Chapter 54: Just in Time

The Imperial Capital burned around them, yet Asami and the Four Consorts stood firm in the midst of chaos.

They were deep in the red zone, the most dangerous area of the attack—where the Dark Order had struck hardest. The Rescue Division was still far, meaning that for now, they were on their own.

Asami stood at the center, her white imperial robes stained with ash, her eyes cold and calculating as she issued orders. She was the White Empress, and she would not falter.

"Keep moving! Prioritize the children and elderly!" Her voice rang out with authority as she raised her hands.

Ice surged forward, forming towering walls that blocked the advance of the Dark Order's summoned demons. The crackling of frozen air was drowned by the roars of the trapped beasts.

"Go! The path is clear!" she commanded.

Guards and fleeing civilians obeyed without hesitation.

But the enemy was relentless.

Masked figures emerged from the alleys, blades dripping with dark energy, their eyes glowing with demonic magic.

"Kill the Empress! Kill the consorts!" one of them shouted.

They lunged.

The consorts had trained under Rin and Harumi for months—now it was time to prove their worth.

Each of them had their own strengths, and each had a role to play.

Suzuki calmly raised her hands, her Psychic and Illusion Magic weaving through the battlefield.

One of the masked figures halted mid-swing, their mind trapped in an illusion where they were surrounded by endless darkness.

Another turned on their own allies, slicing at them with crazed, empty eyes.

Suzuki's abilities did not require brute force—she disabled enemies before they could even reach her.

Rei was the daughter of Grand General Takigawa Yoshito—battle was in her blood.

With a swift motion, her flaming sword ignited. She dashed forward, parrying an incoming attack and slicing through the enemy's chest in one elegant motion.

"You attack the innocent and call it justice? I will show you true righteousness!"

With a wave of her hand, the ground erupted with flames, consuming the masked enemies in purging fire.

Miharu moved like a shadow. Her Wind and Shadow Magic made her near untouchable.

A masked figure lunged at her—only to slice through empty air. Miharu had already vanished, reappearing behind them, her dagger slicing through their throat.

A demon snarled, charging at her, but with a burst of wind, she leaped into the air and delivered a devastating mid-air spinning kick, sending the beast crashing into a wall.

While the others fought, Akane analyzed the battlefield.

She buffed Rei and Miharu's speed and reflexes with Enhancement Magic, allowing them to move even faster.

Her Light Magic flashed like the sun, temporarily blinding a group of enemies as the guards cut them down.

She kept track of enemy positions, ensuring no one was left vulnerable.

She sighed. "Honestly, this is exhausting… but we need to move faster."

Despite the chaos, the combined efforts of Asami and the consorts allowed them to push forward. More civilians were evacuated, and the Dark Order struggled to gain the upper hand.

But Asami knew this was just the beginning.

"We must reach the Imperial Palace. That is our priority." Her tone was sharp, decisive.

The battle was not over.

But for now, they had created a path forward.

Rin sat calmly atop the massive Elite Class Demon, its corpse a grotesque reminder of the savagery that had swept through the Imperial Capital. The dark, charred body of the demon lay beneath him, its once menacing eyes now lifeless. Burn marks marred its face, a clear indication of Rin's power—his katana, honed to a razor's edge, had cut through its defenses like paper. He had already dispatched the creature with precision, his movements fluid and almost effortless.

The remaining members of the Dark Order stared in disbelief. The sight of Rin—unscathed, perched atop the demon's corpse—was enough to send a chill through their spines.

"Impossible!" one of them whispered, their voice trembling.

Before they could react, Rin's eyes glowed faintly purple, his gaze sharp as a blade. With a swift, fluid motion, he unsheathed his katana, flicking it through the air with a single gesture.

Wind blades sliced through the air, faster than the eye could track. The Dark Order members barely had time to react before they were caught by the cutting winds, their bodies cleaved apart with brutal efficiency. They crumpled to the ground, silenced in an instant.

With a slight exhale, Rin turned away from the carnage. He didn't need to linger on it. The civilians who had been caught in the chaos were still trying to flee.

He turned his attention to them.

"Head to the White Flower Palace for safety." His voice was cold, but the instruction was clear. He didn't need to say more. The people understood, rushing past him with gratitude and fear in their eyes. Rin didn't spare them a glance. His job was far from done.

As the last of the civilians hurried to safety, Rin's focus returned to the heart of the Red Zone. The battle was far from over. His katana gleamed in the dimming light as he surveyed the area, his mind calculating. There were still people who needed help, still demons to slay, and the Dark Order had to be purged from the Empire completely.

Rin stepped forward, the sounds of battle still echoing around him. His eyes narrowed, and with a final glance over his shoulder at the dying capital, he moved with purpose, heading toward the center of the chaos.

There was still work to be done.

The Imperial Capital was a battlefield. Flames raged through the streets, painting the sky in a deep red glow. The air was thick with smoke and the acrid scent of burning wood and flesh. Screams and clashes of steel echoed through the city as the Dark Order pursued survivors, their dark robes fluttering ominously as they cut down anyone in their path.

Amidst the chaos, the White Empress Asami led the four consorts and a group of frightened citizens, weaving through the crumbling streets in their desperate escape toward the Imperial Palace. The path was treacherous—shadow magic and demonic creatures lurked at every turn, forcing them into constant battle.

"Stay together! Keep moving!" Asami commanded, her voice unwavering despite the ferocity of their pursuers.

Behind them, hooded figures emerged from the shadows, their cold laughter sending shivers down the spines of the consorts.

"Fools. You think you can escape?" one of the Dark Order members sneered, raising his hand as dark sigils burned into the air.

A horde of demons materialized, their twisted forms writhing as they shrieked with hunger, launching themselves at the fleeing group.

"Tch! They're relentless!" Rei gritted her teeth, gripping her flaming blade tightly.

"Enough of this! We need to break through!" Miharu shouted, sending razor-sharp wind blades toward the approaching demons.

Suzuki, using her psychic magic, disoriented their enemies with illusions, making them hesitate long enough for Akane to enhance Rei and Miharu's strength.

"Don't stop moving! Keep going!" Asami ordered, her hand glowing with frost as she unleashed a wave of ice, freezing several demons solid.

But it wasn't enough.

A thunderous roar shook the ground beneath them. The sky darkened, and in the next moment, a massive tear in the air ripped open, sending a shockwave that knocked them off balance. The very ground trembled as a towering figure emerged.

A Lord-Class Demon stepped into the mortal realm. Its twisted horns curved upward, its body wreathed in shadows and molten energy. A humanoid figure, but grotesquely elongated and monstrous—its clawed hands cracked the pavement as it landed with a resounding impact.

Its eyes burned like twin hellish suns, its very presence exuding pure malice. The surrounding demons howled in reverence, falling to their knees before the high-ranked monster.

For a moment, silence fell. Even the Dark Order members took a step back, as if in awe of the presence they had just summoned.

Then, the Lord-Class Demon let out an ear-piercing roar, shaking the very air around them.

The consorts flinched. Even with all their training, this was a level of power they had never faced before.

"Move! Now!" Asami snapped, quickly casting layers of supreme ice barriers between them and the demon. Frost surged forward, engulfing the streets in a desperate attempt to slow the monster's advance.

But it was not enough.

The demon merely laughed, raising a massive clawed hand before slamming it down onto the ice barriers. Cracks formed instantly before the entire structure shattered into dust, as if Asami's supreme-tier magic had been nothing but paper before its overwhelming might.

Asami clicked her tongue, gripping her elegant silver rapier as frost began to spiral around her blade. She stepped forward, determination in her icy blue eyes.

"You four! Get to the Imperial Palace!" she ordered firmly. "I will hold this monster here!"

"But—!" Miharu started, eyes wide in disbelief.

"That's an order!" Asami's tone brooked no argument.

Akane, the most level-headed, grabbed Miharu's arm. "We'll only be a burden if we stay. We have to go!"

Rei clenched her fists, looking torn, but she knew Akane was right. Suzuki bit her lip, reluctant but aware that their presence wouldn't change the outcome.

With one last look at Asami, the four consorts turned and ran, leading the civilians away as the White Empress turned to face the towering demon alone.

Asami exhaled slowly, a faint smirk playing on her lips as she raised her rapier.

"Come then, monster. Show me if you're worth my time."

The Lord-Class Demon grinned, its fangs gleaming in the firelight—then it lunged.

As soon as she sensed that the four consorts and civilians were far enough, White Empress Asami's expression changed. The elegance of the Imperial Court was gone, replaced by a cold and merciless intensity.

The Lord-Class Demon before her loomed, its molten aura scorching the ground with every breath. Its jagged horns curved menacingly, its massive clawed hands twitching, eager to tear apart its prey. The Dark Order members behind it grinned, watching as their summoned monster prepared to devour the lone Empress.

But Asami was unfazed.

She closed her icy blue eyes, taking a slow breath.

Then, she vanished.

The demon's fiery eyes darted around, confused. The Dark Order members shouted in alarm as a blinding golden light erupted, blinding them all momentarily.

And that was the beginning of the hunt.

From the shadows of the crumbling city, Asami weaved through the battlefield, her footsteps silent. Using light magic, she created afterimages of herself, forcing the demon and its summoners to strike at illusions instead of her.

The Lord-Class Demon roared, swinging its massive claws at one of her false figures, shattering a building in the process.

The real Asami, hidden behind a veil of light, hovered silently above, her hands forming intricate sigils.

"Slowly… piece by piece…"

The air grew colder.

She extended her fingers, and from the cracks in the cobblestone, thin spears of ice began to rise, spreading like webbing frost, slithering around the demon's massive form.

It took seconds before the demon realized it was being frozen.

"Tch! She's slowing it down! Kill her!" one of the Dark Order members shouted, finally catching on.

A wave of shadow tendrils shot toward her, but Asami merely smirked—her light magic bending space around her, phasing her through their attacks.

Her rapier flashed, and before they could even blink, two of the Dark Order members collapsed—impaled by razor-thin ice spears.

"You underestimate me, you worms," she said coolly, her breath visible in the frigid air.

The Lord-Class Demon bellowed in rage, its movements sluggish now, its limbs encased in thick ice, restricting its movements. The once unstoppable monster staggered, its infernal flames weakening against her relentless frost.

The Dark Order panicked.

"Damn her! This is taking too long—summon another!"

One of them raised a bloodstained dagger, chanting dark incantations.

Asami's eyes narrowed.

"Oh, no you don't."

With a flick of her wrist, a massive ice lance materialized above her, crackling with pure frost magic.

With a single motion, she hurled it down.

The lance speared through the summoner's chest, pinning him to the ruins of a broken wall. He coughed blood, eyes wide with horror before his body was encased in ice, frozen solid.

"One less problem."

The remaining Dark Order members fled in terror, their confidence shattered.

The Lord-Class Demon let out a final agonized roar as frozen spikes began emerging from its very body, encasing it completely in a monument of ice, its hellish flames snuffed out by the supreme-tier magic of the White Empress.

And then—silence.

The Imperial Capital streets were eerily still, the flames around them dimmed, leaving only the remains of frozen corpses and the towering figure of an ice-entombed demon.

Asami let out a slow breath, her body trembling slightly. She had used up nearly all her magic.

And then—a terrible, sickening laugh echoed.

She turned her head sharply, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

A new portal had opened.

A second Lord-Class Demon emerged.

Asami's face darkened. She had burned through her supreme-tier reserves, and she knew—she had nothing left.

The new demon's burning gaze locked onto her, recognizing her as the one who had killed its kin.

It lunged forward.

Asami stood her ground, gripping her rapier tightly.

"So, this is how it ends..."

As she prepared herself for one final stand, her mind drifted—not to regret, but to acceptance.

She thought of her past.

Of Masaki, her husband, who had shaped the Empire's future.

Of her fellow Empresses, each one fierce and formidable in their own way.

Of her life as the White Empress, navigating the Empire's politics with ruthless efficiency.

And, strangely... of Rin.

"Heh… That boy really is too perfect."

She closed her eyes, accepting her fate as the demon's massive claws came crashing down.

But then—

She felt a sudden pull, a burst of speed and strength far beyond her own.

Her eyes snapped open, only to find herself in someone's arms, being carried to safety.

The next moment, she was far away from the battlefield, her feet landing on solid ground.

She turned sharply.

"What—?"

And there he stood.

Rin.

His light blue and black uniform was torn, smeared with demon blood, his golden flaming katana still burning, casting an ominous glow against the night.

His piercing purple gaze glowed in the darkness, exuding a calm and deadly aura.

"You were reckless," he said simply, his voice as composed as ever, as if he had simply walked into a meeting instead of saving her from certain death.

Asami could only stare—for the first time in years, she was truly at a loss for words.