The Devil’s Cage

The scorching heatwave assaulted his face, burning Celder’s cheeks. Not only his face felt stinging pain, even his breath almost stopped.

What was happening?

Celder widened his eyes, trying to get a clear look but the temperature of the Devil Flame and blinding light prevented him from seeing anything.

Only loud burning sparks echoed ceaselessly in his ears.

Fire?

Right, it was fire!

Celder finally recalled the previous scene and after he knew what the fire represented, he shivered hard.

“How is this possible?”

“How is this possible?”

“2567 barely managed to withstand the Prairie King, it was luck that ushered him to victory in the end, how could he destroy that lord’s arrangements so easily?”

“No! Something must be wrong!” Celder was roaring relentlessly in his mind but reality would not change according to anyone’s wish.

Faltering backward, Celder escaped the scorching heat from the Devil Flame, he widened his dried, blurry eyes and saw a burning red cloud of fire shooting up to the “sky” above him like a comet!

Kaboom!

Another explosion went off.

Unlike the sudden explosion just now, this time everyone heard it clearly. How powerful would the Devil Flame be if it could destroy the ominous presence like breaking a twig from a dead stump?

After that, everyone also heard a loud, clear agonizing scream, causing chills to creep down one’s spine.

Every important figure that came out to welcome Mary shuddered when the scream was heard because he knew what all these represented since they knew what the old duke had planned.

They lost!

They completely lost before it even began!

The powerful figure they once relied on and received immense confidence from was giving them nothing but agonizing screams at the moment other than fueling the fear in their hearts.

The most primitive, purest kind of fear of the difference in power grew rapidly.

Therefore, it was natural that these important figures from the southern regions asked the same question in their heart—

How powerful was 2567?

What about their intel gathered on him?

After witnessing the scene before their eyes, if they were to still believe their intel, it would be suicidal.

Those intel-gathering spies should be hanged to death!

And that eldest son… how useless!

Once these important southern figures thought about the costly annual fee they paid in exchange for such a useless, fake intel, their heart couldn’t hold back their curses for Celder.

All of them knew Celder was the one responsible for commanding the intelligence department.

Infuriated because of being deceived, the six barons threw a fierce glare at Celder before they looked at the black figure with a dubious gaze.

Kieran’s power level was enough for them to doubt their own existence.

Kieran, on the other hand, didn’t care about all of that. Of course, he felt these men’s gaze but his attention was locked on to the camp of the southern reinforcement. Or more precisely, the screaming person from Ghastly Woods.

The old duke of Will always supported Lady Jeanne James in the past, while it wasn’t any secret that Mary’s aunt originated from Ghastly Wood Sect, it was also widely known that she was once the immovable First Seat of the sect.

However, it has been a while after Jeanne James’ death and yet Ghastly Wood Sect sent someone to the old duke’s side.

Kieran knew exactly what it represented after Ghastly Wood Sect’s appearance.

But he wasn’t in a hurry to make a move though, all he did was order Fire Raven to lock onto the target. He looked down at Mary who was also shaken by the scene.

“Your Highness,” Kieran signaled softly.

Mary nodded slightly and quickly discarded the shocked expression from her face. She didn’t know what happened but she knew she could just trust Kieran.

She was already used to the trust and she didn’t plan to change it.

So, she didn’t conceal her movements, clutching Kieran’s hand tightly.

Kieran felt the strength from the princess, he knew she was still a little girl, despite not showing it on her face, her heart was still nervous.

“Cover your ears,” Kieran said suddenly.

The princess jolted for a moment before covering her ears with her hands and—

Roar!

The arrogant Devil mirage appeared behind Kieran.

It roared at the sky! Its magma body was emanating unimaginable power under the sun. A chaotic, rampant aura was like a torrential waterfall from the sky, pouring down on the land.

Krooom!

Everyone seemed to felt the ground trembled but in fact…

The ground was still!

What trembled was their body, their legs, and their hearts!

As if being stared down by a titan, they saw the Devil mirage grow with the wind and soon to cover the sky above them.

Overthinking? Illusion?

No! Not at all!

It was the total suppression towards the lower end of the food chain by the ferocious monster at the top!

Bup Bup!

The second son of the old duke, a young man that hadn’t been through real training, was the first to fall under the fear from the suppression; he faltered and knelt down on the ground.

Following the second son’s kneeling, the others followed like falling dominos.

Bup! Bup! Bup!

The important figures from the south knelt down on the ground one after another.

Then, the riders that came out for the welcoming, followed by the soldiers that walked out from the camp; there was no exception.

All that was left standing were Kieran and Mary on top of the red velvet carpet.

As for Fanner, Torstar, Jyaichi, and Ganarde?

The moment the Devil mirage appeared, all four of them knelt on one knee, looking at the black figure with the utmost respect and after everyone else knelt down…

Their respect became more frantic!

The frantic feeling came from their hearts and from their soul! As if they were devoted believers of Kieran, or more precisely, fanatics! They looked at Kieran as if they were looking at God!

As a matter of fact, Kieran was no different than a God at the moment in the eyes of the southern figures.

“T-This, this…How…H-H-How…”

Celder’s mouth was mumbling, shivering as he tried to say something while on the ground but no one could make words out of his heavy stuttering.

Besides, at that moment, no one would care about what he muttered anyway, all of the attention was placed on one of the two standing figures.

All eyes on him, but Mary weren’t nervous.

Who would be nervous in front of a bunch of kneeling folk?

At least Mary wasn’t.

She turned around and looked up slightly at Kieran whose face was as calm as water.

Her mouth was curling to a grin uncontrollably. Her hand raised once more, Kieran’s too to receive the princess’ hand.

Kieran once again fell a step behind Mary and as the sunlight bathed them, the wind caressed them, the black crow feathered mantle fluttered.

It was the only sound throughout the entire southern reinforcement camp.

He, who walked the path controlled heaven and earth.

Other than the flutters, all were silent.