Chapter 581 - 380: Zoraya’s Fantasies
The dark clouds did not disperse with the end of the war and continued to press heavily in the sky.
Raindrops continuously fell, pattering on the cold, hard scales of the Giant Dragons, instantly shattering into finer mist, falling onto the battle-scarred land.
Galos stood at the highest point of Thunderous Cliff.
His sharp claws pierced into the crevices of the rugged, slippery rock beneath him, unwavering in the wind and rain, as if fused with the cliff.
He bowed his head slightly, surveying the devastated battlefield below, where all he could see was the scars left by war.
Giant Dragons belonging to the Molten Iron Tribe, some Vassal Lords, and the Followers were scattered across the battlefield, either resting or cleaning up after the battle.
The air was filled with a complex smell of blood, charred flesh, and rain, along with a sense of exhaustion and solemnity after the war.
The scene on the side of the Dominican Dragon Group was even more miserable.
Due to their previous tenacious and fierce resistance, their Affiliated Legion suffered extremely heavy casualties, with corpses strewn everywhere. The number of survivors who eventually surrendered was less than one-fifth of their pre-war numbers, and they were now being guarded by the Warriors of Molten Iron, huddled in the mud, with eyes dull and fearful.
The Giant Dragons that soared through the sky and wielded Thunder also lost nearly half of their numbers.
The remaining survivors were surrounded in a semicircle by the Ignas Dragon Group’s Giant Dragons and several powerful Lords.
They were covered in hideous wounds, their scales shattered, and Dragon Blood mixed with rainwater dripped continuously. The once proudly uplifted wings now drooped powerlessly, their eyes dim, their fighting spirit gone.
In fairness.
Setting aside the two Masters of the Dragon Clans, the overall Power of the Ignas Dragon Group and the Dominican Dragon Group was initially not much different.
However, when the Golden Dragon Alberto and Iron Dragon Letitia joined the battle, along with the betrayal of the adult Blue Dragon Zoraya at a critical moment, the scales of the battlefield instantly and completely tilted.
Facing the Ignas Dragon Group’s ferocious assault like a tidal wave, the Dominican Dragon Group could only retreat step by step.
Moreover, whether it was pre-war mobilization or during the intense combat, Galos never issued any orders to show mercy.
Dragons, such creatures, are dangerous and powerful beings.
In the fierce struggle of life and death, unless there’s a vast Power gap allowing complete control of the situation, any party that hesitates due to apprehension, even for a brief moment, might get seized by the opponent, leading to severe injury or even death.
Galos understood this clearly.
He indeed had a long-term plan to subdue the Dominican Dragon Group to expand his own Dragon Group, but achieving this goal could never come at the cost of sacrificing the life of those faithful Giant Dragons who had long followed him.
In his view, undue kindness to the enemy is the greatest cruelty to his own companions.
Amidst the unending rain, the Red Iron Dragon suddenly unfolded his enormous powerful wings, slicing the air and stirring up a whistling wind.
He leaped from the top of the high cliff, then dove toward the ground with a commanding presence.
With a loud, muffled roar, the ground visibly trembled as he landed heavily in front of the captured Dominican Giant Dragons, splashing large amounts of mud.
"Two choices."
"First, prostrate before me, lower your proud heads, and offer your loyalty to me, your new king."
Galos scanned the scarred dragon captives before him and continued, "Second, choose to follow the will of your former leader and challenge me. I will respond with Power and grant you a glorious death."
War between Dragon Groups is entirely different from single combat between individual Dragons.
The members of the completely defeated Dragon Group face usually only two fates.
——Surrender to the victors, or choose death.
The Dragon captives fell silent, with only the sound of raindrops hitting scales and ground unceasingly.
Choosing to surrender to the Ignas Dragon Group indeed could allow them to survive, to keep their lives.
However, as the defeated, captured side, even if they chose loyalty, their status in the new Dragon Group would inevitably be inferior to that of the pre-existing Ignas Giants, undeniably inferior.
What awaited them was the likely trampling of their dignity and being used as cannon fodder and expendables in future conflicts.
The Blue Dragon Race’s ancestral memories recorded numerous cases of the tragic fate of defeated Dragon Races.
Comparatively, some Dragons that held dignity as dear as life would rather choose to die with dignity.
"I give you one minute to consider."
With this final sentence, Galos said nothing more.
He stood silently in the rain, waiting for time to pass, and for their final decision.
Then, a sky-blue figure was the first to step out from the captive Dragon Group.
It was none other than Blue Dragon Zoraya.
Ignoring the many gazes cast from behind, she went straight to the Red Iron Dragon, deeply lowered her slender neck, completely exposing her beautiful, forked dragon horns, revealing a submissive and humble posture.
"Heart of Thunder is dead, honorable King of Molten Iron, I, Zoraya, hereby represent the remaining members of the Dominican Dragon Group, humbly request you to accept our loyalty."