"These damned trash are running fast."
Nikki glared fiercely at the fleeing army in the distance, her tone filled with disdain.
"Dark Lord, shall we continue the pursuit?"
A bloodied officer behind her, riding a wolf, cautiously asked.
"Forget it."
Nikki waved her hand casually, indifferent:
"Don't chase a cornered enemy. The Empire's Third Legion has already been mostly annihilated. Even if a few stragglers escape, it doesn't matter.
Next, we need to seize the Riverside Fortress before they destroy the bridge.
That trashy officer was right—I can't bring everyone across the river myself. You take your main force, gather 20,000 troops, and occupy it first."
"Yes, my lord."
The Beastmen commander pressed his right hand to his chest, bowed slightly, and obeyed. He then rode his wolf, gathered 20,000 troops, and charged toward Riverside Fortress.
"I'm giving you 150,000 troops, Old King Aila. Take them to support the Elton Division."
"Old King?"
Hearing Nikki call him "Old King Aila," the elder king immediately felt a vein of irritation. Yet, considering the difference in their strengths, he restrained his temper.
However, he didn't immediately follow the order, instead asking in confusion:
"Nikki… why are you calling me that?"
Nikki glared at him, her expression unfriendly. Startled, the elder king quickly corrected himself:
"Ah, uh… Dark Lord of the Breaking Legion, you are sending me with 150,000 troops to support Elton Division… what about the remaining 180,000?"
"Enough chatter. Just obey my order."
"Ah… um…"
"What? Do you have a problem?"
"No, no. The young king will go and rally the troops."
Scared by Nikki's intense gaze, Old King Aila didn't want to speak another word and hurriedly left. Yet, in the corner out of Nikki's sight, a trace of resentment lingered in his eyes.
"Nikki, it seems King Aila holds a grudge against you," the insect woman whispered from behind.
A figure appeared silently behind Nikki, kneeling on one knee to report. She was Nikki's trusted lieutenant from the Luksuria Royal Court: the Insect Mistress, Insect Woman.
"No matter. I enjoy it when he dislikes me yet can do nothing about it."
"But what if King Aila harms you, Nikki, like he did to Lord Rul?"
"That's enough, Insect Woman."
Nikki growled lowly. Hearing that long-forgotten name brought back unpleasant memories.
It was her father—the most formidable competitor for the Aila throne at the time. For some unknown reason, he went to the Burial Plains seeking the legendary lost relics of the Aila Royal Court. After that mission, she never saw him again.
It wasn't until many years later, when her third uncle became Aila King, that she learned the full truth. The mission was originally meant for her uncle but, for unknown reasons, her father went instead—possibly her uncle's scheme, or her father's sentimentality toward his brother.
But none of it mattered to Nikki anymore.
"That was my only family."
She clenched her small hands tightly, whispering softly.
Out of guilt over her father, Nikki was raised by her third uncle. Though he rarely cared for her, he never mistreated her.
Everything changed the day her witch blood awakened. On that day, she saw deep fear and dread in her uncle's eyes. She was immediately expelled from the house and even survived multiple assassination attempts. Though there was no proof, all signs pointed to her uncle.
At the time, she didn't understand what it meant. Only when she became one of the Seven Kings did she understand the Aila King's eyes back then—full of rejection for her kind.
Even if witches controlled the Supreme Church and the Seven Beastmen Kingdoms, they were still embodiments of catastrophe and terror. Each witch, in pursuit of godhood, inevitably caused great disasters. To the Beastmen, witches were a completely different class of being.
"Alright, Insect Woman. Go check the troops. We're heading to Heim Territory."
"To Heim Territory? But my insects reported that the Death Witch appeared near Selefis City," the Insect Woman said.
"No, that one is definitely not the Death Witch. She's a newly-born minor witch; she couldn't have triggered magic of that scale. I suspect it's a trap set by an old monster, waiting for us to step into it."
Nikki put her hands on her hips, speaking with righteous certainty:
"Besides, your insects still can't enter Heim City. I bet something fishy is going on there. You see, this is the brilliance of your Dark Lord. People might call me crazy, but I'm actually very clever."
"This…"
The Insect Woman looked at Nikki's smug expression and an idea popped into her head:
"Uh… Nikki, you're not scared, are you?"
"Shut up, you insignificant insect. Your Dark Lord isn't scared of some mere Endtime Death Bell."
However, the Insect Woman noticed Nikki trembling slightly and couldn't believe her claim.
"Alright. I'll redirect the army. At our current pace, we'll reach there by evening."
"Fine. You handle it. Oh, and Insect Woman, don't participate in this battle. Take 80,000 troops and hold Ashton Territory, preventing any disruption to our rear by the Watchtower Wall."
"But, Nikki…"
"The enemy may have resurrected the Fishworm Witch. If you go, you won't help me at all and could even be controlled by them."
"Understood."
The Insect Woman nodded silently. As Nikki's lifelong companion, she could joke and tease her, but she would never disobey an order.
Watching her depart, Nikki felt a strange unease.
"Is this… the omen before the blood battle for the throne begins?"
She closed her eyes, feeling the sensation of an ordinary person about to face a superior and yet about to personally strike the opponent down—nervous, anxious, but tinged with a hint of excitement.