Chapter 144: White Dragon IV
The Dragona Empire’s army began to advance with terrifying momentum. At the same time, the cannons on top of the castle started firing in unison. Dozens of shells flew through the air, and it was easy for everyone to predict that the ground would soon erupt with loud explosions, causing considerable damage to the attacking side.
But—
“Not like that.”
In the next moment, Elios reached out her hand toward the front, where the shells were flying. Tremendous mana began to emanate from her hand in an instant.
“Wait… what is that?”
“What nonsense…”
The shells stopped in midair, as though seized by an invisible force. Seeing not one or two, but dozens of cannonballs suspended in the air, the soldiers of the Holy Empire were instantly stricken with shock. However, their expressions of surprise quickly shifted to fear.
“Are they… coming back?”
“F-Flee! The shells are heading back this way! Aaaah!”
Quag-uaguag-wang!The shells returned to their point of origin without error, smashing the cannons that had fired them. Dozens of cannons on the castle were obliterated.
“D*mn it, another weird spell from that damned woman!” Emperor Carol spat, furious at the unexpected damage.
The battles with the White Dragon Princess had always been challenging. Every time, she brought something new, inflicting harm in unexpected ways—be it blowing up the fog, burning all the arrows, or destroying a portion of the castle wall. Elios was notorious for her strategic chaos, always catching them off guard.
Even worse, no matter how prepared they were for her strange tactics, she would always come up with something new, mocking them with her unpredictable moves.
“What are you doing? Rally the soldiers and continue the attack! Shoot arrows, roll stones, anything!” Emperor Carol commanded.
“Yes, Your Majesty!” the soldiers urgently responded, trying to regain control.
But it was already too late. The enemy had reached the wall, using ladders or simply leaping onto it. They weren’t just ordinary humans—witches, mages, and demons made up the army.
“Stop them! Stop the enemies!”
The soldiers of the Holy Empire, wielding their swords under the urgent orders of their generals, tried to fend them off. However, most of them were ordinary humans, unable to withstand the sheer power of the mages and demons. The defenders collapsed, while the attackers pressed forward without taking much damage.
It was clear to anyone observing that the defense was being pushed back. About half of the soldiers guarding the walls had been annihilated. Although reinforcements were arriving, the defense was slowly crumbling under the mounting pressure.
Despite the situation, Emperor Carol, commanding the army from just behind the castle wall, remained calm, though slightly embarrassed.
“You! I’ll end you right here—Keoouk!” an enemy who had charged directly at the emperor was swiftly dispatched by his bodyguards. Several more enemies attempted similar assaults, only to meet the same fate as the guards cut them down.
“Let’s move,” Carol said, his voice steady.
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
“Escort the emperor!”
Once the soldiers had somewhat regrouped, the emperor left the area under the protection of his bodyguards. The soldiers of the Dragona Empire quickly took notice.
“There! The emperor is fleeing!”
“Don’t let him escape! Catch him!”
The Dragona Empire’s soldiers charged toward the retreating emperor. However, the Holy Empire’s remaining troops still held their ground. Those who tried to catch up were intercepted by the elite guards, whose overwhelming skill forced them to retreat.
“Princess! The emperor is fleeing!” Elios’ aides urgently reported.
“Let us go. We can capture him and end this,” one of her aides suggested.
But Elios shook her head slowly. “No, focus on securing the walls first. The emperor can wait.”
“But, if we leave it, we might miss the chance to end this war,” another aide protested, clearly fatigued.
Elios replied in a calm voice, “Doesn’t this seem strange to you? Even though their preparations were rushed, the Holy Empire gave up the walls too easily. Moreover, this army is under the direct command of Emperor Carol. He may be arrogant, but he’s far from incompetent.”
Her aides exchanged uneasy glances.
“Now that you mention it, the enemy did collapse too quickly, even though we culled only elite soldiers.”
“Exactly. And the emperor’s bodyguards have shown up, but we haven’t seen Andersen or Isaac yet. They’re likely hiding, waiting for the right moment to strike.”
“I see what you mean,” one of her aides nodded in understanding.
“Let’s proceed cautiously.”
With that, the Dragona Empire army halted their advance and focused on destroying the remaining Holy Empire forces on the wall.
Meanwhile, Elios gazed out over Slava Castle, now fully in her view. While she had gathered some intelligence beforehand, this was her first time seeing the place up close, and it caused her to frown.
‘This won’t be easy…’
Although they had taken the walls, the layout of Slava Castle was complex. A high mountain sat at the center of the city, with buildings and internal walls built around it like another fortress. The narrow, winding alleys resembled a spider’s web, creating an environment perfect for ambushes.
‘With this terrain, traps are inevitable. The moment we enter, there’s bound to be chaos.’
Unlike the castle walls, such a confined space wasn’t suited for large-scale battles. Even with her elite troops, they could suffer severe losses if they accidentally clashed with the Holy Empire’s strongest fighters, including the bodyguards. For Elios, who aimed to minimize casualties, such a battle was undesirable. If they got bogged down here, they could easily lose their chance to achieve their main objectives.
‘The emperor… and Bahamut, who I’ve confirmed is here through the spies’ reports. That’s the real prey.’
The plan she had in mind was risky, but it offered the highest chance of success while minimizing her army’s losses.
After formulating her strategy, Elios gathered her strongest soldiers and issued her orders. Then…
“Haaa…”
She began to release the dormant mana within her body. Tremendous mana, like the vastness of the sea, enveloped her. Her body, once resembling that of an ordinary human woman, slowly began to change.
Silvery scales sprouted from her smooth skin, and her beautiful face transformed into something otherworldly. After some time, Elios Noshelat Dragona had fully transformed. No longer resembling a human, she was now a towering being covered in silvery-white scales, her body stretching over 50 meters in length.
The strongest demon in existence, a symbol of power—Dragon. This was Elios’ most powerful form, the one that earned her the title of White Dragon Princess.
With a mighty flap of her wings, she soared high into the sky.
And…
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