The magic cards I made are absolutely flawless!

Cynthia was also completely bewildered.

What kind of situation haven't they seen?

They had never seen two players and the referee disappear at the same time.

How should this be judged?

The rules of Imperial Duels don't specify how to handle this situation.

The shadow swept across the ancient stone bricks of the Imperial Arena stands, and in a few breaths it reached the referee's platform high in the sky.

"This is a letter from Queen Icardinos."

As the shadows faded, Mier's true form was revealed, and he quickly handed a letter to Pritzker and Cynthia, who were experiencing system crashes.

"..."

Silently, I unfolded the letter and read its contents.

Pritzker's eyes widened, and then he sighed.

He placed his palm on the control array.

"Boom, boom."

Ancient, deep bells rang out above the arena, signaling the end of the duel, and the referee would announce the result.

"Since both duelists and the referee left the arena at the same time, all bets in this duel are void, and the match ends in a draw."

"But here, we received a letter from Icardinos... Empress."

"Empress Icardinos has abdicated voluntarily, and her letters are inscribed with her magic; I can attest to their authenticity."

"Empress Icardinos herself also recommended Her Highness Olivia to succeed to the throne."

Pritzker announced the contents of the letter to everyone.

"Princess Olivia is the rightful heir, and she has long stood on the same side as Empress Icardinos. Over the years, Princess Olivia has infiltrated the Church of Resurrection, the Cult of Calamity, and the Cult of Chaos, all in order to one day wipe out these most evil people in the world."

At this point, Pritzker's expression turned much colder, as if emotions that had been bottled up for a long time could finally be released. He no longer concealed the magical fluctuations that would instinctively frighten ordinary people, and his clear, slender eyes seemed to burn with an indescribable rage.

"At the same time, this is also Her Highness Olivia's order, as Her Majesty Icardinos's last order before her abdication."

"All Imperial troops, immediately begin purging the remnants of the Chaos Cult! Prioritize capturing them alive; leave no one alive! The Imperial dignity is inviolable!"

"—Unparalleled Imperial Power, Imperial Faith!"

After putting away the letter, Pritzker's eyes locked onto the Devouring Bishop and the Plague Bishop like those of a falcon.

Meanwhile, Cynthia, standing beside him, also put on an eye patch with a cold expression and raised her weapon, which resembled both a halberd and a staff.

The two bishops, who had thought Menellis had a huge advantage just seconds before, suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

They were being targeted by these two ninth-tier beings.

Their chances of survival are zero.

Without a doubt, the old bishops of the Resurrected Church will come to a complete end here today.

"Unparalleled Imperial Power! Imperial Faith!"

"Cultists, die! We've put up with you for far too long!"

"You dare to cause trouble in the capital? You've got a death wish!"

Amidst a cacophony of shouts echoing through the air in response to Pritzker, the Imperial Army charged like madmen towards the cultists who dared to run rampant in the capital!

Without Menellis's deterrence and Olivia's tacit approval, the remaining followers of the Chaos Cult were undoubtedly a rabble in the eyes of the Empire's strongest!

And the Saron Empire will be reborn today!

Mier stood at the highest point of the Imperial Arena, holding a watch face and gazing north.

"Two more have been locked up. You really are a devil."

Mier sighed helplessly.

Although the Demon Realm prison was an extremely unpleasant memory for her, in this life, for some reason, it unexpectedly brought her the greatest sense of security.

"But this war is finally over."

"Come back soon, let's go back to the Kingdom of Norton together."

Let's go back to the way things were when we were all together.

******

# Author's Note;

The Empire arc has officially ended~ The entire story is truly nearing its end, with only the rebuilding of the kingdom, the legendary cards, the final chapter of the Holy Kingdom, and the final battlefield of destruction at the Heavenly Gate remaining.

Finishing this chapter gave me a sense of finality, and I couldn't help but write some thoughts. I feel like I'm quite good at writing endings now, neither too fast nor too slow! I'm confident I can maintain this pace until the very end, taking it one step at a time, just one final push away! To be able to write a complete novel with a beginning and an end on my second book makes me incredibly proud! Just between you and me, only about thirty novels by Hedgehog Cat have had higher average daily sales than this one over the years, and I, Xi Gouzi, am just a newbie who's only been writing for a year! Perhaps this is the reward for never abandoning my writing and honestly continuing to write!

Side stories and daily life tales not mentioned in the earlier school arcs, prequels and spin-offs for some characters, stories of the Holy Kingdom and the Demon Realm, and stories set many years after the finale—all of these will be included in the free side stories after the main story concludes. I will be writing free side stories for a long time after the main story ends, so please rest assured there will still be plenty of story to read!

353 Dekan's protectiveness

Seconds after the three people in the Saron Empire arena disappeared.

The Demon King's Tomb in the Void Lands of the Far North.

As the pitch-black twilight enveloped the surroundings, the magnificent stone cemetery, adorned with dark red starlight, possessed an unusual sense of holiness and magic, as if it were a place where heaven and the underworld met.

The dim light lends the cemetery a solemn and dignified air, yet the sea of ​​flowers covering the grounds also exudes a gentle vitality.

In an instant, as if welcoming its master back, even the sky brightened up.

The lush plants of the demon realm swayed as the three uninvited guests arrived.

The dark magic that sealed Sheen gradually faded, freeing her form.

"Huh?"

Sheen staggered a couple of times, but quickly regained his balance.

I was somewhat surprised as I sensed my body.

He hadn't lost much of his magic power, and his physical condition was relatively good.

This indicates that he has not been sealed away for long.

Dekan... he actually managed to halt the Saron Empire's attack on the Kingdom Federation so quickly?

That's nice!

Seeing the direction of the surging wind that suddenly appeared inside the Demon King's Tomb, Shin was about to wave and call out "Teacher Da Tong".

However, she suddenly froze.

Because she saw a figure shrouded in the dark and violent demonic power of the Demon King within the Demon King's Tomb.

There seem to be three paths?

The entire cemetery erupted in chaos at that moment, with clearly visible, dark magic surging forth from within!

It's as if you can see the phantoms of ferocious beasts and demonic phantoms from mythology raging in the cemetery, and you can even hear the chilling, mournful howls of ancient evil spirits!

A figure was being sealed by the icy demonic power that filled the ground.

This feels so familiar.

Sheen couldn't help but wonder what year it was.

So you're collecting figurines here again, aren't you!

"Huh? Da Zhan? Wait a moment."

Dekan shouted as if there was a bad signal, while completely sealing Menellios, who was roaring with fear and resentment, into a black sculpture.

He then quickly used his demonic power to support the weakened Icardinos.

"Phew... thank you..."

Icardinos finally released the [Absolute Mental Control] as if a great weight had been lifted, and collapsed onto the mat woven from the Demon King's magic.

Not only did her old injuries flare up, but new injuries also left her so weak that she could barely open her eyes.

If she hadn't changed her card deck beforehand, equipped herself with key damage reduction spells and equipment, and weakened Menellios's attributes with [Netherworld Astral Projection], she might have perished before even surviving this long [Chaos End].

Dekan ignored the sealed Menelius and called out to Sheen:

"Da Zhan! Come quick, save him!"

Astrologers also possess healing abilities, and the ninth-ranked Sheen is a super healer with unparalleled healing power in the world.

"Here you come, you scoundrel, which unlucky guy have you screwed over this time!"

Sheen floated into the air, not forgetting to condemn Dekan, and soon glided with the wind to land next to Dekan.

She understood Dekan's field kill all too well.

Find a teammate to control the powerful enemy, then teleport to the Demon King's Tomb to kill the hostage.

After all, this was how she and Dekan had previously killed Agamemnon, the former Pope of the Church of the Resurrection.

The reason Dekan was able to end his imperial journey so quickly this time must be because he found someone to help him ambush a very powerful high-ranking official in the empire, and then sent word about the Demon King's Tomb!

With the balance of power broken, the empire naturally couldn't maintain its offensive pace.

Sheen's mood immediately improved.

I'm even a little excited to see who the sealed-away guy is.

Judging from the roar just now, it must have been a male.

Surely we couldn't have captured Pritzker, the commander of the First Army, alive?

That would certainly make the situation between the empire and the kingdom much clearer!

It's highly likely, I'm so happy.

As for this laborer who fought so hard for Dekan, no one knows where Dekan came from.

Regardless of the circumstances, she is a great benefactor to many kingdoms!

With gratitude, Sheen cast a healing spell on Icardinos, who had collapsed under the Demon King's magic, and asked Dekan: