“No, we can help Her Highness.”
At that moment, the Magic Mirror brought the mirror that had been floating beside her to her front and spoke softly.
“My mirror can gather everyone’s Magic Power and channel it into a single person. With this method, Her Highness should be able to hold out longer against Aidelian.”
The reason Mephia couldn’t sustain a full-power outburst was her lack of sufficient Magic Power.
If she could use the mirror’s method to compensate for that weakness, she could indeed tangle with Adrian for a long time.
With a suitable plan in place, everyone immediately set to work.
The Magic Mirror stood the mirror upright in the center of the tent, its surface facing the group.
She cut her finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the mirror’s surface.
The drop was instantly absorbed, and the mirror trembled violently.
Its pitch-black surface began to ripple like a lake after a stone was thrown in.
Seeing this, the others immediately poured their Magic Power into it, and the mirror refracted that power to Mephia.
Mephia’s delicate body trembled slightly.
She felt a vast surge of Magic Power flow into her, merging with her own strength.
The power came from different people and possessed different attributes, yet it miraculously fused together without any rejection.
She nodded to the group, then looked up at Adrian in the sky, cast a spell, and flew toward him.
The Imperial Capital had already become a living hell.
The streets were filled with people fleeing in panic, pursued by twisted monsters corrupted by the pollution.
Those monsters let out inhuman roars and lunged at anything living.
Fortunately, despite the chaos, the Capital still had some time before complete destruction.
Pulling her gaze away from the Capital, Mephia raised her eyes and locked onto the giant above the palace.
Adrian was floating in the air, holding his scepter high, looking down at the city that was being destroyed below.
Mephia took a deep breath, and the Remnant Wing behind her suddenly spread wide!
Light surged from her body, intertwining with the silver glow of the wing to form a brilliant shadow.
She pushed off the ground and shot upward, flying straight toward Adrian.
Black Mist surged before her, trying to block her path, but it was completely dispersed by that layer of light!
As Mephia drew closer, Adrian’s attention began to fall on her.
His massive scepter swung down toward her, and the spread of the Black Mist slowed slightly.
At this rate, in five days—at most five days—the Imperial Capital would be utterly destroyed.
Meanwhile, Celeste had left the Capital early and was heading toward the location of the Temple.
As for how she knew where the Temple was…
That Empress Wand came from the Temple, so she only needed to use the Eros Energy…
[Target of Romance: Empress Wand]
—
After completing the romance, the special CG unlocked was the location of the Temple.
The Temple was far from the Imperial Capital.
For three days and three nights, Celeste pressed on with almost no rest.
When tired, she used Magic to stimulate herself to stay awake; when exhausted, she slowed her pace.
Her eyes were always fixed on the north as she stepped into the vast glaciers.
On the evening of the third day, she finally saw the Temple.
It was smaller than she had imagined, buried in the glacier.
If the Empress Wand hadn’t given her the exact location, she might not have noticed its existence at all.
Using fire magic to melt the nearby glacier, she revealed a stone door.
The door was covered with intricate patterns that glowed faintly gold in the sunset, as if calling to her.
Celeste gripped the wand tightly and walked toward the door.
The lock on the door seemed to be shaped like a wand.
She inserted the Empress Wand, and the stone door opened automatically.
A wave of warm air rushed out from inside, dispelling the biting wind.
She took a deep breath and stepped into the Temple.
The interior was much larger than the outside appeared.
Huge stone pillars supported a lofty dome, and the walls were covered with the marks of time.
Apart from that, there was nothing else.
Celeste’s gaze slowly swept across the walls, finally landing on a stone platform at the end of the hall.
On the platform lay a crystal the size of a fist.
Inside the crystal was sealed a single drop of golden blood.
That drop emitted a soft light.
Though it was tiny, it seemed to contain infinite power.
Celeste walked toward the platform.
One step.
Two steps.
On the third step, information about the crystal automatically appeared in her mind.
This was a Holy Crystal left behind by the Sage long ago.
It contained Saint Rank Magic Power, originally used to protect the Temple from the cold. But now…
Taking the Holy Crystal from the platform, the Eros Energy within Celeste began to surge.
—
On the evening of the fourth day, Mephia was about to collapse.
Even though her task was only to harass Adrian and prevent him from spreading the Black Mist so easily, the huge gap in strength had left her severely wounded.
Her body was covered in wounds.
The deepest one ran from her left shoulder to her waist, with flesh turned inside out—a gruesome sight.
The Golden Spear in her hand had broken in two, and only half a broken blade remained in her grip.
But she was still standing.
How much longer could she last, though?
A day? Half a day? An hour?
She herself didn’t know.
Though the Magic Power within her was still abundant, the exhaustion of body and mind could not be erased.
When she reached her limit, she might collapse on the spot.
In the Capital, the Magic Mirror and the others could only watch with worry, unable to do anything.
Moreover, some among them had already begun to mutate because of the Black Mist.
Until everything reached the fifth day.
The strain on her body made Mephia’s vision blur, and her body began to sway unsteadily.
Sensing a light approaching from afar, she involuntarily fell backward.
And then, in that instant, a slender figure caught her.
The light also arrived at his side at the same time.
It was so brilliant, so pure, that it tore through the Black Mist shrouding the Capital in an instant!
Mephia leaned in her arms, struggling to lift her head.
The newcomer’s golden light wings shone brightly in the sunset.
The wand in her hand burned with dazzling light, and her body radiated an incomparable aura.
Celeste.
She was back.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Mephia’s lips.
“I knew you would come back…”
With that, her vision went dark, and she collapsed backward.
Celeste caught the falling Mephia and murmured softly, “I’m back…”
Then she gently laid Mephia down, raised her head, and coldly stared at Adrian in the sky.
The wand in her right hand began to emit a blinding light.
In Celeste’s eyes burned an unprecedented flame of anger.
“Adrian, you must die!”
Her voice was not loud, but it pierced the entire sky clearly.
Golden light wings spread behind her, and a stream of light shot from the tip of the Empress Wand, striking Adrian!
Adrian thought the attack was only at Gold Rank, so he casually swung his scepter to block it.
But in the next second, his scepter was knocked away by the stream of light, and a large hole was pierced through his chest!
“Saint… Saint Rank…”
Celeste’s terrifying strength momentarily restored a sliver of humanity in Adrian.
His lips twitched a few times, uttering two words, and then the Black Mist surged wildly!
As a creature that only acted on instinct, he felt no fear.
Even if the enemy was far stronger than him.
Celeste raised her wand again.
Golden light surged from the tip, transforming into a pillar of light that pierced heaven and earth, smashing toward Adrian!
Adrian waved his hand, and the knocked-away scepter flew back into his grasp.
Raising it high, the Black Mist rolled overwhelmingly toward Celeste!
Light and darkness clashed once more!
But this time, the scales of victory had completely tipped.
The golden light grew stronger and brighter, like the only light tearing through darkness.
Under its radiance, the Black Mist melted away like snow and ice!
When the light finally struck the top of the scepter, the black flesh ball let out a piercing scream.
Then, in front of everyone’s shocked eyes, it exploded with a bang, dissipating into strange black smoke.
That black flesh ball seemed to be the source of the scepter and Adrian’s power.
Without it, he froze in place.
His blood-red eyes became vacant and hollow, then gradually faded and dimmed.
His body fell from the sky.
Midair, the black markings on him disintegrated bit by bit.
His eyes regained clarity, and in the last flash of light, a trace of relief and satisfaction seemed to pass through them.
Then he turned into countless specks of light and scattered in the wind.
The golden light gradually faded.
The Black Mist that had shrouded the Capital also dissipated bit by bit under the sunlight.
Those people who had been polluted by the Black Mist but not yet fully mutated fell to the ground one by one.
Then they slowly opened their eyes, looking at each other in confusion.
Survivors emerged from the ruins, looked up at the finally clear sky, and tears silently streamed down their faces.
After a moment of silence, the entire Imperial Capital erupted in热烈的 cheers.
Celeste landed beside Mephia and held her in her arms.
Looking at the unconscious woman, her blood-red eyes showed a gentle and satisfied light.
This time, Mephia remained unconscious for a full half month.
During that period, Celeste served as the Acting Queen of the Capital, purging all those with ulterior motives within both the Empire and the Rebel Army.
Because of her, the reputation of the Witch Council was completely reversed, turning into a legitimate organization within the Empire.
After Mephia woke up, Celeste immediately relinquished her title as Acting Queen and assisted her in becoming the New Queen.
Compared to Celeste, Mephia’s succession was more widely accepted by the Empire.
The Capital underwent two months of reconstruction after the disaster.
The coronation ceremony of the new queen was held right there in the Capital.
Celeste, as the Empress of the Witch Council, also attended the ceremony.
But what she didn’t expect was…
At that ceremony, Mephia set a concrete date for her engagement to the Daughter of Count Hailisi, Celestia!
Time drifted along until the day before the engagement.
Moonlight streamed in through the window, spreading a silvery frost across the floor.
Celeste stood by the window, gazing at the full moon, her fingers unconsciously twisting the sash of her nightgown.
Tomorrow was the day of the engagement.
The entire City of Haila was busy with preparations.
The streets were hung with ribbons, a stage had been set up in the square, and servants had been preparing the feast since before dawn.
Even Margaret was running around tirelessly, checking her gown again and again.
Everyone was smiling.
Only she couldn’t smile.
Perhaps because she herself was the protagonist of the engagement, the invisible pressure made her want to flee at that moment.
After all, she had never been Tia.
She was Celeste, Nightingale, Empress of the Witch Council—a witch who should have been free to go wherever she pleased.
She shouldn’t be bound by a piece of paper.
She shouldn’t be trapped in the Harris Manor, trapped in this identity.
Run away. She would run away!
Just like before, when Mephia was still the Inquisitor of Haila City—as a witch, she would escape from her grasp.
This time would be no different!
As soon as she thought of it, she acted.
She pushed open the window.
The night wind rushed in, stirring her long hair.
She took a deep breath, ready to leap into the night.
“Where are you going so late?”
A cool voice came from behind.
Celeste’s body stiffened.
“I…”
Her voice was hoarse, and she didn’t know what to say.
The next second, a pair of fair hands closed the window in front of her, and then she felt a dizzying spin—
She was lifted horizontally, and after a few steps, her back fell heavily onto the soft bed!
“Mmh—!”
Before she could struggle, a figure had already pressed down on her.
Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating that face.
Golden eyes, a cool expression, and slightly disheveled long hair…
Mephia.
She was straddling Celeste’s waist, pressing her wrists down, looking down at her.
“Tell me, where were you going?”
Celeste looked at her, her heart pounding so fast it felt like it would burst from her chest.
“I was… just going out for some air… And besides, isn’t it inappropriate for us to be so intimate… for Tia?”
Mephia looked at her without speaking.
After a long while, she chuckled softly.
“Getting some air? You… weren’t thinking of fleeing at the last minute, were you?”
Celeste’s face reddened.
“F-fleeing? What do you mean?”
Mephia leaned down, moving even closer until she could feel her breath, their eyelashes almost touching.
“Celeste, the game is over. You are Tia, aren’t you?”
Celeste’s pupils contracted sharply.
“You… what are you talking about?”
A complicated warmth grew stronger in Mephia’s eyes.
“Celeste, Nightingale, Empress of the Witch Council, and the Daughter of Count Hailisi, Celestia—all of these are you, aren’t they?”
Celeste’s breath caught.
She wanted to say something but found herself unable to speak.
Mephia admired her shocked expression, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.
Finally, after digesting this news, Celeste asked:
“How… how did you know?”
“Because no matter how your identity changes, your love for me never changes. I’ve always felt that.”
Celeste’s pretty face flushed.
She was about to argue, but her lips were pressed against a soft warmth, and the thought of resistance melted away like flowing water.
Heartbeat accompanied by heat ignited a blazing fire…
Late at night, in the Sleeping Palace, after their intimate embrace.
“…It seems this game is my win, Miss Witch.”
Looking at the girl sleeping beside her, Mephia smiled and kissed the back of her hand.
On that fair wrist, she placed a bracelet—shackles named love.
(The End)
Loved the story, felt rushed near the end though, but authors choice.