In the Name of Empress-Chapter 366 - 252: Third Movement

When Marco’s magic armor ability was paused, the outcome of the battle was already determined.

Marco was indeed powerful, but the real source of his confidence was the magical armor he acquired by chance.

Without this magic equipment, he wouldn’t dare to directly confront Alina and seek victory in defeat.

Success due to the magical armor, and failure because of it.

Once the attributes of the magic equipment were temporarily removed, his combat power returned to its proper level.

Roland did not rush to end Marco’s life.

A cornered beast still fights; someone like Marco surely has a backup plan.

His gaze turned to Alina, silently inquiring about her situation.

Alina bit her lip, barely managing to nod.

Earlier, to withdraw from the battle, she paid a heavy price, being stabbed by Marco. Though the bleeding was stopped for now, the piercing pain still made her tremble slightly.

Her combat power wasn’t even a third of her best state; in the upcoming battle, she could at best assist Roland.

After confirming Alina was alright, Roland’s focus locked onto Marco.

He could sense an eerie, elusive power lingering around Marco.

The victory was certain, and he didn’t want to endure Marco’s dying counterattack.

Roland gave Alina a nod, and Alina understood, saying coldly to Marco:

"Marco, you have no chance, surrender now and you might still..."

Marco didn’t look back at Alina for a moment, interrupting her words directly.

"If I surrender now, will you spare me?"

Alina was instantly rendered speechless. The hatred between her and Marco was insurmountable; some promises were so unbelievable that even Marco didn’t believe them, nor did she.

She didn’t want to waste words with Marco and instead turned to Roland.

No more words, let’s do this. Her intent was crystal clear.

Roland nodded and raised his scepter.

"Marco, you’ve killed too many, I have no right to forgive you on behalf of those unjustly slain. You may depart now."

Listening to Roland’s words, Marco suddenly burst into wild laughter.

He sneered and shouted: "You remnants of the old era will eventually be swept into the garbage heap of history, and everyone will get a fair evaluation from history."

"Even if I depart, you will accompany me in my grave!"

A hint of liberating smile appeared at the corner of his lips, preparing to take a few with him upon his death.

Just as he was about to act, the soul’s voice from the depths of the magic armor echoed in Marco’s mind.

"Marco, have you gone mad? Why refuse the terms? This is your last chance, foolish human, ah!"

Marco did not respond, even wanting to sneer.

Trade one’s soul for power? He wasn’t a fool; how could he make a deal with the devil?

Those who trade with the devil, their souls cannot enter the Netherworld post-death; the waters of the Nether River will swallow the devil’s marks deep within the soul.

The devil seems to offer transparent prices, very fair, but they never tell you how much hidden costs you must pay.

While he did desire power, he wouldn’t trade with the devil.

This magic armor is high-quality loot, likely to fall into Roland or Alina’s hands. With their nature, they might accept the devil’s trade.

Thinking of this, Marco’s lips curled in a chilling smile.

He wanted to build a free new world, not a world ruled by devil’s arrival.

Even if everyone considered him a cold-blooded devil, there were some deals he firmly refused.

His gaze locked onto Roland, identifying him as the target to bring along.

Whether Alina, sheltered by her father’s reputation, lived or not was of little consequence. His goal was to ensure Roland joined him.

Once Roland was dead, Alina, like a greenhouse flower, would be devoured by the brutal chaos.

The girl wielding magic beside Roland would face the same fate.

Marco moved.

His figure like an apparition, a flickering afterimage appearing before Roland.

This was a preview offered by the devil’s trade.

Just the preview was tantalizingly tempting; normal people would not withstand such allure, but Marco could.

Aside from liking conflict, he barely enjoyed any personal pleasures, not like others in power indulging in the joys of authority and wealth.

In many people’s eyes, he seemed born a madman, born for destruction.

Perhaps so, he indeed came to destroy.

What he wanted to destroy was the decaying system that drove his whole family to death, countless feudal lords like Alina and Roland.

Just break the old world, the new world will naturally arrive.

Whether it was completed by him personally wasn’t so important.

The sharp blade was drawn, sword edge flashing toward Roland’s neck.

No matter how Roland dodged or blocked, Marco could adapt accordingly with shifting moves; his only thought now was to take Roland with him.

Without Roland, Alina alone couldn’t possibly hinder him.

He clearly discerned his true adversary.

Roland only saw a figure flash, and the blade lights were right in front of him.

He felt a chill down his spine; he suddenly realized this was Marco’s strongest burst of force. He almost had the illusion that Marco’s prime target wasn’t Alina but him.

Without time to think deeper, Roland instantly activated Divine Protection.

The superb defense of the Holy Knight was fully revealed within the golden light.

In split seconds, Marco’s fatal strike pierced through Roland’s Divine Protection, yet his final attack was thwarted.

Roland unhesitatingly slammed down the scepter.

The simple yet powerful strike hit Marco’s head precisely.

Two crisp sounds came almost simultaneously.

Marco shattered Roland’s defense but couldn’t advance further.

Roland shattered Marco’s... he had no defense, only the crown of his head.

Marco’s absolute speed inherently sacrificed defense, aiming for an all-out trade.

He almost succeeded.

If his opponent wasn’t Roland, but an ordinary Tier Seven not specialized in defense, he would have reversed the situation.

Unfortunately, his opponent was Roland, his last hope was also extinguished.

Marco’s consciousness gradually blurred; the final sound he left behind was somber and indifferent.

"I lost, but don’t expect to win either."

Leaving behind the final riddle, Marco’s body softly collapsed.

Watching the ruthless man who turned the entire Jin Yuan upside down finally fall, Roland could hardly believe it.

His heart pounded fiercely.

Marco’s final strike far exceeded his expectations, even piercing through his Divine Protection head-on.

This was highly unusual.

According to Roland’s estimation, Marco’s raw strength only barely reached the threshold of Tier Seven.

And his Divine Protection was very sturdy, able to withstand even a Tier Seven opponent for a moment, yet Marco broke through it head-on.

If Marco truly had such power, he would have taken them down long ago.

Roland’s gaze lingered on Marco’s body, focusing on the Magic Armor.

The pitch-black armor still emitted a strange magic power.

Earlier, Lisa used special magic to temporarily disable all Magic Armors; now it was recovering.

Roland stepped forward, confirmed Marco’s death, removed the Battle Armor, and prepared to take it back for study.

Now is not the time to think about that; what needs to be done is to end the war.

Roland found a Long Spear and lifted Marco’s body high, his voice echoing across the battlefield.

"Marco is dead, Marco is dead!"

With Roland’s roar, a melodious and mournful song began to play.

Not far away, Munina, who had followed Roland ashore for the battle, sang a new Chapter.

Her body, modified by Norton, was very different from before. She could stay ashore for long periods with the aid of respiratory equipment, without relying on the water.

However, singing on land would double the consumption.

Previously, Roland did not let her act, hoping that her song would turn the tide at a critical moment.

Marco’s surprise attack came too fast for her song to be of use.

Perhaps having witnessed too much death, perhaps recalling the tragic ambush of their tribe, perhaps thinking of the tribe being forced away from the Ocean, or maybe remembering a sister who changed her life, she was overwhelmed with emotions and unintentionally started singing the Third Chapter.

Ocean’s Third Chapter, a lament.

This song was a perfect match for this battlefield.

Marco’s corpses left the soldiers of the Jin Yuan Kingdom bewildered.

Did the esteemed President truly die in battle?

They had no time to think because their minds were immediately consumed by immense grief.

The power of the Third Chapter lies not in sadness itself but in its transmission.

The song evokes inner pains, making listeners involuntarily sing along.

Under the influence of Munina’s song, more and more soldiers recalled the tragedies of the past year and more, the innocents who died tragically, the lost loved ones, and they began to hum mournfully.

The Third Chapter seemed to possess strange magic, infecting everyone.

The eyes of those who heard the song, once stained by blood and hatred, gradually cleared up.

Soldiers slowly lowered their weapons while officers’ pistols were frozen in the air.

The war had ended.

The upper echelon’s power struggle had reached a conclusion; there was no need for further self-destruction.

Who knows which soldier started it, but someone cried due to sadness.

Crying was even more contagious than singing.

Munina’s singing voice was also weeping.

The magnetic voice echoed over the battlefield.

Her voice, though penetrating, could only reach less than a kilometer, while crying spread along the entire front line with the response of the soldiers.

People who were just a moment ago holding Firearms and stabbing each other with bayonets now stared blankly at each other.

Quickly, weapons were dropped to the ground, and soldiers clasped their heads, weeping bitterly.

They seemed trapped in an eternal nightmare, finally awakening.

"Marco is dead!"

This phrase echoed above the battlefield.

Though some were frustrated, trying to maintain order and continue the war, it was futile.

More people were weary of war, having had enough. Too much blood of the Jin Yuan people had been shed; it was time to stop.

In the center of the battlefield, Alina stood frozen like a statue, tears rolling down her cheeks slowly.

She could finally open her eyes from the suffocating nightmare, take a breath of relief.

She rushed forward like a madwoman, gripping a sharp sword, and drove it fiercely into Marco’s heart.

Repeatedly, she pulled out the sword and drove it in again as if venting her anger.

Roland didn’t dissuade her.

If he had been through what she had, he’d want Marco thoroughly destroyed.

Alina finally exhausted her fury, slowly lifting her head, her fair face covered in blood, looking somewhat fierce.

Lisa, standing next to Roland, let out a soft sigh without speaking.

Her parents died from disease, and while there was regret, there was more sadness.

Alina’s father was healthy, living comfortably, with much life left ahead, but died unjustly due to Marco’s treachery.

Lisa understood Alina and supported her.

While Lisa was lost in thought, Alina, having vented, cried and lunged forward.

She lunged hard at Roland.

She needed a wide embrace now, allowing her to cry freely.

As she lunged into an embrace, opening her blurry eyes, she was stunned to find that Lisa had replaced Roland where he stood.

She had lunged into Lisa’s arms.

Before Alina could speak, Lisa’s gentle voice had already reached her ears.

"Alina, I know you want to cry, but not now. So many people are watching you."

Alina paused for a few seconds, sniffled, and softly whimpered, "I know, thank you."

Seeing that Alina ultimately did not dive into Roland’s embrace, Lisa finally let out a breath.

Crazy! Who throws themselves into a man’s arms in broad daylight?

Even if she didn’t care—well, she kind of cared.

In any case, Empress Sylph couldn’t bear to see such things.

She genuinely considered Alina.

She could swear to it.