Chapter 46

Querehsha scoffed, descending slowly from the air in a swirl of emerald mist. Her insect-like limbs retracted as she assumed her human form again, red eyes glowing faintly beneath her dark lashes.

“If I killed you, who would open a portal back to Earth?” she said dryly, touching down gently on the broken terrain.

Kaede tilted her head, amusement flickering across her crimson eyes. “You should have thought about that earlier.”

Querehsha touched down gently, her heels clicking against the fractured stone. “Don’t confuse my curiosity for weakness.”

“Curiosity?” Kaede asked. “Is that what you call threatening my guild?” Her smile faded. “You think I’ll just forgive that because you’re curious?”

Above, the centipede shrieked again as Hosha drove his spear through one of its dozens of eyes. The monster thrashed violently, smashing into the jagged terrain as Hosha rode its momentum, carving glowing trails of red magic across its carapace.

Kaede lunged forward without warning.

Querehsha moved just as fast.

Their collision sent a thunderous shockwave through the clearing, the air itself trembling as claws met steel. Kaede’s shield grazed the side of Querehsha’s shoulder, splitting the Monarch’s outer carapace and spraying green ichor into the dust.

Querehsha responded instantly, her arm splitting open into dozens of segmented limbs, all tipped with razor-sharp bone. They lashed forward like a tidal wave, but Kaede spun low, her shield absorbing the brunt of the strike before she flipped backward into the air.

For a split second, Querehsha was alone, then Kaede appeared above her, slamming downward like a meteor, shield glowing with red flame. Querehsha raised a swarm of insects in defense, but the sheer force of the blow incinerated them on contact, blowing her back across the field.

CRACK!

Querehsha crashed through a rock spire and tumbled to a stop, steam rising from her armor.

Kaede didn’t chase. She simply raised her blade and pointed it forward. “Still curious?”

From the rubble, Querehsha rose slowly, wiping a smear of green ichor from her chin. Her gaze was no longer playful.

“…Interesting,” she said. “You really might be one of us.”

Kaede’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell is even that?”

Querehsha chuckled darkly, then flicked her hand, and behind her, the ground erupted with movement as more centipede-like beasts began to surface.

Kaede frowned, her expression tightening in irritation.

Without a word, her aura erupted, an explosion of crimson and black that surged outward in a violent wave, sweeping across the shattered landscape. The very air trembled beneath its weight as the ground cracked beneath her feet.

Within seconds, every insect Querehsha had summoned fell still. Chittering forms collapsed where they stood, their bodies crumbling into ash and dust, lifeless husks dropping mere feet from their creator.

Miles away, the colossal centipede locked in battle with Hosha suddenly froze mid-strike. Its many glowing eyes dimmed, flickering like dying embers before extinguishing entirely. Then, silence.

Hosha blinked, sensing something was off, but before he could react, a sinister green glow enveloped the creature’s corpse. With a sickening lurch, its body twitched, and moved again.

Caught off guard, Hosha was pulled underground in a blur of motion, the centipede dragging him beneath the earth like a corpse reanimated by hatred.

Back above, Querehsha’s eyes narrowed. “Instant death?” she murmured, voice edged with suspicion. “It reeks of poison.”

Kaede clicked her tongue in annoyance. “Tch. I was hoping that’d end it. Guess you’re immune.”

“Of course I am,” Querehsha said coldly. Her body shimmered as she began to grow, her limbs elongating, form shifting until it became a towering, ghostly silhouette. Her voice echoed with power, layered with the sound of countless whispering wings. “I am the Monarch of Plagues. I reign over poison, disease, and insects. A poison that causes instant death? That’s 'my' specialty.”

She raised a clawed hand, eyes gleaming. “And naturally, I am immune to all that I command.”

Internally, Queresha mused. 'Although, I never thought that the ability could be applied to her mere presence. That's beyond even me. Anyone not immune to instant death, would die just from being in the same vicinity as her. That literally means every Monarch except from Ashborn and myself. Perhaps Antares as well, but the point stands.'

'For a Monarch Candidate… her potential surpasses even the Monarchs, Antares included.' Querehsha’s thoughts churned with equal parts awe and calculation. 'I have two options before me, kill and devour her, hoping to absorb even a fragment of that potential… or turn her into an ally.'

Suddenly, the ground to the west split apart in a flash of green lightning.

Hosha erupted from beneath the surface in a streak of speed, his body crackling with volatile energy. His spear was raised high, its once-silver edge now glowing a molten yellow. Above him, the sky responded, storm clouds gathering in unnatural formation, churning red and gold like a wrathful wound.

The earth trembled again.

With a deafening roar, the giant centipede burst from below, its massive body twisting through the air as it launched itself at the lightning-cloaked elf.

"[Half-Life Blade]," Hosha intoned, voice calm but firm.

He swung his spear downward.

The sky split with a thunderous crack, a jagged line of yellow lightning tearing from the blood-red clouds above. The bolt slammed downward like divine judgment, aimed squarely at the airborne monster.

The centipede responded.

Green miasma condensed around its mandibles, churning into a dense, volatile orb. The sludge twisted and spun with alarming speed, grinding in on itself like a vortex of rot. At its core, a white-hot glow ignited, unstable, brilliant, and deadly.

It detonated.

[Plague Aspect: All Killing Breath]

The blast of putrid energy rocketed upward, a pillar of corruption clashing headlong with the descending lightning.

The two forces collided with the fury of ten nuclear detonations, the sky tearing open as a massive mushroom cloud erupted into existence. The shockwave rippled outward in every direction, obliterating everything within a ten-kilometer radius. Mountains turned to dust. The very air screamed as matter was shredded, vaporized into nothingness.

And yet, amidst the apocalyptic storm...

Kaede and Querehsha faced one another at the epicenter, as the cloud surged around them. Tar-black winds and green lightning clashed against them futilely as they stood, barely even budged.

Beneath her composed exterior, Querehsha felt the first seed of doubt take root.

‘Can I actually kill her?’ she wondered, eyes narrowing slightly. ‘With that potential, she might survive even my strongest curse.’

Her gaze sharpened as her thoughts spiraled.

‘And worse, she’s proven to be immune to more than half my arsenal. Disease, poison, even mana decay… I’ll burn through too much energy just trying to figure out what works.’

A chill, unfamiliar and unwelcome, crept down her spine.

‘The second option… is starting to look a lot more favorable.’

A small smile tugged at the corner of Querehsha’s lips. 'Yes… having a Monarch on par with Antares and Ashborn is definitely the more favorable option.'

Across from her, Kaede narrowed her eyes.

'She’s definitely strong,' Kaede thought, her expression sharp. 'In fact, she’s the strongest person I’ve ever met. I don’t even know if she can break through my defenses… Hosha could, and she’s far stronger' than him, physically and conceptually.

As the toxic clouds around them thickened, twisting with poisonous hues of green and black, Kaede’s irritation flared. With a flick of her wrist, she raised her arm, summoning a strange and unfamiliar mark into the air behind her. A fractal sigil shimmered into existence, shaped like an inverted spiral, spinning slowly in unnatural silence.

[Authority of Reduction]

The massive mushroom cloud froze in place, no longer rising or expanding. It held its towering form for a single breathless moment.

Then it began to collapse.

The cloud didn’t disperse, folding in on itself, layer by layer, particle by particle, until it compressed into a smaller and smaller form. All the destructive force of the earlier detonation, now being reduced.

And yet, somehow, the iconic mushroom shape remained intact as it shrank, a surreal and unsettling sight.

Querehsha’s brow twitched. A bead of sweat traced down the side of her face. 'I… I don’t recognize that Authority. It doesn’t belong to any of the Monarchs. And yet… this feeling, it’s like the Authority of the Rulers… but vastly different.'

She exhaled slowly, retreating from her towering insect form and condensing back into her human guise, ethereal and composed. Her crimson eyes tracked the shrinking cloud as it was reduced to the size of a small wisp. The last trace of it, no bigger than a puff of smoke, was scattered by a passing wind.

Gone.

'Where did a being like you come from?' she wondered, unease blooming fully in her chest for the first time.

With the cloud now gone, the form of their subordinates was now visible. The Centipede was missing a huge section of its head, along with its entire left side.

Hosha wasn't much better, scorched and missing an arm, he held his spear in his left hand, already he was healing, and so was the centipede.

Querehsha took a step forward, her heels clicking softly against the cracked ground. “I'm not your enemy.”

Kaede blinked. Of all the responses she expected, that wasn’t one of them. She staggered back half a step, caught off guard by the audacity of the statement. “Excuse me?”

Querehsha shrugged lightly, as if they were discussing the weather. “I said, I’m not your enemy. We could fight for days, weeks, even months, tear the Demon Realm to shreds in the process. But in the end, I only sought you out for one reason. A reason you've already fulfilled.”

Kaede’s eyes narrowed. She deliberately ignored the massive centipede that had returned to Querehsha’s side, the same creature that had nearly annihilated Hosha. It was shrinking with every step, until it coiled like a throne beneath its master. Querehsha sat atop it with practiced grace, legs crossed, completely at ease.

“Fulfilled?” Kaede spat. “I'm not done here. You wanted this fight, remember?”

“What I wanted,” Querehsha replied calmly, “was for you to open a gate to this realm. The method I used to push you into doing so, unpleasant, yes, but necessary. And now… here we are.”

Her crimson gaze flicked to the side as Hosha returned, his body still healing from the brutal clash. He stepped beside Kaede without a word, his looming presence casting a protective shadow over her form.

Kaede’s eye twitched. “The fuck are you playing at?” she snapped. “You threatened my people right in front of me, and now you want to back out?”

She stomped on the fractured stone, the impact sending a pulse of force through the ground. “That’s not how this works! I’m pissed off! Pissed as hell! And you’re telling me you’re just gonna… walk away?”

Querehsha tilted her head slightly, expression unreadable. “...Yes?”

Kaede’s fists trembled at her sides. Her eyes shut tight, her jaw clenched as her fury simmered beneath the surface. Her fists trembled at her sides, nails digging into her palms hard enough to draw blood. Of course they didn't, because its Maple.

She stood there for a long moment, eyes clenched shut, body shaking, the air around her rippling with suppressed aura. Hosha simply waited, silent and steady at her side, watching her with quiet understanding.

Kaede exhaled, shaky at first, then again, slower. She forced her fingers to loosen.

“…You can’t just do that,” she muttered, voice tight.

Querehsha was quiet.

Kaede’s gaze drifted away for a moment, toward the still-churning horizon, the shattered realm around them. “You're strong. I thought this would be a real battle. I haven't had that since I reawakened. You went and brought my hopes up."

Querehsha’s red eyes tilted ever so slightly. “If I had just asked you to open the gate, would you have done it?”

"Yes,” Kaede admitted instantly. “Yes I would. If I thought it would be helpful, I would.”

The air grew still, her aura drawing back into herself, the black-red storm fading into a lingering haze.

She rubbed her face with one hand, exasperated. “People like you are a nightmare to deal with, Sally included?”

“Oh?” Querehsha replied with a faint smirk.

Kaede gave her a flat look.

Then she sighed, deeply, and let her arms fall to her sides. “I don't like being used.”

Kaede vanished.

Bang!

Querehsha gasped, the breath torn from her lungs as Kaede's fist buried itself deep into her abdomen. Blood sprayed from her mouth and nose in a violent gush, streaming down her chin and neck. Her body convulsed, folding inward from the sheer force of the blow.

'W-What..?!'

Her thoughts scrambled. 'How did she hit me? In this state, I should be immune to all physical attacks...'

Then she realized, her form, usually a swarm of countless insects woven together in constant motion, had stabilized. No more shifting carapaces, no chittering limbs. Her body was whole.

[Authority of Reversal] — Intangible → Tangible

Her crimson eyes widened in shock.

Kaede didn't let her fall. As Querehsha doubled over, Kaede extended a single finger, pressing it gently under her chin to halt her descent.

“There’s one more thing you’re wrong about,” Kaede said calmly, voice low and unwavering. “If you and I fought…”

She raised her finger higher, pressing it lightly against Querehsha’s forehead.

“…It wouldn’t last months. Not weeks. Not even a day.”

With a casual flick, Kaede pushed her upright, forcing her back into a seated position on the curled centipede beneath her.

“Keep that in mind,” she added coldly, turning away without another word.

Querehsha remained still, blood dripping from her lips, eyes narrowed in a rare moment of stunned silence.

She said nothing, but her gaze followed Kaede as she walked away, burning with something unfamiliar.

Respect… and caution. 'I think I made the right choice.'

Kaede immediately rushed to Hosha’s side, her expression tight with concern. “Are you alright? You’ve never taken damage like this before.”

Hosha didn’t answer. His body healing sluggishly under layers of scorched skin and torn armor. He simply watched her, his green eyes steady even as his wounds closed at a crawl.

“You know what,” Kaede muttered, “just go back into my shadow for now. Rest until you're one hundred percent.”

Hosha gave a faint nod before sinking into the tar-like shadow swirling beneath her feet. The surface rippled once, then stilled.

Kaede exhaled sharply. “And instead…”

The shadow pulsed again, and a moment later, Cinnamon leapt out, a blur of dark fur and boundless energy.

“Hey, Cinnamon!” Kaede brightened instantly, jumping with open arms. “I’m so angry and I need a hug to calm down.”

Cinnamon let out a delighted yelp and launched into her arms, knocking her back slightly as he licked her face over and over. Kaede burst into laughter, hugging the massive lion tightly. “Who's a good boy? You are!”

Querehsha stood silently a short distance away, her expression unreadable as she watched the scene unfold.

She touched a finger to the corner of her mouth, examining the red smear it left behind with quiet disbelief.

'Red… it’s red.'

'My blood hasn’t bled this color in millennia.'

Her eyes drifted back to Kaede, laughing on the ground, rubbing her cheek against Cinnamon’s thick mane with childlike warmth.

'She made me feel… ordinary. Like an earthbound hound compared to Cerberus itself.'

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

'No Monarch has ever made me feel that way. Not even Antares.'

A strange stillness settled in her chest.

'What does this mean for us… and for them?'

Kaede finally looked back at her, brushing fur out of her face. “So, what did you even come here for, anyway? I mean, the Demon Realm’s cool and all, but what’s so important about being here?”

Querehsha hesitated, her gaze turning distant. 'What would she say if I told her the truth? That I came to resurrect my army…'

She turned her face away from Kaede’s curious stare.

“I didn’t have the chance to bring my army with me when I escaped this place,” she said quietly. “It’s been sealed here for hundreds of centuries.”

Kaede’s brows furrowed. “You’re bringing an army… to Earth? Why? What the hell for?”

Querehsha faced her now, all traces of amusement or smugness gone. Her voice was cool, even, but heavy with meaning.

“For the war.”

Kaede’s smile vanished. Her eyes darkened, tone sharpening. “Against humanity?”

Querehsha shook her head.

“No,” she said. “Against the Fragments of Brilliant Light. Against the Rulers.”