Startled, Ares froze on the spot.
His lips parted weakly, unable to believe what he had heard. It was almost comical.
Navia, still holding his chin, brushed off his hand and smiled breezily.
"It was an honor to meet you like this. I should go now; my father might be waiting."
"…What? Wait a minute."
Navia turned to leave, as if there was nothing more to see.
Thud!
However, she was quickly grabbed by him.
Oh, the power of White Moon was really appreciated and great, but at times like this, Black Moon was sorely missed.
"How dare... you refuse to marry me?"
Ares, wounded in his proud ego, quickly revealed his true colors.
The perfect, flawless smile he always wore on his face was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a fierce demeanor.
Navia glanced at him indifferently and opened her mouth.
"Yeah. I don't like it."
"…Ha!"
Ares revised his opinion of Navia.
This girl was an idiot who knew nothing. She clearly didn't understand what a great privilege it was to marry him and become an empress.
"You don't seem to understand who I am, but that's okay for now. You're still young."
He had to make her understand what a great opportunity this was.
He had to make it clear that she shouldn't behave like this towards him.
Ares invoked his magic.
He had a natural talent for mind control magic, as much as his personality was suited to manipulating things.
"You will come to desire to be my wife yourself, Navia."
He attempted a suggestion.
To make Navia want him on her own, to kneel down and beg like a dog.
But Navia's mind was not swayed by the magic. It was like poking a rock with a blade of grass.
Navia laughed at him.
"That will never happen, so stop wasting your time, Your Highness. Really... it's ugly."
Ares' face twisted demonically.
"It can't be! Why, why doesn't my magic work?"
"Let me go."
"You dare...!"
Suddenly, Navia screamed.
"Ahh!"
Ares was startled by her unexpected behavior.
Tap-tap-tap!
Navia didn't miss the opportunity and ran towards the door.
"…This!"
However, it was hard for Navia to shake off Ares, who was much bigger than her.
Just then, Cesare, who had been in Navia's arms, leaped down and attacked Ares.
Sensing Navia was in danger, he tried to protect her.
"What is this!"
Ares tried to kick Cesare, but couldn't keep up with the quick movements of the rabbit doll.
Bang!
Eventually, Navia forced open the tightly closed door.
Ares, about to enter from outside, stopped and shouted fiercely at the courtiers.
"Catch her immediately!"
"Yes…?"
Navia darted through the courtiers as they hesitated.
"Oh, oh…!"
Anyway, it was the prince's order. Just as they were about to grab Navia,
"Dad!"
Navia unknowingly shouted for Lark.
Boom!
The courtiers, confused by the sudden explosion, were thrown away from Navia and tumbled to the ground.
"Argh!"
Ares, who had just left the chapel, was suddenly lifted into the air.
"Ugh…! Let go!"
The one who had grabbed and lifted him was none other than Lark.
His eyes were completely crazed.
"This bastard dared to touch my daughter?"
Lark turned his magic into flames and raised them high. He intended to turn the imperial palace into a sea of fire today.
* * *
The royal chapel was a separate building set apart from the main complex.
The surroundings were modestly landscaped to match the character of the building, and when it wasn't service time, the place was quiet, so the knights stationed there tended to relax.
In front of the chapel, as if struck by lightning from the sky, a man landed with a thud, suddenly grabbing the prince's throat.
But that was not the end.
Whoosh!
A huge red pillar of fire, centered around Lark, whirled up from the ground.
Heat and screams. The sacred front of the chapel had turned into a hellish scene in an instant.
Clank! Clank!
The knights, not receiving royal compensation for nothing, encircled Lark at the center, aiming their demonic guns.
"Release His Highness the Prince immediately! Otherwise, we'll shoot!"
Unfortunately, among those they aimed at was Navia, which was an unlucky development.
Clang!
"Uh…?"
Suddenly, the knights found themselves pressed down by a supernatural force.
Their guns rolled on the ground, and they barely managed to maintain a prone position.
All the knights wore the same expression.
'What's happening?'
'Who on earth is that man?' The courtiers recognized Lark and shouted.
"Duke Eseled! What are you doing?"
The cries of the courtiers echoed.
But Lark paid no heed to them.
He was engulfed in uncontrollable rage.
"How dare."
These less than insects.
Lark's eyes turned a dark, bloody red. His divine wrath boiled within.
He felt his god delighting in it.
'A long-awaited slaughter. My incarnation, drink deeply of blood and revel.'
The flames Lark summoned billowed like a massive inferno.
"Dad!"
Navia was running towards the flames.
"…!"
Lark, drenched in murderous intent, suddenly regained his senses.
"Navia!"
He threw the unconscious Ares to the ground and extinguished the flames. A massive pillar of fire turned into red dust, scattering in the air like petals.
In the meantime, Navia had rushed to him.
Lark quickly picked up his daughter and held her tight.
Ah, he was dizzy with the realization that he almost harmed her.
This child was not a monster like him. Strong, yet fragile as human flesh is.
Not a single spark should touch Navia's skin. White Moon had healing powers but no defense.
"Dad, I'm okay."
Lark hated hearing Navia say she was okay.
Every situation in which Navia said she was okay was terrible.
He couldn't stand that such terrible things were fine for her.
"I'll protect you."
So, he had to destroy this place.
Navia, thinking Lark had regained his composure, relaxed, then tensed up again.
Dad wasn't fine.
Then Emperor Ulrich appeared, leading the court magicians. He shouted angrily.
"Lie down on the ground now, Duke Eseled!"
At the same time, the court magicians raised their magic.
"I'll say it again. Lie down on the ground. Otherwise, you'll be executed on the spot for attempted royal assassination."
Lark's expressionless face slowly turned towards Yulrich.
"Immediate execution?"
Like a god looking down on humans from a lofty height, so was Lark's gaze.
The scenery around him began to change in a terrifying form.
Lark's surroundings lost their shape. Melting, or twisting, a frightening spectacle unfolded.
He let out a quiet laugh.
"You, control me?"
Divinity was unleashed.
"What is that…!"
People gasped. Their voices broke, and they screamed. A chilling aura like nothing anyone had ever experienced dominated the area.
'This is…!'
Navia had seen this phenomenon before.
The first dream she ever had.
When time and space seemed to twist in that place, it looked exactly like this.
She was breathless. Luckily, as Nyx's incarnation, she was immune to his divinity.
People lost their minds. The sight unfolding before them could only bring instinctive fear.
"Ah, ahhh!"
They attacked Lark to survive.
If this continued, they would surely die! Ulrich was no exception.
The Emperor quickly drew his magic to its maximum. Blue sparks, a prelude to a magic burst, faintly flickered over his body.
Ulrich tried to infiltrate Lark's mind and subjugate him. Just as he was about to cast mind control.
Something saw him.
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