Ashen Dragon

And the Devils' fear of the Ashen Empire's Emperor is deeply ingrained in their bones, impossible to dispel.

Standing atop the Bronze Fortress, Piere observed the earth-shattering battle. However, upon witnessing that familiar strength, his expression turned grim.

"That power should belong to me..."

Piere gritted his teeth, his fists clenched tightly, yet there was nothing he could do, utterly helpless.

There's no doubt, Cassius is very powerful, and he needs this power to maintain the order of Avernus and to prevent demons from taking over this place.

Despite his heart full of resentment, Piere had to admit—Avernus needs Cassius now. At this moment, he also needs this powerful ally.

This is the conclusion he reached after weighing the pros and cons.

"Roar—"

Cassius unleashed the power of Avernus within him, roaring, "Koschech, if you came here in your true form, I would still have some awe for you.

But if you only send an avatar, what audacity do you have to be impudent in front of me!"

In the next moment, the howling wind echoed across the sky, and the hundred-meter-long Purgatory Longsword descended from above, cleanly puncturing the Frost Giant Lord from the top of his head.

Following that, a torrent of Hellfire gushed out from the blade, incinerating Koschech's avatar.

The hundred-meter-tall Frost Giant emitted white smoke all over, his body gradually melting, murky snow water flowing from his mouth and nose as the Chaotic Power within him contended with the infernal energy.

"Cassius, Frost Giant's Foe... when my true form descends, it will be your death day!"

"Boom—"

Leaving behind a hoarse roar, Koschech's massive body completely collapsed, an avalanche of ice raining down, forming a streaming ice mountain.

"No, Lord Koschech is invincible..." Krum suddenly stood up, swinging a giant hammer, shouting to the sky.

But unfortunately, under the towering pillar of fire, the Frost Giants' screams and resistance seemed so insignificant, fragile, and negligible.

"Boom!"

With blinding firelight, a gigantic fireball with a diameter of hundreds of meters appeared on the ground, devouring everything around—including the Frost Giant leader who wreaked havoc in the universe for years.

Krum died just like that, and under the onslaught of the Red Dragon, the nearly million demons he led met a similar fate—either dead or fled. The demon army that once aggressively besieged the outside of the Bronze Fortress utterly collapsed.

What a terrifying war machine it is.

Looking at the desolate land, the pervasive Abyssal death fog over the wastelands, the Devil officers present uniformly shared this sentiment.

A massive body like a hill, scales tougher than steel, claws and fangs sharper than swords, and a Breath that could destroy everything... Such a being, once it appears on the battlefield, is a complete disaster for any enemy.

The Devils have no idea how many times they've felt especially fortunate.

Thankfully.

Thankfully, such a Monster is their ally! And not their enemy!

The crisp sound of applause echoed in the sky, Piere swinging his wings, appearing behind the Red Dragon with a face full of a false smile, accompanied by a torrent of Hellfire.

"Haha, what a spectacular performance, His Majesty Cassius, my dear ally. You truly are the most powerful Dragon of the Material Plane today, capable of destroying the demon army with ease."

Cassius turned around, slightly nodding, replying with the same polite smile, "Naturally, as both of us are appointees of the Avernus Master by Asmonthy, we must take action."

"You..."

Piere's expression immediately turned a bit ugly.

Lacking the complete Avernus' Authority and unable to become a true Hell Lord were currently Piere's biggest pain points.

His enemies even fabricated rumors like "Piere is not valued by the Lord of Nine Prisons" or "Zareel will resurrect," all because Piere has not become the true Master of Avernus.

However, Cassius continued, "Next... shouldn't you also fulfill your promise, Lord Piere?"

"What promise?"

"The Imperial Lease, you personally mentioned not long ago, won't you deny it now?"

"Haha, of course, His Majesty Cassius, your army deserves a foothold in Avernus."

Just a mere piece of territory, could this greedy Red Dragon actually occupy all of Avernus?

"Very well, then the lease I choose... will be decided here."

Cassius circled a few times in the sky, casually pointing to a frontline Hell Legion position, saying, "This land can serve as the Empire's Leased Territory."

"Very well, Avernus will forever open its doors to the Empire, as a gesture of care for its allies."

"I hope you won't regret it in the future, and when the time comes... don't cry too bitterly." Cassius contemplated silently with a half-smiling expression.

The Red Dragon extended its claw, exuding a powerful force of the Laws all over its body, while beside him, Piere's expression changed slightly, his pupils contracting.

This greedy Red Dragon, what does he want to do now?

Why is he sensing the aura of Plane Law? Is Cassius about to seize his authority again, or does he even intend to become the true Master of Avernus?

Thinking of this, Piere's expression became unpredictable, exuding a dangerous aura, a Hell Longsword appearing in his hand.

He could erupt at any moment, carrying out the tradition of backstabbing the Red Dragon with a sneak attack.

"Boom—"

The ground continuously rumbled and quaked, dust clouding the wasteland, and a massive stele slowly rose from the ground, towering on the land of Avernus.

The stele bore an inscription.

[Imperial Boundary Stele]

"What... what exactly is this?" Gazing at the mysterious stele, confusion filled Piere's heart, leaving him somewhat at a loss.

At this moment, accompanied by shimmering light, several humanoid figures appeared beside the stele, humans attired in peculiar clothes emerged beside the stone tablet.

Confronted with the Hell's harsh environment, they showed no fear, only joy and curiosity etched across their faces.

"I'm the first, I'm the first!"

"Where is this place?"

"Not sure, I saw a new teleport point and moved over in a flash, too bad I didn't get first place."

"Looking at the blood-red sky, it seems we are in the Barto Hell, could it be that we are in Avernus?"

Soon after, more figures appeared beside the stone tablet, initially numbering dozens, then growing to hundreds, thousands, eventually reaching tens of thousands.

These people cramped together in that narrow area,

"Your flames are but echoes of the Hellfire's dying embers!" **Zarriel's voice overpowered the roiling magma.

The raging dance of power

Karascos swung a mountain-like Dragon tail, smashing Zarriel into the rock wall, rubble fell like rain. Yet the Hell Lord counterattacked with even greater ferocity—her Feathers erupted with flame Shockwaves (Burning Sky Wings), forcing the Red Dragon back. Dragon Claws tore through her armor, molten iron dripped like blood, but Zarriel's fingers already clutched the Dragon's throat, igniting black flames in her palm (Magic-like Hellfire), scorching the Red Dragon's scales.

The Red Dragon struggled, biting into her left arm, its sharp teeth piercing through armor, yet Zarriel used the momentum to pull it toward the ground. Both plummeted into the magma river, a hundred-meter high magma fountain erupted. The Red Dragon's wings became cumbersome in the viscous magma, while Zarriel's great sword pierced into its chest—Purgatory Slash's runes exploded on the blade, Dragon Blood splashed like Molten Gold, corroding the scorched soil into a sizzling pit.

"Submit, or become a step for my throne!" Zarriel growled, unleashing Dominion Will. The Red Dragon's pupils briefly unfocused, its claw froze in mid-air, but Karascos, with a frenzy-driven will, broke free from the restraints, and counterbit her head. This strike was blocked by Zarriel's wings, charred feathers and Dragon Tooth Fragments flew in all directions.

She summoned the Deep Prison Demon Refiner (Consumable Magic Ability), the demon's chains entangled the Dragon Wings, dragging the Red Dragon into the depths of the magma. Karascos roared, spitting his last breath of flame, only setting fire to the sarcasm at Zarriel's lips. The Hell Lord leaped onto the Dragon's back, her great sword penetrated its spine, pinning the Red Dragon onto the scorching riverbed. Dragon Blood evaporated into a crimson mist, reflecting her twisted victorious smile.