Hall of Gods, Holy Orthodox
Sitting on the throne, Arshley, dressed in a loose white robe that completely covered her curvaceous body, with her silver hair styled in a bun to the left and her beautiful face concealed by a veil, stared with a puzzled expression at the two n standing before her—the First Guard, Edward, and the Third Guard, Louis.
"So, can the two of you explain what matter you wish to address at this ti of night?" Arshley asked hesitantly, noting Louis's panicked expression and Edward's calm deanor.
Upon hearing Arshley's question, Louis, with a face drenched in cold sweat and panic evident in his eyes, looked at Edward, signaling him to start.
Edward sighed softly, shaking his head, before turning his gaze to Arshley on the throne.
Taking a few steps forward with his head slightly bowed, Edward clasped his hands together and said respectfully, "Forgive us for disturbing your sleep ti, Saint, but there is sothing we must tell you. It concerns sword hero Leon Kruger."
As soon as she heard this, Arshley's eyes widened in surprise, and radiant happiness blood on her beautiful face beneath the veil.
"What? Relating to Brother Leon? Edward, you're not joking, are you?" Arshley asked excitedly, her hands clenched tightly together as she fought to contain her happiness.
Several days had passed since the discovery of her brother's half-face mask, and with no further news, she felt increasingly uneasy and unsettled.
Furthermore, although finding the mask had initially alleviated so of her longing for her brother, her yearning had only intensified in the days that followed, and the mask was no longer enough to satisfy her.
So when Edward ntioned there was news about her brother, she couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness and excitent.
However, unlike Arshley's joyful expression, Edward's face reflected only gloom and sadness.
Taking a deep breath, Edward looked up at Arshley and gave a small nod.
"Yes, Saint, I'm not joking, but..." He abruptly stopped, leaving Arshley confused.
"But? But why, Edward? Is there a problem?" Arshley asked, a frown forming on her forehead.
Edward's hesitant expression, a rare sight for soone known as the 'Wise Angel of Holy Orthodoxy,' unsettled Arshley.
She glanced at Louis behind Edward and noticed he was lowering his head, seemingly afraid to et her gaze, adding to her confusion.
Edward closed his eyes for a mont before finally opening them and delivering his response directly.
"Saint, the hero star of Sword Hero Leon Kruger suddenly dimd, then disappeared, and was replaced by another star."
Upon hearing Edward's words, the confusion that had clouded Arshley's face vanished in an instant. Her beautiful smile faded, and her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Earlier, Louis had conducted a horoscope to monitor Sword Hero Leon's condition, and he found that his hero's star had vanished, replaced by another star of unknown origin," Edward explained, pausing briefly. When he finally looked up at Arshley, he was startled to find her frozen like a statue, unmoving from her spot.
Behind him, Louis, anticipating Arshley's potential angry outburst, was equally surprised to see her sitting motionless.
After a mont, Arshley suddenly rose to her feet, her expression calm and emotionless as she addressed Edward.
"Edward, regarding this incident, what are your thoughts? Does it imply that my brother, Leon, is dead?"
Observing her composed deanor, Edward breathed a small sigh of relief, sowhat surprised yet grateful that Arshley exhibited no signs of anger.
With a slight shake of his head, he replied calmly, "In my opinion and based on my knowledge, Saint, the disappearance of the hero star doesn't necessarily signify the death of Sword Hero Leon Kruger.
Rather, it could be a sign that his status aligns with the prophecy of 'the Fated One,' as docunted in the ancient manuscript I unearthed." He paused for a mont to catch his breath before continuing.
"A few days ago, after conducting thorough research, I discovered that one of the indicators of 'the Fated One' is the loss of their hero power. Though initially unclear, witnessing the disappearance of Sword Hero Leon's hero star suggests this might be what the ancient manuscript referred to," Edward explained in a relaxed and detailed manner before concluding.
Initially, he had already prepared this response, anticipating Arhsley's potential rampage upon hearing the news of his hero's star disappearance.
However, her relaxed and calm reaction, contrary to his expectations, did surprise him sowhat but also brought a sense of relief. After all, calming her down, especially concerning Leon, would have been quite challenging had she gone on a rampage.
Listening to Edward's explanation, Arshley nodded slightly, her expression indifferent behind her veil.
"So, are you fully convinced that my brother is 'the fated one' ntioned in the ancient manuscript you found?" Arshley inquired calmly as she settled back onto her throne.
"Yes, Saint, I am fully convinced this ti," Edward replied firmly, without hesitation.
If a few days ago his belief that Leon was 'the Fated One' was at 30% to 40%, now he was entirely certain.
This conviction was grounded not only in the traits described in the ancient manuscripts but also in the accuracy of his conjectures, which had never been incorrect.
Arshley nodded slightly and remarked, "Alright, since you are completely convinced, there is no need to continue searching for my brother in the Desert of Chaos."
Edward was initially surprised upon hearing this, but he quickly grasped her aning.
According to the ancient manuscript, 'the Fated One' was destined to appear in the war between humanity and the Demon race. Coincidentally, with the war scheduled to begin tomorrow, it was likely that Leon, as 'the Fated One,' would erge soon.
Taking a deep breath, Edward nodded firmly and replied, "Yes, Saint, as you command."
Arshley gave a small, wordless nod as she slowly closed her eyes.
To be honest, despite the calm deanor she maintained upon hearing Edward's news about the loss of her brother's hero star, Arshley felt a surge of anger that nearly made her lose control.
However, she contained it well, knowing that Edward would surely bring good news afterward, which he did.
"'The Fated One' is my brother, so he should appear in the war, right?" Arshley whispered inwardly, a silly smile forming on her lips.
She was already imagining the mont she would reunite with her brother, which made her lonely heart feel rejuvenated and blossom with hope.
Edward and Louis, noticing the excitent on Arshley's face despite the veil, exchanged relieved smiles.
*Dum!*
Just as the atmosphere in the Hall of Gods was relaxing, a huge bang reverberated through the Holy Orthodox Hall, causing the entire structure, including the floor beneath them, to sway violently, startling Edward, Louis, and Arshley.
"What happened?" Arshley asked in a cold tone, slowly rising to her feet and surveying the shaking hall.
Edward frowned warily and replied, "I don't know, Saint, but it seems sothing significant is happening."
Upon hearing this, Arshley frowned slightly and was about to speak, but suddenly, the enormous bell behind the throne, which had remained silent for thousands of years, rang out loudly.
*Dong! Dong! Dong!*
As the bell tolled, the previously bewildered expressions of Arshley, Edward, and Louis transford into ones of amazent and horror.
"This is..."
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