Chapter 75: Chapter No.75 The Royal Trouble (4)
[Samael Ashwood's POV]
"ENOUGH!!!" King Cedric finally lost it as he blasted his way toward me with his hand stretched out to grab my throat but a wall stood in front of me, a wall called Elysia Ashwood.
Elysia's presence was a force to be reckoned with, her blue aura clashing once more with King Cedric's golden radiance. The king's hand, halted by the invisible barrier of Elysia's magic, trembled with suppressed rage.
"Your Majesty," Elysia's voice was cold and commanding, "this court session is a farce because it refuses to address the real issues at hand. Samael has merely pointed out the elephant in the room. Your son's indiscretions and Lord Garrick's corruption are symptoms of a deeper rot within the kingdom."
King Cedric's eyes burned with anger, but he did not withdraw his hand. Instead, he leaned closer to Elysia, his voice low and dangerous. "You overstep your bounds, Lady Elysia. This is not your court to command."
"Maybe not," Elysia said as a thick vine sported from the ground and coiled around King Cedric's neck tightening ever so slightly, just enough to remind him of her power. "But try to attack my son again and see if your 'royal' family survives the night."
The room was suffused with a palpable tension as the vine coiled around King Cedric's neck. Every noble, guard, and advisor watched with bated breath, unsure of what would happen next. The confrontation had reached a boiling point, and any further escalation could lead to unprecedented consequences.
King Cedric's eyes flashed with fury, "I WILL KILL YOU!!!" with a massive surge of golden mana the vine around his neck disintegrated into nothingness. Elysia didn't flinch as King Cedric's golden aura expanded, filling the room with an oppressive heat. The gathered nobles recoiled, shielding themselves from the overwhelming force.
Elysia's gaze remained unwavering. "If you believe brute force will silence us, you are mistaken. This kingdom's stability is already precarious. One wrong move from you, and it will all collapse."
King Cedric clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing. "You think you can threaten me, Elysia? You and your son are a mere nuisance in the grand scheme of things."
A soft, mocking chuckle escaped Elysia's lips. "You underestimate the strength of a mother protecting her child. And you underestimate Samael. He is far more than you think."
"Samael Ashwood!" King Cedric barked, turning his wrathful gaze to me. "You think you can challenge the throne and walk away unscathed?"
"What do you think? I am standing right here, unscratched." I said as I again raised my fist and threw a punch at the still-recovering Julian.
Julian barely managed to raise his arms to defend himself, but my punch connected with a satisfying thud, sending him sprawling back to the floor. The court was filled with gasps and whispers, the tension escalating with each passing second.
"You insolent wretch!" King Cedric roared, his golden aura flaring even brighter. "You dare to assault my son in my presence?"
"Twice," I said nonchalantly, wiping my knuckles.
"What?" King Cedric's voice was more confused than angry.
"I said I already punched your son twice and I am still unscratched, unlike what you claim."
King Cedric's eyes narrowed dangerously, his golden aura seething with a volatile mix of anger and confusion. "You dare mock me in front of the entire court? Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?"
"I'm quite aware," I said, meeting his gaze unflinchingly. "And if you think intimidation will force me to back down, you're sorely mistaken."
"THAT'S IT!!!" King Cedric screamed as his hands started to gather mana.
"SUN MAGIC: INFERNO'S WRATH!"
King Cedric's voice echoed through the hall as he unleashed his spell. A massive wave of golden flames surged from his outstretched hands, engulfing the space between us in an inferno of blistering heat and radiant light. The sheer intensity of the magic caused the air to shimmer and crackle, and the nobles scrambled to shield themselves from the searing heat.
Elysia's eyes widened, and with a swift motion, she summoned a protective barrier of her own. Thick, emerald vines wove together to create a verdant shield that held back the raging flames. The clash of magic created a whirlwind of energy, the roar of the fire meeting the hiss of the vines as they strained to contain the explosive force.
A mocking smirk made its way to my face as I thought, 'Using magic against the heir of the Legendary Merlin heh~'
"Space Magic: Eternal Sanctuary!"
I called out, focusing my mana to create a protective barrier. A shimmering dome of violet energy expanded around me, intercepting the wave of golden flames with a soft, translucent sheen. The intense heat from Cedric's inferno collided with the barrier, causing the dome to ripple and pulsate with energy, but it held firm.
The flames were deflected away, creating an intense heatwave that rippled through the chamber but spared me from the full brunt of King Cedric's wrath. The protective dome absorbed and dissipated the heat, keeping the immediate area around me cool and stable. I could feel the strain of maintaining the barrier, but it was holding.
King Cedric's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw his inferno falter against my magic. "What—? How are you withstanding my spell?"
"I told you," I said calmly, maintaining focus on the barrier. "You're not the only one with powerful magic. If you're looking to make a statement, you're going to have to do better than that."
King Cedric's fury was palpable, his golden aura crackling violently as he tried to push through the barrier. The nobles and advisors watched in stunned silence, their previous confidence eroding as they witnessed the clash of titans.
Elysia's protective barrier also began to wane as she concentrated on containing the residual heat and energy. The vines started to retract, their task completed. Her gaze was sharp as she observed Cedric's efforts and my own response.
"Nature Magic: Planetary Rejuvenation!"
Elysia invoked, her voice resolute. The emerald vines that had previously shielded her coiled back into the ground, creating a shimmering wave of rejuvenating energy that flowed through the room. The heat and residual damage from King Cedric's inferno began to mend, the vitality of nature restoring balance and calming the tumultuous energies.
King Cedric's eyes flickered with astonishment as he realized the full extent of Elysia's power. His own flames had been turned aside, and the atmosphere in the room was now imbued with a soothing, restorative aura. The nobles and courtiers, who had been on edge, began to relax slightly as the immediate threat seemed to recede.
"GUARDS!!! ATTACK THOSE TRAITORS!!!" King Cedric's command reverberated through the hall, and the once-stunned guards sprang into action, drawing their weapons and moving toward Elysia and me with renewed aggression. The room was once again filled with chaos as the clash between royal authority and defiance continued.
"Not so fast!" Lord Maxwell Clearwater's voice cut through the chaos as he raised his staff. With a powerful surge of water magic, he summoned a torrent of crystalline water that surged forth, creating a swirling barrier between the attacking guards and the central confrontation. The guards skidded to a halt, their advance impeded by the sudden wave of water.
"Let me join too," Lord Whitewood said as he used his sword to cut open a rift in the air, summoning a gust of wind that swept across the hall. His air magic created a powerful vortex, swirling around the attacking guards and lifting them off their feet, disrupting their coordinated assault. The guards were thrown into disarray, their attempts to advance thwarted by the sudden and forceful wind.
Lady Eveline Clearwater helping her father maintain control of the situation. Her gentle presence belied her formidable water magic, and she extended her hands, drawing upon the surrounding moisture to create a shimmering shield of water around the central confrontation. This shield absorbed and dispersed the residual heat from King Cedric's spell, further mitigating the chaos within the hall.
Lady Stormrider stepped forward, her demeanor calm but her eyes sharp with focus. Her affinity with storm magic allowed her to summon a dark, roiling cloud overhead, which crackled with electrical energy.
With a decisive gesture, she unleashed a controlled lightning strike that arced through the air, striking the ground near the guards and creating a powerful shockwave that stunned and disoriented them.
The guards, caught between the elemental onslaught and the disruptive magic, faltered. They looked around in confusion and fear, their resolve wavering under the combined pressure from the elemental mages and the escalating chaos of the court.
King Cedric, still seething with rage and disbelief, glared at the mages who had come to our aid. His eyes were wild with anger, but the growing chaos around him began to temper his fury.
The combined might of Elysia's nature magic, Maxwell and Eveline Clearwater's water magic, Whitewood's wind manipulation, and Stormrider's lightning was beginning to overwhelm him, challenging his royal authority in a way he had never experienced before.
"Enough of this charade!" Cedric roared, his voice booming through the chamber. The king's golden aura flared as he struggled to regain control of the situation. The energy he radiated was fierce and menacing, but it was also strained, faltering against the overwhelming elemental assault.
As the storm cloud overhead crackled with lightning, Cedric's eyes darted to the remnants of his guards, who were now struggling to regroup. His frustration was palpable, but he knew that a full-scale assault on the assembled mages would only exacerbate the chaos.
"Disperse!" Cedric commanded, his voice laced with authority. The remaining guards hesitated before falling back, their formation breaking apart as they retreated from the elemental onslaught.
The nobles and advisors, who had previously been cowering in fear, began to murmur among themselves. The sight of the king's authority being challenged so openly was unsettling, and the court was left in a state of uneasy silence. Some whispered about the potential consequences, while others debated the merits of the actions taken by the various factions within the court.
"I, MYSELF WILL END THOSE BETRAYING THE CROWN, WITH THIS..."
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[To Be Continued]
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