Chapter 664: Finality.

The clash between Rasmus and Neesa was noticed by everyone in the courtyard because it was impossible not to notice it when they could see the dark clouds whirling eerily in the sky. They also felt the trembling on the ground, thinking that something had happened between those two. When they heard footsteps coming toward the courtyard, everyone didn’t hesitate to kowtow and lowered their heads to the ground.

Neesa couldn’t stop rubbing her neck because something felt off when Rasmus choked her. She felt that her neck was burning, but with a cold sensation whenever a wind blew on her neck. She glanced at the martial artists kowtowing, and then she looked at Ma and the Zeniths bowing their heads at her. She decided to approach them and walked up the stage with her bodyguards following her from behind.

"Raise your head, Alliance Leader," Neesa ordered.

Ma slowly raised his head, and the first thing he saw when Neesa was standing right in front of him was the handprint on her neck. The pale blue handprint that looked almost like a burn scar combined with frostbite. He was shocked and petrified because seeing the Imperial Princess being harmed, the only outcome for whoever had done that to her would be death or even worse than death.

"Is it that bad?" Neesa asked when she noticed Ma’s gaze lingered on her neck.

"It looks concerning, Imperial Princess," Ma nodded and lowered his gaze to the ground. "The Mana that lingered on that wound is foreign, Imperial Princess. If I can be disrespectful, I believe Imperial Princess must treat the wound as soon as possible before it gets worse," he pointed out.

Neesa’s fingers brushed against her neck, and then looked over her shoulder at her most trusted bodyguard. He also nodded his head, agreeing with Ma’s words because the wound looked that bad. However, there was one thing that nobody knew about the Imperial family’s ability, and that was to have exceptional regeneration because of their bloodline that was blessed by the Ancient Great Spirit. To see that the wound lingered and could overpower her ability to regenerate, she realized how dangerous Rasmus was.

"Alliance Leader Ma, there’s something that I would like to announce, may I speak with everyone?" Neesa asked.

"Of course, Imperial Princess," Ma nodded and took a few steps back as he signaled the Zeniths and Ogun to stand in the far back.

Neesa stood before the martial artists gathered in the courtyard, her fingers still resting lightly against the pale blue mark around her neck. She looked across the crowd before turning her gaze toward Ma, but before that, she wanted everyone to look at her.

"All of you can stand up and listen to what I have to say," Neesa spoke softly.

Everyone slowly stood up, and although they were allowed to look up at Neesa, they were too afraid to look up to look at Neesa’s face because they felt unworthy. She wasn’t someone who could be seen so often due to her role as Khan Empire’s strategist. She had never left the capital city or even the imperial palace. In the end, nobody dared to lift their heads, their gazes glued to the ground under their feet.

"Alliance Leader Ma, as you already know, the Khan Empire and the Heavenly Alliance exist under an agreement that has endured for generations. The empire governs its territories, its people, and its affairs, while the Heavenly Alliance bears responsibility for maintaining peace among the martial clans and handling matters that fall within the realm of martial artists," Neesa’s golden eyes swept across the courtyard. "I will not disregard that agreement simply because I am an Imperial Princess," she added.

The courtyard remained silent.

"I came to the Immortal Mountain as a representative of the Khan Empire. I did not come here to command the Heavenly Alliance, nor did I come here to interfere with the authority granted to it by our treaty," she slowly lowered her hand from her neck. "But what happened today has changed the circumstances," her voice remained calm.

"Count Rasmus Blackheart has declared his intention to burn the Khan Empire to the ground," she revealed.

A murmur spread through the martial artists. Neesa allowed them a moment before continuing.

"His words were not spoken in ignorance. They were not an accident, nor were they an empty threat made by someone who did not understand the consequences of his declaration," Her gaze hardened. "He knows exactly what the Khan Empire is. He knows what lies beneath its banner, what lives within its borders, and what would be lost should his intention become reality..." she paused. "And he declared it regardless," she turned toward Ma.

"Therefore, I formally request that the Heavenly Alliance recognize Count Rasmus Blackheart as an enemy of the Khan Empire," she then looked toward the martial artists. "And not only him."

The courtyard became completely silent.

"Anastasha Asghar has entered this nation under circumstances that remain unacceptable to the Khan Empire. She has acted in accordance with her own ambitions, and she has chosen to stand alongside the man who has now declared war upon our nation," Neesa’s expression remained cold. "Therefore, I also request that Anastasha Asghar be recognized as an enemy of the Khan Empire," she raised her chin.

Everyone looked at each other, finding it shocking and terrifying that Neesa didn’t hesitate to confront the elephant in the room. They knew how dangerous the Asghar family was, and deep down they didn’t want to partake in the conflict. However, they knew that they had no choice because their nation was being threatened.

"I am not asking the martial artists of the Heavenly Alliance to become soldiers of the Khan Empire. I am asking you to uphold the agreement that binds us together," her eyes moved across the gathered clans. "If the Heavenly Alliance is responsible for maintaining peace among the martial clans within the empire, then allowing two individuals who have openly declared themselves hostile to the Khan Empire to move freely among those clans is no longer a matter concerning the empire alone. It has become a matter concerning the peace that the Heavenly Alliance has sworn to protect," Neesa looked directly at Ma.

"I will leave the judgment of how that threat should be dealt with to the Heavenly Alliance," she paused. "But I will not withdraw my declaration. From this moment forward, treat Rasmus Blackheart and Anastasha Asghar as enemies of the Khan Empire," Her fingers briefly touched the mark on her neck again," her voice remained quiet, but every word carried across the courtyard.

"Do not mistake this declaration for a demand to act recklessly. I am asking you to remember what the Heavenly Alliance exists to protect, peace," she looked once more toward Ma. "And if peace requires us to stand against those who have declared themselves its enemy, then I trust the Heavenly Alliance will fulfill the responsibility that our treaty entrusted to it," Neesa lowered her hand. "That is all."

The courtyard was as quiet as ever, and they began to kowtow again when they noticed that Neesa walk down the stage. They listened to her footsteps and the faint smell that they couldn’t describe but was somehow familiar.

At the same time, Anastasha listened to the speech by standing at the window with a smirk painted on her face. When Neesa glanced at the building where Anastasha was, their eyes finally met. Even with the declaration she had spoken of, Anastasha seemed relaxed and unbothered by it.

"We are leaving," Neesa ordered to the imperial guards that guarded the building where Anastasha was.

Rasmus was on his way back to the courtyard where all the martial artists and all the guests were. When they noticed his presence, the atmosphere turned cold and time seemed to freeze. They didn’t know what to do even after they heard Neesa’s declaration. The only person that could decide was no other than the man on the stage, Alliance Leader Ma himself.

"(What should we do?)" Ruen asked as she stood among the participants of the tournament.

"(Can you change your disguise to that one again?)" Rasmus asked.

"(To which one?)" Ruen asked as she stared at Rasmus.

"(Queen of the Night, the figure that everyone believed to be a Grandmaster from the Demonic Cult)" Rasmus answered.

Ruen grinned in excitement as she released a killing intent and bloodlust. Ma, the Zeniths, and experts that were in the courtyard could sense the intense killing intent and bloodlust coming from her. Ogun looked at Ruen, one of the two participants that he failed to dig into their backgrounds.

"(And? What do you want me to do after that?)" Ruen asked as her eyes began to glow.

"(I think you already know the answer to that.)" Rasmus looked at everyone in the courtyard. "(Kill them all, spare only the people from the Heavenly Alliance.)" He answered.