Hero of Darkness

Chapter 1272: Short-lived Reign

As everyone watched with great awe and terror, the entire ceiling of the imperial palace was ripped apart by a single palm of a ginormous being.

This entity was 10 kilometers tall, had no legs but an entire mountain as its body. The two ginormous hands that spanned 3 kilometers long each were the very thing holding the debris of the imperial palace.

A visible face was carved upon the mountain’s body as the entire structure floated 500 meters above the sky, visible to everyone in the capital Naraka.

“This is Tonantzin, the deity of Earth.” introduced Kassandra.

She had made a contract with 5 Deities after becoming a 5th-stage saint.

And one of the recent ones was Tonantzin, who controlled everything on the ground, no matter which realm it existed in.

At this moment, just the aura of the deity overpowered everyone, and not even the 7th-stage saints were able to use their world energy despite the legendary suppression formation breaking off.

“Wondering why you suddenly can’t use your powers?” she asked as many saints in the room had the same question on their minds.

“You see, the deity of earth just doesn’t control what is beneath your feet… but also the mana and world energy that exists in nature.

Other than the summoner and the people they allow, no one can use their inherent mana or world energy in their presence.” she revealed with a scornful tone.

“So every single one of you is at our mercy now. I could kill every single one of you with a single thought,” said Kassandra.

“What gave you the confidence to pressure my betrothed into marrying into your family?

A mere emperor who isn’t even the ruler, more like a faction leader, just like me… has the gall to act like they have a choice to enforce their will upon someone of our caliber.” said Kassandra with visible disdain.

“Tell me…” she spoke with a deathly glare.

“Do you feel like in charge now?” she asked while releasing her domineering saint pressure.

BOOM!!

Valius and everyone else fell from their seats and knelt in front of them.

Everyone except Alcina Deux Luvian.

Kassandra, for some reason, had chosen not to treat her as an enemy.

“Let me ask this… You were planning to marry her to my beloved, weren’t you?” she asked with a serious tone.

Valius did not speak, his eyes and nose leaking blood from Kassandra’s aura.

All he could do was nod in submission.

It was Kahn who spoke then with a devious smile.

“So not even the direct blood of the reigning emperor but his cousin?

Looks like I’ve been looked down upon by you morons,” he said with a disappointed tone.

“I reckon you kept your sisters reserved for the marquis and duke families to solidify your rule, while your cousin would have to marry me against her will?

Even for a political maneuver… that’s very sloppy work,” said Kahn as if he felt disrespected.

“But unfortunately for you… I knew about everything ever since the funeral of the previous emperor,” he revealed.

Shock!

Shock ran through their bodies as the imperial princes and the princesses realized something.

They were betrayed by Alcina before Kahn even came here.

“You… you betrayed your own blood?!” shouted Valius, enraged to his core.

“Blood? Ah, we do share the same grandfather. But ever since my father was killed by yours… I have been treated as everything but your family.

So why should I hold any respect for ‘blood ties’ when you don’t believe in them yourself?” questioned Alcina as she too stood up from her seat.

“That is so rich coming from you… the man who killed his own father for the throne.” declared Alcina in front of the whole crowd with top officials and nobles of the imperial faction.

“What?! What kind of lies are you spewing?!” shouted Valius with all his might.

“Lies? What if I have a witness?” said Alcina and looked in a certain direction.

And as soon as she glanced at a particular person, he stood up from his place, no longer pretending to be under Kassandra’s pressure.

It was the Royal Advisor. An old bald man with a hunched back, adorning golden red attire.

“You… you dare betray me?!” said Valius with disbelief.

“No, I am merely acting on the will of the late emperor,” he stated with a calm voice.

“Even before he called upon you that evening after waking up… I had advised him not to name you as his successor.

But he had his own reasons,” he iterated.

“I knew your ambitions were great, but the moment my lord died out of nowhere, I understood that you intended to do exactly the opposite of what he warned you all princes about that night.

Starting another war with the Cult of Darkborne and the Senate of the Republic as soon as the Great War finished… that was your plan, wasn’t it?” stated the Royal Advisor as he laid out Valius’ plan before the entire faction.

“What?! Brother killed our father just to start another war?” spoke the 5th prince with bewilderment.

“No way! Father was recovering after waking up. I never understood why he suddenly passed away.

So that was your doing, you bastard?!!” shouted the 7th prince as he too clenched his fist, his eyes bloodshot red with hatred.

“You see… the Royal Advisor came to me after the Emperor died. He couldn’t trust any of the emperor’s own children.

Especially when he couldn’t even trust the Royal Guards,” said Alcina as she stepped forward towards Valius.

“So through me, he had contacted the Cult Leader of Darkborne during the procession when we walked behind the coffin of the emperor.” revealed Alcina.

Kahn then chimed in…

“The punishment for patricide among the royalty… can someone remind me what it is?” asked Kahn as he got up from his throne and walked towards Valius.

“It is death!” said Alcina, her blonde hair and blue eyes glimmering with pure unadulterated anger.

“Seems like history is repeating itself. The son of the man who committed fratricide for the throne was killed by his own son for the very throne.” iterated Alcina.

“Then allow me to carry out the sin of killing royalty. You, as the future Empress of the Imperial Faction, shouldn’t have the blood of your kin on your hands,” said Kahn as he summoned Muramasa in his right hand.

“Wait! We can talk ab..” said Valius.

Swoosh!

Thud!

But before his sentence finished, Kahn swung his katana, and with a swift flash, the emperor’s head dropped on the floor.

Slash!

But Kahn didn’t just stop there… he also cut off the head of the captain of the royal guard.

Squirm!

Using Gravity Law, he pulled out the cores of both the 7th-stage saints in an instant.

He handed Valius’ core to Jugram and the Captain’s to Kassandra.

“I really don’t have time for any political wars, and neither do I have the patience.

From this point forward, you all shall serve under Empress Alcina.

Anyone else who does not obey…” said Kahn as he turned his head around, glaring menacingly towards the rest of the Imperial Faction.

“Will have their hearts ripped out by me!”