Aengus gripped the God-slayer Aegis, now shaped as a scepter, in his powerful Dragon's Claws and brought it down with immense force onto the Fusion Sword lying before him.
The moment the scepter made contact, the air around them vibrated violently, the sheer force of the strike causing the massive sword to fracture and shatter with a deafening
clang
, followed by a thunderous
boom
.
---
"Heavens..."
The Imperial teacher, who had once appeared like a savior to boost the soldiers' morale, stood in shock, his mouth agape at the sight of ten Transcendentals being crushed by a single person.
In that moment, he knew they were defeated.
Forgetting the remaining soldiers, he slipped away silently, escaping the imminent doom. He had arrived as a lion and left as a cat.
On the main battlefield, the ten Transcendentals returned to their human forms, breaking away from the sword fusion skill quickly. Their conditions were dire.
They bore burn marks everywhere, where searing heat had grazed and chaos energy had torn their flesh away in chunks.
"ROAR!"
Aengus let out a sky shaking Dragon roar, shattering the spatial fabric with sheer pressure alone.
The roar was targeted at the Imperial soldiers, who had gathered together like ants, while some tried to flee.
With the dragon's roar, they felt their eardrums burst and stopped in their tracks, clutching their ears in pain. But they understood what Aengus demanded:
absolute submission
.
General Leon shook his head in disagreement. "No, Your Majesty. That was his intention from the start. He wants everyone to know and come to wage war against him. It seems clever to me..."
The King and the royal princes looked at Leon with a mix of fear and apprehension.
"You mean, he's confident he can win against all of them? This was just a plan to capture their forces quick?" Duke Milroy asked, finding it unbelievable and extremely daring.
"Well, that seems to be the case. He is in a hurry for some reason," General Felix added. "Didn't you all see how he grew more powerful during battle? They were just mere resources for him to grow strong," he explained calmly.
The King's expression turned grave at this revelation.
"I see... Isn't that a little... demonic, Leon? It's quite similar to Beelzebub, who haf devoured all of Arcadia City. What do you make of this?" he asked Leon, voicing his doubt.
General Leon remained unafraid.
"Yes, it is somewhat similar, Your Majesty. But I can tell his energy signature is not Nether—it's unique, out of this world. Besides, he knows how to control it well. I don't think we need to worry about this. Didn't His Majesty hear his declaration? He wants the world unified and liberated under one rule.
And, forgive me for being presumptuous, but I promised him my support in achieving this goal, in exchange for ensuring that the Araknis Kingdom remains under your rule. So, there's no need to fear him taking the throne."
King Milphomor was pleased with Leon's consideration.
"We weren't concerned about the throne, Leon. I was worried about the boy. I've had enough of this bloodshed of innocents and the poor. Nonetheless, the Kingdom is grateful for your consideration," the King spoke, gazing at Aengus and Delilah.
After considering everything, the King once again decided to consider their relationship.
However, the young man had already declared Aria as Empress so resolutely that the chance of Delilah becoming the main wife was slim. Still, he would be content if Delilah could at least become a concubine of the rising Emperor.
It was a difficult choice as a father, but it was for Delilah and the Kingdom's good.
---
The soldiers hesitated slightly at the thought of following such a young rising Emperor against the whole world. His big ambitions were a daunting wall that made them pause.
Though he had proven to be powerful, that alone wasn't enough to assure them he was worthy of being Emperor. That's what they thought anyway.
Meanwhile, the Ten Higher-Ups were stoking the flames of doubt.
"Don't listen to his lies, everyone! He's someone who doesn't know the difference between heaven and earth. Think of how he slaughtered your comrades, friends, and family," one Imperial Transcendental muttered, clenching his teeth in pain.
"Kid, don't be so arrogant. You still haven't seen the real world. The Imperial forces are out there, and Emperor Kairos won't spare you—just you wait," the first-in-command said viciously.