Awakening The Only SSS-Rank Class! Now Even Dragons Obey Me Chapter 775: The Holy Empire

Their flight was not one of orderly escape, but a chaotic scramble.

Lacking any formation, their feet pounded wildly against the uneven terrain of the forest. Branches whipped past, occasionally raking their faces and armor, yet not a single one faltered or paused to react.

In their present condition, such minor grievances were utterly ignored. The sole imperative was to run!

Their breaths came in ragged, heavy gasps, uncoordinated and uncontrolled, as if their lungs had betrayed them.

Not a word was spoken amongst them.

It wasn't that they had nothing to say, but rather that no one knew where to even begin.

Behind them, the forest lay unnervingly silent. Too silent. There was no sound of pursuit, no cracking underfoot, not even the faintest whisper of a presence.

This utter quietude was more terrifying than any chase, as if nothing remained that wished to pursue them, as if... there was no need to follow.

The entity they dreaded seemed entirely unconcerned with them, deeming them too insignificant to warrant further attention.

Yet, despite understanding their powerlessness to escape should that entity decide to act, and knowing their inability to contend with it, they continued their desperate flight.

Several minutes later, as the distance from their point of terror increased and the oppressive silence on their chests lightened somewhat, Lumira finally broke the stillness.

"That... what was that?" Her voice was a low murmur, as if she instinctively feared that speaking too loudly might attract the entity's attention.

No response came.

Elisira clutched at her chest, her fingers digging into the white fabric of her gown, as if attempting to soothe a heart still hammering a frantic, irregular rhythm. Her gaze remained fixed ahead, but her focus was elsewhere entirely.

For the very first time in her life as the princess of the Holy Empire, she experienced fear not as an abstract concept, but as a tangible, living entity.

It wasn't a fear of death, but a dread of the incomprehensible.

Kieran gritted his teeth, his jaw tight, and finally forced out a sound, more a controlled growl than an articulated sentence.

"He... didn't move." A tense silence followed this utterance, feeling heavier than before.

"He didn't do anything..."

"Then... what annihilated them?" Saren, who had been a silent observer until this point, slowly lowered his head and murmured.

Silence descended once more, but this time, an answer began to form within it.

They had been witness to something beyond their wildest imaginings.

One of the continent's most formidable mercenary legions, annihilated simultaneously and instantaneously... and their destroyer had not even stirred.

What manner of power was this? Could such might even belong to a mortal?

"Could it be that his eyes were golden because he's not human at all?" The princess whispered, her voice trembling with apprehension.

What exactly had they encountered? Could this be the very catastrophe the Divine Prophet had sought to avert?

None of them possessed an answer for her. None of them knew the nature of the threat they had faced. They could only be grateful for their continued survival.

Kieran, more than anyone, felt a profound sense of relief. Thankfully, the princess had intervened earlier; otherwise, had he provoked that monstrosity, they might all have perished.

They ceased their frantic run, not because their panic had subsided, but because they realized they had established a sufficient distance.

Gradually, the dense darkness of the forest gave way to cleanly paved paths. Watchtowers emerged in the distance, and the holy luminescence emanating from crystals embedded in the walls illuminated the surroundings.

They had reached the borders of the Holy Empire.

The sentries instinctively reached for their weapons upon spotting the approaching figures, but their hands froze the moment they recognized the battered travelers.

"Princess?!"

However, no reply was forthcoming.

The four figures passed them without slowing, their robes soiled, their armor scratched, and most strikingly, their faces bearing no resemblance to the individuals who had departed the capital.

They pressed onward, directly towards the heart of the realm.

The capital of the Holy Empire, a city that from a distance appeared as the epitome of order and devotion, its white spires and golden domes reflecting the sun, with sacred symbols etched into every thoroughfare and edifice.

Yet, the arrival of these four left an undeniable fissure in that immaculate facade.

Passersby parted ways, their gazes tracking the group, and hushed whispers began to ripple through the air.

Disregarding the murmurings, they traversed the streets, proceeding towards the core of this bastion of order.

The Holy Palace.

Its colossal gates groaned open, and high-ranking guards emerged, but before they could even voice their inquiries, two other imposing figures appeared.

A man clad in ornate robes adorned with formal insignia, his gaze sharp and discerning.

The Grand Minister.

And beside him, a warrior encased in full plate armor, radiating a formidable aura of power, whose very presence commanded respect.

The Grand Knight.

Their absence was already known, and now all eyes were fixed upon those four.

"Where have you been?!" The Grand Knight was the first to break the silence, his voice laced with authority, yet a subtle current of concern ran beneath it.

Both he and the Grand Minister had been consumed by worry and anger over the sudden disappearance of these four individuals. After all, each of them held immense importance to the empire.

One was the emperor’s own daughter, and the other three were their prized students. Any harm befalling them would place a heavy burden of responsibility upon their shoulders, a burden they could never have forgiven themselves for bearing.

Fortunately, it seemed these four children were safe.

Yet, as he took a few steps closer, his unfinished sentence hung in the air. He observed their faces, their ragged breaths, and the almost imperceptible tremor in their hands.

It was undeniably clear that they were gripped by fear and horror, as if they had narrowly escaped a monstrous peril.

"...What transpired?" The Grand Minister tilted his head slightly, his gaze intensifying.

Elisira opened her mouth, but no sound emerged. Lumira averted her gaze, and Saren remained resolutely silent.

"We... we went into the forest..." Finally, Kieran stepped forward, his shoulders rising and falling with his still-erratic breaths.

"You went to observe the tree?" The Grand Minister’s eyes sharpened. He had previously issued a stern warning to these children, forbidding them from approaching that accursed tree.

However, it appeared his caution had proven insufficient to quell the children's burgeoning curiosity.

"Yes, and... there was someone there..." Kieran nodded, adding this crucial detail.

"Someone?" The Grand Knight’s brow furrowed.

"He... was alone... We initially surmised he was a lost traveler. He bore no resemblance to anyone from this continent, yet..."

"Iron Grave..."

"What connection do they have to this?" The Grand Minister raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

Kieran inhaled deeply, as if steeling himself to utter something he himself still struggled to believe.

"They were all annihilated."

"...What?" The Grand Knight uttered the word softly.

He struggled to comprehend the child's words, his explanation fragmented and nonsensical. But the notion of Iron Grave being killed?

One of the most formidable mercenary organizations on the continent? How could such a thing be possible? By what means? By whom? What series of events had unfolded?

What horrors had these children borne witness to?

"Their commander... approached the tree and... detonated." Kieran’s voice trembled as he spoke.

"All of them... without that youth even lifting a finger... they perished... He annihilated them all without making a move."

The Grand Minister remained silent for several seconds, not from a lack of response, but because his mind was grappling to assemble a narrative that defied all logic.

"What are you implying...?" Then, softly and with utmost caution, he inquired.

"An entire mercenary force, one of the largest on the continent, wiped out by a single individual?" The Grand Knight stepped forward, his voice laden with a profound seriousness.

As the Grand Knight and supreme commander of the Holy Empire’s knightly order, he knew he himself could not have accomplished such a feat against the entire mercenary group.

Even if he could muster the strength, the effort would be immense, and he would undoubtedly sustain severe injuries in the process.

"He... didn't even engage in combat." Kieran shook his head slowly.

This statement carried more weight than all the others combined. The primary source of their astonishment was the fact that this formidable entity had not moved an inch.

"He is... guarding the tree." Elisira finally found her voice, speaking with newfound clarity.

"And he will permit no one to approach."

This was no longer a mere report; it was a declaration that, for the first time—no, rather, for only the second time in recorded history—an individual had dared to defy the explicit command of the Divine Prophet.

"If this account holds true, then very few would dare to approach that tree." The Grand Minister stated gravely. He was well aware of Iron Grave’s formidable prowess.

They were not the absolute strongest, but they ranked among the elite. Their reputation was widespread, and while individual members might not have been peak powerhouses, their collective strength as a unit was substantial.

"Then how is the decree to be executed?" The Grand Knight murmured, his thoughts racing.

This question transcended the scope of a simple mission; it impacted the very trajectory of the empire. The Divine Prophet's command was absolute and had to be carried out.

Furthermore, if word spread that a powerful protector stood guard over that cursed tree, it could potentially ignite widespread chaos.

The Grand Minister’s eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze sweeping over them and extending into a distant vista, a place none of them could yet perceive.

"This matter... is beyond our jurisdiction." When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable finality that precluded any further debate.

"It necessitates immediate reporting to the Holy Emperor."

A palpable silence descended upon the chamber.

What had begun as a straightforward directive to eliminate a specific target had now escalated into a complex issue with the potential to destabilize the entire continent.And in that precise instant, completely unnoticed by all, the appellation of an individual previously unknown to anyone... was commencing its journey to become this world's most profound calamity.