Ashen Dragon

"Kneel—"

Zariel's whisper exploded directly within people's skulls.

Under the pressure of Hell's law, the two devils didn't hesitate for a moment and immediately knelt down without a single thought of resistance.

— For lower-leveled demons like them, being able to see a Hell Lord was already a great honor.

Meanwhile, on the panels of the four players, dense lines of ominous information surfaced, causing them to sweat profusely.

[You are affected by the blasphemous utterance, and you will have to make a Will saving throw. If you fail, you will be controlled.]

[[Master of Avernus - Zariel]is attempting to search your soul and memory]

[Warning! Affected by Hell's law, you will be bound in Barto Hell and may gain the permanent effect [Fallen Contract]]

Suddenly, the faces of the four players changed dramatically, their expressions becoming particularly grim—being permanently left in Hell would be more than they could bear.

"Run!"

Swashbuckler made a snap decision, flicked his cloak, and dashed away.

While running away, he even remembered to snatch up the little devil's cage, taking it along to escape.

Both Europe King and Wolf of the Dark Night followed closely behind, and even the Natural War Maniac, who was still in a frenzy, roared as he smashed through the walls along the way, learning to run away.

"Die—"

However, innumerable Hell Chains rose, and a giant hand made of Hellfire spanned the sky, pressing down with terrifying might, getting closer and closer, about to capture them all in one fell swoop.

Seeing this, Swashbuckler cried out, "Help me, my lord!"

The hexagram array on the chests of several players abruptly lit up, covering them entirely with an unusually intense soul power.

Amidst the flickering flames, in an instant, they turned into clusters of ashes, drifting away with the wind.

In the high sky, the phantom of Zariel gazed at the scattered ashes, the fallen angel frowning slightly, her burning pupils filled with endless malice and hatred.

"It's Piere, that despicable traitor! If I weren't busy preparing the ritual, I would have long tormented him until his soul was shattered..."

Suddenly, Zariel's expression became even more furious: "No, it's not just him; there's also that damned Red Dragon of the Ashen Empire!"

The fallen angel fiercely flapped her Black Wings, wielding that longsword filled with Hellfire, creating a hideous wound hundreds of meters long in the blood-red sky.

—Also shattering the golden vertical pupil hidden in the air.

"To think that I was discovered."

A deep, powerful voice came from the void.

Zariel pointed the sword at the sky, roaring angrily: "Red Dragon, this is a blatant provocation. This is Avernus! Do you wish to be at odds with the entire Nine Prisons—declare war against the great Lord Asmodius?"

"Zariel, can you represent the entire Nine Prisons? I think... the other Hell Lords would quite readily see Avernus change hands once again."

A form of entirely different flame appeared high in the sky, gradually condensing into a massive, dignified dragon head, its golden vertical pupils especially profound, exuding a faint Dragon's Might.

That pressure made countless Hell Demonic Dragons shiver with fear, their bodies trembling, letting out low roars.

"You meddle with the Material Plane, colluding with the Thrace Kingdom, which means you are opposing me! Opposing the Ashen Empire!"

"Red Dragon, one day your so-called empire will also fall into hell, your subjects will wail in the Hellfire, becoming fuel for the blood war, and your territories will become our soul pasture!"

"Then let's wait and see—will you kill me first, or will I overthrow you first!"

The Red Dragon chuckled mockingly, that head turning into a myriad of flowing fires, dissipating into the sky.

At this moment, several Deep Prison Demon Refiners were waving their vast, broad wings, flying from all parts of the Bronze Fortress, each emanating a pressure that could terrify any lower-leveled demon.

— They were the twenty-seven legion commanders under Zariel, her generals fighting for Avernus.

They either knelt on one knee or bowed their heads, all exceptionally respectful, and before Zariel, these cruel and savage Deep Prison Demon Refiners were like obedient hunting dogs.

Alex stepped forward, speaking in a deep voice: "My lord, it was my lack of vigilance that allowed those despicable maggots to slip through the air..."

Zariel's voice was harsh: "Strengthen the defenses again! This is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity; I absolutely won't let those rats hiding in the gutters ruin my plans!

She gazed into the boundless scorched wasteland, her eyes revealing endless madness, obsession: "As long as I use all mortals from the Material Plane as fuel, my army will destroy the Abyss and end this blood war!"

The City of Sunrise in Thrace—this is where it all begins!"

Before the words fell, Zariel's body also suddenly exploded, transforming into a mass of Hellfire that shrouded the sky.

It was only the avatar of that deranged fallen angel.

At this moment, Zariel's true self resided in the center of the Bronze Fortress, plotting to drag the City of Sunrise, the Thrace Region—even the entire Fesos Continent—into Hell.

...

Ashen Empire.

Dragon Blood Mountain.

"It seems Piere's intelligence was not wrong... Zariel is indeed a complete war maniac."

Cassius watched the magic image recorded by the Heavenly Calamity Dragon Eye, clicking his tongue: "The other Hell Lords are unwilling to expend strength in the blood war, pouring all their effort into scheming and soul plundering.

Zariel, on the other hand, has thrown all her forces into the blood battle battlefield, offending anyone to achieve it, even using mortal souls as war fuel, truly insane."

Cassius also recalled the previous conversation with Piere.

In reality, thousands of years ago, Piere had secretly united several Hell Lords to overthrow Zariel, imprisoning her within the Bronze Fortress, tormenting her day and night.

But as the first layer of the Nine Prisons, Avernus was at the forefront of the blood war, constantly facing the threat of demons, and Piere's passive avoidance caused dissatisfaction from Asmodius.

Thus, under the behest of the Lord of Nine Prisons, Zariel once again became the ruler of Avernus, leading a devil army to battle against demons.

Thinking of this, the Red Dragon slowly stood up, spreading that exceptionally broad wings, deepening in his gaze.

Ramp's image appeared before him: "Master, should we continue sending Starfallen to Hell? The teleportation cost is quite hefty, and half of them are killed by devils as soon as they land..."

"Continue, not only continue but also increase the scale, gather more players to go to the Bronze Fortress, strive to infiltrate it completely."

Cassius's voice was firm and resolute: "We cannot let Zariel successfully complete the ritual, the Empire cannot lose the City of Sunrise, let alone the entire Thrace Region."

In fact, the recklessness in Avernus by Swashbuckler's group was actually supported by Cassius behind the scenes.

Just like the [Miniature Space Collapse Bomb] that could kill the Abyss Demon Refiner, it was created because Cassius destroyed a small material half-plane, using its shards as materials, and commanded the people of the Mechanical God Cult to make it.

Swashbuckler "stealing" this bomb was naturally instructed by Cassius himself, all to make a bigger mess in Hell.

This bomb, after exploding inside the Bronze Fortress, would destabilize the Antimagic Field, creating numerous spatial rifts nearby, just enough to allow players to teleport directly to the inner circle of the Bronze Fortress.

After discussing this matter, Ramp took up pen and paper, continuing to ask: "Then when do we officially declare war on the Thrace Kingdom?"

Cassius pondered for a moment, exhaling a mouthful of sulfur-laden white smoke, then answered without hesitation: "Seven days later, make sure to complete the mobilization, the real war is about to begin!"

"Yes, master."

Ramp's voice carried a hint of excitement, enthusiasm; after all, in a certain sense, the enemy they would soon face was once the glorious Holy Fadlan Empire.

This could very well be a war where both sides are evenly matched.