Chapter 340 [Event] [Dolphian Kingdom Under Ruins] [26] Kara

Chapter 340 [Event] [Dolphian Kingdom Under Ruins] [26] Kara

"What happened, Amael?" Victor asked as I increased my pace.

"Nothing..." I replied, my mind preoccupied with the resurgence of Nevia's mana.

Though Victor seemed skeptical, he refrained from pressing further.

The last time I sensed that unique presence was four months ago, filling me with a strange mix of nostalgia and apprehension. Deep down, I knew our paths would cross again, but the prospect filled me with a sense of dread.

It couldn't have been a hallucination, could it? I was certain—it was her mana.

Pushing aside my internal thoughts, I quickened my pace once more, tuning out the chaos and screams surrounding us as we entered the beleaguered palace.

It was quite a sight to witness the seat of the King, the symbol of Dolphis Capital's power, so thoroughly breached. Smoke billowed, flames licked at the crumbling structure, and the sounds of conflict echoed from every corner.

Ignoring the carnage around us, I navigated through the inner chambers with impatience, guided by the knowledge gleaned from the Game. It was fairly easy for me to know where they were.

And then, as expected...

I halted, my heart sinking as I beheld the destruction before me—the wall breached, the Queen likely taken captive.

And clearly, Celeste hadn't waited for us.

Clutching my fists, I steeled myself for the confrontation ahead.

"Who do we have here?" an eerie voice echoed from the darkness beyond the shattered wall.

Emerging from the shadows was a figure—a sickly-complexioned woman.

Kara...

A Commander of Behemoth.

"Where is she?" I asked icily.

"Well, that's a rather broad question, isn't it? We have several 'she's with us," Kara replied, tilting her head with a snicker.

"Celeste Indi Zestella," I replied as I closed the distance between us.

"Oh? The little Prophetess?" Kara sneered. "She's with us now. She'll be quite helpful, you'll see."

"No, she won't," I retorted.

Without hesitation, I lunged forward, closing the gap between us in an instant and delivering a powerful punch.

"Is that Amael Falkrona? I've heard quite a bit about you. But I can't understand why 'they' want you," Kara mused, her curious tone contrasting with the flurry of insect-like arms that parried my attack effortlessly.

Despite their fragile appearance, these arms were quite strong, infused with Ruah and capable of deflecting my blows with ease.

"Anathemas Fire," I muttered, summoning the fire.

Confusion flickered in Kara's eyes as she instinctively ordered her arms to strike, each tipped with a viscous liquid dripping with potent poison.

"You're heading towards death, ahahaha!" Kara's laughter echoed behind me, unsettling in its jubilance.

Descending the stairs, I felt my senses beginning to dull, overwhelmed by the thick waves of Prana emanating from the Horn below. But I couldn't afford to lose focus. I heightened my senses to their maximum.

Finally, I came to a halt, my gaze drawn to the sight before me—the giant jar of water draining to reveal the Horn, the ground around it marred by destruction and ice, evidence of Celeste's fight.

A man stood before the Horn, his back to me, while nearby, the Queen lay on the brink of death, her lifeblood pooling beneath her.

Nora stood nearby, arms crossed, her gaze sharp as she noticed my arrival.

Scanning the area, I located Celeste—bruised, bloodied, and bound to the wall, her eyes widening in shock at the sight of me.

But amidst the chaos, I sensed something amiss—'her' presence had vanished completely.

"You arrive at a good timing, Amael Falkrona," Nora remarked with a smile. "At least we don't have to go searching for you."

Ignoring her taunts, I took a step forward, summoning Samara's power to appear before Celeste. With a swift motion, I released her from her bonds, hoisting her onto my shoulder before leaping away to safety, landing on the ground a safe distance away from the impending danger.

Celeste avoided meeting my gaze, her expression fraught with shame and tremors wracking her body.

I know very well what she was feeling.

Powerlessness.

A feeling I had been used to last year.

"You fought well," I murmured softly, gently placing her against the wall.

Silent tears welled in Celeste's eyes as she bit her lip, her fingers clutching desperately at my sleeves.

"Nora, take the Queen and leave," Lomar commanded abruptly, his attention still fixed on the Horn before us.

Confusion flickered across Nora's features at the unexpected directive. "I thought you intended to kill her?"

Lomar's gaze remained on the Horn. "Plans have changed. She may yet prove useful to us alive. Leave now. I'll retrieve the Horn and join you with their two bodies once I'm finished."

A smirk played across Nora's lips, her gaze flickering briefly to me and Celeste as Lomar referred to us as "two bodies."

"Very well," she acquiesced, lifting the Queen onto her shoulder before departing, shooting me a final contemptuous glare before disappearing into the shadows.

"If you surrender now, your death can be swift and painless," Lomar offered.

I gently removed Celeste's grip from my sleeves and turned to face him.

"But if you choose to resist," Lomar continued, his tone cold, "I'll make you watch her suffer before I end you in the most excruciating manner imaginable."

As he turned to face me, his tail squirmed with malevolent intent.

A fleeting thought crossed my mind, a connection between the Game and my role as the supposed Antagonist of the Second Game. The resemblance between the character I played and Leon, coupled with the possibility of it being rooted in Edward's genes, lingered in my thoughts.

"You sound remarkably like your bitch of sister, Lomar," I retorted, a smirk playing at the corners of my lips. Against scum like them...

"I hope you won't regret your embarrassing words when you will groan under my feet."

There was no need to restrain that side of me—not now, not ever.