The Kingmaker System Chapter 721 - 720. Vanguard: Queen (6)

~9 minute read · 2,148 words
Previously on The Kingmaker System...
Miri and Eric cleared the towns, finding all survivors while encountering dark mages who attacked them. Meanwhile, Ruel, possessing Carlos, fought undead and questioned whose side he was truly on, realizing he had sided with the 'Dragons' against the demon who summoned him. Drac, a Dragon, also joined the fray against the dark mages, while Ruel mused about the true nature of Dragons.
"W-What is that thing?!""M-Monster?!""What’s going on?!"The spectators, who had remained seated until this moment, finally erupted into sheer panic.Numerous nobles quickly snatched up their children, while others desperately scrambled down the stone steps, attempting to flee the royal balcony's vicinity. The atmosphere of order, meticulously maintained by Roger just moments before, dissolved into utter chaos. Frightened screams echoed throughout the vast colosseum.The Mages stationed around the arena were equally taken aback by this abrupt turn of events."Everyone, please remain calm!""Kindly return to your seats!"Yet, their reassurances only served to intensify the growing panic."How can we possibly calm down?!""That thing is a monster!""You assured us this place was secure!""Are there monsters outside as well?!""I must go check on my family!""Let us out!"The guards attempted to restrain the surging crowd to prevent a deadly stampede, but fear had already spread like an uncontrollable wildfire across the arena. Mothers clutched their children tightly, their bodies rigid with fear, while some elderly nobles nearly toppled over as they jostled through the masses. Even the younger knights who remained defensively positioned appeared as shaken as the civilians, their gazes fixed on the bloodied creature standing ominously near the devastated balcony.Thunder roared once more from the heavens.Heavy rain began to lash down into the open sections of the colosseum, saturating the stone floors and sending streaks of blood cascading down the shattered walls.Alys, still suspended several meters in the air by Silas's mana, felt a tightening in her chest as she observed the situation rapidly descending into further disarray.And amidst the cacophony of screams, the creature slowly began to rise back to its feet.Its movements were unnervingly unnatural.Its limbs twitched and jerked as if Katherine’s very body were fighting against the entity that now possessed it. Charred flesh hung loosely from the side of its face, and dark blood, mingled with the rainwater, dripped down its chin.Then, it became utterly motionless.Completely still.Its glowing red eyes, which had previously been fixed on Alys and Silas, slowly shifted away, their gaze falling upon the countless people gathered below.A low, guttural growl emanated from its throat.The sound alone was sufficient to cause several individuals to freeze in abject terror.A chilling sensation ran down Alys’s spine as she watched the creature tilt its head slightly, an almost curious gesture, as it surveyed the crowd.It was no longer rampaging indiscriminately.It was observing them.Listening.The frantic rhythms of thousands of heartbeats, the terrified gasps for air, and the unending screams reverberated throughout the colosseum as the creature simply stood there, absorbing it all.Then, its maw began to stretch open, wider and wider.Forming a grotesque semblance of a smile.Alys’s eyes widened in sheer horror as the chilling realization dawned upon her.The creature had identified the people as its prey."Everyone, remain precisely where you are!"Roger’s voice boomed across the colosseum, amplified by a resonance crystal, its power momentarily eclipsing the terrified screams erupting from the arena. The viewing orbs, seemingly finding their objectivity restored, hovered around Roger, Silas, and Alys.For a fleeting instant, the surge of panic seemed to falter.Rain relentlessly poured through the open roof of the colosseum, soaking the stone floor and washing bloodstains across the ruined balcony where the creature stood amidst the debris. Lightning illuminated the horrifying figure grotesquely inhabiting Katherine’s body.Roger forced himself to step forward, overriding the constricting fear in his chest.The spectacle before him was enough to profoundly unnerve even him. The contorted being now wearing the Queen’s face bore no resemblance to its former human self. Nevertheless, as the King of Sestia, he could not permit himself to display any hesitation in front of his people."The royal family and the Mages Tower are actively managing this situation!" Roger declared with unwavering resolve. "Under no circumstances is anyone to abandon their posts!""But Your Majesty—!""That thing is a monster!""We are doomed if it reaches us!"The terrified voices immediately surged anew, overlapping each other as more individuals attempted to distance themselves from the royal section of the arena. Children wailed, and several nobles nearly tripped on the stone steps in their desperate bid to escape.Roger clenched his jaw, then amplified his voice further."The magical barriers surrounding the colosseum have been fully activated!" he announced. "You are presently safer within this arena than anywhere else in the entire kingdom!"Those words struck the crowd with unexpected force.Safer here than anywhere else.The gravity of this statement slowly permeated the minds of the people, like a creeping poison.If even their King asserted such a grim reality, then how catastrophic must the situation have become beyond these walls?Fear visibly settled deeper onto the faces of the assembled populace, but their frantic attempts to flee began to gradually subside.Meanwhile, Silas had already moved past Alys.

The Archmage's expression turned terrifyingly cold as his sharp eyes scanned the panicked Mages assembled on the upper levels of the arena. Many of them stood frozen, some in sheer horror at the creature before them, while others appeared utterly bewildered by the gruesome spectacle that had just unfolded. Silas's gaze deepened. "What are all of you doing just standing around?" His voice sliced through the tense air, causing the younger Mages to flinch violently. "S-Should we evacuate the people first?!" one stammered. "What even is that thing?!" another exclaimed. "Archmage, the Queen she-" "Silence." Silas's mana pressure surged outward instantaneously, an oppressive weight settling over the surroundings. The trembling voices abruptly ceased. "Layer the barriers around the civilians and triple the reinforcements for the royal section. No one is to let that creature leave this arena," Silas commanded icily. The Mages finally snapped back to reality, hastily dispersing throughout the colosseum. Magical formations blinked to life across the arena, one after another. Pale blue barriers shimmered into existence around the audience stands, and additional defensive layers enveloped the upper sections near the royal balcony. The atmosphere within the colosseum transformed in an instant. The grand arena, once alive with celebration and cheers, now felt suffocating. It resembled a colossal prison erected to contain a horrifying calamity. Alys slowly lowered herself onto the shattered stone floor as Silas released his hold. Pain still throbbed ferociously in her side, but she forced herself to remain upright, her gaze locked onto the creature. And the creature was watching them. Its glowing red eyes meticulously tracked the movements of the Mages, the shimmering barriers, the guards, and the terrified crowd below. The entity tilted its head slightly, as if attempting to comprehend its surroundings. A sense of unease began to creep under Alys's skin. Its behavior was no longer that of a mindless beast. Rainwater trickled from the creature's claws, its chestRising and falling with slow, irregular breaths. Then, abruptly, the winds around the ruined balcony shifted. A sharp gust of wind exploded outward, sweeping across the arena. Several individuals cried out in alarm as the pressure surged through the stands, rattling the barriers. Silas's eyes narrowed instantly. "...Wind mana?" he muttered. Alys felt her stomach plummet. That had been Katherine's affinity. The creature had inherited it. As if sensing their dawning realization, the entity wearing Katherine's face slowly widened its maw into another ghastly smile. Alys clenched her teeth as the creature lunged at her once more. The piercing screech it emitted made the very air tremble, and its claws tore through the stone floor where she had stood moments before. "Alys!" Roger shouted from behind her. "I told you to stay back!" Alys retorted sharply. She thrust her hand forward, launching several blazing fireballs through the rain toward the creature. The flames detonated upon impact, engulfing Katherine's body. The watching spectators gasped in unison. For a fleeting moment, the creature vanished within the roaring inferno. But then, the flames began to falter. A hissing sound filled the air as the rain intensified, dousing the fire almost immediately. Thick steam rose throughout the arena as the creature slowly emerged from the dying embers. Its skin was charred black in several places, and half of Katherine's face had nearly melted away, revealing glimpses of jagged teeth and something dark writhing beneath the flesh. Yet, the injuries were already mending. The rainwater flowed over its burned skin, and the purification mana seemed to slow the spread of corruption. Alys's expression darkened. The rain was diminishing the power of her fire. However, it was also hindering the creature. The monster snarled furiously, its distorted body twitching with an almost animalistic intensity. It opened its maw wider, and a violent gust of wind erupted outward. Silas, by this time, had managed to gain control of the inner barrier protecting the populace. He reinforced the barrier's layers, ensuring the creature's spells would not affect the bystanders. He realized he couldn't engage in combat while simultaneously maintaining the barrier. Suddenly, he felt another layer of reinforcement bolster his own, accompanied by a strange warmth, as if he himself were enveloped in a protective mana field. Silas instinctively looked up, his gaze falling upon Marquis Fairisles, who stood on his balcony. It was the Marquis's mana. The Marquis was old, and thankfully, had not insisted on fighting himself when the young Mage had brought the injured woman to them with Alys's message. The rain would aid in healing the woman's injuries, so their only course of action was to trust Alys for now.

Silas let out a soft click of his tongue, his attention returning to the arena far below.

Another powerful explosion rocked the combatants.

Alys swiftly dodged a savage swipe aimed at her throat, sliding under the blow. She then thrust her palm upward, unleashing a concentrated torrent of flames that detonated against the creature’s midsection, hurling it backward into a toppled pillar.

The stone supports shattered, sending dust and steam billowing into the air. For a fleeting instant, a profound silence descended upon the arena.

The spectators, their hearts hammering against their ribs, wondered if the Mage had secured victory. But then, the wind shifted once more.

Alys's instincts blazed, compelling her to twist aside instantly. Several razor-sharp gusts of wind whipped past, narrowly missing her body and gouging deep furrows into the arena walls behind her.

From the accumulating debris, the monstrous form of the creature began to re-emerge.

Half of Katherine's face was now completely gone. Ripped flesh dangled precariously, revealing glimpses of sharp teeth and something dark, writhing beneath the skin with every movement.

Remarkably, it seemed to be smiling, or at least attempting to contort its features into such an expression.

Alys drew a slow, steady breath, a dangerous heat beginning to coalesce around her fingertips.

The persistent rain was indeed dampening the potency of her flames.

However, it was also serving to contain the monstrous entity.

With neither combatant able to exert their full power, the battle had, thus far, been prevented from descending into utter chaos.

High above the grand colosseum, Caelthir observed the unfolding spectacle with a detached amusement.

Raindrops leisurely dripped from the spire's edge, where he was perched. His golden eyes tracked the back-and-forth below. Wisps of steam continuously veiled the battlefield. The flames lacked their usual fierce brilliance under the downpour, and the Chimera's vile corruption was kept at bay by the purifying mana woven into the very rain.

"How tiresome," he murmured to himself.

His gaze then shifted, drifting towards the distant expanse of Oasis's streets. He could still sense the violent surge of Ocean's mana clashing against the Domina.

A subtle smile touched the corners of his lips.

"Apologies, little Dragon," he whispered, supporting his chin with his palm, "but this spectacle is becoming rather difficult to savor."

His attention snapped back to Alys just as she narrowly evaded another brutal swipe of its claws.

"I believe I shall alter the conditions," he stated.

He raised his free hand and casually snapped his fingers.

The result was instantaneous. The dark clouds hovering above the colosseum churned violently, as if grasped by an unseen force, before being violently ripped asunder. Brilliant sunlight streamed down through the sudden rift in the sky.

Beyond the arena's confines, the tempest continued its ferocious assault across the kingdom.

But within the magical barrier, the rain abruptly ceased its descent.

A solitary raindrop traced a path from Alys's chin as she momentarily froze, surprised by the sudden change.

Around her, the obscuring steam began to slowly dissipate, revealing the arena in clearer detail.