Ex rank talent Awakening: 100\% Dodge rate-Chapter 200 - : DEMON WAVE XII
The soon-to-erupt battle came to a momentary pause. All eyes turned toward the new being that had intruded upon the conflict.
"Your Grace," the Oracle intoned respectfully, bowing low. The celestial knights fell to their knees in unison.
Everyone present followed suit—everyone, that is, except the emperor. The nobles bowed only slightly, offering just enough to show submissiveness without humbling themselves. Marquis Alexander had long since fled, having anticipated the arrival of the celestial messenger. He had found a convenient excuse to vanish long before the divine presence appeared.
"Hmm… How dare you two act so ignorantly before me?" the celestial messenger asked, his gaze fixed on Brian and Chris. He made no mention of Elizabeth. Though he viewed her as no more significant than an insect, he dared not touch her—he could sense her bloodline, a descendant of Grey. freewebnoveℓ.com
"Because I choose not to," Brian replied, defiant. His concept had already warned him of the vast disparity in strength, but he chose not to care. He would rather die than bend the knee against his will. Chris stood unwavering beside him.
"Arrogance without power is no different from stupidity," the celestial messenger said calmly.
Two feathers fell from his wings. In the blink of an eye—at a speed too fast for even Stagnant Water or Brian to follow—they struck.
[You have died!]
One attack. That was all it took.
"Now, to finish my task and return. I can't stand the filth of this world any longer," the celestial messenger declared coldly, ascending into the sky to destroy the last remaining demonic camp.
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Jessica now stood before Zert, having been summoned in the middle of the battlefield. She hadn't dared defy the command of a superior and returned as ordered.
"You're the ally of Kyle, aren't you?" Zert asked. "I didn't want to do this… but I owe him far too much. So, here's my advice: leave now. Run as far from here as you can. The Empire will likely be the safest place. This land… will no longer be safe."
[You have been forcefully removed from the demon camp!]
[You will lose all contribution points earned so far!]
Jessica stared at the messages in shock. She couldn't comprehend what was happening. It didn't make sense to her—but she chose to obey. Zert still believed she was close to Kyle, unaware of the fallout between them. It would have been foolish to correct him now.
Without wasting time, Jessica departed the camp, heeding Zert's warning. She took a winding, roundabout route toward the Empire, her thoughts clouded with uncertainty.
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Elizabeth stood frozen, powerless. Despite her growth and strength, she had been unable to save Brian and Chris. Frustration, helplessness, and a gnawing sense of failure churned within her. She needed more power—she yearned for it. Her heart grew colder, a familiar power beginning to surge through her veins—the same power that had awakened the last time she evolved and manifested her will.
"Be careful not to draw too much in such a short time," Emperor Augustus warned, standing beside her now, no longer seated. "Lest you ruin yourself… and freeze your heart completely."
"You know what's happening to me?" Elizabeth asked, her voice low.
"Of course," Augustus replied. "You've finally awakened the dormant powers of your mother. It's been a long time coming."
"My mother…" Elizabeth whispered. She was the only child born to the king and her mother, who had mysteriously disappeared when she was five. No one had spoken of her since—by imperial decree, it was forbidden.
"What do you know about my mother?" she asked, her voice rising.
"That is a discussion for another time," Augustus said. "I'm willing to pardon your treachery and reinstate you as a princess of the empire. All you need to do is seek forgiveness."
"I do not wish to be reinstated as a princess," Elizabeth replied coldly, walking past Augustus.
"My lord, should we restrain her?" Commander Harold asked.
"There's no need for that. Let her go," Augustus ordered, watching as Elizabeth disappeared through the castle gates.
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****
"It seems I really was doomed to fail from the beginning," Zert said, laughing uncontrollably as he stared at the divine figure hovering above the camp. "What a joke this promotion was. I was always meant to die. No wonder my siblings never looked at me with envy… only with scorn and mockery."
"It seems you all are the last demons left to be eradicated," the celestial messenger said.
"You? You look pitifully weak for someone leading an invasion," Zert replied with a smirk. "Just how low have humans fallen if they couldn't defeat a weakling like you?"
The celestial messenger narrowed his eyes, intrigued. They were the last remaining demons, and with no threat to him, he decided to entertain some questions. He could eliminate them at any time—so why not stall a bit longer?
"He left," Zert said, referring to Kyle. "I don't know why, but he tucked his tail between his legs and fled." His tone was calm but defiant. This was not the sleepy or absentminded Zert—it was a sharp, lucid version of him.
"Hmm. I see," the celestial messenger muttered.
The Oracle had pleaded with him to allow a continent-wide broadcast of his divine power to instill greater reverence—and fear—among the masses. The celestial messenger hadn't objected. In fact, he rather liked the idea. It was only fitting, considering the strength he had already displayed.
"Mages? Are you broadcasting now?" the Oracle asked. He had arrived alongside the mages shortly before the celestial messenger's descent, the artifacts and spells already in place.
The celestial messenger had intentionally slowed his approach to give them time to prepare—an act that, coincidentally, also allowed Jessica to escape unnoticed.
"What are you waiting for? For those humans to broadcast your might?" Zert mocked, laughing again. "How predictable."
He had noticed the preparations but chose not to interfere. After all, he had a surprise waiting for the arrogant celestial messenger.
The scene was soon broadcasted across the entire continent through an ancient artifact housed in the Celestial Temple. Livestreamers in the real world quickly caught wind of the spectacle, transmitting it across every platform. It instantly became the most-searched and trending broadcast on all forms of social media.
