"Constellations? What's that?" Violet and Sylvania wondered in their minds, sharing the same confused thought.
Star constellations was an ancient title given to those who had gained divinity. As time passed, in the present day, barely anyone knew what "constellation" truly meant. People thought all gods and goddesses were simply born that way. They usually referred to them as deities, and if a deity had an evil nature, they called them an evil deity.
They quickly shook their heads, pushing the strange thought away. There was no time to dwell on mysteries.
"Magic boost! Magic enhancement! Magic buff! Mind boost! Strength boost! Ultimate concentration!" Sylvania chanted, her voice a rapid stream of incantations. She poured all her energy into her magic, using it as a support to boost Violet's power as much as she possibly could.
"Graviol!" Violet shouted, her voice amplified by Sylvania's enhancement.
An immense, crushing pressure immediately built up around Esdeath. It felt like the weight of the world was pressing down on her, trying to force her to her knees. But she refused, her legs shaking as she fought against the invisible force with pure willpower.
Meanwhile, Ethan was rushing towards her with all his might. He was in his second Awakening state, too. Thankfully, he had Awakened as a human, so no physical changes had happened to his body. Still, he needed time to rest and recover, and he knew he couldn't last forever. He wanted to finish this fight as soon as possible.
"Azurelion Sword Style—Sixth Form!" he shouted, drawing most of his remaining energy into his sword, which began to glow with a brilliant blue light.
The possessed Esdeath was ready to block his offense with her own. But her eyelids were fluttering uncontrollably, and Cassandra's sleeping spell was growing stronger and stronger, pulling at her consciousness.
Everyone watching knew that this single attack would determine the outcome of everything. If Esdeath managed to block it, they would all die by her hands later. But if Ethan succeeded, this would be the end of Esdeath.
Esdeath raised her only hand, the one holding her scythe. "World Cutting—"
Before she could activate her killer move, a sharp cry escaped her lips.
"Gah!"
Esdeath coughed up a mouthful of dark blood. Her only remaining hand twisted backwards with a sickening crack, as if moved by an invisible force. The bones shattered, and she immediately fell to her knees, a wave of agony washing over her.
Her body had reached its absolute limit. It was now in no condition to keep working, even with her constellation forcefully controlling her. A broken doll cannot be moved, even if its strings are still attached.
She could only watch with her cold, red eyes as Ethan got closer and closer, his sword raised for the final strike.
"Divine Judgment!" he roared, pouring every last ounce of his strength into the attack.
Slash!...
The sword stabbed against Esdeath's delicate-looking but extremely tough skin. It pierced through her chest, driving deep into her body and piercing her heart in the process before emerging from her other side.
Ethan also coughed up a mouthful of blood from forcing his exhausted body so hard. But his task was completed.
With her heart pierced, a fierce internal fight raged within her, urging her to close her eyes and give in to the darkness, It was cassandra's adding spice in the already grin situation. In the end, her eyelids closed on their own. Although she didn't fall over, she remained kneeling in her position, but her body stopped moving. Even the scythe she was holding with her crushed hand slipped from her palm and clattered onto the ground.
Cassandra finally dispelled her stealth and took a deep, shaky breath. "Finally... it's over!" she gasped, a wave of relief and exhaustion washing over her.
But just as everyone thought it was over, Esdeath's eyes shot open. With the last ounce of strength in her broken body, she shouted with everything she had.
"RAMAAAAAAA!..."
The scream was not just a sound; it was a physical force. It exploded outwards in a massive shockwave that slammed into everyone. Ethan cried out, clapping both hands over his ears as he was thrown to the ground, rolling in agony.
Even Violet, Emma, Cassandra, and the others weren't spared. They stumbled back, desperately blocking their ears as the piercing sound tore through them. Some of the soldiers cried out as blood began to trickle from their ears; the sheer volume of the shout was enough to rupture them.
"Shut up! Just die already!" Emma screamed, her voice cracking with a mixture of raw anger and utter frustration. "You already killed so many people! What are you even alive for? No one wants you to live! The world doesn't need you! Die, please just die!" Her spirit finally broke under the immense pressure, and she shouted while still clutching her ears, tears of rage streaming down her face.
But the moment the scream left her lips, Esdeath's body went limp. She fell forward onto the ground, and all the life within her perished.
The terrible noise finally died down. Many soldiers were still crawling on the ground, clutching their ears and moaning in pain, but the worst was over.
Ethan slowly pushed himself up, but his legs trembled violently, and he was about to collapse. Violet and Sylvania rushed to his side, each taking one of his arms to hold him steady.
"Are you alright?" Violet asked, her voice filled with worry.
"Yes," Ethan nodded, breathing heavily. "I just need a few hours of rest."
Cassandra stood up and walked cautiously towards Esdeath's body, inspecting it closely just in case. "No doubt she is dead," she said, her voice firm. This time, she was completely sure.
"Saying Lord Rama's name in her wit's end... How disgraceful. She has no right," Cassandra muttered to herself, a look of contempt on her face.
But whatever the case, their goal had been achieved. Although many casualties had happened, and right now Ethan needed rest, Cassandra had very few injuries. She could go back to the capital city, show them the evidence, and let everyone punish Lord Lortell.
She turned to look at Ethan and the others. "You all did a very good job. Especially you, Ethan. I'll never forget this favor. I hope you reach the pinnacle of human potential and defeat the Demon King in the future," Cassandra said, her voice surprisingly warm.
Before this battle, Cassandra had always worn an emotionless face and spoken with a calm, detached voice. But in this fight against Esdeath, she had shown more emotion than she had in her entire life.
The other remaining soldiers were either talking quietly to themselves or crying over the bodies of their dead subordinates, friends who had been dear to them.
One dwarf woman with brown hair and eyes, Tenha, who had been a junior of Krona and respected her deeply, came to see Krona's half-cut body. She fell to her knees and cried out loudly, her grief echoing across the battlefield.
Cassandra stood up and looked at Esdeath's corpse again. "But now what? We can't take her back. If word gets out and my sister knows about it, it'll be chaos!"
But at that moment, Emma ran towards them with a big stone in her hand. "No need! I'll mush her body here!" she came running, her face twisted with fury, ready to crush Esdeath's body with the stone.
But before Cassandra could stop her or anyone could interfere, Krona's assistant, Tenha, immediately rushed in and stood between them and the body.
"No, please don't do this! I need her!" she said in a pleading voice, her hands held up in supplication.
"What?" Emma's anger died down, replaced by confusion as she asked.
"Senior Krona's last wish was that, if she died in this battle, her kidney would be given to a girl named Visra," Tenha tried to explain, her voice shaking with emotion. "But she was cut in half... her organs are of no use now. But hers are fully safe. It would be a huge waste to just destroy them!"
"And her corpse will be taken to the Kingdom of Dwarves," she added desperately. "I swear not a single word will leak about it. That girl really needs it. It'll save her life."
Cassandra and the others thought about it. There were many others who died in this battle, but many had deeply smashed bodies. Even those whose bodies were in good shape, their organs would be given to others who needed them.
But at that moment, Ethan interfered, his voice weak but clear. "Take her. At least she'll do one last good thing," he said, looking down at Esdeath's corpse.
No one objected. Esdeath's body was taken to the Kingdom of Dwarves, while Ethan and his team teleported to the capital city, Celsius. They also brought the bodies of the fallen and the unconscious Caesar with them. But it was not the time for burials. Ethan decided to stay behind and rest, to stabilize his condition, while leaving the rest of the work to Cassandra. Emma also decided to stay with Ethan.
Cassandra was ready for this moment. Although she felt she was kind of very late, she never expected Esdeath to resist for this long.
She immediately went to the royal palace, followed closely by Violet and Sylvania.
Inside the royal court, King Augustus was a bundle of nerves. His anxiety was on another level as he waited for Cassandra to arrive.
And then, Cassandra entered the courtroom. Her face was a mask of indifference, and she held some documents in her hand. The moment the king saw her, a wave of relief washed over the entire kingdom, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
"What took you so long? Letting us wait this much. Should I take it as an insult?" Maddie spoke, her voice solemn and heavy with authority.
And why wouldn't she be annoyed? Letting the queen of the strongest kingdom wait this long for a case that didn't really have anything to do with her was a slight. She was only here as an overseer, to ensure that justice would be delivered successfully. That didn't mean she was desperate.
"I'm really sorry, my lady, but I was obstructed by my sister's men!" she said directly, blaming her own sister for the delay without a single change in her expression.
"Cassandra? Why are you here? Explain it to me!" one of the women on the audience's side immediately stood up.
She was Cassandra's birth mother. She had arrived here in a hurry, but she had no idea that Cassandra was actually standing against her own sister.
"Do not speak unless permission is given," King Augustus immediately silenced her. He didn't want any kind of distraction for Cassandra right now.
But before Cassandra could say or show anything, Maddie let out a loud, exaggerated yawn.
"I'm feeling sleepy. I'm not in the mood for judgment. My back hurts!" Maddie said in a bored voice. She looked around at the others. "Is there any other ruler who will oversee this matter?"
At once, all the other rulers immediately looked elsewhere. Even though the Dwarf King, the King of Deserts, King Augustus, and Igret were present, no one wanted to be the one to deliver judgment on such a controversial topic.
This was a very controversial matter. It might give some backlash to whoever delivered the judgment. Not to forget, only a queen like Maddie had the right to punish someone like Lortell; only then would the public not object. This was also the reason King Augustus had invited all the other rulers. They would be spectators while Maddie made the final judgment.
"No one is more worthy than you here. You have to make the decision!" King Augustus said with a dry, nervous laugh.
"Then I will do it tomorrow with a fresh mind!" Maddie said, and then looked at Lortell. "Don't worry about her. She'll be with us and the other rulers. She can't escape!"
"Hmph, I don't run," Lortell scoffed, a confident smirk on her face.
All the other kings looked at each other with puzzled looks, especially the Dwarf King and King Augustus. Unlike the other rulers who were neutral, they both had an alliance with Cassandra.
"Okay as you wish, my lady!" Cassandra agreed and slightly bowed her head, tugging the corner of her white frock as a sign of respect.
"Well then, the judgment will be held. I won't let anyone wait long. It will be in the morning!" she said and stood up. "Let's go, Scarlet!"
Murmurs immediately started among the audience. King Augustus's mood was incredibly tense. Protests were happening outside, one after another, and it felt like a civil war could break out at any moment. He needed to get this done as soon as possible.
Yet he couldn't disobey Maddie. His hands were tied.
Cassandra also let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Well, it's good too," she thought to herself. "My mind is currently a mess. I might have stuttered or forgotten some points!"
But then she felt that someone was looking at her. She looked up and saw Lortell glaring at her.
Cassandra glared right back, but then, Lortell casually stuck out her tongue and flipped her middle finger.
Cassandra's lips twitched, but she actually felt relieved. "She's still taking the situation as a joke. Well, that's actually good!"
----
Maddie walked out of the court with Scarlet behind her, followed by Lortell, and at the very back were the rest of the rulers. Lortell was like a sandwich between them.
Maddie's face was full of worry and hesitation.
"By the Penetrator's words, this Esdeath is clearly seeking an alliance and wants my help, too," she thought to herself, her mind racing. "I can guess she foresaw this situation. I kind of managed to hold back the trial by one day, but I don't know if it will help her or actually interrupt her plans instead. And if it doesn't interrupt her, then is this much time enough?!"
After thinking for a few seconds, she sighed to herself. "Well, I can only hope I made the right choice!"