Alaster felt them before he saw them. A wave of power, electrifying the air. Birds flew away, wanting to be far from the source. The distant trees of the forest rustled as the Monsters rushed to hide or run, whatever they could.

  They weren’t trying to hide. They wanted to be seen. They wanted to be feared.

  And Alaster was quite fine with that.

  When they finally came into view, Alaster counted a dozen. Even one was a threat to the Capital city of Zolis. According to Sedall, the Demigods never sent more than two to deal with a Stage Three, even a powerful one. There was not a need.

  Apparently, Evros had taken Alaster’s challenge seriously.

  Of course, Alaster was certainly not the only one to see them, let alone feel their coming. Alarms bells were being rung. People were rushing to their families and taking cover in their cellars, if they had them. Soldiers lined the walls, arming the siege weapons and preparing the Runes and Enchantments.

  Alaster doubted the city defenses would be able to do much against even a single Demigod.

  But then he saw the Golden Thousand arrive in their shiny splendor, spacing themselves along the wall or strategically throughout the city. Alaster then saw the King himself arrive wearing Golden Armor, using a thick metal disc to hover high above the walls, staring at the unwelcome guests as they flew ever closer.

  Thinking to himself, Alaster quickly Wove a Fire spell that would allow him to fly, barely. Basically, it would conjure powerful but short flames at his feet that would propel his body up.

  Even with his Expert body and senses, it still took a few minutes for Alaster to get the hang of it.

  His version of flight was basic, slow, and inefficient, but it worked well enough for him to slowly fly towards the King, hovering beside him.

  “So this is what you bring down upon my people?” The King asked, more of a statement than a question.

  “I have a plan.”

  “You better. Even my Thousand won’t be able to hold off more than two, with my help.”

  The Demigods stopped a few miles out, they seemed to speak to each other briefly before three continued forward. A negotiation party.

  “You will only have to deal with one.” Alaster said, flying forward.

  The King was right behind him.

  Together they met with the three Demigods roughly six miles away from the city walls. Alaster spotted Evros at the head, but did not recognize the other two.

  None were happy.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “Stand down your army and give us the girl.” Evros ordered, cutting right to the chase. Alaster would have done the same if he did not consider the force before him a threat.

  “No.” Alaster said bluntly.

  Evros ignored him and stared at the King, “Do not risk the lives of the People of Zolis for one girl.”

  The King scratched his beard, “You know, my family has always respected and complied to the wishes of the Demigods. Hells, we even gave you my great Uncle when you claimed he was a threat to the world. I never thought much of it until this arrogant brat here pointed it out. I swore to protect the People of Lissura, from the strongest warrior to the weakest child.

  So no.

  I am done allowing foreign powers to execute my People. Leave my Kingdom. The Kingdom of Lissura is finished with you.”

  The faces of the two Demigods beside Evros turned vile and cruel. They wanted to rip the King into pieces for being so disrespectful towards them. Yet Evros himself remained neutral.

  “Do you understand the consequences of this action?”

  “More than you know.” The King nodded passively, yet Alaster could hear the leather on the King’s sword creaking as he gripped it even tighter.

  “Then we shall burn your city to the ground to remove this threat to Humanity.” Evros growled, turning away.

  Alaster immediately activated the device he had received from the Zalarians.

  A powerful dome appeared around the entirety of Zolis, including ten miles around it. A dome that King Heradon swore could withstand the force of one or two Demigods.

  However, it would only last one hour.

  One hour before its internal components melted.

  One hour to remove this threat to his sister.

  At the same time as the dome appearing, Alaster summoned every last Undead he had, excluding his Death Knights or their Legions of Forgotten.

  The surroundings became infused with Necrotic Mana. Plants withered, turning yellow and decayed. Trees turned into dead husks, many of their branches breaking off under their own weight. Animals died and dried up, turning into dried husks, their skin tight against their bones.

  For miles around Alaster, it became impossible to see the ground through the Undead.

  The Demigods stared in disbelief, both at the dome, and the power this Expert displayed. The King looked at the young man beside him, finally realizing just how much he had held back in that Ballroom.

  “Hope you aren’t afraid of falling.” Alaster sneered, not looking away from the glaring Demigods.

  “What do you,”

  The King didn’t manage to finish his sentence before Alaster activated the second device Catherine had personally created. A device that she built using the dome as the host. A device that prohibited the use of flying within the dome.

  The Demigods, the King, and Alaster, all fell to the ground.

  Having been prepared for it, Alaster landed softly by using the recoil from a powerful Fire Blast to slow his fall. The Demigods landed heavily but appeared completely unharmed. The King remained on his disk as it fell heavily, but before it slammed into the ground, it flashed with bright blue light, halting the decent before gently landing.

  Evros glared at Alaster, now surrounded by the countless Undead, “Do you really think you can defeat a dozen Demigods? Even with all these tricks?”

  “A dozen? No,” Alaster chuckled, “Two? Perhaps.”

  “There are three of us.” Evros growled.

  “Yes, but they only have to deal with two.” Sedall said, walking out of the Horde of Undead behind Alaster.

  Evros stepped back, “So its true, you escaped.”

  With each word, violent Mana radiated off of Sedall in waves, disrupting the dirt and rocks, “Yes. I escaped. Do you remember what I swore I would do to the ones who imprisoned me?”

  Evros did not speak.

  “I swore I would tear them limb from limb.”

  “Even you can’t defeat a dozen of us. That dome won’t last long against them.”

  “No, it won’t. But it’s a good thing I already had a talk with Tualla before all this. She never liked the executions. Most of us didn’t. Until that dome comes down on its own, they won’t do anything.

  Understand what that means?

  It means I get one hour to do whatever I want with you!”

  Sedall shot forward, his fist raised.

  The earth shook and broke.

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