GIGGADON EMPIRE, GREAT HALL.“My name is Cyra Branigan, the first daughter of Viscount Branigan. Our Grandfather Rufus Branigan was a knight who fought for the emperor in the war to unify the North. He was a distinguished knight who earned many outstanding achievements on the battlefield. One, including capturing a major defense line of the Golden Empire, the Pillar City. It was a city that had twenty thousand enemy knights and mages, defending it. But with only five thousand knights under his command, he was able to bring the city to its knees. But unfortunately, while fighting in one of the many battles that occurred in the war. An arrow that was coated with a deadly poison hit him. And before he could be treated, he died. Seeing this, the emperor decided to pass the reward of my grandfather’s achievement to my father, the youngest and only male child my grandfather had.The rewards given to my father were the title of a viscount, the city that grandfather conquered, and more than f
*CLICK**CLICK*The clicking sound of a woman’s heels suddenly stops as Helena notices the presence of people standing behind her. She turns around and sees Princess Mera, her sister, with almost a dozen of her followers standing behind her."What is going on here, sister? What did these young ladies do for you to threaten them like this? As a princess, we must learn to be merciful and not bully others with our statuses," Princess Mera said to Helena with a disappointed tone.After Princess Mera finished speaking, a young Lord standing behind her, Klaus Branigan, walked forward and stood between Helena and Mera."No, Your Highness, it must have been my sisters who offended the little princess. They never learned how to show proper respect to royals. Please forgive them, Princess Mera," Klaus Branigan said, placing his hand on his chest and bowing his head."Nora, Grace. Do you think this guy is retarded?"Helena asked Grace and Nora, who stood behind her."Yes, my liege, I believe h
GIGGADON EMPIRE IMPERIAL PALACE.THRONE ROOM."Is what you said true?" Izzak asked the envoy in a confused tone."Yes, every word I have just spoken are the words of the emperor himself," Ralphye, the envoy sent by the Thorka Empire, replied.The room fell into silence as Emperor Maximus, Izzak, and the lord chamberlain stared at Ralphye intently.*TAP**TAP**TAP*Emperor Maximus tapped the edge of his throne's armrest three times, his gaze fixed on Ralphye with an amused expression."Heh, from how fast his heart is beating, I can tell he's afraid of exposing the fact that the old man is dead. However, I already found out that, through Shadow... Though the old man wasn't as strong as I am, he could unite all the kingdoms and empires in the south to prevent my army from conquering the South. And with him serving as the leader of 'SOTO,' I had to stop my conquest of the South. But now that he's dead, the 'SOTO' is like a snake who lost its head. So, why..."Emperor Maximus pondered i
IN HELENA’S ROOM *RUFFLE *RUFFLE* “Wow, the princess’s hair has become even softer and more luscious. As expected of the hair of…” Nora thought to herself with a smile on her face as she gently dried Princess Helena’s wet hair with a towel in front of the dressing table. “Nora?...” Helena called. “Yes, Your Highness,” Nora replied. “I know you must have heard about the change in the empire’s succession law,” Helena said in a serious tone. “Yes, Your Highness. I have heard such rumors,” Nora cautiously replied, aware of the sensitivity surrounding the imperial family. However, she believed these rumors to be lies, especially since the birth of the first prince of the Giggadon Empire. “It might be surprising, but those rumors are true. All children of imperial blood, both male and female, are now allowed to fight for the throne of the Great Giggadon Empire,” Helena announced. *WHOOSH STANDS* After speaking, Helena got up from the dressing table’s chair and turned towards Nora, c
"Keuk!... It hurts... it really hurts," Grace murmured to herself, lying on the ground, trembling with pain. Her injuries began to heal rapidly, and as seconds passed, she felt the throbbing ache subside.*THUD* *THUD*While still on the ground, waiting for her body to fully recover, Grace sensed heavy footsteps approaching quickly from behind. Realizing she couldn't remain vulnerable and waiting to be attacked, she mustered her strength and forced herself to stand, despite not being fully healed yet."Kukuku... what a surprise. I thought I shattered every bone in your body. How are you still able to stand?" Cobra said, his tone amused, upon witnessing Grace rise even after his attack, which would have paralyzed an ordinary person.Hearing Cobra's words, Grace turned to face him, her eyes filled with determination and a glint of bloodlust."Even after using 80% of my strength to attack him, he is still unscathed. Unlike me, who almost died from one of his strikes... and the other on
SEVEN HUNDRED METERS AWAY FROM SILVERWOOD MANOR.*PITTER-PATTER**WHOOSH*"Team leader, what do you think made that howl? Did a beast really get into the capital?"Tristan, a knight in the Wrathguard/8th squad - team 1, asked while running behind the Team leader toward the source of the loud explosion and howl."That should be impossible... but we'll know once we get there... pick up the pace!"Sir Galen, the Team leader, commanded with a sense of urgency.-------------------------------------------------A FEW MINUTES LATER, IN FRONT OF SILVERWOOD MANOR'S ENTRANCE GATE."Whoa... What sort of beast could cause this level of destruction to a manor in the capital? Especially one protected by a magic formation?"Aldric said with a shocked expression after seeing the damage done to the manor while still outside the entrance gates."Did a beast really do this? It should be impossible for a beast to get into the capital without the magical detection devices detecting it,"Sir Galen pondered
AT A MANOR A FEW BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE SILVERWOOD MANOR.*VROOM*“This one has also been deactivated,”Draven said with a concerned expression, revealing the manor’s barrier formation with his mana.“That’s what now? Like three manors, all with their magic formations deactivated. This cannot be a coincidence,” Aldric commented.“Yeah... you’re right. It’s too much of a coincidence for all four manors we’ve been to, to have their magic formations deactivated. Someone must be behind this, but why? What is their purpose in deactivating the barrier formations?”Draven said, his expression mixed with wariness and curiosity.“This situation seems suspicious. Should we request backup from Team 2?”Orion suggested.“No, we can handle this on our own. The team leader and the others are taking care of things at Silverwood Manor. So, our task is to gather any clues we can find about the identity of the person or group responsible for deactivating the manors formations,”Draven asserted with a d
*SHING**SHING**SHING**SHING*Draven, Aldric, Orion, and Evander unsheathe their swords, as they prepared to confront the source of the unknown voice.*STEP*"Hey, there's no need to draw your swords," Scorpion calmly interjected, stepping into the illuminated area, revealing himself."Why does this man look familiar? I think I've seen him recently, but I can't recall where." Draven pondered silently upon seeing Scorpion's face.As Draven struggled to recall where he had seen Scorpion before. Aldric steps forward from the group wearing an annoyed expression and walks toward Scorpion.*THUD** THUD**THUD*The sound of Aldric's steps reverberated through the tense silence as he approached Scorpion. After closing the distance between them, he raised his sword and points it threateningly at Scorpion's face.*SWISH*"Who the hell are you?... Huh?”Aldric asked, his voice laced with a threatening tone, as the tip of his sword’s blade drew nearer to Scorpion’s face.“…”But Scorpion sto
-----------------------------------------------------------------RAINBRIDGE ESTATE- CENTER OF THE BALLROOM.*SWISH**TAP*"I am still quite surprised you asked me for a dance, even though you have the option of picking many more beautiful noble-born ladies, who are dying to dance with you. My lord."Cyra said, locking eyes with Lord Phames. Their hands clasped, fingers intertwined as they twirled and waltzed in the heart of the ballroom, surrounded by the elegance of the moment."You are mistaken…"Lord Phames said, pausing momentarily as he skillfully guided the dance. With a graceful movement, he gently pushed Lady Cyra away.*WHOOSH*"What is he doing?!..."Cyra thought in her mind with a surprised expression after she was pushed. She realized her balance was thrown off by the sudden push and she was going to fall. Strangely, she wasn't scared, as she could still feel Phames's touch, through her gloves.Just As Cyra's fingers were about to slip from his palm, Lord Phames, with imp
—-------------------------------------------------------------------MISTY PEAK ROYAL PALACE - THRONE HALL"It's been ten days since I neutralized the empire's most powerful weapons from play. I expected the capital to descend into chaos and panic without the Emperor at its head. However, after locking down the capital, they are handling the situation better than I imagined. But I wonder how they will react to the present I have, prepared for them." Helena thought as she leaned back on the throne with a plotting smile.*BAM**CREAK*"…?"Hearing the loud sound of the Throne Hall's heavy stone doors opening, Helena turned her gaze to the hall entrance, to see Grace walking in."Grace?... It seems all her injuries have healed." Helena thought with a slight smile as she watched Grace walk towards her.*****************************************A FEW MOMENTS LATER.After a while, Grace arrived at the end of the throne steps and fell to her knees immediately, bowing her head.*THUD**WHOO
CH 76--------------------------------------------------------IN THE BALLROOM, SOMEWHERE AMONG THE GUESTS."Oh my, did you see that? Lord Phames actually kissed her on the hand!"Lady Fiora of House Merewind exclaimed in astonishment, while surrounded by a group of other noble ladies."How could that commoner's daughter simply stand there while he did that? She ought to be on her knees, showing gratitude for such an opportunity." Lady Justina of House Quickfire remarked, her tone dripping with disdain and disgust."It appears this commoner's daughter, needs to be taught her place." Lady Annelore of House Merewind added, glaring at Cyra with a malicious expression."I heard from my mother that when a nobleman gets close to a commoner woman, he becomes bewitched. They supposedly sprinkle love potions on their clothing, so that when the nobleman inhales it, he falls in love with them."Lady Thessaly of House Starfrost said."I heard the same from my elder sister. She said her husband
INNER CAPITAL WESTERN WING – RAINBRIDGE ESTATE*CLIP-CLOP**CREAKING* (sound of carriage)The loud sounds of horses’ hooves, striking a cobblestone path and carriage creaking wheels, resounded in the air as multiple horse-driven carriages, drove towards a grand building in the distance. And in one of those carriages, two sisters are in an anxious state, as it is their first time attending a high society party.“… it's been almost thirty minutes since we entered the Estate, and we still haven’t arrived at the ballroom yet…”Lily said in an anxious tone as she opens the blinds and gazed out the carriage window. What she saw left her in awe—an expansive landscape adorned with grand buildings and structures.“Wow... This is a duke's estate... it's so huge! It must be larger than two districts in the outer capital... I wonder just how much larger their estate in the Western territory is. if the one in the capital is already this massive!”Lily said with an excited tone and expression as sh
INNER CAPITAL CITY - SOMWHERE.“Be careful of your own shadow; for it might hide more than you realize.”Emperor Maximus said, as he emerged from behind Helena, stepping out of her shadow. His sword's blade, deeply embedded in her back, piercing through her chest.*THUD*“COUGH!!... How did you”Helena exclaimed, after coughing out blood. As she turned to Emperor Maximus, her face twisted in shock and agony.“Did you truly believe I could be defeated with such a meager display of power? That was nothing more than a mere shadow double.”Emperor Maximus said with a condescending tone and expression.“Even with an energy more powerful than mana and Aura, this is all your strength amounts to. What a waste… Don’t worry; I will be using your power to its full potential, after extracting it from your corpse… Any last words before you die?”Emperor Maximus asked.“Cough…Ha…haha… Did you think you’ve won!? HA-HAHAHAHA!”Helena exclaimed, erupting into maniacal laughter before her body dissolve
OUTSIDE CHAMBERLAIN EADULF’S DOMAIN. *CRACK*"Huh?!... It appears the battle's outcome is clear. Your Majesty, who do you think emerged victorious?"Master Zurrick asked Emperor Maximus after noticing Chamberlian Eadulf’s Domain began to dissipate.“From the pressure he released it would be difficult for Eadulf to win, but since he got into Eadulf’s Aura domain… well, we’ll just wait and see.”Emperor Maximus replied.****************************************************************A MINUTE LATER.Once Chamberlain Eadulf's Aura Domain had fully dissipated, Emperor Maximus and Master Zurrick were met with a startling sight. The hooded figure, previously ensnared by Eadulf's Domain, now stood unharmed, casually dragging an object with a single hand as they strolled forward.*SCRAPE! * [Sound effect of dragging an object]“I must say… he had a strong determination and will. But what use are those if you are weak!”Helena said as she tossed the object she'd been dragging, like trash, rig
SILVERWOOD MANOR’S COMPOUND.*SHOOSH**SHOOSH**SLASH*The air whirled into a frenzy, stirred by the astonishing speed at which Helena and Chamberlin Eadulf moved. Their forms could only be glimpsed as blurs, locked in a fierce exchange that painted a trail of destruction across the Manor's Estate.*SWOOSH**CLANG**BANG**WHOOSH*"How does his speed continue to outpace mine, even as I pushed my speed to the limit? Among the ‘Ten Aura Masters’ on the continent, I hold the title of the 'Lightning Sword' due to the unique characteristics of my abilities. Yet, here I am unable to match the speed of this unknown Hooded Figure. How frustrating… But, it’s not solely my speed that has earned me the Title of Lightning Sword!”Chamberlin Eadulf thought in his mind as he abruptly ceased his movements, coming to a complete standstill.*WHOOSH**HALT*“Huh!? Why did you stop? Are you gassed out already...?”Helena asked, her tone carrying a tinge of surprise. as she slowed down before coming to a
OUTSIDE, THE IMPERIAL PALACE’S GATES.As the post-celebration of the prince’s naming persisted within the grand halls of the imperial palace, a scene unfolded outside its monumental gates. Assembled was a segment of the imperial army, specifically the Silver Dragon Knight squad. Comprising of five hundred knights, each meticulously chosen by the emperor himself, the squad boasted a spectrum of prowess ranging from a fourth-class Grandmaster as the least powerful, to an eighth-class Grandmaster as the most formidable. The knights stood in disciplined formation outside the palace gate, organized into five distinct lines, with each group encompassing a hundred knights.*CREAK*A loud creaking sound of metal filled the air as the palace gates opens, revealing Emperor Maximus. He walks out with the air of a conqueror exuding from his body. With each stride he took, the surrounding air became heavy, affected by his Aura. Causing the knights guarding the palace gates, to fall to their knees
“AAAAAHHH!!”Tristen and Percival yelled in pain, covering their eyes as the intense light temporarily blinded them. The sudden and overwhelming brightness disoriented them, leaving them vulnerable and unable to see their surroundings.*WHOOSH*“Did you not know that in a fight, you should not take your eyes off your opponent? Kekekeke.”Cobra said in a mocking tone as he appears behind Tristan and Percival.“!!!”Tristan and Percival’s hearts pounded in fear as they heard the unknown voice behind them. Panic took over, and they instinctively turned around, blindly swinging their swords toward the source of the sound, hoping to hit their unseen assailant. Their actions were fueled by a mix of adrenaline and fear, but the lack of visibility made their attacks wild and unguided.*SWISH**SLASH**SLASH*“Whoops… Kekeke, how do you expect to hit your target if you don’t look at it?”Cobra jeered, his mocking laughter resonating through the hall. As he displays remarkable ease and agility,