In Type-Moon, people create a magic family lineage

Along the way, Lu Kang witnessed their continuous retreat.

Lu Kang entered the palace beneath the giant beast.

The phantom had no legs below it; it was still connected to the palace.

Or perhaps it should be described as the figure sitting regally inside the palace—

"You came."

The main hall was still lavishly decorated, with luxurious curtains, a luxurious red carpet, and a luxurious imperial throne. The man opened his eyes.

"Yes, I'm coming."

Lu Kang looked at him: "You've arrived as promised."

Nicholas II, dressed in a dark military uniform, had a slightly prickled beard. The glass chandeliers hanging from the palace dome cast a soft glow. The last Tsar's face showed a hint of weariness. Although the summoning of the phantom spirit relied on the Moscow ley line magic gathered at this moment, the manifestation of the incarnations of the Tsars of the past was still based on him.

He will feel tired.

It's only natural to feel tired.

But it ended quickly.

"Let's begin." Lu Kang slowly walked towards the throne.

Their year-long plan will come to an end at this step—once they bear all the evils of the old era, their hatred will dissipate, and even if the Tsarist Empire is still destined to collapse, the emperor's family can still live like ordinary people in the new tomorrow.

All the evils of the old era will come to an end here.

But Lu Kang had just lifted his foot and taken two steps when he suddenly stopped.

He looked at the barrier that had suddenly appeared before him, and at Nicholas II, bathed in light, on the throne.

"What...does Your Majesty mean?"

“Your Majesty, please stop!” Nicholas II said, his words weak and breathless, as if he were carrying a heavy burden. Though his words were intermittent, they still firmly expressed his will: “I am well aware of Your Majesty’s intentions.”

"but--"

"I should have already said that."

"What did he say?" Lu Kang wondered if this guy had regretted it at the last minute. Did he regret not wanting to bear the guilt, or did he not want the Tsarist Empire to collapse?

But Nicholas II did not immediately respond to Lucan's question.

He looked up at the dome.

It was as if I could see that enormous, primordial beast standing tall.

He grinned and whispered, "So this is what an emperor is like—a truly terrifying thing."

"It's neither sacred nor great!"

"Such things should have been swept into the dustbin of history long ago—"

The emperor's words echoed in a low voice within the palace.

Lu Kang lowered his brows slightly, his gaze fixed on the man who had suddenly started rambling on.

“People used to tell me that emperors are great, empires are sacred, and all people should revere emperors as they would their fathers. Having grown up in the palace, I also thought that I could become like him—my father, the previous Tsar Alexander III, a sacred and great emperor, just as that person said.”

"But after I ascended to this position, I realized that it was not as glamorous as it seemed on the surface. It was tiring to sit firmly, and even more tiring to sit well. But I still believed those words and believed in my supreme authority. My father once said that I was not suitable to be emperor because I was cowardly and timid. I disagreed, so after becoming emperor, I put on an iron-willed and resolute appearance. On the eve of the empire's decline, I once thought that I could restore its majesty."

"However, upon careful reflection, my father's assessment was actually quite accurate. I was cowardly, and my hesitation in several reforms led to failure. Several decisions were made in a way that caused serious errors because I did not want to bear the blame."

"Your Majesty, you must look down on me, right?"

"I cannot be like Your Majesty—remaining steadfast even when facing the gods!"

Lu Kang's expression shifted slightly.

He looked at the seemingly fragile man on the throne and listened to his words. He thought to himself that this guy was not blindly believing in him because of his faith in the gods. Nicholas II had long known that he was not a devout believer in the gods, nor did he know that he was a sage of any religion. The reason he still believed in him was simply because he was really capable.

Moreover, Nicholas II already knew...

Church, God.

I never stand with him.

Since the gods have abandoned him, even if Lu Kang is a demon, he can only associate with him.

But Lu Kang's expression shifted slightly, and Nicholas II still did not give him a chance to speak.

He continued, “Cowardice, timidity, and an inability to take on real responsibility—the outward appearance of iron-fistedness and brutality is merely a facade to cover up this flaw—I have done many wrong things in my life.”

"But in any case."

The weak man suddenly straightened his back.

His already deep voice suddenly became even deeper, like a booming bell or the pounding of a drum.

It was as if he had returned to being an emperor.

He said, "There are some things that I should take full responsibility for."

"Because I said—"

"I am the state."

"I should bear the blame for the downfall of the nation!"

With a deafening roar, the hall trembled, and Nicholas II abruptly rose to his feet, his military uniform billowing. He slowly drew the Imperial Sword, the symbol of the Tsar, from his waist, his face solemn, accompanied by the roar of a giant beast in the air.

As if responding to the emperor's will, the wild and savage beast in the sky raised its ivory at that moment.

It raised its head and pierced the 'dark clouds' in the sky!

The enormous elephant trunk instantly enveloped all the evil in the air—it was both devouring and bearing it.

Bearing all evil.

then...

Step by step, towards the end of the empire!

Seeing this, Lu Kang knew he was overthinking things. Nicholas II had no regrets, but he had hesitated his whole life. In the end, he just wanted to make a truly brave decision for himself.

At least for the moment.

He chose to end his many sins in his own way, choosing to bear the consequences alone.

"I entrust my affairs after my death to Your Majesty!" Nicholas II said in a low voice.

He raised his sword and stood up.

He will commit suicide here.

As emperor, carrying all the sins of the old era—with the collapse of the empire, he should also perish!

But the sword that had just been raised suddenly stopped.

Nicholas II paused, looking at the hand that had appeared on the sword.

Lu Kang walked through the barrier of light and stood before him, saying, "I will not object to your decision."

"However, in the end, let me be the one to see you off on your final journey—"

"In this way, I can also inherit the empire's 'legacy'!"

Nicholas II remained silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. What imperial legacy was left now? What was due had already been given, and what was due had already been taken by Lu Kang.

However, he still nodded.

He said, "Then, I'll leave it to you, my First Minister of State."

"My 'sage' and 'mentor'!"

Chapter Thirty: Taking a Step Forward, Creating a Demon God

In January 1917, accompanied by the Moscow illusion, the Mensheviks stormed the Kremlin on the morning of that day. They broke through the gates but were defeated by the "beasts" inside.

This was a failed uprising.

The emperor of the empire died that very day.

Some say he died from a hallucination that day, while others say he died from a sudden onset of hysteria.

However, some say that he died at the hands of Luca Luvist, and that his soul was taken by a demon.

He, and his family who have disappeared without a trace, are the same.

—The Death of Nicholas II

...

You killed Nicholas II.

As the longsword, a symbol of the emperor, pierced Nicholas II's chest, you suddenly remembered many things. You thought about the emperor and the past connected to him.

[A mediocre emperor, both insecure and arrogant, who ultimately found his own path.]

This is how you describe him.

In that instant, crimson blood slowly dripped from the tip of the sword onto the ground, staining the red carpet with an even deeper and darker hue.

Lu Kang took two steps back.

Nicholas II slowly closed his eyes.

The ground trembled and vibrated—outside the palace, above the dome, the phantom spirit that had embodied the tsars of past dynasties, now without its vessel, shook and shuddered. It raised its massive tusks and let out an increasingly loud roar, as if resentful of the empire's inevitable collapse, yet utterly powerless to stop it...

It shook helplessly.

It trembled helplessly.

Helpless, it collapsed like sand and dust—and with it disappeared all the evils that had spread across this land.

All 'sin'.

All karma.

of course.

There was also a mediocre and cowardly king—

The sky cleared up again.

The sun shone exceptionally brightly after the snowstorm.

Lu Kang stood before the throne, leaning on his sword, looking at the emperor who sat there with his head bowed, lifeless.

He thought to himself that the emperor probably didn't understand his meaning before he died... the imperial legacy he referred to was his daughter...

Lu Kang was no saint.

He always—

It’s no good to be early!

Clap clap clap... Just then, crisp applause rang out in the highest palace of the empire. The glass chandeliers were still lit, the palace was still spacious, and between the light gauze curtains hanging on all sides, a figure slowly walked in, wearing black boots.

The leader walked along, clapping his hands and speaking in a clear voice: "The emperor, who was cowardly his whole life, made a truly personal and persistent decision before his death; the devil who impersonated a sage collected his reward—"

"It's a pity that Shakespeare has been dead for hundreds of years. If he were alive, he would surely have written a beautiful collection of stories based on this scene."

Lu Kang looked at them.

Figures gathered from all directions, completely surrounding the throne and Lu Kang in front of it.

But he only looked at the person who spoke.

A woman with long, reddish-brown hair...

"The Magic Association?" Lu Kang was not surprised by their appearance. This was the palace, and he could sense anyone who entered—sense their presence and the faction represented by the mystery emanating from them.

"Clock Tower, seal the designated executor." The woman's black coat draped down, concealing the uniform underneath. Her knee-length skirt and boots swayed on the ground. She held a long whip in her hand, and her long hair was pulled up into a ponytail, revealing her heroic face and highlighting her decisive and efficient temperament like a queen.

She said, "Vivian Barthemello."

"The Clock Tower Monarch?" Lu Kang laughed. "That's quite a resounding name."

"It is said that Bartholomew is one of the three noble families of the Clock Tower of the Mage's Association, with a family history of over a thousand years. All the Bartholomew monarchs have been monarchs of the Department of Law and Politics in charge of order management, holding high positions and great power."

"I never imagined I could get such a 'big shot' to come out—"

“But you don’t seem surprised at all.” Vivian looked at the man who was still chatting and laughing despite being surrounded.