Capture

Since ancient times, battlefields have been filled with the roars of combat, the screams of the dying, and the blood-pumping clang of metal on metal.

The unchanging battlefield is a place that never fails to make a man's blood boil.

However, when this golden dragon descended from the sky, blotting out the sun, the once-boiling battlefield fell into an eerie, deathly silence.

The demons went completely still.

Every single one of the nearly forty thousand soldiers in the main demon force stared with wide eyes.

Even though they had been tainted by demonic energy and stripped of their emotions, the reflection in their pupils was one of deep, primal fear.

On the human side, the nearly two thousand knights sat stunned on their horses, staring up at the dragon in the sky with inexplicable awe.

This made me feel a bit uncomfortable.

After all, I was supposed to be the focus of the battlefield just a moment ago.

The moment the Dragon King appeared, he completely stole my spotlight.

But considering he came in person and even gripped the enemy commander in his dragon claw so tightly that he couldn't struggle, I will be generous and forgive him.

"I did not expect you to come in person, Your Majesty the Dragon King."

I nodded slightly as a greeting.

It wasn't that I didn't want to bow or show proper respect, it was simply because my body was too sore.

I was afraid that if I bent my waist, I would collapse onto the horse's back and never get up again.

If that happened, where would my dignity as the Saintess go?

"Haha! There is no need for such formalities, Lady Luo Li. The demons are the public enemy of all races on the continent, and I am merely lending a hand!"

The massive dragon head seemed to reveal a trace of a satisfied smile.

I didn't quite understand how I could read the expression on a cold-blooded animal's face, but I was certain this guy was indeed smiling.

At that moment, I suddenly felt the gaze of many people shift from the Dragon King to me.

Clearly, by speaking to the Dragon King on nearly equal terms in this situation, I had once again become the center of attention on the entire battlefield!

As expected, I am the one who truly commands attention!

"Dragon King... to think you would actually dare to leave Dragon Island. Are you not afraid that my demon race will..."

Even while held fast in the golden dragon's claw, Zuka remained disdainful, though he couldn't hide the fear in his eyes.

At this point, Zuka seemed to have realized something, and he could only use this hollow threat to try and bargain for a chance at life.

However, before he could finish his sentence, a face full of dragon saliva was sprayed over him!

"Silence! Who are you to interrupt while I am speaking with Lady Luo Li!"

Roar!

The way dragons communicate with other races apparently doesn't involve normal vocalization, but rather using magic to vibrate the air to simulate language.

Therefore, even when he spoke, he could still let out a dragon's roar.

With a wet splat, the dragon's massive frame released enough saliva to instantly bury Zuka.

However, dragon saliva was no ordinary substance.

Even though dragons did not have a specific advantage against demons, dragon breath was derived from dragon saliva, serving as a sort of catalyst and fuel.

Such a substance was incomparably corrosive to ordinary creatures.

Sizzle!

Like a steamed fish about to be served being drizzled with scalding oil, Zuka's body was instantly scalded.

His hair burst into flames in a heartbeat, and the skin on his face melted under the intense heat, revealing bone that would make anyone shudder.

"Argh!"

Zuka, held tightly in the Dragon King's palm, instantly turned into a fireball and began to burn frantically.

Screams echoed continuously from within the Dragon King's grasp.

Just then, the golden dragon suddenly let out a sound of surprise.

Immediately after, a black shadow slipped from its palm in an instant.

"Shedding?"

The Dragon King blinked, spreading his palm to look down, only to find his gold-scaled claw covered in black blood and viscous skin.

These remnants were still burning, but the Demon Marshal Zuka had already slipped through his fingers.

The black shadow didn't even plan to linger, plunging downward the moment it escaped the Dragon King's hand.

However, before anyone could react, the shadow accelerated the moment it hit the ground, charging directly toward the knights!

When Zuka appeared before me, lunging with a sneering face and reaching out a claw to grab me, I didn't even have time to react.

I only had enough time to lock eyes with him.

In the next second, my vision blurred as several dark shadows flashed before me in quick succession.

"Who gave you permission to strike at my friend!"

"Don't you dare harm Her Highness!"

"Demon Marshal, you're seeking death!"

"Death is at your doorstep, yet you still struggle like a cornered beast!"

A golden dragon claw, a conical lance, a heavy knight's sword, and a blue magical fluctuation all flashed before my eyes.

Boom!

Less than a meter from the white horse I sat upon, the massive golden dragon claw descended from the sky, pinning Zuka's body firmly to the ground.

Only his upper torso, one arm, and his head were left exposed.

The tip of a lance was pressed against Zuka's forehead as Cain roared in fury.

A wide knight's sword was held against Zuka's neck, ready for Hilda to claim his head at any moment.

Beside the white horse, a blue figure had appeared out of nowhere.

The staff in Ligeia's hand emitted a faint blue glow, and a barrier manifested in front of me.

And I had not moved an inch from beginning to end.

It wasn't that I didn't want to move, I simply hadn't reacted in time.

But it seemed the effect was actually quite good.

Sitting atop my white horse, I looked down at Zuka, who was sprawled on the ground.

By now, the skin on his body had completely peeled away, revealing blackish-red flesh.

The rest of his body was pinned ruthlessly under the golden dragon claw.

Only one arm and his head could still struggle incessantly.

I took a deep breath, calming my heart that had finally realized what happened.

"Zuka... it seems your luck has run out this time."

At this moment, even as a level sixty powerhouse, it was impossible for Zuka to escape again.

He was facing the Dragon King, the strongest individual creature on the continent!

Even an entity of the same level would find it extremely difficult to fight him, let alone a Zuka whose level was completely dwarfed.

"Luo Li! Luo Li!"

Zuka hissed and raised his head, ignoring the black blood spewing from his mouth.

His eyes were now completely blood-red.

Clearly, he had fallen into the demon race's unique Berserk skill and lost his reason.

But even so, he still remembered me, which showed just how much he hated me.

However, the more he hated me, the more satisfied I felt.

Take that!

All my schemes, all those nights spent exhausting my mind, were not in vain.

Even on the way here, I had spent every day thinking about every possible outcome.

I had even prepared myself to commit suicide at any moment, all to pull out this thorn that was buried deep within the Kingdom of the Moon!

Based on the geography of the Kingdom of the Moon, any demon wanting to enter the continent would have to pass through the northeast region.

Yet, Zuka's group of demons had appeared in the heart of the Kingdom of the Moon without a single word of warning.

If left alone, it would have eventually led to a great catastrophe.

After much thought, I took such a risk, using myself as bait to lure this big fish out.

On one hand, it was to avoid the dilemma of a siege, as the title of Saintess would be severely tarnished if I were forced into a difficult choice.

On the other hand, I intended to completely wipe out him and the demons lurking within the borders of the Kingdom of the Moon!

Now, I had succeeded.

Looking at Zuka, who was still roaring madly despite spitting blood under the dragon's claw, the tense string in my heart finally relaxed!

Zuka already knew he couldn't break free.

In that final moment, his thought was definitely to kill me rather than capture me.

But unfortunately, as a mere level sixty Demon Marshal who dared to act in front of the Dragon King, his end was naturally a total defeat.

If he had chosen to flee immediately, he might have had a chance, but he chose to try and kill me instead.

Even if the Dragon King hadn't acted, it would have been nearly impossible for him to kill me while I sat on this white horse!

The three powerhouses above level fifty by my side might not have been able to win decisively, but they could certainly keep me safe.

Among them, even though Ligeia had consumed most of her mana, her level fifty-eight strength still gave her enough power to protect me.

"My friend... how do you think we should dispose of this insolent demon?"

When the massive dragon head appeared before my eyes, I truly understood what megalophobia felt like.

As this giant head loomed in front of me, a single one of its teeth was much thicker than my own backside!

To put it another way, a single giant dragon tooth could serve as a door for my bathroom.

It was at least five or six meters high and over three meters wide, and those massive nostrils could have held six or seven of me.

Not to mention those eyes, where just the pupil was larger than me and my white horse combined!

When this thing appeared before me, a surge of natural fear almost made me fall off my horse.

Fortunately, my entire body was stiff.

There was no helping it; Julius's Holy - Spiral Thrust was just too taxing.

Wait, let me rephrase that—it consumed too much stamina!

Huh?

Why does that still feel a bit off?

Forget it, I won't think about that for now.

My body was aching all over, and it took everything I had just to sit straight on the horse.

But to maintain the Saintess's elegance, I continued to look at Zuka with a smile.

"Shackle him and take him into custody. We will interrogate him slowly later."

"Hmm, a wise choice. As expected of my friend, haha!"

The massive dragon head nodded slightly.

His gruff voice sounded somewhat weathered, and his laughter was very hearty.

But... since when did I become your friend?

"Hilda, put the demon-sealing shackles on him."

"As you command!"