Wait, what are you guys saying?
You want me to make a move? Are you kidding me?! When did I ever say I'd fight?!
Durin's mouth twitched violently.
Suddenly, he realized a critical problem—
In these people's eyes, he was a demigod rank powerhouse.
To them, dealing with a mere stellar rank level 9 shadewhite should be as effortless as squashing an ant.
From their perspective, it made perfect sense not to call for reinforcements.
But the problem was—
He was just an ordinary person.
In reality, the shadewhite before him could crush him like an ant.
Yet, in this situation, he couldn't back down—if he hesitated even a little, it would be obvious that he was a fraud.
Durin was beyond frustrated, but at this point, what could he do?
All he could do was take a step forward, put on an air of authority, and coldly declare:
"I am the Emperor of Ilan Kingdom. You are unworthy to be my opponent. Surrender now, and perhaps I shall grant you a chance to abandon the darkness and embrace the light."
Right now, his only hope was that the shadewhite would be intimidated by his title and retreat.
The shadewhite frowned, murmuring to itself:
"So it's true… Their Emperor did not perish after all."
Seeing its hesitation, Durin breathed a sigh of relief.
But in the next moment, his relief vanished—
The shadewhite's expression sharpened with battle intent.
"We shadewhite never surrender. Even if I die, I will take you down with me!"
Wait, what?
This… this isn't how it was supposed to go!
If they actually fought, he would be the one dying—not the shadewhite!
Durin instinctively glanced at the three dukes behind him.
All three raised their thumbs.
Their expressions seemed to say: "Our King is invincible!"
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. We won't disturb you while you stretch your limbs."
System bro, where's my starter pack?!
If you don't do something, I'm finished!
The shadewhite was already gathering immense energy within itself.
Meanwhile, Durin was screaming internally—
But no divine intervention came.
No other choice—he had to improvise.
Durin reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the treasures he had stolen from the royal treasury.
He had no idea what it actually did.
It looked like a short rod—probably a weapon?
He swung it around a few times, making it look like he knew what he was doing.
But in reality—
It was completely useless.
There wasn't even a trace of magical energy coming from it.
It was just a normal stick—and not even a sturdy one.
But before Durin could panic, Duke Kafka suddenly let out an astonished gasp.
"I see now! His Majesty's shadow magic has reached such an advanced level! Not only does he conceal his power in normal circumstances, but even when using magical tools, he gives off no magic fluctuations!"
The other two dukes nodded in agreement.
"As expected of His Majesty! His strength is immeasurable! We must closely study his methods if we wish to make breakthroughs of our own!"
Meanwhile, the shadewhite's expression darkened.
The more he stared at Durin, the more he couldn't see through him.
Even his own leader had never given him such an overwhelming sense of oppression!
With a furious roar, he declared:
"No matter how powerful you are, I will never bow to you!"
The shadewhite raised his hand, channeling his magic—
And suddenly, the short rod in Durin's hand disappeared—
And appeared in the shadewhite's hand instead!
For a moment—
Everyone was stunned.
Because magical weapons were normally bound to their owners.
The only way one could steal another's magical tool was if the thief's power far exceeded that of the owner.
Wait, are you serious?!
Durin's face turned black.
Right in front of three dukes, the weapon in his hand had been taken.
Didn't this prove that his power was far weaker than the shadewhite?!
His heart sank.
It's over.
They're going to see through my act. The shadewhite won't let me live. I'm dead for sure!
The three dukes froze as well.
Their brains stalled.
They couldn't believe that their demigod-ranked King had just had his weapon snatched by a mere shadewhite.
But the most shocked of all—was the shadewhite himself.
He never expected to actually take the Emperor's weapon!
But he didn't dwell on it—he had to strike now!
Gathering all his energy, he poured massive amounts of magic into the short rod.
He was prepared to go all out—
But the moment his magic touched the rod,
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted!
In the blink of an eye, the shadewhite was covered in blood, barely clinging to life.
"Damn you!" he roared. "You wretched Emperor! Are you mocking me?! You could have easily killed me, but instead, you used such a cheap trick?!"
Duke Kafka gasped in realization.
"I see now! That was a trap-type magical artifact! Any magic injected into it would cause a massive explosion—and the stronger the magic, the greater the blast!"
The three dukes froze—
And then burst into laughter.
"Of course! How could our Emperor possibly let his weapon be stolen?!"
"This was all part of His Majesty's plan! What a brilliant deception!"
"The shadewhite truly believed himself superior to His Majesty? How laughable!"
"His Majesty played him like a fool!"
Durin stood there, completely dazed.
Wait, how did this have anything to do with me?!
He had no idea the rod would explode!
Still, he quickly straightened his expression and, with great composure, said:
"I'm glad you all understand."
At that moment, one of the dukes stepped forward, puzzled.
"One thing I don't understand, Your Majesty—why waste a magical tool? You could have easily crushed him with a single move."
Durin didn't even have time to panic before Duke Kafka spoke up.
"What's there to question? This shadewhite was nothing but a mere insect. Does he deserve the honor of dying by His Majesty's own hand?"
Durin let out an awkward smile.
But what none of them noticed—
Was that the shadewhite wasn't fully dead yet.
Instead, he wore a sinister grin, as his body rapidly gathered magic.
"You arrogant fools underestimate us shadewhite."
"Even heavily injured, I can still do one last thing…"
Durin groaned internally.
Not dead yet?!
If the three dukes didn't act soon, he was really going to die this time!
But instead—
They still looked at him with expectant gazes.
Meanwhile, the shadewhite gathered its final surge of power.
"Emperor, is it?" he sneered. "Let me show you my true power!"
The three dukes' expressions darkened—
But then, they saw Durin's calm face.
Their last traces of doubt vanished.
"There's no need to worry! His Majesty must have foreseen this!"
They smirked—as if they were watching a play.
Meanwhile—
The shadewhite struck—
—And stabbed itself directly in the heart.
…Wait, what?!
Wait, what?!
Where's the last attack?
Where's the terrifying power you were about to show me?!
You went through all this effort… just to commit suicide???
Durin stared, completely dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, the shadewhite threw his head back and let out a wild, triumphant laugh.
"Hahaha! In the end, I still won! So what if you're the Emperor? You still lost to me!"
"Don't think I don't see through your scheme! You deliberately wounded me with a magical trap instead of killing me outright. You wanted to capture me alive, didn't you?"