Chapter 60

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“SEBASTIAN, YOU will oversee the monsters’ lair. Ensure not a single one escapes,” I commanded, my voice sharp and resolute.

Sebastian slid his sword back into its sheath with practiced ease, his eyes meeting mine. “Yes, my lady,” he replied firmly, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

Chewy, sensing the urgency in my tone, transformed into his massive form. His fur shimmered under the light, and his powerful body exuded an air of loyalty and strength. I climbed onto his back, the familiar warmth of his fur grounding me amidst the chaos.

“And I,” I declared, gripping Chewy’s mane, “will confront her myself.” A wicked smile spread across my face, promising retribution.

Sebastian stepped closer, his expression softening for a fleeting moment. He leaned in, pressing a lingering kiss to my forehead. “Defeat her, my lady. And please… be careful.” His voice was calm, yet it carried a weight of unspoken concern.

I laughed lightly, masking the unease stirring in my chest. “I will. But you’d better come back alive as well. I know you and Seraphim share a… complicated history,” I teased, my tone playful, though my eyes betrayed my worry.

A low chuckle rumbled from his throat. “That dark past vanished the moment I understood the truth of this world.” His words, heavy with conviction, left a lingering tension in the air.

As he stepped back, an arcane circle flared beneath his feet, its intricate runes glowing with ethereal light. The energy spiraled upward, enveloping him in a brilliant aura. “See you soon, my lady,” he said, his voice steady, his gaze unwavering.

For a brief second, time seemed to pause. Sebastian’s lips curved into a soft smile, one that held promises unspoken, before the light swallowed him whole, and he vanished from sight.

I turned to the sudden glow of the system’s notification. It had been a while since I last saw this holographic screen.

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You have unlocked the final chapter of the game!

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Final chapter. The words lingered in my mind as I stared at the message.

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Welcome to “The Kingdom’s Reckoning!” Your Final Predicament.

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The hologram shimmered, revealing the next set of instructions.

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Win the war and restore the kingdom. Defeat the corrupted Artemisia and her army of monsters.

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I let out a quiet sigh, resting a hand on Chewy’s fur. “So, this is it, huh?”

The notification faded, leaving me with the weight of what lay ahead. Chewy shifted beneath me, his ears twitching as if ready for what was coming.

“Let’s go,” I said, gripping his fur lightly. We rode through the desolate land, finally stopping at the towering gates of the Imperial Palace.

I dismounted from Chewy and crouched to meet his amber gaze. “You know what to do, right?” I whispered.

He purred softly, rubbing his sleek fur against my legs. A small smile tugged at my lips. “Good,” I murmured, kneeling to stroke his head. “Now hide. Don’t let anyone catch you, okay?”

Chewy nuzzled my hand before bounding toward a nearby bush, his form disappearing into the shadows. I lingered for a moment, watching the leaves rustle as he vanished. With a heavy sigh, I straightened up, my resolve hardening.

“Time to face her.”

The path ahead grew darker as I walked, the air thick with unease. Faint cries echoed in the distance, pulling me from my thoughts. My pace quickened, the pleas growing louder with each step.

“Please! My child! Not my child!”

The sight before me stopped me in my tracks—a desperate mother kneeling on the ground, tears streaming down her face. Arthemice stood over her, her hand tightening around a struggling child’s neck.

“What? I can’t hear you~” Arthemice sang, her voice laced with mockery. A wicked grin stretched across her face, her golden eyes gleaming with malice.

I clenched my fists, my blood boiling as her laughter echoed in the air. Each step I took toward her felt heavier, the weight of my anger grounding me.

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The ability [Evoke] has been activated.

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Twin daggers shimmered into existence in my hands. Without hesitation, I hurled one toward her, the blade slicing through the air with deadly precision.

Arthemice dropped the child, her hand darting out to catch the dagger mid-flight. The blade’s tip hovered mere inches from her eye, her expression flickering with surprise.

“Wow, Faerie,” she drawled, her lips curling into a smile as she inspected the weapon. “You finally decided to join the fun!”

She tossed the dagger carelessly to the ground, her figure rising effortlessly into the air. The child let out a muffled sob as the mother pulled him close, retreating into the shadows.

I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, relief flooding through me. My gaze snapped back to Arthemice, who floated closer, her wicked grin never faltering.

“I didn’t create you to toy with innocence and play these pathetic games, Arthemice,” I said, my tone sharp as steel, my eyes narrowing on her.

She halted a step away, her lips twisting into a wicked grin. “Toying, you say?” she purred, her voice dripping with mockery. “Don’t pretend to be righteous. You, who wrote me into existence only to bathe me in despair, have no right to speak of innocence.”

She closed the distance in a flash, her breath ghosting against my skin as her face hovered just inches from mine. Her eyes gleamed like a predator toying with its prey. “Are you prepared to watch everything you built burn to the ground?” she hissed, each word like a dagger.

I smirked, unshaken by her theatrics. “This world you’re so proud of destroying?” I tilted my head, my voice laced with icy disdain. “It’s nothing but fiction. You know that, don’t you?”

I leaned in closer, dropping my voice to a whisper, the words slicing through the air like a blade. “My beloved creation.”

Her confident expression shattered. She staggered back as if she had been struck, her eyes wide, pupils shrinking. For a moment, she looked less like the terror she had become and more like a ghost of herself.

“You... you have no sympathy for me, do you?!” she screamed, her voice shaking with rage. “You ruined my life! You made me suffer! You wrote my life to be nothing but misery!” Her voice cracked, hysteria bleeding into every word.

I stood still, a smirk tugging at my lips as I watched her unravel. Her breaths were ragged, her body trembling. Just as I thought. I knew her too well. Arthemice’s greatest weakness was her pride—she crumbled the moment someone struck her where it hurt the most. Her composure shattered, and with it, any plan she might have been clinging to.

My gaze flicked to the Crown Prince. He leaped into action, aiding Lady Cecelia and Zacharias with precision. Darious also got freed. A satisfied smile crossed my face. Chewy had done his job flawlessly.

But my triumph was short-lived. A faint hum filled the air. My eyes darted back to Arthemice as glowing arcane symbols encircled her, the intricate patterns weaving through the air like threads of fire.

“Oh, damn,” I muttered, realizing what was coming next.

I swiftly reached into the Aether Pouch strapped to my side and grabbed a small crystalline orb. Its surface shimmered faintly with stored energy. Without hesitation, I hurled it toward the frightened crowd gathered in the distance. The orb shattered midair, releasing a protective energy field that shimmered like liquid starlight as it enveloped them.

“Darious!” I shouted, my voice slicing through the chaos.

Darious, standing at the edge of the crumbling palace grounds, raised his hands. His ocean-blue eyes blazed with concentration as he channeled his ability. A massive barrier erupted from his fingertips, its translucent surface humming with power. It spread outward, merging seamlessly with the shield I had activated, creating a sanctuary for the people.

The ground beneath us trembled violently, deep cracks splitting through the marble, as Arthemice’s power surged. Her eyes blazed with golden light, her expression twisted into something between fury and ecstasy.

“You think you can stop me?” she sneered, her voice resonating with an otherworldly echo. “I was born from power far beyond your comprehension. Watch as this precious palace crumbles under my wrath!”

The air around her shimmered, and intricate, glowing symbols appeared in a spiral beneath her feet. Energy erupted from her like a tidal wave, black and gold streaks of light tearing through the ground, shattering pillars, and reducing ornate structures to rubble.

I braced myself, the force of her power slamming against Darious’s barrier like a relentless storm. “Hold it steady, Darious!” I called out, my voice strained.

His jaw tightened as he anchored himself to the ground, his hands trembling under the sheer force of Arthemice’s onslaught. “I’ve got it!” he shouted back, his voice hoarse but determined.

Around us, the once-grand palace grounds were unrecognizable—reduced to a wasteland of jagged debris and smoldering ruins. Flames licked the edges of fallen banners, and the air was thick with the acrid stench of destruction.

And then it happened.

Arthemice’s body lifted off the ground, her arms spread wide as an unholy aura enveloped her. The glowing arcane symbols beneath her began to rise into the air, spinning and expanding until they formed an enormous, blinding sigil that hovered above the palace.

“This is the power of the High Priestess reborn!” she declared, her voice booming as if carried by a thousand echoes. The sigil erupted with light, sending shockwaves rippling outward.

The barrier groaned under the strain, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface. I clenched my fists, a bead of sweat trailing down my temple. “Darious!”

“I’m trying!” he barked, sweat pouring down his face as he funneled every ounce of his strength into holding the shield together.

With a guttural scream, I raised my twin daggers and drove them into the ground. “Not today, Arthemice!” My ability flared to life, golden energy pouring from the weapons and merging with the barrier.

The shield steadied, its glow intensifying, and the people behind it huddled closer, their terrified cries slowly giving way to murmurs of hope.

Arthemice’s grin faltered, just for a moment. “You think this changes anything?” she spat, the sigil above her warping and twisting into something even more monstrous. “You’ve only delayed the inevitable!”

The ground shook once more, but this time, it wasn’t her doing. From behind me, a deep, guttural growl echoed through the air. My lips curled into a determined smirk.

“Chewy,” I murmured.

A massive, dark form emerged from the shadows, Chewy now in his monstrous form, his gleaming fangs bared and his eyes burning with feral intensity.

I looked toward their direction, watching as the chaotic aura surrounding Arthemice began to dissipate. The overwhelming power of the High Priestess had faded, but the threat wasn’t over—not by a long shot. Monsters spilled out from the lair, grotesque and unrelenting, wreaking havoc across the palace grounds.

What did Sebastian do? I told him to hold off those freaking monsters!

fin.