"Impossible...!"
Celestine trembles in surprise as a giant snake appeared and swirling around Christa.
"That's the guardian snake in that forest that I've been looking for..." The Princess shakes vigorously. "No wonder the soldiers I sent together with Father's on that place couldn't find it. It was already been tamed by someone else."
The Cerberus roared. Its movements becomes restless, it doesn't know what to do with the pain coursing through its body.
"That really hurt, I guess." Christa speaks as she casually watched a gigantic beast losing its mind.
"Should I kill it?" The snake asks.
"Well, it is our enemy in a sense, so go fo--"
Just when she gave Titania permission to deal the killing blow to the Cerberus, 9 chains came flying down and pierced every part of the mythical creature's body.
"You."
"Huh?"
"I don't know how you got in control of that guardian snake, but..." The Princess takes off her hair stick and lets her long back hair fall freely on her shoulders and on her back. Giving her a different look. "I demand you to give that to me."
The Princess boldly demanded Christa to give her Titania, her friend.
"I refuse."
Obviously, Christa would refuse. She isn't the kind of person who would sell her friends, especially to someone like Celestine. But also, Celestine expected her answer.
"I figured." She says the Crimson Eye. "In that case, I'll just kill you and take her by force."
Once again, she takes control of her chains wrapped around her arms and legs with her magic to attack the Crimson Eye.
"Titania, this one's mine."
"All right."
Christa tells Titania to back away as the chains begin to bombard onto the Crimson Eye. She deflects them all one by one with her wooden sword.
The chains that are being repelled away are all coming back at once to continue their assault.
"..."
Christa defends himself back to back from the two chains trying to attack her on both sides. She then jumped high into the sky to avoid the other 7 that would've pummel her to the ground.
The chains persistently followed after the girl with crimson eyes, not giving her time to relax.
"What a persistent bunch." She smiles lightly as she enjoys herself coarsing through the air and avoiding the chains to pierce her with their spearheads.
"All that talk about fighting me, and all you're doing is to dodge!"
Celestine calls back her chains and follows Christa herself.
"Strike the prey, Cobra! Viper!"
She fires off two spearhead chains imbued with poison towards Christa.
"...!"
Celestine manage to hit her enemy. She had her chains piercing through her torso. However...
"Truly. Weaklings do not have the right to speak in front of the strong, in front of me. Now then, scream in pain, cry in agony. Let me hear your annoying voice like a disgusting animal you are--"
Fwoosh!
"What?!"
Christa disappeared like a smoke vanishing into thin air. Before she realized it Christa was actually standing right behind her with the cure she stole from Celestine without knowing.
"!!"
"That was a close one."
Celestine tried to strike with a high kick on Christa's head. But suddenly, her flames engulfed the Crimson Eye's body and disappeared once again.
"You've got quick reflexes."
Celestine turns around to see Christa standing a few distance away from her while drinking the cure in her hand. Slowly but surely, the cure takes its effect inside Christa.
"You, too. You persistent one."
Veins started sprouting out of Celestine's forehead as her irritation started surfacing on her face.
"I've decided that I'm no longer going to play with you. I'll show you no mercy." The spearheads begin to lock themselves onto Christa once more.
"Feast on the body of the weakling with hungry fangs!"
The 9 spearhead chains begin to emit magic aura, each having their own unique colors of red, blue, silver, emerald, gold, violet, black, orange and diamond.
"Fangs of the Nine-headed Serpent! Hydra!"
All the 9 empowered spearhead chains of Celestine strikes on Christa all at the same time. The Princess of Kruule intended to finish her prey with this strike. But what Christa does next was nevet into Celestine's anticipation.
Grab!
"Wha?!"
Celestine, the Princess of Kruule who believed to herself to be the strongest among all the people she called weaklings was left frozen as the person she deemed as a weakling casually grabs all the 9 chains single-handedly.
The chains were supposed to be coming at her with great speed. No person would be able to see it with the naked eye, let alone simply catching it all with a single hand. And even if there is one person who would be able to follow the chains' movements, a normal human's reflexes would make them avoid it or end up panicking. Which would lead to their inevitable death.
"For her to catch it bare-handed... Who is she? No, what is she?"
"Is that it?"
"Huh?"
"Is that your ultimate move?"
Celestine wordlessly looks at Christa who is asking her questions. That is indeed her ultimate move. There is nothing else more powerful that she can use to kill her enemy. Having her powerful attack deflected so easily, Celestine soon realized that the one she's fighting aren't the same as those who fell victim to her.
"If that's what you call your ultimate move, then I'm truly disappointed."
The way she truly mean it by saying those words makes Celestine's blood boil in anger.
"I guess only your title as a Princess is what makes you terrifying."
"What?"
"You don't even realize that I already made my attack moments ago."
"Huh?"
Celestine lost her tempo long before she realized that the whole place is full of reddish bead of light flying around like fireflies.
"Here I thought I found someone who would make me fight to the fullest." Christa sighed. "I feel like the Cerberus would have given me more of an entertainment."
"What--"
Once again, she lost her cool in front of Christa. And before she realized it, the fireflies have already gathered around her.
"Willow Flame."
The reddish fireflies around Celestine begin to double its size.
"Ah...!"
Until it reached it's limit and caused all the fireflies to explode. With the Princess being surrounded, she had no escape of the flame that engulfed her and burned her down to the ground.
She took a quick glance of disappointment to the knocked out Celestine before calling Titania to go back to the surface.
"Let's go Titania."
The snake reappeared once more as Christa jumps on top of the giant serpent's head. Titania makes her way up back to the surface. Noticing the gloomy look in Christa, Titania asks the girl the reason why.
"Are you alright, Christa? Why the gloomy face?"
Christa did a deep sigh before answering her concerned friend.
"I reached to the conclusion that... Humans are too weak."
"Eh? Is that so?"
"Yeah. It almost feels like, people like Sieghart, or me aren't supposed to be in this world."
Titania didn't give the girl a reply. Whatever the Crimson Eye's saying doesn't make sense to her. At least for now.
"So, are you going to help the Prince and rescue the rulers?"
"My disappointment today reached to the point that it drained all of my strength, and now I can't move." Christa proceeds to lie down on top of Titania's head.
"How is that possible?!"
"Don't ask. It just works."
After arriving at the surface floor, the two parted ways once more as Titania takes the exit out of the Kingdom to the south while Christa went to the northern sector to help the others.
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Outside the outer gate of the northern entrance of the royal castle.
"I'm here, finally."
Sieghart looks around while carefully trying not to get spotted by the soldiers he outrun not long ago.
"Looks like no one followed me."
A sigh of relief comes out of Sieghart. But his infiltration is not yet over. He needs to enter the royal castle through the gate in front of him. However, since it is heavily guarded by soldiers he needs to find another way to enter without being detected.
After scanning the area with his eyes, Sieghart decided to look for a way to the west. The veteran adventurer makes sure he doesn't get caught by the people in the outer towers by carefully sneaking his way to the west.
Soon after, while successfully keeping himself undetected, Sieghart finally sees another closed gate.
"All right... Just keep on hiding and enter the royal castle."
His head constantly turning left and right, making sure no one is around as he inches closer and closer to the gate.
"Almost there..."
Sieghart was only a couple steps away, until the sound of the gate creaking as it slowly being opened froze him from where is crouching.
"Crap, I froze!"
The ones who opened the Gate goes out.
"We're out, finally!"
"Don't shout, you idio--"
Sieghart's eyes meets Belfiore's. Soon the others joined in and looked at Sieghart who is awkwardly crouching beside a small rock.
"A-Are you the rulers that were captured by King Castile...?" Sieghart asks while his eyes blinks out of embarrassment by the position he's doing.
King Athlante and the others stood back and asks the man:
"Who are you?"
"I'm Sieghart Banderas. I'm an adventurer from Reilaea, I have come here to help Queen Elena and everyone escape."
Athlante and the others finally lowered their guard after hearing Sieghart's answer.
"You said Sieghart Banderas, right? The Demon Slayer?!"
"Y-yes..." Sieghart awkwardly replied to the kid who looks at him while still frozen in the same posture he's in.
"Sieghart? He's the one that killed the demon 15 years ago?"
"It seems like he is the one."
The rulers doubt him at first because of his first impression towards them. A man sitting like he is about to release right in front of a gate of an enemy castle.
Finally, Sieghart is able to move and stand proud in front the rulers.
"I am the one who killed the demon 15 years ago, Sieghart Banderas." Once again, he introduced himself to everyone in a more dignified silhouette, hoping that it'll help them erase the memory of his crouching beside the door.
"We'll be in your care until we get out of this."
King Athlante and the others acknowledged him and accepted him as their escort to their escape.
"Yes."
Incidentally, Sieghart noticed that there is two person missing to the group. And that person is the Queen of Reilaea and the Prince who supposedly have come to their rescue.
"If I may ask, wasn't Queen Elena and Edle supposed to be with everyone?"
Everyone's expressions darkened. It's as if someone had died.
"Huh?"
"We don't know about Edle, but the Queen had stayed behind."
Francis's reply bewildered Sieghart.
"What do you-- why?"
"It is what she wishes." King Athlante interjected. "It would seem like she was waiting for the moment to confront Castile ever since their union. All in order to find the truth about Edel."
"Edel? The late... missing King of Reilaea."
Athlante nodded in response.
"The Queen's desire to learn the truth is stronger than you think. Once she decides to do something, she'll get it done. Humans are truly reckless, selfish beings."
The King of Meleia moved on his way together with the others who followed shortly after him.
"Humans are truly reckless, selfish beings." The words of the King of the Elves got stuck in Sieghart's mind. It suddenly reminded him of his reckless and selfish self who joined the demon hunt 15 years ago.
Shortly after Sieghart catches up with everyone and King Athlante. He synced his speed to Athlante's before he tells the King:
"That's right, humans can be a reckless and a selfish race. And we do it because we care for the things we hold dearest. And I think that's the part that makes us Humans. That's why, I understand Queen Elena's decision, even if what she's doing is beyond recklessness and selfishness."
Sieghart picks up more speed to lead Athlante and the others.
"Is that so?"
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Inside the wide throne room in the royal castle of Kruule. Soldiers are currently reporting the events occurring in the entire Kingdom to Castile who is sitting on his throne.
"A report to the King by the Commander overseeing the northern sector! The invading forces of Reilaea have been summoned directly inside our territory using the Gates that seemed like they've stolen from the three guardians of the underground. And since then, their forces along with the slaves that somehow got freed are overwhelming our forces. It's only a matter of time until they've completely taken over the northern sector of the Kingdom!"
"Reporting from the eastern sector of Kruule, a man with a red-hair has infiltrated the weapon factory, the soldiers were unable to fight the man as it reportedly destroyed all the weapons we manufactured."
Without them, the reinforcement will be slim to nothing.
"Reporting from the western sector of Kruule, an elven woman had infiltrated the chemical facility and destroyed all the potions and poisons that we are preparing to support our soldiers to the fight. The elven woman appears to have stolen countless healing potions from our alchemists as well."
Panic rise up inside the throne room. The soldiers present were all shocked by the reports of the informants.
The nothern sector is being taken over, the western and eastern sectors have been successfully infiltrated. By the sound of things, Kruule is on the verge of defeat.
"What happened to the dragons at the southern sector?"
The three commanders looked at each other, confused. One of them answers the King.
"The commander overseeing the southern sector for Princess Celestine hasn't come back since the war started. No one knows what's happening in the southern sector as of this moment."
The tension inside the throne room only grew more intense.
"I see. So the Adventurers were involved in this."
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"Titania, how did you fit those dragons inside you?"
"Christa, don't ask. It just works for me."
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Castile thought to himself, "The one who freed Susun, and the one that awakened Edle's magic... She must be in here."
Just then, everyone's attention were switched to their backs as the door opens. Elena enters the throne room right in front of the enemy with her torn off Queen's Gown.
"The Queen of Reilaea!"
The soldiers immediately created a defensive line for the King. But...
"Move."
The soldiers were taken aback by her command. The way she walks bravely as her presence as the Queen envelops the room and intimidates the soldiers. They immediately pulled back out of the way.
"...!"
On her way towards Castile, she gestured on one of the soldiers to give her his sword. The soldier gulped as he try his best to draw his sword without shaking. The soldier pulled his sword, then gave it to the Queen of Reilaea, then she begins to walk to Castile once more.
"For you to put my soldiers under your control by just your presence..." A sly smile comes out of Castile as he watched Elena stopping at the distance where they can talk to each other.
"Let's talk, Castile."
The two stared down at each other before the King of Kruule ordered his soldiers.
"Leave."
The soldiers heard the King's order and immediately leaves the throne room. And then, after a brief silence, the King opens his mouth.
"I know why you're here. You want to know what really happened to Edel, do you?"
Elena frowns while remaining silent. The King stands and leaves the throne.
"The King of Reilaea is dead. If I gave you that answer, would you ask me how he died--"
In that instant, the blade of Elena's sword touches the neck of Castile.
"I had enough of hearing lies." The trembling voice of Elena, the look in her eyes as she glower at Castile. The King finds them amusing.
"But what if the thing I just told you were actually the truth?"
"Huh?!" The grip on her sword twitched.
"Would you be so calm as to take away your sword and listen to me, or you'll let your curiosity eat you alive after killing the one who knows about the last moments of your beloved King?"
Irked up, Elena pulls herself back with her sword.
"Tell me what really happened. Where is Edel?" Elena tries to keep her cool, while awaiting the King's answer. But the answer only made her patience reach its limit.
"You know, I am something of a selfish King myself. If I see something that I want, it's mine. Whenever I learn of something, that information is for me alone."
"You...!" Elena clenched her fist in fulminating anger.
"But let me tell you, just like you wanted to learn something from me, I also wanted something from you."
Castile, gave Elena an option to share him what he knows about the missing King - Edel.
"In exchange of learning the truth about King Edel, I want you to become my real Queen."
"...?!"
"I am a selfish King. If I want something, it's mine. If I want something, I will get it. Even if it means using the knowledge that I kept to myself."
Elena wanted to know the truth about what happened to Edel, her lover and King. She wants to know where he is, and what he's doing. She wanted to know about the missing King of Reilaea so badly, that she almost forced herself to accept what Castile wanted. However, the image of Edle appeared inside her head.
"...!"
The image of Edle reminded her of the memories she created with King Edel. The only King that she loved and will always love even in the afterlife. All of a sudden, it's all coming back to her. As if it's telling her not accept what Castile wanted. Eventually, she turned up and made her decision.
"I'm sorry, but I'm also a selfish Queen who will do reckless things if it means getting what I wanted!"
Castile's eyes darkened as he loses hope for her.
"How disappointing."
Elena started running towards Castile. Castile summoned his sword with his black flames.
"If I can't make you talk, I'll beat you up so bad, you'll be telling me everything you know to spare your life!"
Elena strikes with her sword, followed with a left punch and a whip kick, which Castile all avoided.
"You'll beat me up you say?"
Castile speaks while deflecting all of Elena's sword attacks with his own blade. And then, with his free hand, he fired black flames onto Elena.
"Your physical strength is always above everyone else."
Elena was blown away by the burst of dark flames of Castile.
"But being someone who didn't have the affinity to use magic, a magicless Queen like you is nothing to us magic users."
Castile jumps in to land the killing strike with his sword to Elena. But the Queen of Reilaea quickly grabs her sword back to stop Castile's assault.
"My strength is more than enough to take you down!"
Elena slams her sword with Castile's and sends him away. She then took the chance to stand.
"Are you sure about that?"
The moment she got up on her feet, Castile shoots a black fire bolt at Elena. The Queen of Reilaea raised her arms, seeing that she was too close to avoid the attack. However, the black flames bursts into a black smoke before it even touched Elena's defense.
She lowers her arms to see what happened, only to realize that it was just a distraction for Castile to appear in front of her and landed a blow to Elena with his right knee.
"Ack...!"
Before Elena would fall to down to her knees, Castile grabbed her by her long black hair and pulled her up to keep her standing on his level.
"The you 17 years ago would take more than that to be brought down to your knees."
Castile's kick hits Elena's chin and sends her flying head first down to the ground.
Blood started gushing out the corners of her mouth, but that didn't matter. With her sword still in her hands, Elena stood up once more.
She tried to assault Castile, but her swords isn't hitting any part of the King of Kruule at all. Her speed also decreases due to Castile's attacks earlier.
Castile withdraws his sword back to his flames and grabs the blade of Elena as she tried to attack once more.
With the blade in his hand, she pulled the injured Elena to him.
"I'll give you once last chance, Ele--"
Out of a sudden, Elena releases her grip to her sword and punched Castile in the face. Her fist caused blood to stream down on the King of Kruule's nose.
"I... refuse."
Despite giving her another chance to think, Elena's loyalty to King Edel sparked an answer of refusal to Castile. At this moment, Castile had decided to just kill Elena.
Castile punches Elena back on her face, making her almost falling to the ground. The King approaches the Queen of Reilaea once more, and finally, Castile knocked Elena out of consciousness with an axe kick.
"Pity."
Castile raised his right leg on top of the unconscious Elena's head.
"You can go blame Edel for your death in the world of the dead." Castile tells the Queen: "Farewell."
Castile was about to crush the face of Elena with his foot. Until...
Pierce!
"..."
Castile retracted his leg, and looks at his torso. There, he sees a blade piercing his body from behind. He turns around to see the face of an angered son of the Queen of Reilaea glaring daggers at him.
"Die, you bastard!"
Edle violently pulls out his sword which shocked Castile's body once more.
"Edle, you've come atlast..."
Despite the stab of sword in his body, Castile was still able to turn around and face Edle. Which terrified the Prince.
"But you've come a little late. You see I was about to crush Elena's head to the ground, so you're gonna have to wait. Once I'm done with her, I'll get rid of you next..."
"Tch..."
"...So get out of my way!!"
Castile once again summoned his sword clad in black flames. Edle did the same and envelops his sword with his own flame magic to counter the King.
With roaring scream, the two clashes swords with each other. And in that instant, their flames explodes around them, knocking back Castile a little, while Edle was rolling to the ground.
Elena was also been blown away by their clash which brought her body lying beside one of the pillars that supported the ceilings of the throne room.
While Edle is trying to stand from the impact of their attack, he sees Castile running towards Elena with haste.
"...! Get away from her!!"
Edle aims his sword between Elena and Castile and fires a wave of fire.
"Sword Fire!"
Castile was engulfed by the flames as he collides with Edle's magic. However, Edle's magic proved useless as his flames of red was swallowed by Castile's flame of darkness.
Edle rushes to Elena's side to protect her.
"My Sword Fire didn't work?!"
"I see. I understand. If you really want to die that badly, then I'll turn you both into ashes!"
Castile aims his open hand to Edle and Elena then casts his magic spell towards them.
"Dark Burst!"
Edle lifts Elena and throws her away from the line of fire as the Prince takes on the dark flames of Castile.
"Keh...!"
Edle tried to swallow the dark flames with his own fire. However, he was baffled as to realize that his strength is not enough to do it.
"Not good! I couldn't swallow the dark flames like he did with mine. Why?!"
"Why are you asking yourself that question?"
Edle looks at Castile with one of his eyes.
"Your flames, your magic, they were never yours!"
"Huh?!"
"Don't you realize it? From the day you were born, you're deemed as the Prince who never had the affinity to use magic! It was never in your blood to have one to begin with!" The King of Kruule says Edle the truth. "The magic inside you is nothing more than a burrowed power from someone who gave you false hope of using magic!"
The dark flames that engulfed Edle grows stronger. It is continously gaining strength that his feet couldn't hold himself standing on two legs anymore.
"Is this the end...? I can no longer stand... I don't have the power to resist... That's wrong... I never had the power to begin with..."
Edle had dropped on his knees, his hands are barely resisting the dark flames of Castile. And as Edle is on the brink of giving up, when he's about to accept his death, all his memories begin flashing through his eyes.
"Why? Why am I remembering all this? Is this what happens when you accept death?"
Among all the memories that replayed on his head, Ordeus's message is the one that got stuck in his mind.
"Castile is not someone you can defeat just by fighting head-on. But I figured that's what you'll do once you face him. People tend to lose their focus if they are losing in their battle. Or if their being driven by emotions. Remember, fighting Castile means a fight that will only end if one of you falls onto the ground, do not lose your focus into the battle. Do not hesitate to deliver the final blow no matter the consequences."
As the last few words of Ordeus's message comes to pass, the smile of his Mother and Father, Kaien, and Christa standing in front of him opens his eyes back to reality.
"...!"
At first he thought he had given up, he thought he accepted his death. But, he is still resisting the power of Castile, he's still clinging to life with how little magic he has left.
"Why? Why did I give up? Why did I accepted death? That's wrong!"
Edle did lose hope inside the dark flames of Castile. He had given up, he had accepted his death. But, after seeing those people, he realized he is not yet ready to leave.
"Not yet! There's so many things I want to do with them! I want to continue training with Kaien! I want Christa..."
"I will claim the Book of Reality and become the one true King of this world! Die, filthy royal blood!!"
Castile intensified his dark burst once more. The dark flames become increasingly so strong that the heat is spreading all across the throne room and started melting everything. However, inside the scorching dark flames of Castile. A ball of red flame is starting to grow.
"Not yet!!"
With a loud roar, the fire inside the dark flames of Castile erupts into a huge explosion that incinerated the entire throne room into smithereens.
All the people from the entire nothern, eastern and western sectors witnessed how the royal castle breakout into flames.
"Fire... Queen Elena!" Sieghart and the others witnessed it relatively close from their location.
King Athlante grabs Sieghart by his shoulder and tells the adventurer to go back to the royal castle.
"Go back to the royal castle and save Elena!"
"But I need to bring you all to the northern sector where its safe!"
"Don't worry. We can protect ourselves."
Francis and the others agrees to King Athlante, showing their abilities they can use if they need it to Sieghart.
"Go."
"...Yes."
Sieghart hesitated at first, but eventually he followed King Athlante's orders and went back towards the royal castle.
"What?!"
Back inside the incinerated throne room, the King of Kruule was so stunned he couldn't articulate himself as the Prince of Reilaea standing before him is gleaming with red light and flames.
"Not yet..."
"That light...!"
Castile, recognizes the red gleaming light surrounding Edle. The only one who can unleash that power or share it to others, is none other than the King of Cartha--
"Ordeus's power?! So you're using another burrowed power! You worthless kid!!"
Castile comes to Edle to strike with his sword coated with dark flames. But unlike the time when Edle could barely handle the power of the King of Kruule, the Prince simply grabbed the blade with both his hands. It's as if Castile's power no longer affects him.
"I don't care if my power is not mine alone!"
Edle holds tight on the blade while Castile is trying to pull the sword away from the Prince.
"As long as I can take down a cruel King like you who sees his people as less than an insect, then I'll gladly take it!"
The sword couldn't handle the strength of Edle's grip. The sword that Castile inherited from his deceased Mother break into pieces.
"M-Mother's sword!"
The rage of the cruel King at the sight of the sword he got from his beloved Mother flares up.
With both his hands, he fires two dark flame bolts at the Prince of Kruule.
"Die!!"
His black fire of rage hurdle towards Edle, however, his magic is no longer a power that Edle couldn't protect himself completely with.
With a simple tap of his hands, he brushes the fire bolts off to the skies.
"..."
Castile wordlessly watch his fire explode into the oceanic blue colors of dawn in the sky. Quickly shifting his gaze onto Edle.
The Prince of Reilaea bounds his fist onto the King of Kruule.
"Gah...!"
The cruel King collapses with his back lying on the ground.
Edle stood right beside him and have his sword ready to strike the man's heart.
Edle wants to make sure to end it all here. He wants to kill him for the good of everyone that succumbed to his evil deeds. But somehow, something inside Edle hesitates to do it.
Once again, he remembered a word coming from Ordeus.
"Remember, fighting Castile means a fight that will only end when one of you falls to the ground."
Remembering those words from the King of Cartha, he looks down on the King of Kruule. Castile is still alive and breathing. But he's in a state where he can no longer move, nor stand up and fight. Or even continue his scheme to kill the rulers and use more people as his pawns.
Behind the Prince of Reilaea, his Mother, Elena, finally regained consciousness.
"N-ngh...! What is...?"
Her eyes wander around the devastated throne room until she caught the sight of Edle pointing his sword onto the unconscious Castile.
"Edle..."
"The fight ends... when one of you falls to the ground, huh..."
The Prince of Reilaea draws back his sword away from the heart of the King of Kruule. He falls to the ground sitting as the power given to him by Ordeus wears out together with his flames.
"Edle!"
Elena came running to Edle's aid.
"Mother..."
As he uses the last bit of his strength to call his Mother who hurriedly came to his side, Edle fainted out of fatigue from exerting power beyond what his body can handle.
Shortly after, Sieghart arrived at the scene and sees both Queen and Prince of Reilaea sitting together in the middle of the ruined throne room with the King of Kruule lying unconscious beside them.
By the time the shining light of the sun peeks from the horizon, the Kingdom of Kruule and it's people, as well as the rulers that had been captured have finally been liberated. And the rescue mission that Edle, Sieghart, Christa and Susun executed declared to be a resounding success.
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.
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A month since that one long night came by, the Kingdom of Kruule is finally recovering after a long, long years of being under the control of the cruel King. It's people are also starting to return to their daily, normal lives with their fear of being ruled by Castile no longer lingering around them.
In the case of the former King and Princess of Kruule. Castile and Celestine is being held in a prison located far from Kruule and Reilaea as they await their prosecution for the crimes they had committed together to the Great Tribunal by the twelve Kingdom's rulers.
Slavery, Illegal possession of the forbidden scrolls, attempted assassination of the rulers. Those are only few of many more crimes accounted to the both of them. The people of Kruule expected that the highest level of punishment will be handed down to them. Of course, the people who had followed their evil schemes will also have their own punishment.
And regarding the Queen of Kruule who've been found alive after being suspected to be dead. The Queen is carefully being treated with great care in her country. Although her physical appearance have finally recovered to normal, it is said that it will take more time for her to be able to speak normally with her subjects.
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The royalties of Meleia, Loisiln, and Cartha stayed at the Kingdom of Reilaea for 2 days after the day of the battle in Kruule to take a rest before going back to their respective countries to prepare for the Great Tribunal. At the last day of their stay at the Kingdom, the royals have conducted a private feast to celebrate the day of birth of the Prince with everyone.
Then, before they all return back to their countries, Queen Elena summoned the Kings and Queens of the three countries to give their blessings to the medals that will be given to the soldiers and individuals who participated in the battle.
These medals will be given as a way for the rulers to show their gratitude, respect and acknowledgement to these brave men who risked their lives for the sake of the rulers' lives.
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.
.
At the present day, all the soldiers and individuals were summoned to the town square to receive the medals in public. Tedric and Kaien along with their fellow soldiers received their gold medal one by one. Sieghart and his party followed shortly after the soldiers. Then, Susun and Rein who also took a huge part in saving the people that were trapped by their lightning collars, then lastly, the group that Edle had been eagerly waiting for. The party of Christa, Itsuo and Selene.
...
"Huh?"
Three medals were still at Edle's hands, but only two awkward young girl and boy showed up.
"Uh... Where is Christa?"
"Ah..."
"Christa is..."
Christa, out of all people, did not attend the event. Which brought confusion to the people who knows her.
Meanwhile, somewhere at a high point in the Forest of No Return. Christa is sitting at the edge of a cliff together with Titania whose head is lying beside the girl.
"Hey, are you sure you aren't going?"
"No."
"Are you really?"
Christa wordlessly nodded in response to the giant snake. She then lies her back on the ground as she adore the clear skies.
"Master told me that I should go to Reilaea to meet strong people, and so I did and I become an adventurer. So far, I've only meet four... No, five. But I think only one of them can take me on seriously." Said the girl with the crimson eyes. "If I take that medal, will I be able to meet more strong people like Master told me?"
Christa, sitting on top of a cliff, shares her troubles to her understanding giant friend. Christa wanted to meet and fight strong people, for the past 2 months of living outside the forest, she only encountered one who she deemed to be the one she can fight with both their full potential. And she is troubled that she'd never be able to meet another one of a kind.
But unbeknownst to the young woman, a threat to the entire world of Alteria is already close at hand.
At the far north of the territorial borders of Reilaea, at a certain mountain in a land where life do not exist, an enemy of humanity is lurking.