Married To The Enemy Kingdom's Illegitimate Prince-Chapter 136 — The Battle (2)

A small, seemingly frail-looking young woman’s silhouette appeared behind the queen. Her dark, curly blue hair framed emerald-green eyes, her delicate features enhanced by smooth, pale skin.

"Y-Your Highness," Suyou whispered, approaching Arisia without hesitation.

Tears streamed down his cheeks like a river, but he made no effort to wipe them away. His chest tightened, fearing that if he rubbed his eyes, she might vanish—just as she always did when he glimpsed her inside the grand duke’s mansion. Her silhouette had haunted him like a shadow, but this time, she felt real. She was truly standing before him!

"Suyou!" Lucian shouted, but the young man paid no heed.

Blinded to everything around him, his only focus was Arisia.

[Right, come here,] the young woman spoke softly. Her voice sounded eerily similar to Arisia’s, but Lucian wasn’t fooled.

He knew all too well—both Arisia and the queen were possessed by demons, just as he had seen in his dream.

That dream was no illusion. Now, he was certain it was a warning, and he needed to settle things with Cynthia as soon as this ordeal was over.

A sharp blade shot toward Suyou’s stomach. His eyes widened in shock, but he managed to deflect the strike with his sword.

"Y-Your Highness... why?" His voice cracked, tears still flowing.

[Looks like I missed my aim. How boring,] Iana, the demon possessing Arisia’s body, laughed.

Her true voice—deeper and sharper than the princess’s gentle tone—sent chills down everyone’s spine.

"What are you waiting for?" Cynthia’s voice broke the silence. "Attack them!"

She looked around, her grip against her sword’s hilt tightening. However, despite her command, no one moved.

"T-That’s the queen!"

"And... that’s the dead princess?!"

"What is going on?!"

"How can we attack them?!"

Cynthia sighed, unwilling to waste any more time. A full day had passed since the demons were freed, tearing through the land of Erion. People had either fled their destroyed homes or been buried beneath the ruins.

With a flicker of golden light, she began channeling power from her manacore, preparing to end the two women before her, guiding it to her sword. She was certain they were possessed, just like the man she and Lucian had encountered during their expedition.

[Not so fast,] Isla, inhabiting the queen’s body, raised a hand, her lips curling into a sinister grin. [Why not take a look outside before you dare attack me?]

Cynthia and Lucian exchanged glances before stepping out of the tent. The soldiers followed closely behind.

Outside, a crowd of people had gathered—but instead of the demons they had expected, it was an army of civilians.

"What game are you playing?" Cynthia demanded, looking up at Isla and Iana who had been hanging in the air, a dark violet light surrounding them.

Isla clicked her tongue, while Iana burst into laughter as if she’d heard a great joke.

[Are you clueless? How unexpected. I thought you were the cleverest among these fools. Well...] Isla’s grin widened. [They’re not humans anymore. They’re my army. My people.]

Her words sparked confusion among the soldiers, but Lucian and Cynthia’s expressions darkened. Their breaths caught in their throats, their minds reeling.

"What should we do now?"

"We..." Cynthia’s voice was firm, cutting through the murmurs. "We need to kill them."

Her declaration stunned the crowd.

They stood there unable to comprehend her words. Surely, she lost her mind.

First, the Queen and the princess that they served all their lives, and now the people they swore to protect. They couldn’t accept it!

"Then what else can we do?" Vincent, standing in the crowd, scoffed, his arms crossed. "Let them be controlled by demons?"

"Vincent!" Alistair growled. "Watch your mouth."

"Your Majesty, we need to act quickly," Vincent said, undeterred. "Before we lose our heads."

Reluctantly, Alistair turned to Cynthia, awaiting her decision. Though he could not act on behalf of Selvarys, he trusted his sister completely.

"Your Highness, I suggest you purify them," Edric whispered as he appeared behind Cynthia.

"Purify?" she repeated, her voice barely audible.

The concept was foreign to her. Even in her past life, she had never encountered such a technique.

"It’s an ancient method to banish demons from human bodies," Edric explained. "It was practiced centuries ago. I’m unsure if it will work, but with your divine powers, as a saintess, you could easily expel a hundred demons."

Cynthia’s gaze swept over the crowd. "The problem is," she muttered, "this isn’t a mere hundred—it’s likely the entire kingdom of Selvarys."

She clenched her fists, her mind racing to identify the flaw in her plan. This outcome had never crossed her mind.

"Let’s take them to that place," Edric suggested. "You can use all the mana stones you need there. You won’t run out of energy if you’re standing on sacred ground."

"Even if I do that..." Cynthia’s eyebrow raised in worry. "I don’t know how to purify them."

"You don’t need to do anything, nor say any spell. Just gather your mana and guide it towards them. Just a simple touch of it can push out the demons from these people."

Cynthia thought for a moment. She was unsure of this method but she didn’t have another suggestion either. "Tell Arlot to call Ying and his companions immediately," she ordered.

Edric nodded and disappeared with a snap of his fingers.

Meanwhile, Lucian, noticing Cynthia and Edric’s secretive exchange, worked to keep Isla and Iana distracted.

"What do you want from us?" he demanded.

[Nothing,] Iana said with a chuckle. [Just your lives.]

Lucian’s glare didn’t waver, but his frown deepened. The face used by demons which stood before him was still Arisia’s—his younger sister’s.

"What have you done to them?"

[Them? Blame the queen,] Isla sneered. [She said I could do whatever I wanted. But she never imagined this.]

Her laughter echoed, chilling everyone to the bone.

The surrounding landscape seemed to flicker and distort in the scarlet glow that surrounded them.

The knights, surprised, looked at the grand duke, hoping he would know what was happening but he also seemed as puzzled as them.

The air crackled with a strong energy, and even Isla, watching everyone from above with amusement, couldn’t ignore the unsettling shift in the atmosphere.

[What is this?] She murmured, eyes glancing around, sensing the change.

The once-ordinary terrain began to resemble something much darker—something from Tervland, in the desert land with only ruins of buildings, where the magical sinkhole strood.

Before anyone could react, a sharp tug of energy snapped through the air. The ground trembled beneath their feet, the earth shifting as the familiar sensation of a magic lock caught their attention.

"This place..." Lucian muttered under his breath.

He glanced around, feeling a pull of dread. It was the place where he had been for ten long years. How could he not recognize it?

"It’s Tervland."

The words hung in the air for a moment, the soldiers trying to understand what they were doing on the deserted battlefield.

"Defend us while we unseal the sinkhole," Cynthia took a deep breath, stepping forward as though the change in scenery meant little to her.

Her presence remained calm despite the chaos unfolding among the knights around her. That demeanor was enough to convince them she knew what she was doing, although deep inside her heart raced rapidly, just as anxious as them.

"Unlock it," she commanded, locking gaze with Edric and every shapeshifter she spotted in the crowd.

The sudden appearance of Ying and his comrades beside the soldiers startled the knights, their eyes widening at the unexpected reinforcements.

"Where did they come from?" one of the soldiers asked, his voice laced with confusion.

"Never saw them before," another murmured.

Lucian, brow furrowed, glanced between Cynthia and the new arrivals.

"Who are they?"

Before Cynthia could answer, the possessed humans—still in their demon-infested states—started to move toward the knights, their eyes darkened and vacant. Their steps were slow, yet something about them was unsettling.

"Are they going to attack us?!"

The knights panicked.

"Just defend yourself for now. Don’t hurt them," Cynthia ordered, her voice cold and commanding.

The knights braced themselves, holding their positions, their gaze fueled with determination. As the group of possessed civilians approached them, they used the hilt of their swords to push them away as far as they coul. Although their numbers were not small, resulting in one constantly moving forward despite their efforts.

Cynthia turned to face the newly appeared group, exchanging a faint nod.

"Help me with the seal."

Arlot and the others didn’t hesitate. Their hands moved to the air, fingers tracing intricate symbols in the air as dazzling lights began to flash around the sinkhole. The tension grew as their magic combined with Cynthia’s, the barrier slowly shattering from its’ strong spell.

For years, Cynthia learned the spell by heart because she knew one day she had to use it. Although, the day arrived sooner than she had expected.

Isla, still standing in the air with Iana standing behind her, watched the unfolding events before her with great interest.

She knew the battle was far from over, but she was eager to see what Cynthia, the Saintess Isabella used to fear, would do next. Her expression was a mixture of curiosity and disdain as her gaze focused on Cynthia.

As the seal unlocked, Cynthia’s attention shifted to Valen, seated on the ground with knights protecting him.

Her gaze softened for a brief moment as she walked toward him, the golden glow of her mana surrounding her.

Valen looked down at the ground, his shoulders heavy with guilt. The person who was supposed to protect everyone was hiding in the back— that alone ashamed him.

"Thank you..." His voice faltered, the weight of his earlier words still pressing on his conscience.

"Don’t thank me. It’s just that my husband is a fool who’s unnecessarily nice to everyone."

Valen snorted softly, a rare chuckle escaping him.

"Right. But it’s time I begin protecting my little brother instead of him always shielding me from harm."

Cynthia’s eyes widened in disbelief. For a moment she considered having heard wrong. But when she saw Valen walking towards Lucian, she had to admit she didn’t hear wrong.

The crown prince who hated Lucian until his last breath in her past life was now willingly fighting alongside him.

What a rare sight...

She chuckled softly before inhaling deeply.

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