Behind every great destruction, a shock is born—one capable of reshaping the consciousness of the entire world. What occurred in the Independent Elven Kingdom was not merely a military defeat, but an existential earthquake that shattered the foundations of neighboring kingdoms and empires alike.

  The crimson entity, now whispered about across continents as the "Symbol of Destruction," had not simply slaughtered soldiers. It had annihilated hope itself within the souls of a race that had once stood on the verge of becoming a dominant empire, supported by a rising army and a flourishing economy.

  Now, all of it was gone.

  In the scorched streets of the kingdom, the survivors stood frozen in place, staring at a sight that would haunt them until their final breaths.

  High above the ruined city, the upper half of King Ronard Legard's corpse remained suspended in the air, held aloft by a massive crimson trunk that had erupted from the earth. The grotesque image resembled rotten fruit hanging from a tree of death.

  The air was thick with the scent of iron and ash.

  Tears did not stop flowing, and the wails of grief echoed endlessly through the shattered capital. Entire families had vanished from existence in a matter of minutes, and the proud symbol of their kingdom lay broken before them.

  Inside the ruined remains of the royal palace, Alfred Miraculous, captain of the Silver Axe, knelt silently beside the throne.

  The lower half of his king's body still rested upon it.

  With trembling hands, Alfred removed his silver cloak and gently covered the corpse. His tears fell quietly, each drop carrying the unbearable weight of loyalty and loss.

  Beside him, his sister Rezi Miraculous sobbed uncontrollably.

  For the first time in their lives, the siblings realized a terrifying truth.

  The era of elven prosperity had ended.

  The world was no longer governed by kings and armies.

  It was attracting powers that did not distinguish between ruler and commoner.

  The Fall of Blue Sapphire

  While the Elven Kingdom struggled to gather its shattered remains, another tragedy was unfolding far away.

  Another kingdom was falling.

  Another story was being written in blue blood.

  In the distant land of Blue Sapphire, purple flames devoured the capital city.

  Entire districts burned beneath unnatural fire that seemed almost alive.

  Amid the thick smoke and falling embers, a figure slowly emerged from the inferno.

  She wore black armor carved with glowing pink lines that pulsed faintly with energy. Her long pink hair flowed freely in the heated wind, while massive black horns curved from her head like twisted crowns of hell.

  The power radiating from her body exceeded the limits of reason.

  From her back extended enormous black appendages—gigantic spectral hands armed with razor-sharp claws. These monstrous limbs carried the lifeless corpses of the heroes who had attempted to defend the kingdom.

  From the fading perspective of a dying soldier lying in the streets, the last sight he witnessed before death was horrifying.

  The demoness held the body of the Queen of Blue Sapphire in one of her dark appendages.

  Without emotion—

  Without hesitation—

  She tore the queen's head from her body and cast it aside like worthless refuse.

  Within hours, the once-glorious kingdom collapsed entirely.

  Its name joined the growing list of fallen nations.

  Fear in Arcadia

  At the Black Spear headquarters, General Valerius Akaria sat alone in her office.

  Several military reports lay scattered across her desk.

  Her hands trembled so violently that the papers rustled continuously beneath her grip.

  Her eyes were wide with horror as she read through the incoming intelligence.

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  Until yesterday, all of her strategic fears had been centered on Kaizen.

  But now new entities had appeared—beings whose destructive power made Kaizen seem like only one shadow among many.

  Akaria pressed her hand against her forehead as the pressure mounted within her skull.

  Her voice trembled as she spoke to herself.

  "What is truly happening…?"

  "Is this the age of doom the ancient legends warned us about?"

  "A Red Knight that splits dimensions…"

  "A demoness that turns entire kingdoms into purple ash…"

  She shook her head slowly.

  "I cannot believe this is reality."

  Then her thoughts drifted suddenly toward Natalia and General Luna, who had been traveling toward the Elven Kingdom.

  A wave of panic surged through her chest.

  At that moment she felt something brush against her palm.

  Looking down, she noticed several strands of her silver hair lying on the desk.

  They had fallen out.

  The stress gripping her body had become so severe that even the legendary General was beginning to break under its weight.

  The Terrible News

  A sudden knock on the door shattered her spiraling thoughts.

  In that instant, Akaria forced herself to regain control.

  She wiped the fear from her face and straightened her posture.

  A leader could not afford weakness.

  If the symbol of hope collapsed, the entire fortress would follow.

  "Come in," she said firmly.

  The door opened.

  Zorua Machiavelli entered the room, accompanied by Elara Meridian.

  Confusion covered their faces, as though they had not yet understood the suffocating silence spreading throughout the headquarters.

  Akaria forced a faint smile.

  "Zorua… it's good to see you standing again."

  "Have you recovered fully? And what brings you here with Elara at this hour?"

  Zorua bowed respectfully.

  "Thank you for asking, General. I am much better now."

  "But I did not come to discuss my injuries."

  He glanced toward the window.

  "The atmosphere outside feels… wrong. The sky itself feels ominous."

  "What is happening?"

  The smile vanished from Akaria's face.

  Only sorrow remained.

  She inhaled deeply before speaking.

  "I am truly sorry, Zorua… and Elara…"

  "But the Independent Elven Kingdom—your homeland—has been completely destroyed."

  The words struck them like lightning.

  Both elves froze where they stood.

  Their eyes widened in disbelief.

  For several seconds, neither of them could even breathe.

  Then silent tears began to fall.

  Akaria continued softly.

  "We never expected something like this."

  "We believed Kaizen was the greatest threat."

  "But a being has appeared that surpasses everything we calculated."

  "I can only pray that Natalia and General Luna survived long enough to tell us what truly happened."

  Zorua clenched his fists.

  After a moment, he wiped the tears from his face.

  "So… Nico was not the one behind all of this."

  His voice carried deep remorse.

  "I doubted him."

  "I was wrong."

  Akaria nodded.

  "Nico was here the entire time."

  "He was just as shocked as the rest of us."

  "But grief will not save us."

  Her eyes hardened.

  "We must prepare."

  She paused briefly before adding another piece of grim news.

  "And the Kingdom of Blue Sapphire has also fallen… destroyed by an unknown female entity of immense power."

  Then she looked around the room.

  "By the way… has anyone seen Nico?"

  Elara spoke quietly.

  "He went to the garden… and told me to come here."

  The Rise of the Deputy

  Another knock sounded at the door.

  "Come in," Akaria said.

  The door opened once more.

  Nico Sigmund entered the room.

  His calm expression remained unchanged, as though the collapsing world outside had nothing to do with him.

  Akaria looked at him carefully.

  "I was just asking about you, Nico."

  "Are you alright?"

  Nico nodded slightly.

  "Yes, Lady Akaria."

  "I was simply contemplating what is happening… and considering a radical solution to these crises."

  Zorua stepped forward and bowed deeply.

  "Lord Nico… please accept my apology."

  "I misjudged you. My suspicions were unjust."

  "I am prepared to do anything to make up for that mistake."

  Nico studied him quietly before replying.

  "Suspicion is not a sin, Zorua."

  "It is a natural instinct meant to avoid danger."

  "I understood that from the beginning."

  He leaned forward slightly.

  "What matters now is survival."

  "I expect you to give everything in the battles ahead."

  Then he added quietly.

  "And… I am sorry for what happened to your kingdom."

  Zorua looked at him gratefully.

  "Thank you, Lord Nico."

  "I will never forget this."

  At that moment, Elara suddenly stepped forward and embraced Nico.

  "Please… stay with us."

  "No matter what happens."

  Nico gently placed a hand on her head.

  "I am here."

  "I will train you myself, Elara."

  "You will become far stronger than you are now."

  Then he added quietly:

  "I was right to stop you from leaving with them."

  "A terrifying coincidence… isn't it?"

  The Transfer of Authority

  Nico then turned toward Zorua.

  "Please take Miss Elara somewhere she can rest."

  "And you should rest as well."

  "The coming battlefield has no place for warriors who are only half healed."

  Zorua bowed respectfully.

  "Of course, Lord Nico."

  He guided Elara out of the office.

  Once they were gone, silence filled the room again.

  Akaria slowly walked back toward her desk.

  The weight of the reports seemed almost unbearable.

  "I cannot believe this is happening, Nico," she whispered.

  "Things are not merely getting worse."

  "They are rushing toward hell."

  Nico leaned back calmly in his chair.

  "Calm down, Akaria."

  "Every knot has a solution."

  "Our priority now is not retaliation."

  "It is intelligence."

  "Acting without sufficient information would be strategic suicide."

  He continued calmly.

  "We must organize our forces and propose a grand alliance among the remaining empires."

  Then he added quietly:

  "It is also an opportunity… for me to finally understand the true nature of my own power."

  Akaria looked at him with gratitude.

  A faint smile appeared on her exhausted face.

  "We are lucky to have you with us, Nico."

  "You lead by instinct… while I feel myself collapsing beneath this responsibility."

  Nico replied calmly.

  "You are a great leader, Akaria."

  "But even great leaders require rest."

  "I will assume your duties as Special Deputy from this moment forward."

  "You should take time to recover."

  Akaria closed her eyes briefly before nodding.

  "I grant you full authority to act in my name."

  "It seems you are right… my mind needs a moment of peace."

  Nico stood.

  "Then rest."

  "I will take the helm."

  He left the office.

  Akaria watched his shadow fade into the corridor.

  For the first time since the crimson sky appeared, a faint sense of safety entered her heart.

  "I truly do not know what we would have done without you…"

  "You are a miracle… Nico."

  [End of Chapter 39]