Two Goals

The Queen's gaze swept across the room, finally settling on the three figures before her.

"Jabez, you disappoint me," she declared, her voice laced with a frigid authority that sent shivers down their spines.

"...?!"

Jabez looked up, his eyes wide with confusion.

"I... I won't dare, my Queen!!" he stammered, his voice barely a whisper.

"Shut up!" she hissed, a wave of raw energy bursting forth from her, smashing into the trio and sending them hurtling meters backward.

They slammed into the ground, a guttural cough forcing mouthfuls of blood from their lips.

Without a moment's hesitation, they scrambled up, their bodies aching, and knelt again, their heads bowed in fervent supplication.

"Do you know why I am disappointed?" she asked, her tone dangerously calm, while the three shook their heads in terrified ignorance.

"You found such a weak body, and expected what? Praise?!!" she scoffed, the words cutting like ice.

"My Queen... She was the only Host that is suitable... And we don't have time to look for another," Jabez managed to articulate, seemingly the only one brave enough to speak before the formidable Queen.

The Queen stared at him for a few seconds, her crimson eyes piercing. After a moment of contemplation, she looked up at them, a new resolve hardening her features.

"Then you have a new mission."

The three looked up, their expressions a mixture of apprehension and eagerness, awaiting their new task.

"You three have two goals... At all costs, make sure this body survives."

"We will, Great Queen!" the three chorused in unison, their voices echoing with unwavering loyalty.

"Your second goal," the Queen continued, her voice resonating with power.

"Make sure she gets stronger... I can only take control if she enters the peak stage of the Divine rank... She is still two ranks below that... Do whatever it takes to make her get to the rank sooner... I will be dormant in her, waiting."

"We vow to complete the mission as swiftly as possible!! With the Queen's help, she is now at the peak of the Heavenly Rank... She will do anything for power, so we will use the forbidden way to make her get stronger, that way, the Great Queen's power will multiply," Jabez declared, his head still bowed, a sinister glint in his eyes.

"Good! Don't disappoint me again."

With those words, she closed her red eyes. The moment they opened again, they were a shimmering silver. Matilda, who had been standing, suddenly collapsed to the ground.

Jabez moved swiftly, catching her before her body could touch the cold floor.

"Remember the Queen's mission! Nothing must happen to the body, not even a scratch... Anything that affects her affects our Queen!" he commanded, his voice filled with a fierce protectiveness.

Alastor and Andras nodded in solemn understanding.

"Clean this up, don't leave a trace. I will take her back to the castle."

Jabez held Matilda carefully, ensuring his touch remained respectful, for this was, after all, their Queen. With a deep breath, he vanished with her, leaving no trace behind. Meanwhile, the other two activated their skills, engulfing the entire room in roaring flames, and then vanished as well, leaving only a scorched testament to their presence.

_____

[Star Planet Atmosphere.]

A figure moving with the incredible speed of light came to an abrupt halt, her gaze sweeping across the vast expanse of the Star Empire below. Her eyebrow arched in surprise. "The signature, It vanished," she muttered, a rare note of bewilderment in her voice, and then shot towards the ground.

_

WHOOSH!!

She landed silently on the blackened earth, her eyes fixed on the still-burning building. "Where is she?" she muttered, a flicker of impatience in her voice. With a casual wave of her hand, the inferno instantly extinguished, leaving behind only smoldering ruins.

"Was he saying the truth? Is it just her fragment?" she mused, staring at the blackened structure, a deep frown etched on her elegant face.

"I can't get anything from here... The Immortal Council isn't allowed to interfere with the things that happen in the galaxy, but the Blood Queen is a threat to everyone... Including us, Immortals," she muttered, her resolve hardening.

"Found anything, Second Elder?"

She looked over her shoulder as a phantom appeared out of thin air – a man with long silver hair and striking blue eyes.

"What are you doing here, Tenth Elder!?!" she asked coldly, her tone sharp with disapproval.

"Just came to see if you need help," the Tenth Elder said with a charming smile, his gaze casually sweeping around the desolate scene.

"If I encounter something I, myself, can't defeat, what use can you be?" she retorted, not even bothering to look at him, her gaze still fixed on the extinguished fire.

"True... You are a lot stronger than me... As a peak Demigod rank, nothing can stop you, so why are you so worked up about this Queen?" he probed, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

The lady squatted down, placing her palm on the charred ground.

"You just joined the council, so you know nothing... Check the ancient library and find out yourself." She stood up, a grim expression on her face.

"Deaths." she muttered, the single word hanging heavy in the air.

"Death? You mean the servants of the Queen?" the Tenth Elder asked, surprised, his easy smile faltering.

The Second Elder turned to face him, her eyes piercing.

"If you don't know the Queen, how do you know about the Deaths?"

"The other elders mentioned it... That... That's how I know," he stammered, a slight unease creeping into his demeanor.

"Hm... Mmm." She nodded, not elaborating further, her gaze distant.

"Okay... If you don't need help, I will get going," he said, and with a shimmer, his phantom form shattered into countless pieces, dissolving into the air.

The lady exhaled slowly, then turned her head towards the sprawling Star Empire, miles away.

"Should I visit my younger generation?" she asked herself, a momentary flicker of longing in her eyes. But then she decided against it.

"No... I already gave them everything. I will only interfere if it affects the existence of the Star Nation."

With that firm decision, she shot into the sky, leaving the planet behind.

'Why would Deaths be in the Star Nation? Were they the ones who tried to resurrect the Queen? Anyway, it seems they failed,' she mused, soaring through the cosmic void, her thoughts already shifting to the broader implications of what she had witnessed.

____

[Matilda's Chamber.]

Jabez gently placed Matilda onto the soft bed, carefully covering her with the silken bedsheets.

His gaze drifted to the window, staring intently at the distant lights moving towards the sky.

'Second Elder... I can't wait to officially meet you,' he murmured to himself, a subtle smirk playing on his lips. He then turned his attention back to the peacefully sleeping Matilda.

'Her body is weak... But with the Queen in her body, her recovering speed must have multiplied by 100%,' he mused, taking a few steps back from the bed.

'You are lucky... At least, you will get your wish. We will make sure you get stronger... And you will always be protected by us... Till the Queen fully takes over.'

With that final thought, he disappeared from the chamber, leaving Matilda in the serene and quiet solitude of her room.

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More thanks to everyone for supporting me so far... Love you all!!

I Can't wait for the auction, and the battle with the three-eyed nation.