Compared to earlier, Serphania seemed to have calmed down considerably.

"Thank you for saying that."

"It's all Phillip's fault."

Ser had always looked like a little girl. Even now, her appearance hadn't changed, but the innocence in her eyes was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm going to kill him."

Instead, there was anger in her eyes.

"Ser, Phillip is already dead! A thousand years have already passed...!"

"I know."

She spat out coldly.

"He will be reincarnated into one of his descendants' bodies."

"So you knew that Phillip had reincarnated..."

"Yes, I can feel his presence. He lives around here. Or, was it a small island? Yes, he lives on a small island across the sea."

A small island nearby?

The Emperor strictly prohibited people from entering the Valley of Chaos and only those who had received permission could be there right now.

So there was no way Richard was nearby.

Did that mean the little island she was talking about was where Gilbert Bellacian had been exiled to?

"I told him not to go, but he threw me away! I'm going to kill him along with his descendants! Even the country he founded. I'll destroy everything he owns."

Ser screamed.

"Ser, no!"

However, she ignored my words and smiled naively as she held my hands.

"Let's kill them all. Then we'll live together happily. Once Phillip and his descendants are gone, we can have a peaceful life together. You want it too, don't you, Laontel?"

Ser wanted to eliminate the Asteric Empire and Phillip's bloodline.

"Ser, don't do it. You shouldn't kill innocent people in the name of revenge..."

Ser's expression turned grim and she shouted,

"Why are they innocent people!? They sealed me! They sealed me for a thousand years! If I managed to open the door myself, they'd close it again! The people of Asteric Empire and Phillip are all the same. Laontel, no one is nice to me except you! They all betrayed me. I'm going to kill everyone! Everyone!"

My whole body ached painfully on the way here.

There were many times when I just wanted to die, but compared to me, Ser had experienced even worse. She had been locked up in this hell for a thousand years.

She was trapped in a small sphere with blazing fire covering it on all sides so she couldn't even move.

I couldn't even begin to imagine the pain Ser felt, but I would never agree to that plan.

"I know you experienced horrible things and were in an unimaginable amount of pain, but Ser, the people have also been fooled by Phillip's words."

"Laontel, why are you defending them? You're the only one who cares about me! You're my friend, you should help me!"

"Ser, if you kill them, you'll live to regret it."

Many people had died because Ser gave her power to Phillip. Even back then, she was ready to die and consider what Phillip did as her fault. But after suffering through a thousand years in pain, she had lost her reasoning. However, if she did what she said, I was sure that she'd regret it for the rest of her life.

Besides, I have many people that I need to protect.

Blake, Tenstheon, Diana, Melissa, Hans, Edon, Terry, Collin...

There were so many good people in Asteric Empire. There was no way I could sit back and watch them die.

"There are many good people in this empire."

Ser stared at me, seething with hatred.

"Ah, I forgot. You're on Phillip's side aren't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're the one that Phillip likes! You must have colluded with him to betray me!"

"That's not true!"

"You said we were friends! You call me a friend! You must've lied to me!!"

"I never betrayed you! We're still friends. I also died because of Phillip so how could I side with him?"

"Is it because of the Crown Prince?"

My heart sank as soon as she mentioned him.

"Did you know Blake?"

"Of course I knew. I saw you and him being happy while I was here suffering from the pain everyday."

"We were happy everyday? How could you say it when you've seen it all!"

I know she had suffered an unimaginable pain, so I tried to understand everything she said.

But I couldn't stand it when she said that because Blake and I had suffered too.

"You know how painful Blake had suffered! People despised and tormented him, I was really scared too because he could die at any moment!"

"I still suffered more than him! Even if it was painful, the both of you could just die! But I can't! This is all because of you! Why did you return the blessing that I gave to you? If I had remained as a human being, I would've died already! And why didn't you come sooner? I've been waiting for you! I called you so many times!"

Following her cry, a powerful surge of mana came to me.

My body was thrown away and fell from the impact.

It was so painful that I couldn't even scream. While I was groaning, Ser walked towards me.

"It must be because of the Crown Prince. Come to think of it, everything turned into a mess ever since he showed up. I'll kill the Crown Prince first. Then you'll be on my side, right?"

"No!"

I yelled and grabbed her legs.

"Why can't I?"

"Don't touch him!"

"You'd abandon me for a man? But we're friends, aren't we?"

"I'm not abandoning you!"

"You are! Just like Phillip, you're trying to abandon me too! I'm gonna kill them all!"

She might really end up killing Blake.

"No, Ser! Please don't! I love him! He's the one I love! Please, Ser!"

I already lost Rakshul. I couldn't lose Blake like this too.

But the more desperate I was, the colder Ser's gaze on me turned.

"Love? Do you really believe in that? Why are you so obsessed with that crap? Will you really betray me for love?!"

"I'm not betraying you!"

"For love! Isn't that funny? If he's that precious, then give me your life instead."

"I'll give it to you."

I said without hesitation.

A thousand years ago, I couldn't do anything and lost Rakshul just like that.

I would rather die than lose him again.

"You're lying."

"I'm not. Kill me right now. But in exchange for my life, don't touch him."

I looked her in the eye.

Her blue eyes trembled slightly before she calmed down.

But before I could relax, all of a sudden, she shrieked violently,

"Then die! Die for me! I trusted you and waited for a long time!"

Ser's power attacked me.

Perhaps I could've blocked the attack if I used the power of light that she gave me.

But I closed my eyes quietly and accepted the attack.

This time, I had the chance to protect Blake.

The huge power of light swallowed me whole.

"La-Laontel...?!"

I heard Ser call my name as the white light swallowed me up from all sides. It wasn't long before I was plunged into a completely silent darkness.

I couldn't move and my body felt as if it was going to melt.

Was I really going to die now?

At least Blake would be fine. Suddenly, I felt something warm on my wrist. It was the bracelet that Baekhan gave me.

A warm stand of light escaped from the bracelet and wrapped around my body as it fought against Ser's powers.

While the two powers were fighting, I felt the bracelet crack and break to pieces.

Soon, I lost consciousness.