A shocking thing happened the moment the Emperor watched his daughter''s transformation and sudden attack: his lips trembled, and the dull colour of his eye returned to the golden shine that Ciela remembered as a little girl.

    "Lala?" A nostalgic tone, voice and gaze... Ciela looked upon her father''s confused face and realised something from his trembling hand covering his face and the frustration of the Concubine beside him that something wasn''t right. ''When did father last call me my pet name?''

    A feeling of warmth spread through her chest, not because she forgave his acts, but because Ciela realised that something wasn''t right and to save her father.

    "Lala... you may go, tell your mother to return, safety. How could Sarina be sent to fight... it doesn''t make sense."

    Her eyes widened in shock. "Your daughter will take care of this." The Emperor suddenly turned around and slammed a fist on the table. "Why are you sitting in Sarina''s seat?!" All the nobles seemed shocked, apart from the small group... those who supported Er''Gladia and her family, who all began to grimace and mutter amongst themselves.

    However... faced with this sudden outburst, the Concubine bit her lips before a strange aura flowed from her body, causing Asmodeus and Ciela''s pupils to shrink—it was like the death energy that overtook the beastkin Empire! Yet different, more complex and sinister.

    The moment it flowed into the Emperor''s lips and nose, his eyes dulled; before Ciela could act, Asmodeus grasped her hand and pulled her back because the Concubine then told the guards to kick them from the palace, her eyes filled with fury.

    ''This is an excellent find...''

    "Ciela... we must leave, for now. Okay?"

    "F-Father... Dad, wake up!" Ciela''s shout, like a shriek, caused the air to tremble. The Emperor''s eyes flickered from the dull light to their normal golden shine. He gazed at Ciela, covering his face, and stumbled from the throne.

    "Go... I will meet you again in the future. My order remains! The Empress will return, and so will Ar''Una and Ar''Orina!"

    It seemed that Ciela''s voice''s power could help him fight against the strange aura''s domination. However, because Asmodeus didn''t know how many nobles she controlled, he pulled the dark elf to safety, knowing they could save her father. That was enough information because they had already declared their stance against the Concubine.

    The future would be difficult.

    .

    .

    .

    Meanwhile, Asmodeus and Ciela almost save the elven Emperor from his current situation. In the northeastern reaches of the forest, Empress Ar''Sarina stands on the stone walls made of a special stone that only grows with the help of the world tree and its sap. Her gaze narrows at the distant monsters and demons gathering.

    "Something doesn''t feel right..." Sarina muttered, two knights beside her. One was her daughter Orina, and the other had been a dear friend of Sarina''s for over a hundred years.

    ''A monster created just to destroy the elves...'' Sarina bit her lower lip, sinking her teeth into them, her fists tightening until blood ran down her fingers.

    She only returned for her people''s safety. Now, the Demons sent a powerful force to eliminate her, her daughters, and the warriors, yet her husband sent nothing for a week. They requested rations, weapons, and reinforcements. ''That woman is stronger than I thought...''

    "Empress!" Elven warriors, honourable and devoted to the Empire, rushed to the walls, their silver bows like stars in the night sky. However, Sarina''s chest tightened and was painful, and she refused to allow them all to die because her heart already suffered too much.

    "Pull back and prepare the horses. Our only goal is that strange worm insect! Relay the message!"

    "I can''t pull back from here," Uris whispered into Ar''Sarina''s ears while giving orders to the warriors, knights, and dames.

    The Empress turned to her closest friend with trembling eyes... an arrow lodged into her right thigh, the tip serrated and covered in poison. "URIS?!"

    "A lowly dark elf such as myself, especially one tainted by dark mana, will die for the World Tree''s glory... No, Your Majesty''s glory! If I fail to survive, make sure my husband doesn''t drink too much wine."

    Arrows and magic flung across the air with howls and flickering crackles. Ar''Sarina watched as Uris took a huge blade and leapt off the wall directly into the path of the giant insect. With a sudden burst of power, she cut off the head... only to reveal two more. ''Shit! Another insect?! someone... who can...''

    "Goddess, bless your beloved daughter as she seeks to protect your sacred forest."

    A silver glow surrounded the Empress, her eyes becoming pure silver, as did her hair as her blood began to boil, a searing pain, accepting the blessing of Aristella like a trial each time she used this power.

    "Uris, I can''t let you or the others die!"

    "Mother..." Orina was awed by her mother''s power, almost in a daze as Ar''Sarina''s mana reached a new height. Yet, unlike her emotional mother, Orina didn''t break her orders. Finding Ar''Una and the knights, she began arranging their escape. If things became worse, her tears could wait.

    The battle had only just begun.

    Ar''Sarina unsheathed her sword and ran forward, running across the backs of monsters toward the insect with blades at its end.

    With a quick slash, she split the beast in half, feeling something tingling from within her. With narrowed eyes, she spotted a young-looking woman with golden eyes, black hair and tattered elven armour.

    Uris stood with her reserve sword, fighting a pair of demons alone.

    With another step forward, the Empress smashed the monster''s body in half and quickly sliced apart the other insect-like creatures, ensuring none survived.

    She was like a goddess descended onto the earth, yet... blood oozed from her lips and nose, clearly overdrawing her body to use this power.