The emperor was flung outside, smashing through the building.

With me in his arms, Alec slowly approached the spot where the emperor had landed.

Boom! The palace I had just been in collapsed with a thunderous roar that seemed to fill the sky.

My heart pounded like it was about to burst.

The emperor had clearly been overwhelmed by Alec’s power, but what had happened to him?

Could he possibly be dead already?

Just then, a pair of glowing red eyes pierced through the darkness.

The emperor let out a short laugh.

“This isn’t nearly enough, Alec.”

The emperor’s white uniform reflected the moonlight.

Alec glanced at the emperor before turning to me and saying, “Please stay here for a moment. Olivia will protect you.”

“What?”

I asked in confusion, and then I sensed something strange behind me.

When I turned around, someone was standing next to me, glowing faintly.

It was a woman dressed in a regal gown, her hair elegantly braided and adorned. Her hair was a shade of orange-gold, and her eyes were a striking green.

It was unmistakably the late empress.

“Your Majesty?”

How could the late empress be here?

“How… how is this possible?”

Words failed me.

A ghost? A spirit?

Even the emperor, stunned, couldn’t take his eyes off the empress.

“Olivia?” The emperor’s brows furrowed slightly.

It seemed that even he found this situation baffling.

“Why is Olivia here like that?” the emperor demanded.

I glanced at Alec in shock, but he was no longer beside me.

“You, of all people, should know best,” Alec said.

“…!”

Thud.

Alec struck the emperor with a powerful punch, his fist infused with a blue aura.

The impact was tremendous, sending the emperor flying.

Had he been unable to dodge it?

Or was Alec’s power simply too overwhelming for him to evade?

Alec now appeared so strong that my heart pounded even harder.

As he approached the emperor, he spoke in a low voice.

“Do you know why I haven’t killed you yet?”

“….”

The emperor glared at Alec, struggling to rise from the ground.

Alec’s shadow loomed over him.

“I could kill you right now, with a single stroke of this sword. I’m growing stronger, beyond anything you can imagine. With just one swing of this demon sword you’ve awakened, you’d be shattered into pieces.”

“….”

Alec stopped in his tracks.

The power radiating from him was so intense it seemed like it could explode at any moment.

The same was true for the emperor. The destructive force of their magic was something I was witnessing with my own eyes for the first time.

“But you… you’ve never understood the meaning of suffering. You’ve never even considered the pain I’ve endured.”

“…!”

Thud!

Once again, Alec delivered a crushing blow to the emperor.

The sheer force of it made my shoulders twitch.

As the emperor retaliated, I clasped my hands tightly together.

Each clash of their attacks echoed to the sky.

“Now you’ll experience it for yourself. The humiliation. The pain.”

At Alec’s words, the emperor smirked.

It seemed he was now prepared to fight with all his strength.

“Stay strong, Alec…” I murmured, unable to take my eyes off him, anxiety gnawing at me.

I desperately rooted for him.

How hard must it have been for him to gain the strength to face the emperor?

I fervently wished that all his determination and effort, after coming back from the brink of death, wouldn’t go to waste.

“In the next life, I’ll love you… much more perfectly… I’ll become a perfect husband for you… even if it means being reborn… again and again.”

“Alec…”

He mustn’t get hurt.

My heart was gripped with fear at the thought of him being harmed.

It felt like this was our last chance.

If he hadn’t come back stronger and had died in that inn, wouldn’t I already be in the afterlife?

I truly wanted to spend the rest of my life with him in peace.

Days of quiet tranquility, where no one could hurt us, whispering love to each other.

How wonderful it would be to grow old together and watch our children grow?

Is it finally safe to dream of such a future?

Could we be happy together without any more wounds?

All I could do for him was offer unwavering belief and encouragement.

‘Stay strong. Win, and let’s be happy together.’

Please, don’t get hurt.

“You mustn’t get hurt….”

Crash! Thud!

The sheer power exchanged between them was overwhelming, making it impossible to get close.

Before long, people began emerging from the palace.

They stood far back in the woods, watching in astonishment.

I felt like I could understand their emotions all too well.

Who would have imagined Alec would beat the emperor?

Once again, tremendous powers clashed.

“Tell me. Why did you try to crush me like that?”

The emperor smirked at Alec’s words.

“Do you really think there’s a reason? Like stepping on an ant?”

Thud!

Boom.

As the emperor was pushed far away, Alec moved forward like a flash of light.

Even with his collar gripped by Alec, the emperor glared fiercely.

“Whether you die miserably or not, it makes no difference to me. To me, you’re nothing, Alec.”

Crash!

“…!”

My heart skipped another beat.

The ground where the emperor fell had been deeply gouged out.

If it had been an ordinary person, they wouldn’t have been able to get up again—it was an incredible display of strength.

Yet, strangely, the emperor countered with an expression of twisted delight.

“Alec, I—”

The moment the emperor took a step forward, as if ready to strike, Alec hit him again.

Slam!

“…!”

He hit him again!

Even I could see the emperor staggering.

A sense of relief, and even a bit of satisfaction, welled up inside me.

To think that arrogant, cruel emperor was getting beaten by someone—by my husband Alec, no less!

It felt like Alec was paying him back, blow by blow, for all the suffering we had endured.

I found myself mesmerized by the scene, feeling more exhilaration than concern for Alec.

I couldn’t tell if the emperor was out of strength or just holding back.

But I could feel it in my bones—Alec was far more powerful than I had imagined.

Alec’s voice came through, low and steady.

“What’s wrong? Have all the ones you controlled disappeared? Your beasts, your Demon King’s sword? Whatever you try next, it won’t matter.”

Crash!

“Damn it!”

The emperor, as if ignited, unleashed his power.

“Die, Alec!”

The sky and everything around us trembled.

I could feel that the emperor was now releasing a completely different kind of power.

“W-What…?”

As I struggled to find my words, Olivia, beside me, spoke.

“It seems the emperor knows he’s at a disadvantage. He’s using everything he has left, trying to summon his true form and kill us all.”

“What… what?!”

The emperor’s power surged toward us like a fierce wind.

My hair and clothes whipped wildly as I stood.

People in the distance clung to trees, screaming, with some even being blown away. Thanks to Olivia, I barely managed to stay on my feet.

The howling of wind and magic mixed, like the wail of a banshee.

Is this what it would look like right before the world ends?

My heart swelled as if it would burst, and it became hard to breathe.

Alec stood still, as if waiting for something, watching the emperor.

In an instant, black clouds filled the night sky, and sparks flew all around.

The sound of the sky splitting apart reverberated in my chest.

At the same time, cold rain poured down relentlessly.

If I was this shaken, how terrified must the others be? My vision blurred.

Suddenly, the black clouds began to coalesce, forming a monstrous shape.

“…!”

I gasped for air.

What is that?!

Just as I thought that it bore an eerie resemblance to the emperor, Alec spoke.

“You finally reveal your true form.”

From the sky, a beast-like howl echoed.

Soon, the emperor and the clouds moved their lips in unison and spoke.

“If you can kill me, then go ahead and try, Alec.”

“…”

“I’m not an ordinary human. Cutting off my head won’t kill me.”

“…!”

The emperor’s voice filled the world, triumphant.

Not die even if his head is severed?

How could that be?

No matter how extraordinary he was, I hadn’t expected this.

So, how do we kill him?

I swallowed hard.

A wave of fear washed over me, wondering if we’d all fall victim to the emperor, but there had to be a way to defeat him.

Suddenly, Alec raised his hand.

At his signal, something appeared, draped in a tattered cloak, moving swiftly.

With sharp claws bared, it aimed directly at the emperor’s neck from behind.

Slice.

The sound of flesh being cut sent a chill down my spine.

At the same time, the emperor’s head fell cleanly to the ground.

“…!”

I clasped my hands over my mouth.

The sturdy body remained standing for a moment before collapsing.

“He… beheaded the emperor…?”

A shiver ran down my spine, but then I heard the emperor’s voice from above.

“I told you it’s pointless. I am the sky. I’m not bound to such a mere body.”

“…”

Despite the emperor’s boast, Alec appeared calm, as if he already knew.

Suddenly, Alec reached out toward the sky, and his talking sword reappeared, radiating power.

“You’re the one who will die, Aksen. I knew long before my death what would happen to this world.”

“…What?”

The emperor’s voice echoed unpleasantly from the sky.

“And that’s how I discovered your fatal weakness—the one thing that will kill you for good.”

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up to the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories