Emily Astoria.
Ryle's breath came slow and measured as he stared at the silver-haired woman standing atop the ruined castle wall.
Her crimson eyes gleamed with amusement as she observed him, her lips curled into a familiar smirk.
Ryle knew that smirk. He'd seen it a hundred times when they were kids, back when they ran through the forests of Dragon Mountain, back when they trained together, back when—
Back when she wasn't like this.
Emily stretched lazily, cracking her neck. "It's been a while, Ryle. You've gotten stronger."
Ryle exhaled sharply. "Emily… What the hell are you doing?"
Emily tilted her head. "Oh? Isn't it obvious?" She spread her arms, motioning to the destruction around them. "I orchestrated all of this."
Ryle's grip on his notebook tightened. "What?"
Emily's smirk widened. "Velmara's genocide. The 666 souls sacrificed. It was all for Ignilth."
Thea inhaled sharply.
Ryle froze.
"You're lying," he said, voice dangerously low.
Emily's eyes sparkled. "You always were bad at accepting the truth."
Ryle's heart pounded in his chest.
666 sacrifices.
It wasn't just an act of destruction—it was a ritual.
A ritual to bring Ignilth back.
Emily took a step closer, voice dripping with warmth. "I should thank you, Ryle. You helped me out quite a bit."
Ryle's golden eyes narrowed. "...What?"
Emily smiled sweetly.
"You killed Marquis Elden."
Silence.
Thea tensed.
Ryle's fingers twitched.
Emily clasped her hands together. "You have no idea how helpful that was. Elden was strong. A real nuisance. With him gone, the Elden family is vulnerable."
Ryle's body remained still. "...Emily."
"But."
Emily's expression darkened.
"You left the rest of them alive."
A slow rage burned in her voice. "You spared them, Ryle."
The air grew heavier.
"Marquis Seraphina. The remaining Elden bloodline. They're still breathing when they should be dead."
Ryle's smirk vanished.
The next moment—
CRACK.
The entire castle shook.
Thea stumbled back, eyes wide. "Ryle—"
But Ryle was already moving.
His golden eyes blazed with fury.
"You're disrespecting Ignilth," he said, voice trembling with rage. "No one can revive him."
Emily's smirk returned. "You think so?"
Ryle's wings spread wide.
Then—
BOOM.
He launched forward.
Emily barely had time to react before his dragon-clad fist slammed into her barrier, shattering it into shards of crimson energy.
She clicked her tongue. "Tch—!"
Ryle didn't stop.
His claws ignited with purple fire, slashing through the air.
Emily ducked, barely avoiding the strike before retaliating—
WHOOSH.
A spear of hardened blood shot toward Ryle.
He batted it aside like a twig.
Emily clicked her tongue again. "You really don't hold back, huh?"
Ryle's glare could've melted steel. "You murdered an entire castle. Did you expect me to be happy?"
Emily grinned.
"Yes."
Ryle's eyes flashed.
He vanished—
—then reappeared behind her.
Emily whirled around just in time to see his foot coming for her ribs.
CRASH.
She flew through three stone pillars, smashing into the castle courtyard.
Dust exploded into the air.
Emily groaned, wiping blood from her lips. "Wow. You've gotten faster."
Ryle landed lightly on the ground, eyes cold. "You're not leaving here alive."
Emily chuckled, eyes gleaming. "Oh, Ryle."
Then—
The ground turned red.
Ryle tensed.
Beneath his feet, a pool of blood spread like wildfire.
Emily rose to her feet, her body dissolving into crimson mist.
"You've always been strong," she whispered. "But blood magic is different."
Ryle's eyes darted around—
Too late.
The mist surrounded him, wrapping around his limbs.
Emily smirked. "I win."
Then—
BOOM.
A burst of pure dragon energy erupted from Ryle's body, shattering the mist.
Emily's eyes widened.
"WHAT?!"
Ryle lunged—
But she was already fading.
Her body turned into mist again, slipping through his fingers.
Emily's voice echoed through the air.
"You should've joined me, Ryle."
Then—
She was gone.
Silence.
Ryle's breath was ragged. His claws trembled.
"...Damn it."
A soft hand touched his shoulder.
He turned.
Thea smiled gently. "Let me heal you."
She pressed her palm against his chest, channeling Vaelthia's techniques.
Warmth spread through Ryle's body.
The exhaustion faded.
"...Thanks," he muttered.
Thea nodded. "Let's go back. We still have a trial to deal with."
Back at the Capital
The courtroom was silent.
Ryle stood before the nobles once again.
This time, however—
No one accused him.
No one questioned him.
Even the king himself remained still.
Because everyone knew the truth.
Ryle had fought the true culprit.
Velmara had been slaughtered by Emily Astoria, not him.
King Aldevar nodded. "Ryle Astoria is cleared of all suspicion."
A sigh of relief rippled through the chamber.
But one problem remained.
Velmara's noble house was empty.
Then—
A voice rang out.
"I will take its place."
Marquis Seraphina Elden stepped forward.
Murmurs filled the room.
But one by one—
The nobles agreed.
Seraphina Elden was officially declared one of the 12 Noble Houses.
Elden was now the Land of Warriors.
Ryle grinned.
"Great job, Seraphina!"
Seraphina just laughed.
Ryle's Final Article
That night, Ryle sat in his office, pen in hand.
His fingers moved swiftly over the parchment, crafting his next piece:
"The Fall of Velmara & The Rise of the Land of Warriors."
For the first time in days, he smiled.
This was what he lived for.