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Chapter 508: Proclamation
The red dragon flew along the airborne path of fire and smoke, soaring over the parade ground under the watchful gaze of hundreds of thousands before landing on the elevated platform with a thunderous crash.
"Boom!"
The ground trembled as though struck by a massive hammer, sending shockwaves rippling outward, dust rising into the air, and debris scattering in all directions.
Despite the fifty-meter height of the stone platform, it appeared dwarfed in comparison to the colossal dragon's form.
Only by standing before this behemoth could one truly grasp their own insignificance, their breath caught in their throat by the sheer oppressive presence exuded by this mighty creature.
For many, this was the first time witnessing their emperor up close, and their legs trembled uncontrollably, some even fainting outright.
"Ka-Kaesius above…"
"Is this truly His Majesty? Such grandeur…"
Their minds conjured the sheer overwhelming force this dragon could bring upon them, the reality that they would be utterly powerless against it. If players were present, they would recognize this as a textbook case of "megalophobia."
Yet, in a crowd of hundreds of thousands, those who fainted were but a minor occurrence.
Kaesius stood atop the platform, his pale-gold eyes sweeping over the masses below, scanning each and every face filled with the same fervent reverence.
Humans, tieflings, hobgoblins, half-dragons, ogres—all bore expressions devoid of fear, replaced by sheer fanaticism.
Excellent.
This was exactly what he wanted.
Surveying the vast assembly, the red dragon finally spoke, his deep voice rumbling like thunder, carrying across the plains.
"I trust you all already know who our enemy is—
Demons.
Creatures of the Abyss, destroyers of worlds, the very essence of evil and chaos, harbingers of terror—
Now tell me—are you afraid?"
"No!"
"We will destroy the demons!"
"Drive them back to the Abyss!"
The imperial citizens erupted into an uproar, cursing the demons with all their might, waving banners emblazoned with "Exterminate the Demons!"
Adroviel, witnessing this outpouring of rage, found himself bewildered—they truly weren't afraid!
From his high perch, Kaesius gave a slight nod before raising his voice further. "But—they have chosen the wrong enemy!
They have set themselves against the Ember Empire! They have struck our cities, assassinated our officials, and conspired to sow discord within our lands.
But—their ambitions are mere delusions!
Now, as Emperor of the Ember Empire, I declare a holy crusade of vengeance against the demons!
I proclaim—the Ember Empire is at war with the Abyss! It is the duty of every citizen to eradicate any demon that crosses their path!
The Empire shall show no mercy—we will fight to the last! We will slaughter them in the wastelands! We will hunt them in the mountains! We will purge them from the skies!"
Kaesius' impassioned declaration echoed across the plains, resounding throughout the entire Anzeta Wasteland.
Under the near-divine charisma of the red dragon, every soul present was swept into a burning hatred for demons.
Even Adroviel, hidden among the crowd, felt his blood boil and his pulse quicken.
"If demons bring terror to the world, then the Empire—shall bring terror to the demons!"
At last, Kaesius rose to his full height, unfurling his vast wings, exposing his gleaming fangs, and grinning with a savage delight.
"Crush them!"
"For the Ember Empire!"
Standing atop a steam tank, Dolo was the first to raise his arm and roar, his hobgoblin infantry following in unison.
"For the Ember Empire!"
"For His Majesty Kaesius!"
The cheers rapidly swept through the crowd, growing into an earth-shaking wave—commoners, soldiers, and officials alike roaring as one.
"Long live Emperor Kaesius!"
"For the Ashen Emperor!"
"Loyalty! Honor!"
"Slaughter the demons!"
The roars surged across the parade ground, tens of thousands of citizens screaming in ecstatic devotion, each eager to prove their loyalty before their emperor.
Above, the wyverns shrieked, flapping wildly, while on the ground, dragon beasts stomped in rhythm, exhaling plumes of searing smoke.
White dragon Tinia soared upward, forcing several wyverns aside to claim a position closest to Kaesius, releasing a shrill cry of excitement.
"Awooo~~"
In the distance, portals of various colors opened, disgorging legions from across the Empire.
"For the great Ember Empire!"
"Praise the Devourer of Souls!"
"Hissss-s-s! (For the Empire!)"
Amidst swirling ashes and embers, armies of flame lizards, fire drakes, and fire dwarves surged forth from the gates.
"People of the Flame, liberated by His Majesty! The time has come to repay our debt!"
"Let the demons taste true fire!"
"For the Ember Empire!"
Marquis Serkan Wood, governor of the Empire's Fire Elemental Colonies, sat astride a multi-headed flame serpent, brandishing a blazing spear.
Then, he struck a fist over his heart in the Empire's salute of loyalty.
"Sons of the Night…"
With the whisper of a lich, dark clouds gathered, casting a looming shadow over the field.
Swirling black vortexes, gaping like voids, manifested within the darkness—portals to the Underdark.
From them, massive skeletal drakes slithered forth, followed by endless ranks of undead warriors, then gray dwarves, deep gnomes, and drow legions.
Imperial General of the Underdark Colonies, Marquis Hart, astride a skeletal dragon, lifted his bloodstained blade, his pitch-black eyes gleaming with sadistic glee.
"For His Majesty!"
"Slay the demons!"
"Slaughter those demons!"
Once an honorary bishop of the Ammanata Church, now an imperial priest, Ingrid waved her staff, tracing the shape of a door in midair.
"Gate to Otherworlds!"
Another portal opened in the sky, this time leading to the outer plane teeming with untamed nature—Beast Garden.
"Roar!"
"Awooo!"
"Beast Legion! Fight for the Empire!"
The former lizardman chieftain, now the governor of the Empire's Beast Garden Expeditionary Force, Marquis Ark Longfang, raised his spear high.
Koda Blackscale the shaman rode atop a polar bear, brandishing a withered wooden staff.
Thousands of lizardman soldiers followed closely behind, while over a hundred imperial druids controlled various beasts, leading a raging beast tide.
Sharpbeak hawks, griffins, rhinos, terror lizards, raptors, berserk tigers, and petrifying lizards poured out of the portal. Frightened by the overwhelming dragon's might, they all bowed toward the red dragon.
Among the fervent crowd, Adroville stood dumbfounded, watching one portal after another open, unleashing all manner of creatures into the parade ground.
What was he even here for?
Did such a nation truly need Melward's assistance?
Suddenly, beside him, Janesis pointed to the sky, furrowing her brows. "Look there!"
Yet another portal opened, and massive, fearsome blue dragons flew out, led by a younger female blue dragon—members of the Faria family.
Janesis glanced at the blue dragons in the sky, then fixed her gaze on the red dragon atop the platform, gritting her teeth. "No, we can't lose. We must go too! Melward cannot lose to them!"
Adroville asked in confusion, "What?"
"Swish—"
Janesis leaped into the air. Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, she transformed into a sleek and graceful silver dragon, spreading her wings as she soared toward Cassius.
"This—"
"Alright then."
Adroville sighed in resignation, shaking his head before also shifting into his massive silver dragon form, flapping his broad, shining wings to ascend.
Under his command, ten more silver dragons emerged from the crowd, taking flight toward the platform.
Amid the spectators' gasps of amazement, the once-empty parade ground grew crowded with fire lizards, skeletal drakes, savage tigers, blue dragons, and even silver dragons.
Whether living or dead, good or evil, running or flying, they all gathered here, submitting to the same ruler, ready to partake in the same war.
For years, the Empire had amassed armies and forces across various planes, all converging now to face the oncoming demonic invasion.
Cassius stood atop the platform, surveying the packed parade ground below.
He had long prepared for this war. In fact, from the moment he entered this world, he had been at eternal odds with the demons who sought to control his fate.
The red dragon scanned the array of beings before him, baring a menacing grin as he muttered to himself in a voice only he could hear:
"Jezal Slak...
Are you ready—to face my vengeance?"