Conquering The Novel



Beep— Beep— Beep

[Intruder alert!] [Intruder alert!]

The blaring alarm echoed through the castle, its urgent tones piercing the air. The sound of rapid footsteps filled the corridors as guards mobilized in response to the threat.

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit room, Prince Artin stood with a furious expression, issuing orders to his well-trained Knights.

"Don't leave any one of them alive! Do whatever it takes to bring them down!" he commanded, his voice filled with malice. "And whoever brings me their heads will be rewarded handsomely," he added, igniting a spark of excitement among his loyal knights.

Step— Step—

As Artin continued to direct his knights, a woman burst into the room, accompanied by a young man in a wheelchair, pushed by a maid. It was Queen Arabella and Prince Aretrus, who had been crippled by Livia.

"Artin! What the hell is going on? Who dares to attack the royal family?" Queen Arabella exclaimed, her voice laced with worry and anger.

"I-It must be him!" Prince Aretrus stammered, his voice trembling with fear. "Ares... he's still alive."

"Quiet, Aretrus! Ares is already dead—" Queen Arabella began to speak, her eyebrows raised in confusion, but before she could finish her sentence, Artin interjected, "No, he is right... Ares is still alive!"

!?

The queen's face contorted in disbelief. "What? What are you saying?" she demanded, her voice tinged with shock. "You assured me that he was dealt with! Wasn't his death broadcasted on every television screen across the kingdom?"

"...No, it appears he had outside assistance and managed to survive," Artin replied, annoyance evident in his tone.

"So you're telling me he's still alive and audacious enough to launch a direct attack on the castle?" Queen Arabella questioned skeptically, her voice laced with doubt.

"...I don't know, Mother. But it seems he has powerful allies supporting him to be this bold," Artin replied, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Their conversation came to an abrupt halt as the sound of an explosion reverberated through the castle.

KABOOM!—

!!

"...W-What in the world?" Queen Arabella exclaimed, her eyes widening in alarm as the castle quaked. The attack narrowly missed them, leaving a big gaping hole in the castle's center and causing the roof to collapse.

The maid swiftly maneuvered Aretrus away from the falling debris, while the guards rushed to protect Artin and Queen Arabella.

Through the shattered wall, Queen Arabella's gaze fell upon the woman responsible for the attack.

"...E-Elaine?" she muttered, her brow furrowing in recognition and perplexity.

"What!?"

***

On the other side of the castle, the knights swiftly mobilized toward the location where the mages had been slain.

"The intruder is in the barrier control room! Hurry, hurry!" one of the leading guards ordered, urging the knights forward. They raced towards the magical barrier room where Ares had neutralized the mages.

KABOOM—

However, in the midst of their haste, a sudden burst of yellow energy hurtled towards them like a celestial projectile, obliterating the knights upon impact and leaving naught but a void within the fortress walls.

BOOM—

But that was just the beginning. The assault on the castle had only just commenced, as a barrage of meteors rained down upon the structure as if unleashed by a myriad of cannons.

BOOM— BOOM— BOOM

The castle's mighty pillars trembled and succumbed to the relentless onslaught, crumbling under the weight of devastating blows.

CRUMBLE—

"Hahahaha! Take this! Take this!" Elaine's maniacal laughter echoed through the crumbling halls as she continued her relentless assault.

"Elaine! Cease this madness immediately!" Queen Arabella suddenly appeared before her, accompanied by a legion of more than 100 knights and mages who positioned themselves to protect their queen.

"What is the meaning of this? Even if you are considered one of the strongest, how dare you launch an attack on the castle where the king resides! You are well aware of the dire consequences of attacking the royal family, are you not?" Queen Arabella questioned, her voice laced with a mixture of anger and disbelief.

Just as Queen Arabella finished speaking, a colossal golden palm materialized out of thin air, descending upon the royal knights positioned behind her.

!!

In an instant, the mages attempted to erect barriers to defend against the impending strike, but their efforts proved futile. The golden palm effortlessly shattered their defenses, reducing them to mere shards with a resounding impact.

THUDLE—

As the immense palm collided with the knights and mages, they were instantly reduced to nothing more than a crimson mist, their forms obliterated beyond recognition.

!!

The ground quaked under the sheer force of the attack, the aftermath leaving only four surviving royal guards standing in proximity to Queen Arabella.

Stumbling forward, Queen Arabella struggled to maintain her balance, her eyes widening in horror as the full scope of the devastation became apparent.

She witnessed the lifeless bodies of countless royal guards and mages, ranging in rank from A to S, strewn across the scene. Elaine's single attack had decimated them all without the slightest chance of retaliation.

Elaine approached Arabella slowly, her steps deliberate and menacing. The four remaining knights, their faces contorted with fear, summoned whatever courage they had left and pointed their weapons toward her, their hands trembling uncontrollably.

"S-Stay away, you monstrous woman!" one of the knights managed to exclaim, his voice quivering as he attempted to steady his sword.

Elaine remained undeterred, her golden aura intensifying as beams of energy began to form around her. With a flick of her hand, the beams were unleashed, hurtling toward the remaining knights.

Desperately, the knights attempted to dodge or block the onslaught with their swords and shields. But their efforts were useless. The golden beam effortlessly pierced through their defenses, obliterating their weapons and reducing their heads to nothingness.

Splash— Splash— Splash

As their decapitated bodies fell to the ground, Elaine stood triumphantly, a sadistic grin adorning her face. She approached the kneeling Queen Arabella, who was now the sole survivor among her guards and lifted her head by the hair.

"Argh!"

"Did you truly believe that your royal status would protect you?" Elaine taunted, her voice laced with disdain. "I couldn't care less if you are royalty or not. You are only alive because I believe he would want the pleasure of ending your life himself."

Elaine's words echoed with a chilling finality, leaving Queen Arabella to contemplate her fate at the hands of this merciless assailant.

KABOOM!—

Suddenly, an enormous explosion ripped through the castle once more, engulfing over half of its structure in a violent inferno.

Arabella's eyes widened in disbelief, her voice lost amidst the chaos that ensued. Debris scattered through the air, flames danced voraciously, and the once-mighty castle now stood as a shattered ruin.

"....."

"...Didn't he say he wanted to minimize the destruction?" Elaine muttered to herself, her attention fixated on the devastated scene before her.

A message from Elaine's constellation appeared, illuminating her thoughts. [He seems similar to you in causing destruction.]

Elaine's gaze hardened, contemplating the implications of the message. The realization that Ares shared her penchant for chaos and destruction stirred a mix of emotions within her.

She felt an intoxicating thrill coursing through her veins, knowing that she had found a kindred spirit in Ares. Together, they would forge a path of unparalleled devastation and reshape the world in their image.

As the smoke cleared, Elaine released her grip on Arabella's hair, allowing her to crumble to the ground. The queen looked up at Elaine with a mix of fear and defiance in her eyes.

"W-What do you want from us?" Arabella managed to muster the courage to speak. "Why are you doing this?"

Elaine's expression softened momentarily, but her resolve remained firm. "I'm here for Ares," she replied, her voice laced with determination. "And anyone who stands in my way will suffer the consequences."

Arabella's eyes widened in realization. "Y-You're working together," she whispered, her voice filled with disbelief.

Elaine nodded, a sinister smile playing on her lips. "Absolutely, Ares and I are now inseparable. His ambitions have become mine, and together, we will be unstoppable." She said with an ecstatic twinkle in her eyes.

!!

The queen's defiance turned into a mix of despair and anger. "Y-You will pay for this," she spat, her voice filled with venom.

Elaine's smile widened, her eyes gleaming with a malevolent delight. "We shall see, my dear queen. But rest assured, fate has dealt a cruel hand to you and your family. Today marks the beginning of the end, as a new era dawns with the birth of a new king."

To be continued...