Chapter 939: Alternate Timeline: The Meet (2)

The Crown Prince recovered first.

His eyes narrowed, and his voice sharpened.

"Mother," he said, "I do not think you understand where you are standing."

He leaned forward slightly, every word measured and cold.

"A person who speaks carelessly while standing on the edge of a cliff should not be surprised when the ground gives way beneath them. Choose your words with caution."

The queen ignored the warning as though Gideon’s words were no more than the evening breeze brushing against her robes.

She looked only at Caleb Crescent.

"I believe it would be best if you remain hidden for one more year," she said. "Once our work is complete, you can return and take your throne. At that time, I will accept whatever punishment you choose to impose upon me."

Gideon’s brows drew together.

"What are you planning, Mother?"

There was genuine unease in his voice now.

The queen’s expression did not change.

Before she could answer, the elderly man seated beside Edward Crescent spoke for the first time.

His fingers stroked his long white beard with unhurried confidence, and his voice carried the calm arrogance of someone who had stood above others for far too long.

"That does not concern you, Your Highness."

He lifted his gaze.

"We have waited nearly thirty years. We will not allow needless interference to ruin our work. I am here to take both of you with me. For the next year, you will remain as honored guests."

His eyes swept over Gideon and Caleb. And the faintest smile touched his lips.

"You should be grateful to Lady Seraphina. It is only because of her plea that I am showing mercy."

His words tore away the last veil of pretense.

They had never come to negotiate.

Caleb Crescent’s hands tightened into fists.

His knuckles turned white.

"I would sooner die," he said through clenched teeth, "than return to chains."

Ether began to gather around his palms, humming softly like bees swarming around a hive. The air near him grew heavy.

The situation was a bowstring drawn to its limit.

At that precise moment, Kiara decided to speak.

Her voice was calm, almost casual.

"It is the Undertaking."

Every head turned toward her.

The two words fell onto the gathering tension like a stone dropped into a silent lake.

Ripples spread instantly.

Gideon looked at her in confusion.

"The Undertaking?"

Kiara stepped forward and removed her mask just enough for her voice to carry clearly.

"I do not know the full details of the ritual," she said, "but the Church of Doom intends to sacrifice millions of citizens in order to resurrect its founder."

"What..."

Shock surged through both sides of the table.

Gideon’s face paled. "Mill... Millions?"

Caleb Crescent’s eyes blazed with fury.

The queen and Edward Crescent stiffened.

The old man’s composure cracked for the first time.

Before any of them could react, Kiara continued.

"And the reason you are all so confident tonight is because you brought an 8-star rank expert."

Her gaze settled on the elderly man.

"If my information is correct, your name is Sebastian, one of the two Grand Elders of the Church of Doom. You are 125 years old, a fire mage, and you stand at the peak of the legendary realm."

"You..."

The old man rose so abruptly that his chair scraped across the stone floor with a harsh screech.

The confidence he wore like ceremonial robes had been torn open.

Very few people knew his exact age.

Fewer still dared to speak it aloud.

His eyes narrowed as he stared at Kiara.

"Who are you?"

Kiara removed her mask completely this time.

Cool night air brushed against her face.

She answered with a small shrug.

"Just an ordinary weapons seller."

Her eyes sharpened as she added.

"But tonight, I am responsible for the safety of these two."

Edward Crescent leaned toward Sebastian and whispered, "Lord Sebastian, she is Kiara, the one I told you about. The Cerberus Slayer."

Recognition flickered in the elder’s eyes.

And with recognition came calculation.

The caution he had felt moments ago began to fade.

He now believed he understood the threat before him.

A 7-star rank expert.

Dangerous, yes.

But not beyond his reach.

In response, Sebastian immediately extended his hand and summoned a Semi-Divine Staff. Scarlet ether coiled around the polished wood like flames winding around an ancient tree.

The temperature in the garden rose at once.

The fire lamps trembled.

Sebastian pointed the staff toward Kiara.

"Along with them," he said, "you will also come with me, Kiara."

Gideon Crescent and Caleb Crescent felt their hearts tighten.

Until this moment, they had placed their hopes on Kiara.

But now they were facing a legendary rank expert.

The gap between the two realms was like the distance between a mountain and a grain of sand.

Gideon reacted immediately.

He reached into his storage ring and pulled out a scroll.

The parchment felt cool in his trembling fingers.

"Father, take this," He said, pressing it into Caleb’s hand. "Use it if things go wrong."

The queen’s voice cut in sharply.

"Do not waste your effort, Gideon."

She looked at her son with a strange mixture of pity and resolve.

"Before coming here, Elder Sebastian established an anti-teleportation barrier. None of you can escape using teleportation scrolls."

Her gaze shifted to Caleb.

"We have priests stationed throughout the area. Even if you flee, you will be caught. My dear, do not resist. Come with us peacefully. Don’t make things hard for us and for yourselves as well. Our preparations were almost complete. A year is all we need. Once the founder is back, Celestra will be the one who dictates this entire continent."

"Wicked woman," Caleb Crescent growled in response. His chest rose and fell heavily.

His anger had become something molten and barely contained.

"The Church plans to slaughter millions of my innocent people, and you ask me to surrender? "Even if my bones turn to dust, I will not let you succeed."

His voice thundered through the garden.

Edward Crescent exhaled and shook his head. "Brother," he said, "a king and a beggar are equal before overwhelming power. When a flood comes, even the tallest tree bends. Do not fight what cannot be stopped."

"Shut up, you ingrate..." Caleb growled at Edward as well, "I don’t have a brother like you."

Just then, Kiara who stayed on the side, stared at them and then at the Grand Mage.

She quietly murmured, "Thunderblast skill, activate."

*Ding!

[Please select the target]

[Target has been selected]

Dark clouds begin to gather in the night sky, obstructing the moonlight.

As darkness fell over the garden, the grand mage drew his brows, glancing up in the sky. He could sense something above. "Rain?" However, he couldn’t sense the connection between the cloud that covered the moon and Kiara, who was standing before him.

Kiara then murmured, "Die."

Just as Sebastian was about to take action, first taking out the strongest enemy in the room, a flash of lightning descended from the cloud.

There was no warning.

No chant.

No grand declaration.

One moment, Sebastian stood with his staff raised, bathed in scarlet ether.

The next moment, a blinding bolt of lightning tore down from the night sky, followed by the loudest rumble Caleb and his son had ever heard in their lives.

The smell of ozone filled the air.

The stone floor shuddered.

White light swallowed Sebastian’s figure.

For an instant, he appeared frozen inside a pillar of divine judgment.

Then the light vanished.

Where the legendary rank expert had stood, there remained only a blackened patch on the floor and a drifting cloud of ash carried away by the wind.

A long silence descended.

Even the flames in the lanterns seemed to hold their breath.

Kiara looked at the empty spot where Sebastian had stood only a heartbeat earlier.

Then she spoke in a tone as casual as if she were commenting on the weather.

"This," she murmured, "is why I always say it is better to strike first and negotiate later."

Everyone stiffened, turning their heads slowly toward Kiara.