"Just a little more… I'll be able to activate the entire array…" Eli wiped away the sweat on her forehead and started to tidy up things in the second to the last array.
Looking at the map she tried to figure out what was the shortest way to go to the last array monument. "Hmm let's see… Eh… The last array monument was in the Seirende Central Bank? How unusual!"
Eli couldn't help but voice her thoughts out loud. Usually on these kinds of things, the last and the most crucial array would be someone close to the Imperial Family which is the palace.
But to her surprise, the location was neither the palace nor any other significant location within the capital, but inside the Seirende central bank!
"Well, I should immediately head to the bank then…" Patting her soiled Temple Robe, she immediately followed the shortest route with a sprint.
"Just a few minutes more… Everyone, hang in there…" She prayed as she gave all her might in rushing towards her last stop.
–
On the surface, the conversation between Leon and the Spatial Spirit King was heard by the Emperor and General Farauld through the magic stone, which Leon immediately activated upon realizing the gravity of the situation.
With this, all the people who were not able to be with the Spatial King's transport would be notified and gathered by the two elders. That was also so with the people in the temple.
"Go... Flee to a safe land…" Leon rushed the people near him as he observed that Empress Carolina was still taking time to completely absorb all the spirit fragments.
It was a scary sight to see, as every time Empress Carolina would fully absorb a spirit fragment, a series of dark tattoos would appear on her body. Her hair would also grow longer and her pinkish nails started to turn deep purple. There was also a small trace of black wings growing slowly on her back.
Leon still tried to attack Empress Carolina through various physical weapons such as the bow and arrow and other spell papers just to do something to distract her from fully absorbing all fragments.
However, these kinds of attacks were not able to achieve what he intended.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"I also no longer have mana now…" It was the first time he had lost confidence in fighting a battle.
Yes, he made a way for the people not to get caught off all the damages that Empress Carolina's power would make to the capital, but what would he plan to do next without any ounce of mana?
Just as he was about to run out of his last spell paper and finally give up on the battle, he heard a loud boom coming from Empress Carolina's direction.
"Why are you trying to carry all the burden alone? You think you can do all things because you are on an open path?" The next moment, he heard an annoyed yet quivering voice that was so familiar to him, yet so surprising.
Kazimir's hands were still stretched out in the air, it was trembling from the fact that it was his first time attempting to attack his mother. Nonetheless, his crystal blue eyes looked at Leon with a hint of reprimand and subtle anger.
"First Brother…" Leon mumbled absentmindedly, looking at Kazimir's back who had long taken the lead to cover him from Empress Carolina.
"You are not the only Prince in this Empire, do not think that it was only you who could do something right now!" Kazimir continued as his eyes focused on his target again - his very own biological mother.
With his strongest wind spell, he continued to send a barrage of aggressive attacks to distract Empress Carolina.
"Roaaar!" The next moment, an ear-piercing sound wave attacked the Empress from the side.
Both Kazimir and Leon were startled because they were not able to identify who was the source of this attack. But their eyes widened in surprise when they saw the person who was sitting on top of a majestic golden Lion…
It was none other than Antoine, whom Kazimir thought to be dead and Leon knew was still in a coma.
"Y-you're alive!"
"You're awake…"
Both Kazimir and Leon uttered these words at the same time. But the most affected one was Kazimir who had been beating himself from the fact that he had caused Antoine's death.
"Y-you two…" Kazimir looked at Antoine then at Leon, then at Antoine once more with disbelief and trembling. Heaven knows how much shock he was in right now…
"I heard, you have been crying a lot… First Brother…" Antoine looked at the shaken Kazimir with a teasing tone, however, when his eyes darted towards Empress Carolina, his expression darkened. "I know you have a lot of questions, but let's survive this situation first…"
With Antoine's reminder, Kazimir readjusted himself and let out a hum of agreement.
"You… Third Brother…" In a tone that was awkward and unnatural, Antoine looked at Leon and continued, "Stand back for a while and try to replenish a bit of mana…"
Leon did not respond and only looked at his elder brothers' backs. Ever since his falling out with his brothers, he never had imagined that one day, he would be in this kind of situation, where his brothers would step forward to protect him.
Although he knew that this might not be something they willingly wanted, in his heart, Leon felt warm and touched. The feeling of his brothers protecting him was not bad. Not bad at all.
"Do not forget about us!" Just as when the trio thought that it would only be the three of them who would try to stall the Empress, they heard several people around them.
Emperor Valentin, General Farauld, High Priest Enoch, Mishael, Nathan, Joab and Keren, Kayden, the blades, and the rest of the knights and Temple Priests.
"We will not allow you to face the enemy by yourselves!" Emperor Valentin looked at his three sons, with an unmasked expression of pride and gratefulness.
Leon and the two could not help but also feel emotional upon seeing their Father and the rest support them. In times of danger, it was none other than the people around you that would keep you motivated from surviving trials.
It was the same for them at this moment.
With more people around they all started to reorganize. Part of them attacked, and the others supported from the sidelines.
High Priest Enoch and his subordinate priests also used their spiritual powers to bless the ones who were engaging with the Empress.
"Annoying!" Empress Carolina, now could not tolerate the combined attack of multiple enemies and started to also respond.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Attack from the side!" One would call out as they defend the others from the Empress's attack while the others do as planned and attack her from her blind side.
Boom!
After several tries, they finally managed to land a clean hit on Empress Carolina's body. However, it was just a puny attack on Carolina's eyes.
She still did not stop the absorption ritual and was now on her last two fragments.
"Not good!" High Priest Enoch called out in panic, "Even if it's just one fragment, we have to stop her from absorbing it all!"
'But how…' They all wondered.
Kayden on the other hand took a bottle of Eli's cure potion and thought, "Will it have an effect?"
Joab heard him ponder his thoughts aloud and so he replied, "We will not know if we won't try!"
"But how?" Nathan also overheard their conversation and butted in.
"Let me take it near…" Leon turned out to hear everything also so he volunteered to go. "I have managed to replenish some mana by shifting my receptors to caster type."
"Waaahh… So convenient for you to have an open path!" They all exclaimed with a hint of envy.
"Then, try to take all of these to the remaining fragment. This potion contained a little bit of Eli's power, but I do not know how much of her power must be needed to eradicate one. But for now, I just hope that whatever effect it would make, it would help us a little bit…" Kayden took out a big jar of potions in his space pocket.
This jar was supposedly for the next batch of the cure potion doses, but he had no choice but to use it all now.
"Alright then!" Leon nodded and took the jar in his hand. Then he immediately used his mana to speedily rush to Carolina's spot who was trying to divide her attention between defending herself and absorbing the fragments.
"Stealthily…" He did not immediately get close to Empress Carolina's attacking proximity. Instead, he used the chaos to blend with the fighting team and reduce his presence.
On the sidelines, the rest who knew of the plan could only pray… "Please work… Please work…"
Finally spotting the right opportunity, Leon changed in a flash while simultaneously opening the lid.
His target - the last spirit fragment that was yet to be absorbed by Carolina!