"You useless maids can't even take care of a child?"
"I'm so sorry, your highness. She was playing with her dog a few moments ago, so I left her alone briefly… but when I returned, she was gone, and her dog had been killed."
"How did they get past royal security? Is this some kind of joke?"
Arthur was furious. His expression darkened immediately as he began connecting the situation. He already had a clear idea of what they were planning.
Before he could say anything further—
A sudden presence descended.
While he stood speaking to the maid, ten figures wearing black robes and masks made from burned human skin landed in the royal garden from above. Their movements were coordinated and precise, their arrival silent yet overwhelming. Each mask bore a different twisted expression, making the sight even more disturbing.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the disturbance. Please continue enjoying yourselves. We are only here to speak with Arthur."
One of them spoke calmly, as if nothing unusual had happened.
"Oh Arthur! Hey Arthur! Come out already."
Another added mockingly.
Arthur stepped forward toward the center, his mind already anticipating what they would say next.
"If you want to save Isolde, go to the same deserted alley. You remember that place, don't you? It must haunt you every night, hah."
"Don't bother fighting us. Every minute you waste here will cost Isolde one finger."
"Don't you dare!"
Arthur's voice rose, filled with anger.
A hand rested on his shoulder.
"Arthur, leave them to me. Just go and save Isolde."
Seraphina spoke calmly, her tone steady despite the situation.
'They are only after me. They won't harm the nobles present. And as for my siblings… Seraphina and Darius should be able to handle them.'
Without wasting another second, Arthur rushed toward the same alley where he had fought before.
The moment he left, the royal knights surrounded the masked figures.
"You dare harm our princess! Die!"
They charged without hesitation, briefly exchanging a few moves with them.
But against them stood members of the organization, some at the seventh tier… and even an eighth-tier swordsman.
"Don't! You can't defeat them!"
Seraphina shouted, but it was already too late.
SLASH
One by one, the knights were defeated and killed, only being able to injure a few low ranked masked men
"How unfortunate… walking straight toward your own deaths."
The royal knights were not meant to be weak. They were considered the strongest military force in the empire, usually consisting of eighth-tier and even a few ninth-tier swordsmen.
However, due to a massive monster tide in the western region, most of the elite forces had been deployed there, leaving only sixth-tier and a few seventh-tier fighters stationed at the palace.
Mages naturally held sheer dominance over swordsmen, especially when they were of higher rank. But since mages were rare, most of the royal knights were swordsmen… and clearly outmatched.
The brutal scene triggered panic among the nobles. Mothers covered their children's eyes, servants froze in fear, and the music came to an abrupt halt.
"Oh my, didn't I tell you to continue? As stated before, we have no intention of disturbing the nobles. Our only targets are Arthur… and Caelus. If the rest of the royal family surrenders, we won't harm them either."
Relief spread quickly among the nobles.
They now understood who these masked figures were.
The Veil of Ashes.
An organization that sought to overthrow the royal family.
To the nobles, this wasn't just a threat, it was an opportunity.
"Wasn't the emperor supposed to give a speech by now? Where is he?"
One of them scoffed.
"Guess we'll have to drag that old man out of his room and cut his head off in front of everyone."
"Do you really think it will be that easy?"
A voice interrupted them.
Seraphina stepped forward.
Her calm presence alone silenced the whispers.
"Of course, Lady Seraphina will act. She is just as terrifying as the crown prince! Those masked men won't survive."
"Still… can she really handle all of them?"
"You don't understand. She appears calm, but she is dangerous… extremely dangerous. I've seen it myself."
"What tier is she even?"
Murmurs spread rapidly among the nobles as they watched her approach.
"Ah, your highness Seraphina, I greet you."
One of the masked men bowed mockingly.
"Didn't we make our intentions clear? Or do you wish to fight us?"
His tone shifted instantly, turning serious.
All eyes were now fixed on her.
She stood alone against ten high-tier enemies.
"Entering our festival uninvited… don't you think that's a bit rude? Well, I suppose it can't be helped now."
"Starry Night."
The moment those words left her lips—
Everything changed.
Her hair and eyes turned pitch black. Tiny star-like symbols began appearing across her body, glowing faintly like a night sky. Moonlight seemed to gather around her, enhancing the eerie beauty of the scene.
The atmosphere itself shifted.
Many of the nobles suddenly felt drowsy just by looking at her, their consciousness slipping slightly as if pulled into a dream.
But her enemies faced something far worse.
SLICE
SLICE
SLICE
Lower-ranked swordsmen, around fifth and sixth tier, fell into a trance almost instantly. Their expressions went blank.
Under the influence of her magic, they raised their own swords… and severed their own heads without resistance.
The remaining high-tier swordsmen did not fall into a trance so easily.
Instead, they were surrounded by illusions.
Dozens of overlapping realities appeared before their eyes. Distorted figures, shifting landscapes, and endless reflections of Seraphina herself.
They could no longer distinguish what was real and what was false.
The illusion was so intricate… prolonged exposure could drive a person completely insane.
Still, they forced themselves forward and attacked her.
But—
"It's bedtime."
She vanished.
Her presence dissolved into the darkness.
Then—
She reappeared directly in front of the eighth-tier swordsman.
Without aggression… without effort…
She gently touched his forehead.
"Sleep."
At that moment, his body began shutting down.
First, his vision faded.Then his organs began failing one after another. Kidneys. Liver. Heart.
Finally—
His brain.
He collapsed lifelessly.
An eighth-tier swordsman…
Killed instantly.
This was the true power of a mage.
More precisely
A ninth-tier mage.
Seraphina Valerius Drakenhart.
The second most talented member of the royal family.
And her infamous killer move
Starry Night.
One by one, the remaining enemies fell.
Each death was precise, effortless and terrifying.
The entire garden fell into silence.
"M-M-MONSTER!"
"Every single one of them… every Drakenhart is a fucking monster!"