The Eminence of a True Monarch of the Shadows

[Third Person's PoV] 

As Cid and Esil approached the grand dining hall, they were greeted by the sight of Claire sitting at a long, ornately carved table, shamelessly stuffing her face with food. The Demon Knights stationed around her exchanged wary glances, clearly unsure whether to be amused or alarmed by her unabashed gluttony.

Claire, noticing the two enter, looked up mid-bite. Her eyes landed on Esil, who now wore a radiant smile, her earlier exhaustion replaced with a refreshed but slightly weary expression. A faint limp betrayed the strain from their prior encounter.

"Well, well," Claire drawled, her lips quirking upward in a teasing smirk. "I was only joking, but you actually went and did it, huh? You don't waste any time, do you, little bro?"

Esil turned bright red, her gaze darting downward in embarrassment. Cid, on the other hand, let out a long-suffering sigh as he plopped down beside his sister, motioning for Esil to join them.

"Why are you still eating?" Cid scoffed, watching her shovel another helping onto her plate. "You should've been done ages ago."

"The food here is amazing," Claire retorted, holding out a plate toward him with a mischievous grin. "You should try some."

Cid's expression remained unimpressed as he muttered under his breath, "Fatass."

Unfortunately for him, Claire's sharp ears caught his comment. Without missing a beat, she kicked him hard under the table, her face a mix of annoyance and amusement.

Esil chuckled at their antics, the tension easing slightly. "So, she's your sister?" she asked with a soft smile.

Cid rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately."

Claire's gaze sharpened, her tone dripping with mock sweetness. "You know, if you ever wake up with a sword in your chest, don't act confused. You'll know exactly why."

"Charming, isn't she?" Cid remarked dryly, a faint chuckle escaping him.

Esil, however, could only stare at the two, horrified. 'She literally just threatened to kill him in his sleep... How is that charming?' she thought, sweat forming on her brow.

Shifting the topic, Esil hesitantly asked, "If I may… are you two planning on killing the Demon King?"

The room fell silent. Gasps of shock echoed from the Demon Knights surrounding Esil. One stepped forward, his voice laced with panic. "Your Majesty, please!"

Another added urgently, "Be careful what you say!"

Esil raised her hand, silencing her retinue with an authoritative gesture. Though they obeyed, their unease was palpable. She turned back to Cid, awaiting his response.

"Nope," Cid said casually, leaning back and grabbing a juicy piece of meat from the table.

"Eh?" Esil blinked, caught off guard by his nonchalant tone.

"It's just Claire," he continued, gesturing lazily toward his sister. "I'll have no part in it."

Esil's head snapped toward Claire, her confusion evident. "Wait… Are you saying she's the one who'll defeat the Demon King?"

Claire's grin widened as a glint of her oppressive energy briefly flickered to life. "Got a problem with that?" she asked, her voice dangerously calm.

Esil shrank back, shaking her head furiously. 'She's definitely his sister,' Esil thought, gulping nervously.

"It's not that I doubt you," Esil said quickly, "but the Demon King has already died once and returned. What's stopping him from doing it again? Have you thought this through?"

Claire's expression softened slightly, sensing Esil's genuine fear. "Don't worry," she assured her. "Cid's already figured out how to stop him. He's taken down three Monarchs so far."

Esil's eyes widened in awe as she turned to Cid. "Three Monarchs? How?"

"They rely on their essence for revival," Cid explained matter-of-factly. "I transferred that essence to others, ensuring they could never return."

"So you're planning to give Lord Baran's essence to Claire?" Esil asked.

"Exactly," Cid confirmed, "but only after she proves herself by defeating him on her own."

Claire pouted. "I've already killed a Monarch, you know. I even gained a title for it called the 'Monarch Slayer.'"

Cid scoffed. "All you did was land the finishing blow after everyone else did the work."

Ignoring the jab, Esil leaned forward eagerly. "Can I watch the fight?"

One of the Knights stepped forward as he said, "Forgive me for intruding in the conversation your majesty, but you still have a duty as our queen, we still can't allow you to simply put yourself in danger." 

Esil looked at her knights with a serious expression, "Your right, I do have a duty as your queen. And as such it is my duty to make sure we are free from that Tyrants rule. We have lived under his thumb long enough, So even if it kills me I will have to see this through" 

"Your Majesty…" Some of the knights muttered with a sad look behind their helmets. 

The Knight that stepped up let out a sigh, "I will only be insulting your resolve if I try and stop you any further… Your father would be proud, Your Majesty" The Knight bowed. 

Esil had a sad smile before looking towards Claire and Cid with a determined expression, "Please allow to bare witness of his end" 

Claire shrugged, "Sure I don't mind" 

Esil let out a sigh of relief, "Thank you…" She said as she stood up and walked away. 

A few minutes later she returned dressed in her armor, the same gold and red armor she wore when she met Jinwoo and in her hand was the parchment to go to the next floor. 

Claire wiped her mouth and stood up along with Cid. Esil handed the paper to Claire as she said, "I'm ready whenever you are" 

Claire grabbed the parchment and said, "Good, because I have a full belly and I'm raring to go. Stand close" 

Cid and Esil went and got close to her before Claire used the Parchment she looked at her knights, "I leave the protection of the castle in your hands" 

They all pressed their fist by their chest bowed in acknowledgment of Esil's orders. And just like that the three of them disappeared from where they stood. 

They appeared on the 81st floor of the Tower, Claire looked towards Cid and asked, "Do you have any friends here?" 

"Nope, you can go all out," Cid said with a smile. 

"Good" Claire said with a large grin as she walked ahead 

Esil then looked towards Cid as she asked, "If you don't mind me asking, just how strong is your sister truly?" 

Cid snapped his fingers and the air around them solidified into a protective sphere that began to fly up and follow Claire, "You'll see soon enough. 

Esil looked down and noticed black lightning surrounding Claire, the lightning intensified until it became a giant arc that engulfed her entire body and the area around her. 

Claire then made a swiping up motion and her aura of lightning shot up into the air, it struck a cloud which began absorbing all of the lightning and growing in both size and power. 

The Cloud grew so large it transformed the floor into nighttime, the only source of light being Claire and the flashing lightning. 

Esil had a look of absolute fear as she felt all of the accumulating power around her. 

Claire eyes turned pitch black as arcs of lightning flashed out from them. And she began to levitate off the ground. 

Her extended her hand outward as she in an echoing voice, "I call this move, The Wrath of the Lightning Goddess" 

She then made a downwards swiping motion with her extended hand and a massive pillar of lightning ripped through the air. Claire appeared to be the size of an ant in the middle of her attack. 

The lightning struck first, and the sound of it followed after it. Everything on the 81 floor was decimated and ripped into oblivion, all that was visible was the shadows of the buildings and Demon monsters before they crumbled where not even the ash remained. 

Claire floated back down and the cloud began to dissipate, the first ray of the sun shining down on her and at the empty space she created. 

Esil was on the floor of the air bubble, her eyes shaking with horror, "I… I think I just peed a little" 

Cid only just smiled, "That is the true power of the Goddess of Black Lightning"