Night had already passed, and by now, the bright sun had risen to accompany the beauty of the skies, and yet the men remained gathered upon the hastily constructed castle walls, which served as the strongest lines of defence of the quadrilaterally-constructed bastion...
In truth however, the stronghold's name was Fort Vellios, the lone fortress that served as the sole bulwark against any land incursion made into Gresia's capital, and it was currently being fortified by the efforts of both the Neugomian soldiers and mages who relentlessly sought to construct the first and last foundations of the defense where they would hold the line until their very ends.
Fort Vellios was meant to serve as the main defense line of the Neugomian soldiers, the place where they would do everything they could to make a stand against the forces of darkness- though it had only been brought up and constructed rather recently, the stronghold itself couldn't be compared to the likes of the others that had easily been brought down by their enemies in the past, as not only had it been greatly enchanted by various powerful defensive magicks casted by the greatest adepts of the Neugomian forces, but it was also the rally point of a massive, 200 thousand strong army accompanied by the best and greatest imperial knights and mages.
Of course, such actions were something they had done not only out of desperation, but in anticipation for the great enemies that were about to launch an assault on them: those horrifying monsters who had managed to defeat their forces so many times already with such incredible ease, a terrible truth that managed to produce powerful ripples which drove both fear and awe into the hearts of all those who resided within the Xathran Continent. As such, the soldiers who continued to tirelessly make haste with their preparations never ceased with their efforts, straining themselves to their very limits with the assistance of various magicks that boosted their bodies and reduced their fatigue, as they knew all too well about the terrible, approaching disaster that was slowly making its way towards them...
Inevitably however, their enemies would eventually come knocking at the very doors they were meant to defend, and as they finally came into view when the sun's light finally revealed them after the long night that had just passed, they would conduct the first stages of their assault in a strange way that the imperials could never have even anticipated...
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"Flavius, what are you doing over there? Haven't you heard of what's just happened?"
"I'm busy with the horses, Philo. One of them just tried to break the gates for no reason, and I'm trying to calm it down right now."
In one of the many stables within the base's spacious domain, 2 of the imperial soldiers were currently conversing, all while the other men around them were rushing about for the dire matter that was currently taking place: it appeared that, as Flavius was busying himself by tending to one of the stables, he had remained all too unaware of the rather significant event that had transpired as of late, one which had also been the cause of the swift actions that his fellow soldiers were making as they kept moving quickly without wasting any time...
"What's happening right now is more important than that damn horse!" the other soldier argued as he raised his voice a bit. "The enemies... They've already arrived with their armies before the sun rose up, and we're all being ordered to prepare for battle! Are you seriously going to prioritize that stupid animal over the orders we've been given?!"
"... W-wait... They're here already?" Flavius uttered, his face revealing an expression of shock as he heard what his friend had stated: it had only been 2 days, and their arrival had been expected to come after 3... Why then, did their enemies come earlier than what they expected? "But... I thought they'd be arriving a bit later than...?"
"That's what most of us thought as well, but now it's pointless to think about it! Move it! Now, you fucking idiot!"
"F-fine, calm down, Philo... Although..." instead of moving and acting quickly, Flavius would instead momentarily pose a question to his friend. "... Just how exactly are they attacking right now? Is it so bad that they've made even you start to sweat so much?"
"... Not exactly... They haven't attacked yet, but..." Philo responded, pausing for a while as he chose to recollect his thoughts for a moment. "... They're doing something strange, and it's all beginning to drive the others insane... I mean, who wouldn't after seeing what those monsters are doing? It's managing to look both ridiculous and intimidating at the same time..."
"What exactly are our enemies doing then?"
"Well... They're..." Philo said as he paused once more, as he too still remained baffled by the very action that those monsters had chosen to do. "... They're marching around the fortress for some reason, and none of our ballistas and catapults are able to hit them because they're too far away..."
"... W-what?"
...
...
The sun had already risen by now, and it had been several hours since she commanded the army of automata to march around the imperial stronghold's walls: Saintess Adelaide, accompanied by 50 of her warriors from her own guard retinue, as well as a hundred of the remaining combat automata who stood by behind her, had all been given a command by their saviour, and it was to accompany and assist the woman known as Whitlea in their final push against the imperial remnants, and currently, the saintess and her guard retinue were watchfully observing the marching formations of automata from a safe, faraway distance where they couldn't be seen nor attacked...
'Take down their fortress through whatever method you see fit, and be careful of the tricks they may pull up from their sleeves.'
That was the task that 'Whitlea' left the saintess with before she departed in order to accomplish the other duty that needed to be accomplished: of course, the saintess would seek to accomplish this task as soon as possible, as her current goal matched what her Lord had proclaimed through the whispering voice of the sharded angel that lived in coexistence with her body...
'For 7 hours, make your soldiers march around their mighty stronghold. Then, they shall thump their feet on the ground in unison, and the walls of your enemies will immediately fall down without resistance.'
This, on the other hand, was the order of the Almighty, a command that perfectly matched the task that Whitlea had assigned to her, and as such, the saintess began her moves, to take the immediate action that would ultimately allow her to satisfy her objectives...
The reason for Adelaide's assault upon Fort Vellios held 2 purposes: its secondary purpose was to intimidate the Neugomians into submission, to lower their spirits and make their will to fight crumble as they witnessed the endless army of constructs marching around their very fortress, not paying heed and even outright ignoring the hurtling ballistae and catapult attacks that were being launched at their formations due to the faraway distance that they were marching from...
... The primary purpose, however, was that it was a symbol they meant to deliver to their enemies, a recurrence of a divine event that had already occurred in the past, and a message that was to be shown directly to all those that would dare to oppose them, and as such, the saintness gladly chose enact her orders until they had finally been fully fulfilled: after all, in the end, her arrival here was only a distraction, a front that was meant to serve as a ruse that would focus their attention on this part of the battlefield and render them blind from the other front that was about to reveal itself...
"How much time do we have left before it happens, saintess?"
"Don't worry..." Adelaide replied to one of the knights who questioned her. "Just a few more counts before the finale..."
From what she had counted, a total of 6 hours and 59 minutes have already passed since the automata began their seemingly pointless advance: it had been at the dead of night since they first made their march, though by now, it was all finally about to come to an end in a few more seconds...
... Adelaide had to admit however, seeing those imperial soldiers panicking as they rushed to and fro within the safety provided by their little stronghold brought a minor sense of joy in her, and it was almost as if she was feeling delightful of the fear that was building up within their minds as they continued to helplessly watch the army of metal that was making their way around their fortress: it was a flaw of human imperfection, to feel the slightest bit of sadistic joy for the suffering of their past tormentors, and Adelaide couldn't help but quickly become regretful for feeling such a dark emotion within her supposedly pure heart...
"Ah, and... There we go..." the saintess muttered to herself as she finally finished the count, with 7 hours worth of time in total that had already passed. "And now their walls shall fall before our very eyes... No need to utilize the power of destruction..."
Were it not for the limitations set by her mortal body, Adelaide would have been able to use her ability more frequently, and she would have most likely used it in this current situation as well: truthfully though, this was also another reason why the saintess hadn't decided to use right now the power that had been blessed upon her by the Almighty, because Adelaide herself was ultimately a normal human, and to continously use the power of one of the most powerful angels in existence was not something her body could ultimately handle, causing her to often use it sparingly and only in situations where such a power was absolutely necessary...
"... The way they make those sounds... It honestly feels a bit terrifying..."
"Yeah, it's even making me feel a bit uneasy..."
As ordered, after the 7 hours have finally passed, the marching formations of the automated army ceased to move, as they then began to thump their mechanical feet onto the ground in a perfect, synchronized unison- it was like a death chant that held no beauty in its tone, a voiceless echo of death that would come just a few moments before the oncoming disaster, and such a sound, however, proved incredibly loud and unnerving, with its dreadful noise echoing throughout the air as it only drove the imperial soldiers into a further deepened state of panic and anxiety.
Eventually though... The divine proclamation that had been given to the saintess would finally come to pass, and the impossible became possible despite the seemingly meaningless actions they had been doing for a while...
THUD... THUD... THUD... THUD...
"The saintess' proclamation became true again..."
"Of course it did, you idiot. She's the saintess after all..."
"No need to fight about this... You two..."
Cracks and crevices began forming on the tall, stone walls of Fort Vellios, malformations that quickly began to expand and grow in both size and number as the very ground they stood on began to quake with every fragment that split off from its decaying stone framework...
Soon enough however, like the city of Jericho that had fallen on the 7th day after the trumpets had been blown, the proud walls of the imperial fortress came crashing down like a house of cards, instantly taking the lives of many imperial soldiers and leaving the interior sectors of Fort Vellios fully vulnerable to Adelaide's forces...
"Advance. Show them your mettle, and spare them no pity."
...
...
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"What the hell is happening to our ships?!"
"We're being torn apart by explosive magicks!"
"Where are these attacks even coming from?! We can't even see who's launching them!"
The imperial ships stationed in Persephon, the only seaport of the Kingdom of Gresia, had also been engulfed in a storm: their 50-strong fleet of ship-of-the-lines, each of which were prided to be the symbol of the Neugomian Navy, were currently being ravaged by an attacker from a faraway distance they couldn't see.
For Manius, the captain of the Navidia, a long-lived ship that had already experienced countless engagements with multitudes of enemies, it was an impending disaster they couldn't escape from, though truthfully, it was something that they already expected to happen in the nearby future.
The demons... Those bastards who defeated them so easily and conquered the capital in only a few hours... They were impossible enemies who possessed a great army of steel and might, and Captain Manius had already come to a quick hypothesis based on that fact: if they were already strong on land, then surely they must be strong on the sea as well?
Unfortunately for him the imperial ship captain though, this seemingly ludicrous guess had suddenly became true, and their fates were now doomed because of this very fact...
"C-captain! We have another problem!"
"What is it? Speak of it immediately!"
"There's something lurking within the depths! It's dragging down the others into the depths, and it's already taken 5 ships by now!"
His face turned pale as white as he heard that, as Manius couldn't help but blame himself for jinxing himself and his crew, as his belief that their enemies possessed a formidable power in the sea quickly came true before their very eyes: were they really going to die here, without ever being able to achieve against these unseen enemies of theirs at all? It would be such a pathetic defeat, and although Manius refused to let it happen, he was ultimately powerless in trying to stop it from occurring.
"T-The monster! IT'S RISEN FROM THE DEPTHS! IT'S IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW, AND ITS OPENING ITS FUCKING MOUTH!"
"ABANDON SHIP! IT'S ABOUT TO EAT US ALL ALIVE!"
To the horror of the captain and his crewmates, the monster lurking in the depths would finally make an appearance: it was a massive, mechanical serpent of steel, with a gaping mouth on its fearsomely head, as it then turned to face the Navidia with the tendrils protruding from its mouth, as if it were sizing the ship up before it was going to consume it.
"Fire the cannons! Use all the ammunition we have!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Magick-enchanted cannonballs were launched from the Navidia's guns, and although many of them scored direct hits upon the metal beast, they ultimately achieve nothing despite their explosive output, as the steel hide of the serpent's body firmly remained unscathed from their attacks- seeing this however, the crew quickly became hopeless and fell into a great disarray, as they then did everything they can to flee the approaching destruction that was about to be unleashed on them.
"... Abandon ship... Abandon ship, you lot! It's about to attack! Jump into the seas if you want to liv-"
With a single, descending strike, Jormungandr moved downwards to lay waste upon the ship that had unfortunately become its target, reducing it to a slowly-sinking shipwreck whose wooden body had been brutally split in half...
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"The walls of Fort Vellios have fallen... Our men will hold, but... It's expected that they won't be able to last very long..."
"A new report just came in... Our only seaport, Persephon, has been laid to waste..."
"... What about our ships? If the port has been destroyed, then they also must have been..."
"Yes... Based on the accounts of the seaport’s surviving soldiers… All of them have been reduced to flaming wrecks..."
"... D-damn this... Where are those bastards who promised that they'll help us? Did those damn fools decide to back out at the last moment?"
As the reports of the 2 imperial soldiers revealed to them the latest, horrifying events that had occurred just within their very doorsteps, the Neugomian officers within their makeshift headquarters couldn't help but feel fear and unease as their eyes and ears laid witness to the impossible scene: in only a few minutes, the mighty walls of Fort Vellios came tumbling down without resistance, and it already became apparent to them that all of the soldiers that were stationed there would be doomed in the next few hours that would pass... And yet, there was also nothing else they could do to stop their fated deaths from transpiring...
... More importantly though, there were 2 other problems that suddenly surfaced: the Southern Barbarians and those damn pirates who had promised them aid through reinforcements, as well as the 1st prince himself who initiated the current meeting and was supposed to be present in the room right now, both of these important figures were nowhere to be seen, and it was already beginning to take a toll on many of the men within the office chambers...
"And where the hell is the 1st prince right now?! He's the one who called us here, yet why is he nowhere to be seen?"
"Indeed! Why did he suddenly disappear in the moment when he's most needed?"
"We're doomed... We're doomed, I tell you all... They'll carve a path through Fort Vellios unopposed and destroy all of us here without mercy..."
Their plans were crumbling down helplessly, and by the second they were incurring more and more unpreventable losses that were gradually becoming more severe: it was supposed to have been a mighty defense, and perhaps eventually a coordinated counterattack against the invading forces of those demons, as Fort Vellios was supposed to have been reinforced with the combined efforts of the imperial army and the Southern reinforcements, and if their defense had proven successful, they would have then seized the initiative by pushing back against the enemy forces and reclaiming their lost territories in slow but sure approach, as the pirates who promised them support would also assist the imperial navy with whatever ocean threat that the demons may send out against them...
Now however, such intricate plans were definitely no longer within their reach...
It had all become useless, as not only had their reinforcements failed to arrive on time, but their main defense line that was supposed to hold on for at least a week was already about to fall, and the only thing left for them to do was to await the doom that was steadily approaching those doomed soldiers of Vellios' collapsed defenses...
"B-but... What if we send our remaining forces to assist the men at Vellios? Surely, we'll at least be able to hold out for longer?"
"There's no use in throwing more of our men into the fire! Fort Vellios is already lost, and it's only purpose now is to buy us more time so we can come up with another plan!"
"But what sort of plan can we even come up with in this damned situation?! We're already doomed, and the moment our forces at Vellios are completely annihilated, our heads will be next on the chopping block!"
Suddenly though, amidst the quarreling of the various Neugomian officials within the room, the door leading into the room would open forth, and from the unfolded entryway came the person whose appearance they had long been waiting for...
"Our initial plans may have failed, but I believe we can still come back from this predicament, my friends. I've come up with a new plan, although... It's contents may be difficult for some of you to accept..."
The 1st prince had finally made his appearance in their assembly, however, the men didn't choose to pay him the necessary honorifics this time- they were all too deeply disturbed with the terrible news that they had just laid witness too, and their minds were still currently racing to come up with a way to deal with, or at least delay the inevitable defeat that was about to reach them.
"Y-your Highness! Where have you been? The guards have been looking everywhere for you!"
"We need your orders, Your Highness! Fort Vellios is about to fall, and we need your decision to make our next moves!"
A sigh would suddenly emerge from Triston's lips in response. "Ah... About that... We don't have to worry about that problem anymore. That stone coffin of a fortress was merely a trap after all. What's more important is the matter we need to achieve right now. There's a reason why I gathered all of you here after all..."
"... And what may this 'matter' be then, Your Highness?"
"... The only way we can survive this oncoming storm... Is by surrendering to those demons and relinquishing our will to fight." the prince stated, which immediately earned the ire of most of the people within the office chamber. "To those who agree with me, please raise your hand and stand up."
Of course though, not a single one of the men within the assembly room would agree with what Triston had stated: instead, a myriad of angry voices immediately voiced out their anger and concerns, all of which were directed at the prince's suggestion, which none of these proud, honor-bound men of the empire could ever find within themselves to accept.
"This is complete and utter foolishness, Your Highness! Those demons are merciless bastards, there's no way they'll ever accept our surrender!"
"Indeed! The moment we give up and submit, we'll all be killed!"
"This is a complete travesty on Imperial Honour, Your Highness! We cannot sully our hundreds of years of legacy by surrendering!"
"... I was already expecting that these would be your reactions... But to actually witness them in person, it is, indeed, kind of disappointing..." Triston said as he sighed once more, this time in a rather downhearted manner. "What if I were to tell you all however, that I've already made a deal with them, long before I came here?"
A look of surprise born from their confusion, quickly formed on their faces without delay, as soon as they heard the 1st prince's statement: what did he mean when he said that he had already made a deal with those monsters?
"Shocking, is it not? Well, I can't blame any of you, really..." Triston continued after witnessing their baffled expressions. "It would be most advisable for all of you to consider this... I won't be able to save you anymore the moment she arrives..."
"... Oh, wait..."
"What do you mean by that, Your Highness? And who is this woman you're referring to...?"
"... She's already here... You'll see soon enough..."
A dreadful sense of fear seized the prince's heart, as he then subconsciously pointed one of his hands to the right side of the room, and almost immediately, a sizable construct of brilliant light formed from that direction: eventually though, 2 figures would emerge from the gateway's ethereal energies, with one of them possessing an infamous identity that the imperial officers were already far too aware of...
"N-no way... It's that demoness..."
"It's the usurper who murdered our emperor! What is that devil doing here?!"
"Your highness, you've committed a terrible treason! Why did you make a deal with such a vile being?!"
It was Whitlea, along with her sister, Speranza, who emerged from the gateway, and in truth, the 1st prince was the mole they implanted within the ranks of the imperial remnants all along: the deal they made was of a simple nature, and it only consisted of his collusion in making the remaining imperial forces surrender, and in exchange, not only will half of the Neugomian residual army be spared from the slaughter, but the prince would also be allowed to keep his rank of royalty within the empire...
Although, Whitlea, who immediately heard the rather scornful remarks that were directed towards her by the men within the assembly, would quickly feel a terrible sense of fury forming within her heart, with a frown forming on her pristine, beautiful face as she reacted rather... Calmly for a while, almost as if she was trying to conceal the rage she felt when she heard those insults...
"I must say though, dear sister of mine..." the maid beside the black-haired demon they were too familiar with would utter these words as they came forth from the gateway. "You removed the combat armor you often wear in our battles, and you replaced it with a... Thinner armor that looks more like a black body suit for some reason?"
"You're right, Spera, although... I don't believe there's anything wrong with it, am I right?"
"Not really, it's just... Strange, for you to have a sudden shift in preferences... Well, then again, it does fit your occasionally shifty personality..."
"Well, I never needed that armor in the first place. I'd rather focus more on mobility and speed since I can't sustain hits as good as you..."
"Mhm... You are kind of fragile when compared to me, after all~"
Hearing that, Whitlea rolled her eyes in a playful response, as she then turned her attention to the frightened imperial officers in front of her, with a cruel smile forming on her lips as her lilac eyes observed them with a gaze that radiated of superiority.
"Now as for you lot... A demoness? Me? A vile being? Did I hear that right?~" an eerie smile laced with hate surfaced from her lips, an expression that was enough to silence even the loudest voices that were currently speaking within the room. "... Ahaha, if that's what you think of me... I suppose I should take up to the role then, hm?"
"!!!"
An invisible yet oppressive aura of dominance swiftly spread throughout the room, a power coming from Whitlea's vast, psychic might as an esper of unparalleled strength- it had changed the ambience of the room severely, so much so that most of the imperial officers immediately fainted and began falling onto their knees without resistance.
... However, after only a mere seconds of unleashing her power, her younger sister would immediately intervene with a calm voice of concern that quickly showed her that she was going too far...
"... S-sister, I think they've felt enough of that 'intense energy' of yours... It's actually a bit too much, even for me..."
"... Ah... Is that so, Spera? Well, I guess I should turn it off now..."
"Thank you, sister..."
With the combat maid's remark, the oppressive aura that tormented most of the people within the office chambers would finally cease to be, allowing them to finally breathe peacefully without that dreadful atmosphere weighing down on their backs so heavily- unfortunately though, most of them still remained completely unaware of the terrible fate that Whitlea already had in store for them...
"Ah, by the way, Triston..." as soon as she withdrew the radiance of her power, Whitlea would immediately pose a question to the first prince. "Did any of these blundering idiots choose to surrender when you first asked them?"
"... I-I'm afraid not..."
"Afraid not, what, hm?"
Hearing that, the 1st prince nearly gave her a glare, though thankfully, he was able to resist this foolish impulse at the last second. "No... Your Majesty..."
"There we go, good boy~" Whitlea smiled as she replied sarcastically. "I'll ask you shitstains again then: do any of you choose to surrender? If you do, I give you my word that you'll be spared, and no harm from me or my forces shall fall upon you."
After seeing the frightening power she had at her disposal, it would've been the correct choice to accept the black-haired beauty's offer: in the end however, the dogmatic sense of pride and honour that was locked deeply within the hearts of the imperial officers would prevent them from accepting such a logical choice.
"... We are... Men of the Neugomian Empire... We shall not yield..."
"We will never surrender... Especially not to the likes of a witch like you!"
"Even if you unleash that terrible power of yours again, we will never throw away our honour!"
For a moment, a baffled look became Whitlea's expression as she heard those words that were said to her: these brainless morons, were they that obsessed with their own 'pride and honor', that they would gladly give away their own lives to preserve such useless values? Well, it didn't really matter to her anyway, since none of their miserable lives mattered to her in the first place: the only people that mattered to her were her family, and her beloved, and the rest were nothing more than insignificant rabble of no use in her eyes.
"... Ahahaha.... Well, I gave you all a chance, and you shamelessly spat it back on my face. Face the consequences of your stupidity then, you imbeciles~" a mocking grin appeared on Whitlea's face as she patted the shoulder of her sister who was beside her.
"Speranza, gun them all down, leave none of them alive."
"Very well then, sister." Speranza replied, as several, weaponized structures of metal that resembled turrets would then materialize in front of her. "Farewell, miscreants of the empire. I'll at least make your deaths quick..."
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Crimson beams of light emerged from the combat maid's summoned weapons, all of which accurately scored headshots on every single one of her targets, with none of them even missing their marks by an inch, and soon enough, the dead bodies of the imperial officials then fell down lifelessly to the ground as their pooling blood began flowing onto the floor beneath.
"The job is done... They're all dead now, sister."
"..."
"Now that's an objective well done... Alright..." Whitlea said this as her eyes observed the dead bodies scattered all around the room, and afterwards, she then walked towards the first prince and looked at him with an incredibly cold gaze. "Triston, you're the last high ranking member of these resisting bands of fools. Tell the remaining soldiers to stand down, or else they'll die miserably like these fools who my beloved sister just killed."
"... R-right away... I'll do so at once..."
"Hm? You forgot to say that again~" Whitlea replied rather arrogantly.
"..."
"... Come on. Say. It. Is it that hard?" she continued, both the smugness and sadism in her voice growing steadily with every word she spoke.
"... I'll do it... Right away..."
"... Are you screwing with me right now~ Didn't you just see how me and my sister easily killed those acquaintances of yours?"
"Are you not afraid to die, you brainless imbecile~"
"..."
"... Now you're just wasting time... You're making me lose my patience." she said, her rage clearly radiating seething from her words as she spoke to him. "Say. It. Properly. Now."
Unfortunately though, this time, the 1st prince couldn't prevent himself anymore as he shot a glare at the monstrous woman before her: even though he had stooped so low as to betray his own countrymen, he still, nevertheless, held the rank of 1st prince, a prestigious title of royalty that shouldn't be disrespected so casually, and he could no longer contain the urge to speak back against the blatant contempt that this women held for him.
And so, several foolish words came out of his mouth all of a sudden, even though he never would have considered uttering them right in front of the monster who could easily kill him: the deaths of those imperial officers had rattled him somewhat after all, as the brutality and cold efficiency of their execution was not something that even he could've ever done to his enemies, and it was like he was staring at a darker shadow of himself whenever he thought back to that recent, bloody event.
However, as soon as he lost control of his composure for a moment, he quickly realized the terrible mistake he had made, though by then, it was already too late...
"... A-and why should I?! I've had enough of your insolence! I am the 1st prince of the Neugomian Empire, and you will give me the proper respect that I deserve-"
BLAM!
A powerful blow struck his chest, making him fall onto the floor as he wheezed for air in pain- for his impudence, Whitlea had kicked him with a sufficiently powerful strike, one that wasn't enough to kill him, but was sufficient enough to send the lesson she wanted him to understand.
"Hahaha, you Neugomians really have no common sense, hm? Make no mistake, Mr. First Prince..." she uttered coldly, as a dark, yet silent expression of hate surfaced upon Whitlea's face again. "I would have killed off your sorry little existence a long time ago, had I not seen how useful you could be for our plans."
"In the end, I can still choose to snuff out that pathetic life of yours whenever I want, so you better be careful with how you behave around me~"
"... Fu... Fuck you, you damn... Monster..."
"That's ironic coming from you though~ You tried to kill your own siblings, even though they did nothing wrong to you. That's kind of fucked up, to be honest."
Shock immediately formed within the prince's mind as he heard that- how the hell did this woman know about that secret he had kept hidden for so long? He had performed so many measures to make sure that only he and Remus were knowledgeable of these dark deeds, yet why was this lunatic of a woman aware of these secrets?
Perhaps Remuz had already betrayed him in order to gain favour from these bastards? No, that couldn't be the case... It definitely couldn't...
"... H-how did you...?"
"Ahaha, well, to make it easier for you simpleton mind to understand, I can read minds~ To me, your brain is nothing more than an open book whose contents can easily be understood by children~" Whitlea explained with a mocking grin. "You think I don't know that darkness you hide within that crooked soul of yours? To tell you the truth though, even I find it disgusting~ and that's coming from someone as horrible as me!"
"..."
"And besides, there's another irony that you're not aware of yet." the boot of her right leg then moved to pin the 1st prince's head onto the ground, making him groan terribly in pain as he felt the hard, rough surface of the floor impacting upon his face.
"Your attempt to kill them was useless, since... Well... I don't want to spoil the fun, so just find it out yourself~"
"... L-let me go... Stop this... at once..."
... And why should I~ Give me one good reason, or else I'll crush your head into paste right this very moment."
"I... I-I can still be useful... Besides... I know you don't... Want me dead... At least... Not now..."
Things were getting a bit heated... Whitlea had become rather aggressive again, and for Speranza, this was starting go become a bit strange: why did Whitlea's personality take a drastic shift all of sudden? She normally wasn't this aggressive in the first place, and in fact, the combat maid knew in her heart that her older sister wasn't the type to become angry like this...
And so, once again, as Speranza witnessed her older sister going too far again, she would once more intervene in an attempt to calm her down for a moment.
"Sister... You're going too far again..." Speranza spoke firmly as she gently placed her hand on her sister's shoulder. "That much should be enough for him. We can't let him die yet, since he still has his uses... You wouldn't want him to disappoint Novus, right?"
"... Hmph, fine. I'm still going to need him to do something for us anyway."
The pinning force of Whitlea's right leg finally moved away, allowing Triston to finally stand up and recover from the painful beating he had just been given: as he slowly took his time to stand up however, he gave one more look towards the insane woman in front of her, though this time, it was not a simple glare that one would do so out of irritation of annoyance.
What formed on his eyes were a look of cold rage, a violent temperament that did not make him want to tear her into pieces, but to inflict upon her a suffering that would be too terribly great: unfortunately for him though, that possibility would never be able to happen in the present due to the vast, gaping gap of power and strength between them.
"... Mark my words... One day... I'll get revenge on you for this..." Triston muttered, with a few drops of blood coming out of his mouth as he spoke. "You'll regret that you did this to me... Once that... cough... Time comes..."
"Hm? Hahahaha, you're quite bold, aren't you? I admire that about you and your fellow backwater imperials." Whitlea responded as she gave him back a stare, one that held pure sadism and delight as her purple eyes look at him condescendingly. "You're lucky that I need you to do that little task I gave you, because I would have pummeled you again otherwise~"
"Now off you go, take command of all the imperial soldiers stationed in Athenia and give them the order to surrender to us.... Unless you want them as dead as your comrades over there, of course~" Whitlea continued with her ever-present tone of smugness. "... Hmm... Ah, wait for a moment..."
"... A certain someone needs my help... It appears we have a situation on our hands..."