Chapter 145: We are not here to fight

"Don’t worry, Onyx Elf. We’re not here to fight."

"The opposite, actually," the Beast Emperor said.

The Sky Devourer suddenly took flight, soaring high above the battlefield as her enormous golden wings spread across the night sky. The moonlight disappeared behind them, and countless radiant golden feathers began drifting downward, slowly descending through the ruined forest like falling pieces of sunlight.

One of the feathers gently descended toward the unconscious Scarlet Queen. The moment it touched her body, a warm golden light spread across her entire figure, enveloping her in a soft radiance.

The bruises covering her skin slowly began to disappear. Wounds closed, swelling faded, and the signs of the brutal battle gradually vanished as though they had never existed, leaving the Scarlet Queen completely healed despite having been defeated only moments before.

Meanwhile, the Beast Emperor suddenly disappeared from beside the Onyx Elf.

In the next instant, he appeared on the opposite side of the battlefield, where the final battle had taken place. The Magic Swordswoman stood before Lapace the Overproud, her blade pressed against his neck.

"That’s enough, Magic Swordswoman. You have won," the Beast Emperor said as he stood upon a small patch of untouched land.

The battlefield around them was almost unrecognizable. Molten rock flowed through the cracks in the ground, the earth remained viscous and glowing from the intense heat, and countless trees had been reduced to burning, blackened remains.

Lapace knelt beneath the Magic Swordswoman’s blade, his usual arrogance nowhere to be seen. The Magic Swordswoman remained standing over him, her sword held firmly against his neck, but her body was trembling from exhaustion.

She slowly turned her head toward the Beast Emperor.

Then her eyes lost focus.

Her consciousness finally gave out, and her body began falling forward.

The Beast Emperor immediately caught her before she could hit the ground. He glanced upward toward the Sky Devourer before casually tossing both unconscious Constellations into the air.

The Sky Devourer descended with incredible speed and caught both of them in her enormous claws before carrying them away from the battlefield.

The Beast Emperor slowly looked around at the devastation surrounding him.

"What a crazy woman," he muttered.

---

Two days Later

"What happened?"

The Scarlet Queen slowly sat upright, blinking several times as she looked around the unfamiliar room. Her eyes soon landed on several familiar figures wearing red cloaks that completely covered their faces.

"Followers?" she asked, tilting her head cutely.

One of the cloaked individuals immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Yes, Scarlet Queen."

"What happened? Tell me everything."

The follower lowered his head even further. "Yes. One of the Twelve Constellations, the Sky Devourer, arrived here while carrying you. At first, we believed she had come to destroy us, but instead, she handed you over to us before leaving a short message."

"The Sky Devourer?" the Scarlet Queen repeated, her eyes widening with curiosity. She tilted her head slightly, clearly intrigued by the fact that the Sky Devourer had personally delivered a message to her.

"What was the message?"

The follower hesitated for a moment before repeating the words exactly as they had been given. He lowered his head respectfully, making sure not to alter even a single word of the message.

"She said, ’Tell the Scarlet Queen this. Tell her that man is now part of the pinnacle.’"

The Scarlet Queen froze, her expression slowly changing as the meaning behind those words began to sink in. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"That man..."

Her expression slowly changed into a mischievous smile.

"Did she mean the Headless Gnome?"

She waved her hands toward the followers, signaling for them to leave. Once the room became quiet, she hopped down from her bed and began pacing around with a thoughtful expression.

"Right, the Fearless Demon died, which means another spot has opened among the Twelve Constellations..." She giggled softly. "And obviously, the Headless Gnome would be the replacement!"

She placed a finger against her cheek, smiling to herself.

"He was even called the Thirteenth Constellation before, even though none of us actually acknowledged him as one." She paused before her smile grew wider. "But now it seems someone finally decided to give him a proper seat."

The Scarlet Queen suddenly stopped.

"Ohhh... I get it!"

She giggled again.

"She must have told me because the Headless Gnome used to work for the Endium Cult before he was absorbed into the Scarlet Cult. Hehe, how thoughtful of her!"

She stood up and walked toward the door. Two followers immediately straightened themselves when they saw her approaching.

"Accompany me to Endium Island."

She opened the door and glanced back at them with a playful smile.

"And prepare a Wyvern."

Several minutes later, the Scarlet Queen stepped outside the enormous castle that served as the headquarters of the Scarlet Church. The massive structure towered above the surrounding buildings, its crimson banners fluttering from the walls as several cloaked followers stood along the entrance, watching silently as their leader emerged.

Waiting in the open courtyard was a massive green Wyvern. Its body stood at least two stories tall, covered in thick emerald scales that reflected the daylight, while two enormous wings were folded against its back.

Several thick ropes had been secured around its snout and connected along the sides of its body, functioning as reins for whoever rode it. A large saddle had been placed firmly on its back, complete with leather straps and reinforced supports designed to keep its rider from being thrown off during flight.

The Wyvern lowered its body slightly when the Scarlet Queen approached. One of the servants immediately stepped forward and extended his hand toward her, offering support as she placed one foot on the stirrup before climbing onto the saddle.

Once she was seated comfortably, the servant carefully stepped away and lowered his head. The Scarlet Queen grabbed the reins with both hands and looked toward the open sky ahead of her.

"Let’s go."

The Wyvern spread its enormous wings.

With a powerful flap, a violent gust of wind swept across the courtyard, forcing the nearby servants to shield their faces. A moment later, the massive creature launched itself into the sky, carrying the Scarlet Queen toward Endium Island.