Ch.222221. Starting Point (7)

# 221. The Starting Point (7)

To be honest, their role had ended there.

Blocking reinforcements to prevent enemy replenishment—that alone was enough.

After all, they weren’t soldiers or formally employed mercenaries.

Yet they weren’t satisfied with just that and yearned for the next mission.

Lilith, who was rushing quickly to where Bael and the Emperor would be, thought:

‘Is it because they haven’t done anything for about two days?’

Two days had passed since the full-scale battle began.

Yet all they had done was circle around the rear while their comrades were in the midst of combat.

It seemed they had inevitably accumulated feelings of helplessness in the process.

“Well… it’s not bad…”

It wasn’t bad.

Given the current situation, it was better for everyone to put in a little extra effort…

“But I wish those people would put in more effort than those kids…”

In truth, the one who needed to make more effort wasn’t those children.

It was the person who was currently facing Bael, who for the first time in history had activated his second unique skill in battle.

Of course, it would be difficult.

Blessed by the heavens, he would be no easy opponent.

Nevertheless, that person needed to persevere.

For those children, for the country, even for himself…

“I hope he can hold on a little longer… at least until I get there.”

And Lilith wasn’t the only one thinking this.

In Lucerne, quite far from Lilith’s current location.

A hero guarding that place muttered:

***

“I hope he can hold on a little longer, at least until I get there…”

To be honest, the situation wasn’t that urgent.

Most of the enemy forces had been killed, and Agareus was in critical condition.

Without proper treatment, he would die from excessive bleeding.

Yet my feet refused to stop.

“Where on earth is it?”

I paused for a moment to think.

Where could they have gone?

Asking myself this question, I recalled what Andres had said earlier.

-Her Majesty the Empress has evacuated to a place known only to herself and His Majesty the Emperor.-

Based on this statement alone, I had no way of figuring out the location.

There were too few hints, and since it was supposedly a place only they knew, it was natural that I wouldn’t know it.

“But what if the Empress is mistaken?”

That changes things.

The Empress and Emperor.

A place known only to the two people who knew the imperial palace better than anyone.

When I realized this, there was one place that came to mind.

“Could it be there?”

I hurriedly moved forward.

It was only natural, as quite some time had passed since Agareus and Fenex disappeared.

Not knowing when, where, or what might happen, I rushed toward that place with even greater urgency.

After about two hours, my destination finally came into view.

“If only my body were in better condition…”

Normally, I would have arrived in 30 minutes, not two hours.

But the situation was different now.

Although Andres had treated me, it wasn’t his specialty, so my body hadn’t improved much.

His level of holy power was low, and my wounds were deep.

“Still, I’m glad I made it…”

I headed toward the place I remembered.

The entrance to the secret passage—according to my prediction, the Empress would be there.

But as soon as I arrived, a deep chill ran down my spine.

“Ah… shit…”

The scene before me drew out an involuntary curse.

Still, with a glimmer of hope in my heart, I entered the secret passage.

Into that already open passage.

I was anxious.

Though I held onto a sliver of hope, in this situation, the opposite thought inevitably filled my mind.

“Please…”

I dragged my disobedient feet and barely managed to enter.

From inside, the thick scent of blood crept toward me.

Moreover, drops of blood—whose blood I could guess—were scattered on the floor.

“Really… this is exactly why I told them not to come…”

I had anticipated this.

I had feared this would happen.

The increasingly vivid smell of blood as I went deeper stole away that sliver of hope.

And that worry returned as certainty.

“Really… it ended up like this after all…”

Agareus, now collapsed from exhaustion, and the Empress, stained with blood and sprawled on the floor just like him.

And Fenex, holding a sword decorated with the Empress’s blood, came into view.

“You couldn’t do anything earlier… but you ended up causing trouble after all.”

“She can still be saved.”

But contrary to his words, Fenex’s sword was still pointed at the Empress.

I pointed my sword at him.

“Put that down right now. Don’t you care what happens to that child…?”

“Whether I kill this woman here or not, it doesn’t seem to make any difference anyway?”

Unfortunately, he seemed to have realized that fact.

It would have been better if he had remained ignorant until the end… but it was probably the doing of the one collapsed there now.

“So… you’re giving up?”

“I’m doing what I can.”

His sword was getting closer and closer to the Empress’s heart.

With each movement, not only my expression but his as well was becoming more contorted.

“You don’t want to give up either, right? After waiting for so many years… are you going to give up here?”

“If I can spite you with this, then it’s worth it.”

Indeed, nothing was more frightening than someone with nothing to lose.

It wasn’t always like this.

Fenex used to have something to lose, which is why he wasn’t frightening at all.

But now, having lost everything, he was fear incarnate.

I know his past.

That’s why I understood all too well what that decision meant.

“You’re a tough one. You’ll regret that decision.”

“One regrets any decision. So it’s right to act on what feels right at the moment.”

With those words, his sword began to move again.

I quickly activated [Mortal’s Last Stand].

Then I rushed toward him, or more precisely, toward the Empress, as fast as I could.

Even in that moment, the sword was still moving.

Inch by inch, it was advancing toward the Empress’s neck.

‘At this rate, I’ll be too late…’

Instinctively realizing this, I threw the sword in my hand.

I threw it directly at Fenex’s sword.

-Whoosh!!-

The sword left my hand and advanced faster than I could.

And fortunately, it arrived in time.

-Clang!!!-

The two swords that collided with a loud noise bounced off in different directions.

That was fortunate.

However…

The swiftly flying sword wasn’t just mine.

Right beside me, a dark shadow suddenly appeared.

That shadow flew faster than anything else.

-Whoosh?! Thunk!!-

The place where that shadow arrived.

There was the heart of the one I so desperately wanted to protect, the one they so desperately wanted to kill.

“Huh…?”

Blood, red as can be, gushed like a fountain from the pierced heart.

I immediately rushed over.

And tried somehow to stop the bleeding.

With my hands, clothes, body, even with magical power…

I tried every method I could.

But… that bleeding…

“It won’t stop…”

At that moment, a small laugh came from behind me.

“Hehehe..! Hahaha..!! How does it feel? That’s what happens when you toy with people!”

I threw a punch at his face with all my might.

-Thwack!!!-

And then he…

-Thud!-

Fell to the floor.

It was as if he had simply allowed himself to fall.

“So… you have no regrets now?”

“That’s right, just kill me now. Our business is finished anyway. This was my intention all along…!!”

“You’re… completely insane.”

Fenex spoke while looking at the Empress’s body, which was growing cold.

“By the way, that old man is impressive too. He should have been dead already, how did he manage?”

“…”

“And hurry up and kill me, will you?”

He could struggle if he wanted to.

Fenex was strong, being an Executor, and my physical condition was terrible.

Yet this guy didn’t even touch a hair on my body.

Fenex spoke as if he had heard my thoughts.

“I can’t beat you anyway, thanks to those damn skills of yours.”

“Still… shouldn’t you at least put up a fight…?”

“I’m fundamentally different from you inferior species.”

Clearly, just a moment ago, when I first saw Fenex here…

No, until just before he killed the Empress, there was still regret in his eyes.

But now… his eyes were quite different.

Far from regretful, his eyes and expression showed nothing but relief.

“I wish I could have killed that woman you care so much about…! Too bad, right?”

“Shut up…”

“But well, our leader will take care of that. I hope he kills her right in front of your eyes, just like now.”

I summoned my sword again.

And filled it with the abyss.

“I can’t just kill you simply.”

I called forth the one who would give him the most painful death in this world.

-Grooowl…?!-

Looking at that being, that mass of magical power licking its lips, I commanded:

“Eat him, as slowly as possible.”

***

The war caused numerous casualties.

It was certainly a tragedy.

But compared to that incident, it was merely a drop in the ocean.

That incident was the death of the Empress.

The meaning of that death was diverse.

It was like a celebratory cannon for the Babylonian Empire, which had been in a somewhat disadvantageous situation, and it was like…

The starting point announcing the tragedy of the once-solid empire.