<"THE lord says the Imperial Princess isn't here anymore…">
<"Then there's no reason for us to fight here…">
<"Let's leave at once!">
Mona could hear the gods, in the form of red orbs floating around her, talk.
But she didn't move to stop them from leaving. She didn't particularly enjoy fighting, and it wasn't her goal to kill the gods.
[The only thing I want to do is to protect my family.]
<"Are we not going to follow them, Master?">
Mona shook her head at the question of Olive, her Wood Spirit. "It's not our priority to eliminate gods. All we have to do is to protect Neoma's hiding space."
<"What a shame! I still want to fight! And kill! And just go ballistic!">
It was Blaze, the ever hyper Fire Spirit.
The Fire Spirit wasn't done complaining yet when the sudden change in the air stopped Blaze from talking.
Then Mona's other Spirits came out and surrounded her protectively.
"It's alright. I know him," Mona said, half-relieved and half-worried to see the person who emerged from the swirl of darkness that emerged from the ground. "Welcome back, Trevor."
"Greetings, Empress Mona," Trevor said politely. "Can I have 50% of your blood?"
[Is this kid asking me to die?]
***
<"I APOLOGIZE for making you worry, Your Majesty. But, rest assured, everything is under control now. Duke Hawthorne is such a great help.">
Nikolai was relieved to hear that.
He knew that Rufus would be safe since he was the strongest nobleman in the empire.
Even so, he couldn't help but worry for his friend and cousin.
"I'm glad that you're safe, Rufus," Nikolai said, talking to Rufus using the communication device that didn't have a camera function. That kind of device was safer than the ones with cameras. "How about your men?"
<"Most of those who suddenly lost their Mana are injured. I'm sending them back to the Imperial Capital using a portal.">
"Are you staying there?"
<"I'll join Duke Hawthorne's knights along with my men who can still fight, Your Majesty. I have a feeling that I shouldn't leave my post.">
"Alright. I trust your judgment," he said. "By the way, how are you dealing with the strange vapor?"
<"Duke Hawthorne's Elemental Guardian dealt with the vapor for us. Does the vapor pose a threat to Your Majesty? I can ask Duke Hawthorne to return to the Imperial Capital.">
"No need for that," he said. "My Soul Beasts are getting rid of the vapor as we speak."
Nikolai and Monik didn't even have to lift a finger this time since the Soul Beasts were enough to purify the vapor.
It seemed like the vapor was only meant to be a distraction.
[I have a feeling that the Second Calamity is something else.]
<"One more thing, Your Majesty. The crows have done something horrendous to my family again.">
Nikolai knitted his eyebrows. "What did those bastards do this time?"
<"They made a replica of Brother Gavin.">
"What…?"
<"Worse, it was the replica of my brother in his prime. They created a replica of the young Commander Gavin. They probably thought I am no match against my brother during his prime. Well, it was true if I was still the same Rufus from twenty years ago. But I've long surpassed my brother now.">
"Did you pay back that bastard for looking down on you?"
<"By tenfolds, Your Majesty.">
"Great."
<"Be careful, Your Majesty. If those crows created a replica of my brother, it won't be too far-fetched to believe that they have also created replicas of other people we know.">
A replica of people they knew, huh?
"I wonder if they made replicas of the previous emperors, too," Nikolai wondered out loud. "It will be fun to reunite with my father or grandfather that way."
Rufus laughed nervously. <"Be careful what you wish for, Your Majesty…">
***
NERO HEARD it.
He heard it when Trevor Kesser, that bastard, asked for his mother's blood.
[Dahlia's intuition is really insane.]
After all, it was the Black Witch who told him to go straight to the Imperial Shrine as soon as they returned to the palace.
That was when he saw Trevor appear and say something so disrespectful to his mother.
"How dare you ask for my mother's blood, you demon bastard," Nero asked while walking towards Trevor and his mother with Dahlia following behind him. "Humans die when they lose 40% of their blood."
"I'm not talking about your normal blood," Trevor said casually, still floating in the air. "I'm asking for your Roseheart Blood."
<"Empress Mona's blood won't be enough.">
Ah.
Nero unconsciously turned his head to Dahlia after remembering what she said earlier.
The Black Witch answered his question even though he didn't say anything.
"Yes, Your Imperial Highness," Dahlia said, nodding. "Lord Trevor needs your Roseheart Blood."
Nero turned to Trevor. "Then it must be for Neoma. You only move if it concerns my twin sister, after all."
"That's right," Trevor said, finally landing on the ground. "The King of Hell is going to fix Princess Neoma's Core, but I need to gather the "ingredients" that he needs first."
Neoma's Core was going to be fixed.
Then…
"She's coming back?" Nero asked, his heart thumping loud and fast against his chest. "Neoma is going to be revived."
"Hush, my son," his mother scolded him lightly. "This isn't the right place to talk about this."
Right.
Nero bowed his head towards his mother slightly. "I apologize, Mother."
"As long as you know, son," his mother said, then she turned to Trevor with glowing eyes. "You're going to explain everything to us, Trevor."
***
NIKOLAI heard from Geoffrey's report that Mona and Nero were headed to the Crown Prince's palace with Trevor.
He wanted to join them in order to hear news about Neoma.
But he stopped on his tracks when he noticed the strange movements of the blobs of Darkness in the sky.
[This is the real one.]
No wonder Monik suddenly appeared in front of him, floating in the air while her pink eyes were glowing.
"The moon is getting swallowed by the Darkness, Your Majesty!"
"I know," Nikolai said, clenching his jaw. "The Second Calamity is here."
***
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