High in the palace tower, wind and rain battered the glazed windows with a soft, incessant patter.
The entire Imperial Capital trembled beneath the night sky, while the new Regent King Rhein's reflection on the alchemical copper wall behind the window looked thinner and more sinister than ever.
He held an exquisite alchemical telescope. Through its lenses, he saw a scene atop the walls that chilled his soul...
The dark gold dragon banner, soaked in blood and rain, was slowly being planted atop the main gate tower.
It snapped in the wind.
That was the banner of the Empire's military soul... and now, it heralded the Second Imperial Prince's return.
Rhein's breathing grew ragged.
He watched the Veteran Knights he had spent a fortune equipping retreat like an ebbing tide.
He watched those monstrous Dragonblood Youths pounce and kill amid the bloody mist, tearing the defensive line apart piece by piece.
The cup of black tea in his hand shattered with a crack.
Shards of glass pierced his palm, and blood slowly trickled between his fingers.
Yet he seemed to feel nothing. His eyes held only uncontrolled fury and a reality he refused to accept.
"Madmen..." Rhein muttered through clenched teeth. "They're all madmen... Kalien has gone mad... He actually dared bring the Frontier Army into the Imperial Capital... He doesn't care about the Empire at all... Traitor! Rebel! Bastard!!"
Curses poured out as his emotions surged.
A nearby guard dropped to his knees in fright. "Your Highness... what do we do now? The Second Imperial Prince has already taken the walls..."
Rhein drew a deep breath.
When he looked up again, his anger had turned into a viper's cold malice.
"What do we do?" he repeated softly.
"If my elder brother has chosen to become a monster..." His fingertips