The Holy Church (2)

Seated upon his throne, Emperor Maekar was lost in thought.

He was the fourth emperor, the direct descendant of the hero who had sealed the Gates centuries ago.

And yet—despite his lineage—he was on the verge of becoming the worst ruler in history.

He had already lost his wife.

And nearly lost his daughter.

How could he protect an empire… when he couldn't even protect his own family?

Declaring war was easy. But the consequences…

If he followed through, he would be dragging his generation and the next into a conflict with no guarantee of victory.

Even with the empire teetering on the edge of disaster, he couldn't bring himself to make the final decision.

Then—

The air tensed.

A surge of powerful auras approached from the distance.

And in that moment—

A calm, chilling voice echoed through the chamber.

"Everything has slipped from your grasp, Maekar."