The night sky tonight held no moon. On the ground, there were only torches that failed to pierce the darkness, and layers of stacked despair that slowly drained everyone's desire for life, turning it instead into the sanctity of martyrdom and a fearlessness that carved loyalty and glory into their bones and blood.
"Sss..." The lantern in Li Yue’s hand lit up once more. Its dark red glow illuminated the dim room, the light reflecting off the gore on the walls and floor. Li Yue watched the scene in silence. She approached the throne step by step, the blood on the floor slowly parting for her. Blood without a master was her servant, even if its former owner had been the strongest user of forbidden magic in the world.
"What a pity... If you hadn't come to find me that day, perhaps you could have lived a little longer." Li Yue stepped forward, looking at the old man whose heart had been pierced. Ordinarily, this shouldn't have been a fatal wound for someone of his caliber, but it seemed he no longer had the will to live.
"Is it all handed over to me just like that... Honestly..." For a moment, Li Yue didn't know how to describe her current feelings. Everything seemed to have come a bit too easily. She had originally thought she would have to die several more times to succeed, or at least expected to be crippled by the end.
"I thought you would at least settle everything and give me a legitimate reason. Now it seems you want me to seize it for myself." Li Yue sighed softly. She wanted to close the King’s eyes, but she found they were already shut. He hadn't felt any resentment toward his death. Perhaps he had long foreseen this moment.
"So many nobles, so many royal family members... Just thinking about it gives me a headache. Fortunately, this is a world of magic. As long as one is strong enough, that is the solution to everything." Li Yue stood up. She felt the vibrations echoing through the hallway. There was no time for excessive sentiment, yet she still appeared unhurried.
"It seems we are all the same, both prepared for our own destruction. Without death, how can there be new life..." Li Yue murmured. "Without 'Death', the world cannot move toward tomorrow..."
Li Yue's figure vanished into the shadows just as the hall doors were thrust open. Amidst several gasps of shock, a group of people immediately surrounded the King’s corpse. Guards quickly searched the room, trying to see if anyone else was still there.
Li Yue's figure appeared behind them. She casually walked into the crowd, looking at the stunned faces. She knew that most of these people were already prepared. They weren't even in a hurry to find the killer; the current priority in this chaotic environment was to choose a new king.
She watched Camillian, who stood to one side. Most of the crowd's eyes were fixed on him, as if he were the one everyone expected to lead. He stood tall, already radiating the aura of a Great Mage. If he could obtain an authority that recognized him—especially a primary god tier authority—it wouldn't be long before he could match a newly ascended Calamity Warlock.
"Everyone, I believe that at this moment, only responsibility remains." Camillian walked to the center of the hall and stood before the old King’s body, stepping directly into the pool of blood. "With my brother's death and my father's passing, we will subject the killer to the ultimate punishment. But first, we must defend our nation."
"Everyone, witness greatness!" Camillian held his lantern high. The crowd began to cheer. Li Yue pondered those four words; for once, she found the moment somewhat absurd.
Witnessing Greatness... Witnessing Glory... So you knew your own end from the very beginning. Haha, you're exactly like me, though at least you could look forward to the manner of your death.
Li Yue gave a self-deprecating laugh and joined the crowd in clapping. A group of guards carefully moved the old King’s body, while a silent, black-masked servant brought out a bloodstained crown. Li Yue remembered the servant who had always followed the old King—his name was Carlo, if she recalled correctly. She wondered where he had gone.
She pondered the name. She remembered Mordred always calling him a traitor. He was likely a mole the Specter Church had planted by the King's side. Li Yue looked around; the presence of the new nobles had diminished significantly, while the old nobles now made up the majority.
Had the nobles of the emerging faction not joined this operation? Li Yue guessed they were probably all dead. Otherwise, how could there have been so many Great Mage blood demons?
Li Yue smiled faintly as she watched Camillian giving his speech. In him, she inexplicably saw a shadow of Dmitry. Then again, that made sense; after all, a shadow never follows a person's physical body.
"Now, I will wear the crown and lead you out of this darkness." He solemnly raised the regal-looking crown. He could feel the mana and power within it; it was an extremely powerful authority, a symbol of a primary god's sovereignty.
"Hmm?" He opened his eyes and turned the crown around, checking it several times. It was a pure gold crown inlaid with many blood crystals, yet it currently possessed not a single shred of mana. It was as if it were merely a mundane, expensive object.
Li Yue remembered that the last few times Mordred had appeared, he had been wearing this crown. However, things like crowns tended to change according to the user's preferences.
"How can this be... Clearly..." he muttered blankly. He looked at the surrounding crowd, his gaze landing on Li Yue. The crowd parted, following his eyes to form a path.
"Are you looking for this?" Li Yue produced a crown woven of thorns. Though it looked ordinary, it radiated waves of powerful, suppressed energy.
"Unfortunately, he gave it to me a long time ago." Li Yue gave a contemptuous smile.
"That’s impossible... Even if you could get his recognition, it’s still impossible..."
"Impossible what? Getting the crown's recognition?" Li Yue placed the crown of thorns atop her white hair, and a surge of intense blood light instantly shot into the sky.
All the blood demons stopped what they were doing and knelt toward the castle. In the sky, a blood moon was being reshaped. Layers of dark clouds were dyed blood-red, and a giant golden eye appeared in the heavens, seemingly intent on observing this secular world.
"It does not need to recognize me; I am the one who recognizes it." Li Yue opened her eyes, and everything in the world seemed to become clear again. All that had been hidden or obscured began to vanish within her blood-red vertical pupils.
"Now, I am your Queen," Li Yue said calmly. "And then... the world's."
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