A man of culture, Mithras naturally gave Vel his shoulder, letting the demon queen empty her tears in his arms. Meanwhile, a little someone hovered high above the royal palace's gates, watching it all unfold from a distance.
With lustrous silver hair that curled at her back, and a spiral of dazzling flames that coiled up her form, that bombshell managed the mesmerizing feat of combining grace with bestial allure. Her phoenix eyes instantly kindling the lust of the opposite gender.
If not Elektra, who else?
But now, the Queen of Monsters had lost some of her shine, wavering in the sky as she shook from head to toe.
It was a mistake—a terrible mistake. She just had to wait. To be patient, wait, and it would have all figured itself out. The Lyssandra she was trying to resurrect was with her teacher all along. The Gaiseric that she cursed turned out to be his father's victim, and so by murdering the king and destroying the Uriah male line, she'd avenged none and wronged too many.
Even her teacher's current state—the woman who'd taught her all she knew and served as her role model growing up—was all her fault.
Why? Why did they keep her in the dark? How could she have known? What was she supposed to do? Accept injustice and take it lying down while hoping that some miracle twist would make everything right eventually? Why did it turn out this way?!
"Because you're cruel. Cruel and selfish." But as Elektra floundered in the sky, a voice came from her back, making her yelp and spin as her heart rate sped up.
Lyssandra came into view, facing her youngest sister with a wooden look.
"Cruel? Selfish? You? Out of all people YOU dare to say that I am cruel and selfish? Lyssandra...WHO THE HELL DID I DO ALL THIS FOR?" Lyssandra's words were the icing on the cake. And unable to accept such words from Lyssandra's mouth, Elektra snapped, her eyes going bloodshot.
The yakshini, however, stayed composed, never losing the poise of a noblewoman.
"For yourself of course. As far as I recall, I never once asked you to avenge me. Or could I have possibly forgotten? Unlikely. So, Elektra, please don't blame all those corpses on me.
Because while far from perfect, I do not have a kill count in the triple digits...much less the blood of innocent children on my hands." When Lyssandra reached this point, a trace of sorrow flashed through her eyes, and she bit her lips, restraining an outburst.
Elektra couldn't recognize her sister. The original Lyssandra was just as hot-blooded as Cassandra, but a lot more immature, making her prone to mistakes. But because of those childish traits, she was also one of the most affectionate persons that Elektra knew—never shy of letting her emotions erupt, for better or worse.
But now...she felt so cold. Why did she feel so cold?
"A key to the Sanctuary's Mausoleum of Evil where, among other things, you can get baptized in the Blood Lake to unlock all the powers of a Fylkir and achieve a new transformation," the queen said, instantly causing Mithras' brows to arch in excitement.
"You got my attention," Mithras said with an impish tone, prompting the queen to let out a mild chuckle.
"Most people do not know that there is a lot more than one Fylkir bloodline. It's pretty obvious when you think about it. The Blood Aristocracy formed around Hadubrangr, meaning that there is more than one first-generation Blood Noble—seven, in fact. The seven Fylkirs.
Two interest you. Your father, Odoacer di Hadubrangr, and his number one vassal: the Blood Marquess Sucuria.
So long as Odoacer breathes, the Fylkirs are all immortal, so they will once again unite under him. But if you can conquer Sucuria, defeating Odoacer shouldn't be that difficult.
Because while Odoacer was chosen to lead them and is by far the strongest, it is Sucuria who started the ritual that created the Fylkirs and the entire Blood Aristocracy. So it's likely only through Sucuria that you can find the way to end your old man once and for all.
And I have a feeling that whatever you awaken in the Sanctuary...will bring you infinitely close to poaching Odoacer's top general. The problem is finding her, and I've solved it for you." Here, Vel'Asha snapped her fingers, conjuring the projection of a blue-haired woman Mithras recognized in a flash.
"Headmistress Achai?"
"Yes, Suri di Achai, formerly the Headmistress of the Red Cloud Theocracy, and now the Dean of the Jace-Faced Academy...is the Blood Marquess. More specifically, the real Suri was possessed by Sucuria a long time ago so she could keep an eye on Elektra.
Akamana just sent me the tip. Right after announcing that she was stealing Springtime City and adding it to the Angra capital." Vel spoke as if nothing was surprising about her words. Mithras, however, bugged and stammered, wondering if his brain had not received too many blows recently.
"She stole...a city? In one day? How is that even possible?" Imagining the scene of Akamana flying away with Springtime City on her shoulders, Mithras lost it.
But having known Akamana for five centuries, Vel was used to much worse. And was just glad Akamana only stole the city without putting it under new management.
"And she's even giving us a chance to win it back. She wants you in the Jade-Faced Academy to negotiate on the royal family's behalf. Even got your invitation ready as a five-star recruit.
By the way, there are only five stars. So clearly, Mana can't wait to play with you again.
So, Mithras, will you represent the royal family...in the Jade-Faced Academy?"