Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

“Ms. Amansa, do you really think we can hold this place? Although there’s only one gate here, and we don’t need to consider other places, that also means…”

The one-eared elf raised her hand, interrupting Daisy's rambling: "Not us, it's me. I will guard this place."

"Then what do you want me to do?"

The chaotic, barely-army-like mass of demons was drawing ever closer. Daisy nervously picked up her matte and seized the last opportunity to retune it.

This was a performance right outside the palace gates! Although it wasn't inside the palace, and it might have looked like a street performance, it was still a street performance right outside the palace gates… Her mind raced, trying to find a way to salvage the situation. But unfortunately, she was just a poet, not a true mage. Even if she could use some other magic, she was probably still powerless to handle this kind of situation.

“Daisy, really?” Just as she was feeling lost and confused, Amansa’s voice rang out again, “Leslaufer said that you may be a traveler from another world, not belonging to our world.”

"Old Lei even told you this?" Daisy's eyes widened. "He's such a gossip!"

“He trusts me a lot, especially in this situation.” Amansa drew her sword and seemingly casually twirled it a few times, but Daisy was dumbfounded.

If her perception was correct, the surrounding magic seemed to have become more active because of the elf's sword swing! She swore it wasn't her fault!

"Tell me, in the world you've seen or heard about, do elves also live peacefully in a corner like this?"

Daisy didn't know why she asked that, but she answered honestly anyway: "Some things are true, some things aren't, but at least I don't think the world should be like this... I've heard of Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter, Sword Coast... Elves should all live with other races."

“That should be the case,” Amansa nodded, “but you must also know that the world is a little different. There can only be a limited number of main characters on this stage at the same time. With new talents, there must be veterans leaving. However, if there are sufficient reasons, it is not impossible for them to return to the stage, but only as supporting characters.”

"But there are always exceptions, for example, exploiting a loophole."

Amantha waited a while, but received no response from Daisy, so she asked again, "Miss Daisy, how long does it usually take for a human to master a skill?"

The poet paused for a moment, then smiled wryly: "You must know better than I do that elves can live for nearly eight hundred years! I can't give you a precise answer, but I think, ten years? Thirty years? Maybe some things take a lifetime to learn just to make sure you won't be left behind by the times."

“Then let’s calculate it as a century,” Amansa gave Daisy a completely unacceptable “lenient” timeframe. “Elves can live for at least seven and a half centuries. Although they are considered adults in a social sense at one hundred years old, they are physiologically mature at twenty. If we start counting from that time, how many skills do you think an elf can master in his lifetime?”

Daisy didn't understand why the elf was bringing up these irrelevant things at this time, but before she could answer, Amansa had already provided the answer herself:

“Four or five, though there will actually be many more,” she said, her eyes fixed on the approaching demons, as if waiting for some opportunity. “Elves are reincarnated, with past lives and future lives. The elderly are caught up by their past memories, and begin to sort out, summarize, and summarize their insights, making it difficult for them to learn new things. Even within the limited skills they are proficient in, many of their people spend their time on life—gardening, fishing, cooking, and more. Our entire race’s fighting strength is not necessarily that strong.”

"But what if there is an individual who has spent her whole life pursuing combat skills and methods? She spent a long time serving the gods, devoted her energy to learning arcane arts, and finally came to the human world to hone her skills as a mercenary on the battlefield."

"How far is she capable of reaching on the path of 'power'?"

The bard stared wide-eyed, unsure whether it was shock or fright, but at that moment, the elven mercenary before her had removed her armor, revealing a slender body clad in light clothing. She still held a longsword, but rather than preparing for battle, it was more like she was preparing to dance.

"You wouldn't..." Daisy gasped, then tentatively asked, "Sword chanting?"

"Swordsmanship, dance, arcane arts, all combined, embracing everything," Amansa hummed an unknown elven folk song softly, her body swaying gently to the music. "Yes, swordsman."

"If that girl named Anne hadn't been influenced by Raslaufer, perhaps she could have followed this path too. But everyone has their own choices, and now, I think it's time to end my mercenary career, integrate everything, and show a more complete version of myself."

“Miss Daisy, would you please play some music for me? I think it’s time to dance.”

The fastest eagle demon had already rushed to Amantha's side, but the next moment, its originally swift body seemed to fall into a swamp. The air around it became viscous, hindering its movements at every turn, while the elf in front of it seemed to be swimming aimlessly, displaying her dance moves as if no one else was around, to the sound of Daisy's harp.

A new moon rose slowly behind her; it was originally the power of the unicorn Veruna, but at this moment it seemed to become Amansa's backdrop, creating a natural stage.

These demons, unable to comprehend this art of music and dance, continued their relentless attacks on Amantha. But the melody, imbued with arcane magic, danced around her, transforming into various strange shapes with each movement. When finally, an exceptionally lucky demon broke through the layers of defenses and was about to touch the hem of the one-eared elf's robes, the mortal before her, who had lived for centuries and possessed an almost obsessive pursuit of combat power, finally revealed her smile.

"Have you ever danced with demons under the pale moonlight?" Eight rainbow-like rays of light shot from the sword as the elf danced, forming a cone-shaped light screen that enveloped all the demons in front of it.

The next moment, as surging arcane energy swept across most of the city, a torrential rain of blood poured down over Magpares!

Chapter 785 Father and Daughter

The commotion caused by the elves was so great that even those inside the barrier who couldn't hear the outside sounds were still struck by the unforgettable sight of the blood raining down from the sky.

“Uncle Raslaw, she…”

Angelita wanted to turn around and look, but Leslaufer stopped her. Amansa had things to do, and so did they.

Dobul held her protectively at his side, the golden dragon on the throne in his hand writhing restlessly in his palm, spewing out a cone-shaped wave of dragon breath every now and then, burning hordes of inferior demons, shadow demons, and even higher-ranking demons into charred remains, bursting into the air with a foul, oily stench.

"Come on, all of you come at me!" The demon's mask spewed out grayish-white hellfire, which coalesced into another face of Raslaufer. However, it was not a flipped or distorted form, but simply the man's original appearance. He shouted loudly, his voice like steel being struck on an anvil, each strike hitting the surrounding demons along with the greatsword in his hand.

The demons' claws sliced ​​through the broken metal, sparks flying, but Reslaufer paid them no heed. He simply unleashed his full power, ensuring that every enemy around him felt the threat of death equally. Nearby, the spellcasters among the demons were still trying to find an opportunity to restrict his movements, but as Reslaufer waved his hand, a vast array of spiritual essences swirled around him, forming another impenetrable barrier. Unless these essences were completely annihilated, no spell could hinder his advance or confuse his will!

As long as he continues to kill, this barrier of spirits will be almost impossible to destroy!

“Uncle Raslaufer, the main gate is just ahead!” Angelita hid in Raslaufer’s shadow, her half-sword transformed into a shield, which, combined with her balanced breastplate, made her impenetrable. She knew exactly what she needed to do—she didn’t need to help Raslaufer kill demons; she only needed to make sure that Dople wouldn’t be distracted by her, and that would be enough.

"Good! It doesn't look that far!" Immersed in the carnage, Raslaufer immediately looked up upon hearing the sound. He whistled, and two nightmares appeared from the ethereal plane. He lifted Angrita onto the gray-white nightmare, while he leaped onto the other one. Without his command, the two nightmares immediately charged toward the main gate of the palace supported by several marble pillars.

The distance from the barrier was too far, making it almost impossible to reach the finish line with Nightmare's speed. Dubul, who had cut off the legs of cavalry horses in countless battles, knew all too well how dangerous it would be to be thrown off one's horse in the midst of a chaotic battle.

But now the distance is just right!

A Soul-Slayer let out a howl like a wild boar, parting the tide of demons to the left and right, charging forward to try and stop Leslaufer's advance. An aura of despair surrounded it, absorbing all negative emotions and converting them into its own power. But it was ultimately a step too slow: just as it was about to devour the dust behind the gray-white Nightmare, the elven crown atop Angreta's head burst forth with a dazzling, holy light, and the Nightmare seized the opportunity to leap into the air, nimbly carrying the girl, and landed steadily behind the palace door.

"No—!!!" Seeing the mortal who was about to escape from its grasp, the Soul Judge, this fat, ape-like and pig-like monster, let out an earthquake-like roar. But it soon discovered that there seemed to be another person who had not entered the palace that even it feared.

On the contrary, he turned the nightmare's crimson horse head around and stared intently at himself.

"Perfect, I'll use you to make up the numbers!" Enraged by this provocation, the Soul Judge immediately roared and assumed a wrestling stance, swaying its massive three- or four-meter-tall body as it lunged at Raslaufer, intending to throw him and his horse to the ground, leaving it to dissect and devour him.

Raslaufer had faced a Soulbreaker before, a fight he had a tough time with, but he still emerged victorious. And this time...

"Unfortunately, I cannot possibly lose." The power belonging to the abyss, or more precisely, to the demon lord, transformed into a radiant light that swirled around him, greedily sucking the life force of all the demons around him. At this moment, even those demons who had been so frenzied that they were almost completely irrational began to tremble with fear.

They may not know what is wrong, nor do they know that death is coming, but for these creatures, the existence of Leslaufer is enough to be the sole reason for their terror!

"What...what are you?!"

As a high-ranking demon, the Soul Judge still retained some rationality, but its fighting spirit was completely worn away within seconds. It screamed in terror and tried to escape from Leslaufer's side, but the next second, a pair of sky-covering demonic wings unfolded and replaced the sky above the demon's head.

One sword is enough.

The creature, resembling both an ape and a wild boar, collapsed to the ground, turning to dust in a fleeting moment. Its life, its essence, obediently merged into Raslauver's body as he reached out, like a stream flowing into the ocean. Raslauver's blood-red eyes briefly shifted back to their original icy blue, but quickly returned to their original color. He folded his wings, ignoring the demons who posed no longer a threat, and strode towards the palace.

There, a being far more noble than the kings of Inazarth awaited him.

“Rhyslaufer, Kingmaker, and, demon,” Richard VII sat high on the empty palace throne, scepter in hand, having waited for them for a long time, “I should hate you for abducting my daughter, Angelita, and for inciting her to dare to defy her own father.”

“My raising of an army comes entirely from the bottom of my heart!” Angelita pressed down on Shouzhi Changshi and stepped forward. “Richard, it’s time for your mad reign to come to an end! You are not a good emperor, not a good patriarch, and certainly not a good father! Even the average level is beyond your reach!”

"Did he give you the courage to still spout such nonsense in front of me?!" Richard glared with his tiger-like eyes, intending to stand up from his seat, but ultimately only paused briefly with his scepter. "You have no right to say such things!"

“If you can show me that my mother, brother, and sister are all safe and sound, I will take back my words!” Angelita said without fear. “Where are they? Where are they now, or are they even alive? Perhaps even saying you are ‘unworthy’ is an understatement! Richard, VII, I had a suspicion from the day I saw you perform that blasphemous ritual that you were perhaps no longer my father!”

"How dare you! Angelita, you—"

"Shut up!" The crown atop Angelita's head burst forth with dazzling light, and the projection of the famous painting, "The Coronation of the Emperor," cascaded down upon her. "You call Uncle Raslaufer a devil, but at least he never harmed me or my friends! There is indeed a devil here, and that one is you!"

"Get out of the emperor's body!"

Chapter 786 Lord of Darkness

The emperor stared wide-eyed at Angelita in disbelief. He had never imagined that this girl, who had once been the least valued by him, would dare to speak to him like this. He had to refute her, he absolutely had to refute her! Every word she uttered was utterly absurd and utterly ridiculous!

But how should he refute this? The best way would undoubtedly be to hand over his wife and children, who are healthy and well, while the rebellious third daughter would be speechless, kneeling before him and weeping as she repents for her mistakes.

But... can he still hand them over?

"Don't be distracted, Your Majesty, the ceremony is about to be completed." A charming whisper came from behind his ear, and the emperor's pupils, which had been slightly focused, relaxed again. As a seemingly weak and powerless slender hand rested on his shoulder, a demon who was almost naked emerged from behind Richard VII.

"Oh, Your Highness, look at you, what a lovely crown you have."

The demon chuckled softly, his eyes revealing undisguised malice: "Why did you have to come back? Why don't you go back to Inasas and live a quiet life with your 'Uncle Leslaufer'? Go away, don't meddle in these adult matters. You know, with your uncle around, even if the world is completely occupied by the Lord, you won't be affected in the slightest—it's a rather irrational decision to rashly start a war against a lord marked by several gods."

"Handing over my family, empire, and the world to you is the greatest impact you've had on me!" Angelita narrowed her eyes. "And you, you're the one who seduced my father? How did you manage to disguise yourself like this? I've never even seen you before!"

“Hehehe, my lovely and innocent prince, of course you have seen me before,” the demon said, instantly transforming into a noblewoman dressed in fine clothes and with gentle manners. “In fact, we have been together for several years.”

Upon seeing this illusion of the demon, Angelita's expression changed drastically, and she staggered backward, crying out, "No... this isn't real! You're lying to me! How could my mother's sister be a lurking demon?!"

"Yes, it's a hoax!" Angelita immediately regained her composure upon realizing this. "My sister is a real human being. Nothing unusual happened when the bishops baptized her. You can't fool me!"

The demon looked at her with a half-smile, then transformed back into its original form: "Your Highness, I never said your sister had a problem. The one with the real problem is the woman I just transformed into, who is already dead."

"Back then, she suffered a difficult labor. The acute bleeding was so dangerous and sudden, and 'coincidentally,' there was no mortal by her side to save her—but there was a devil. I told her that she could only choose between the big and the small. Tsk tsk, what great love, so sweet it's nauseating. I had to constantly suppress the urge to strangle the baby so she could live. But your aunt, guess what?"

"You deserve to die!"

When the demon once again displayed that provocative tone and expression, Angelita could no longer suppress her killing intent. She immediately leaped up, wielding her sword with emerald flames, and fiercely slashed at the demon.

The demon did not dodge; it had already laid many traps in this palace, all for the purpose of capturing Angelita. The girl's rampage suited its intentions perfectly.

Come closer, even closer, it's almost there—

"Boom—!"

Suddenly, the demon's expression changed drastically, and she turned into a cloud of black smoke and disappeared from the spot. But even so, when she reappeared, the little cloth on her body was almost completely burned away by the flames spewing out from the giant sword.

Raslaufer appeared where Angelita should have been, and a deadly gray-green ray shot out from the darkness, but was completely blocked by the aura surrounding him.

"Reslaufer!" the demon howled through gnashing teeth. It knew that if this man remained here, none of its methods would work, except...

"My six-fingered master, the Dark Lord of the Silver Palace!" It began to tear at its own flesh as if in a frenzy, until its beautiful yet rotting body was covered in blood. "I beg for your arrival! A vicious enemy is ruining your plans, and only you can stop him!"

Raslaufer had seen this chant far too many times. He immediately lunged forward, trying to stop the summons, but the emperor, who had been sitting on his throne, suddenly moved. A black shadow appeared behind his head, propelling his body with incredible speed to block Raslaufer. Although Dople easily knocked him away, this momentary delay allowed the demon's scheme to succeed.

As the summoning progressed, the demon's entire body transformed into a pitch-black vortex, from which blasphemous energy from the abyss violently erupted. Even Leslaufer struggled to withstand such power and advance even an inch. In his hand, the greatsword of the Kingmaker had even dimmed in color due to the corrosive influence of the energy.

"Roar!"

Without hesitation, Raslaufer immediately completed his transformation. Using the power, he slashed forward with his sword. The greatsword burst forth with dazzling light, vaguely transforming into the shape of a golden dragon. It roared and lunged at the vortex, attempting to nip it in the bud. However, as a hand reached out from the vortex, it easily crushed the dragon's phantom. A powerful pressure spread out, sending Raslaufer flying.

That hand has six fingers.

"You... are not the true demon lord after all."

A slightly effeminate voice rang out from the vortex as a tall, slender figure emerged. The creature was draped in extravagantly luxurious silk and leather, giving him an allure that transcended gender and race. But Leslaufer paid no heed to any of this; his entire focus was on one thing:

This demon, who looked like a weak and incompetent nobleman, was dragging a giant sword he had never seen before in the hand that wasn't crushing the golden dragon phantom.

Its appearance is all an illusion.

“You are also a demon lord, whether you fully acknowledge it or not,” the powerful avatar frowned, “so even if you see through me, there’s nothing to be proud of, Leslaufer.”

“You’d better tell me your name too.” Raslaufer stared coldly at his opponent, adopting an offensive stance, the tip of his two-handed greatsword gleaming with a terrifying cold light, but in the eyes of that powerful demon, it was only a slight threat.

“We’re not neighbors, so it’s normal that you don’t know me,” the powerful demon known as Lord of Darkness raised an eyebrow and snorted. “If we take the Deep Pit Magic Web as a reference, my more well-known territory in the material world is above yours. My name is Grazt. Neither that two-headed baboon nor that fool who plays with corpses can compare to my power or wisdom.”

Two cold green glints flashed in the eyes of this dark demon: "So, I only have half of my colleagues. I'm willing to give you a chance. Let's make a bet!"

He raised his greatsword: "This is my 'Tide of Sorrow.' If you can defeat me, however you choose, I will gladly hand over this world to you! But if you lose, go back to your own territory, for this place will become my domain!"

Chapter 787 The Grand Finale

"You asked for this!"

Raslaufer moved faster than he could speak, his greatsword, the Kingmaker, slashing horizontally towards Grazt. Facing Dople's attack, Grazt remained unfazed, raising a surge of sorrow and cleaving it down towards Raslaufer's head.

He is an avatar here, an avatar who is quite proficient in combat. If Raslaufer insists on fighting him with a sword like this, Raslaufer, who has the advantage in weapon size, height, and reach, will surely strike Raslaufer before he himself gets hurt.

Raslaufer had naturally anticipated this situation. With a swing of his arms, the attacking sword stance immediately retreated to the horizontal bar. As the greatsword, which seemed capable of corroding everything, rebounded under the force, Raslaufer's eyes flashed. He switched between his forehand and backhand, and another horizontal slash immediately came from the opposite direction at an even faster speed, heading straight for Grazt's shoulder!

"Well done!" the demon lord's avatar shouted, and at the same time changed his move to deal with it. The figures and swords of both sides became faster and faster. At first, people and swords could be seen as separate, but after a while, people could no longer be distinguished. Two balls of sword light splashed and rolled between the palace!

Angelita watched from the sidelines, unable to discern the winner, and powerless to offer assistance. Had Mary not been exhausted and remained standing there, she might have been able to glean some insight: Raslaufer had incorporated a variety of techniques into the swordsmanship of Eastern Inassus: Corazond swordsmanship, breath control, flight, and other skills were seamlessly integrated into his style, as if this was how the school of swordsmanship was supposed to operate in offense and defense. In contrast, Grazt's methods were far more monotonous; he only had one move: furious strikes, and more furious strikes.

The sword, heavier than the Kingmaker's Blade, slammed fiercely against the dwarven-forged greatsword. Each strike firmly held off Raslaufer's blade. Grazt didn't even initiate the attack; he simply seized the opportunity to strike almost simultaneously with Raslaufer each time, then used his advantage to overtake Raslaufer, much to Dople's frustration.

On the other hand, Raslaufer also felt an unprecedented pleasure: he had not found an opponent who could surpass him in swordsmanship for a long time. As his competitive spirit was aroused, Raslaufer gradually even abandoned other means and only wanted to gain the upper hand in swordsmanship.

But this is exactly what the devil desires.

"what!"

Suddenly, the two sword lights separated in an instant, and Raslaufer staggered backward, leaning against a pillar to regain his footing. The greatsword had carved a deep and long trench in front of him, but surprisingly, there were no new wounds or bloodstains on his body.

"Uncle Raslaufer?!" Angelita hurriedly tried to come over to help, but Raslaufer waved his hand violently and gestured emphatically.

"Stay away from me, don't come any closer!" Raslaufer's eyes were bloodshot, black and red veins swirling around him, making it look as if the whites of his eyes had turned a demonic black. He gasped for breath, staring intently through his demon mask at the smiling demon lord on the other side. "Grazzt! Where's your sword?!"

“My sword? Of course it’s here,” the cunning demon said, leaning on his sword with one hand while casually fiddling with several almost imperceptible magic threads in the other, the ends of which were connected to several points on Reslaufer’s head. “I said you can use it any way you want, but I didn’t say I can’t, did I? This is your own fault, you deserve it.”

He manipulated the silk threads, and spiritual energy surged around Raslaufer, but these were useless against this demon lord: "People always say you're out of control, how absurd. Raslaufer, you don't seem as strong as the rumors say. Fine, I just happen to need a capable fighter under my command. From now on, you'll serve me."

Raslaufer gritted his teeth, resisting Grazt's manipulation, blood dripping from his lips, and Dople's voice rang out: "Don't even think about it."

He looked up and sighed as he glanced around. Grazette immediately focused on Leslaufer's counterattack, but the man simply turned to look at the bewildered princess beside him.

“Annie,” he gave a strange smile, and as soon as the expression took shape, the vast number of spirits around them were instantly reduced by about a third, “Do you remember… what we said back then?”

Angelita sensed something was wrong and stood there dumbfounded.