novelraw Chapter 1300: The Gong of Fate Sounds in the Sanctuary (1)
Chapter 1300: The Gong of Fate Sounds in the Sanctuary (1)
Late August, 1939.
Fifteen-year-old Princess Elizabeth had already grown into a slender young lady.
She was wearing a peculiar military uniform, her face covered with a special kind of paint that concealed her striking beauty.
With the help of her private tutor, she had secretly slipped past everyone at home and arrived in a small country on the European continent to undergo a certain kind of trial and training.
Over three years of study, not only horsemanship and swordsmanship, but even marksmanship—despite her young age, the princess had already reached a remarkably high level. At the same time, her academic studies were good enough to earn praise from her father.
There was no doubt that the young princess already possessed the qualities to become an outstanding woman.
She was currently on a train.
In the rear half of a carriage, the princess—drenched in sweat—held a standard-issue longsword in one hand and a Soviet-made compact pistol in the other.
Seven men lay fallen there. They were dressed in the uniforms of the so-called 【SS】—the same as the uniform the princess herself had been wearing.
Blood slowly seeped from their bodies, eventually pooling together and spreading beneath the princess’s leather boots.Exhausted, she leaned against the carriage door. Her trembling fingers loosened, and the sword slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor—not from fear, but simply because her numbed fingers could no longer hold the weapon firmly.
There was also a bleeding wound on her arm.
Gritting her teeth, the princess tore open the inner lining of her clothing and, using both hands and teeth, hastily bandaged the wound. Only then did she let out a breath of relief. She pushed the door open and stepped out of the carriage.
She removed her uniform and casually threw it into the river beneath a bridge the train was passing over. At the junction between carriages, she retrieved a bundle hidden under the carriage floor. Inside was a long lady’s dress.
After changing, the princess transformed into a delicate young woman and entered the forward carriage. She walked gracefully, and before long arrived at the dining car.
She found a seat, lightly lifted the hem of her skirt with both hands, performed a curtsy, and then slowly sat down. Opposite her sat a woman with long golden hair and deep blue eyes, enjoying a cup of warm red tea.
“Teacher…”
“You’re injured,” the blonde woman said abruptly.
The princess lightly bit her lip. “I wasn’t careful and—”
“Dictionary punishment tonight,” the blonde woman said expressionlessly.
The princess lowered her head. If that was all, it was actually not so bad—she even felt a sense of relief. Her teacher turned to admire the scenery outside the window.
The princess secretly studied her teacher’s profile, becoming a little entranced.
“Is there something on my face?” the teacher noticed her gaze.
“N-no,” the princess replied quickly. Years of training had sharpened her wit. “I was just thinking about when the great war will break out…”
“Soon,” the blonde woman replied casually.
The princess lifted her teacup and took small sips, also gazing at the scenery rushing past the train—like life flashing by in an instant.
A few days later, on the third day of September, Britain and France officially declared war on Germany.
……
……
The jolting seemed to have stopped.
The burlap covering was suddenly lifted. It was still night, but faint firelight could be seen in the darkness. Gunfire echoed continuously through the city. Blocking the Queen’s view stood a sturdy figure—the burly old man named Judas.
“Your Majesty, we’ve arrived. You shouldn’t need me to help you down, should you?” Judas said calmly.
Lancelot, cradled in the Queen’s arms, slowly opened her eyes. She still looked utterly exhausted, but her fingers quietly traced something into the Queen’s palm.
“I think I do need help,” the Queen said sharply. “Sir, how do you expect a frail old woman to get down from here? We even have an injured person!”
Unwilling to argue, Judas said nothing more. He scooped the Queen up around the waist and jumped down from the pickup truck’s cargo bed, landing steadily on the ground.
“Oh! What a gentleman you are,” the Queen exclaimed in surprise.
Judas nodded. “Go inside. You shouldn’t be unfamiliar with this place.”
The Queen looked up at their destination—a massive structure: Foggy City’s largest clock.
“Of course,” she said softly.
The Westminster Palace clock tower, also known as Elizabeth Tower.
“So this is the place you’ve prepared for me in the end?” the Queen asked, turning back.
Judas said nothing. Catherine had already climbed down from the truck, placed a hand on the Queen’s shoulder, and pushed her toward the building.
“Madam, you should learn from that gentleman just now. You’re hurting me!”
“Die, you old hag…”
Meanwhile, Judas looked toward Lancelot, who was still in the truck bed, seemingly considering whether to carry her down as well. Lancelot stubbornly propped herself up and climbed down on her own, step by step.
She staggered as she followed them.
Along the way, numerous security personnel lay unconscious on the ground. There were clear signs of fighting in the corridors—after all, this was the British Parliament, the House of Commons and the House of Lords, so it could not possibly be without guards.
The corridors were lined with numerous murals and sculptures—also known as the West Chapel.
Finally, they stopped in front of the doors to a grand hall. Upon entering, it was clear this was not the place used for state funerals.
At the end of the red carpet stood a middle-aged man dressed as a bartender, already waiting for them. “Judas, you’re too slow.”
“Haha, Dobas, my brother!” Judas stepped forward and embraced him warmly. Lancelot, meanwhile, scanned the surroundings of the hall.
She noticed a large amount of filming equipment set up there, and an ominous feeling rose in her heart. The Queen had never told her about Doomsday Myth’s plan.
“Where’s Caesar?” Dobas asked, frowning.
The alchemist Tipu, who had just come up, spoke quickly. “Didn’t you notice what’s happening in Foggy City? The leader is giving them an extra performance right now.”
Dobas nodded, thoughtful.
At that moment, the hall doors opened again. A naked man stood there in the doorway. Catherine cried out in delight and ran toward him. “Caesar, you’re back!”
He nodded and took a step forward, but suddenly collapsed.
Catherine arrived just in time, catching him before he hit the ground. “Y-you… how are you?”
“I just need some rest…” Caesar’s lips were pale. “The consumption of the holy armor exceeded expectations. Using it without the inheritance ceremony was still too much.”
“Tipu!!” Catherine shouted over her shoulder.
Tipu hurried over, already holding several bottles of alchemical potions, quickly mixing something on the spot. “Leader, you were too reckless!”
Caesar waved his hand. After drinking the hastily prepared potion Tipu handed him, he slowly walked—supported by Catherine—to stand before the Queen.
“Sir, you don’t look very well,” the Queen observed. “I know some excellent doctors. If you stop what you’re doing now, you might receive proper treatment.”
“Your concern is appreciated,” Caesar chuckled softly. “You should worry more about yourself… Your Majesty. Time is running out.”
“My pet is missing,” the Queen suddenly said, anxiously looking around. “Have you seen it?”
“Judas, Dobas, take this Queen to rest,” Caesar said, waving his hand.
After the Queen was sent away, Caesar finally came before Lancelot. Lancelot frowned. “You… you really used the holy armor?”
“Don’t worry. Your colleagues are fine… After all, I can’t die yet, so there’s no need to risk not coming back just to keep one or two of them.”
As he spoke, he waved his hand. Catherine, though somewhat reluctant, still pressed Lancelot and led her away.
In the hall, only Tipu remained to tend to Caesar. He began mixing something again and asked with concern, “How does it feel?”
Caesar leaned back against the counter and sat down, smiling casually. “Terrible.”
Tipu frowned. “It couldn’t have been just forcing the holy armor! You definitely ignored advice and used the Beast King’s body… Remember, you’re not the true Beast King! Even with secret medicine, there are side effects!”
“I have leverage.”
As he spoke, he took out a phone. Once the call connected, even without speakerphone, Tipu could hear the furious roar.
“Oberon!! You absolute bastard!!”
“Didn’t you use your toys to attack us first?” Caesar sneered. “The cooperation is over.”
Beep.
……
Outside the room, Lancelot was shoved inside by Catherine, who then wrapped her again in layers of iron chains.
“Hamsone may be relatively brittle, but it still takes ten days or so to grind through,” Catherine said calmly. “If I were you, I wouldn’t waste the effort.”
So she’d noticed. Lancelot’s expression changed slightly.
“Also, I think it’s better if you don’t have much strength left,” Catherine added abruptly.
Lancelot frowned.
After fastening the new chains, Catherine narrowed her eyes and smiled. “Those imprint insects, besides temporarily stripping away your holy mark, seem to have some side effects.”
“What do you mean?!”
“For a virgin… it should be quite unsettling, right?” Catherine lightly lifted her chin, then, under Lancelot’s furious glare, slowly left the room.
Only after Catherine closed the door did Lancelot quickly move to it and press her ear against it. After a long while, she spat out a thin iron wire.
She’d found it in the bed of the pickup truck.
……
……
“Is it really okay for us to be doing this? We’re not superheroes…”
Inside the social work center, Cheng Yiran was moving box after box with another person, following the instructions of the one-eyed black man named Neil.
“It’s better than doing nothing,” Cheng Yiran said softly.
“Cheng… I’m going to the bathroom. You go on ahead,” his companion said, shivering slightly. He set the boxes down and hurried into the restroom.
Cheng Yiran shook his head and kept carrying the boxes, but when he passed the room used to restrain the beastman, he stopped. Curious, he opened the door a crack and looked inside.
No matter how many times he saw it, it still felt unbelievable—such fantasy creatures actually existed where he lived.
If beastmen really existed, then in his homeland, could demon-like monsters exist as well?
The thought crossed his mind.
“But… it seems quieter than before?” Cheng Yiran noticed the beastman now appeared drowsy.
It no longer looked like it was on the verge of exploding at any moment. Frowning, he then noticed that besides the beastman, there was actually a small figure in the room.
It seemed to be called… Oga?
The younger brother of the beastman girl.
What surprised Cheng Yiran was that this delicate-looking beastman boy, almost pretty like a girl, was holding a guitar and playing an incomplete melody.
The Original Scenery of Hometown.
Cheng Yiran recognized the piece immediately—he’d once casually given it to Will after getting to know him.
He’d vaguely heard Klein and Nick mention Pact of the Moon in their conversation… It seemed to suppress the beastmen’s frenzy, and that beastman girl was preparing for it.
Seeing the wondrous scene, Cheng Yiran unconsciously pushed the door open and walked in. “You—”
The slight sound startled Oga, who jumped to his feet, standing there nervously and at a loss.
Cheng Yiran waved his hand, deliberately softening his voice. Remembering something, he took out his phone and began translating into Turkish.
“How about I teach you the next part of this song?”
Oga froze for a moment, then nodded.
Somewhat nervously, Cheng Yiran glanced at the beastman bound tightly, then slowly moved closer to Oga and took the guitar from his hands.
He began to play.
……
Outside the social work center, a group of people were busy working on the small truck that had crashed into the wall. Neil held a roughly sketched blueprint.
“No good… this thing won’t work at all. The engine’s wrecked,” Will wiped his sweat and shook his head.
Klein frowned. “Maybe we can use another vehicle to tow it. As long as it can move.”
They were still discussing when the work suddenly came to a halt. The beastman girl watched them with distrust, clearly doubting whether their plan would work.
She sighed, leaned against the wall, and waited for their discussion to end.
At that moment, two intense beams of light suddenly shone toward them. Behind the glare loomed a massive shape.
The beastman girl instantly became alert.
Knight Klein even raised his warhammer. Even Will, in his panic, grabbed a wrench.
Finally, the massive object slowly came to a stop.
When the lights cut out, what appeared before them was a huge modified mobile performance truck, covered in spray-painted graffiti and exuding a strong rock-and-roll vibe.
A young man in a black jacket jumped down from the driver’s seat. At the same time, a blonde woman leapt down from the passenger side.
Their faces even bore decorative makeup—rock youths.
Will froze for a moment, feeling an unexpected sense of familiarity with their style.
The beastman girl, however, opened her mouth wide—clearly recognizing who they were.
She blurted out, “Changed clothes again… no, wait, why are you here?”
“You know them?” Knight Klein quickly turned to her.
She nodded. “I’ve met them before and received some help… This man seems to be a magician?”
“A magician?” Will couldn’t help but be startled.
“Not the kind you’re thinking of,” Klein said quickly, then hesitantly walked toward the pair.
The rock-styled young man—Boss Luo—smiled and said, “Looks like you need some help.”
Nick stared blankly at the massive modified performance truck they had driven over. “Perfect timing.”
(End of Chapter)
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