The flower exploded midair, releasing a blinding burst of light. For a mont, it was as though a miniature sun had been born inside the cathedral. The light vaporized into glittering motes of dust, cascading downward in golden flares.
Screams filled the air as many of the magical beasts shrieked in agony. Their sensitive eyes couldn’t bear the brilliance. So collapsed, stunned. Others flailed blindly, colliding into one another in their disorientation.
“Now! Open your eyes! Move!” Serena cried out.
The knights, paladins, and nobles sprang into motion, escorting the Imperial Family and clergy toward the side stairway. The High Priest stumbled with the ring of old iron keys, his fingers trembling as the pressure mounted.
Prince William turned, guarding the rear. “Hurry! They’re recovering—so of them are starting to see again!”
At last, the key clicked into the lock.
The heavy iron gate creaked open, and the group surged forward. One by one, they ascended the narrow stone stairwell to the upper balconies, leaving the burning light and chaos behind them.
The mont the last person passed through, the High Priest slamd the gate shut and secured it.
Now All around the audience balcony, tension gripped the air like a vice. The Imperial Knights, Paladins, priests, and mbers of the Imperial Family stood shoulder to shoulder, their eyes fixed on the devastation unfolding below.
From their elevated position, they could see the grand wedding hall overrun by chaos. Dozens of magical beasts snarled and rampaged, their claws raking the marble floors, their eyes glowing with renewed bloodlust. Amidst the madness, the makeshift barricade of broken furniture barely held the tide back.
Atop a stack of shattered tables, Gracie stood frozen in place, eyes wide with terror. Beside her, Marie fought with fierce determination, loosing arrows with practiced precision at the oncoming horde. Her hands trembled from exhaustion, but her aim remained steady.
“We have to send knights down there!” Prince Landon barked, his voice cracking with urgency as he gripped the railing. “Gracie’s still out there! If we wait any longer, she’ll be—”
“She’s not alone,” William muttered, watching Marie draw and fire again without hesitation.
“We’ve already assembled a group of knights,” the Knight Captain responded, his tone tense but composed. Sweat glistened on his brow as he directed a few less-exhausted knights into formation. “Only those with enough strength left to fight will descend. We can’t risk the rest.”
“Then make haste!” Landon snapped, turning away from the balcony edge to pace restlessly. “Every second counts!”
Below, the beasts howled as they regrouped, their attention shifting toward the left corner—where Ravenna, Duke Morgen, and the cluster of nobles and high nobles had erected the fragile barricade using overturned tables, banquet chairs, and pieces of shattered pews.
The initial light-blast from Serena’s spell had only bought them a mont of reprieve. Now, the creatures’ bloodlust had rekindled, burning hotter than ever. With wild, shrieking cries, they surged forward once more teeth bared, claws raised charging directly at the trembling wall of debris that stood between them and the remaining survivors.
Ravenna, her breath ragged and body aching from earlier combat, narrowed her eyes at the incoming horde. She didn’t hesitate.
She opened her Reputation System.
[ Spend Reputation Points ]
Access to the Internet: 100 Points per Hour
Access to Magic Spell Library: 100 Points per Hour
Geographical Scans: 5 Points per 1 Kiloter
Nullify Minor Poison Damage on Self: 250 Points
Nullify Minor Poison Damage on Others: 350 Points per Entity
Minor Heal: 1,000 Points per Entity
Major Heal: (Locked)
Lie Detector: (Locked)
She selected [Minor Heal] five tis, watching her points drain, 5,000 gone in an instant—as her wounds nded and strength returned to her limbs. Then she selected [Access to Magic Spell Library] confirming the deduction of another 100 points.
The interface glimred as it brought up the spell listings:
[Magic Spell Library]
Simple Remote Activation:
Allows the user to remotely activate mana commands.
Ingredients: Runes engraved into Callia flowers, finely turned mixture with Jasmine. Activates with a fillet flower.
Condense Air and Release:
Condenses air into a high-pressure stream and expels it in a single direction.
Ingredients: Runes engraved into Magnolia flowers.
Divine Amplifier:
Organic material from a saintess—blood, hair, or tissue—boosts any spell's effect by 10 to 80 tis, depending on the quality and quantity.
She reviewed the spells once more, heart pounding. Everything was in place.
Ravenna turned and took the sword handed to her by Duke Morgen, the blade glinting faintly in the firelight. A fillet flower was carefully tied to its hilt. She gripped it tightly.
“It’s ti,” she whispered, and stepped out from behind the barricade.
Gasps broke out behind her.
“Where is Her Highness going?!”
“Has she lost her mind?!”
“That unruly princess is going to get herself killed—close the barricade!”
The high nobles shouted in panic, scrambling to reinforce the makeshift barricade with whatever they could find. But Ravenna was already moving.
She danced between the goblins that charged at her, her twin daggers flashing like silver lightning. With fluid, brutal grace, she cut them down, then stopped directly in front of the barricade—between the roaring tide of beasts and the trembling nobles behind her.
“I really hope you followed my instructions, John…” she muttered under her breath.
She had prepared this trap, Callia flowers inscribed with runes and mixed with Jasmine, then dipped and coated over belts of spikes. Those spikes had been placed across the streets where the beasts would stampede. With the beasts’ low intelligence, they impaled themselves without hesitation. And thanks to the Divine Amplifier a few strands of Marie’s hair carefully woven into the catalyst the spell’s effect should now be many tis powerful… ready to be active.
All she needed was the final trigger.
Ravenna raised the sword high above her head, the fillet flower attached to its hilt shimring faintly.
“I am Ravenna Solarius, Princess of the Ancorna Empire, Duchess of the Jola Dukedom!” she shouted, her voice carried and magnified by the Jasmine flowers threaded throughout the hall's decorations, their natural mana harmonizing with her will.
The magical beasts snarled and charged, bloodlust radiating from every limb.
“As the Descendant of Solious, Apostle of Herptian! grant the right to command your divine power!”
Ravenna swung the sword with a wide arc sneakily activating The fillet flower along.
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