?Micheal was in shock.
?
?What had been a peaceful, elegant wedding just seconds ago now looked like a battlefield. The foreign delegation—guards and nobles alike—were turning on Lily’s parents, yelling about “our son,” “betrayal,” and “war.” The air was thick with panic. Tension hung like a blade over everyone’s heads. It wouldn’t be long before things got violent.
?
?Then, one of the prince’s siblings snapped.
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?In a fit of rage, he unleashed a scorching wave of fire, incinerating an entire row of nobles. That was all it took.
?
?Screams filled the air as panic erupted. People pushed and shoved, trying to flee. Some were too slow—burned alive where they stood. Valedor’s guards retaliated immediately, drawing weapons, while the King’s own forces struggled to protect the royal family and calm the chaos.
?
?Before Micheal could even react, Jasmine grabbed his arm, dragging him back.
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?Her face was pale, eyes wide. “F-Fuck this—we gotta scram!”
?
?Micheal didn’t need to be told twice. He followed her, still dazed, weaving through the crowd as hundreds—no, thousands—tried to escape the great hall. Some held corpses. Others cradled injured family members. The stench of blood and burnt flesh was overwhelming.
?
?They slammed into a man in the chaos—an armored soldier dressed in ice-blue, his face twisted into a sneer at the sight of Jasmine.
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?“Filthy bloodless heathen!”
?
?He raised his hand and launched a blazing beam of fire straight at her face.
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?Micheal reacted on instinct, lunging and knocking her aside. His own flames flared to life—thin, weak, and yellowish—meeting the man’s searing orange blaze. The heat was unreal.
?
?“You dare protect an unblessed pig?” the man spat. “Blood traitor’s brat!”
?
?The insult sent a jolt of fury through Micheal. He snarled, and his flames surged—still weak, but driven by rage.
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?“You’re the outsider!” he shouted. “You’re the one attacking people in a foreign country!”
?
?The soldier grinned cruelly, raising his second hand and doubling the intensity of his flames. Micheal stumbled backward, barely avoiding the blast. His lungs burned from the smoke. His eyes teared up from the soot and heat.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
?
?“You brat... your filthy little princess killed our crown prince! We should’ve invaded long ago. You shelter enemies of the gods—heathens, the lot of you!”
?
?Coughing, barely able to breathe, Micheal dodged again, the fire licking at his heels. Micheal clenches his eyes shut. out of nowhere—Jasmine sprang onto the man’s back.
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?She clawed at his eyes, her own wide with a mix of rage and desperation.
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?The man screamed, blood spurting from one ruined eye. He reached back, yanked her off, and hurled her at Micheal.
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?“You bitch! You dare touch me?! Filthy thing!”
?
?Micheal caught her, shielding her body with his own as the soldier’s hands lit up again. Jasmine trembled, face buried in his chest, clutching his shirt tight.
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?They braced for the flames.
?
?Then—CRASH.
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?A flash of light. A body hitting the ground.
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?Micheal opened his eyes.
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?The soldier was slumped in a heap, his skin scorched and melted, smoke curling off his body. Aki stood over him, his palm still steaming. He shoved Micheal aside, immediately dropping to check on Jasmine.
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?“Jas… are you okay?”
?
?“Y-Yeah… I-I’m fine,” she gasped, nodding. “A-Aki, what’s going on?!”
?
?“No time to explain, sweetheart.” His voice was tight but calm. He pulled her to her feet, then turned his eyes on Micheal—sharp and serious.
?
?“You. Take her back to the house.”
?
?“B-But—”
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?Aki grabbed Micheal by the collar. “Listen, brat. I’m trusting you for once. Get her to safety. And if she’s not unharmed, you’ll wish that guy had burned you.”
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?Micheal swallowed hard. “O-Okay. Got it.”
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?“Wait—Aki! What about you?!” Jasmine cried.
?
?“I’ll be fine. I have to protect the King.” He offered a faint smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Just stay hidden. Don’t come out.”
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?Jasmine looked like she wanted to protest, but the look on Aki’s face shut her down. Micheal knew it was time to move.
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?He grabbed her arm and pulled her forward.
?
?The hall was emptier now.
?
?No... it just had more corpses.
?
?
? **************************
?
?Lily crawled out of the narrow tunnel, gasping for breath. Her hair was thick with mud and grime, her once-elegant dress torn and ruined. Before she could even stand, rough hands yanked her upward and into a vehicle—an armed one, from the look of it.
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?Voices barked orders. Sharp, clipped. Military.
?
?It took a moment for her to register what was happening. Four people in uniform. One in what looked like a mechanical suit. All masked. All armed.
?
?As they pulled her into the back, a voice cut through the chaos—young, female, annoyed.
?“Easy, jackass! That’s the princess!”
?
?Lily blinked. She hadn’t even realized it was a woman. The uniform, the mask, the gun strapped to her hip—it all blurred together.
?
?A man’s gruff voice answered—probably the one who had pulled her in.
?“Sorry… didn’t mean to be rough.”
?
?Now seated between them, Lily remained silent. Her mind was blank. Numb. One guard beside her. Another across. One driving. One in the passenger seat. And in the rear—looming behind her—a mech suit, holding what could only be an explosive gun. She remembered seeing it once… in one of her father’s parades.
?
?The woman beside her pulled off her mask. Mid-40s, shoulder-length brown hair, a sharp but not unkind face. Her eyes softened when they met Lily’s.
?
?“Sorry for the rough handling, Your Highness. We’re here on your brother’s orders.” She reached under the seat and pulled out a water bottle. “Want some?”
?
?Lily shook her head. She wasn’t ready to speak.
?
?The woman shrugged and drank. On her other side, the large man took off his own mask. His body was built like a boulder, but his face… surprisingly gentle. A few tufts of spiky hair, and a shy smile that didn’t match his frame.
?
?“S-Sorry for dragging you out like that, ma’am,” he stammered. “Car was going fast. I—I didn’t mean to hurt you…”
?
?Despite everything, Lily felt a tiny, involuntary smile tug at her lips.
?
?The woman let out a short laugh. “Oh, you messed up now, Carl. She’s totally going to have you executed.”
?
?“W-What?! N-No!” Carl’s face paled in panic.
?
?“Stop messing with him, Kara,” the driver said with an exasperated sigh.
?
?“You’re no fun,” Kara muttered, slouching back with a pout. “I was just teasing.”
?
?The man in the front scoffed but stayed silent. A quiet settled over them until Lily finally found her voice.
?
?“I… I appreciate the help,” she whispered. “But… who exactly are you?”
?
?This time, the man in the passenger seat responded. His tone was flat.
?“Squad Number 51. Carl, Kara, Brad—” he gestured to the driver— “me, I’m Lars. And that—” he pointed behind her “—is James.”
?
?Lily turned, eyes widening as she looked at the mech, at what looked like a large hunk of metal attached to a gun. “T-That’s a person?!”
?
?Kara's lips twist into an amused smirked. “One of the best.”
?
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