Izek was being pushed back by Cesare’s shield and I saw him lose his footing, stumbling a few steps back and switching the hold on his sword to go into defense.

 

The bright blue luminescence lighting up the whole room was growing brighter, so it was impossible to see what kind of face Izek was making. Whether he was in pain or panicking from getting overpowered or if he was confident that he was going to win, I couldn’t see it at all.

 

I was sure of one thing, though. Cesare’s divinity was no match for Izek’s. He thrust his sword forward and snarled, and more and more cracks were appearing on my brother’s cerulean-colored guard. The light of his divinity was fading. Cesare’s shield was falling apart.

 

I could see Izek getting the upper hand again as he cornered Cesare, and the entire room vibrated with their divinities clashing. Luminosity fading in and out like lightning strikes, the sound of thunder booming in my ears, the heavy pressure in the air because of divinity bursting forth and the room shaking while cries rang out from all directions—I was scared. If this continued on, then Izek… Izek would…

 

“No! Iz!”

 

“What the hell are you doing?!” An unexpected voice, loud and panicked, blared out just as mine did.

 

The light of blue divinity waned as Izek’s royal purple seeped through the cracks, another collision exploding and echoing through the room and shattering the mirrors around us.

 

The blast not only blinded me, but also knocked me down to the ground. I tried to break the fall with my arms, but the sting from the shards still embedded in my flesh had me gasping for air.

 

“Stop it, you fool! He’s the son of the Holy Father! Stop!” My father-in-law sounded desperate and frantic, and he raced past me and towards his son, getting between the two men destroying the room.

 

I understood his desperation. I had been trying to do the same.

 

Powerful people from powerful families from every corner of the continent were all gathered here. It didn’t matter if Izek was the strongest knight in the North and the soon-to-be King of Britannia. If he killed the Holy Pope’s firstborn son and the future governor of Romagna right here…

 

The room lit up one last time, the light turning my vision white, and then it all ebbed away. Despite that, the area was still vibrating and the pressure in the air had barely diminished. I was thrown off balance and noise was still lingering in my ears. I tried to blink everything away and find Izek amidst all of this chaos, but Paladins were in front of me, blocking my sight.

 

“Ruby!”

 

I almost fell back again while trying to get up, my hands slipping on the floor because of the blood, but someone rushed in from behind and pulled me into a hug.

 

I was greeted with Ellenia’s horror-struck face. Her fingers shook as she swept my bangs away from my face. Over her shoulder, I could see an entire wall stripped bare of mirrors, all of them shattered and broken on the ground.

 

“E-Ellen… I-Iz, Izek…” I tried to find him, but I couldn’t see him through the tears.

 

I could barely hold my upper body up and I winced in pain, trying to sit upright. Ellenia sat behind me and I had to rely on her to help me up. She tried to cover my eyes, but I resisted.

 

“W-Where… Izek…”

 

The Paladins in the room were raising their voices, calling out to my husband and asking where the duke went.

 

I looked around to try and figure out what was going on. I couldn’t find the Duke of Omerta nor Cesare anywhere.

 

Instead, I was able to locate my husband. He shoved his fellow knights to the side and staggered and swayed, his eyes feral and a snarl on his face. Then, all of a sudden, he rushed forward as his focus locked in on something.

 

I blinked my eyes and then he was gone. A loud bang reverberated through the room, as if something had been slammed against the wall, so I turned to look to the opposite side. Izek was holding Lorenzo by the neck and was strangling him.

 

I was still shaking. My whole body was vibrating.

 

I didn’t know whether it was me who was trembling or whether it was Ellenia at my back. I did know, however, that this wasn’t just trembling from fear, but the pressure in the air pushing down on us because of divinity raging and getting out of control.

 

I shrugged off Ellenia’s arms still wrapped around me and mustered up all the strength I didn’t really have. Just like Izek had done earlier, I shoved through all of the Paladins standing between us and desperately grabbed his hard shoulder, turning him around and off the young boy.

 

The world seemed to slow down and everything else faded away. There was no one in the room but me and him. I hadn’t been this close to him in two days, but it felt more like it had been two years.

 

His eyes were quivering and his chest was heaving. Sweat was dripping down the sides of his face and his whole body was tense. He looked like a wild beast, ready to strike. But I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t afraid of him.

 

I had missed him.

 

His eyes slowly regained focus and he took deep breaths before shuddering, reeling in his divinity, and the heavy air crushing us gradually eased up.

 

He lifted a trembling hand to my cheek, his face filled with agony and grief, and he tenderly stroked the blood and tears away. His soft touch made more tears well up. He caressed me like I was made of glass.

 

chaos like none of us had ever seen before erupted from

 

dragon’s roar rang

 

Part VIII
All Together

 

whole city of Elendale was in chaos because

 

as the roar of a dragon echoed through

 

guards rushed through the door, all of them in a frenzy

 

Longinus, there is an

 

have breached the city! Not only that, but the Frost

 

has ordered every knight to gather

 

chaos came from outside and the knights rushed out of the room straight

 

into the hall and shouting things I didn’t understand, the hand that had been caressing me pushed me away and into someone

 

“Brother…”

 

calm despite the unfolding disaster. “Andymion, take them

 

as the young boy came close. His golden eyes were distraught and he looked particularly

 

I understood what he tried

 

fastened the robe more securely. She was almost hugging me and urged me

 

was already out

 

was off to battle monsters again? He hadn’t

 

“Iz, no! You aren’t…!”

 

no match for Izek, he had to have drained him from his divinity all the same. The fight earlier with Cardinal Richie must have taken so

 

fact that he was the main

 

already so far away. He

 

through the walls and the sounds

 

from my sight, he turned around and we locked

 

a moment before he moved again, and then he was

 

by. She was stiff and she was pale, as if she had seen a ghost. She couldn’t look me

 

that had

 

is closed off! Everyone, follow us

 

constrained and unnatural. Despite being Northerners, this situation of the heart of the capital being attacked by monsters and a dragon was something that was unprecedented. Tensions were running high, especially since it was

 

from northern countries, who had presumably never encountered a monster before, were hysterical and

 

the festival

 

both sides of me, their hands on my back and leading me to follow the guards. I thought that they were being too much, acting like I was a child that had to be carried, but

 

in my ears like a lullaby, and I tried to hold

 

rang out. She sounded heartbroken. “I’m

 

“Stop.”

 

known…” I saw her lips quiver as

 

was she talking about? She had nothing

 

on to her, but I

 

they sensed my distress, because our steps, trailing behind the group of people following the palace guards, immediately came

 

drew in a long breath and clutched her hand. “You have

 

can’t do that, My

 

Andymion got in front of me and squared

 

of control. Traces of mana stones have been found all over the city. That means that the monsters have been possessed by the summoning magic of the stone, so they have an unquenchable thirst for blood now and they won’t be easily stopped. Especially the Frost Dragon,

 

who can do

 

“But, My Lady!”

 

talking about?” Ellenia, having had enough of

 

shifting his eyes to me. “That… My Lady, I’m

 

to you later,” I faced her and her hand

 

You can’t go. What are you

 

face contorted and was drained of all color. The sadness clouded in her eyes was something I had to figure out later. Right now, the clock

 

only one. I was the only one

 

“My brother planned this.”

 

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