Looking at the figure, whose body was shrouded in a cloak and head concealed beneath a tightly wrapped scarf like the others, Queen Selene couldn't see his face clearly.
However, by the look in his eyes, she could sense a mocking amusement, causing her to furrow her brows. An unsettling feeling grew, especially as the strange object around her neck seemed to tighten with each passing moment.
Suddenly, her honed instincts, cultivated over years of experience, flared to life. She swiftly turned around and activated her "Wave's Barrage" towards one of the cloaked figures rapidly approaching her.
Yet, to her astonishment, nothing happened.
The light blue aura representing her Crystal King Rank briefly flared brightly before dimming and vanishing entirely, leaving her momentarily speechless.
"YOUR HIGHNESS!"
"BANNNGG!!"
A formidable force collided with the centre of her chest, propelling her backwards like a cannonball.
Her body tumbled and rolled across the ground before crashing down with a resounding thud, coming to a painful halt.
"Ah!" Queen Selene groaned, bewildered by the intense pain she felt instead of the impact being absorbed.
She turned her attention to her armour, and her eyes widened in alarm. The crystal bodysuit armour was gradually shattering, piece by piece. They disintegrated into thin air until all that remained was her elegant royal gown, with her panties exposed for all to see.
"Armour Weave,"
She immediately activated the technique again, but to her astonishment, nothing happened. It felt as though her magical energy had been compressed within a sealed well, and whenever she exerted herself to break free from this confinement, the item around her neck constricted even tighter, threatening to choke her.
'What is this?' Queen Selene thought furiously.
She was well aware of the few rare ancient artefacts that remained in the Prismerian Kingdom, and she knew them all. Thus, she struggled to understand when and how the Gemheart Clan had acquired another ancient artefact and how it could have the power to suppress her, who was at the Crystal King rank.
"WHOSSSHH!!"
"WHOOSSSH!!!"
Immediately, three figures appeared around her, prompting a rapid change in her expression. Her eyes locked onto the bloodied figure with a destroyed right arm, who was now limping toward her with the support of another cloaked companion.
"STAY BACK, OR WE KILL THE QUEEN!!" Neal's voice thundered through the air, instantly halting the advance of the approaching Starforged Knights. A triumphant smile crept across Neal's face as he shifted his attention to the Queen, who wore a deep frown and clenched her teeth in a mixture of frustration and defeat.
"Restrain her!" Neal ordered the remaining Gem Shroud Legion, who immediately followed his command by pulling her hands together behind her and pressing the smooth edge of a dagger against her neck.
They stood ready to slice her throat open should she make any sudden movements or attempt to escape. Witnessing Queen Selene, the current strongest Prismerion in the entire Prismerian Kingdom, defeated and held captive by his group, Neal couldn't contain his laughter. "Hehehehe!"
"What is... this? How is this possible? How is my magical energy being restrained like this?" Queen Selene demanded, her eyes fixed on the limping cloaked figure who appeared to be the group's leader.
She asked these questions with decisiveness, even as the sharp ends of the blades grazed her neck.
Neal gazed at her with a wide, menacing smile and responded, "That thing around your neck is an ancient artefact known as the 'Amberian Soulbind Collar.' While wearing it, your strength is suppressed to that of an ordinary mortal. There are a few exceptions, but I doubt I need to explain further since, after all, you're going to die soon, along with the rest of the royal family."
His grin widened even more beneath his scarf as he observed her growing pallor. "Don't worry; I'll make sure you have a front-row seat to watch, just as you've given me the opportunity to watch each of my team members being slain."
"Release me now, or I will make sure that you regret what you are about to do," Queen Selene declared, her words laced with cold determination.
Neal, however, scoffed at her threat, no longer giving her his full attention. He withdrew his arm from the support of his injured team member and signalled for all three of them to focus their efforts on the remaining Starforged Knight.
Meanwhile, Orion, who had been patiently observing the unfolding events, abruptly turned his head towards King Brylon.
"King Brylon... Huh!" His words paused as he beheld the unconscious king seated opposite him.
Orion furrowed his brows in disbelief before muttering, "He fainted... He's actually unconscious."
"Bangg!!"
"BOOOMM!!"
Orion tore his gaze away from the unconscious King and redirected it towards the ongoing battle outside.
The Starforged Knights appeared to be at a distinct disadvantage against the cloaked attackers.
He couldn't help but wonder why no one had come to investigate this location, especially the Quartzwraith clan. Despite the considerable distance separating them, the noise they'd generated should have raised some alarms, particularly since they were underground.
Orion shook his head vigorously, trying to dispel these thoughts from his mind, and refocused his attention on the battle outside.
It was obvious that one of the Starforged Knights had fallen, leaving only three against one, with the last remaining knight struggling to stand.
"Haaaa…." Orion's breath echoed loudly in the tense atmosphere.
Having assessed the strength of their opponents and gauged the limits, he decided it was time to go all out. Channelling the strange energy within his body and tapping into the Vylkr container nestled within his heart and brain, Orion felt an incredible surge of power flood through him.
His veins expanded to accommodate and control the chaotic Vylkr energy, and the strange energy clashed with it, further suppressing the resistance until it was nearly negligible. While Orion didn't fully comprehend how this strange energy could consistently restrain the Vylkr energy within him, he pushed that question aside and focused solely on the task at hand as he activated his gift.
