"Kila, calm down. Take a proper look. They're not Alderman, just the stench..."
Dante narrowed his eyes as he slowly stepped over the mountain of corpses. The smell of death and decay lingered heavily in the air, thick enough to make an ordinary person gag. Inside him, Kila's rage still simmered, but somehow he managed to calm the War Goddess down.
His gaze swept across the countless bodies scattered throughout the chamber. Most were little more than rotting remains now.
"I was right. See?" Dante crouched beside one of the corpses and examined it carefully. "Not Alderman. But I'm guessing the older corpse was one."
He stood up and continued deeper into the underground facility.
The place was far larger than he had initially thought. Rows of cells lined both sides of the stone corridor. Some doors hung broken from their hinges while others remained locked shut. Every single cell he passed was empty.
Then he noticed something.
At the very end of the corridor, a lone figure sat motionless in the darkness.
Dante frowned and approached.
"Oi. Who are you?"
The figure slowly lifted her head.
For a brief moment, surprise flashed across her face. She quickly rose to her feet and stepped closer to the bars.
Dante blinked.
There stood another Ashley Orochi.
"...Great. Another clone." He rubbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "But why are you in a cell?"
The woman stared at him for several seconds before speaking.
"That's because I'm the original Ashley. But not Orochi." Her voice was tired and hoarse, as though she had not spoken to another person in years. "I'm Ashley Burnwill. The current..." She paused and let out a bitter laugh. "Well, was the Queen of the Dwarven Kingdom, Járnheimr."
Dante studied her carefully.
Unlike the Ashley he knew, this woman looked exhausted. Her clothes were worn and dirty. Shackles were tightly locked around her wrists, their cold metal leaving visible marks on her skin.
He folded his arms.
"Speak."
His voice turned serious.
"What the hell is going on here? Who is she? What is she? And why?"
Ashley gripped the bars tightly, her knuckles turning white.
"I too am an inventor and a forger," she began quietly. "But I'm also a researcher."
A faint look of regret crossed her face.
"My idea was simple. I wanted to make the Dwarven Kingdom more stable. More efficient. More sturdy."
She lowered her head.
"But being a queen was no joke."
A bitter smile appeared on her lips.
"So I created a clone of myself. It was supposed to be the perfect plan."
Her fingers tightened around the bars.
"Until suddenly, it became far too advanced."
Dante remained silent, listening.
"It gained self-awareness. It began learning on its own. Thinking on its own." Ashley sighed. "And eventually, it learned why she was a slave while I was the master."
She shook her head.
"Something like that."
For a moment, the only sound was the distant dripping of water somewhere within the facility.
Then Ashley continued.
"The Ashley clone of me went rogue."
Her expression darkened.
"She attacked me."
Dante raised an eyebrow.
Ashley nodded.
"She locked me inside this cage three years ago."
A mixture of anger and humiliation flashed through her eyes.
"While I remained trapped here, she continued learning. Studying. Evolving."
Dante could already tell where this was going, and he didn't like it.
"Her true goal..." Ashley said quietly.
She looked directly into Dante's eyes.
"...was something she called Genisys."
The word echoed heavily through the corridor.
Ashley swallowed before continuing.
"She was searching for the perfect flesh body."
Dante's expression hardened.
Ashley continued.
"She wanted to kill it, restructure it, and replace its subconscious mind with her own."
The thought alone sounded insane.
"But she wasn't satisfied with just any body."
Ashley slowly lifted her shackled wrists.
"She wanted the perfect one."
The chains rattled softly.
"Which explains her Alderman hunt."
Dante's eyes narrowed.
Ashley nodded grimly.
"She wants a pure Alderman."
Her voice became cold.
"Not a half-breed."
"Not a distant descendant."
"But a pure Alderman."
Ashley explained further on...
"But I'm guessing you're the one who was causing all the ruckus," Ashley said, raising an eyebrow as she looked Dante up and down.
"Nya! Master is an Alderman?!"
Dante immediately turned around.
His eyes widened slightly as he saw Kaen standing behind him.
The beastwoman looked completely stunned. Her ears were standing straight up, her tail frozen stiff behind her as she stared at him with disbelief.
"Sigh..."
Dante rubbed his forehead.
"Alright, the jig is up."
He glanced around briefly before looking back at her.
"And knowing the Watchers of the Ruthwilfer Family can't track me here, I'll tell you, Kaen."
Kaen swallowed nervously.
Dante crossed his arms.
"Yes and no."
He pointed at himself.
"I'm Dante Ruthwilfer, the bastard son of the head of the Ruthwilfer Family."
Kaen's eyes widened even further.
"As for the Alderman part..."
Dante looked beside him.
"Kila."
A golden light suddenly materialized beside him.
The air itself became heavier.
Kilamahi emerged in her spiritual form, her golden eyes glowing softly as divine energy radiated from her body.
"Hello, little kitten."
Her voice was calm and pleasant.
Yet somehow, it carried a naturally terrifying authority that made Kaen's entire body tremble.
"N... Nya...!!"
Kaen immediately dropped to her knees.
Her forehead nearly hit the floor as she bowed before the Goddess.
"Th... this Sha'karr ant didn't acknowledge a Goddess at present! Please forgive me and—ouch!"
Pain suddenly shot through her body.
Her injuries, which she had been ignoring until now, finally reminded her they still existed.
She winced and nearly collapsed.
Dante quickly stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders before she could fall.
"Don't."
He gently pulled her back onto her feet.
"I'm under trial, so please, Kaen."
His expression softened.
"Keep this a secret."
Kaen looked up at him.
"And treat me the same way we've always treated each other."
For a few moments, Kaen simply stared at him.
Then her ears twitched.
"Mmm, okay, Master."
A relieved smile appeared on Dante's face.
"Good."
Without hesitation, he raised a hand and began patting her head.
Pat.
Pat.
Pat.
Kaen immediately melted under the familiar treatment.
Her tense shoulders relaxed.
Her twitching ripped tail slowly began wagging from side to side.
The panic, fear, and shock that had consumed her moments ago gradually disappeared.
Head pats were her greatest weakness.
More importantly, they always calmed her down.
A small purring sound escaped her throat as she leaned into Dante's hand, enjoying every second of it.
"Don't worry. I'll fix you up and heal your tail, Kaen," Dante said, giving her a reassuring smile.
Kaen's ears twitched happily as she looked up at him. The anxiety from earlier had mostly faded away thanks to his words and the familiar head pats.
"Yes, Master," Kaen replied obediently.
"Aww... so cute," Ashley commented from inside the cell. She crossed her arms beneath her breasts and leaned against the bars, watching the interaction with amusement. "So, what are you going to do?"
Dante finally shifted his attention back to the imprisoned queen. His expression grew serious as he stepped closer to the cell.
"I'll get you out and help you reclaim your throne," Dante said.
Ashley raised an eyebrow.
"In exchange, you'll give me access to the priceless fire your kind has kept hidden for generations." A faint smile appeared on Dante's face. "The Flame of the Almighty."
The moment those words left his mouth, Ashley's eyes widened slightly. Genuine surprise flashed across her face before she let out a small laugh.
"The Flame of the Almighty?" she repeated. "Sure. Anything."
The amusement quickly disappeared from her expression, replaced by bitterness and anger.
"Just help me get rid of her."
Her shackled hands clenched into fists, causing the chains around her wrists to rattle loudly.
"That thing stole my kingdom. My identity. My life."
For a brief moment, the exhausted queen disappeared, revealing the fury she had been suppressing for three long years.
Dante remained silent and listened.
Ashley took a deep breath before slowly calming herself. She loosened her grip on the bars and looked directly at him.
"So if you're really willing to help me reclaim my throne," Ashley said, her voice cold and firm, "then I'll give you everything I know about the Flame of the Almighty."
Dante raised his hand, causing a sheet of glowing parchment to materialize before him. Golden runes crawled across its surface before he handed it to Ashley.
"What is this?" she asked, looking at the strange document.
"Do you really think I'm a fool?" Dante replied. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I'm not going to believe any of your words until you sign this contract. If you lie, you'll be struck with the pain of a hundred needle pricks across your entire body."
Ashley stared at him for a moment before clicking her tongue in annoyance.
"Tch. You really have trust issues, kid."
She bit her index finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the parchment. The contract immediately glowed brightly as the runes activated. Moments later, it dissolved into countless particles of light.
"There. Happy?" Ashley asked.
"Very."
"Alright, get me out."
"Location first," Dante demanded.
"You kidding me?!"
Dante remained completely silent.
Ashley narrowed her eyes at him before groaning in frustration.
"You sly shitbag. Fine. At the staircase over there, go down fifty floors. Eventually you'll reach a dead end. There you'll find a fire that powers the machinery of Járnheimr."
Her expression grew serious.
"That's the Flame of the Almighty."
Dante nodded before gripping the metal bars of the cell. With a powerful pull, the reinforced steel twisted apart and snapped open. Ashley immediately stepped outside her prison, finally free after three long years.
"Finally."
She stretched her arms and shoulders, her joints cracking loudly.
"Let me change into something more comfortable and grab my weapons." A dangerous grin spread across her face. "I'm gonna storm in there and kill that motherfucker."
Kaen blinked.
"Wow. Didn't know a queen could swear."
Lustia nodded.
"Neither did I."
Ashley rolled her eyes.
"Three years locked in a cage changes a woman."
"Fair enough," Kaen replied.
"Enough."
Darkness gathered beneath Dante's feet before expanding outward. From the shadows emerged another undead general.
Taouon.
One of the former Demons of the Seven Sins whom Dante had slain and converted into a shadow soldier.
The towering undead warrior immediately knelt before him.
"My liege."
Dante pointed toward Ashley.
"Take them and aid them as much as you can."
His gaze shifted toward Lustia.
"That includes you, Lustia."
The succubus nodded while Taouon slammed a fist against his chest.
"It shall be done."
Without wasting another second, Ashley led the group away. Their footsteps gradually disappeared into the distance, leaving Dante alone in the underground complex.
Turning toward the circular staircase, Dante began descending deeper into the facility.
"Kila, you sure about this?" Dante asked within his consciousness.
"Of course, brat," Kilamahi replied. "I already told you. The only way to turn that slab of Kalikriktar into the weapon you want to forge is by obtaining a specific ingredient."
"And that is?"
"My blood."
Dante raised an eyebrow but remained silent.
"And the reason I told you to find the Flame of the Almighty," Kilamahi continued, "is because it's one of the absolute three flames in existence powerful enough to forge Kalikriktar."
Meanwhile, Ashley, Kaen, Lustia, and Taouon marched through the royal palace before arriving at the grand hall.
Without slowing down, Ashley kicked the massive doors open.
BOOM!
The doors burst inward, drawing the attention of every noble, official, engineer, and guard present.
The hall immediately fell silent.
Then confusion erupted.
"Wait..."
One spectator rubbed his eyes.
"Two Lady Ashleys?"
Murmurs quickly spread throughout the crowd.
The Ashley seated upon the throne slowly rose to her feet.
"Fools!" she shouted. "It's a doppelgänger! You dare pretend to be me?!"
Ashley Burnwill snorted.
"You talk like shit."
Without warning, she raised a cannon and fired.
BOOM!
The projectile crossed the throne room in an instant.
Ashley Orochi's arm exploded apart.
"AAARRGGHHHH!!!"
The fake queen screamed in agony.
The guards initially moved to capture Ashley Burnwill, but one suddenly froze.
"Look!"
Everyone turned toward the severed limb lying on the floor.
"It's mechanical!"
The entire room went silent.
Gears.
Metal plating.
Copper wiring.
Hydraulics.
None of it was flesh.
The realization struck everyone at once.
"You're the fake!"
"Faker!"
"Fraud!"
The crowd erupted in outrage.
Ashley Orochi stumbled backward as sparks erupted from her body. The skin around her face began twitching violently while heat radiated from beneath her artificial flesh.
"AAARRGGHHHH!!!"
BOOOOOOM!!!
A massive explosion erupted around the throne.
The blast wave shook the entire hall and shattered nearby windows.
When the smoke finally cleared, horrified gasps filled the room.
Half of Ashley Orochi's face had cracked apart.
Beneath the synthetic skin was metal.
Circuits.
Wires.
Mechanical components.
Her true nature had finally been exposed.
Then the crowd noticed something even worse.
A gigantic mechanical centipede was attached to her abdomen.
Its enormous metallic body pierced directly through her torso. Hundreds of mechanical legs scraped against the floor as gears rotated within its armored shell.
It wasn't controlling her.
It wasn't carrying her.
Her body had become fused with it.
Ashley Orochi and the colossal mechanical centipede had become a single horrifying existence.
"What have you done to yourself...?" Ashley Burnwill muttered in disbelief, staring at the grotesque fusion of flesh and machinery before her.
The fake Ashley slowly pushed herself upright, sparks dancing across the cracks in her damaged face. Steam hissed from exposed vents along the mechanical centipede attached to her body. Despite her injuries, a bitter smile stretched across her lips.
"You did..." she said, her voice trembling with years of suppressed resentment. "You created me for the throne... so you could continue with your stupid research bullshit!"
The hall fell silent.
The fake Ashley pointed directly at Ashley Burnwill.
"You chose this! You chose to stay in your petty laboratory because you preferred it over your own people, Ashley Burnwill!" Her voice echoed throughout the grand hall. "Look at me! Ten years... ten fucking years! I poured everything into this kingdom, yet to you I was nothing more than a slave!"
Her mechanical legs slammed violently against the floor, cracking the stone beneath her.
"After I locked you up for being useless, I ruled this kingdom for three years. Look around Járnheimr! Look at the prosperity I've brought!" She spread her arms toward the surrounding nobles and officials. "The people are fed. The machines are working. The city is thriving. Tell me, who was the better ruler?"
Ashley Burnwill clenched her fists but remained silent.
The fake Ashley's expression twisted with hatred.
"But my only mistake..." she hissed. "My only mistake was letting that boy enter this kingdom."
Her mechanical eyes narrowed.
"Maladev..."
She paused.
Then she screamed.
"NO! DANTE ALDERMAN!!!"
The moment the name left her mouth, the entire throne room descended into chaos.
"Alderman?!"
"An Alderman is here?!"
"Run!"
The reaction was immediate.
Some dwarves collapsed in terror. Others pushed and shoved each other while trying to reach the exits.
Guards abandoned their posts while nobles scrambled for safety. Within moments, word began spreading beyond the throne room itself.
Messengers rushed through the streets.
Workers abandoned their stations.
Merchants closed their shops.
The name spread throughout Járnheimr like wildfire.
One name.
Just one name.
And an entire kingdom was thrown into panic.
"Hihihi..."
The fake Ashley covered her mouth as she watched the chaos unfold.
"Just one name. One name capable of bringing fear itself."
Her laughter grew louder.
"Who knew the Alderman House would inspire such terror? Then again, I suppose they're on par with the God Clan."
She turned her attention back toward Ashley Burnwill and the others.
"But once I kill Dante..." Her damaged face twisted into a crazed smile. "I'll transfer my consciousness into his body and become the perfect embodiment!"
Without warning, she launched herself forward.
The mechanical centipede exploded into motion, propelling her toward Ashley Burnwill with terrifying speed.
CLANG!
A blade intercepted the attack.
A tall red figure now stood between them.
The fake Ashley narrowed her eyes before letting out a small chuckle.
"Well, well. The demon orc with the katana. You managed to break free from confinement."
Akka stood motionless, her katana raised. The force of the impact had shattered the floor beneath her feet.
She glanced over her shoulder and blinked.
"The fuck?"
Her eyes moved between both Ashleys.
"More clones?"
She pointed her katana at them.
"Which one of you is the real one?"
Neither Ashley answered immediately.
Akka sighed heavily.
"Fine."
A horrifying amount of mana suddenly gathered around her.
The air itself trembled.
The walls cracked.
The ceiling groaned.
Everyone present immediately felt the overwhelming pressure.
A spell powerful enough to erase half the kingdom began forming above her hand.
"FOOL!" Ashley Burnwill shouted. "YOU'LL KILL US ALL!"
Akka merely smirked.
"Heh. You guys will. Not me."
The magical energy continued growing.
"You want to survive? One question, and I'll decide all your fates."
The fake Ashley reacted immediately.
"It was her!" She pointed at Ashley Burnwill. "Kill her! She killed your master from the Tianryu Dynasty! She was the one!"
A victorious grin slowly appeared on her face.
She thought she had won.
Instead, Akka grinned.
Then she unleashed the spell directly at the fake Ashley.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The explosion consumed the throne room.
Walls disintegrated.
Columns vanished.
The floor was ripped apart.
The blast transformed the area surrounding the throne into a wasteland of shattered stone and molten metal.
When the smoke finally cleared, Ashley Orochi lay at the center of the destruction.
Her body was broken.
Burned.
Ruined.
Most of the mechanical centipede attached to her had been blown apart.
"You bitch..." Ashley Orochi muttered weakly. "Why?"
She looked up at Akka with disbelief.
Akka casually rested her katana on her shoulder.
"I said who killed my master from the Tianryu Dynasty."
A grin spread across her face.
"I didn't mention his name."
The realization hit Ashley Orochi instantly.
Her eyes widened.
"You fucking piece of barberfuckingriam—"
THUD!!!
Akka raised her leg and stomped down on Ashley Orochi's head.
The floor cracked beneath the impact.
The fake queen's body twitched once.
Then stopped moving.
Akka dusted her hands off.
"Now that's settled."
She cracked her neck before slowly turning toward Ashley Burnwill's group.
The smile on her face was far more terrifying than anything that had happened so far.
"It's time to make the dwarves slaves to us demons."
SHING.
Akka unsheathed her katana.
The polished blade reflected her twisted grin.
She slowly licked along the edge of the weapon like a complete psychopath.
Ashley Burnwill immediately raised her cannon.
Kaen lowered herself into a combat stance despite her injuries.
Lustia's eyes narrowed.
Taouon stepped forward and drew his weapon.
The true danger had finally arrived.
---
Chapter 56 — End