81 Chapter 81 - A wrong Choice
Zeph's POV
I made my way towards the main building after planting a seed of doubt inside Valeriana's mind.
But the thought of saving Professor Deventhia was true, do I care about her? Of course not.
It's just that she is easy to control. How, you ask? The answer is her precious niece.
Even with all the strength she possesses, her loyalty to Valeriana is beyond belief. And after I get my hands on Valeriana, I'll have a free walking war machine known as Deventhia.
The descriptions from «Heroes Counterattack» are still vivid in my mind.
Even though I hated that novel but still tried due to curiosity.
There were many plots that attracted the readers' minds, like an Archmage's helplessness and a demon queen's motherly affection, among countless others.
One that particularly caught my attention was the last mont of Deventhia Corlos Hedrian, a woman of unparalleled strength who even put the mighty Demon Queen Amrantha Tenebri Noctilucis to the test.
When the Demon Realm gates opened at Hedrian Kingdom, it beca a grueso battle, and many individuals perished, mainly demons.
The reason — Unlike humans, who, during tis of external attacks, start blaming their own system and engage in internal disputes, the Hedrians' unity pushed back thousands of demons.
Until She Arrived....
It was a massacre. The mont her eyes fell on that very kingdom, it was as if she was proving that unity was nothing in the face of sheer strength.
She decimated the strongest Hedrian warriors in a blink of re seconds.
The whole scenario grew even more intense when both Deventhia and Amrantha collided.
It was written in such detail that it boiled the bloods of those who just read it, but it's ending was sa tragic.
// A Glimpse //
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BOOM!
Two blurred light rays, one athyst and the other white, collided in the vast crimson sky, creating a thunderous collision sound.
BANG!
WHOOSH! Ti seed to slow to a crawl as their feet touched the earth, fracturing it into a myriad of particles that hung suspended before vanishing into thin air.
Again, in the expansive sky, two radiant beams clashed, each carrying a storm of emotions.
"Stop this massacre, Demon Queen!" a voice cried out.
Two pairs of eyes, one burning with crimson fury and the other radiant with athyst resolve, locked onto each other, the sheer strength of their collision scattering the clouds from their rightful places.
"Never!"
Suddenly, Athyst eyes glowed intensely, and a surge of power threw Deventhia to the ground, but before a speck of dust could mar her form, she vanished once more.
BANG!
Another resounding crash and the battle raged on for what felt like an eternity, days turned into weeks, and the outco remained uncertain.
"Haa... Haa..."
Amrantha's eyes burned with athyst flares that showed no sign of fading, even after a relentless battle. Her gaze remained locked on Deventhia who seed to be unaffected by all this battle.
Badump
But then, a sudden skip of her heart, a chill down her spine,'What was that just now!?' Fear, a rare emotion for a demon queen, coursed through her.
Suddenly, Her athyst eyes turned towards an empty space with a wide smile forming on her lips as her figure vanished.
"No! Valeriana!" Deventhia shouted, but it was in vain.
Amrantha's hands seed to grip sothing in thin air, and a figure materialized, struggling to breathe and using its hands to free its neck from the Demon Queen's grip. It was Valeriana Hedrian.
"Now I see why people call you the strongest Illusionist, Deventhia Hedrian."
Amrantha's athyst eyes locked onto Deventhia, who had widened crimson eyes and a cold glint passed through her eyes as she increased the pressure of her grip.
"Kughh!" Valeriana's eyes widened as her neck faced intense pressure in Amrantha's grip.
"No! Stop it, please, don't!"
In that mont as if a mirror shattering, several cracks started to form on the space around whole battlefield.
CRACK!
With a sickening crack, the entire battlefield seed to fracture, revealing three figures in its wake, surrounded by dozens of onlookers.
"HAHAHAHA! Well played, Deventhia,"
Rage consud Amrantha as she realized that all these days, she had been under the influence of Deventhia's illusions.
The Illusionist had an expression of despair on her face.
"Please, Demon Queen, leave her."
Deventhia pleaded as her eyes reflected the figure of her niece being held in air by neck while the woman has cruel mocking smile on her face before her athyst eyes turned towards the struggling girl in her grip.
"Little girl, thank you for helping . I can at least be rciful and leave you alive."
THUD!
Valeriana's eyes widened with horror as her body slamd into the ground, blood gushed out from her mouth, a sudden assault of pain spread through every corner of her bones.
Tears started to stream down her face as she heard a voice inside her mind.
'"Take care, my niece, and forgive for not being there to see you beco a wise ruler."'
" Kughhh!"
Valeriana's tear-filled eyes witnessed the reflection of a claw tearing into her aunt's heart, a small smile gracing deventhia's face as her eyes turned toward her niece that were filled with vast amount of Care and guilt for not accompanying her any further.
'No, please, leave her alone'
Valeriana can only plead, With those thoughts, Valeriana succumbed to unconsciousness.
// End //
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This was undoubtedly one of the most heart-wrenching scenes I've ever witnessed.
I couldn't help but feel an intense urge to curse Valeriana for what had transpired at that ti.
However, before my anger could consu , I delved into her thoughts, trying to comprehend her ntal state.
The root of the tragedy lay in Valeriana's misguided trust.
She had underestimated the power of the Demon Queen, putting too much faith in her own abilities.
Valeriana attempted to control the Demon Queen using her own unique power, a move that would prove catastrophic.
Deventhia, with her extraordinary skill, ensnared the Demon Queen in a powerful illusion.
The ntal exertion required to maintain this illusion left both of them immobilized and making Deventhia vulnerable to outside attack and a need to be encircled by the dozens of Hedrians to protect her from external attacks.
As I read about her aunt's valiant struggle, it beca clear that valeriana's ntal state was also deteriorating and when see saw the sight of blood trickling from her aunt's nose her patience wore thin.
Under such dire circumstances, anyone might have reacted as Valeriana did.
She unleashed a far more advanced version of her awakened ability, one that allowed her to manipulate emotions.
Inexplicably, she chose to instill fear in the heart of the Demon Queen, a decision I found perplexing.
If I were in her place, I would have opted for a different emotion — GRIEF.
Subduing a mother in a fit of rage, grieving for her lost child, could only be achieved by evoking sympathetic emotions, not fear.
It was a questionable move, especially considering Valeriana's reputation as one of the most intelligent heroine. It made wonder why she had chosen to instill fear in the heart of an incarnation of fear itself !?. In that pivotal mont, Amrantha instantly realised the truth behind the illusion, and tragedy struck.
Nevertheless, it made her ntally drained to the point where our mighty dragon can kill her.
I couldn't help but reflect on the absurdity of the situation, as I found myself thinking, 'How on earth does that pumpkin look like a dragon?'
I moved into the hallway to reach my destination.....
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" Haaa.....haaa "
Zeph's tattered body lay on the ground while his bones broken in several places, blood oozing from multiple injuries.
" Kughh!" His face was crushed beneath the relentless foot of his assailant, whose emotionless expression was eerily illuminated by the soft moonlight.
Zeph's eyes, filled with pain and despair, were on the brink of giving up.
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