The fierce battle between the Sage Swordsman and the Dragon Demon King raged on, when suddenly, the dungeon door creaked open—Niya staggered out, disheveled and bruised, her skirt stained with blood, as she leaned heavily against the walls for support.
"Niya!" Caesar cried out, his voice laced with urgency as he called her name.
Niya gazed at the two figures locked in combat, as if struggling to speak. Yet, her mind clouded by the curse's grip, her hand rose faintly before she collapsed, unable to withstand it.
"You… trash! I'll kill you!" Caesar's aura erupted violently, his eyes blazing with raw fury.
"Today, I will rid humanity of this filth..." he spat coldly, a vibrant blue orb forming in his hand—a powerful spell unique to him as a hero… the Thunderbolt Bomb!
"What is this…? How can a Dragon Demon King wield a hero's skill? Has he evolved further? Could he have… learned from his battles against heroes? Impossible…" Odissis gasped, horrified, as he stared at the light pulsing in Caesar's grasp.
"Perish! Thunderbolt Bomb!" Caesar hurled the devastating spell directly at Odissis. Not one to be outdone, Odissis summoned his own spell in defense—"Shield of Light." Golden light flashed, and a large shield appeared before him, radiating brilliance. The instant the two powers collided, the ground trembled violently!
Odissis gritted his teeth, pouring his mana into the "Shield of Light" to maintain his defense. Yet, the Thunderbolt Bomb's strength surpassed anything he had faced before; cracks spread across his shield, and it rapidly began to disintegrate.
"This is bad…" Within seconds, Odissis's shield shattered completely, and the lightning sphere barreled toward him. Just then, a shadow darted before him—it was Miku!
With both hands, Miku seized the Thunderbolt Bomb, and in that moment, countless volts surged through him. Letting out an agonized scream, his body turned blackened, and he fell to his knees before Odissis. In a final, gasping breath, he whispered, "Captain… I cannot abandon my convictions…" With these words, he collapsed, lifeless.
Odissis stared at Miku's fallen form, and a fleeting urge to flee crossed his mind. Yet his pride forbade retreat. "Damn you! You killed Miku! I will summon the full might of the Church to annihilate your kind!"
"There will be no next time for you…" Caesar replied coldly, gathering energy for yet another Thunderbolt Bomb. Odissis knew there was no escape and, in a final act of defiance, charged headlong at Caesar. Leaping forward, he brought his sword down in a powerful strike. This time, Caesar didn't dodge; he took the blow head-on. Odissis's sword struck Caesar's left shoulder but with a sickening snap, the blade shattered in two, leaving only a faint scratch upon Caesar's skin, devoid of any true damage.
Odissis, seeing his broken sword, realized that at such close range, he stood no chance of evading Caesar's spell. The Thunderbolt Bomb… Caesar pressed the blazing orb into Odissis's waist. His body was flung backward, landing as a charred, lifeless figure.
Caesar advanced step by step. Though Odissis had narrowly escaped death by summoning the Sacred Shield at the last instant against the Thunderbolt Bomb, he now lay utterly drained, collapsed on the ground, helplessly watching as the Dragon Demon King approached.
"You are a disgrace among sages… Niya once told me as much, but I did not believe it then. I spared you out of mercy, only to find you've grown into a bitter thorn," Caesar said icily, pressing his foot down upon Odissis with a chilling disdain.
"Release the arrows! Release the arrows!" A furious shout resounded from behind. The Elder had arrived with the city guards, and countless arrows rained down toward Caesar. With a cold smile, Caesar leapt upward, evading the assault with ease.
Hovering above, he cast his gaze down upon them, his eyes narrowing as he fixed upon the Elder. "You foolish old man, still clinging to life… Under your rule, this once-proud White Fortress has already decayed into a cesspit."
The Elder surveyed the fallen—Niya, Miku, and Odissis—all sprawled motionless on the ground. A chill seized him; it was clear the Demon King Barn, suspended above, had utterly vanquished them.
With a cold stare, the Elder demanded, "Demon King Barn, what is it you seek in this relentless pursuit? Do you truly believe we humans lack the strength or weapons to drive you back?"
Caesar sneered, his eyes like ice. "Hmph, I've never thought that. I once held some notion of peaceful coexistence. Yet, you brought your ruin upon yourselves by daring to imprison the 'Blue Dragon' of my kin. Today, I have only one demand—return the Blue Dragon to me… and I shall leave at once."
At that moment, Barn's voice echoed in Caesar's mind. "Caesar… this won't do. We must eradicate these humans completely."
Caesar paused, startled. "Barn? Why this sudden insistence? I've made my intentions clear to you these past days—to seek a path where humans and demons may coexist without needless bloodshed…"
Barn's voice grew grave as he warned again, "Caesar, trust me. I sense ill intent from them."
After a moment's silence, Caesar finally replied, "I will observe a while longer before deciding our course of action. Will that suffice?"
"Ah, such softness…" Barn muttered in frustration, his voice gradually fading from Caesar's mind.
The Elder regarded Caesar coldly before slowly pointing toward the dungeon. "Demon King Barn, the 'Blue Dragon' has been held captive by Odissis in that dungeon. If you've come only for him, then enter and take him away."
Caesar gave a curt nod and motioned to the Elder. "Step back. Do not approach. And if I accidentally harm a few more of you, I won't be held accountable."
Upon hearing this, the Elder swiftly signaled the guards to withdraw. Meanwhile, three cloaked figures emerged quietly at the rear of the formation, their gazes fixed intently on the scene unfolding before them.
Caesar strode into the dungeon, where the damp, stifling air bore the faint sound of labored breathing. Approaching the cell, he found the Blue Dragon, barely clinging to life, lips trembling as it murmured in a breath as light as a whisper. Caesar spoke softly, "Hey, are you still alive, Blue Dragon?"
"It seems to be under a spell of hypnosis. I can sense the faint remnants of enchantment," Barn's voice warned within Caesar's mind.
Caesar examined the Blue Dragon, murmuring in agreement, "Yes, it seems our suspicions were correct. But the Blue Dragon is gravely injured… I doubt it can walk."
Outside the dungeon, the three mysterious figures moved silently toward the Elder. The Elder, noticing their approach, gave a slight nod and murmured, "Begin."
The three cloaked figures quickly dispersed, taking up positions at the four corners with the Elder. Once they were in place, the Elder gave a harsh command, "Activate—!"
In unison, they raised their staves, and an indistinct energy began to converge, swiftly forming a vast magical circle. Glowing lines appeared on the ground, expanding slowly towards the dungeon.
Within, Caesar remained oblivious to the events outside, still conferring with Barn on how best to extract the Blue Dragon…