The Union soldiers watched in stunned silence as their commanders froze before the Hidden Ruler's arrival.
That single mont shook them deeply.
These were the very figures they relied upon. These were the pillars of their army, the powerful Mana Core Magi who had always stood no matter the danger. Yet now, even they looked tense and wary.
Fear spread quietly through the ranks. And when the soldiers looked beyond their commanders and saw the vast infernal army stretching across the horizon, an enemy force nearly twice their size, a heavy and oppressive sense of helplessness began creeping into their hearts.
And then there was the matter of the Dark King…
The self-proclaid Son of Tron was nowehere to be found.
The soldiers had slowly begun doubting whether what their superiors had said about the Dark King privately recovering was true or not. If he were really here, then why hadn't he shown up yet?
Tian Di had co and brazenly made a mockery out of their commanders, yet the Dark King still never showed up.
Helplessness, fear, and despair began to engulf the army. A dark pall fell over them, and thoughts of desertion began to rise again. But the only thing keeping them rooted to their feet was the Dark King's words from a few days ago.
But still… did those words hold any weight when the man himself was absent?
As the Union's soldiers and commanders gathered their bearings, Tian Di and Marden had already arrived at the center of the battlefield.
Marden silently guided the horse and took his rightful place behind the Cult Leader. The Wind Lord and the Stone Lord cast strange glances at him. They had all witnessed his interaction with the mysterious Hidden Ruler of Yen-Lu. The two seed oddly… affable.
anwhile, Tian Di sat proudly on his warhorse. His chin was raised high as if he were looking down on the people in front of him. He ignored the azirai leader and glanced at the Cult Leader lich.
"It has been a while," he said in a laid-back tone.
The green flas in the lich's sockets flared slightly. He still rembered how this man had destroyed Ironridge — the city that once housed the secret base where his most vital experints had been conducted.
If it were anyone else, he would have turned them into his undead servant. But he needed Tian Di's strength for this upcoming battle. The Cult Leader never once underestimated his enemies. Despite allying with the devils and having superior numbers, he was still cautious.
This caution was a product of madness and paranoia, and not prudence.
"Tian Di." The lich offered a faint nod in greeting.
At last, the Hidden Ruler turned his attention to the winged devil, Volgron, who was observing him with great interest.
He had to admit, he'd never seen a creature so revolting. And it was evident on his face. The Hidden Ruler openly displayed disgust in his facial expressions as he looked at the azirai leader. He didn't even bother to greet this otherworldly creature. He found it beneath him.
However, the azirai was surprisingly polite.
"This world has truly overturned my way of thinking. It seems I was far too biased," he said with a light chuckle. "To think that a planet in the Outer Universe could produce so many capable Magi… I am truly impressed."
The devil's lips curled into a grin, and he introduced himself.
"I am called Volgron," he said. "State your na, human."
The Hidden Ruler couldn't help but sneer. He nonchalantly took a slow puff from his pipe before exhaling the smoke in the devil's direction — an act of clear provocation!
"You speak as though your praise carries weight," he said with a scoff. "Tell , devil… should I feel honored that a foul creature such as you is impressed by ?"
His eyes narrowed, and he continued.
"You co to my world and then patronize as though you're so distinguished senior."
The Hidden Ruler released a bit of his killing intent and coldly added:
"Know your place, fool."
Volgron's grin slowly faded away, replaced by a dark frown. The devils behind him, however, were even more enraged. At once, their hands shot to their weapons, and they were about to charge at Tian Di and teach him a lesson.
But the azirai leader raised a hand, stopping them in their tracks. His gaze was still locked onto the Hidden Ruler, though his words were directed at the lich beside him.
"You were right," Volgron said in an even voice. "This man's arrogance knows no bounds."
The lich remained silent, the green flas in his sockets betraying no inner emotions. The devil continued to deeply stare at the Hidden Ruler before helplessly relenting. There was no point in arguing with such a man, especially not at the mont.
"Co, Tian Di," Volgron said, gesturing ahead, though his tone was no longer cordial. "Join us. We are to et the enemy commanders."
"So you can convince them to join your cause?" Tian Di arched a brow in mock amusent. He guided the warhorse to stand with the lich and the devil.
"I don't know about the westerners, but…" he continued, "my people would rather die than submit to outsiders. Let alone otherworldly foul creatures."
Those last words enraged the devils behind him. But the Hidden Ruler simply ignored them and continued to smoke from his pipe.
"It's amusing that you call them 'my people', yet do not fight beside them," Volgron said with a cold smile.
"Lesser beings such as you can never comprehend what transpires within my mind," said the Hidden Ruler matter-of-factly.
In that mont, Volgron understood why the lich never chose to speak to Tian Di more than necessary. The more the devil spoke to this egotistical man, the more he found himself wanting to strangle him.
He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, then exhaled.
When he opened his eyes again, they were calm as an ancient lake. His gaze pierced through the front lines of the Union army, scanning all the commanders present.
"Looks like the Dark King isn't here," he said as he glanced at the lich.
"Rekan had deed that man as the greatest obstacle in our way of conquering this world. I suppose, even if he died, he still succeeded in ridding us of the hindrance."
The lich was silent. But the three Elders behind him were visibly moved. They found it surprising that the man who had haunted their n deep within their territory for the past two years had actually been taken care of, as evidenced by said man's absence.
Volgron chuckled coldly, taking the lich's silence as confirmation. He turned back to the enemy side and watched them descend into gradual chaos.
"They're drowning in despair," he said as he clasped the reins tightly in his hands. "This is the perfect mont to bring so of them over to our side. Heh, I'll even be generous enough not to force them to kill their forr comrades."
But right at that mont, the Hidden Ruler's relaxed voice echoed once again.
"You should wait a little."
Volgron turned to him with a questioning look on his face.
Tian Di casually took another drag from the pipe, not at all bothering to explain himself further.
The devil's brows creased together, and just when he was about to press for answers, his pupils constricted, and he abruptly turned southward. At the sa ti, the flas in the lich's eyes stirred. In that mont, both realized what the Hidden Ruler was hinting at.
"Heh." A cold chuckle escaped Volgron's lips. "This world is full of surprises."
Across the battlefield, as the Union Magi prepared to send the strongest of them to et the enemy commanders, they felt it as well.
A distant conch suddenly sounded.
Its deep, thunderous call rolled across the lands, echoing through the heavens like the herald of sothing vast and glorious.
Then ca the thunder of hooves against the earth.
Hundreds… thousands… hundreds of thousands.
In the distance, a great army ca down like a magnificent tide of muscle and steel. At its head was a towering man atop a majestic warhorse, his golden armor gleaming and his white cape billowing.
All the pieces of Operation Constantine were finally on the board.
Now, all that remained was…
The final battle for Tron.
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