The moment she stepped out of the carriage, Queen Selene's ears twitched as she clearly heard the chants echoing around her. "Kill THE QUEEN!!"
"KILL THE ROYAL FAMILY!!"
She slowly turned her head from side to side, her gaze fixating on the lifeless royal guards. A deep frown marred her lips as she observed their corpses.
Almost instantly, as her presence became known, the crowd unanimously took a step back, creating a visible gap around her.
However, soon after, murmurs began to circulate through the air.
"Quick... That woman who just stepped down from the carriage is the queen... Heheh... We can finally get rid of her."
"Although she's a hundred times more beautiful than I had thought, if we capture her and make her suffer the same way we suffered, then kill her later, I don't think it would make much difference."
"Hah, that's right... That's right... Then, what are we waiting for!"
As the voices grew louder and more fervent, Queen Selene's eyes twitched, but she managed to regain her composure.
Even though she wished to end this immediately, dealing with them all at once would be overwhelming.
She looked at the descendants of the forgotten clans as they approached, each with their own intentions burning in their eyes. With an indifferent tone, Queen Selene spoke, "What are you waiting for? Take care of all of them."
In an instant, powerful waves of magical pressure erupted and spread out from all four directions.
"BARRIER STANCE!"
Several loud cries echoed from every side, and a protective barrier made of crystal shards began to form from the sides of the wide stony terrain. It spread widely, encompassing the space around them until the area was entirely sealed off by a wide dome of clear crystal shards.
Neal, who was hiding behind a boulder along with several other members of the Gem Shroud Legion scattered around at a distance from the crowd, couldn't help but furrow his brows as he witnessed this scene.
'Which division is guarding the Queen?' he wondered.
If the division was as weak as they expected, they had no chance of winning this battle. But if they were stronger, the losses for the Gem Shroud Legion would be greater than anticipated.
Nonetheless, a streak of light caught the corner of his eye, prompting him to turn his gaze toward the crowd.
"What's happening?"
"IT'S THE ROYAL FAMILY'S ELITES?"
"THIS…. WE ARE TRAPPED… WE ARE TRAPPED!!"
The descendants of the forgotten clans had all witnessed this scene, voiced out their thoughts, and couldn't help but be vigilant of their surroundings. They didn't dare take another step because they didn't know what would happen next.
However, after a few minutes of nothing occurring, a few of them gritted their teeth and refocused their attention on the Queen.
"KILL THE QUEEN!!"
"KILL THE ROYAL FAMILY!!"
A few of them screamed, and like ripples, they all surged forward like a wave with the same thoughts in their minds, their eyes intensely focused on Queen Selene.
"SWOOOSSSHHH!!"
"SWOOOSSHHH!!"
"SWWISSSSHHHH!!"
However, just before they reached her once more, several waves of magical pressure erupted, causing the descendants of the forgotten clans to stare wide-eyed at the scene unfolding before them. They watched in horror as their comrades fell one by one, their bodies brutally cleaved in half.
Flashes of light streaked left and right within the crowd, cutting them down one by one until only a fraction of the previous group remained.
"RETREAT!!"
"RETREAT!!!"
Realizing that they had no chance against these overwhelmingly powerful opponents they couldn't even see, they all turned and fled.
What was the use of staying and dying when they couldn't accomplish their task?
They decided to retreat and plan another ambush for the royal family on a different day. However, it was already too late.
The moment they turned around to flee, they were immediately struck down. Within a matter of minutes, every single one of the gathered descendants of the forgotten clans was silently slain, without even the chance to scream out in pain.
"SWISSSHHH!!"
"SWISSSHHH!!"
Shortly afterwards, five tall figures emerged, all clad in pristine black heavy armour with varying colours of gems on their chest plates, each carrying a great sword strapped tightly to their backs. Three of them guarded Queen Selene, while the other two protected the carriages.
Queen Selene shifted her gaze from the Starforged Knights to the bloody scene surrounding her.
Although she would have preferred a quicker response, she understood the need for caution. Given the situation, she didn't focus on the ground littered with corpses and blood from the fallen descendants of the forgotten clans.
Instead, she surveyed the rocky landscape around her, paying particular attention to the various large rocks scattered about.
"Whoever you are, show yourself!" Queen Selene shouted loudly into the air. "Come out now; I am giving you the chance to surrender!"
Of course, by simply examining the dagger marks on the necks of the deceased royal guards and the ruthless efficiency with which they had been killed, Queen Selene deduced that there was a cunning mastermind orchestrating this ambush, someone who harboured a burning desire to see them all dead.
The very thought of it ignited a fiery anger within her as she scanned her surroundings, waiting for the hidden figures to reveal themselves amidst the dazzling light emanating from the crystal-laden walls and ceiling.
"Don't tell me you actually believe you have a plan that can successfully work against the royal family?" Queen Selene said, her eyes twitching with irritation as she glanced at the three members of the Starforged Knight division.
"Find them," she ordered, realizing the danger of allowing this situation to persist. They had no knowledge of how many assailants were lurking or how strong they might be.
Though she currently held the title of the most powerful, she hadn't ascended to this pinnacle through recklessness.
The trio of Starforged Knights nodded resolutely and surged forward with astonishing speed. Not even the weight of their heavy armour or the greatswords strapped to their backs hindered their speed as they darted from one area to another, determined to ferret out their concealed assailants.
With the crystal shard dome still intact, they held the confidence that their foes were still lurking, and it was only a matter of time before they were either discovered or forced to reveal themselves.
