Inside the hall, the battle erupted into a chaotic symphony.
The Sun Emperor was locked in a brutal struggle with the colossal spider; the clash of his blade against its chitinous legs produced a screeching chorus of grinding metal and splintering bone. Meanwhile, Gerald held the Guardian Knight in a stalemate. Between the flashes of their crossing swords, the very air thrummed with a dangerous, heavy vibration.
Yet, in one corner of the battlefield, Selphira remained an island of tranquility. Seated elegantly upon her floating chair, she sipped her tea with agonizing slowness, as if she were a patron at a grand opera.
The Empress approached quietly, a subtle smile playing on her lips. "A lady's afternoon tea can be a lonely affair without a companion, don't you think?"
Selphira blinked, tilting her head with genuine curiosity. "Do you wish to drink with me?"
"I am the Empress of the Great Salaria Empire," the Empress said softly. "Surely, that title is sufficient to earn me a seat at your table."
Selphira let out a soft, melodic chuckle, her tone both composed and haughty. "Heh. Whether you are an Empress, a noble, a beggar, or a slave—as long as your desire to drink with me is sincere, I shall not refuse you."
With a crisp snap of her fingers, an exquisite tea table and an empty chair materialized from the void, descending slowly to the floor alongside her own. The tea set shimmered with a fine luster, and the carved wood of the furniture spoke of a high-born elegance. They would have been a perfect sight in a sun-drenched garden, but here, set against the backdrop of blood and steel, the jarring contrast caused even the Empress to falter for a heartbeat.
The Empress seated herself gracefully. Her gaze swept across the carnage of the battlefield before settling back on the tea set. Her voice remained soft. "The tea is fragrant, yet it lacks cake. Without that 'devil's sweet temptation,' the experience always feels... incomplete."
Selphira's eyes lit up instantly, as if she had found a kindred spirit. "Ah, you're right! I completely forgot!"
She snapped her fingers once more. A silver platter drifted into view and settled upon the table, bearing half a dozen slices of vibrant, intricately crafted cakes. They were more than mere food; they were works of art—delicacies of a refinement that an ordinary person could scarcely imagine.
Selphira began her introductions with casual flair. "These two slices are the signature delicacies from the capital of the Kingdom of Stellara. And those three over there... they're from a nameless little shop in the Kingdom of Aetherion. It truly is a shame—the pastry chefs all perished during the wars."
The Empress stared at the vibrantly colored confections. A cold shiver crawled up her spine, as if those weren't cakes sitting on the silver platter, but fragments of a mountain of corpses. Yet, her smile did not falter. She gracefully picked up a small piece and took a slow, deliberate bite.
"A tragedy indeed," the Empress murmured. "Had they survived, they might have created even more flavors for us to remember."
Selphira let out a girlish giggle, sounding like an innocent child. "Oh, don't you worry! I've collected their bodies and kept them safe. Once I have some free time, I'll refine them into Ghouls. They can keep making cakes for me then—they'll be perfectly obedient and they never, ever get tired."
At those words, a violent chill raced through the Empress, causing her teacup to rattle ever so slightly against the saucer. She composed herself quickly, her voice remaining steady. "Oh? Can they truly maintain their living skills after becoming Ghouls? To produce something this exquisite and delicate?"
Selphira leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, as if sharing a precious secret. "Mm-hmm. If you refine them into High Ghouls, they keep their memories and their sense of touch exactly as they were when they were alive. Plus, they're much easier to manage—no breaks, and absolutely no complaining."
The Empress fell into a brief silence before speaking again. "May I ask you a few questions?"
"Of course," Selphira chirped, her eyes sparkling with delight. "It's so rare to have someone accompany me for tea. I'm in a wonderful mood today. Ask whatever you like."
The Empress hesitated for a heartbeat, her tone becoming slow and cautious. "The unification of the entire continent... is this the will of the Lunar Monarch? Or is it yours?"
Selphira blinked, looking thoughtful, before a bashful yet radiant smile broke across her face.
"Hmm... a bit of both, I suppose. Alvin said he wanted to give me all the most beautiful things in the world."
Her tone dropped slightly, adding with a soft pout, "But so many delicacies and treasures didn't belong to the Kingdom of Lunaris. I wanted more, yet those wretched nations refused to hand them over. Alvin said that a country must prioritize its own treasures, and only the surplus is ever traded away."
Selphira's eyes sparkled, her smile widening into a brilliant, terrifying beam. "So, in order to find more treasures and more fun things, he said we must unify the continent. That way, all resources can be integrated. We can send people to every corner of the world to scavenge, and everything will be given to me first."
She suddenly tilted her head, murmuring like a child, "I think what he said makes so much sense. He really is... so adorable."
The Empress took a deep breath, fighting to suppress the surge of fury rising within her. She took a slow sip of tea, forcing her emotions to stabilize. Her voice remained soft. "This tea... it is truly fragrant."
Selphira smiled triumphantly. "Right? I fell in love with it the first time I tasted it. Afterward, Alvin bought massive stockpiles of tea leaves for me. No matter the occasion, he always puts my preferences first."
The Empress nodded slightly, her tone gentle and probing. "It sounds as though he treats you very well. You must love him dearly. By the way, I heard that you've given birth to a princess? A woman's greatest happiness, they say, is to leave behind a legacy of blood for the one she loves."
Selphira frowned, grumbling under her breath. "That wasn't 'happiness' at all! Last year, when I gave birth to Lunethia, the pain was so intense I thought I was going to die. I truly thought that was the end of me! I never want to experience that ever again."
The Empress smiled, her voice motherly and tender. "Hehe, such is the pain of a woman—it stays with us for a lifetime. But the willingness to endure that pain is the essence of a mother's love for her child. Surely you believe that she will grow up to love you in return?"
Selphira lifted her chin as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, her eyes shining with absolute certainty. "Of course she will. She is my child; naturally, she will love me."
Her voice carried an untouchable arrogance, as if she were declaring a universal law: "Everyone in this world will love me. I am so clever, so beautiful... who could possibly help but love me?"
Those words struck the Empress's heart like a bolt of thunder. Her teacup met the table with a sharp, trembling clack. She looked up, her teeth gritted, and for the first time, her eyes betrayed a violent storm of emotion. Her voice was low but razor-sharp.
"Everyone loves you? You lead an army of magical beasts across the continent, razed dozens of cities, and turned countless civilians into Ghouls! Do you have any idea... those you slaughtered were children born from a mother's agony? And those parents were loved by their children! You... you actually believe that they could possibly love you?"
Selphira's smile remained unshakeable, as if everything were a simple matter of fact. "Some say they hate me with their mouths, but I've heard a saying—'Hate is just another form of love.' Besides, they become so obedient after they turn into Ghouls. That proves that deep down, they actually like me."
The Empress clenched her jaw, her voice nearly failing her. "Do you... do you truly believe that turning everyone into monsters will bring you happiness!?"
Selphira tilted her head, appearing to ponder the question. "Well, I don't want everyone to be a Ghoul; after all, Ghouls aren't very good at making conversation. As for the people I truly love, I'll repair them slowly, turning them back into humans. It takes a bit of time... but..."
Her eyes shimmered with a playful, cunning glint. "Those people who are always cursing and losing their tempers? It's much better for them to be Ghouls. That way, they're well-behaved. No more arguing, no more noise. The world becomes a much more beautiful and peaceful place. Don't you agree?"
The Empress remained silent for a long time. Finally, she rose slowly to her feet. Her voice was deep and heavy with resolve. "Forgive me. My tea is finished. It seems this gathering... should come to an end."
Selphira looked down, murmuring to herself. "I suppose you're right... there is still the matter of occupying Salaria. It wouldn't be good to linger over tea for too long."
She snapped her fingers. The floating table, the cakes, and the tea set dissolved into the shadows, vanishing without a trace.
She looked up, offering the Empress a brilliant smile. "By the way, since we've shared an afternoon tea, that makes us friends from now on."
The Empress stared at the Witch before her, her mind reeling. One moment she was an avatar of pure evil, the next a guileless child; it was impossible to fathom the depths of her mind. Despite the revulsion in her heart, the Empress managed a forced, polite smile.
"Naturally," she replied, the word tasting like ash.
The battle in the grand hall finally reached a tentative standstill, the air thick with the acrid scent of smoke and iron.
The Sun Emperor panted heavily, his body a map of sweat and grime. He drove his longsword upward, plunging it deep into the giant spider's underbelly. Flames erupted along the blade, incinerating the beast from the inside out. In an instant, the monster was reduced to black cinders, leaving only scorched webs drifting in the hollow air like ghostly shrouds.
On the other side, Gerald's expression was grim. He slid across the floor, his spear held low, his eyes as sharp as a hunting hawk's. With a violent, calculated heave, he unseated the Guardian Knight from its phantom steed. Before the armored figure could recover, Gerald lunged, driving the spear-tip straight through its heart. The knight's body tumbled and thrashed in the dust before finally going still, the horse's dying neigh fading into the shadows of the hall.
Selphira blinked, a flash of genuine surprise crossing her features. "It isn't unexpected for a Sun Emperor to defeat a spider beast, but for a mere human to best a Guardian Knight... that is a delightful surprise."
She clapped her hands together with a soft thud, her smile now carrying an indisputable weight of authority. "The tea party is over, and your performance has reached its end. It is time for the curtains to fall."
The Sun Emperor sank to one knee, his body a canvas of wounds. His robes were charred and tattered from the exchange of fire and steel. He leaned heavily on his sword, exhaling a ragged breath, and forced a weary smile. "Ha... I'm getting old... I truly just want to rest for a while..."
Selphira tilted her head, her eyes gleaming with that same terrifying, childlike innocence. "Once I've killed you, you'll be able to rest all you like."
Gerald let out a low, thunderous growl, his voice a mix of fury and disbelief. "There is something seriously wrong with your head! How can you call being dead 'resting'!?"
Selphira appeared to ponder this seriously for a moment before her lips curled into a slight, ethereal grin. "Hmm... is there really a difference?"
The Empress stood silently behind the two men, her gaze cold and solemn. Her voice was a low, steady warning. "You both heard her... she isn't joking. She truly is—far too dangerous."
Gerald tightened his grip on his spear, the battle lust boiling in his veins. He gritted his teeth and hissed, "In that case... come on. Let's help her 'rest' for good!"
"Divine Flame!" the Sun Emperor roared. The holy fire surged through his veins instantly, his robes snapping violently in the heat. He stood like a god of war wreathed in solar flares. "Gerald, no more holding back! Give her everything you've got!"
A faint, defiant smirk touched Gerald's lips. His voice carried a hint of a complaint, but his eyes remained as sharp and predatory as a hunting hawk. "Your Majesty, I've been putting my life on the line since the moment I walked back in here..."
The two men blurred into motion like twin meteors cutting through the void. They charged through the smoke and fire of the grand hall, lunging simultaneously toward Selphira as she hovered in the air. Sword-light, holy fire, and spear-tips interlaced; the very air along their path seemed to splinter and crack. The deafening roar of their charge caused the entire foundation of the palace to shudder.
Selphira gently raised her right hand.
Her movement was elegant and slow, as if she were merely brushing aside a stray breeze. With a slight twitch of her finger, the shadow beneath her began to churn like boiling ink. The pitch-black darkness seeped through the gaps between her fingers, rapidly coalescing into two slender, needle-sharp streaks of gloom. They writhed in the air like living serpents before snapping into a straight trajectory, whistling toward the Emperor and Gerald with lethal velocity.
The Emperor let out a primal yell, the Divine Flame coiling around his longsword. The fire exploded along the blade as he brought it down in a massive, crushing arc!
BOOM—!
The black shadow shattered against the flame, dissipating like torn pieces of a starless night.
But in the heartbeat the shadow broke, the Emperor's pupils suddenly constricted—
Hidden behind the shroud of that collapsing darkness were four longswords made of solid ice!
The blades were perfectly translucent and terrifyingly sharp. Using the shadows as a veil, they had closed the distance without a sound or warning. It was too late to swing his sword back into a guard!
In that fraction of a second—
CLANG!!
A blur of steel spun into place.
Gerald had vaulted in front of the Emperor, his spear rotating at a high-velocity blur like a windmill of iron. The shaft kicked up a violent gale of air, sweeping all four ice swords aside. The frost blades shattered against the spear-shadow, exploding into a cloud of shimmering crystalline dust that rained down like frozen snow.
Selphira's brow arched ever so slightly.
A playful, intrigued smile touched her lips as she breathed out a single word:
"Repel."
The moment the word left her lips—a mountain of invisible force exploded directly in front of Gerald! The very air seemed to compress into a physical wall, slamming into him with the weight of a falling star.
BOOM!!!
Gerald felt a crushing impact against his chest, as if a titan had struck him. His feet began to lift off the ground, the force threatening to hurl him across the hall.
In that heartbeat, the Sun Emperor let out a fierce roar, his Divine Flame erupting once more. The holy fire surged along his blade, forming a blazing shield that braced against the invisible shockwave. The clash between the solar fire and the telekinetic impact created a violent tremor, sending ripples of distorted air through the chamber.
Using that split-second of buffering, Gerald slammed his foot into the stone floor, propelling himself forward like an arrow released from a longbow. He gave Selphira no time to weave a new spell.
His spear whistled through the air, the cold steel point aiming straight for the Witch's throat!
Simultaneously, the Emperor unleashed his Divine Flame again, following up with a massive horizontal slash. Their coordination was like a lightning-strike combo—one high, one low—closing in on the hovering Selphira with the momentum of a falling mountain!
Facing this relentless synchronized assault, Selphira's eyes actually brightened. Her lips curled into a genuine grin.
"What marvelous teamwork," she said, her voice sounding like a patron praising a stage performance. "However..."
She whispered two words:
"Star Ring."
The next instant—RUMBLE!
Countless fragments of stone suddenly levitated from the floor and the ceiling. These boulders, jagged rocks, and splinters were caught in an invisible gravitational pull, beginning to rotate around Selphira at a frantic, blurring speed. The debris formed a violent, swirling orbit of solid stone, reinforced by an unseen energy field.
Gerald's spear slammed into the rotating ring.
CLANG!!
Sparks erupted as the steel met the stone. Despite the lethal force of his strike, the spear only managed to shave a shallow gouge into the thick rock before being deflected.
At the same time, the Sun Emperor's flaming sword crashed down. The fierce Divine Flame exploded against the Star Ring, but the dense, rapidly spinning layers of rock absorbed the heat, scattering the holy fire into a thousand harmless embers.
Both men were struck by a simultaneous jolt of shock.
They had closed the distance, pressing in until they were inches away—there was only one final line of defense left!
"HRAAAGH—!"
The Sun Emperor let out a guttural roar as the Divine Flame within him reached critical mass. Torrential waves of fire erupted from his body like a solar gale; he was attempting to use sheer, absolute heat to incinerate the invisible energy structure of the shield.
On the other side, Gerald gritted his teeth and poured every ounce of his strength into his arms. His spear became a blurring storm of consecutive thrusts—
One strike! Two strikes! Three strikes!
The afterimages of his spear fell like driving rain, a frantic bombardment against the rotating stone shield, desperate to tear even a single crack in the orbital ring.
At the exact moment their combined assault reached its zenith—Selphira softly breathed a single word.
"Disperse."
In a flash—the invisible energy ring that had been protecting her suddenly reversed its polarity! The force that had been defensive instantly became an outward-bursting shockwave!
BOOM!!!!!
The high-speed rotating stone shield disintegrated instantly. Countless boulders were catapulted outward by the energy, shrieking through the air like a storm of meteorites in every direction! The massive rocks tore through the atmosphere with a terrifying, low-pitched howl.
Both men were horrified. But the one in the greatest peril was the Emperor.
Because directly behind him—the Empress stood alone.
If he were to dodge now, the overwhelming barrage of stone would fall upon her with nothing to stand in its way. In that split second, the Sun Emperor did not hesitate.
He spun around violently, bracing his arms over his vitals and turning his body into a living wall of meat and bone before the Empress.
The next moment—the meteor storm crashed home.
CRASH—! RUMBLE—! BOOM—!
A continuous chain of explosions echoed through the hall. The stones, propelled by raw magical energy, slammed into everything in their path. Walls, pillars, and the very floor were pulverized. Splinters and stone shrapnel sprayed everywhere as the entire "Arboreal Chamber" shuddered under the violent impact.
The wooden walls would be smashed into dust, only to frantically knit themselves back together under the Witch's magic; yet before the repair was even complete, the next wave of stone would pierce through them again.
Fracture—repair—fracture—repair.
The entire throne room vibrated in a cycle of destruction and rebirth, as if the very world were struggling to decide whether to stand or collapse.
Finally, the last massive boulder struck the floor with a heavy thud.
The thunderous roar of the impact gradually faded, leaving only the hollow echoes of rolling stones within the dust-choked hall.
Gerald had been hurled through the air by the blast, his body slamming violently against the far wall.
THUD!
He slid heavily to the ground, his chest heaving with ragged gasps. His spear, wrenched from his grip by the shockwave, clattered across the stone floor and rolled to a stop several feet away.
On the other side—the Sun Emperor still stood before Selphira.
Or rather, he was barely holding on.
He was down on one knee, his longsword driven deep into the floor to serve as a desperate crutch. His once-radiant golden armor was a ruin—shattered, webbed with cracks, and missing entire sections that had been sheared off by the barrage.
Fresh blood seeped steadily through the gaps in his plate, dripping rhythmically onto the debris.
Yet, he refused to fall.
Selphira drifted slowly down from the air, her crimson skirts swaying with a haunting grace. She stood before the broken Emperor, looking down at him with a soft, effortless smile, as if she were merely catching up with an old friend.
"There now, Sun Emperor..." she murmured. "Are you ready to surrender?"
The Emperor lifted his head. A faint, strained smile touched the corners of his mouth—a smile that was exhausted, yet remained fiercely proud.
"In your dreams," he hissed through gritted teeth, each word a struggle. "If you want my life... come and take it yourself."
Selphira let out a light, melodic chuckle. "Hehe."
She shook her head slowly, her tone remaining as gentle as a nursery rhyme. "I don't want your life, you silly man—"
She slowly raised her right hand. "What I want... is your Divine Flame."
With a flick of her finger, countless vines erupted from the air. They twisted and knotted with unnatural speed, weaving themselves into a thick, wickedly sharp wooden lance suspended in mid-air.
In the next heartbeat—the lance shot forward like a bolt of lightning!
It streaked straight for the Sun Emperor's chest.
"Your Majesty—!"
The Empress let out a sharp, shattered cry. She didn't pause to think; her body moved before her mind could even process the horror.
In the heartbeat before the wooden lance could impale the Sun Emperor's chest—she flung herself before him.
SQUELCH—!
The gnarled wooden spear drove deep into her chest with brutal force.
Blood sprayed instantly. The Empress's body jolted violently as the lance transfixed her, the crimson liquid slicking down the length of the wood in a steady, grim stream.
Time seemed to freeze within the hall.
—Meanwhile.
Deep within the palace's subterranean network, Rhine was sprinting through a secret passage. The only light came from the flickering, dim glow of wall torches, his frantic footsteps echoing against the damp stone walls.
Suddenly, he skidded to a halt.
A strange, formless weight seemed to tug at his chest—an indescribable sensation, as if the air had suddenly turned ice-cold, or as if an invisible hand had gently squeezed his heart.
Rhine frowned, his breath hitching. He turned back toward the direction of the palace. His gaze tried to pierce through the endless darkness of the tunnel, as if trying to see back into the throne room.
"Father... Mother..." he murmured under his breath. "Why hasn't Gerald brought them to the rendezvous yet?"
He stood there, hesitating for a long moment. "Maybe... maybe I should go back and check?"
The words had barely left his mouth before he shook his head. "No... I promised Gerald I'd wait for him at the exit."
He looked down, falling into a tense silence. Slowly, his small fists tightened until his knuckles turned white.
"But..." he whispered, his voice trembling slightly. "That guy Gerald... he lies to me every single day."
There was a hint of childish frustration in his voice, but it was buried under a layer of uncontrollable dread. "I have to go see for myself... Father... Mother..."
His breathing grew ragged and fast, fueled by a sudden, desperate resolve. "That's right... if they're really in danger, I can help!"
He snapped his head up, his eyes wide. "I've been training so hard every day! I know I can be of use!"
As if trying to summon courage from the air or convince himself of a lie he desperately needed to believe, Rhine gritted his teeth. He spun around, abandoning the path to safety.
He began to run—not away from the danger, but straight back toward the throne room. His footsteps thundered through the passage, growing faster and more frantic with every second.
"Father!! Mother!!"
"Please, just hold on—!!"
"Wait for me!!!"