Chapter : 389
Chapter : 389
A colossal, blinding yellow lightning bolt ripped through the dark storm clouds. The lightning did not just strike the ground. It took a distinct, terrifying shape. It formed the image of a massive, roaring dragon made entirely of pure, crackling electricity.
The lightning dragon opened its bright yellow jaws. It crashed down from the heavens with a deafening, earth-shattering roar.
The dragon struck Ashura with absolute precision. The explosion was magnificent. Blinding, brilliant yellow light flooded the entire street. The girls had to cover their eyes to protect their vision. The sound of the blast was so loud it made the surrounding buildings physically shake.
The fierce heat and raw electrical power washed over the entire block.
When the bright light finally faded away, the street fell completely, totally silent. The roaring storm clouds quickly dissipated. The bright blue sky returned.
Ashura lay motionless in the very center of a massive, blackened crater. The monster's thick outer armor was completely turned to charcoal. Thick gray smoke poured from its broken, burnt body. The green veins no longer pulsed. The beast was totally defeated.
Lancelot lowered his black sword. The blade dissolved into dark mist and vanished.
He looked at the charred, smoking beast. He could easily step forward and deliver one final, lethal blow. He could snap his fingers and erase the monster from existence entirely. It would require zero effort.
But Lancelot stopped.
His glowing purple eye stared at the broken creature. He thought about the situation with cold, calculating logic. Someone in the capital city built this biological abomination. Someone sent it to the streets to hunt him. If he killed the beast right now, the trail would go entirely cold. The mastermind would remain hidden in the shadows. He needed to find the exact laboratory that created this ugly thing.
Lancelot intentionally held back his final strike. He displayed a very rare, highly calculated moment of mercy.
Ashura twitched weakly on the burnt ground. The monster was barely functioning. It dragged itself slowly across the broken stones. It let out a pathetic, distorted, bubbling whimper. It used its remaining two arms to pull its heavy body forward. It slowly crawled toward a dark, narrow alleyway between two buildings. It wanted to escape the terrifying masked man.
Lancelot just stood perfectly still and watched it go.
He let the beast crawl away into the deep, safe shadows. As the monster disappeared into the alley, Lancelot planted a tiny, completely invisible tracking thought onto its charred back. The magical tracker locked onto the beast's remaining mana.
The monster would go home. It would instinctively return to its creators for healing. And Lancelot would follow its digital trail right to their hidden front door.
Lancelot turned his head slightly. He looked at the elite girls standing near the café. Sayma had dropped her golden shield. Naomi, Elma, and Ira stared at him in absolute awe. Behind them, the magical clone of Ken Eliot was still cowering under the table, putting on a flawless performance of a terrified slacker.
The Sovereign did not say a single word. He simply let his dark cloak swirl around him. In a flash of dark purple light, he completely vanished from the street.
The chaotic, violent event was officially over. The girls slowly lowered their weapons. They breathed heavily, totally stunned by the overwhelming display of power they had just witnessed. The monster was defeated, and the hunt for the secret laboratory was just about to begin.
---
The subterranean vault was incredibly cold. It lacked windows. It lacked natural light. Thick gray stone walls surrounded the large room. The air felt entirely stale. Bright magical lamps hovered over a massive mahogany table. The light cast long, dark shadows on the faces of the men sitting there.
These men wore extremely expensive suits. They wore shiny gold rings on their fingers. They were the most corrupt officials in the Belmontia Empire. They controlled the money. They controlled the illegal operations. They hated the Emperor. They hated the Royal children.
Right now, they looked completely panicked. They were sweating profusely. Their hands shook. The mood in the dark vault was incredibly strict and frightened.
Lord Voss sat at the head of the mahogany table. He had silver hair. His face was sharp. He looked at the other politicians. He did not smile. He held a crystal glass of red wine. He set the glass down. It made a loud clink on the wood.
"We have a massive political disaster on our hands," Lord Voss stated. His voice echoed in the cold room. "The situation is a complete catastrophe."
Minister Thorne sat across from him. The Minister wiped his forehead with a silk handkerchief. He breathed very fast. "What happened? Tell us the truth."
"It is about Dr. Raven," Lord Voss explained. He crossed his hands on the table. "Our secret partner. The man who managed the toxic radiation project. The man who helped us build the apocalyptic weapon."
A rogue military commander leaned forward. He wore a dark green uniform. "Did the 13th Unit kill him? Did they find him in the courtroom?"
Lord Voss shook his head slowly. He looked deeply disturbed. "No. The 13th Unit did not kill him. Someone else intervened. The masked entity intervened. Lancelot."
The name made every single man in the room flinch. They feared that name. Lancelot was a legend. He was a god-like monster who controlled the shadows. He ruined their plans effortlessly.
"Lancelot took Dr. Raven," Lord Voss continued. His voice dropped to a quiet whisper. "But Lancelot did not kill him. He did not erase him from existence. He did something much worse. He did something incredibly frustrating."
"What did he do?" Minister Thorne demanded. He gripped the edge of the table.
"Lancelot dumped Dr. Raven directly into the custody of the Imperial Court," Lord Voss revealed. The words sounded like a death sentence. "Lancelot left him right on the steps of the public prison. The guards found him there. Dr. Raven is currently locked inside a maximum-security cell. He is completely broken. He is terrified. And he is waiting to face public justice."
The corrupt nobles gasped loudly. They looked at each other in pure horror. This was the absolute worst possible outcome.
"Public justice?" the military commander asked. His voice cracked. "You mean a public trial? The citizens will see him?"
"Yes," Lord Voss confirmed. "The Emperor will make a grand spectacle out of it. The judges will question him openly."
The vault erupted into chaotic noise. The wealthy politicians yelled at each other. They waved their arms frantically. They were totally losing their minds.
"This is unacceptable!" a nobleman shouted. He slammed his fist on the table. "Dr. Raven knows everything! He knows about the illegal funding! He knows our names! He knows about the Anti-Empire faction!"
"If he stands trial, he will talk!" Minister Thorne added in a complete panic. "He is a coward. He will trade our names for a shorter prison sentence. He will expose the entire conspiracy. The Emperor will have us all executed for treason."
"We cannot let him talk," the military commander stated firmly. "We must act immediately. We must solve this problem."