The Empress and Concubine finally clashed, in the open, flas and smokey clouds billowing around them, supported by hundreds of knights.
"Harlot, I am taking back my husband and empire!" The empress bellowed, holding a golden spear, with her family's red banner wrapped around the pole.
Ar'Sarina's fra vibrated, emitting a beautiful silver aura. Her hair fluttered in the intense winds surrounding her, that Runan created.
"Oh please, you're nothing more than a jealous hag."
Elvish combat style was one of balance and concentration, for their emotions controlled the energy flowing within them. A simple distraction could prove fatal.
This was especially true for an emotional elf such as Sarina. The blonde empress surged forward, eyes narrowing on her nesis, only to be parried aside.
Er'Gladia used her bladed whip with a snap, tearing the flesh from Sarina's cheek.
"You never made him happy, that's why he lay beneath each night."
Sarina snarled before throwing her spear in an arch toward Gladia's head. The Concubine weaved away from the blow, summoning a cloud of purple fire into her palms and shooting it at Ar'Sarina.
"Hah, burn!" Gladia spat as Ar'Sarina was thrown back by the explosion of flas around her. Sarina avoided the explosion, but the lingering flas burned her arms, causing them to swell. She staggered to her feet and observed her enemy.
"Not enough, you should surrender."
The two clashed in a violent rondo of blade and whip. Ar'Sarina summoned silver wind into her spear and countered the purple fire, tearing it apart and dispersing its harmful effects.
"I never expected you to fight so well, Er'Gladia."
Empress Sarina couldn't help but admit that the concubine wasn't just a vase, despite her plot against the empire. She couldn't help admitting the opponent was talented.
'If she weren't my love rival, I would praise her prowess more. Unfortunately, she is an enemy and a filthy one at that.'
Ar'Sarina hopped backwards, and twirled her spear, gathering montum and force, as the wind wrapped around her spear like a hurricane. The mont, she could feel the force reach maximum, almost breaking her wrist from the pressure.
Sarina lunged forward.
"Now repent!" Her voice rang out through the sky, tearing open clouds as she flew toward the Concubine. Just as Sarina's weapon was about to pierce the chest of her rival, Er'Gladia flashed a devilish smile.
"Knights, kill this woman." Er'Gladia's body faded, turning into purple mist, replaced by the knights who charged forward in heavy plate armour. One elf took Sarina's blow full force, her spear penetrating his throat, while the other knights struck at Sarina's exposed body.
"You will pay for betraying your empress." Sarina declared as they tried to corner her with their broadswords. Each blow cut closer into her skin than the last, leaving thick red lines across her arms and thighs as silvery sparks ford with each blow.
"We serve only one majesty, Her Majesty Er'Gladia!" They yelled as they slashed with fury against Sarina's delicate fra. The blonde elf cursed inwardly, before sweeping her spear and knocking back the knights, as she swiftly retreated.
Blood and bone splattered against the floor.
"My loyal knights, support and crush these filthy traitors!" Ar'Sarina called out to her knights, standing not far behind her. The royal guards led the charge toward the Concubine's army in modest armour and powerful auras. "Don't let the enemy catch my flanks, you've been trained better than that."
Sarina glared at Er'Gladia who escaped into the distance.
'I want to give chase, but I am limited here.' She glanced at Runan, fighting the corrupted soldiers, his wind magic wrapped around his longsword. 'Runan can defeat those rubbish.'
She had confidence in his combat power and turned away from him, she stood overlooking the battle while gathering her strength and focusing her mind.
'How am I supposed to beat that stupid woman?' Sarina thought, rubbing her temples.
"Surrender, and I will grant your knights an honourable death." Sarina's body transford into a flash of lightning, darting into battle, piercing through multiple enemies without slowing down, all of which fell instantly.
Runan jumped beside her, clearing the ground as he swung his sword.
"My Empress, I've finished dealing with those fools over there…"
The brutal combat started to shift when Sarina convinced the knights guarding the walls to help her, but she realised that if she fought against them, then Gladia would now be winning, overwhelmingly at that.
But the concubine's plan was failing fast.
The battle of hundreds now looked to be thousands as elvish soldiers, knights, and commoners supported Sarina, taking out Er'Gladia's n efficiently and without care.
"Why are we being pushed back?" Er'Gladia's face paled.
She planned for this mont, destroyed the palace, forced the princesses to suffer and poisoned the emperor. So she couldn't accept this situation, seeing the knights of her family dying one by one, the brainwashing of her clan broken sohow.
Ar'Sarina had many true allies, unlike herself. And right now, they were showing themselves and their true colours. Many of those fighting had daughters and sons, friends, and relatives within the palace, and they hated how the concubine manipulated them into attacking their loved ones.
It seed like a foolish plan in hindsight, but they thought there was a conspiracy targeting their families inside the palace. That wasn't the case, however. In reality, it was a conspiracy created by the Concubine.
After hearing the cries of Princess Orina who rushed inside the burning palace, they learned Er'Gladia had been deceiving them.
Many realised her lies and ca to their senses, siding with Empress Sarina to rescue everyone.
All that remained were the truly corrupt. The very few who abused their positions and gained far too much, forgetting basic humanity. Those sa people gladly accepted corruption and power because they were scum. Er'Gladia's kin also continued fighting.
And as the tides shifted, it appeared the concubine beca more erratic.
anwhile, Asmodeus and the female demons that followed him, except for Ciela stood atop the tall elven walls, watching the burning city, and chaotic combat below.
"Do we help them, Asmodeus?" Erika's beautiful eyes shone in the embers floating in the sky. "We should deal with the source."
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"Kill the pretty concubine," Velvet suggested, with a smirk.
Erika raised an eyebrow at the witch, before shaking her head and listening for his order. They all hid from sight, wings unfolded, and prepared to attack. Asmodeus wouldn't have them waiting like this for no reason. Erika believed in that.
"I want you all to help Ar'Sarina win the battle…"
"But it seems she has things well in hand."
"That is where you are mistaken, Erika." Alice followed up, her long black hair tied into a thick braid wrapped over her left shoulder, as she watched the enemy with dull red eyes.
"The concubine has a failsafe, was the palace the only place they would destroy? These people hate commoners."
"What?" This ti, Vinea joined the conversation, her horns glowing with the crackle of magic.
"Draw your weapons, Vinea, Velvet I want you to crush as many knights as possible, Erika, please co with ," Asmodeus spoke with a low, commanding voice, before turning back to Alice and Asmodea who stood beside Fuuka, Aki and Lumina. "Lumina, can you support Aki and Fuuka and try to save the commoners from harm, and look for the explosives?"
"Yes!"
"But, Master." Lumina opened her lips, revealing fangs. "I don't think I will be of much use, there is no way to know what magic or ability was used."
"Lumina, you are soone who stalked my father for decades, I believe in your eyes, and their ability to notice sothing strange. Do your best, I won't be angry if you fail." Asmodeus stroked her silky white hair, before gazing at his beloved Asmodea and Alice. "You two, could you support Sarina and Ciela directly?"
"I can do that," Asmodea replied with a cold nod, her true feelings betrayed by her blushing cheeks.
"As can I, Asmodeus," Alice responded.
"Then let us get going…" Before he flew away, Asmodeus paused, realising that it may sound like he didn't care for any of their lives. "Be safe… all of you, if it gets dangerous, flee."
With the elves pushing forward against their foes, the air was charged with intensity as they forced back the concubine's n.
Sarina's lungs burned from overwork. She thrust her spear, taking another life but struggling to drag the tip from his flesh, "Damn it!" She cursed under her breath when the weapon got lodged into the bone.
Empress Sarina yanked harder on the polearm, but the dead knight fell to his knees and dragged her down with him. Tired, and a little overzealous, she stumbled forward as two blades swung down at her neck.
Her hands grasped the hilt instinctively, parrying one blade as the other grazed across her temple.
A spray of crimson tainted the ground.
The pain hit suddenly like an arrow striking its mark, causing everything to slow as blood trickled into her eyes. Dazed from such agony, yet still aware enough, Sarina tried desperately to regain footing even though she feared for her life.
However, another figure intervened and saved the beautiful, yet unfortunate, empress before that could happen.
Clang!
A tall demon cleaved the attacking knights in half, her face feral and ferocious, carrying a beauty beyond most won. Vinea's armour rattled as she lifted Sarina, leaping from the front lines flapping her wings, and dropping her off beside Runan, her husband.
"Have a rest, Empress. We will buy you so ti to recover."
Boom!
The next mont, another demoness attacked. Velvet's fists clad in a red and blue aura caused the ground to tremble each ti she destroyed an enemy knight.
anwhile, at the rear, Er'Gladia faced off with two won—her face oozing a thick sweat. Face to face with true demons.
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