Only two beings in the Great Hall could still move.
One was the Empress, who slowly descended from her throne.
The other was the Lizard soldier, who had attempted to assassinate her.
Deep down, the Lizardman knew it was impossible to succeed. He was driven by a moment of rage, fueled by the hatred shared by all demi-humans towards the Empress, who seemed indifferent to the plight of their race and even sided with humans against her own kind.
"General Long, give me your sword."
As Empress Nova spoke, she effortlessly took General Long 's powerful 'Relic' sword and, to everyone's surprise, tossed it to the Lizardman lying on the ground. Then, she drew a simple iron sword from one of the Dragon Gate soldiers, a common weapon with no special features.
"Show me your resolve"Continue reading on N0 VêLbIn
With these few words, Nova, in her military red dress, assumed a serious combat stance. She didn't use any of her insane powers or skills and even neutralized the oppressive aura for the Lizardman's benefit.
"Ahhhh..."
Roaring, the Lizard-man, momentarily forgetting his fear of the Empress, viewed the dragon woman before him as an enemy. He struggled to wield General Long 's 'Relic' sword and charged towards Nova.
Bang!*
Predictably, even with just an iron sword and without using any of her power, Nova effortlessly defeated the Lizard-man in less than five moves, sending him flying with sword and all.
The battle was not over; it was just the beginning.
"Get up. Fight." Nova uttered these three words to the fallen demi-human.
These words resonated deeply with her.
Roaring again, the Lizard-man charged again, only to be defeated more quickly than before, this time with a deep gash left by Nova's sword, blood streaming.
"Get up. Fight."
Bang!*
"Get up. Fight."
Bang!*
To the civilian onlookers, it seemed as if the Empress was repeatedly forcing the clearly exhausted Lizardman to fight, almost as if she were humiliating or torturing him.
However, General Long, a true warrior, remained silent and observant.
He knew the Empress had no intention of humiliation. With each of the Lizard-man's attacks, even as he grew increasingly unsteady and struggled to grip his sword, Nova maintained a standard combat stance, treating each encounter with utmost seriousness.
Indeed, General Long didn't understand why the Empress was doing this. Perhaps only Empress Nova knew the reason in her heart. In her eyes, the Lizard-man before her was no longer just a member of his race; 'he was a reflection of her past self'.
A similar scene from her past played in her mind. The person then in her position, who had coldly and sternly repeated those three words "Get up. Fight." to her, was...
.....
"Get up. Fight."
Returning from her distant yet profound memories, Nova was about to speak to the Lizardman again when she noticed he was lifeless, motionless on the ground. The 'Relic' sword had failed to respond to the Lizardman's call.
'Why?'
'Why can't anyone be awakened?'
'Isn't it enough to be forced? Is their inner struggle and desire to survive not enough?'
'Or Was it my method of copying My Lord's methods?'
A harsh environment was supposed to unleash potential, and the law of the jungle to bring forth true strength. Sacrificing the majority to nurture a select few was the correct way. After all, it was how Emperor Ashen had created "them"
And it was "them," along with their Lord, who ended the source of Tainted Miasma pollution and saved the world.
Nova looked at the lifeless Lizard-man on the ground, her eyes, which had wavered momentarily, returning to their initial cold.
Of course.
As Nova's purple eyes shifted towards Charl, Charl's heart skipped a beat, nearly dropping to his knees in fear and confession.
But Charl's position wasn't solely due to his wickedness; it was his capability that made him the most formidable among the ministers. He was someone who would abandon everything for power and survival.
"Despicable creature, conspiring with demi-humans to defame the loyal General Long in front of the Empress. You deserve death, utterly unforgivable!"
Before his son Tian could even comprehend what was happening, Charl's slap struck him, and in the next moment, Tian's head burst like a smashed watermelon.
After doing this, Charl prostrated himself in abject humility and fear, inflicting numerous punishments upon himself and begging the Empress for forgiveness.
Nova watched this scene with cold indifference.
But her gaze soon shifted, passing through the Dragon Hall and looking towards the Dragon Nation she had built, and perhaps even beyond to something far away.
Without a word, Nova turned and left the Dragon Hall, returning to her imperial palace, leaving behind a hall full of trembling ministers, still shocked by the series of events, the body of the Lizard-man, and Charl's decapitated son.
However, it seemed Nova's troubling night was not yet over.
Upon returning to her chamber, she found an unexpected figure waiting, as if she had been there for some time.
"It's been a long time,"
"Sister Nova."
The pink-haired succubus, lounging on the Empress's bed with her legs crossed, spoke casually.