Rise Of A Queen

[Five Minutes Later.]

"So, they're after the artifact we got from Nioh?" Josephine asked, her voice sharp with concern.

"Yep," Sunny nodded, a casual affirmation that belied the gravity of the situation.

"And where is the artifact?" She pressed, her gaze fixed on him.

"Already used it... It's gone," he replied, a hint of something unreadable in his tone.

"Did the artifact cause the purple explosion?" Josephine continued, her mind piecing together the events.

"You can put it like that... It and something else," Sunny said, his eyes flicking towards Ellen, who remained transfixed, staring at the burning city outside.

"Okay... Let them come, we can take them on," Josephine finally declared, a resolute determination hardening her features.

Sunny nodded, a faint smile gracing his lips. "They won't... You know why?" he asked, a playful challenge in his voice.

"No," Josephine, Star, and Jinx chorused, shaking their heads in unison.

"Tomorrow, there's an auction... You, Nioh, and Ellen are going with me... We will show the royal families our strength..."

"You think it will make a difference?" Star interjected, a flicker of doubt in her eyes.

"We are strong, but not strong enough... The three-eyed nation has a weapon that can destroy an entire planet... Our people's safety is our utmost priority... If we can extend the war, we will have more fighting chance," he explained, his voice low and serious.

The three women fell silent, lost in thought. After a few seconds, they slowly nodded their heads in agreement.

"Okay," Josephine conceded, her initial skepticism fading.

"If I may ask; How are you going to achieve it?" Jinx inquired, her question direct and to the point.

"Easy... Show them our strength... We are allowed to bring three people, making four... But no one said anything about bringing escorts... And we have millions of them," he finished, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

The three ladies exchanged glances, then nodded in understanding.

{Loyalty: Josephine +5.}

Sunny smiled warmly at Josephine. "Okay... Let's meet back at the palace, I will need the map of this planet."

"Okay... See you then, brother."

"Okay, Love..."

The call disconnected, and the holographic screen vanished. Sunny turned his head to Jinx, who sat on the opposite couch, and subtly gestured towards Ellen.

"She needs a shower... Go and get ready, we will reach before dinner," he instructed.

"Okay," Jinx nodded, rising from her seat.

____

[Matilda's Hideout - Night Time.]

The wooden door creaked open, and Matilda stepped into the dimly lit room, illuminated by the flickering glow of numerous candles. Her gaze immediately fell upon the intricate circle drawn on the ground, clearly etched in blood.

Slowly, Matilda moved further into the room, her eyes tracing the crimson-stained curtains that hung around the space. She stopped just outside the blood circle, her attention drawn to the unknown words inscribed within it.

"Surge reginae," she muttered in a low voice.

"Rise of a Queen."

Matilda glanced over her shoulder at Jabez, Alastor, and Andras, who stood silently behind her.

"Is this?" she began, her voice a whisper.

"Yes... This is the ritual circle... All you need to do is put on the white dress and enter... We will do the rest," Jabez confirmed, his voice calm and steady.

"Are you sure this will increase my powers and Bloodline?" Matilda asked, a hint of hesitation in her tone. "And why so much blood?"

"Blood is one of the requirements, we took it from some criminals... And yes, it will increase your powers," Jabez explained, his gaze briefly flicking to the two figures behind him.

"Okay," Matilda exhaled, a surge of resolve coursing through her. 'I must do anything to get stronger... There are a lot of vultures eyeing the throne... If I am weak, I will die... I must be strong.'

With that thought firm in her mind, she turned to face the three. "Where is the dress?"

Alastor stepped forward, holding out a white dress enclosed in a plastic garment bag. Matilda walked towards him, her fingers brushing against the fabric.

"Okay..." she murmured, taking the dress from him and moving away to change.

___

[Five Minutes Later.]

Matilda stood within the blood circle, her silhouette stark against the candlelight, staring at the three men. "What's next?" she asked, her voice steady despite the trepidation in her heart.

Jabez stepped forward, a small box in his hand. He opened it, revealing a shriveled, dried-up heart. "Take it."

Matilda took the heart, holding it in her hand, her eyes fixed on him.

"When we start reciting, you must eat it... All of it."

".....?!" Matilda was stunned.

"I... I will eat it?" she stammered, flabbergasted.

"Yes... Ultimate strength requires hard choices," Jabez stated, his red eyes fixed on her silver ones, unwavering.

After a moment of profound hesitation, she finally nodded.

'If I have to eat this, I will,' she thought, steeling herself.

Jabez nodded in approval and turned to the other two. With a shared nod, Alastor and Andras moved to two sides of the circle and knelt on both knees. Matilda watched as Jabez followed suit, kneeling before her.

The three simultaneously placed their right hands palm-down on the ground, directly on the circle, and began infusing an unknown energy into it.

'What energy is this? This isn't celestial energy...' Matilda thought in confusion, a prickle of unease running down her spine.

WHOOSH!!

A torrent of red light burst forth from the circle, instantly surrounding her.

Alastor began the incantation: "Ex cinere ad animam."

[From Ashes to soul.]

"Ab anima ad spiritum," Andras continued, his voice resonating through the dimly lit room.

[From Soul to spirit.]

Jabez gestured to Matilda, who took a deep breath, exhaled, and bit into the heart. Seeing her resolute action, Jabez smiled, his voice rising in volume as he poured more energy into the circle.

"A spiritu ad corpus! A corpore ad vitam!!!"

[From spirit to body! From Body to life!!]

Matilda closed her eyes, quickly finishing the heart as the three men yelled in unison.

"We call upon you Great Queen!!! Come and rule!!!!"

BOOOOM!!!!

A powerful beam of light shot out from the ground, completely enveloping Matilda's figure. It shattered the rooftop above, continuing its ascent into the night sky.

_____

[In a Distant Planet.]

Ten figures instantly opened their eyes, their faces contorted with a mixture of shock, horror, and terror.

"It can't be!!" one exclaimed.

A woman among them stood up, an aura of Demi-god rank radiating outwards from her. "Such a pressure! Only that witch can unleash it!" she muttered, turning to the nine figures behind her.

"She is back and also not back," the oldest among them, a man with wisps of white hair, stated, not bothering to rise.

"What do you mean by that?" the woman asked, confusion etched on her face. The other eight figures also turned their attention to him.

"The energy is weak, she isn't back... It might just be her soul fragment." He looked up at the woman. "That energy came from your nation, as the ancestor... Go and investigate and report back to me."

"Yes!" The woman bowed quickly and shot into the air, flying away at incredible speed.

'I hope I am right,' the old man thought inwardly, a deep furrow in his brow.

____

[Back to Matilda.]

WHOOSH!

The three men watched intently as the smoke slowly dispersed and the blinding light faded. Seeing the figure with vibrant red hair standing within the circle, they quickly dropped to their knees, their heads bowed in reverence.

"Welcome back, Great Queen!!" they yelled in unison, their voices echoing through the ritual room.