BOOM.
Neoma was glad that she was already in her residence when the explosion happened.
In fact, she was walking on the hallway while making her way to Tteokbokki's room because of the unusual chest pain that she felt earlier. Hence, she cut her conversation with Nero short and headed back to her palace.
She knew it in her heart.
Tteokbokki was awake.
[No, I'm not sure if it's Tteokbokki or Crimson.]
Dammit.
Neoma contained the explosion by putting a Dome around the entire room.
Hence, the blast didn't damage the entire palace. The debris kept hitting the Dome, but the barrier didn't collapse.
"Neoma, are you alright?"
It was Ruto, and he looked dashing in his white and gold military dress with fancy golden eupalettes. As the Commander of the White Lion Knights, it was his duty to attend the coronation in his uniform.
[My man looks great.]
But, anyways...
"I'm fine," Neoma said, and then she knitted her eyebrows in worry. "But the servants..."
"I already asked the White Lion Knights to evacuate everyone quietly," Ruto explained, and then he glanced at the thick smoke trapped inside the Dome that she made to contain the explosion. "Good job."
"Of course~"
"It seems like the one who woke up was Crimson and not Tteokbokki," Ruto added to his earlier observation. "But, thankfully, it doesn't seem like he has turned into his dragon form."
"Yet," Neoma said. She might sound like she was taking it too lightly, but she was serious. "Not yet, but soon. I need to stay here and calm down Crimson first."
"How about the coronation ceremony?"
Right.
Their original plan was for Neoma and Nero to arrive at the palace at the same time.
It was easier to scam– er, trick Helstor and the others that way.
However...
"I won't be Neoma if I only prepared one plan," Neoma said, grinning haughtily. "Lemme just call Nero first."
***
"YES, I'M ALREADY on the Royal Carriage," Nero said, pressing the piercing in his ear to hear Neoma clearly. Yes, the two of them were talking using a pair of communication devices disguised as piercings. "You'll be late? What happened?"
<"My Soul Beast woke up and chose violence. Literally.">
The Soul Beast sneered.
Now Crimson looked like the crazy bastard that he was.
[Being calm doesn't suit the God of Wrath, after all.]
"Do you need help, Neoma?"
"No, but thank you for asking," Neoma said, gently patting Ruto's nice and firm butt. Hence, her man looked at her with wide eyes. She immediately withdrew her hand. "Oops. Sorry. I swear butt pat is pretty normal in Korea between close friends..."
"Don't do it to other people," Ruto said firmly. "Only do that to me."
"Okay~"
Their cute moment was interrupted when that ~stupid~ Crimson threw a pretty powerful fireball at them.
That was a wrong move.
She already had the Eternal Flame within her– no other flame could hurt her anymore.
Of course, Neoma just caught the fireball with her bare hand. "Ah, you crazy bastard," she said, glancing at the Soul Beast who looked pretty shocked by what she did. "You should know better than to interrupt my moment with my man."
Crimson sneered when he got over his shock. "Shut up, you cringe little princess.
[Oh, that sounds like something Tteokbokki would say.]
***
NERO WAS pretty surprised that the entire plaza in front of the People's Palace was full of people despite the fear-mongering that the crows had spread.
He expected that only the nobles and royals loyal to him would attend.
But the citizens, who claimed that they were scared of the calamity, were there.
And not only them.
Nero looked up when he felt someone's gaze piercing through him, and he was greeted by a pair of glowing red eyes.
[Calyx de Luca.]
Ah, the crows were finally here.
Of course, it wasn't only those sky bastards.
The 'dark clouds' covering the sun and the clouds weren't really 'clouds.'
It was Darkness.
Nero clenched his hands tight. "Helstor."
***
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