LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 56
The fall of the Empire is imminent.
The site of a gruesome death was evident.
Monsters from the Chaos Realm are rampaging.
And street battles between the Empire’s army and the rebels keep repeating.
Ashes now cover the ruins.
Shouts and screams echo from all directions.
The Valtarian Empire, which committed war crimes under the pretext of suppressing the evil cultists, has fallen into the cycle of karma. Moreover, the ruler of the Empire is none other than a tyrant who has purged countless rivals in a bid for absolute power.
There’s no need to feel guilty.
It’s merely returning the sins committed until now.
“……”
The old man who turned the great capital of the Empire into a hellscape lifted his head.
He cast a dry gaze.
Even at the moment of enacting revenge for his fellow countrymen, he only felt emptiness.
“Commander! Ludmilla has reappeared!”
“…Finally showing up.”
A brilliant crimson beam shot up into the pitch-black sky and struck a monster from the Chaos Realm. With a thunderous crash, the creature lost its balance and fell.
The apostles of the Disaster God who were watching the scene went pale.
Unbelievable.
A Steel Nail Dragon fell in a single blow.
The sharp metal shards that had surrounded the dragon melted under the blaze of the Red Dragon. The sight of the monster’s body melting and screaming in agony drew fear from the cultists.
“The Empire’s Red Dragon…!”
“Truly a part of the Seven Heroes of the Warring States.”
Unfathomable power can erase even enemies.
Seeing Ludmilla rampaging, the cultists seemed to have lost the will to fight and began to retreat.
──────!!!
The wounded Steel Nail Dragon attempted to rise, demonstrating strong regenerative ability. But Ludmilla followed up with relentless attacks, cutting off the beast’s breath.
Two monsters remained.
In a matter of moments, three Steel Nail Dragons were burned to death.
After swiftly suppressing the chaos, she must be intending to return to the Imperial Palace. The commander signaled the Priest-Knights to prepare a secret weapon.
“To bait monsters from the Seven Heroes… this would have been a suicidal act I wouldn’t have dared to consider before.”
Having spent three years in the Chaos Realm, he knew nothing about the Saintess Party.
However, he was well aware of the infamous name of the Seven Heroes.
The seven powerful beings that commanded the continent.
It was their overwhelming power that completed the current balance of power. Every time they participated in a battlefield, they transformed it into a bloodbath, a sacred place that should never be opposed.
“It’s time for the Empire’s Red Dragon to fall.”
While she is indeed the strongest, she is not invincible.
If the priests of the Disaster God concentrate their efforts, it might buy some time.
They would trap the Red Dragon.
The pathway connected to the Chaos Realm, which summoned those wicked Steel Nail Dragons, began to shift.
Currently, Ludmilla was busy battling monsters and rescuing citizens. Thus, she didn’t realize she had entered the very center of the connected pathway.
*
Separated from Ludmilla, Edanant rushed into the Imperial Palace.
As expected,
The palace was in a state of chaos.
Nobles opposing the Valtarian Imperial Family had rebelled. Like the fierce hand-to-hand combat in the streets, fighting between the Empire’s army and the rebels intensified within the palace.
“Kill all the traitors!”
“Kill the Emperor! Kill the Emperor!!”
As Edanant dashed through the halls, he drew Aldebaran. He continued to slay the enemies that had raided the palace as he pushed further inside.
What happened to Elizabeta and Rue?
Each sharp scream heightened his anxiety.
They might have been isolated in the banquet hall. If everything had gone as planned, Elizabeta and Rue would have been attending the banquet snugly. That’s why he felt even more uneasy.
“If those subversive elements, who hate the Emperor, have staged a rebellion, they will surely target the banquet hall specifically. It’s the perfect chance to massacre the loyal great nobles of the Valtarian Imperial Family all at once.”
As if to prove his ominous intuition, the number of rebel soldiers increased as he approached the banquet hall. Edanant pushed through the tightly packed troops like a war chariot.
He was soon drenched in blood.
But Edanant did not stop and moved straight ahead.
“He’s a Holy Sword wielder!”
“That guy is a monster; fall back!”
As the rebel soldiers retreated, he spotted barricades blocking the entrance to the banquet hall. They were certainly obstacles hastily set up by the great nobles to stop the rebels.
He leaped significantly, clearing the barricades.
Dazed faces were revealed.
Once inside the banquet hall, he locked eyes with nobles clad in extravagant attire.
Surely, they never dreamed the rebels would rise like this.
A small number of knights guarding the banquet hall was far too inadequate to deter the overwhelming power of the great nobles.
“Edan! Edan!”
“…Rue.”
A familiar voice reached his ears.
Seeing the girl with light green hair, Edanant let out a sigh of relief.
It was Rue.
And next to her were Elizabeta and Luinong.
Though they were surrounded by the rebels and isolated in the banquet hall, they were thankfully unharmed. Edanant approached Elizabeta, bowing slightly as he carefully assessed their situation once more.
“What on earth is going on? Suddenly, soldiers rushed in, and a fight broke out…”
“Nobles opposed to the Valtarian Imperial Family have rebelled.”
“B-betrayal?! Who the hell are these guys…!”
“We must not act recklessly. It’s actually safer in the banquet hall.”
The fierce clashes between the Empire’s army and the rebels continued. Edanant, not confident in evacuating many people at once, pleaded with them to stay put.
He gazed at Luinong.
If they are the Fairies of Paradise, they should be able to create a barrier around the banquet hall. Broyan wouldn’t stand idly by while the precious Luinong were in danger. If Rue and the Luinongs prayed together, they would surely receive help through a miracle.
“I’m heading to His Majesty the Emperor from now on.”
“What about my sister Mila?”
“She’s out there facing the enemies. So, she won’t be able to come for now.”
“……”
The guardian of the Imperial Family was momentarily absent from the palace. Elizabeta, understanding the dire situation through Edanant’s explanation, began to grasp the critical circumstances.
The nobles who had been looking forward to the Red Dragon sweeping away the rebel horde began murmuring in anxiety upon hearing Edanant’s words. Completely unaware of the situation outside, fear spread among them like an infection.
The feelings of the nobles were understandable.
They had always entrusted their safety to Ludmilla until now.
But there was no time to soothe the nobles now.
Holding onto Rue’s hand to comfort her, Edanant finally rose.
“Elizabeta, I’ll leave it to you.”
“Trust in me! No… trust in our Luinongs!”
He earnestly made his request.
Then, a tiny fairy patted her chest and shrugged her shoulders.
So reliable.
Looking at the partner who had always supported him, he smiled.
“It’s about protecting the princess…!”
“God! I’m sure if we ask God, He will grant our request!”
Rue’s spirited demeanor resulted in the Luinongs raising their fists in unison. Elizabeta lovingly patted the heads of the cute and loyal fairies.
“We’ll be fine. So go see His Majesty. Isabel might also be there. I’ll do my best to persuade the nobles somehow.”
“Understood.”
There was no choice but to trust them.
He could only leave it to them.
It was truly an irresponsible and complacent decision.
Looking at Elizabeta and Rue with anxious eyes, Edanant found it hard to bid them farewell for the sake of a greater cause. His feet wouldn’t move, shaking shoulders biting tightly into his lip.
“Don’t worry. It’ll be all right, Edanant.”
“…Yes.”
The Platinum Princess whispered softly with maternal affection, drawing Edanant into a gentle embrace. The warmth he felt in her arms melted away his trembling anxiety.
He showed his foolish side.
Edanant gave a wry smile to express his gratitude to Elizabeta.
*
The splendid palace of the Emperor, once a marvel of architecture, was now stained with the blood of countless soldiers.
Rebel forces surged in like a tidal wave.
To execute the tyrant who had slain their families and loved ones.
After breaking through numerous obstacles, Edanant soon faced Barbarossa. Whether Ludmilla had already given him a heads-up, the fiercely defending Imperial Guard allowed entry.
“Your Majesty…!”
“Hm, so you’ve come in place of Mila.”
Barbarossa, clad in golden armor, sat on the throne to welcome Edanant.
Even though the fate of the Valtarian Empire hung by a thread, the Emperor showed a brave front. He stood ready to personally charge out and sweep away the rebels with his good sword at his waist.
It wasn’t too late.
Thanks to his relentless run.
The hoard of Disaster Gods hadn’t reached the palace yet. Edanant sighed in relief as he looked at Barbarossa and Isabel.
“Truly valiant. The rebel scum must be layered heavily around the palace…”
“I’ll guard you from now on.”
After an unrelenting smash, his body felt heavy.
Nevertheless, he had to endure it.
To repay the boundless trust shown him by the princesses.
Edanant accepted the towel Isabel offered and wiped the blood off his face. Sticky, coagulated blood and flesh clung to the cloth.
“Your Majesty! Princess Isabel!!”
He attempted to catch his breath, trusting in the Iron Wall of Imperial Guards surrounding the palace.
But—.
The merciless evil refused him rest.
An intense unease twisted in his gut. A ‘worst crisis’ he hadn’t faced since the conclusion of the Racial War had arrived.
───────!!!
A pitch-black lightning bolt struck down.
Sharpened like a spear, the lightning was more than enough to pierce through the palace where the Emperor resided.
An explosive rumble echoed.
As the solid ceiling collapsed, heavy debris began to rain down.
“O Emperor of the Empire, I shall decree divine punishment upon you in the name of the Disaster God.”
The lightning, which had split into hundreds of branches, fused together to take on a human form.
It could only be an apostle of the Disaster God.
A beautiful woman with black hair exuded a spine-chilling aura.
Her skin was pale, resembling a drowned corpse. Yet, her dark eyes shone with a hatred hotter than molten sulfur.
“Are you all right, Your Majesty!”
“It’s an enemy! The lightning struck, and now it has revealed itself!”
The Imperial Guards, who were on high alert outside, drew their swords and rushed into the palace in haste, recognizing the black-haired woman as an enemy immediately, pointing their blades toward her.
The woman extended her hand.
A platinum bracelet around her slender wrist glittered ominously.
Seeing the platinum magical equipment owned by the Disaster God’s apostle, Edanant’s face turned pale. It felt as if he had foreseen the events about to unfold.
“Damn it!”
He quickly drew Aldebaran, launching a pure white Golden Slash at the black-haired woman.
Simultaneously, a shockwave strong enough to shatter the Emperor’s palace, which had withstood for centuries, surged like a maelstrom.