Chapter 96: The Final King

After an unknown amount of time, the Magic Mirror standing outside the tent received a message from Tia.

She carefully lifted the curtain and entered.

Inside the tent, Tia and Mephia exchanged a glance and couldn’t help but laugh.

The Magic Mirror’s expression was a bit strange, but she dutifully said:

“Uh… the army has assembled. Duke Fanerna sent me to ask when we set out?”

Tia looked at Mephia.

Mephia slowly sat up and rolled her shoulders.

Though still a bit weak, there was no longer any confusion in those golden eyes.

“Now.”

On the dawn of the seventh day, the Rebel Army’s flag was planted on the last hill outside the Imperial Capital’s gates.

The flag flapped loudly in the wind.

Tents covered the mountains and fields like white waves, completely surrounding this thousand-year-old imperial capital.

Soldiers formed ranks beneath the city walls, their armor reflecting a cold gleam in the morning light.

The neighing of warhorses and the sound of horns intertwined, sweeping like a gale over the Imperial Capital’s gates.

Due to the Rebel Army’s approach, most of the nobles within the Imperial Capital had already left the city.

At this moment, aside from the commoners who hadn’t managed to flee, the Imperial Capital was left in utter silence.

Celeste, who had transformed into a Witch, stood on the highest slope ahead.

Behind her were Duke Fanerna, Commander Pake, and dozens of core members of the Witch Council.

She wore a black magic robe and held a legendary magic wand.

The morning breeze brushed through her long hair, making her calm face appear like a deity descending to the mortal world.

Mephia stood beside her.

Her silver-white battle armor still bore traces of the battle from three days ago.

The two stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing at the towering Imperial Capital.

On the city walls, the final Imperial Army within the capital stood ready.

But their eyes had long lost their former sharpness, because they knew the Great Princess was on the opposite side.

They had no chance of winning.

They didn’t even know why they were still defending this imperial capital.

Duke Fanerna rode forward and reined in his horse behind Mephia.

“Your Highness, all troops are in position. We await your command.”

Mephia did not turn around.

She just stared at the dense figures on the wall, her fingers tightening slightly.

“Tell them to wait.”

With that, she rode alone to the foot of the Imperial Capital’s gates.

The Imperial Capital’s gates were tightly shut.

That white stone giant gate, over ten meters high, was covered with the achievements and inscriptions of successive emperors.

It had withstood countless invasions by foreign enemies and had never been breached.

Tia stood before the gate, looked up, and stared at it.

“Open.”

Her voice was very soft, but all the soldiers on the wall heard it.

The Imperial soldiers exchanged glances, their hands gripping weapons trembling slightly.

But no one moved.

Mephia stepped forward, her voice cold and dignified.

“I am the Empire’s Eldest Princess. Open the gate.”

On the city wall, an aged general leaned out.

He looked at Mephia, was silent for a long time, then sighed and said:

“Your Highness… you… you really are going to…”

Mephia recognized him.

“General Huoke, how many years have you served my father?”

The old general was stunned.

“Forty years…”

Mephia nodded.

“Forty years. Then you should know that the thing sitting on the throne is no longer the one you swore loyalty to.”

General Huoke was silent.

He looked at Mephia and suddenly remembered many years ago.

Back then, Her Highness was still very young, often innocently following behind him and sweetly calling him “Uncle Huoke.”

Back then, His Majesty was not like this. Back then…

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Then he opened his eyes, turned around, and shouted to the soldiers behind him:

“Open the gate!”

The soldiers were stunned.

“General, this…”

“Open the gate!”

General Huoke’s voice was especially hoarse but resolute.

“This is my final order.”

The heavy gate slowly opened.

Sunlight poured in from outside, illuminating the wide avenue leading to the palace beyond the gate.

Celeste and Mephia rode side by side into the gate.

As they passed by General Huoke, Mephia reined in her horse.

“Thank you.”

Her voice was very soft.

General Huoke took a deep breath.

A few hints of relief and resignation flashed in his aged eyes, but more than that, an expectation like being unburdened.

“Your Highness… the Empire depends on you.”

To that, Mephia nodded solemnly.

After that, she led the group toward the palace.

The palace was even more silent than they had imagined.

The maids, attendants, and guards that once bustled about were now nowhere to be seen.

Only the empty corridors and the twisted, eerie shadows on the walls remained.

A sickeningly sweet and fishy smell filled the air.

As they went deeper, the smell grew stronger and heavier, as if it were a curse emanating from the deepest part of the palace.

Celeste gripped her magic wand tightly, magic power flowing slowly within her.

Mephia, meanwhile, drew her longsword, its blade glinting with a cold light in the dimness.

They passed corridor after corridor, hall after hall, and finally arrived at that door.

It was the main hall of the palace.

The door was covered with dense sealing patterns, which faintly glowed in the darkness, exuding a heart-stopping aura.

Celeste looked at those patterns, her brow slightly furrowing.

“This is…”

“It’s a seal,” Mephia explained.

“Many people in the palace realized the King had changed. These are some magic incantations they left behind, hoping to seal him.”

“Unfortunately, they weren’t very useful.”

Celeste instinctively wanted to reach out and take Mephia’s hand, but after realizing her current identity, she withdrew her hand.

‘Hmph, Mephia still doesn’t know she is Tia.’

“Ready?”

“Mm.”

Mephia nodded.

Then Celeste took a deep breath and raised her magic wand high.

A silver-white light surged from the tip of the wand, seeping into the sealing patterns.

The patterns trembled violently, then began to flicker, and with a loud bang, they exploded.

At the same time, a suffocating stench of decay burst from inside the door, nearly knocking them off their feet.

The group steadied themselves and stepped over the threshold together.

Inside the door was endless darkness. In the darkness, a pair of blood-red eyes stared fixedly at them.

Those eyes were huge, almost filling the entire field of vision.

They hung in the darkness, with no pupils, no whites, only two clusters of scarlet light like hellfire.

Click click—As everyone entered, the wall lamps around the hall lit up, and only then did they see what was before them.

It was a giant-like figure crouching on the ground, its flesh eerily withered.

Its mouth was pitch black, like a black hole devouring light, with only those eyes still emitting red light.

And it was precisely the King of the Empire, Aidelian.

“My daughter…”

Its voice came from the darkness, piercing everyone’s ears painfully.

At the same time, its right hand tightly gripped a scepter about five meters long, as if it would never let go.

Hearing that address, Mephia’s pupils contracted for a moment.

But she did not retreat.

She gripped her sword and stepped forward.

“Don’t call me daughter. You are not my father.”

Aidelian let out a strange laugh, and then without any warning, that five-meter scepter, fast as lightning, smashed down at the spot where Mephia stood!

Boom!

The ground shattered.

Debris flew everywhere.

Dust filled the air!

Mephia’s figure dodged at the very last moment by a hair’s breadth.

The scepter grazed her body and struck the ground, the gust of wind blowing her long hair noisily!

“Watch out!”

Celeste’s voice came from the side, and a bolt of lightning had already blasted toward Aidelian!

They had realized that Aidelian had long been eroded and lost all human reason.

There was no way to communicate, so striking directly was the right move.

However, Celeste’s lightning struck Aidelian’s withered torso, exploding into a shower of sparks before dissipating, without even leaving a white mark.

“What?!”

Duke Fanerna’s eyes went wide in disbelief.

Aidelian slowly turned his head toward Celeste, his eyes filled only with a mad desire for destruction.

The scepter swung up again, this time targeting Celeste!

Mephia’s figure flashed, blocking in front of her!

“Move!” she roared, holding her longsword horizontally in front of her.

The silver sword light surged! At the same time, a remnant wing extended from her back again, and her aura instantly reached the edge of the Saint level!

The scepter and longsword clashed!

Boom!

A violent shockwave exploded from the point of impact, throwing everyone around to the ground!

The ground beneath Mephia’s feet shattered inch by inch.

Her body was bent downward by the immense force, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.

She blocked it.

But only one blow.

Aidelian’s second strike followed immediately!

“Mephia!”

Celeste gritted her teeth and raised her magic wand.

Silver-white light formed a barrier in front of the two.

The scepter struck the barrier, which trembled violently and appeared countless cracks!

“All together!”

Duke Fanerna roared, leading the generals to charge at Aidelian.

In an instant, sword light, blade gleams, and magic blasted at that withered body from all directions!

Aidelian did not dodge.

Those attacks struck his body, exploding into brilliant showers of sparks, then vanished without leaving any wounds.

“How… how is this possible…”

A Rebel Army general murmured, his hand holding the sword trembling slightly.

Aidelian lowered his head and looked at him.

Then, a black shadow surged from within his body and, taking advantage of the general’s distraction, instantly wrapped around him!

It was a black tentacle, its surface covered with suckers and barbs.

After wrapping around the general’s neck, it suddenly tightened!

“Ah—!”

The scream stopped abruptly.

The general’s body went limp and fell.

His eyes were wide open, already without breath.

The tentacle released and retracted back into Aidelian’s body, as if it had never appeared.

Everyone was frozen in place.

Those who could come here were all Gold Rank powerhouses.

Yet such a powerhouse died so silently in front of Aidelian…

Fear spread like a plague.

“Saint level… this is the Saint level.”

The Magic Mirror’s voice was dry, her face pale.