Elizabeth instinctively took a step back.
Her brows knitted as she suppressed the unease she felt upon meeting Skyler's gaze.
Without acknowledging the disrespect he had just shown—or even the strange fact that he now stood so much taller than her—she turned and began walking toward the Royal Castle. Her voice drifted toward him.
"Follow me."
Just as the two vanished into the Royal Castle, the ninety-nine youths breathed a quiet sigh of relief. But before that relief could even completely settle, a crowd of reporters came rushing into the garden.
The pillars of light had already drawn attention, and citizens living in the city where the Royal Castle was had quickly spread the news, alerting the media.
Desperate to uncover what was going on, many reporters flooded toward the castle.
They all followed closely behind the tall, stern-looking, middle-aged man who had reluctantly allowed them inside, unable to contain the growing commotion outside. It was Johnson, Riya's husband. Even after seeing Jenny, Johnson's eyes remained indifferent as he arrived at the garden.
The moment the reporters spotted the numerous familiar faces standing in the Royal Garden, their curious eyes lit up.
"Is that Max Hales?!"
The exclamation barely left one reporter's mouth before the others surged forward.
They had already recognized Max Hales—and the rest of the youths as well. These were the very youths who had supposedly died in the Battle Royal two years ago!
Now, they were standing alive and unharmed before them!
The reporters rushed toward the group, questions already spilling from their lips, desperate to interview them and uncover everything that had happened to them.
Yuris groaned under his breath.
He turned around to run away, only to see his two friends, Charles and Isaac, already far away, fleeing the scene. A vein bulged on his forehead as he chased after them.
"Wait for me, you traitors!"
***
Meanwhile, inside the Royal Castle, Skyler stood by the window of the room Elizabeth had brought him to, amusedly watching the scene unfolding in the large garden below.
After seeing the reporters being held back by the guards and Max and the others who were attempting to answer their questions being stopped and led away by the Butler, he finally turned and looked at the Queen.
Skyler slowly stepped toward the round table at the center of the large room and leisurely took a seat, his gaze settling on the cold woman standing opposite him.
"So, what do you want from me? Why did the Queen kidnap me and bring me here?"
He paused and continued.
"And I don't mean now. I mean before the trial even began and I was dragged into it."
He reached out to play with a small orb resting on the table as a decoration, his gaze fixed on Elizabeth. He already knew the reason, but he had nothing else to do, so he just wanted to cause some chaos.
The little dragon, which had shamelessly returned to his shoulder after being flicked away earlier, yawned and stretched its tiny body. Its voice echoed directly in his mind.
'Just let me kill her and eat her core. She has the power of the Dragon Race. Tsk, it's very weak, but it's still better than nothing.'
Skyler raised his hand and flicked the little dragon away once again. It flew across the room and slammed into the wall opposite the table. 505 let out an aggrieved sound.
'Hmph!'
The little dragon puffed out its cheeks and turned its head away in indignation. It was done with Skyler! It would never go back to him again! That merciless host! All he ever did when he was bored was toss it around!
The Queen noticed Skyler's action.
Yet there was nothing on his shoulder.
Her eyes returned to Skyler. Although she couldn't sense any power within his body, she had a feeling that this youngster was no longer the same weak human she had once ordered to be captured and brought before her two years ago.
She settled into the seat opposite Skyler and stared at him with narrowed eyes.
"I think you already knew."
Skyler chuckled and leaned forward, casually resting his arms on the table.
"So what if I know? If I say I don't, then I don't. Now tell me—just why did you, the Queen, suddenly kidnap me back then?"
Elizabeth's fingers trembled when she noticed how his gaze turned indifferent.
She clasped her hands together so the tremors in her fingers would subside.
In the past, she would have just used her power and taken what she wanted from him without a second thought. But now, an inexplicable instinct warned her against it.
If she tried anything, he would kill her.
The thought was absurd.
Skyler had no traceable power within his body, while she stood at the Divine Rank.
Yet, she couldn't shake the certainty that the seemingly ordinary human before her could take her life with effortless ease.
Ultimately, Elizabeth took a step back.
She forced her voice to soften.
"Help me. I need your heart's blood to save Damien. Skyler, your grandfather will die—"
Before Elizabeth could even finish, Skyler's palm struck the table with a sharp sound.
Her words died in her throat.
"No. No, no."
His voice was calm, almost emotionless.
"I have no connection to anyone in the Royal Family. Damien is your partner, not someone I know. Do you understand?"
Skyler met her eyes, his chilling gaze making the room feel strangely heavy.
"Don't drag me into your problems."
Elizabeth's heart sank.
Skyler was her last hope.
Her husband, Damien, was a fallen angel—the last of his kind in the lower realms. She would have sought another way if there had been one to save him. She would have even gone to capture other angels, but the Angel Race had long since left the lower realms.
If Skyler didn't help her, no one else could save Damien, who was already in a coma!
She knew that, as a weak human, Skyler might not have survived having his heart's blood taken two years ago. But there was no other way—no other choice left to her. It was the only way she could save Damien.
And now that Skyler was different, she couldn't forcefully take his blood. If he refused to help, her husband would die!