The guards lay sprawled across the ground, with many civilians caught in the devastation. Caesar's heart stirred with unease at the sight, yet his foremost concern remained survival—for now, he was "Barn, the Demon King"...
Rage burned in the Grand Elder's eyes as he exchanged a silent, knowing glance with the three cloaked figures behind him, each awaiting his signal. A slight shake of his head was all it took to dismiss their offer of assistance, and the trio quietly withdrew, exchanging guarded looks among themselves.
"You three need only maintain the magic circle; let nothing disrupt it," the Grand Elder intoned coldly. "To bring Barn down, this formation is essential. Now, with his body battered and broken, he presents no challenge to me."
"Are you going to take him on personally?" one of the cloaked figures queried.
"Of course." The Grand Elder sneered, his tone laced with disdain. "This fool Barn, ignorant of his own limits, dared to massacre the people of the White Citadel. As the fortress's highest leader, it is my duty to cleanse this filth, to uphold divine justice!" As his words fell silent, he murmured an incantation, "Augmentation Amplify!" At once, the Grand Elder's back straightened, his stride grew firm and powerful, his muscles swelled, and his form expanded, towering like a warrior reborn. With a single leap, he landed squarely in the center of the plaza, exuding the vigor of a man in his prime.
Upon landing, the Grand Elder fixed his gaze upon "Barn, the Demon King" and tore off his cloak, sprinting forward with unbridled intent.
Having just cast "Thunderous Explosion," Caesar found himself drained, gasping for air. "Hah...hah...hah…what...what is happening? My…my magic, it's…ebbing away…"
A chilling thought struck him: "This magic circle is tailored to this body. Whether I am Barn or wielding divine magic, it condemns me alike to this curse…?"
Lost in thought, Caesar felt a sudden, suffocating pressure racing toward him.
"Who is it this time?" Narrowing his gaze, he recognized the Grand Elder—transformed, in a form he had never seen before. Caesar's eyes widened in shock.
With a swift motion, the Grand Elder unleashed a torrent of "Wind Magic," blades of air sweeping toward Caesar like enormous scythes. His injuries left him too weakened to evade, forcing him to rally what little magic he had left as he roared, "Aaahhhhhhhh—!" A transparent shield flared around him just as the wind blades struck, deflecting them outward.
The Grand Elder let out a cold chuckle. "Ha, ha, ha…Barn, the Demon King, you certainly have no shortage of defenses!" he sneered. "In such a short clash, you've managed to steal a multitude of the hero's skills. Skills he fought tooth and nail to master, and yet you wield them as though they were yours all along…perhaps even better than he did!"
Caesar managed a frail smile. "You flatter me, Grand Elder…but if I told you that I am the hero Caesar, would you believe me?"
The Grand Elder's expression shifted subtly before erupting in laughter. "What? You claim to be the hero Caesar? Hah…! Barn, the Demon King, do you yourself even believe such nonsense?"
Once more, his wind magic whipped forward, sharp as blades, breaking through Caesar's defenses in an instant. His strength depleted, Caesar was struck repeatedly, blood streaming from his wounds, rendering him helpless to do anything but endure. Before he could respond, a fierce explosion spell slammed into him—"Boom!"
Inside the White Citadel's medical ward, Niya slowly opened her eyes, glancing around in confusion. "Ugh…where am I?" Her body still ached as she tried to sit up, prompting a medic to rush over to check on her.
"Lady Niya, you're recuperating here in the Citadel's infirmary."
The sudden sound of an explosion from outside caught Niya's attention, and she turned towards the window with alarm. "What is happening out in the square?"
The medic replied grimly, "The Demon King Barn is massacring civilians in the plaza. According to the latest report, many innocent people have already fallen to his cruelty…"
Upon hearing this, Niya disregarded her injuries and commanded, "Fetch my staff from my quarters! I must go there myself!"
The medic, alarmed, tried to hold her back. "Lady Niya, you need to rest! Though your injuries aren't severe, you still shouldn't be moving!"
"Go! I need my staff!" Her tone was unyielding.
As the medic left to retrieve her staff, Niya began to recall the events that led her here. She remembered seeing the Blue Dragon, but…nothing after that. She struggled to bring back any memories, feeling only an ominous ache in her lower body. A dreadful realization began to creep over her…No, it can't be! A horrifying vision crossed her mind.
"Lady Niya, your staff." Gratefully accepting it, Niya put her disturbing thoughts aside and, clutching the staff, leapt out the window, using wind magic to glide towards the battlefield as if running on air.
The scene returned to Caesar…
Another blast from an explosive spell slammed him down, his body hitting the ground hard, motionless. The plaza lay eerily quiet, filled only with the dead. The Grand Elder, now freed from any restraint, prepared to unleash all his power against the Demon King Barn, unconcerned with conserving his strength.
With a derisive smile, he gathered another "Explosion Spell" in his hands—"Boom!" A fierce explosion shattered the air. "He could barely move just now; this final strike should leave him on the brink of death!"
And indeed, Caesar was barely breathing, utterly paralyzed.
The Grand Elder approached Caesar slowly, bending down to check if he was still alive. "What? Still breathing? Is this wretch immortal?" He sneered, nudging Caesar with his foot. "Barn, get up—the game's only begun!"
Then, throwing his head back, he burst into laughter. "Hahahahahahaha!"
At that moment, Niya arrived over the battlefield, gazing down to see the fight seemingly over. She murmured in surprise, "This man…he defeated the Demon King Barn…"
The Grand Elder noticed her presence above and called out, "What's the matter? Don't recognize me?"
That voice…was it the Grand Elder? Niya's shock was evident as she slowly descended to his side.
"Grand Elder, this…what's happened to you?"
The Grand Elder replied with satisfaction, "This is my latest spell—'Augmentation Amplify.' It's a gift from the Earth Spirits, temporarily restoring me to my younger self—or rather, to an even stronger self!"
Amazed, Niya's eyes sparkled with wonder. "For such a wondrous spell to exist…it's true, the world is vast and boundless, holding countless mysteries yet to be discovered and explored."