Chapter 348: Maekar Valerion vs Beatrice (1)

Rank 17 — Beatrice

The sudden appearance of yet another demon shook the battlefield, revealing a side of Emperor Maekar Valerion that had never been seen before.

Beatrice had arrived in her true body this time, unleashing her overwhelming aura without restraint—an aura that far exceeded that of Astaroth, who lay defeated behind her.

"I will show no mercy to anyone who interferes with the Witch’s Game."

Wearing her signature smile and brandishing her maestro’s wand, Beatrice prepared for battle.

Maekar, clenching his flaming spear, let out a thunderous roar.

"The Church!!"

His cry thundered across the battlefield like a storm breaking the sky, heard by every soul present.

Among those who heard it were the bishops of the Church, still reeling from the events moments earlier. The Empire had crushed the Ultras, especially after Maekar’s victory over Astaroth. But they hadn’t accounted for the emergence of another upper-ranked demon appearing from thin air.

"Pour your damn holy power into me!"

Cornered and forced into another fight against a high-ranking demon, Maekar grit his teeth as Sunfire Spear surged with renewed lightning.

At that moment, a torrent of holy energy descended like a waterfall onto his body, absorbed instantly into the Fume Knight armor.

His wounds healed at an astonishing speed as seven Saint Candidates pooled their strength to restore him.

"You truly are gallant, Maekar Valerion... Even after surviving a brutal fight against Astaroth, you’re still willing to fight?"

"Shut that damn mouth of yours—!"

Using his barely healed right hand, Maekar hurled the blazing Sunfire Spear straight at Beatrice.

Yet the demoness did not flinch. Instead, she twirled her wand playfully.

"Block it for me, Gloom. My one and only bringer of victory."

The moment her chant ended, a deafening explosion roared across the battlefield. Maekar’s spear— the same one that brought down Astaroth—was stopped cold by a massive black shield that appeared from nowhere.

The black shield, Gloom, not only absorbed the impact but retaliated with a pulse of aura that sent the spear—and Maekar—flying back hundreds of meters in a single wave.

Before he could recover, Beatrice appeared in front of him.

"There’s no use in struggling now, Emperor of Men. They may heal your wounds, but they cannot restore that broken, exhausted body of yours."

As her words rang out, hundreds of celestial orbs manifested behind her, all firing beams of aura in rapid succession. Maekar darted between them, his body cloaked in black lightning.

"Astaroth may have been worthless, but defeating him was no small feat."

Holy power could heal injuries, but it couldn’t return Maekar to peak condition—not after the brutal toll Astaroth had taken.

Unleashing a storm of radiant destruction, Beatrice showcased terrifying magical might. Each of her hundred celestial orbs carried enough power to obliterate an elite awakened being.

But she was annoyed by the endless stream of holy power still pouring into Maekar.

With a flick of her wand, she turned toward the fleets still clashing in the distance.

"Kill them for me, my dearest shadow."

A catastrophe struck the Church’s fleet as shrieks of the Saint Candidates rang out—skewered by dark spears that emerged from nowhere and slaughtered them instantly.

The bishops stood frozen, unable to sense the attacks until it was too late.

Maekar, now trapped in a storm of relentless attacks, realized he had only the strength of the Fume Knight armor left to rely on.

"What’s wrong, Human King?"

Beatrice ascended into the skies, her voice mocking as she laughed coldly.

"No need for that face, even with all their support—nothing would change. You see... you are the weakest one here, hehehe~"

Maekar gritted his teeth, refusing to yield.

"Lightning Formation!"

Black lightning converged around him at terrifying speed.

"Dark Century Spears!"

Dozens of black lightning spears formed and launched, crashing into Beatrice’s celestial orbs and detonating them in a chain reaction that sent waves of energy rippling across the battlefield.

"Well done! That was splendid!" Beatrice clapped mockingly as Maekar gasped, struggling to stay upright after unleashing such an attack.

"Now worry about my next move..."

With elegant grace, she twirled her wand as her body surged with violet aura. The entire Bay of Shezkelar trembled.

The earth shook. Eyes turned skyward, stunned by the phenomenon unfolding above.

"Bury them for me!"

Beatrice’s laugh echoed like a curse across the skies, as the heavens themselves tore open, unveiling a cataclysm no one should ever witness more than once in a lifetime.

"This..."

Maekar muttered in disbelief, his voice trailing off—only for Beatrice to confirm it with a twisted smile.

"It’s a meteor... A big one. Big enough to bury you all right here, kikiki~"

Clad in the Fume Knight armor and gripping his spear tightly, Maekar Valerion cursed aloud.

That wasn’t a meteor. It was a miniature planet, one large enough to erase everything in the region.

A catastrophe like this was felt by all those across the Ultras Continent, who sensed the sheer magnitude of the disaster approaching.

"There are too many of you for me to deal with one by one. So... wouldn’t this be the most efficient method?"

Before them stood Beatrice, having called down a massive flaming meteor hurtling toward them with terrifying speed.

Maekar took a deep breath, pulling in every ounce of air around him.

"What will you do now, Maekar Valerion?"

The meteor was already above their heads.

"You could dodge it easily. But what about your people? Will you save them—or abandon them?"

Beatrice’s voice teased and mocked him.

But the emperor didn’t answer. Instead, he unleashed his full aura, burning through the last of his SS+ tier reserves until there was nothing left.

Shrouded in black lightning, Maekar let out a primal roar that shook the heavens before launching himself with the Sunfire Spear straight toward the blazing meteor, now threatening to devour everything.

He passed Beatrice without so much as a glance, witnessed by all warriors still left on the battlefield.

All eyes locked onto the emperor, who poured every shred of his might into that one, final strike.

The meteor grew rapidly in Maekar’s golden eyes, and despite the looming death, he smiled.

’I suppose... this is what you always wanted from me, isn’t it? Father?’

For some reason, a flood of memories surged through him just before the moment of impact.

Lightning crackled violently, clashing with the searing fires of Sunfire. Both powers collided with the massive meteor, which bore down with overwhelming force.

Maekar felt every bone in his body break. Every fiber tear. Every muscle rupture.

The pain was beyond description—certainly fatal—if not for the Fume Knight armor, which protected and healed him at the same time.

His screams echoed for what felt like an eternity—until something unbelievable happened.

The meteor exploded.

Shattered completely by writhing serpents of black lightning, the destruction sent fiery shards raining down across the battlefield.

It was a breathtaking sight. One that drove the soldiers of the Empire to cheer and roar in elation at the emperor who had saved them from annihilation.

But they hadn’t yet realized...

Maekar Valerion was falling.

His body hovered briefly in the air before collapsing. His armor dented and cracked. His strength, gone.

"Impressive... Emperor."

Beatrice appeared beside his broken body.

"But what now?"

Powerless. Unable to move.

Maekar could only stare at the witch—still unscathed.

"I didn’t think you were the type to make such foolish decisions. And now look—you’re going to die. Just like the rest of them."

She waved her wand slowly. Maekar exhaled, unable to even speak.

He hadn’t expected to make such a stupid choice.

He had destroyed the meteor... but lost the battle.

’If it were him... he would’ve cut the meteor down without effort.’

Maekar laughed bitterly, spitting blood as the image of that monstrous man from House Starlight surfaced in his mind.

The Fourth Emperor. The wielder of the strongest spear in the Empire. Maekar Valerion was on the brink of death as Beatrice, Demon of Rank 17, approached to deal the final blow.

He closed his eyes and waited for the end—

But it didn’t come.

Instead, a pillar of divine energy descended from the heavens, blasting Beatrice away and healing Maekar’s fatal wounds.

The witch quickly retreated, lifting her gaze to the sky—at the new arrival.

"Trying to copy my entrance? That’s not very nice, darling~."

"Shut your filthy mouth, wretched demon."

Bathed in brilliant holy light that breathed life back into the battlefield, Saintess Yurasha descended with majestic grace, her overwhelming SS+ tier aura radiating power and authority.

Maekar, now regaining some composure, barely stood as he whispered:

"The Saintess..."