CHAPTER 138 – THE EMPRESS AND THE EMPEROR
GAZELLE LOCKWOOD
The memories of Cleru Neos as the most formidable Dragon Knight in the Kingdom of Alterra lingered in my mind. More than two decades had passed since he bested my favored knight in a duel that had left an indelible mark on me. His prowess, once amplified by his dragonoid partner Jasmine, had been a sight of legend. Now, all that potential was a whisper of the past, reduced to mere echoes in the ravaged crater of the fallen sanctuary.
Cleru's voice, edged with pain and defiance, cut through the air, his scimitar aimed directly at me despite the grievous wounds he bore. "Tell me..." he demanded, "Where is Jasmine? Where is my dragonoid partner?"
A sinister grin spread across my face as I met his gaze with the Eye of Deus, a tool meant to instill dread. "I ate her," I confessed with a chilling nonchalance. "I ate all dragonoids who supported humanity, including your precious shrine maiden. I have no need for dragonoids who do not stand with the Republic's cause."
His response came with a fiery intensity. "You are a genocidal maniac, Gazelle Lockwood. I never would have thought that Amphere would make a mistake entrusting the Eye of Deus to you."
In that moment, the emperor-consort invoked an ancient magic, Elform. His physical form shifted, adopting elf-like features: pointed ears and a blue orb embedded on his forehead. As he channeled nature's energy, his wounds miraculously healed, showcasing his connection to an unlimited mana supply. This transformation, reminiscent of the elven oracle Hiraya and Goddess Exceria, was both majestic and formidable.
With the Magic Negation Field no longer in effect following Eva's spell and the subsequent destruction of the Empire's Sanctuary, the stage was set for a clash devoid of any constraints. Cleru Neos, in his full might, was a force to be reckoned with once more.
Extending his right hand, Cleru summoned a magical circle that glowed with a fierce combination of red and blue. "Fusion Flare!" he announced, unleashing the spell with a potent force aimed directly at me. The moment had come for me to face the true strength of the once-greatest Dragon Knight, a confrontation that promised to be as cataclysmic as it was inevitable.
As Cleru's spells fizzled against my invulnerable form, I advanced relentlessly towards him, each step a testament to his dwindling power and my unwavering dominance. Fusion Flare and Fusion Bolt, no matter how potent, were nothing more than futile gestures against the impenetrable shield bestowed upon me by the Mark of Vesryn.
"Stop it, Cleru," I commanded, my voice carrying an air of finality. "You have no means to slay a Dragon Lord such as myself."
Undeterred by his relentless barrage of spells, I closed the distance between us with deliberate purpose. Cleru's desperation was palpable, his once-mighty resolve crumbling in the face of my unstoppable advance. It was a pitiful sight, to witness the downfall of one who had once held such power and prestige.
With a swift transformation, my right hand took on a draconic form, its dark claws poised to deliver the final blow. As I seized his face in my grasp, Cleru's feeble struggles were met with little resistance. His attempts to strike me with his enchanted scimitar proved fruitless, the flames and lightning dancing harmlessly off my impervious form.
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"Tell me," I murmured, my voice a low growl as I bore down on the helpless emperor. "Where is the King of Humanity?"
At the mention of those words, Cleru's eyes widened in shock, a flicker of realization dawning in his gaze. His silence spoke volumes, confirming what I had suspected all along—that the elusive king, the linchpin of humanity's resistance, remained hidden, a shadow waiting to be unveiled.
“No! Leave Cleru alone!” As the empress emerged from her hiding place, her face contorted with anguish and fury. She staggered toward me, her fists raining down on my abdomen with desperate strength, though her blows lacked force. "Let him go, you monster!" she screamed, her voice cracking with emotion.
The emperor of Alterra, a smirk playing on his lips, merely chuckled. "Humanity has guarded that King for millennia. I'll never divulge his whereabouts to you."
"It doesn't matter," I replied coolly, meeting his gaze with unwavering resolve. "He'll reveal himself in due time... once you both lie dead."
Without hesitation, I seized the emperor's head in my hands, the chill of determination coursing through me. In an instant, his skull gave way beneath my grip, a spray of blood and brain matter staining the ground. With that, Emperor Consort Cleru Neos met his end.
The empress's anguished wails pierced the air as she cradled her husband's lifeless body, tears streaming down her face. "No, no, Cleru! Please, don't leave me!" she cried out, her voice raw with grief.
Meanwhile, Eva approached with a smirk, her laughter cutting through the chaos. "Looks like the emperor lost his head," she quipped, her tone dripping with mockery.
"You deceitful traitor!" the empress spat, her eyes flashing with betrayal to Eva. "We welcomed you into our family, but Marieflorine and Hiraya were right about you all along! I swear upon our kingdom and all that we hold dear, you will pay for this!"
Eva's response was swift and brutal. She lunged forward, her hands closing around the empress's throat with ruthless precision. As the empress gasped for air, Eva examined the black core embedded in her forehead, her expression darkening with realization.
"This isn't Exceria's orb," Eva declared, her brow furrowing in frustration. "It's a counterfeit, the same as the one Johnny Wolvesbane encountered with the obsidian-faced mermaids."
A shiver coursed down my spine, unbidden yet piercing. It was that primal tug, a whisper of fear about the unknown lurking on the fringes of the foreseeable. The Purge of Humanity was poised for success, the end of this war within grasp, yet an unsettling feeling gnawed at me, hinting that something amiss lingered in the air.
"So it is safe to assume that the King of Humanity possesses the Orb of Exceria," I whispered, more to myself than to anyone else.
"That’s right," Eva confirmed with a nod.
"End her suffering then," I instructed, an icy resolve in my tone.
Eva's hands tightened around the empress's throat, unyielding as the empress emitted pitiful cries, her feeble attempts to pry Eva's iron grip away proving futile. Transforming her hand into a draconic claw, Eva’s hold became crushing. With a mere flex, she shattered the empress's neck, her windpipe a mangled ruin. Blood seeped from the empress’s eyes, nose, and mouth, stark against her pallid skin.
When the last breath left her body, Eva tossed the empress’s lifeless form to the ground dismissively and turned to me with a chilling elegance. “Gaz, what are we going to do now?” she asked, her voice calm, almost detached.
"We continue to fight. Eliminate the last remnants of humanity to ensure the Purge is complete. Then, we consult the Oracle," I replied, my voice firm, the strategy clear.
As the darkness of night began to dissipate, the first light of dawn crested the horizon. Our siege on the Empire’s Sanctuary had succeeded. Humanity was leaderless, placeless, futureless.
Yet, as I stood there, a disquiet lingered within me. Looking toward the horizon, Eva and I noticed a solitary airship, its black and gold insignia stark against the morning sky, ascending toward the remnants of the battlefield. Its approach seemed both ominous and defiant, a silent testament that perhaps not all was as it seemed.
I believe it is called the Windwalker.