Chapter 275

[Third Person's PoV] 

Cid reached out, gently brushing Alpha's hair back before tilting her face upward and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

Alpha kept her eyes closed, feeling the warmth of his touch. His silent attempt to comfort her eased the storm in her heart, allowing her emotions to settle slightly.

Then, she felt a tiny hand softly patting the top of her head. Opening her eyes, she found Celeste looking up at her, gently stroking her hair in an attempt to comfort her.

Alpha chuckled, a fond smile forming on her lips. She took Celeste's small hand and placed a kiss on it. "I'm alright now. Sorry for worrying you~" she said, before affectionately pinching Celeste's cheeks.

Her expression then scrunched up in frustration. "Although… I feel like I let him off too easily. How annoying—I pride myself on controlling my emotions."

Celeste gave her a weird look. 'Lady, he was screaming his lungs out while that seed practically dug into his brain. In what way was that 'letting him off easy?' she thought to herself, having witnessed everything from atop Kaisel.

"Huh? Wait a minute, you have something behind your ear," Cid suddenly said, reaching behind Alpha's ear. When he pulled his hand back, a glowing orb with a ghostly tail hovered in his palm.

The soul of Lancelot.

Alpha covered her mouth and chuckled at Cid's attempt to cheer her up. She took the soul from his hand and smirked. "Thank you. I'll find a way to make his suffering… enjoyable."

"I have a suggestion," Cid said, grinning. "Since they love immortality so much, why don't we give them exactly what they want?"

Alpha raised a brow, intrigued. "And what kind of punishment do you have in mind?"

Celeste tilted her head in confusion, not sensing there was more to Cid's words. She patted his head affectionately. 'Oh, Daddy, you're a little slow in the head, but I still love you anyway~'

The corner of Cid's eye twitched, but he ignored her thoughts and explained, "We make everything about him immortal—down to his very soul. Then, we imprison him in an eternal sphere of flames. We ensure his nerves never go numb, so he remains in constant agony. We make it so his mind never shatters, forcing him to endure every moment. And we keep him burning for eons. Since they love immortality so much…" He grinned. "Let's show them just how fun it can be."

Alpha and Celeste both stared at Cid in stunned silence before Alpha burst into laughter.

'How's that, you brat?' Cid sent his thoughts to Celeste smugly.

Celeste nodded, stroking her chin. 'Impressive. I've taught you well.'

Cid shot her a side-eye.

---

Meanwhile…

Artorius stood tall, his wounds already healing. He sneered. "And how exactly do you plan on bringing me to my end, you naïve little girl? Have you forgotten? I'm immortal."

A brilliant azure aura erupted from his body, surging outward like an inferno. His magical power seemed boundless, limitless.

"I have fought for countless millennia against fools like you—those who thought they could end me." Artorius grinned savagely. "And yet, here I still stand."

Aurora gazed at him, unimpressed. Her expression remained unreadable.

"You've never met someone like me before."

In an instant, she vanished.

Artorius' eyes widened. 'Fast!'

Before he could react, Aurora reappeared right in front of him.

Her hand shot through his armor, piercing his chest.

A moment later, she stood behind him—his still-beating heart clutched in her fingers.

Artorius' cheeks puffed up before he vomited blood. However, he merely grinned through the pain and swung his fist toward Aurora's face.

But the moment his punch landed, his expression twisted in shock. His fist didn't strike her—it bent. Bones shattered, piercing through both skin and armor as his hand twisted unnaturally, reduced to a mangled mess.

Aurora stepped back, her forearm now slick with his blood.

"How—?" Artorius gasped, staring in disbelief at his ruined arm.

"Simple," Aurora said coldly. "Because I willed it. I made it fated to happen."

She raised the still-beating heart in her hand.

"You say I can't kill you because you're immortal?" She smirked. "And who are you to stop me? I am Aurora Kageno—the Ruler of Fate, the Witch of Ruin, and the Wife of Death itself. If I decide you will die, not even your so-called immortality will save you."

Her eyes pulsed with raw power as she clenched her fist, crushing his heart in her grasp.

Badump.

Artorius' body tensed. Unlike before, when his heart had been torn from his chest, this was different. A wave of exhaustion crashed over him, his strength siphoning away. His vision blurred. His legs trembled before giving out beneath him.

"W-What? What is happening to me…?" he rasped, confusion lacing his voice. "I'm stronger than this… I haven't even gone all out yet."

He collapsed face-first, blood spraying onto the grass.

Aurora crouched beside him, tilting her head mockingly.

"Oh? Suddenly feeling weak? Helpless? Unable to fight back or protect yourself?" She pouted exaggeratedly. "Boo-hoo. Poor you."

Then, her expression turned cold.

"Now you know how all those girls felt—the ones who were too weak to escape, too powerless to change their fate under your cruelty." Her voice hardened, venom lacing every word. "As my husband once said, karma's a bitch. You are simply reaping the fate you sowed."

Artorius' breathing slowed, his eyes growing heavier with every passing second. He could feel it—something was pulling him into oblivion.

"Curse… you…" he choked out, coughing up more blood before his eyes finally dimmed.

Silence fell over the battlefield.

Aurora scowled at his corpse, dissatisfaction clear on her face. She let out a low growl.

Then, she felt three presences appear behind her.

"You're disappointed by how quick and easy that was?" Cid's voice asked.

Aurora pushed herself to her feet, crossing her arms. "Definitely. I don't know… I just expected it to be more. More dangerous. More difficult. It's leaving a bad taste in my mouth."

Alpha nodded in agreement. "I get it. We built them up as the ultimate big bads, but when the time finally comes to take them down, they just drop like flies. It's anticlimactic."

Cid chuckled. "It's not their fault, you know. We've just grown far too powerful. We're beings who can now affect the multiverse itself. It would have been weirder if you actually struggled to take them down."

He looked up at the night sky, a soft smile forming on his lips.

"We've outgrown this universe… We've outgrown multiple universes."

Aurora's gaze lingered on him before narrowing slightly.

"Cid…" she called.

"Hm?"

"…Why did you bring my daughter out here?" she asked coldly.

"What?"

Aurora's tone sharpened. "I don't want her seeing something this gruesome at such a young age. It could affect her development."

Cid and Celeste turned to each other, both tilting their heads in sync. Then, they turned back to Aurora with the same confused expression—practically identical, almost like twins.

Aurora's lips twitched at the sight.

"She's seen worse, you know?" Cid said, lifting his chin in a very proud manner. "She even commanded the execution of a few delinquents."

Celeste rubbed her nose smugly.

They both froze.

A sudden chill crawled down their spines.

Slowly, they turned to look at Aurora.

Her mouth was pressed into a thin line. Her eyes radiated pure, unfiltered coldness.

"She did what now?" Aurora asked, her voice dangerously even. "Why is this the first time I'm hearing about this?"

"…"

"…You never asked?" Cid said cautiously.

Aurora pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling slowly as she massaged her temples.

"He's the father… Celeste needs a dad… She loves him… I can't kill him… I can't kill him…" she muttered repeatedly under her breath.

Alpha hesitated, before hesitantly asking, "…Have you taken my kids and made them command an execution?"

Cid blinked. "I haven't had the chance."

"SO YOU WERE PLANNING IT?!"

Both Aurora and Alpha shouted in disbelief.