367th Chapter
!!!
A colossal roar echoed throughout the Vatican area.
Moments later, the western pillar of the Vatican building, once filled with blessings, collapsed.
The dust cloud caused by the partial collapse of the building covered the field of vision.
Many people felt confusion and fear in the face of this sudden situation.
However, not everyone wasted time floundering.
Already, numerous legions were on standby near the Vatican, ready to march.
Cardinal Alexander led part of the waiting forces toward the Vatican.
If the Vatican had truly been attacked and collapsed, then this was undoubtedly an unprecedented event.
Yet, despite the unprecedented crisis, Alexander’s expression remained eerily calm.
At first glance, his demeanor appeared almost apathetic. In reality, it wasn’t much different.
But.
As Alexander approached the fallen pillar, he couldn’t help but sharpen his senses further.
The abyssal, deep, and dark malevolence spreading from beyond the broken column forcibly awakened him.
“…”
Alexander halted before entering the Vatican building.
He realized that this was not a situation that could be resolved with a few casual swings of a sword.
When Alexander stopped, the legion also formed their battle lines and prepared for combat.
The ominous aura emanating from beyond only grew more distinct as time passed.
And soon enough,
someone emerged from the swirling dust.
“…!!!!!”
Everyone in the legion gasped.
What revealed itself was a mass of malevolence.
A cursed being, entirely covered in demonic artifacts, stood before them.
The sight of such a grotesque and horrifying existence caused the legion to bristle with fierce hostility.
None in the legion could have imagined that the figure before them was once the wielder of the Sacred Sword.
But Alexander… he recognized the identity hidden beneath the artifacts.
For a moment, Alexander’s face showed surprise, followed by silence.
Then, he smirked.
“Hmph.”
With a relaxed smile, Alexander let go of all his inner turmoil.
And with a lighter heart, he drew his sword.
“It’s better this way.”
It was wrong to indulge in contradictions and despair.
For the first time in a long while, Alexander could purely focus on wielding his sword.
Against the backdrop of the crumbling Vatican, flashes of light clashed with waves of malice.
*
Beneath the sky where the twilight began to set,
Diorica received news from the South.
The message from the South was concise, summarized in just a few lines:
The collapse of the Vatican.
The death of Cardinal Alexander who participated in suppressing the incident.
The exact scale of the damage remains unclear.
The fact that the extent of the damage couldn’t be determined meant that the suppression attempt had failed.
Even the status of the Royal Guard heading to the South and the Crown Prince remained unconfirmed.
Those participating in the noble council, primarily held in the west and north regions of the Empire, couldn’t comprehend the sudden news from the South.
They simply couldn’t easily believe or accept the current situation.
As most were still half-stunned, murmuring confusedly,
Diorica burst into uncontrollable laughter.
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”
All eyes turned to her.
But Diorica paid no heed.
She laughed until she was nearly out of breath.
Finally calming down, she looked around at the surrounding nobles.
Diorica lightly clapped her hands together.
“Come now, everyone, prepare yourselves.”
“…”
The nobles looked at Diorica with puzzled expressions.
Frowning slightly, as if scolding them for not understanding her words, Diorica slammed her hand on the table.
“We must prepare… to welcome a new ruler, don’t we?”
“For survival. To serve His Majesty the Emperor residing in the Imperial Capital.”
The sky was setting into twilight.
Though it was barely past noon, the sky already began to glow red—likely due to the collapse of one of the two great pillars holding back the erosion of the Demonic Realm.
Only now did Diorica vaguely understand the warning Luna had given her.
Yes, this was Ray’s choice.
Ray had taken back everything he had bestowed.
He destroyed most of the pillars supporting humanity and the continent, plunging this land into hell.
He trapped those living on the continent in flames and obliterated every possible option.
And he left open only one path for humans to survive.
To maintain minimal dignity and survive as humans amidst the impending hell…
Now, they had no choice but to rely on “her.”
With most of the pillars supporting humanity and the continent now destroyed, there was no one else powerful enough to withstand the coming hell except “her.”
To survive, they would have to submit to her and acknowledge the emperor she proposed.
Refusing would lead to nothing but the end.
“They are no longer traitors. Now, they are…”
Diorica declared bitterly, looking at the stunned nobles.
“They are the Empire.”
*
The sky was red.
Initially tinged with a faint pink hue, the sky grew darker as time passed.
The crimson sky was far from beautiful.
Lea, living in the Imperial Palace, wondered why the sky was no longer blue but instead remained stubbornly red.
But there were many things more curious than the color of the sky right now.
Today, Lea was dressed in very pretty but extremely cumbersome clothes.
At first, she loved how beautiful the outfit was, but after walking just a little, she found it hard to breathe and wanted to take it off quickly.
Still, she had promised her mother that she wouldn’t remove the clothes without permission, so she endured patiently.
Lea waddled toward the main gate of the palace in her thick clothing.
At the main gate, she saw some unfamiliar people.
And she also saw Luna.
“…”
Lea still felt uneasy and somewhat frightened by Luna.
Her heart pounded nervously, but Lea gathered her courage and approached Luna anyway.
“…Sister Luna?”
“…”
Luna turned to look at Lea. Fortunately, there was no hostility in her gaze.
Relieved, Lea glanced at the object Luna was holding in her hand.
It was a small, beautiful crown adorned with gemstones.
” Sister Luna… what is that…?”
Lea awkwardly initiated conversation with Luna.
This was her own effort to get closer to Luna.
After quietly observing Lea for a moment, Luna moved her lips.
“…Ray prepared this as your final gift.”
“Big Brother’s gift?”
Hearing that her brother had finally calmed down and prepared a gift for her made Lea happy, though the word “final” made her feel uneasy.
Nevertheless, the thought of seeing her brother again after so long brought a smile to her face.
Lea smiled innocently.
Unaware of anything, she smiled so brightly.
Luna gently placed the crown she was holding onto Lea’s head.
Lea blinked, feeling the crown settle atop her head.
In the next instant, Luna knelt before her…
“Now you are…”
and kissed the back of her hand.
“The ruler of the Empire.”
Under the crimson sky,
the coronation of the new Emperor took place.
All attendees of the coronation ceremony blessed the Emperor’s future with stiff faces.
Lea wanted to finish this boring game quickly and see her brother.
– The Swordmaster of the Red Light District: The End –
