The crisis was imminent! Scattered Black Tide creations had already breached their desperately maintained defensive line and were roaring as they charged towards the panicking scholars evacuating deep within the Grove!
At this critical moment between life and death—
An Infinity Gate that had not been there before was precisely "embedded" into the very center of the battlefield.
The next moment, a figure that didn't seem tall—even somewhat petite—to the Trailblazer stepped out from the gate with calm and unhurried composure.
Cerydra took her first step in The Grove.
The scepter in her hand erupted with unparalleled Decree radiance the moment her foot landed!
She didn't even glance at the swarming monsters, merely giving a casual flick of her scepter towards the oncoming Black Tide—
"Boom—!"
The earth complied and changed! As if instantly "planned" by some supreme power!
The vast expanse of land before her, along with the Black Tide creations upon it, was segmented and reshaped in an instant into neat, massive square fragments!
As for those Black Tide creations directly affected by this power of rules?
They couldn't even utter a final cry of despair. Like pieces captured by a player on a board, they turned into dust indistinguishable from dirt, vanishing completely.
Then, Cerydra took her second step in The Grove.
"I, in the name of the Imperator..."
Her voice, cool and authoritative, was not loud, yet it clearly reached across the entire battlefield.
As she spoke, an immense, illusory chessboard centered on her suddenly unfolded, covering all of The Grove and the surrounding battlefield!
Black and white squares divided the real world into one small block after another.
Whether it was the still-roaring, charging Black Tide army outside the Grove, or the stragglers that had already broken inside and were about to pounce on the helpless scholars...
At this moment, their movements froze completely, as if locked by an invisible framework, every individual forcibly stuffed into an independent square on the board!
The entire battlefield transformed into a motionless, manipulable chessboard.
"...I judge you all, utterly defeated!!!"
"Thud—!"
A dull sound, as if striking the very rules of existence itself!
Cerydra, gripping the scepter symbolizing the "Monarch," brought it down heavily upon the ground.
Starting from the point of impact, light blue flame ripples spread outward like water, sweeping through every corner of the entire illusory chessboard in an instant!
"Boom————!!!"
The chessboard squares imprisoning countless Black Tide creations all violently erupted with light blue flame at the same moment!
There were no screams, no struggles, only silent burning.
The flames seemed to directly execute the Decree of "erasure." Tens of thousands of Black Tide creations, within these silent blue flames, rapidly turned to ash and vanished into nothingness, like stains wiped away by an eraser.
From the moment she stepped out of the Infinity Gate, to the Black Tide turning to ash.
Cerydra took only two steps in The Grove.
Yet, in this brief, almost negligible span of time.
She left everyone in the Grove seeing only those blue flames that seemed capable of purifying the entire world.
Powerful, authoritative, possessing an elegance of absolute control, and also... huh, why did there seem to be a trace of heartache on her face?
But never mind, this was the "Imperator" of Okhema! This was the Demigod of Law—Cerydra!!!
...
When the last wisp of azure flame quietly dissipated in the air, The Grove fell into another brief silence.
The oppressive chaos brought by the Black Tide had been completely purged by Cerydra's power.
The Trailblazer instinctively lowered her head, her gaze falling on Cerydra's delicate yet undeniably authoritative face. She felt utterly stunned inside.
"This shorty... is she really this terrifyingly powerful? Did I misjudge her before?"
Cerydra shot a sharp glance at the Trailblazer, seeming to see through her thoughts, but she said nothing.
It was at that moment that Cerces, composed of the glow of Reason, drifted over gracefully.
She stopped before Cerydra. Her perpetually closed eyes seemed capable of piercing through appearances to observe the world's essence.
"Mortal child," Cerces's voice held a trace of subtle inquiry, "the power you just wielded... does it originate from the authority of the『Law』?"
Cerydra lifted her chin slightly. Though at a height disadvantage, her presence was in no way inferior.
"It is. Is there a problem, Your Excellency Cerces, Titan of『Reason』?" Her tone carried a hint of barely perceptible wariness.
After all, a Titan who only had a Coreflame left, yet retained such clear self-awareness, was itself highly unusual.
"A problem? Not quite." Cerces's form wavered slightly, yet her voice remained calm, giving no hint of her emotions. "I merely feel a slight... 'anomaly.' Even among us Titans, Talanton, who once held the『Law』..."
"After employing power on the scale you just demonstrated, should by no means remain as... steady in breath as you are now."
As Cerces's eyes remained always closed, Cerydra could not discern the ancient Titan's true intention from her gaze, nor could she tell if these words stemmed from pure academic curiosity or deeper probing.
After a moment of contemplation, she decided to shelve this topic for now and refocus on the pressing matter at hand.
"Your Excellency Cerces, I believe your questions can perhaps be discussed at a later time." Cerydra's voice regained the steadiness and decisiveness of a ruler. "The urgent priority is to request that you and all the scholars of The Grove relocate to Okhema. There, under the protective light of the Dawn Device, we can both withstand further Black Tide incursions and better guard against possible designs from that 'Flame Reaver.'"
"Your safety and the integrity of the Coreflame are vitally important to Amphoreus."
"Heh heh..." Cerces let out an ethereal yet all-seeing laugh. "Little girl, your words are quite high-sounding. If you wish to place this uncertain factor under your close watch, just say so directly. Why beat around the bush?"
Her tone carried nonchalance and a hint of teasing from one who had seen much. "However, I have no objection. After all, as you can see, the current me is merely a wisp of a lingering soul clinging to a Coreflame. I am indeed... far from a match for a powerful 'Imperator' like yourself."
Cerydra's expression remained unchanged, showing no embarrassment at having her thoughts seen through, and replied calmly, "You exaggerate, Your Excellency. This is merely the most prudent arrangement, nothing more."