567 I Am the Country (1/2)

In the silence, only the face in the crystal was singing softly.

The singing, which seemed to linger in the air, spread in the rain towards all directions. As a result, the pitch black ocean let out a piercing reply. The seawater boiling as rivers of darkness emerged from the depths of the ocean. Countless vile spawn of the sea were responding loudly.

They were coming.

The sea and the sky roared.

”Your Majesty,” Lancelot went down on one knee and implored, ”please return to the throne.”

”Is it time already?” Elizabeth smiled, holding the singing crystal in both hands, and observed the face in it. ”Do you think so as well?”

No one responded.

But in the silence, the eyes on the face, which was previously sunk in deep slumber, opened. The eyes that seemed to contain the abyss in them gazed at the empress in front of him, as if suddenly enlightened, but they were empty. Only the bestiality of catastrophes was surging and flowing in them, the evil seemingly materializing, like an endless deep sea.

It was a glimpse cast by Leviathan in its sleep, looking at the turbulent world.

Elizabeth smiled. ”No worries, Prince Thames, I'll be with the bloodline of sin.”

She held the crystal prism carefully in both hands and walked up the steps slowly. Then she sat on her throne in a dignified manner, staring at the pitch black ocean and the sky, murmuring softly, ”This time, I will definitely bring an end to you and this ominous bloodline.”

Bang! The crisp sound of steel scraping against each other sounded from under the throne.

The earth quaked.

No, it came from somewhere deeper, not the prison-like palace by itself located at the highest point, nor the splendid and majestic uptown, but Avalon.

The depths of Avalon quaked. The machines that had been buried in the darkness since the construction of Avalon were activated. Under the extraction by aether furnaces, huge amounts of energy were drawn from the leylines of aether. The energy spewed out like a waterfall, propelling the rotation of the incredibly heavy gears.

Steel banged. The earth was torn apart, flames ignited, hurricanes stirred up, blocking the downpour. In the roars that seemed as if they had been passed down from the ancient times, the floor of the throne room cracked and shattered, numerous steel parts and gears emerging from the steel frame beneath. Fragments of the floor broke, fell, and got stuck in the gaps, but could not stop the operation of the gears and were crushed into dust.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Harsh, piercing sounds burst forth from the throne. Nails popped out of it one after another, wedging deeply into Elizabeth's spine, connecting themselves to her nerve center. Layers of steel rose and covered her, integrating with her body. In the end, she was completely fixed on the throne, and could not even move her little finger.

At the moment, she had become connected to the huge machine, as well as numerous facilities all over Avalon. The earth was her body, countless huge steel machinery her internal organs, and the aether leylines flowing beneath the ocean her blood...

”It is the long-cherished wish of the ancestors of past generations…” In the intense pain, Elizabeth's blood seeped out of her pores, Firebird spewed and swept like fire, covering the entire Avalon, giving her control over everything.

Her pale face put on a faint smile difficultly, and she murmured softly, ”Now, I am Avalon, I am Anglo.” The empress had taken her seat on the throne, abandoning her mortal body. With Firebird, she took over the body made of steel and merged into one with her country...

Anglo had started preparing for the war since a hundred years ago. Even the empress herself must play her role as a chip on the table, in the gamble of life…

At the moment, the destructive Firebird had been strengthened by thousands of times, emerging from the depths of the earth like a flood. In only an instant, the scarlet red renge bloomed on the ocean.

Just seeing it would sting one's eyes.

Just by existing, it would devour everything.

Just touching it would cause one to be swept up in destruction…

The essence that was thousands of times purer than that of Mary's revealed itself in the Firebird. In an instant, it tore several rivers of darkness apart and exterminated countless vile spawn of the sea.

For so many years, Elizabeth had struggled to keep the monster within her in check, but when the war started finally, she no longer had to suppress it, and the hungry beast was let out from its cage.

The power and its host existed as two facets of the same being, like the city of Avalon and its shadow.

The human bloodline bore the consciousness of the host as a human, whereas the dragon bloodline bore the negative elements born out of one's own personality, pure darkness and madness.

Such was the essence of the curse—the parasitic scarlet red dragon in the host's body that would devour everything and would never be satiated. Now, the legendary elements in the bloodline had been released. With Avalon as its body, it wanted to swallow the entire ocean of darkness into its stomach.

Such was the true form of the ruler of Anglo!

In just an instant, countless vile spawn of the sea turned into ashes in the blooming renge. The torrential rain was shredded by Firebird. Like water being boiled, it vaporized into a ghastly white fog, ascending into the sky…

The sky and the earth shook. In the depths of the ocean, the behemoth that was about to reawaken seemed to have felt a stabbing pain and jerked furiously. Leviathan, which is about to wake up from its long dream, fought back with rage.

The war between mankind and catastrophes had finally begun.

…

In the dancing white mist, someone passed through layers and layers of defense, entering into the throne room belatedly.

”Your Majesty.” The old man, who has aged quite a bit, bowed in reverence.

”Maxwell, you have come late.” On the throne, Elizabeth opened her eyes, her pupils scarlet, and spoke in a hoarse voice, ”You seemed to have disappeared recently, where did you go? Do you have any interesting stories to share with me?”

”My apologies, Your Majesty, I have gotten into the bad habit of drinking alcohol recently. Not only did I not do anything, but I was often drunk and lost track of time.” Maxwell took off his hat and poncho, and combed his fingers through his wet unruly hair, smiling resignedly. ”Fortunately, I didn't wake up too late.”