Chapter 226: Leave Nobody Standing (2)

The first casualty was claimed, and Eve was the one to do it.

Her face remained beautifully cold and expressionless.

Sophia, Tiffany, and Rico, lingering at the back, sensed it at that moment. Things were about to roll down the hill—and fast.

“Since they managed to get into formation, that means…” Arianne began, only to interrupt her own thoughts with a monologue. “They have a means to avoid Nina’s curse?”

“Well… I guess?” Nina shrugged. “I mean, they wouldn’t be able to form ranks unless that’s true. The direction change from the curse doesn’t follow a rule; it’s completely random, after all.”

“Oh, it might be this. I see all of them wearing this ring,” Ria added, pulling it off the finger of a sleeping soldier.

None of them mentioned the General’s death, almost as if he didn’t exist. It was their way of trying to lessen Eve’s burden, given that it was her first—no, second—time taking someone else’s life.

But they could tell she was calm—calmer than ever.

As if the thought didn’t even bother her.

They figured she was just bottling it up, though. They knew Eve too well; once everything was over, she would let it all explode at once. With this in mind, the three nodded, deciding on one thing: “We’ll leave Eve’s aftermath to Axel!”

After gathering the rings, they continued down the hall.

As they walked, they noticed that not all soldiers wore a curse-resisting ring. Only those with the First Army’s general had one.

Of course, they didn’t assume that nobody else had one. Instead, they proceeded, taking into account that the curse had not affected anyone.

For the soldiers, Ria and Nina worked in tandem, rendering them powerless. Arianne and Eve took charge of those on the hit list—Arianne shouldering the larger burden, identifying targets more quickly, and moving faster than Eve could pull her trigger.

Corrupt nobles.

Corrupt military officials.

Lobbyists, corrupt merchants, and all other entities involved in corruption were targeted.

The girls showed no mercy.

They didn’t take the shortest route to the throne room. Instead, upon reaching the courtyard, the four turned to Sophia’s team and instructed them.

“Stay here.”

Then, the girls split up once more.

Each took a separate direction, rendering those who didn’t need to die unconscious, while the rest… either lost their heads, had holes shot through their chests, or fell victim to a Death Curse.

None could have survived a single hit.

About fifteen minutes later, the girls regrouped after scouring every corner of the castle, leaving nothing unturned.

By that point, each of them had kill counts in the hundreds, with Arianne leading by a significant margin, roughly double that of the others combined.

“Only the throne room is left,” Eve announced as they assembled.

Eve reloaded her pistol, tapping the trigger and cocking the slide back in place.

This time, they no longer advanced in a line but instead moved in formation.

Arianne took the lead as the Vanguard, with Eve positioned in the middle and Nina and Ria at the rear—the only configuration their lineup could assume.

“Ready!”

As Arianne’s voice echoed through the corridor, the others nodded in response.

It was time for the finale.

…

The throne room was engulfed in panic.

To be specific, those who stood a certain distance from the throne were in turmoil. Meanwhile, those near Emperor Cyril moved freely, untouched by curses or other dangers.

The throne he occupied functioned as a kind of Holy Object, repelling curses and anything that could cause him harm. People said that God himself bestowed this ancient treasure upon the first Emperor.

Truly, a throne of divine providence!

Those who had escaped the curse gathered around the Emperor, watching helplessly as others made desperate attempts to reach safety. Yet, their efforts were futile.

The more they walked, the further away their intended destination seemed.

Even when someone “smart” decided to set a course in the opposite direction, he still found himself unable to reach the throne.

Their steps defied logic; unsettling reflections haunted their hearts, and the looming threat of death became palpable as they coughed violently. Their efforts were so intense that it seemed as though their very lungs might be expelled.

In the midst of this chaos, something shifted.

“Huh?”

Someone noticed the door to the Throne Room swing open, revealing several figures.

“What’s—?”

Just as he was about to alert the others, a loud sound echoed, sending the man’s head reeling back.

BANG!

He had no idea what struck him; he only felt a brief moment of heat before everything faded to black. It was an instant death—a perfect headshot.

“Kyaaaah!”

“N-No way!”

The others quickly registered what had happened, their eyes drawn to the corpse with a bloody forehead—a small hole torn through it—while brain matter oozed out.

Those who remained composed turned their attention to the door, where seven figures stood.

“They are…!”

The four in the front were unfamiliar, but the three behind them were unmistakable.

“P-Princess Tiffany and Rico…?”

“Wait… Isn’t that… Princess Sophia?! It can’t be!”

“No way. Didn’t she die?! Is this… her curse? Her vengeful ghost?!”

They were faces that everyone recognized all too well—no one would mistake them for anyone else. Their presence only deepened the chaos in the room. Screams of fear and denial filled the air, accompanied by murmurs of insanity and judgment, and an encroaching stench of death.

“Greetings, Emperor Cyril.” Eve was the first to speak, shattering the tense silence. “I am Eve Shardrain Klint. Perhaps you don’t even remember, but I belong to the Kingdom you destroyed just a few months ago.”

Her voice was sharp, clear, and dignified, compelling the Emperor to respond—arrogantly.

“Klint Kingdom?” he whispered. “I don’t make it a habit to remember the names of the ants I step on. So I don’t know you, little girl… and I don’t care.”

Eve’s smile remained, her head shaking slightly from side to side.

“No, Emperor Cyril… I didn’t expect you to remember.”

Slowly, she raised her gun, pointing it forward, her finger already resting on the trigger. “I’m just telling you this so you’ll have something to share with the devils in hell.”

BANG!

Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger.

The bullet flew straight and true, seemingly destined for its target. It struck the Emperor squarely in the chest…

Or so they believed.

Clink!

A small chunk of metal rolled down the throne, losing its purpose.

“What?” The man grinned, as if this were the expected result. “Did you just do something, little girl…?”

“Nothing.”

Eve smiled back, her small canines peeking out.

“I just thought it would be boring if you died like that.”

Of course, her gun not working was largely anticipated. He wouldn’t be the emperor without that much protection, after all!

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