A faint smile slowly appeared on Erza’s beautiful face as she watched Raven and the remaining members of the Shadow Unit charge toward her without the slightest hesitation.
There wasn’t any anger within those violet eyes anymore. Instead, she almost found their determination amusing.
She had already shown them the overwhelming difference between them, yet they still believed their insignificant strength could reach her.
To Erza, such courage wasn’t admirable.
It was nothing more than blind foolishness born from ignorance.
"...Then let us end this once and for all."
High above the battlefield, Raven glided through the air like a shadow.
The surviving members of the Shadow Unit followed closely behind, surrounding Erza from every direction with flawless coordination.
Every assassin silently drew their weapons, prepared to sacrifice their lives if it meant protecting humanity. They understood this battle could never be won, yet none of them hesitated.
If their deaths could buy even a single chance for mankind, then every one of them had already accepted that fate.
Below them, Sara slowly closed her eyes as a deep feeling of helplessness settled inside her heart. She already knew how this would end before either side even made a move.
The Shadow Unit represented the agency’s greatest assassins, warriors personally trained to eliminate disasters beyond ordinary captains, yet all of that meant absolutely nothing before a Dragon Queen.
Erza had already shown unimaginable mercy by sparing their lives once, but they had mistaken that mercy for weakness.
Sara could only watch in silence as the agency’s finest soldiers prepared to throw their lives away because of their own pride.
Erza slowly raised one hand as sharp dragon claws extended from her fingertips. Frost quietly gathered around her hand while the surrounding air instantly became colder than before. Just as she was about to strike, her movements suddenly stopped.
A trace of genuine surprise appeared within her violet eyes, causing even Sara to instinctively open her own eyes in confusion.
Every soldier who remained conscious stared toward the battlefield, unable to understand why the Dragon Queen had suddenly paused.
The answer revealed itself the very next second.
One after another, the members of the Shadow Unit withdrew their weapons before landing upon the frozen ground. Without exchanging a single word, every assassin lowered themselves onto one knee before Erza.
Captain Raven knelt first, pressing one fist against her chest while lowering her head with complete sincerity. The remaining few elite operatives immediately followed her example, creating a sight that left every captain standing in stunned silence.
"My Queen," Raven said respectfully, refusing to lift her head.
The illusion hadn’t simply shown her defeat.
It had shattered every belief she possessed about humanity’s place in the world.
"May Your Majesty live forever. This insignificant creature begs forgiveness for challenging Your Majesty’s authority. We witnessed your greatness, yet our foolish pride blinded us. Please allow the Shadow Unit to atone for its arrogance."
The remaining assassins lowered their heads even further before speaking together in one unified voice.
"May Your Majesty live forever. We beg forgiveness for our ignorance. Please allow us to serve beneath Your Majesty’s command."
Erza quietly observed the kneeling assassins for several long moments before giving a slow nod of approval.
"I am impressed," she said calmly.
"Few warriors possess the courage to swallow their pride after drawing their weapons. Most choose death rather than accepting reality, yet all of you abandoned your arrogance the moment you understood the difference between us. Your ability to adapt has saved your lives."
Raven respectfully kept her head lowered as she answered without hesitation.
"Pride has no value before absolute power, Your Majesty. A foolish warrior dies protecting his ego, but a wise warrior survives by accepting reality. We have witnessed our insignificance, and from this moment onward, we recognize only one sovereign."
Erza slowly turned away from them, her long silver hair swaying gently behind her.
"I have no need for servants," she replied indifferently.
"The shadows beneath my kingdom already contain millions who obey my every command. I neither seek followers nor require more soldiers."
Raven showed no disappointment after hearing those words. Instead, she lowered her head once again before speaking with unwavering respect.
"As Your Majesty wishes. Whether you accept us or not changes nothing. If the day ever comes when our insignificant strength can be of use, the Shadow Unit shall answer Your Majesty’s call without hesitation."
A small smile appeared on Erza’s lips before she continued walking toward Sara.
"Very well," she answered without looking back.
"Perhaps one day... I shall find a use for you."
Neither Raven nor the Shadow Unit spoke another word after that.
They simply remained kneeling until Erza had completely passed them, treating her with the same respect they would offer their own ruler.
After taking only a few more steps, however, Erza suddenly stopped walking.
Her nose twitched slightly as she slowly inhaled the surrounding air once... then a second time. A faint frown gradually appeared on her face before she turned toward Sara with visible disgust.
"What is that revolting smell?" Erza asked, her eyes slowly scanning the entire training facility.
"I’m sensing an incredibly filthy aura nearby... and the longer I breathe, the more unbearable it becomes."
Erza slowly turned her head toward the opposite side of the training facility. Her violet eyes narrowed slightly as she continued staring into the distance, completely ignoring everyone around her.
There was something hidden beyond those walls. She couldn’t see it yet, but she could clearly sense its presence.
The aura drifting through the air was faint, yet every trace of it filled her with disgust. It felt impure, rotten, and unnatural, as though something that should never have existed was contaminating the surrounding mana itself.
The longer she sensed it, the deeper the frown on her face became.
Captain Raven immediately noticed where Erza was looking.
A realization flashed across her face.
"My Queen," Raven said respectfully while lowering her head. "I believe the aura Your Majesty is sensing belongs to the demon we captured yesterday."
"Demon?"
Erza repeated the word with genuine curiosity.
Although her voice remained calm, everyone present instinctively held their breath. After witnessing her overwhelming authority moments ago, even the simplest word leaving the Dragon Queen’s lips carried an indescribable pressure that made speaking feel difficult.
Sara respectfully stepped forward before Raven could continue.
"Yes, Your Highness," she said while bowing slightly.
"Yesterday Captain Raven led an operation against a High Blood Demon responsible for kidnapping children for sacrificial rituals. The battle was difficult, but after suffering several casualties, the Shadow Unit successfully captured the demon alive. We brought it back to the agency for interrogation, hoping to gather information regarding the recent disappearances and the organization operating behind them."
A small smile appeared on Erza’s face after hearing those words.
"Interesting."
She slowly shifted her gaze toward Sara.
"I wish to meet this so-called demon."
There was unmistakable curiosity within her voice.
"Despite ruling Nova for centuries, I have rarely encountered demonkind personally. The only one I have seen was during the incident at the port, and even then my mind wasn’t completely clear. I neither spoke with it nor observed it properly."
She paused briefly before looking toward the direction where the disgusting aura continued leaking.
"It appears..."
"This will be my first proper meeting with one."
Sara respectfully lowered her head another inch.
"As you command, My Queen."
Erza folded her arms behind her back before calmly speaking again.
"Guide me."
"I wish to know why such a disgusting aura exists within this building."
"The longer I sense it..."
"The more unpleasant it becomes."
Without wasting another second, Sara immediately turned toward the exit leading deeper into the agency. The captured demon had been imprisoned several floors beneath the training facility inside the highest-security containment area. Maintaining a respectful distance ahead of Erza, Sara silently began guiding the Dragon Queen through the damaged observation corridor.
Before following behind, Erza casually snapped her fingers.
The sound echoed softly throughout the silent battlefield.
In the next instant, every layer of ice imprisoning the soldiers shattered into countless tiny fragments before disappearing completely. Warm air rushed back into the training facility as everyone finally regained control over their bodies, many collapsing to their knees after being freed from the unnatural cold.
Without even turning around, Erza calmly spoke.
"Raven."
The captain immediately lowered her head.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Treat the wounded."
"Stabilize those who lost consciousness."
"When you’re finished..."
"Report to me."
Raven respectfully placed a fist over her chest.
"It shall be done, Your Majesty."
Satisfied with the answer, Erza continued walking behind Sara without another glance toward the battlefield.
The moment the Dragon Queen disappeared beyond the observation corridor, the overwhelming pressure lingering inside the training facility finally vanished completely.
Fiona remained standing exactly where she was.
No...
Standing was no longer the correct word.
Her legs suddenly gave out beneath her.
She stumbled backward before collapsing onto the observation platform, staring blankly toward the corridor where Erza had disappeared.
Her breathing had become completely irregular as every belief she had held until today crumbled before her eyes.
Everything she thought she understood about strength, authority, and humanity’s place in this world had been shattered within a single afternoon.
Below, the training ground erupted into complete chaos.
Nearly a hundred soldiers who had lost consciousness during Erza’s illusion collapsed heavily onto the ground the moment the ice disappeared.
Medics immediately rushed across the battlefield while emergency alarms echoed throughout the facility.
Officers shouted orders one after another as rescue teams hurried toward the unconscious soldiers, checking pulses, carrying the injured away, and trying to calm those whose minds had yet to recover from what they had witnessed.
Captain Erika and Captain Elga were immediately transferred to the agency’s emergency treatment wing under heavy medical supervision. Several soldiers had suffered severe psychological trauma after witnessing the Dragon Queen’s authority, their terrified screams continuing even after the illusion had long disappeared.
Others simply remained silent, staring blankly into space as though their minds still believed they were standing before the colossal figure that had looked down upon them like insects.
Fiona quietly watched the desperate scene unfolding below.
Only now...
Only after everything had ended...
Did she finally understand the terrifying truth.
Erza wasn’t simply another powerful being.
She wasn’t merely a monster.
She wasn’t even a natural disaster.
She was a queen whose very existence stood above humanity itself.
And that Same Queen...
Had just declared she intended to involve herself in the war against the demons.
____________________________________
Location:- Nightmare Dream
Place:- Unknown Deity Temple
Yuuta froze in place,
His crimson eyes widened.
Standing before him was an enormous stone gate unlike anything he had ever imagined.
It towered over the ancient chamber like the entrance to another world, so vast that even the colossal pillars surrounding it seemed insignificant in comparison.
Time itself appeared to have abandoned the structure. Every inch of the weathered stone was covered with countless mysterious symbols carved so deeply that they looked less like writing and more like scars left upon the gate by an ancient civilization long forgotten.
At the very center rested a gigantic emblem.
An octopus.
Its enormous head protruded from the surface as though it were alive, while dozens of impossibly long tentacles spread across the entire gate. They twisted and coiled in every direction, weaving through the ancient symbols before disappearing into the stone itself.
Some wrapped around massive circular engravings, while others vanished into narrow cracks between the giant doors, giving the horrifying illusion that the creature was holding the gate shut with its own body.
The longer Yuuta stared...
The more it felt alive.
For a brief moment, he could have sworn one of the enormous tentacles had moved.
"..."
His breathing unconsciously slowed.
The gate radiated an indescribable pressure not the suffocating killing intent of an enemy, nor the overwhelming aura of a superior being. It was something older.
Far older.
It felt as though the gate had existed long before kingdoms, dragons, or even history itself.
On both sides of the chamber, towering stone statues stood motionless like eternal guardians, their faces worn away by countless centuries. Between them, pale blue flames burned atop ancient braziers, casting an eerie glow across the endless carvings.
Their cold light danced over the octopus emblem, making the countless tentacles appear to writhe within the darkness.
The chamber itself was deathly silent.
There was no wind.
No insects.
No dripping water.
Nothing.
Only the sound of Yuuta’s own heartbeat echoed throughout the forgotten sanctuary.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
His mouth slowly went dry.
"...What..."
The word escaped his lips almost unconsciously.
"...What kind of place have I entered?"
The question escaped Yuuta’s lips almost unconsciously as he continued staring at the enormous stone gate before him.
Every instinct inside his body warned him that something about this place was fundamentally wrong.
The gate was far too massive, the walls far too ancient, and the countless mysterious symbols carved across its surface only deepened the unsettling feeling growing inside his chest.
It didn’t resemble the entrance to a forgotten temple. If anything, it looked like the final seal of a place that should never have been disturbed.
A terrifying thought suddenly surfaced within his mind.
This wasn’t a prison built to keep something out.
It was built...
To make absolutely certain that whatever lay beyond this gate would never escape.
Yuuta instinctively looked to his left before turning toward his right, hoping to find another passage leading deeper into the ruins. His eyes searched every corner of the enormous chamber, but the result remained the same.
There were no doors, no hidden tunnels, and no paths leading elsewhere. Even the endless staircase he had fallen down moments ago had completely disappeared, leaving nothing but a solid stone wall behind him.
"...You’ve got to be kidding me."
A bitter smile appeared on his face.
There was no way back.
The only path remaining...
Was forward.
Taking a deep breath, Yuuta slowly walked toward the gigantic stone gate. With every step he took, his heartbeat grew louder inside his ears.
The atmosphere surrounding the ancient ruins felt strangely familiar, reminding him of every dungeon, forgotten temple, and hidden boss room he had read about in countless manhwa and leveling novels.
The deeper he stepped into the chamber, the stronger that feeling became. It was as though he had unknowingly walked into the beginning of a story where one wrong decision could cost him everything.
Finally, Yuuta stopped before the gate.
He slowly raised his trembling hand before placing it against the cold stone surface.
It felt real.
Rough.
Ancient.
Freezing.
The instant his fingertips made contact
For a heartbeat...
Nothing happened.
Then the entire chamber violently trembled.
RUMBLE...!!
A deafening roar echoed throughout the temple as the enormous stone gate slowly began moving.
Dust that had remained undisturbed for countless centuries burst into the air, filling the chamber with a thick gray cloud.
Tiny fragments of stone rained from above while the ancient mechanisms hidden deep within the walls groaned back to life for the first time in ages.
Yuuta instinctively covered his face as the dust struck him head-on.
"Cough...!"
His vision disappeared completely.
Several seconds passed before the cloud slowly began settling.
As the dust gradually cleared...
The scene beyond the gate finally revealed itself.
Yuuta’s crimson eyes widened.
"...What..."
To Be Continued.....
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