"Impossible!" Salo flatly refused, convinced Rojen was joking.
This kid has no idea what power King wields. He's utterly clueless!
Frowning, Rojen's expression turned icy.
"What about the griffon?"
"Forget about the griffon, too! You're the Barut Kingdom's last hope. If you want to throw your life away, you'll need my permission first!" Salo snapped coldly.
A sudden gust of wind chilled the air, instantly turning the atmosphere frigid.
Rojen's eyes locked onto the towering wizard before him, his gaze glacial.
"You're wasting my time!"
He whirled around abruptly and roared at the Animal Path, "Animal Path, Spirit Summoning!"
The Animal Path nodded impassively, extended one hand, and pressed it against the ground. Black runes flashed briefly, and with a resounding boom, a winged creature with a ten-meter wingspan materialized before them.
Rojen leaped forward, his two clones following in lockstep.
"Trying to escape?" Salo roared, his anger blazing. Beneath his sleeve, the curved wooden staff extended, and he abruptly pointed it forward.
Whoosh!
A bolt of green light shot toward Rojen.
Deva Path stepped forward, his eyes cold as ice, and pressed his palm downward.
"Shinra Tensei!"
An invisible repulsive force erupted, spreading rapidly downward. The green light magic shattered instantly, pulverized into countless fragments. Then, to Salo's shock, the force slammed him into the ground.
Buzz!
Dust billowed as Salo's body was crushed against the earth, utterly immobilized. His eyes widened in disbelief.
Reacting swiftly, he flashed green light from his body and sprang to his feet, glancing upward. The summoned griffon had soared into the sky, let out a piercing cry, and vanished in the blink of an eye.
"That brat! Acting recklessly!"
His face darkened as he urgently contacted the others.
"Hey, Asi! Quick, assemble at the royal palace!"
"Oh, it's wizard Salo! What are you going there for? That's his territory. If we go, it'll start a war!" the man named Asi replied.
"The True King has appeared! This time, whether you want a war or not, it's out of your hands!" Salo retorted, his expression grim.
"What?! You're talking about the True King?!" Asi exclaimed, shocked.
"Gather your students and assemble everyone immediately. This war must begin now. The New King cannot be allowed to fail!" Salo barked.
He quickly sent messages to his companions who had been lying low within the Kingdom for years, yet still loyal to the rightful lineage. Every one who received news of the True King's return was seized with fervor, responding swiftly despite the sudden outbreak of war.
After contacting every ally he could reach, Salo exhaled deeply and whistled sharply.
Roar!
Three breaths later, a ferocious, fearsome griffon swooped down and landed before him.
He swiftly climbed onto the griffon's back, slapped its head, and soared into the sky.
"That brat truly doesn't know the limits of his own strength," Salo muttered through clenched teeth, his eyes filled with grim determination. "But no matter what, we have to protect him!"
Engaging the false King in battle was the last thing Salo wanted, as the timing was far from ideal. Yet now, he was left with no choice.
After fifty years, the first news of the Barut Ring had finally surfaced. The boy was undoubtedly the True King, and his life had to be preserved at all costs.
Soaring through the air, the wind howled past Rojen's ears, yet his expression remained indifferent.
The spirit beast's speed was astonishing; with each wingbeat, it covered a hundred meters in an instant. The King's Palace was, in fact, the most conspicuous place in the archipelago, nestled deep within the cluster of connected islands. At the very center, amidst the tallest ancient castles, stood the most magnificent and resplendent structure, undoubtedly the King's Palace.
In the blink of an eye, Rojen had already crossed two islands.
"Foreigners, halt!"
"Trespassers will be executed without mercy!"
"Stop advancing, or we won't hold back!"
Suddenly, a series of shouts erupted. Rojen's eyes flickered as he turned to look.
Squads of warriors riding owls were bearing down on him with fierce expressions.
"Deva Path!"
"Understood!"
Deva Path Doro stepped forward, his hands vibrating.
In the blink of an eye, both of his arms were coated in pitch-black Busoshoku Haki, Armament Haki. His face grim, he threw a thunderous punch into the empty space ahead.
"Monster Fist, Connection of All, Monster Shape!"
A massive, purple demonic elephant materialized behind him. As the punch landed, the elephant dispersed, coalescing into a swirling vortex that roared forward. In the blink of an eye, it engulfed the pursuing warriors, unleashing a cacophony of screams.
The spirit beast spread its wings and soared into the sky. With another powerful flap, it had already reached the third island.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
At that moment, a crisp bell chime rang out, quickly echoing across the entire Barut Kingdom.
Countless Barut Kingdom commoners looked up, their first glimpse being of the immense bird streaking across the sky.
"Mommy, look! What a huge bird!" a little girl exclaimed, hopping excitedly beside her mother.
"It's been so many years since we've seen outsiders come here," an elderly man murmured, shaking his head as he leaned on his cane. "And to be so brazen about it."
"Too bad they'll soon be captured by the kingmage guards!"
As he spoke, Rojen had already reached the fourth island.
At that very moment, squadrons of strange figures dressed in black robes, pointed wizard hats, and concealing their entire bodies under the concealing garments took to the skies across the Barut Kingdom.
With a collective flap of wings, they soared into the air, converging toward Rojen's location as if drawn by an invisible force.
"That's... the former King's wizard bodyguards!"
"They're still alive!"
"And there's the court's foremost wizard, the Former King's magic mentor!"
"Good heavens, there are so many of them! What are they planning?"
The people stared blankly at the sky, frozen in shock. For the past fifty years, the Kingdom had been under the control of the current King, and these loyalists of the former King had either been purged or forced into hiding, their traces completely erased.
Yet now, they had all suddenly reappeared!
For the first time, everyone sensed that something momentous was about to unfold.
"Lord King! We've come to support you!"
Rojen, perched atop a giant bird, was accelerating forward when a thunderous voice boomed from behind him.
Soon, the wizard riding a strange magical broom drew closer to Rojen.
"Your Majesty, I am Asi, former Chief Wizard of the King's Bodyguard!"
Asi was a man in his fifties, short in stature, and currently brimming with excitement.
"I am Rojen," Rojen replied with a nod.
"Wonderful! We've finally welcomed our New King! May we see your ring?"
Behind Asi, over two hundred wizards in their robes rode brooms.
"Certainly," Rojen agreed.
Though he couldn't yet assess their combat abilities, the respect in their eyes was unmistakable.
Compared to that old man Salo, these people were far more endearing.
Without hesitation, Rojen removed the Barut Ring and slipped it onto his finger.
"It's the one!"
"The True King! He's our True King! This is magnificent!"
(End Of This Chapter)
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