466 - Regressor of the Fallen Family

**Chapter 466: [No Chance!]** Despite having just cast an 8th-class spell, the Emperor once again unleashed an explosive surge of magical power, as if a wellspring of mana lay hidden somewhere within him. Instantly, that mana transformed into eight layers of azure shields, blocking his front. – Absolute Shield. Impenetrable. Though unspoken, the Emperor's innermost thoughts were laid bare to Logan, who had ascended to a higher realm of mastery. However, the power to defy causality and bring forth results was not a capability that even a mere 8th-class spell could withstand. A flash. A golden line slashed through the air, captivating every gaze on the battlefield as it stretched from the ends of the earth to the heavens. Its overwhelming presence and the intense energy that swept over the battlefield eclipsed all chaos and frenzy. In an instant, it felt as if everything on the battlefield had come to a halt. Crrrack. With the golden line as the center, an illusion of the sky and earth splitting in two accompanied another brilliant explosion that engulfed the battlefield. BOOOOM! The shockwave, devouring every sound on the battlefield, persisted for what felt like an eternity. As the deafening storm subsided, making it impossible to hear even the nearest voice… [The Emperor has fled!] The ruler of Maclaine announced the outcome of the clash. "Uwaaaaah!" The jubilant cheers of the Maclaine soldiers. "How, how could His Majesty...?" "Retreat! Fall back!" The despairing shouts of the Empire's knights echoed across all of Rusfelheim as they hastily withdrew. [Intercept the fleeing enemy! Pursuit beyond the fortress is prohibited!] "Take this and get lost, you Empire scum!" "I'll land an arrow in your backside!" Thwack. Boom! The stark contrast between the Maclaine soldiers, whose morale soared to the heavens, and the Empire soldiers, disheartened by their leader's retreat, was evident. At the center stood Logan, staring intently at the space where the Emperor had once been, his expression rigid. 'How on earth….' The secret techniques of the Sacred Sword are all methods that wield power a step above one's own mastery level. In simpler terms, the 9th-form Radiant Slash of the Sacred Sword Vision, which twists causality to manifest results, is a power at the 9th-class level. Thus, if the opponent lacked 9th-class-level power, resisting was naturally impossible. Yet, despite his apparent exhaustion and reliance on 8th-class magic, the Emperor had shrugged off that power and vanished entirely from the space around him, sacrificing only the 'staff' he held in his hand. The process and principle of it all remained invisible, even to someone like Logan, who could sense himself gradually reaching semi-divine mastery. This troubled him. The Empire's forces had effectively been destroyed. However… 'If the Emperor is alive, he will become a significant threat. I'm the only one who can stop him.' Failing to kill the Emperor would surely lead to disaster. With the 9th-class magic demonstrated earlier, wiping out an entire city wouldn't be too difficult. That was why he couldn't fully celebrate the victory of the war. But the reactions around him were different. "We did it, Logan!" Eilen, her body covered in seared wounds, hugged the dazed Logan. She, too, had gambled with her life. Had they failed to defeat the Emperor swiftly, or if matters had been delayed any longer, she would have become little more than a handful of ash. 'Indeed, that was the case…' Logan felt the tremor in his fist, knowing he hadn't fully seized the chance his beloved had risked her life to provide. Eilen intertwined her fingers with his, forcibly prying open his trembling hand. "It's alright. We've won. The Emperor will have a hard time just managing a faltering Empire." Logan's rigid expression finally softened at her words, as if she had read his mind. 'Yes. That must be true.' He needed to safeguard what remained, rather than seeking revenge. Upon hearing of the defeat in the west, the Western Ten States would likely rally their forces to advance once more, and neither would Maclaine stop at Rusfelheim. 'Plus, there's the Celestial Nation's declaration of war.' Unless the Emperor wished for the Empire's demise, he would have to concern himself with the East, Central, and Western regions, irrespective of any personal vendetta. Moreover, the Emperor had undoubtedly paid a heavy price in his final onslaught. When Logan applied his unique trait, confirming that one of the things sustaining the Emperor's artificially enlarged soul was the staff he wielded, which Logan had decisively shattered. 'Perhaps he can no longer wield 9th-class spells... No, let's not be too optimistic.' Even while making such a resolution, he could distinctly feel the anxiety in his chest diminish. "Hmph." Tyr, who had approached unnoticed, nudged Logan's back with the snout from its central head, as if to say well done. Though momentarily staggered by the creature's massive form, Logan couldn't help but let a smile escape. "Yes, you did a lot too…" Before he could even finish, the creature had already shrunk back down and leapt into Eilen's arms. With a quick glance back at Logan and a seemingly pitying look, it gently licked the faint burn on Eilen's cheek. "I-it tickles, Tyr." Watching this with disbelief, Logan noticed an old one-armed man staggering towards them, coughing and spitting blood. "Hoo. Now I feel relieved." The old man wiped the blood from his mouth with a grin. "Although I didn’t manage to get those Cassell Tower bastards, can we consider this paying my debt?" Looking at the old man’s face, what words could suffice? "…Of course. Hah… ahem, ahem. Sir Hayman. Thank you." The gathering of these three, or rather two people and one divine beast, once again made him feel lucky. How did all these people come to be here, interwoven by countless fateful connections? And thanks to that, Logan had accomplished feats that he couldn’t have imagined immediately after his return. To dwell on worries in such a situation was undoubtedly excessively pessimistic. Logan, watching the retreating Empire forces scatter in all directions, suddenly felt his worries dissipate. Raising his sword high, he gathered every ounce of remaining strength and bellowed: "We have triumphed! We've defeated the Empire!!!!!" Though he could have relied on his magical voice projection, shouting aloud carried its own effect—conveying a palpable sense of reality. "We won!" "Long live Maclaine!" "Long live Emperor Logan!" The cheers erupted all around Rusfelheim. "Wooooo!" "Your Majesty!" "We did it!" He saw his younger sibling, mentor, and comrades sprinting towards him. Seeing such heartening sights made his future worries all but vanish. 'Yes, for now...' It was time to savor victory. With that thought, Logan spread his arms wide to welcome those rushing towards him. '...Feels like I forgot something.' Even the slight discomfort lurking in his heart was pushed aside. - Long live Maclaine! - Long live our Emperor! The jubilant cheers resonating from all sides conveyed an overwhelming sense of emotion that easily drowned out those minor misgivings. Meanwhile, beneath Rusfelheim's inner citadel square… "It's done! It's all done!... Your Majesty!? Your Majesty!!" Victoria, having finally completed the transformation of the grand magic circle, was on the verge of tears. "They said commands could be transmitted with just a thought…?" She murmured to herself, but there was no reply. "Your Majesty! I have completed the preparations for the modification of the grand magic circle per your orders!" Despite shouting at the top of her lungs… Advertisements Only her voice echoed back in response. 'I have no choice. I'll have to activate it.' This was a time of war. She couldn't afford to wait idly for permission. Wwwwoooooong. Clenching her lips, Victoria surged her mana. The grand magic circle, modified to suppress only those at the ‘8th-class superhuman’ level, roared into life. Wwwwoooong. As a strikingly clear blue light spread in all directions. "It's… it's done." Victoria wiped away the cold sweat with a sigh of relief. She had accomplished all she could. Her mana reserves were depleted now, and even if she returned to the battlefield, she wouldn't be able to contribute much. All she could do was… "Please, Your Majesty, prevail." Pray to the gods. And it was only later that she realized her actions had caused Logan, who was embracing his companions atop the fortress walls, to suddenly collapse to his knees in a turmoil. * * * - Maclaine has claimed victory in the war against the Empire. News of Maclaine's triumph once again echoed through the world, stirring up a commotion. Doubting Maclaine's victory was no longer conceivable. Public opinion had already assessed the odds of Empire versus Maclaine as fifty-fifty. However. The Empire's defeat in a swift confrontation, incurring shockingly heavy losses, and the mysterious blue meteor that played a critical role sparked significant misunderstandings among the continent's populace. "Divine punishment! Punishment for opposing the holy hero!" "Indeed, our emperor is a hero ordained by the gods!" "Long live Maclaine!" "Ha ha ha!" Maclaine Kingdom resounded with sheer jubilation, and— "One divine punishment was enough; why start another war?" "Silly Empire fools." "I can't believe such a hero exists. I thought it was just nonsense from the temples." "Hey, watch your mouth!" "What does it matter? Did I say anything wrong? Look at how the temples have been acting lately…" "Well, it’s kinda…" Even those unrelated to the Empire were filled with admiration. Advertisements The myth of divine punishment, unbeknownst to them as a catastrophe created by the Emperor himself, fostered misunderstandings. With the Empire unable to declare such truths, misconceptions continued to escalate. Consequently, anxiety began to ripple through the Empire's citizenry. "What’s going to happen to our Empire?" "The world must be ending…" "It's the end times. The end is near." "Mother…" Unable to come to terms with the Empire's defeat, particularly by divine punishment, its citizens began to crumble from within. "The Emperor! The Emperor brought this disaster upon us!" "Bring back my son, you scoundrels!" "Why did you commit such acts! You cursed creatures!" The cries of grieving families, who lost countless soldiers in the aftermath, reverberated throughout the Empire. A situation unimaginable in the former Empire. But the royal family, having lost the majority of its forces due to war, lacked the means to control it. Of course. "What about the Emperor?" "The Emperor must intervene!" Even amidst such chaos, there were still those placing faith in the royal family. The potential of the Emperor, known as a great mage, to mitigate the crisis and damage instilled this hope. However, with the Emperor still unseen days after fleeing from Rusfelheim, confusion only grew. - The Emperor is recuperating. Citizens of the Empire, remain steadfast and attend to your daily lives. The Empire remains unshakeable! Despite public assurances from the Mage of Cold Winds, Gallen Decide, and the Iron Chancellor, Lochter Gusfeld, the trust in the corners of the Empire remained unstable. "Isn't it possible the Emperor has died?" "Don't say such terrible things!" "But still…" The loyalty of even Asseyran's residents, who were devoted to the Emperor and the royal family, was shaken to such an extent. That anxiety was only compounded by a series of subsequent war declarations. - The Western Ten Kingdoms have not forgotten the Empire's tyranny. We will demand justice. The remnants of the Western forces, which previously attacked and were repelled, vowed to regroup and march once more. - From now on, the eastern part of the continent falls under Maclaine's territory. Drawing a line from old imperial lands along Penna, the territory eastwards is hereby declared Maclaine land. Maclaine, bolstered by their victory, unilaterally declared territorial expansion. Amidst these shifting tides— - The Empire's royal family will be held accountable for endorsing Cassell Tower's inhumane methods. A full mobilization of the Holy Nation, gathering at Noviens, aimed their fury squarely at the Empire. A situation unfolded where there was nothing the Empire could control under its own banner. "What... what's really going to happen to us?" Advertisements "Could the Empire truly be on the brink of collapse?" "Surely not..." Faced with threats from the West, victorious forces from the East, and even temple troops effectively acting against the Empire from within, the citizens of Ares confronted, for the first time, the terrifying possibility that their nation might fall. Fear began to grip their hearts.