Strongest Kingdom: My Op Kingdom Got Transported Along With Me-Chapter 374 - 373: The City Wakes To A New Reality

An unfamiliar aura descends upon the battlefield like an unseen verdict. It does not crush. It does not rage. It simply exists, and in doing so, renders everything else insignificant.

The sky dims.

Mana freezes mid-flow.

Wind halts. Flames extinguish. Water hangs suspended like glass.

Soldiers scream, but no sound comes out.

"This—!" Kevom gasps.

Hecrad's eyes widen.

That aura…

It is not elemental.

It is not raw power.

It is law.

A presence so vast and absolute that the world itself seems to acknowledge it, even if it cannot yet fully submit. Invisible lines of authority spread outward, defining space, weight, existence.

A being that uses law as power.

Legends flash through Hecrad's mind, ancient texts, forbidden classifications, half-forgotten warnings.

Tier 7.

"…This is bad," Kevom whispers.

A figure begins to form high above the battlefield. The air folds respectfully around it, space adjusting as if making room.

Monster races across the field react instantly.

They kneel.

Not in fear.

In reverence.

Zevran lowers his head slightly, wings folding.

"Master," he says calmly.

Hecrad's voice is hollow as realization crashes down on him.

"So we were fighting for nothing."

Kevom swallows. "From the start…"

Hecrad clenches his fists, blood dripping from burned knuckles.

"…This kingdom was doomed."

The presence above them shifts, and with it comes a sensation like judgment brushing against their souls. Not hostile. Not kind.

Simply aware.

Kevom's laugh is bitter, strained.

"How the hell does a Tier 7 monster get born in a place like this?"

Hecrad doesn't answer immediately.

His eyes remain fixed on the descending figure, mind racing despite the exhaustion threatening to tear him apart.

Alix simply steps forward, and as if the sky itself has become solid beneath his feet.

A monster they can't tell what race, wearing a dark robes, his hair stirring gently in air that no longer moves. His eyes are calm, deep, and utterly detached, like someone observing insects beneath glass. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Alix.

He looks down at the battlefield.

At the shattered plains.

At the kneeling monsters.

His gaze lingers on Hecrad and Kevom.

For a moment, there is only silence.

Then Alix speaks.

"You two humans picked my interest."

His voice is not loud.

It doesn't need to be.

It carries anyway, sliding into every ear, settling into every mind.

He raises one hand slightly, palm open.

"I have an offer."

The law-bound aura shifts, tightening like an invisible net.

"If you submit to me now," Alix continues evenly, "I will let this city be. I will not allow my men to kill any human civilians in that city."

A ripple runs through the soldiers below.

Hope flickers, and fear deepens.

Alix's eyes remain on Hecrad.

"And you will remain the city lord of this place."

Kevom's breath stutters.

Hecrad's heart sinks.

The fused body finally collapses.

Light peels away from their form as Hecrad and Kevom separate midair, both dropping hard to the ground. They hit the cracked stone almost in unison.

Kevom rolls once and coughs violently.

Hecrad lands on one knee, one hand braced against the earth.

Blood drips from his fingers.

Their auras are gone.

Not suppressed.

Gone.

The backlash tears through them like delayed lightning. Muscles seize. Vision swims. Mana channels feel like shattered glass.

Hecrad knows instantly.

Right now, even a Tier 2 soldier could walk over and end them.

He tries to stand, but his legs betray him.

Kevom drags himself closer, teeth clenched, face pale. "Tch… hell of a way to come back to reality."

Hecrad stares at the ground.

Utter defeat presses down on him heavier than Alix's aura ever did.

No reinforcements from the capital.

No miracle.

No last stand.

Just a ruined battlefield and a Tier 7 being offering mercy on his own terms.

Kevom reaches out and grips Hecrad's arm.

"Hecrad," he says quietly. Then louder, forcing strength into his voice. "No matter what you decide… I'll always have your back."

Hecrad closes his eyes.

For a moment, he sees the city.

The streets.

The children.

The people hiding in basements. The wounded soldiers who followed him here. He opens his eyes and looks up at Alix.

"…If I accept," Hecrad says, voice hoarse, "you swear the civilians live."

Alix meets his gaze without blinking.

"I swear."

Zevran watches with interest. Mero floats silently at Alix's side.

The soldiers hold their breath.

Hecrad swallows.

The taste of blood sits heavy in his mouth.

His hands tremble, not from fear, but from exhaustion so deep it reaches into his bones. Every breath feels borrowed. Every heartbeat reminds him how fragile he is right now.

He looks at Kevom.

Kevom meets his eyes and gives a small nod, jaw tight, grip still firm around Hecrad's arm.

"I'm here," Kevom says quietly. "Whatever you choose."

Hecrad turns his gaze back to Alix.

The Tier 7 stands above them, unmoving, patient, as if time itself bends around his will. There is no urgency in his expression. He already knows how this ends.

Hecrad exhales slowly.

"…I accept."

The words feel heavier than any blade.

"I submit."

The battlefield goes deathly silent.

For a split second, even the monsters seem surprised.

Then chaos erupts.

"What?!"

"City Lord, no!"

"Hecrad, have you lost your mind?!"

Shouts rise from every direction. Soldiers slam their weapons into the ground in anger. Some curse him openly. Others stare in disbelief, hands shaking.

A captain staggers forward, blood running down his temple.

"My lord, we can still fight! Even if we die—"

Hecrad lifts one trembling hand.

"That's enough."

His voice is weak, but it carries.

He forces himself to stand, legs screaming in protest. Kevom moves instantly, supporting him from the side.

Hecrad faces his army.

Faces he knows.

Men and women who followed him into hell.

"I won't trade this city for pride," Hecrad says hoarsely. "I won't let every civilian die just so we can feel heroic for a moment."

His gaze hardens.

"You can hate me if you want."

No one answers.

Some soldiers turn away, fists clenched.

Others drop to one knee, defeated.

Alix watches without interruption.

When the noise finally dies down, he nods once.

"Wise."

The law-bound aura retracts slightly, enough that the world dares to breathe again. Wind returns in hesitant gusts. Flames flicker back to life. Water crashes down from where it had been suspended.

Alix gestures casually.

"Stand down," he says to his forces. "No civilian is to be harmed."

The monster legions obey instantly.

Weapons lower.

Killing intent fades.

Hecrad feels the invisible verdict settle.

The city is spared.

But the cost is written all over the faces of his people.

The next day, the city wakes to a new reality.

Iron gates open at dawn, not for merchants or patrols, but for monsters.

They move through the streets in organized columns, beastkin, arachne, serpents, winged races, hulking brutes whose footsteps make the stones tremble. Some wear armor etched with unfamiliar sigils. Others walk barehanded, eyes sharp, senses stretched across every alley.

Citizens press themselves against walls.

Shopkeepers shutter their windows.

Children hide behind their mothers.

A city ordinance echoes from every bell tower and mage relay.

All monsters are now ranked above civilians.

Any human who provokes, insults, or obstructs monster personnel will be punished.

This city is now under Alix's authority.