Rescuing Nero

Stepping into the empty royal palace, Arkhan immediately released a tracking rune to locate Nero.

Following the guidance of the rune, he soon found her trapped in the center of a dark underground chamber by magecraft.

However, he didn't rush in because there was detection magecraft in the chamber. If anyone unfamiliar entered, Merlin would immediately notice.

Even using his Servant's spiritual form was no use.

Besides detecting physical signals, this magecraft could also sense unfamiliar magical energy signals, which Merlin would immediately detect.

'Really troublesome, the defenses against intruders are impeccable...' Arkhan sighed softly.

Furrowing his brow, he pondered for a solution.

After an indeterminate amount of time passed, a sudden flash of light flickered in his mind. He flipped his palm, and a small deep red sphere with symmetrical carved patterns appeared in his hand.

The Key of Devouring, Star of Eden, its main ability was gravity manipulation, even capable of distorting space to create a black hole.

Arkhan infused his magical energy into the Star of Eden, carefully manipulating its power to weaken the gravity inside the chamber.

Freed from the shackles of gravity, everything in the chamber began to float as if in space, including the slumbering Nero.

Following that, Arkhan manipulated gravity again, causing Nero to float slowly toward the door.

Throughout the process, the detection magecraft in the chamber showed no reaction.

Arkhan reached out his hands, cradling the slowly descending Nero in a princess carry. As he looked at her sweet, delicate sleeping face, he breathed a sigh of relief from the depths of his heart.

"Nero, wake up..." Arkhan whispered.

"Um..." Nero let out a soft groan, furrowing her brows slightly as her eyes, as green as fresh leaves, gradually opened, still with a hint of drowsiness lingering within.

However, as a Heroic Spirit bearing the name of an emperor, Nero quickly snapped out of it. Her eyes cleared instantly as she glanced around her surroundings and then looked up at the handsome face before her.

Nero hesitated for a moment before hesitantly calling him.

"Arkhan?"

"Yeah, it's me." Arkhan nodded. "How are you feeling now?"

"Umu... to be honest, not great..." Nero checked her body, managing a wry smile in response.

Most of her magical energy had already drained away, leaving barely enough to sustain her existence. Now, she felt weak and powerless. It was a struggle just to stand, let alone wield a sword.

"Is that so?"

Despite his words, Arkhan's face showed no surprise, as he had anticipated this situation early on.

"Are you here to rescue me?" Nero asked with a somewhat hesitant tone.

The previous experiences were still vivid in her mind, so she quickly realized her current situation. Her big eyes stared at Arkhan, filled with curiosity and excitement.

For Nero, experiencing being rescued deep within enemy territory was a first. Even as an emperor, she felt her heart fluttering like a deer, a faint blush appearing on her face, betraying her composure.

Her sexual orientation had always been very open. As long as they were physically attractive, regardless of gender, she was interested.

From this perspective, Arkhan undoubtedly fit her taste, which was why she had been so straightforward and eager in inviting him to the bath with her before.

Initially, she had intended to conquer Arkhan's heart with her charm, but surprisingly, she now found herself leaning toward being conquered.

He wasn't just a fellow monarch like her; he was exceptionally handsome, powerful, intelligent, and, most importantly, he valued loyalty and righteousness, willing to risk his life to rescue her.

All these traits would sweep any woman off her feet. Even Nero, who had always identified as male and always taken the dominant position, was finding it hard to resist.

As Nero indulged in her fantasy, Arkhan scanned her body for any possible tricks left by Merlin.

'Speaking of which, her magical energy is depleted, right?' Arkhan thought as he noticed a faint blush on her face.

Although the underground was dimly lit, Arkhan, inheriting the bloodline of Nidhogg, was unaffected by the lack of light and naturally noticed Nero's abnormality. However, he didn't pay it much mind, attributing it to the aftermath of depleted magical energy.

After summoning two Godslayer Knights, Arkhan spoke to Nero.

"They will take you to the side entrance of Camelot. Ritsuka and Da Vinci will meet you there. They'll replenish your magical energy when you need it."

"Huh? Ritsuka as well?" Nero, who was lost in thought, responded instinctively.

However, Arkhan didn't quite grasp her meaning and explained calmly.

"Don't worry, Ritsuka has command spells. After you make a contract with her, she can use them to restore your magical energy."

Realizing her misunderstanding, Nero's face flushed even redder, but then she noticed the real problem.

"Aren't you coming with me?"

"I have something more important to do."

Arkhan placed Nero on the ground, and the two Godslayer Knights immediately stepped forward to assist her.

"Don't tell me... you want to... confront the Lion King by yourself?!"

Perhaps due to her intuition as an emperor, Nero immediately sensed Arkhan's intention.

"It's the best and only chance." Arkhan stated calmly.

Although she didn't quite understand the weight of his words, Nero keenly perceived the unwavering determination in his tone.

She was not unfamiliar with this—when an emperor made up their mind, nothing could stand in their way.

Therefore, after a moment of silence, Nero quietly nodded in understanding. But at the same time, she resolved in her heart that as soon as her magical energy was restored, she would rush to help him.

Arkhan led Nero out of the underground, watching as the Godslayer Knights escorted her toward the side entrance before turning his gaze toward the depths of the royal palace.

In truth, there was something he hadn't mentioned to prevent Nero from overthinking—ever since he broke into the royal palace, there had always been a gaze fixed on him.

The owner of this gaze, however, didn't seem to care about his actions. Even when he rescued Nero, the gaze's owner remained motionless, just watching silently.

Arkhan wasn't sure if it was the dignity of a king or the arrogance of a god, but soon, he would find out.

Directly asking the one involved was always the fastest way to get answers.

Meeting that unwavering gaze with his own deep, black eyes, Arkhan stepped forward, heading toward the unknown ahead.