Deep within the ancient ruins, the fallen angel stood in the center of the secret chamber.
In her pale golden pupils reflected the crystal ball that pulsed before her.
Five streams of light were rapidly approaching from within the crystal ball.
“They’re coming.”
Victor’s phantom slowly emerged from the crystal ball. There wasn’t a trace of panic on his face. Instead, he wore a hint of an anticipatory smile.
“Three diamond-ranked silver dragons, a Diamond Peak hero, and…”
“And my adorable disciple.”
“Such an extravagant lineup, it really makes one feel afraid.”
“Master, do you need me to fight with full force?”
“No need.”
Victor waved his hand.
“You only have one job—put Yisela on the teleportation array.”
“Then stall them for a while.”
He turned around. Under the light of the crystal ball, his brown eyes glowed with a strange light.
“Let them watch as Yisela is sent away.”
“Let them know they’re already too late.”
“Let them taste that…”
Victor’s voice carried a morbid delight.
“That desperate feeling of watching someone important slip right through your fingers.”
“That despair—that is exactly the final nourishment the bloodline of the Dragon God needs.”
The fallen angel knelt on one knee on the ground.
Her black wings drooped to the floor.
“Yes, Master.”
She stood up.
Turned around.
Walked toward the entrance.
At the deepest part of the ruins.
This was a huge circular space. The floor was covered with dense black runes that squirmed like living things. With every movement, they emitted a nauseating dark aura.
The intersection of all the runes was at the center of the magic array.
A massive black crystal hovered there.
Yisela was half-dragged, half-pulled into the room by the fallen angel.
“Hey!”
“Poker Face!”
“What are you bringing me here for?!”
Yisela struggled frantically, but after being corroded by the curse, she was too weak even to stand steadily.
“This place is disgusting!”
“What the hell are these runes?!”
“Let me out!”
The fallen angel didn’t answer.
She brought Yisela to the center of the magic array, where a small teleportation platform stood.
“Your Highness, please step onto it.”
The platform was covered with patterns connected to the surrounding runes. Once activated, whatever was on the platform would be sent to a predetermined location.
“No!”
“This Princess does not want to step on it!”
Yisela clung tightly to the fallen angel’s arm.
“Are you sending me away?”
“To that so-called master of yours?”
“I don’t want that!”
“Sister Saint is coming soon!”
“The strong ones from the Silver Dragon Clan are also on the way!”
“If you—if you dare touch me, they won’t let you off!”
The fallen angel lowered her head.
She looked at the little silver dragon who was shaking all over, clinging tightly to her arm.
At that moment, her core command became crystal clear:
Place the sacrifice into the teleportation array. Execute the master’s order.
She should have pried open Yisela’s fingers and forced her onto the teleportation platform. With her current Diamond Peak power, the process wouldn’t even take a second.
But her fingers didn’t move.
“Your Highness.”
The fallen angel’s voice was very, very soft, soft enough that only Yisela could hear.
“Your Sister Saint is indeed on her way here.”
“Three silver dragons and the Hero are also flying here at maximum speed.”
Yisela was stunned.
“They… they’re almost here?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
Yisela’s eyes lit up immediately.
She shook the fallen angel’s arm desperately.
“Then let me go now!”
“They’ll be here any second.”
“Once they come, you definitely can’t win!”
“If you let me go now, I promise they won’t hurt you!”
“I mean it!”
The fallen angel looked at Yisela’s sparkling ruby-like eyes.
She was silent for a long time.
Finally, she spoke.
“Your Highness.”
Her voice was still flat, but Yisela felt there was something different about it.
Yisela blinked.
“You mentioned before that you would give your subordinate a name.”
“Huh?”
“Why are you bringing that up now?”
“This isn’t the time for that!”
“Let me go!”
“Your subordinate wants to know.”
The fallen angel looked at her seriously.
“If your subordinate were no longer a puppet, what kind of name would Your Highness give me?”
Yisela froze.
She looked at the fallen angel’s eyes, which had never shown any ripple before, and for the first time saw something that could be called expectation.
She opened her mouth, about to say something.
BOOM!!!
A tremendous roar came from above the ruins.
The entire room shook violently.
Then came a dragon roar filled with overwhelming pressure.
“Yisela!!!”
That was Seraphina’s voice.
“Yisela!!!”
The Saint’s voice.
Tears burst from Yisela’s eyes.
She whipped her head around to look at the fallen angel, her lips trembling as she shouted with all her might:
“I don’t know what you used to be called!”
“But if you’re good, I will definitely give you the most beautiful name in the world!”
“I promise!”
“A thousand times better than puppet!”
At that moment.
The fallen angel’s pupils shrank slightly.
The locked door deep in her consciousness, the seal that had already cracked, burst open with a CRASH.
Countless memory fragments flooded into her mind.
Flames.
Screams.
A golden-haired youth with blue eyes knelt before a charred corpse. He did not move for three days and three nights.
She stood behind him, trying to reach out to touch him, but found her hand passing through his shoulder.
“Snow…”
She murmured a single word.
Her pale golden eyes trembled violently.
But it was too late.
“Execute the master’s command.”
Victor’s icy voice exploded in her mind through the puppet contract.
The fallen angel’s body stiffened.
The core command forcibly suppressed her newly awakened consciousness.
Her hand moved uncontrollably, lifting Yisela and placing her onto the teleportation platform.
“No!”
“Don’t!”
“Poker Face!”
Yisela struggled desperately, but black magical chains rose from the edges of the platform, locking her firmly in place.
The teleportation array erupted with blinding black light, instantly swallowing Yisela’s figure.
“No!!!”
Yisela’s heart-wrenching scream was cut short in the light of teleportation.
The next second.
The door to the Sacrifice Chamber was blasted open by a crimson sword aura.
Ailiya rushed in, sword in hand.
Close behind were Seraphina, three silver dragons, and Lina, breathing heavily.
They saw only the final scene.
Yisela stood in the black teleportation light, desperately reaching out to them.
Her lips kept moving, but she could no longer make any sound.
Then the light faded.
The platform was empty.
“Yisela!”
“Yisela!!!”
Seraphina charged toward the teleportation platform, but was thrown back by the residual dark magic, crashing heavily to the ground.
She knelt there.
“No…”
Her hands futilely scraped at the remaining rune marks on the platform, her nails breaking, blood dripping.
Ailiya stood still.
Her hand gripping the sword trembled uncontrollably.
Her crimson eyes stared fixedly at the empty platform, her face expressionless.
But the crimson lotus aura burning around her nearly set the air ablaze.
“We… are too late.”