Deep in the dark cavern, cold water droplets condensed on the damp rock walls, their steady drip echoing through the dead silence.
The only source of light in this darkness came from a few stones emitting a faint, eerie blue glow.
At the center of this ghostly radiance, a pitch-black shadow twisted and writhed.
“Did it succeed?” The shadow’s voice was harsh, like sandpaper scraping.
“Of course!”
The black-robed figure kneeling before the shadow lowered their head even further, their voice tinged with near-maniacal devotion.
“Next, as long as you follow the original plan and kill that Empire’s Queen, once the Abyssal seal completely shatters and the Demons rule the world, you will ascend and become one of us!”
The shadow fell silent for a moment, its warped outline contracting slightly.
“Ascent? You’re not lying to me?”
“I may be a Demon, but my enemies, like yours, are all humans. When it’s mutually beneficial, why would I deceive you?”
“…It had better be that way.” The shadow grunted heavily, causing the very air to tremble. “If you dare break your promise, even if the seal is shattered, I’ll twist your neck off first.”
“Don’t worry, when it comes to cooperation, I do value my reputation.”
The black-robed figure rose gracefully, smoothing out the creases of their robe, and withdrew from the cave without haste.
As he stepped out of the cave mouth, the first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting light upon the corner of his lips that curled into an endlessly sinister smile.
……
Several days later, after thorough preparations, Queen Flandre’s Royal Carriage Procession arrived at the front line of the Caesar Dungeon—Kaisa Third Fortress.
This military stronghold, standing at the very forefront of the Beasts’ threat, was steeped everywhere in an atmosphere of iron and blood.
Towering walls bore the scars of countless battles. On either side of the road stood fully armed soldiers. In the distance, from watchtowers and high vantage points, countless scouts watched the horizon with the vigilance of hawks.
Because the situation was urgent, it was the Commander of the Imperial Army who came to greet her.
He led a contingent of the Guard Army and, with a respectful demeanor, introduced himself:
“Your Majesty, this is the last fortress before Caesar Dungeon.”
“And the other fortresses?”
“…They have all fallen.”
Flandre took a deep breath, the air heavy with the scent of gunpowder and blood, and spoke in a low voice, “Report the situation.”
A flush of shame appeared on the Commander’s face. He steeled himself and replied:
“Caesar Dungeon has been affected by Abyssal Magic. Over six hundred Beasts have escaped from within, and their magic levels are generally around level 65—some have even reached level 70.”
“What about the highest?”
“…Level 90.”
Level 90?
Upon hearing this, both Flandre and her Attendant gasped in shock.
That’s a Demigod-level Beast. For such a monster to escape was already a disaster for the world of men, let alone the fact that there were so many others besides it.
No wonder the other fortresses had fallen in succession, leaving only this one, isolated and alone.
“It’s that level 90 Beast that caused all our Imperial Army’s encirclement spells to fail. Even the Grand General was injured because of it.”
The Grand General was injured?
At Flandre’s command, the Commander led the procession and escorted her to the camp.
This time, the Grand General leading the suppression of Caesar Dungeon was the greatest warrior in the Aos Empire, known as Robert, with a magic level no less than 85.
For even him to have been injured spoke volumes about the power of the enemy.
Inside the camp, Flandre saw Robert, his arm wrapped in thick bandages.
“I heard you were injured. How’s your wound?”
“Much better, Your Majesty.”
Robert quickly stood and saluted, but even this simple action tugged at his wound, making his lips twitch uncontrollably. Yet he still forced himself to stand tall.
He motioned for the guards to withdraw with his eyes. When only he and the Queen remained in the tent, this iron-blooded General’s face finally revealed deep worry.
“Your Majesty, the front is in critical danger. You shouldn’t have come here.”
“I know, but the rear of the Empire isn’t safe, either.”
With that single sentence, Queen Flandre told Robert the truth. He clenched his fists tightly, the ferocity on his face turning to killing intent.
“Is it the Nobles?”
Seeing Flandre’s silence, Robert knew he’d guessed right.
During the previous struggle for imperial power, many Nobles had sided against Flandre.
Only because the Crown Prince they supported failed in the struggle for succession did they grudgingly settle down.
So, Flandre became Queen, but how could they possibly submit to her?
More importantly, Flandre’s personal strength wasn’t enough to be an absolute deterrent.
In the Norwich Empire, the Emperor—though he looked like a fat pig—had, by some means, pushed himself to the realm of Legend and killed every Noble who refused to obey.
That’s why the Norwich Empire truly revolved around him. But Flandre was different.
She could dispatch the Imperial Army or Queen’s Private Guard to eliminate disloyal Nobles, but doing so wouldn’t inspire fear—instead, it would only make the Nobles even more estranged.
Without the absolute suppression of personal power, harsh purges would only breed more hidden daggers lurking in the shadows, hastening Flandre’s demise.
Robert understood all this, but what he despised was that, even in the face of the human race’s impending extinction, they still fought over the throne!
“Hmph, even at a time like this, those damned wretches are still squabbling for power! When the Demons rule the world, let them fight for it then! Let’s see what they can do!”
In his rage, Robert forgot his injuries, slamming a fist on the table, which instantly drained the color from his face in pain.
He took several breaths, then suddenly lowered his voice, eyes burning as he looked at Flandre. “Your Majesty, let me escort you back. If those people try to stop us, I’ll kill them!”
Flandre was stunned, then spoke: “What about the front lines?”
“Your Majesty, compared to the common people, your life is more important.”
Flandre stood up, shaking her head. The hem of her gown flowed like golden waves; the bearing of a Queen was fully revealed at that moment.
“Robert, as Queen, my life is not more precious than theirs. Besides, they are all my subjects. How can I abandon them and flee alone?”
“Sigh!”
Robert let out a deep sigh. He had known Flandre would refuse.
During the imperial power struggle, it was precisely Flandre’s sense of responsibility and compassion—greater than her lust for power—that had won his loyalty.
Such a monarch, he could never watch die here.
“Caesar Dungeon is extremely dangerous. The Aos Empire alone will find it difficult to suppress. We must enlist help from other powers. I’ve heard you have a good relationship with the Oracle Maiden. Perhaps you could…”
At the mention of “Isavel”, Flandre unconsciously tightened her fingers, then released them, her voice regaining calm:
“She has other matters to attend to at the moment, I’m afraid she doesn’t have the time. Besides, suppressing Caesar Dungeon doesn’t yet require troubling her.”
“Robert, send someone to seek aid from the Elder Council.”
The Elder Council?
Robert muttered to himself.
The Elder Council was the true foundation of the Aos Empire. Anyone qualified to reside there was at least of Legend rank, and there were several genuine Demigods among them.
If they could be persuaded to act, the riot at Caesar Dungeon would truly be a trivial matter.
As for not seeking help from other empires… Well, under the invasion of Abyssal Magic, they were all struggling to survive; sending troops to aid another empire was out of the question.
With this in mind, Robert summoned a soldier and ordered him to go to the Elder Council in the Imperial Capital, delivering the letter of request.
The Empire was vast, and Kaisa Third Fortress was far from the Capital. Even with the help of the Transfer Array, the letter would take three days to reach the Elder Council.
Yet, six days later, instead of reinforcements, Flandre was met with an assault by Beasts.
Late at night, as Flandre slept, a deafening explosion suddenly erupted from the direction of Kaisa Third Fortress’s main gate.
Before she could fully rise, her Attendant rushed in, panic written all over her face.
“Your Majesty! Get up, come with me quickly!”
Without waiting for an explanation, the Attendant pulled Flandre out of bed, deftly changing her into clothes suited for movement, then firmly gripped her wrist and led her toward the rear gate.
On the way, the cold wind woke Flandre completely. She hurriedly asked:
“What’s going on?!”
“The Beasts have broken through the main gate! Lord Robert is leading the army in resistance! We have to leave now, or it will be too dangerous!”
Boom—!
Another violent explosion rang out not far away, shaking the ground. Flandre staggered, nearly falling.
Looking up, she saw many winged, vicious Beasts flashing across the sky. In just a few minutes since the breach, the Third Fortress was already ablaze.
The cries of battle and Beasts’ roars mingled, turning the fortress into a scene straight out of hell.
As she fled, Flandre observed the Beasts and soon noticed something odd about them.
“Something’s wrong. These Beasts… it’s as if they’re organized.”
Normally, Beasts followed their own food chains and would never cooperate, but the sight before her was different—these Beasts seemed to be hunting humans deliberately.
This was far too strange!
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
At that moment, the last voice Flandre wanted to hear sounded from behind. She turned to see Minister Pless rushing up, breathless and anxious.
“Pless?”
Pless caught up, worry all over his face. He pointed to a shadowy path and urged,
“I finally found you, Your Majesty. Quick, follow me! I know a place where we can hide from these Beasts!”
One might almost think he was a loyal minister.
But Flandre understood well—Pless harbored ill intentions. This Beast attack may even have been orchestrated by him!
Having reigned as Queen for some time, she never underestimated the darkness of human hearts.
Her Attendant was well aware of this too. She drew her sword and stood between Pless and Flandre, coldly declaring:
“Hmph, Pless! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to! If you want to deceive Her Majesty into following you, you’re not even close!”
“I—I, Pless, am loyal! How could I deceive Her Majesty?!”
Pless flinched, apparently not expecting them to refuse.
Yet, when he saw the undisguised wariness and coldness on their faces, his expression suddenly changed, lips curving into a strange smile.
“If Your Majesty doesn’t trust me, then… you’ll just have to stay here!”
Even as he finished speaking, his staff struck the ground. With a whoosh, a blazing ring of fire appeared out of nowhere, trapping Flandre and her Attendant, cutting off their escape.
The flickering firelight made Pless’s face look especially sinister.
The Attendant was shocked and shouted, “Damn you! Pless, what did you do?”
“What did I do? I trapped you, of course. And I’ll kindly tell you—I’m not Pless at all.”
With that, he reached up and tore at his face, ripping away a finely crafted human-skin mask to reveal his true visage beneath—a face covered in dark red skin.
His eyes were pure black, without a trace of white, radiating a most ominous aura.
The Attendant clapped a hand over her mouth, barely able to accept the truth, while Flandre’s pupils shrank, her voice cold: “A Demon?!”
“Now you realize? Too late!”
Recalling the Nobles who had conspired with “Pless”, Flandre’s voice turned colder: “So this was all your scheme? Those Nobles betrayed humanity?!”
“Betrayed? Not really. After all, they still believe I’m that human named Pless.”
The Demon let out a cackling laugh.
“They’re hopelessly stupid. To overthrow your rule and crown a new king, they easily believed my lies. But you can’t really blame them. If anyone’s at fault, it’s you, for being weak.”
“As Queen of the Empire, you don’t have the strength to tie up a chicken. How could those ambitious Nobles submit to you? Humans, when it comes to infighting, are even more ruthless than we Demons.”
With a thick air of mockery, the Demon extended a long tongue, licking his dark purple lips.
“But even I didn’t expect that, out of the three great empires, Aos Empire would be the first to fall.”
“No, that’s not true! We still have General Robert!” the Attendant cried out, clinging to the last hope.
“Robert? You mean… that useless fool?”
The Demon pretended to hesitate, then slowly raised his hand and pointed behind them.
Flandre and her Attendant’s hearts sank. Together, they turned to look where he pointed—and the next instant, both their faces turned as pale as paper.
Not far away, a monstrous Beast three times the height of a man was dragging the blood-soaked, unconscious Robert like a broken sack, step by step, toward where they stood.
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