Ashen Dragon

As the "Holy Day" lit up the sky, the radiance on Wilhelm's body suddenly dimmed.

His feathers ignited with black flames, his pupils lost their iridescence, transforming into vertical slits filled with flowing sulfur, and even the light wheel behind him turned into a crimson Reverse Pentagram Formation.

"No, no—what have you done to me?!"

Wilhelm twisted his body in the sky, gasping heavily, howling in pain, and even the melodious hymn turned into the wails of departed souls.

Zareel's voice echoed in his mind: "Come, His Majesty Wilhelm, embrace the strength of Hell, accept your new self—"

"Stop deceiving yourself, the sun is dead, and you will gain eternal life in Aphernas!"

As the light grew more intense, Wilhelm's entire skin ignited, covered in countless thin fissures and scars, as if gnawed by a greedy beast, from which oozed a tar-like substance.

That was Hell's darkest force devouring his remaining divinity.

"Tss—"

Under the erosion of Hell, his six feathers broke simultaneously, swallowed by the pitch-black mist, countless burning feathers fluttering and then gracefully falling.

In the end, people could only see a mass of black mist, with hideous figures and twisted limbs faintly visible within, extremely terrifying, often accompanied by the shrieks of souls and the roars of beasts.

Cassius looked at the distance wrapped in darkness where Wilhelm was, and said aloud: "Behold, people of the Thrace Kingdom.

Wilhelm claimed the banner of the Lord of Eternal Radiance, self-styled as the 'Angel King' and 'Fadlan Emperor', yet his deeds were the basest, filthiest, most evil acts!

When that glamorous disguise was torn off by me, you should understand—that is the King you are loyal to, a Devil thrown into Barto Hell, a pathetic fallen one, a Tyrant who sacrifices citizens!"

At the end, Cassius's tone grew more impassioned, rhythmic, as if bathed in the sacred glow, his scales gleaming, indeed resembling an angel judging sin.

At this moment, justice and evil seemed to have swapped places, causing confusion and disorientation among the people.

"Oh god..."

"With Amanata above... His Majesty Wilhelm, he, he truly has fallen into Hell!"

"Alas, to think the once Angel King would become like this!"

The Thrace People raised their heads, gazing at the sky, witnessing the awe-inspiring Red Dragon and then the monster wrapped in thick black mist, their hearts were already convinced of everything Cassius said.

Turns out, the Ashen Empire's Emperor was the one chosen by the Sun God, no, it should be said the Dragon. And the Wilhelm they were loyal to had become a monster fallen into Hell!

Thinking of this, the hearts of the Thrace People began to waver.

Now that Wilhelm's disguise has been torn away, do they truly wish to loyally serve a soul-sacrificing Tyrant to the death?

Once they firmly believed that sacrificing for Thrace could ascend to Heaven, but now? Are they to fall into Hell, becoming food for those Devils?

"No, what he said is not true, that evil dragon is deceiving you!

I am still the same Wilhelm, I remain the successor to the imperial throne! I will lead you to restore the Holy Fadlan!" They heard a hoarse roar emerging from within the black mist.

At this moment, the black mist had swelled to a kilometer in diameter, pulsating like the womb of Hell, as if breeding something extremely terrifying.

"Roar—"

The black mist scattered, Wilhelm stood up from the viscous darkness.

His severed wings grew spiked Devil's Wings, spines sprouted from his back, the once flawless body became long, slender, and twisted, standing fifty meters high.

The force of original sin wrapped around his twisted body: Pride transformed into the Crown of Thorns on his head, jealousy condensed into a ferocious Poison Vine, and Wrath forged into the Lava Spear in his hand.

At this moment, Wilhelm finally completely abandoned the Sun God, relinquishing the light identity of the Angel Divine Descendant, becoming an Envoy of Hell, a true Great Devil.

From the moment he completely fell—a rose in August City wilted, its thorns transformed into serpents; the feathers of the Sun Holy Dove stained with blood and its cooing transformed into the Hell Raven; the blood in the sky coagulated into blood-red clouds covering the land.

Witnessing such a scene, all the people of Thrace were particularly terrified, deeply afraid.

Dayev looked at the monster in the sky, or rather the Devil, his expression growing more complicated, remaining silent for a long time before softly saying: "Farewell, His Majesty Wilhelm."

In his heart, the former King had completely died, now surviving among the world was just a monster from Hell.

When he looked at that Devil again, Dayev's eyes were full of hostility and vigilance.

Suddenly, his expression froze, he suddenly remembered something, muttering: "Not good, the refugees within August City..."

Dayev made up his mind, drawing the Longsword from his waist, leaping off the city wall, rushing towards August City.

Meanwhile, Cassius watched with great interest at the newborn Great Devil, softly saying: "A fallen Angel Divine Descendant... interesting."

"Fallen Monarch-Wilhelm"

Challenge Level: 29

If placed a few years ago, this "Fallen Monarch" could indeed be considered a formidable opponent, but for Cassius now, he is but a slightly troublesome little monster.