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.
The ten million Imperial soldiers quickly prostrated, feeling defeated and weak as ants before the dragon’s mighty presence, which seemed made to dominate the world like a true emperor.
Aengus quickly returned to his human form, his face one of indifference.
He went near hovering just above the surrendered Imperial army, still prostrated, not daring to rise.
In a commanding manner, Aengus summoned Aria beside him with an invisible power from his squad. Aria floated gracefully and arrived smoothly at his side.
Aria was slightly taken aback by the sudden call, but she was happy to gain recognition from him, just as he had promised.
Aengus then addressed the entire Imperial army.
“What is the young man trying to do?” the King asked, looking at General Leon beside him.
Strangely enough, General Leon smiled and replied, “Your Majesty, whatever he does, please don’t interfere with his path. We are powerless against him, and we can’t control him. But I know he is not a bad person. It will all be for the greater good.”
Though Leon’s words sounded mysterious, the King, Crown Prince Malcolm, and the Northern Duke could guess something of Aengus’s intentions.
This made their expressions unpleasant, but there was little they could do. They didn’t have the power to take control of the Imperial army from him.
Though it was tempting to gain another over 10 million soldiers, it was equally dangerous.
It was tough as snatching lion’s mouth, despite being a cat.
Aengus looked at the severely injured ten SS-ranks and announced loudly,
“Your higher-ups are all defeated, so henceforth you are ordered to swear loyalty to the new Order.” He paused, letting the words sink in.
“Those who refuse will face death. In the name of ZERO, you may now submit to your new Emperor and Empress. From henceforth, there will be just one order in the world: the Liberation Empire. Those who stand in the path of liberation and peace will see their legacy reduced to ruins. They will be my enemy.”
His declaration spread far and wide, making everyone’s eyes widen. This was no simple declaration; it was a challenge to the entire world, to both Solis and Abyss.
“What is this young man doing?” The King looked frustrated for some reason.
“Why is he announcing that so loudly? Doesn’t he know this will reach everyone’s ears soon? I thought he had potential and even considered him as a suitor for my daughter, but now he seems foolish to me…” The King’s old face showed disappointment.
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.
