"Of course I haven't forgotten my identity. That's why I was entrusted to take out that Marine soldier!" The loli girl known as Siren giggled, her voice sweet and coquettish.
"What do you mean?" Duke Attawa paused, then asked in bewilderment, "I didn't tell you to kill him!"
"Get in quickly!"
"Move it!"
"Everyone, don't move!"
"Capture Doma Attawa and Doma Shanna!"
"..."
Suddenly, numerous soldiers stormed into the hall from the entrance. Each looked ferocious, armed with muskets, longswords, and spears, blocking all the nobles and merchants who tried to flee.
"Look, the explanation has arrived!" Siren glanced at the soldiers at the hall entrance, smiling. "But before that, I need to make sure you can't resist!" As she spoke, the red umbrella in her hand lightly tapped the smooth white porcelain tiles, making a tap-tap sound.
"You're going to attack me? Damn it, if you do this, you'll lose all credibility in the underworld!" Duke Attawa paled, finally understanding that the assassin he hired was turning against him. Shanna, by his side, also changed color, involuntarily retreating a few steps.
"Hohohoho~ If all those who know are killed, then no one will know, right?!"
Siren laughed without a care, her laughter suddenly becoming much coarser, like a man's voice. At the same time, the red umbrella in her hand struck out fiercely, aiming for the Attawa Duke's right scapula.
"Life Return: Lion's Mane Hair!"
But just then, a low shout came from the large hole in the wall that Cross had crashed through. A large mass of silver long hair shot out, forming a lion's head shape and coiling towards Siren.
"Nani?!"
Siren's pretty face showed surprise. She quickly retracted her red umbrella and leaped back, avoiding the entanglement of the silver hair.
The sudden change made Duke Attawa, who had narrowly escaped attack, feel reborn. For a moment, cold sweat broke out all over his back. Countess Shanna also breathed a huge sigh of relief, quickly helping her brother hide behind an overturned table.
"So, you're Siren! Or should I call you Mad Elf Randy Mathias!"
At this moment, Cross emerged from the large hole in the wall, his expression cold as he stared at the beautiful loli girl.
They say 'beauty is a double-edged sword.' Although he had detected danger from her, he was momentarily careless due to her striking beauty and was sent flying by her attack.
Fortunately, his shadow reacted quickly enough to block the attack, so while he was sent flying, he wasn't injured in the slightest.
"As expected of the man who killed Gecko Moria. I truly underestimated you!" Siren met Cross's gaze, speaking in a voice as coarse as a man's.
"That voice, paired with your current appearance, is truly disgusting!" Cross said with disdain. "Are you... a man, perhaps?!"
"Hohohoho~ I am neither man nor woman. I am the new queen of the Okama!" Siren declared proudly.
"Okama King?!" Cross grinned, surprised. "Wait, isn't the 'Okama King' supposed to be Emporio Ivankov?"
Immediately, Siren's delicate face darkened, like a dark loli, and she said sinisterly, "Don't mention that name in front of me! When I kill that half-human, half-ghost freak, you'll know who the true 'Okama King' is!"
Hearing her words, Cross understood. Siren must be Ivankov's sworn enemy, also an okama who desired to become the 'Okama King.'
At this moment, Cross also noticed more and more soldiers pouring into the hall entrance, among whom appeared someone he recognized. It was a handsome middle-aged man with long golden hair, wearing black armor. His imposing presence as he walked made the surrounding Royal Guard soldiers retreat, forming a clear path for him.
"Viscount Solmen, quickly seize this person!"
Seeing the newcomer, Duke Attawa immediately perked up, quickly pointing at Siren and shouting the order. However, to everyone's surprise, Viscount Solmen actually walked over to Siren's side, looking at Cross with dissatisfaction and asking, "What's going on? Didn't you say you could kill this Marine soldier?"
"My apologies, I underestimated him a bit!" Siren's pretty face was clouded, and she spoke in a cold, sinister tone. "But the outcome won't change. I will still kill him!"
"Viscount Solmen, what are you doing?! Didn't you hear my order?!" At this moment, Duke Attawa's expression was shocked. He stared fixedly at Viscount Solmen, shouting in both surprise and anger.
Viscount Solmen glanced at Duke Attawa but said nothing. However, the next second, Marquis Mankervis emerged from behind Viscount Solmen, grinning. "My dear Aniki, haven't you understood yet? Viscount Solmen is my man!"
"H-how is this possible..."
Seeing his younger brother suddenly appear, Duke Attawa felt as if struck by lightning, gazing at Viscount Solmen in disbelief.
One must know that Viscount Solmen was the Captain of the Royal Guard, commanding the Royal Guard troops of the palace castle. If Viscount Solmen had defected to Mankervis and become part of the Noble faction, it meant the entire royal palace castle was now under the Noble faction's control. And he, the esteemed Duke Doma Attawa, first in line to the Bion Kingdom's throne, had fallen into his younger brother's hands.
Thinking of the fate of losers in throne struggles, Duke Attawa shivered involuntarily.
"Hahahahaha!"
Seeing his elder brother's despairing expression, Marquis Mankervis couldn't help but burst into maniacal laughter, his expression wild and arrogant. He loudly declared, "I thought that moving tonight would be too hasty and would involve great difficulties, but I never expected it to be so smooth! Out of three thousand Royal Guard troops, less than a hundred resisted. Everyone else was willing to follow Viscount Solmen and defect to me! It seems I overestimated you, my dear Aniki!"
More and more Royal Guard soldiers poured into the castle hall, almost completely surrounding Duke Attawa and the other Royalist faction members present.
"How... how could this be..."
Hearing this, Duke Attawa's expression was despairing, his heart almost dead. If not for the load-bearing pillar behind him, he might have collapsed to the floor. He had always believed Viscount Solmen was his loyal subordinate, but he never expected that he had secretly defected to the Noble faction long ago, and that even the Royal Guard troops of the royal castle had all sworn allegiance to his younger brother.
"Shanna... my dear Imouto, I told you to call me 'Aniki.' Do you want to try calling me that now and let me hear it?" Marquis Mankervis grinned hideously, his eyes greedily assessing Countess Shanna.
"How disgusting!" Siren pursed her lips, mercilessly remarking. But Marquis Mankervis didn't care, only the desire in his eyes becoming almost tangible, as if it would tear Countess Shanna apart.
At this moment, Countess Shanna's beautiful face was pale, her teeth tightly clenched. Facing Mankervis's coercion, she remained silent. But just then, Countess Shanna saw Cross, who was lost in thought not far away, and a glimmer of hope suddenly blossomed in her nearly despairing eyes.
"Captain Cross, save us!"
"I represent the Bion Kingdom and ally with the Marines! As long as you Marines support my brother, Duke Attawa, to ascend the throne!"
——————————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/JuanPiece [remove the parenthesis ( )]
There are 100+ advance chapters available for you to read!