09—11—1560 WC (2:00 am)
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Alberto then looked at the bodies again and said "Which one is the princess's body anyway?"
Alberto had never seen Elina, so he didn't know what she looked like.
Alberto's gaze shifted to the general and the knights who had accompanied them. They exchanged uncertain looks before one of them stepped forward.
"The princess's body is not here"
"My Lord, there's no sign of the princess here."
Alberto frowned. "That ans either she escaped… or was taken."
Maria slowly lifted her head, a spark of realization breaking through the fog of her grief.
"Elina…" she whispered.
If Elina's body was not here, then there was a chance—however slim—that she was still alive.
"Hmm.... I think the ones who attacked here kidnapped the princess."
"I'll kill them."
Maria's expression as it shifted—grief twisting into sothing darker. Her sorrow was quickly giving way to anger, rage bubbling up from within her like a violent storm.
Alberto was taken slightly aback by the sudden intensity in her tone.
Maria stood up, her blood-streaked dress clinging to her trembling form.
Her voice cracked as she scread, "I'LL KILL THEM! I WON'T SPARE ANY OF THEM!"
Alberto hesitated for a mont before speaking. "Queen Maria, do you know who this could be?"
Maria turned her gaze toward him, her eyes burning with a terrifying determination.
"I have my suspicions." Her voice was eerily calm now, but beneath it was an ocean of seething hatred. "And when I find out for sure, I will kill them."
She took a step closer, her piercing gaze locked onto Alberto's. "And I want you to help do it."
Alberto's brow furrowed.
Maria's voice softened slightly but beca even more compelling. "In return, I will give you anything you want. Anything."
Her desperation was evident, but so was her unwavering resolve. She was willing to pay any price for revenge.
Before Alberto could respond, a deep, guttural voice rumbled through the ruined chamber.
"But first.... save your own life!"
The wall beside them **exploded** into dust and debris as a massive figure crashed through it, sending shattered stone flying across the room.
The dust settled, revealing a towering beast of a man—or rather, sothing that was neither fully man nor fully beast.
Standing at nearly eight feet tall, the intruder was a monstrous fusion of human and lion. His golden mane was wild and unkempt, flowing over his massive shoulders. His face bore a feline structure, his sharp fangs glistening in the dim light. His bulging arms were covered in thick fur, and in one of his colossal hands, he held a giant war hamr, its surface stained with dried blood.
Alberto imdiately reached for his gun. The knight and soldiers also point their weapons at it.
"Who the hell are you!?"
The lion-man smirked, baring his sharp teeth. "You don't need to know my na. Just know that I am here to kill you."
His voice was deep, almost inhuman.
Maria's hands trembled, her rage surging forward. "So you're the one who killed my child!?"
The lion-man tilted his head slightly before scoffing.
"What are you talking about? I ca here to kill you. Your son and your daughter? That was soone else's doing."
Maria's breath hitched. "Soone else…?"
The beast let out a low chuckle. "It doesn't matter. You're about to die anyway!"
BANG!
Alberto pulled the trigger, his bullet striking the lion-man's chest.
But nothing happened.
The beast didn't flinch. He only laughed.
"Hahaha! These weapons of yours are completely useless against . If you want to harm , you will need magical enchanted weapons. My body is protected from all non-magical attacks."
This surprised them because now the firearms were useless against it since they were not enchanted by magic.
Then the general said, rembering sothing, "Are you..... the infamous The Mystic Juggernaut!?"
The lion-man grinned. "Hmm, it seems I'm so famous that even the kingdom's general knows about ."
Maria looked at the general and said, "Do you know who he is?"
The general's expression darkened. His grip on his sword tightened. "Yes, Your Majesty. He is a notorious criminal—one who has committed countless atrocities, not only in our kingdom but across many lands."
His voice seethed with barely contained fury. "A ruthless murderer. A monster without conscience."
Maria's eyes burned with hatred as she turned back to the beast.
The general took a step forward, fists clenched. "You bastard! Who hired you!? Tell , and I'll pay you double their offer."
The lion-man let out a low, rumbling chuckle.
"Tempting," he mused, his golden eyes gleaming with amusent. "But I have already accepted the contract. And unlike so of your kind, we have our own code of honour."
His grin widened, wicked and taunting. "We never betray our clients."
Then, without another word, he lunged forward, his war hamr swinging toward Maria with earth-shattering force.
Before the monstrous weapon could connect, Carl moved with lightning speed, drawing his sword and blocking the attack.
**CLANG!**
The impact was deafening, sending shockwaves through the room. The sheer force pushed Carl back, his boots skidding against the blood-slick floor.
Carl gritted his teeth. "Sir, I'll take care of this! You two get out of here!"
Alberto's instincts scread at him to retreat.
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His mind raced. {What's going on here!? One danger after another. Why is there so much danger!? I shouldn't have co here. If I get out of this alive, I swear I'll never leave my country again.}
Maria was standing her ground, refusing to retreat.
Carl's sword clashed against the beast's hamr in a flurry of strikes. The half-lion roared as he swung with relentless aggression, each blow shaking the very foundation of the palace.
Maria turned to Alberto, her eyes ablaze. "We can't run. Not now."
But Alberto didn't have ti to listen to her now.
He took Maria's hand and said, "We're leaving. This is not the ti to get emotional."
Alberto trusted that Carl could defeat these half Beastman since he was an A-rank hero. Also, his sword was made by Circe, which she enchanted. So Alberto knew that Carl would beat it.
Carl dodged a brutal swing of the hamr, counterattacking with a precise slash across the beast's side. The lion-man snarled but barely flinched. His monstrous body was built for war.
Alberto didn't wait to see the outco. He left the room with Maria and the others.
Maria clutched her son's body as they fled.
Her grief had not disappeared.
But now, it had transford into sothing far more dangerous.
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