In eastern Farum Azula, inside a tall tower near the battlefield, two heads leaned by the window, watching the Golden Army and Beastman guards not far away.
It was a chaotic yet magnificent sight. The ruined streets had been swallowed by a scorching sea of fire, the flames roaring as though they meant to reduce the entire world to ash.
Within that sea of fire, golden Golden Order Incantations clashed against red Ancient Dragon Incantations, sending dazzling sparks flashing and bursting in every direction like fireworks.
Florissax rode her Flying Dragon with a valiant, commanding bearing, while the Draconic Tree Sentinel sat astride his warhorse, imposing and mighty. The only thing missing was the werewolf with the dark-red greatsword from Nolan's memory.
Sethlinsax was also scanning the battlefield, her gaze moving back and forth as she tried to find the Shadow-bound Beast that wanted to kill her Big Brother.
But after searching several times, she still found no trace of that werewolf.
Drawing her gaze back, Sethlinsax suddenly looked at Nolan. She felt that Big Brother's judgment might have been wrong.
Perhaps Big Brother was not as important as he imagined. Maybe that sinister Maliketh's true target really was the Ancient Dragons.
"Big Brother, there's a limit to being full of yourself, you know."
Sethlinsax leaned against the wall, shook her head helplessly, and spread her hands.
"Look at Sister Florissax. She looks completely fine."
Sethlin put on the air of someone speaking from experience, staring at Nolan as if she were seeing her former self.
That kind of self-important arrogance would run into a wall sooner or later. Just like a powerful Ancient Dragon such as herself had eventually yielded beneath Big Brother's fist.
Nolan chopped the little Ancient Dragon girl on the head with the edge of his hand. It hurt so much that she immediately crouched down, clutching her head while letting out little whimpers.
Only then did Nolan reveal a satisfied, wicked smile.
"What's the rush? Why use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken? Let the bullets fly a little longer."
Sethlinsax, standing beside him, was completely lost. She asked with a puzzled look, "What chicken? What knife? What bullets? Why don't I understand any of that?"
"No wonder the other Ancient Dragons say you never learn anything and only know how to play. You really don't understand a thing." Nolan sighed falsely. "Look at your Sister Florissax. She's already struggling against that Tree Sentinel. Does Maliketh really need to show himself now?"
"Nonsense. How could Sister Florissax lose to some Tree Sentinel..."
Sethlinsax immediately grew anxious and was just about to verbally support Florissax.
But before she could finish, a loud bang came from behind her.
Sethlinsax turned back in shock and saw Florissax gripping the Flowerstone Gavel as it slammed fiercely against the Draconic Tree Sentinel's Dragonclaw Hammer.
After that brief moment of contact, Florissax was shoved back as if by a tremendous force, retreating more than ten meters in an instant.
"Hahahaha!" The Draconic Tree Sentinel burst into rough laughter at the sight and mocked her.
"Dragon-Feasting Priestess, instead of finding Dragon Slayers to hunt those Flying Dragons that committed great sins, why did you come running back here? Were you chased back by the Dread Dragon?"
The Flying Dragons that had followed Florissax immediately turned their gazes toward her.
These Flying Dragons were not the same as the sinner Flying Dragons on the ground.
They were descendants of Flying Dragons who had firmly stood on the side of the Ancient Dragons during the dragon civil war, which was why they were allowed to live in Farum Azula alongside the Ancient Dragons.
Although their status was relatively low, compared with their kin on the ground, who lived in constant fear of being hunted by Dragon Slayers, they were already far luckier.
And Bayle, the tyrant who had led the dragon race into decline, yet was also a legendary figure among the Flying Dragons, naturally drew great interest from them.
When the Draconic Tree Sentinel mentioned Bayle, the Flying Dragons immediately focused their attention on him, as if waiting for him to reveal something they did not know.
Or rather, they cared more about whether the choice they and their ancestors had made back then had been the right one.
"Bayle is dead," Florissax said expressionlessly.
The Ancient Dragons all knew this, but they had not spread the news widely, so it was normal that some Flying Dragons did not know.
But this was a battlefield. If she did not make things clear, the morale of the Flying Dragons might very well be shaken.
There had never been any real need to hide it anyway. They simply had not deliberately announced it. So she stated it openly in front of everyone.
When news of Bayle's death was made public, not only did the Flying Dragons look stunned, even the Draconic Tree Sentinel widened his eyes and stared at Florissax in disbelief.
"Impossible."
"Witnessing Bayle's death was my duty. If he had not died, how could I have returned?" Florissax replied with a faint cold smile.
"Don't tell me you killed him. If so, I would be terribly disappointed in the legendary Dread Dragon," the Draconic Tree Sentinel said, narrowing his eyes.
"Of course it wasn't me. I don't have that kind of ability," Florissax said. "It was His Majesty Nolan who accomplished that great deed!"
Her voice was filled with pride, because she had been the one to choose that great Lord to help her fulfill her mission.
A feat like slaying the Dread Dragon was undoubtedly a peerless achievement worthy of being recorded in history. She would not steal Nolan's credit.
"Nolan!" When the Draconic Tree Sentinel heard that name again, surprise surged in his heart.
He had already heard that name once from Maliketh, and now it had come from the mouth of an Ancient Dragon.
His curiosity about Nolan only grew stronger.
The Draconic Tree Sentinel tightened his grip around the Dragonclaw Hammer, and the already tremendous force behind his attacks became even fiercer.
At last, he too felt a sense of urgency similar to Maliketh's. A King capable of killing Bayle was indeed terrifying.
In truth, he did not know much about the Dread Dragon Bayle. After all, he had not experienced the battle in which the Dragonlord shed blood.
But in this city, the Dread Dragon's reputation was simply too great. In a dragon society that worshiped strength, such renown could not belong to an empty fraud.
"Big Brother, Sister Florissax is in big trouble. Let's hurry and help her!" Sethlin said, about to jump out the window, only for Nolan to grab her by the waist.
"If I go out now, I might scare off the one hiding in the shadows," Nolan analyzed calmly.
Sethlin was just about to say that Big Brother still had not fixed his habit of bragging when Asimi's voice came from within Nolan's body.
"Master, let me do it."
It was rare for Asimi to volunteer, but Nolan rejected her.
"No need. I'll do it myself."
For a moment, Sethlin and Asimi were both confused. Hadn't he just said that if he went out now, he might scare the person away?
The Draconic Tree Sentinel kept swinging the Dragonclaw Hammer, which was wrapped in red lightning extremely similar to that of the Ancient Dragons, suppressing Florissax completely.
"Die, Florissax!" The Draconic Tree Sentinel poured all his strength into the giant hammer in his hands, then smashed it down at Florissax.
The blow threw Florissax off balance, and the ground beneath her feet cracked apart. Before she could catch her breath, the second strike followed immediately.
Florissax could not right herself, but she saw a human figure appear in front of her.
It was Nolan!
He threw a punch into the Draconic Tree Sentinel's chest, sending the Sentinel flying backward and crashing into the ground.
Florissax actually felt as though she had just survived a disaster, but before she could say a word of thanks, she saw a pitch-black phantom flash before her eyes.
A dark-red streak of light swept past Nolan from behind. His head separated from his body and flew into the air.
"No!"
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