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Armed with artifacts that enhanced their stats, the rebels came over fearless. It was the first time the world had witnessed such artifacts, so they considered themselves invincible. However, once these creatures rose to the surface, their confidence shattered.

"Do not flatter!" roared Vruckrus as he struck the ground with the end of his Warhammer while raising his armor-clad arm. "We have unimaginable strength on our side! But, unfortunately, our leaders have yet to arrive, and our job is to hold the forte for them!"

As he raised the troops\' morale, the giant started stomping with his foot. The armies followed suit as they advanced toward the creatures of nothingness. Their job was simple: to stall for time until their leaders arrived.

"What is the meaning of this, Light Emperor?" asked the Saint of Shon as she rose from her seat. "We are not here to witness a massacre and have no intentions of being implicated in it."

"Your father sent you here knowing about this," said the Light Emperor with a smile. "He should have ordered you to aid me in whatever endeavors I attempt."

The Saint of Shon was silent before she glanced at the people. She turned toward the High Cardinals, but the two were still seated, still watching the show. Then, finally, the man turned toward her.

"The Father of Shon has decreed this to be a test for you," said the High Cardinal. "Your choices and judgment here will be reported back to him, and he will decide if you are still befitting your status as the Saint and his heir."

"…and why do I need to be tested for something I already have?"

"Your recent actions have brought great confusion for the people, and the father has decreed that your worthiness must be retested."

Ai stared at the commotion above and realized that she couldn\'t depend on outside help from these people. Thus, she turned her attention back to the emperor, who was still floating above the plaza.

His family was still seated as if ordered not to move a muscle. Erin Voldor had a smile on his face, while Ivory was expressionless. The rest of the family sat there like lifeless puppets.

Duke Delano was the only one of the commanders to be present here since the Executors and Knights Commander were both missing. As for the other nine, who were governing the nine cities, none of them were present to witness this sight.

\'The emperor is underestimating us,\' thought Ai as she saw that most of the Iliosian elites were not present on this day. If the twelve commanders were here, their odds would be close to none.

***

Rae stared at the High Cardinals, feeling like she wanted to rip his head off. However, she knew better than to lose her composure and ended up sitting in her chair. Her younger brother was still in Shon, and she couldn\'t do anything with him being there.

As she sat down, she saw the plaza separated into three layers: the citizens forming the outer ring, the rebels being the middle layer, and in the center were the creatures of darkness that the emperor had summoned, surrounding the platform and what was left from the knights.

At a glance, the rebels seemed to have the upper hand with their numbers. However, the fact that none of them could use their abilities or skills toppled the scales in the emperor\'s favor. Rae inwardly sighed as she remembered what her father had told her.

"Ilios is on the verge of a civil war, and while we must remain natural, they are our closest allies. Our trade routes rely on the empire, so find a way to stabilize the situation with whatever means necessary."

Rae remembers asking him about Arthur Silvera since news reached their ears that he was fighting against the Iliosian Emperor. The Father of Shon seemed disinterested in taking a stance now and said their stronger allies take priority.

All-Father failed to understand that Arthur Silvera was not a human like them but an unfathomable being that could cross timelines. Her memories were proof of that belief, so Rae could not argue that fact with certainty.

She has seen what he was capable of doing, time and time again. Since it became known that his alias was Alexie Linan, the scene of absolute power he showcased against Arlo further proved her fears: Shon cannot make an enemy of this man.

However, the situation has deteriorated for the worst. Her plan to talk Arthur Silvera out of this battle was a foolish dream. If she were in his shoes, she wouldn\'t listen to someone siding with a mass murderer.

It made her sick that Shon allied with someone who would sacrifice his people for power. But, if what Arthur Silvera has shown her was true, then Shon was the same. It has been offering people since the dawn of time to steal their bloodline and create vessels of power, and Rae was one of them.

Rae clenched her fist so much that she felt like her bones were about to break. The clues were scattered across her memories, but she never knew what was expected and what was not. Her father has always been a man who believed the ends justify the means.

Shon was called Land of Common Blood because it didn\'t belong to the seven families, and her father was the sole survivor of those superpowers. There was no choice but to sacrifice a few lives for the greater good, right?

"Utilitarianism, huh?" muttered Rae aloud, drawing attention from the High Cardinals. At first, she thought they were there to escort her, but now they were here for monitoring. "What are your thoughts, High Cardinal Alina?" Rae asked the woman next to her.

"I do not believe that any life is worth more than others," said the High Cardinals while resting her cheek on her hand. Although her age lines started to show, no one would think she was in her seventies. "If so, the majority is worth more than the minority."

"Even in this scenario?" asked Rae, but the one who answered her was the other High Cardinal, Hugh. He cleared his throat before cupping his hands together and staring at the citizens.

"If the emperor can truly bring world peace, fewer lives will be lost in the grand scheme of things," said High Cardinal Hugh. Rae grunted in response, not showing her real emotions. "Shon will benefit from such a superpower if it does arise."

Decisions were always made in Shon based on their probability of success, never on taking a stance. That was all Rae wanted from her father. If Shon didn\'t take a stance here, then there is no telling when Arthur Silvera will come over knocking on their doorsteps.

In his letter, the outsider asked her to investigate the truth behind her origins. Rae visited her house to see what it was and found records about her past. However, that wasn\'t enough to tell her the truth, so she had to force it out of a previous High Cardinal. In retrospect, that might have been the reason her father sent her here to be tested.

"Those with Astral Blessings, step forward," shouted the flute woman as she took measured steps toward the fallen beings. "The emperor cannot steal the powers granted by Astral Beings! First squad, prepare!"

As the leader woman started throwing around her commands, the fallen beings finished descending into this world. The emperor grinned and pointed his finger at the rebels, ready to start this war.

"Devour them, Creatures of Nothingness."

The fallen beings howled, looking like an army from hell. It was the first time Rae had witnessed so many of them in one place, even though a single one was enough to finish off an army.

"Attack!" roared the giant as he raised his Warhammer, leading his ten-meters tall comrades to rush ahead of the army. The rebels followed suit, brandishing their weapons at the enders.

As for the first squad and the leader, they launched their attacks on the emperor. Astral Blessings rained, and an archer woman fired a volley of attacks, but all of them were useless. The emperor has grown so strong that receiving the attacks head-on left no scratch on him.

Rae could hear his snickers, but they were soon interrupted by a knight with black armor. It was the woman from earlier, and she jumped across the sky while creating a thousand swords around her. Then, all of them rushed at the emperor.