The crowd gazed upon the elder, whose expression twisted into something so terrifying it blurred the line between him and the demon lord…
The spell formation in the sky completed, freeing the elder's hands as he coldly commanded, "You there, take Odissis, Niya, and Miku back to the city. The rest of you, heed my order—prepare for battle! Let it be known: any who flee will be executed without mercy… Do not blame me for being ruthless!"
Caesar locked eyes with the elder, noting the three cloaked figures slowly closing in by his side.
"Those three… I wonder what power they wield. We must remain vigilant," Barn calculated in Caesar's mind with icy calm.
Caesar gave a slight nod. "I know. I am ever cautious," he replied, his gaze sharpening as he watched the imminent clash unfold before him.
With a shout, the elder commanded, "Release the arrows!" In perfect synchrony, the front-line guards loosened the strings of their silver bows, and arrows rained down upon Caesar like a torrent of falling stars.
Caesar instantly raised a wall of flame before him, consuming the majority of the arrows in its blaze. Only a few managed to pierce through, yet with a graceful backflip, Caesar dodged even these. Barely catching his breath, he found two swordsmen breaking through the fire, their blades aimed straight at him. With unflinching calm, Caesar responded—no magic, only pure physical prowess. His fists flashed, and the two fell to the ground in mere seconds, unable to rise.
The onslaught continued, with more guards brandishing their swords and spears, advancing in waves. Caesar, holding on to his kindness towards humanity, refrained from lethal force and chose to evade. The guards' attacks appeared as child's play in his eyes, and he wove through them effortlessly, finding narrow gaps even amidst the thick crowd. Although encircled by dozens, Caesar danced through the fray as if untouched, their blades unable to graze him.
Suddenly, Caesar felt his body sink slightly into the ground as the weight on him increased once more. "This isn't good… Could this spell formation continuously amplify gravity over time, while slowly draining my strength? I can't afford to linger; I must finish this swiftly."
With a roar, Caesar unleashed a surge of dark energy, repelling nearby swordsmen several meters away. The sheer force startled the remaining soldiers, who hesitated momentarily.
Then, several icy spells struck forth, and sharp icicles shot toward Caesar. He spun to counter them but was caught off guard as one ice spike tore a gash across his body. "How is this possible?" Barn's voice rang with disbelief. "This level of magic shouldn't even scratch me."
Caesar echoed the surprise, "Our dragonkin defenses are renowned for their strength, yet we're wounded by such a spell… Wait, it must be that spell formation above!"
Raising his head, Caesar fixed his gaze on the elder, who responded with a sinister smile and a low chuckle, "Ah… so, you've realized the effect of this formation, Demon Lord Barn? This 'Dragon Seal Formation' was devised by several elven kings, crafted specifically to bind the dragon race. Such a spell has, of course, never before graced this world."
"Elven kings? Those traitorous fools… they should have been wiped out long ago!" Barn's voice echoed in Caesar's mind, seething with wrath.
The guards, numerous and relentless, launched yet another torrent of arrows. Caesar leaped swiftly into the air, but at that instant, he felt the gravity within him intensify again, pulling him down and preventing him from soaring higher. Two arrows drove straight into his left thigh.
"Damn… the pain…" Caesar muttered, collapsing to the ground, his right knee bracing his weight. His limbs grew unbearably heavy, as though bound by invisible chains.
"Caesar, you can't afford mercy anymore! They are determined to take your life—continue like this, and we'll perish here!" Barn's voice, tense with urgency, echoed in his mind, warning his host.
In an instant, Caesar formulated a plan, propelling himself forward into the crowd. With a sweep of his hand, he unleashed a bolt of black lightning that exploded before the guards, filling the air with thick smoke that obscured vision.
Moments later, a breeze stirred, dispersing the smoke, and one guard gasped, "The Demon Lord Barn… he's gone!"
Hundreds of soldiers froze, astonished that in the mere seconds of the smoke's concealment, Barn had vanished from sight. High above, the elder scanned the area with a look of suspicion, muttering to himself, "Where could that demon have escaped?" He promptly commanded, "Search for him at once! The entire 'White Fortress' lies under the magic array—he cannot escape so easily!"
Following his orders, the soldiers dispersed, spreading out in a sweeping search, and the fortress erupted in frenzied turmoil.
"Open every door and let the guards search each room!"
"If you find the Demon Lord Barn, sound the alarm immediately!"
Meanwhile, in a narrow alley within the fortress, a soldier suddenly convulsed, collapsing heavily to the ground. Struggling to lift himself, he muttered in a low voice, "What kind of power… I can't… break free…" Barn's voice, tinged with pain, drifted into his words.
The soldier's odd behavior alerted those nearby. A few guards immediately raised the alarm, exclaiming, "Here! The Demon Lord Barn is here!" Their cries were swiftly followed by a line of spears lunging toward Caesar.
"Curse it…" Caesar rolled to evade, yet one spear grazed him, and blood soaked through the wound.
"This is bad…" Caesar thought with growing dread, realizing his self-healing ability had severely diminished, even ceased entirely. Worse still, Barn's power seemed to be rapidly draining away as well.
Barn's voice resonated within, grave and urgent: "We must flee… This magic array is too formidable. It not only siphons my dragon power but also amplifies the gravity on my body, while those around me remain utterly unaffected... This array has been meticulously crafted just for me!"
Caesar felt a profound sense of impending doom, fury surging within him: "Damn it, is peaceful coexistence merely a delusion of my own making?"
"Drink—!" Caesar fell to his knees, his fists pounding the ground as he roared, straining to augment his magical energy in a desperate bid to break free from the array's constraints. An astonishing surge of power erupted from him, sending many of the guards reeling backward.
"Demon Lord Barn is about to strike!"
"Everyone, retreat!"
The elder bellowed furiously, "Do not grant him a moment's respite! Loose the arrows! Loose the arrows!"
The command echoed across the battlefield, and in an instant, a volley of arrows rained down upon Caesar like a tempest.
Caesar hurriedly summoned his defenses, conjuring a black shield with his hands; however—before the arrows even touched it, the shield dissipated like a wisp of fog! Before he could react, several arrows pierced his body mercilessly, causing him to cough up blood violently.
"My defenses… have been silently nullified!" Blood streamed from his right arm and abdomen, overwhelming him with pain.
"Barn, I should have listened to you sooner…" he murmured weakly, only to realize that Barn's voice had vanished entirely, leaving no response.
In that moment of disarray, Caesar found himself at a loss, his mind blank, yet he persevered against his myriad injuries. Raising his hands to the heavens, he began to gather his strength. As the magical energy coalesced, a massive "explosive lightning orb" materialized above him. The elder was utterly astonished—how could the Demon Lord Barn possess the skills of the hero Caesar? It was truly unfathomable!
Yet the elder swiftly cast aside his doubts, his mind ignited by a singular thought: that damned demon has stolen the hero's power!
"Explosive lightning orb, unleash your fury!" With a roar from Caesar, the orb, akin to a basketball in size, detonated above the white fortress, scattering golden lightning like a thousand blades, indiscriminately striking the surrounding crowd. In the chaotic aftermath of the tempest, a radius of fifty meters was left in disarray, with guards and civilians alike collapsing and groaning in agony.
Witnessing this devastation, the elder's fury reached a boiling point, his eyes ablaze with rage as he seethed, "Demon Lord Barn, you shall perish! I will slay you with my own hands!"