far too meager to be called the escort for high nobles who wielded near-absolute power.
“Edan! Edan!”
“…Rue.”
A familiar voice reached him. The moment he spotted the girl with light green hair, Edanant let out a sigh of relief. It was Rue. Beside her stood Elizabetta and the Luinong fairies.
They had been surrounded by rebels and isolated in the banquet hall, but thankfully they were unharmed. Edanant approached Elizabetta, bowed respectfully, and quickly checked her condition once more.
“What on earth is going on? Soldiers suddenly burst in and fighting broke out…”
“Nobles hostile to the Valtaria imperial family have staged a rebellion.”
“A-a rebellion?! Who the hell would dare—!”
“You must not act rashly. Staying inside the banquet hall is actually safer for now.”
Fierce clashes between imperial and rebel forces continued outside. Edanant, who lacked the confidence to evacuate so many people at once, asked them to remain where they were. He glanced at the Luinong fairies. The fairies of paradise should be able to create a barrier around the banquet hall. There was no way Broyan would sit idly by while her beloved Luinong were put in danger. If Rue and the Luinong joined hands in prayer, she would surely answer with a miraculous blessing.
“I intend to head to His Majesty the Emperor now.”
“What about Sister Milla?”
“She’s outside dealing with the enemies. She won’t be able to come here for the time being.”
“……”
The empire’s guardian had temporarily left the palace. Through Edanant’s explanation, Elizabetta realized just how dire the situation had become. The nobles who had been confidently expecting the Red Dragon to sweep away all the traitors began murmuring anxiously after hearing his words. Fear spread like a plague among them since they had no idea what was happening outside.
Edanant could understand their feelings. They had always relied on Ludmilla for safety. But there was no time to comfort the nobles now. After holding Rue’s hand and reassuring her, Edanant finally stood up.
“I’m entrusting Her Highness Elizabetta to you.”
“Just leave it to me! I mean… trust our Luinong!”
He made the request with a sincere voice. The tiny fairy puffed out her chest and thumped it proudly, then shrugged her shoulders. It was reassuring. Edanant smiled as he looked at his ever-reliable partner.
“We’re protecting the princess…!”
“If we ask God, she’ll definitely help us!”
In response to Rue’s bold declaration, the Luinong fairies united in spirit and thrust their little fists into the air. Elizabetta gently stroked the heads of the cute and loyal fairies.
“We’ll be fine. So go to Father. Isabel is probably with him too. I’ll try to persuade the nobles somehow.”
“Understood.”
He had no choice but to trust her. He could only leave it in her hands. It was truly an irresponsible and complacent decision. Edanant looked at Elizabetta and Rue with eyes full of anxiety. The reluctance to turn away for the sake of the greater good was almost overwhelming. His shoulders trembled and he bit his lip hard, as if his feet refused to move.
“Don’t worry. It’ll be okay, Edanant.”
“…Yes.”
The platinum-haired princess whispered in a voice brimming with maternal warmth and gently pulled Edanant into her embrace. The warm body heat he felt against his chest melted away the anxiety that had been shaking him so pitifully. He had shown such a pathetic side. Edanant gave a bitter smile and expressed his gratitude to Elizabetta.
* * *
The emperor’s palace, once renowned for its magnificent architecture, was now stained with the blood of countless soldiers. The rebels surged forward like a raging tide. Their goal was to execute the tyrant who had murdered their families and loved ones.
After breaking through numerous obstacles to reach the palace, Edanant immediately requested an audience with Barbarossa. Perhaps because Ludmilla had given prior notice, the imperial knights who had been fiercely blocking the rebels allowed him entry.
“Your Majesty…!”
“Hmm. So you’ve come in Mila’s place.”
Barbarossa, clad in golden armor, greeted Edanant while seated upon his throne. Even as the fate of the Valtaria Empire hung by a thread, the emperor displayed a valiant demeanor. He even wore a treasured sword at his waist, as if ready to personally charge out and annihilate the rebels at any moment.
He wasn’t too late. It was thanks to running without rest. The forces of the Calamity Gods had not yet reached the palace. Edanant let out a silent sigh of relief as he looked at Barbarossa and Isabel.
“Truly courageous. The rebels must have surrounded the palace in layers…”
“From now on, I will guard Your Majesty.”
His body felt heavy from the continuous exertion, but he had to endure. If only to repay the princesses who had placed such boundless trust in him. Edanant accepted the towel Isabel offered and wiped the blood from his face. Sticky blood and bits of flesh clung thickly to the cloth.
“Your Majesty! Princess Isabel!!”
He had planned to catch his breath for a moment, trusting in the imperial knights who guarded the palace like an iron wall. But—
Merciless malice refused to grant him any respite. His seasoned instincts screamed of an ominous feeling that churned his insides. It was the ‘worst crisis’ he had not experienced since the end of the racial war.
─────────!!!
Black lightning struck. The lightning, sharpened like a spear, was more than enough to pierce straight through the palace where the emperor resided. A deafening roar shook the air. The once-solid ceiling collapsed, and massive fragments came crashing down.
“Emperor of the Valtaria Empire, in the name of the Calamity Gods, I deliver divine punishment upon you.”
The hundreds of lightning bolts merged together, forming the shape of a human. It was undoubtedly an Apostle of the Calamity Gods. An eerie, bone-chilling aura radiated from the beautiful black-haired woman. Her skin was deathly pale, like a corpse that had drowned. Yet within her obsidian-black eyes burned a hatred hotter than molten sulfur.
“Are you alright, Your Majesty!”
“It’s the enemy! The lightning struck and she appeared!”
The imperial knights who had been guarding the perimeter drew their swords and rushed into the palace in a panic. Recognizing the black-haired woman as an enemy at first glance, they leveled their sharp blades at her.
The woman extended her hand. The platinum bracelet wrapped around her slender wrist emitted an ominous glow. The moment Edanant witnessed the platinum magical artifact possessed by the Apostle of the Calamity Gods, his face filled with horror. It was as if he had foreseen exactly what would happen next.
“Damn it!”
He quickly drew Aldebaran and unleashed a pure white slash toward the black-haired woman. At the same time, a shockwave powerful enough to pulverize the emperor’s palace—which had stood for hundreds of years—came swirling toward them.