A Dragon against the Whole World

The circular, rune-glowing Magic Array resisted the relentless bombardment of Alchemy Cannonballs and destructive Magic from the Alliance Army outside the city. Each hit splattered numerous tiny energy ripples.

Inside the city, the streets were crowded with civilians, some fearful and uneasy, others with resolute expressions. A mix of complex emotions intertwined.

The clamor of war remained deafening.

The situation seemed to be in a temporary stalemate. The Lotheren defenders were astonishingly resilient, but everyone with a keen eye knew this was just a temporary moment of vitality before the end.

The Alliance Army had an absolute advantage in both numbers and overall quality.

More fresh troops surged onto the battlefield like a tightening steel noose, slowly and steadily compressing the already narrow living space of the defenders.

This was when O’Brien had just repelled a Legendary adversary from the Alliance Army and then, with another strike, sliced a giant war golem in half, his magic energy briefly lapsing.

Suddenly, an unexpected change occurred!

A Legendary from Lotheren, following O’Brien closely behind, the deputy chair of the Royal Mage Corps, suddenly launched an attack.

The Curse Master wielded the Magic Staff, and a twisted chain adorned with countless wailing ghostly figures shot out, not towards the enemy, but instead bound O’Brien, the King.

Soul Chain!

This malicious Imprisonment Spell targeted not the body, but directly bound the soul, the magic energy flowing within, and the Legendary Domain upon which existence depended!

O’Brien’s mighty form suddenly stiffened!

The radiance of his Domain dimmed, covered with wailing faces, and his sword-wielding action lagged fatally.

"Mavi?! You...!"

O’Brien’s voice, filled with shock and anger, had just sounded.

Pfft!

A muffled sound of a sharp blade piercing through flesh and Armor followed immediately!

The Royal Knight Order’s Two-Handed Giant Sword, symbolizing the highest honor of Lotheren’s Royal Knights, was now imbued with an indomitable Domain trait, brutally stabbing into O’Brien’s back!

The sword wielder was the Commander of the Royal Knight Order, long trusted by the King, renowned for his steadfast loyalty.

"For a new era! I’m sorry, Your Majesty!"

The Commander of the Royal Knight Order roared, his usual stoic face now twisted with the grim determination of betrayal.

Pfft!

The sound of the sword blade completely penetrating the Legendary Armor and the King’s resilient body echoed piercingly on the thunderous battlefield.

The blood-stained tip of the sword protruded from the chest.

O’Brien’s body shuddered violently, his questions turned into a mouthful of scalding blood.

"Traitors!"

"Protect His Majesty!"

The surrounding Forbidden Army and other Legendaries were filled with rage, their fierce attacks instantly forcing the two traitors back.

Someone quickly rushed forward and poured the top-tier Magic Potion into the King, barely stabilizing his rapidly fading life force, but it still couldn’t change the fact of his serious injury.

"I never thought... the ones who would ultimately betray me would be you two."

O’Brien spat out blood, his face pale as paper, yet his demeanor was remarkably calm, his gaze still sharp as it locked onto the two treacherous Legendaries.

The Commander of the Royal Knight Order, an old Legendary of the Lotheren Kingdom, who had personally taught the young O’Brien his martial skills; the other, the Curse Master Mavi, who had once been a magical enlightenment tutor for many princes and princesses.

"A wise bird chooses its tree; a wise minister chooses his lord."

The Curse Master Mavi whispered, "Your Majesty, you usurped the throne by killing your brother, and your rule was never legitimate."

"Now that Lotheren’s great tower is collapsing, your stubbornness in rejecting all possibilities of negotiation threatens to drag the entire Kingdom into a pit of destruction... We have no choice but to seek another path."

In the face of the gravely wounded King, the Alliance Army erupted with earth-shattering cheers, their morale greatly boosted.

The traitors wore expressions of victory and relief as it seemed to be within reach.

On the other side, the Iron Dragon Gordon’s face underwent dramatic changes, the instinct to flee strongly urging him once more.

But seeing Alina’s face, pale and resolute, he couldn’t bear to leave, instead continuing to carry her while circling in the air. He took a deep breath, ready to forcibly take her away.

"Gordon, go, leave here immediately!"

"I will fulfill my oath and perish with the Kingdom!"

The Crystal Princess began to channel all the magic energy within her, preparing to unleash the strongest and final spell of her life, taking as many enemies as possible with her.

However, just at this darkest moment when the Kingdom was about to fall,

Although grievously injured, O’Brien suddenly smiled.

He gazed at the two traitors, his eyes slowly sweeping over the surrounding intensely alert Alliance Legendaries, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching the ears of every strong figure: "You think you’ve already won?"

"Fools, if I were you, I would start praying now, and then... run for your lives."

Buzz!

A powerful, indescribable aura, without warning, exploded from the deepest part of Waldo Royal City.

In the depths of the palace, the Lothern Holy Stele, considered a symbol of the Kingdom and marked by the passage of time, exploded.

The purest, most majestic and warm dazzling light surged forth, shooting straight into the sky.

The war-tinted clouds accumulating over the Royal City, filled with countless shadows of war and death, dissipated instantly as if snow met the sun, the entire world enveloped in the splendid light.

At the center of the light, a figure slowly emerged.

Dressed in an old-fashioned yet pristine white royal robe, his face youthful as a young man’s, with ink-black hair cascading over his shoulders, his deep eyes seemed to contain the entire starry sky, inspiring awe and making anyone hesitate to meet his gaze directly.