Chapter 471: Bro, Let’s Go Home and Sleep
Azure flames erupted violently in all directions—shooting skyward like a cataclysmic explosion.
Conjuring a spectacle of chaotic, terrifying fireworks whose wild choreography pierced straight through the night sky's veil.
The pitch-black heavens blazed with brilliant fluorescent blue radiance—even the oppressive cloud layers were blasted apart, revealing a massive celestial void.
Terrifying air waves hundreds of feet in height swept across the entire vicinity while the already fractured ground erupted into swirling dust storms under the wind's relentless assault.
That all-consuming scorching azure light completely engulfed the surroundings—the rising atmospheric currents also washing over the nobles who had collapsed upon the earth.
They desperately shielded their faces with both hands, struggling against this supremely violent gale to prevent their features from being twisted by the fierce winds.
Long ceremonial robes whipped wildly in the tempest, friction against the agitated air producing sharp, whistling symphonies of destruction.
Soon, these sounds became buried beneath tide-like waves of white smoke and dust—continuously spreading outward in all directions.
Only after shrouding the entire courtyard did this chaos gradually subside into ominous stillness.
Following this apocalyptic display, the world finally returned to tranquility—even the originally brilliant illumination from one side of the courtyard gradually faded into nothingness.
The remaining azure flames suspended in air burned themselves to complete extinction—set against the night sky that had returned to absolute darkness, slowly dissipating like dying stars.
Dust clouds settled once more while chaotic reverberations returned to profound silence.
After the atmospheric shockwaves subsided, nobles lowered their protective arms one by one—their eyes gradually adjusting to the sudden, overwhelming darkness.
Thunderous echoes still reverberated within their ears. Only after considerable time did they gradually recover from their earlier shock.
The nobles' gazes pierced through lingering airborne debris—focusing intently upon the epicenter of that magical devastation.
At this moment, what greeted everyone's vision was solely that obsidian, profound crater of impossible depth.
Massive enough to seemingly devour an entire demon whole.
The terrain surrounding this crater had been violently churned—sand and stone fragments piled in chaotic heaps.
As if approaching even one step closer would cause the entire crater to collapse inward by several more meters.
Such a scene forced people to question fundamental reality—was this truly the result of human power?
The nobles gazed with profound amazement at this catastrophically damaged crater. Scanning along its rim, they discovered Viktor standing there with serene composure.
His expression remained utterly calm—as if that terrifying magical display had imposed no burden upon him whatsoever.
However, now he stood there completely alone.
Leopold, who had been positioned directly before him mere moments ago, appeared to have been perfectly centered within the explosion's epicenter.
Along with his physical form—he had vanished without the slightest trace.
Increasing numbers of nobles witnessed this scene, involuntarily drawing sharp breaths of shock.
Intense waves of primal fear surged from their hearts—each widening their eyes in wooden-chicken stupefaction.
Violence—what absolutely overwhelming violence.
It seemed that every instance of Viktor taking action proved supremely shocking—as if his greatest expertise lay in delivering catastrophic bombardments upon this world.
Exactly like now.
When that terrifyingly deep crater became fully exposed before everyone's eyes, virtually only one thought remained within their minds:
How much would this cost to repair...
The originally magnificent banquet hall now consisted solely of broken walls and ruins—even the meticulously arranged courtyard had been obliterated into scattered fragments.
The extraordinary stone materials used for paving the courtyard floors had all been completely pulverized into debris.
Observing the devastation before them, everyone's hearts felt heavy and ice-cold.
After all, having witnessed the entire explosive sequence, these nobles had all been present throughout.
Obviously, once this incident concluded, compensation for both courtyard and banquet hall would inevitably fall upon each of their shoulders.
Fortunately, all nobles had emerged completely unharmed.
"Is... is everything finally over?"
One noble inquired with trembling voice.
This question reached every noble's ears—awakening their stunned consciousness from shock-induced paralysis.
If Leopold could survive Viktor's devastating punch earlier, that might still indicate Leopold possessed extraordinary skeletal structure and formidable physical constitution.
But now—after Viktor's terrifyingly powerful magical assault had descended—
Should Leopold somehow survive this, such resilience would transcend all reasonable explanation.
After all, magic capable of blasting dozens-of-meters-deep craters in solid earth obviously exceeded what ordinary flesh could withstand.
While others remained immersed in shock, one slightly bolder noble carefully approached the crater's precipice.
He squinted intensely—his gaze penetrating the lingering dust while peering toward the crater's depths.
At the bottom, he observed several fragments of golden, luxurious formal attire.
This discovery caused his eyes to widen with absolute amazement.
Wait—only clothing remained?
Where was the actual person?
"Could it be... the individual was directly incinerated to ash?"
He struggled to accept this reality.
Observing this noble's shocked expression, the curious First Prince approached and gazed downward following the noble's line of sight.
Now more than one noble experienced surprise.
When the First Prince recovered from his initial shock, he couldn't help addressing Viktor nearby:
"Leopold... has he perished?"
Viktor responded to the First Prince with clinical detachment:
"As you can observe."
Hearing Viktor's definitive confirmation, every noble drew deep breaths—their previously heavy hearts instantly lightening with profound relief.
Although Leopold's death had occurred with unusual swiftness—even seeming somewhat abrupt—
Upon reflection, hadn't the Second Prince met an identical fate?
Both had perished at Viktor's hands.
Without Viktor's presence, this assembly of nobles would likely have died countless times over.
Yet regaining their composure, the nobles began contemplating another crucial issue with profound gravity.
Now they were forced to acknowledge an inescapable reality.
Whether Leopold or the Second Prince—both had committed heinous crimes of the highest order.
Leopold had orchestrated the Second Prince's campaign to tear open southern dimensional rifts, while the Second Prince had colluded with demonic forces—the catastrophic consequences had already manifested.
What?
You claim the Second Prince wasn't the sole demon collaborator?
Viktor also colluded with demons? Even more extensively than the Second Prince?
Don't be absurd—could such actions be termed "collusion"?
That was merely the magnificent Lord Viktor exercising his demonic companion while upholding righteous justice!
All attacks upon the Second Prince constituted entirely reasonable self-defense—after all, the Second Prince had already undergone demonic transformation.
Without retaliation, they would have perished long ago.
Moreover, Empress Claudia had personally arrived to pronounce the Second Prince's crimes.
Before the Empress's appearance, Viktor's restraint regarding the Second Prince demonstrated respect still maintained for the royal bloodline.
Finally, Viktor's assault upon the Second Prince could be considered completely justified.
Without royal authorization, even killing the Second Prince through legitimate self-defense would appear excessively presumptuous.
Fortunately, at the critical moment, Empress Claudia stepped forward to confirm the Second Prince's criminal acts.
This was his own biological mother—if even the Empress couldn't tolerate his behavior, the severity of these crimes became self-evident.
Therefore, Viktor's actions followed perfect logical progression!
The nobles had already constructed comprehensive justifications for Viktor—helping rationalize every aspect of his conduct.
Because within this conflict, Viktor represented the undisputed victor.
Reaching this conclusion, numerous nobles swarmed toward Viktor's position.
Their eyes sparkled with excitement and jubilation as they expressed heartfelt gratitude:
"Lord Viktor... no, no—Council Member, we extend profound thanks for your assistance today."
"Without Lord Viktor's intervention, I fear none of us would have departed this courtyard alive."
"Precisely! That despicable Leopold—manipulating princes, summoning demons to orchestrate our mutual destruction—he proved more detestable than demons themselves!"
"Lord Viktor, our gratitude for eliminating this menace to society!"
None among the nobility lacked intelligence. Following Leopold and the Second Prince's defeat, everyone recognized the true significance of today's events.
Superficially, this banquet had appeared designed for welcoming elves—aimed at promoting harmonious exchanges between Imperial nobility and elven representatives.
In reality, it had constituted a decisive contest over succession rights.
Ultimately, the Second Prince had failed catastrophically—branded with the crime of demonic collaboration.
The First Prince had similarly failed.
Though he'd taken no direct action, the southern border crisis remained inextricably linked to his negligence.
Furthermore, through inaction alone, he'd forfeited all qualifications for competing for the throne.
Thus, the outcome appeared predetermined.
Princess Aurelianne seemed to have accomplished nothing—yet ultimately secured inheritance rights to the throne.
Nobles from both factions were compelled to smile while accepting this reality—pretending cheerful mutual welcome.
Simply because Viktor served as Aurelianne's mentor.
Through his individual power alone, he had transformed the attitudes of every Imperial family.
Though nobles maintained surface smiles, their hearts harbored profound discomfort.
After all, the princely faction they'd long supported had now concluded without warning—catching them completely unprepared.
Without even a transitional period.
Undoubtedly, returning to their families tonight would constitute another sleepless ordeal.
Despite their reluctance, the already-determined outcome forced acceptance.
The nobles could only exert maximum effort to please Viktor—various flattering and praising declarations flowing continuously.
Their forms of address toward Viktor also became increasingly respectful.
These behaviors weren't purposeless—every noble still harbored aspirations within their hearts.
Ideally, once everything settled, they might all receive Viktor's patronage.
Not seeking advancement—but at minimum preserving their current positions.
At this moment, distant Lia crossed her arms while tilting her head slightly—observing her brother's reputation reach its absolute zenith, she couldn't suppress a gentle sigh.
Fortunately, whether demon-raising or judging the Second Prince, none of it had damaged their family's reputation.
This represented tremendously welcome news to Lia.
"Looks like everything's concluded—another universally happy ending."
Lia stretched leisurely while covering her mouth during a delicate yawn.
Positioned at a safe distance, she'd received optimal protection. With both Cocotte and Gwen providing nearby security, even she—an ordinary person—could safely observe this magnificent drama.
Now, as night deepened and drowsiness approached, Lia's eyelids began feeling increasingly heavy.
"Mm... time to bring Viktor home."
She contemplated this while preparing to walk toward Viktor's location—when a puzzled voice suddenly reached her ears.
"Strange..."
Lia pivoted and spotted that hooded female demon hunter with the somewhat modest chest from earlier.
At this moment, she maintained one hand positioned thoughtfully beneath her chin—as if deeply contemplating something.
The voice had originated from her.
However, her previous statement sparked Lia's curiosity.
Strange?
What could be strange about this situation? Wasn't everything already concluded?
This voice also attracted Gwen's attention. Both directed their gazes toward the demon hunter with evident confusion.
Under their scrutiny, the demon hunter supported her chin while speaking with genuine puzzlement:
"The demon separated from the Second Prince's body, but..."
"Where exactly did that demon disappear to?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
/BZDXG - Unlock a HUGE stash of advance chapters now!
Dive deeper into the story ahead of everyone else!