The Knight's Surrender

"Aww—"

With a mournful howl, the lion burned to ashes in the flames.

The lion spirit is not only a powerful weapon for offense and defense, but also the embodiment of the collective will of the Lionheart Knight.

The moment the spirit was destroyed, the Lionheart Knight suffered immense mental trauma, experiencing splitting headaches, and some even trembled slightly as they held up their shields.

Keosius hadn't even used his Maximized Breath yet; he simply amplified the elemental reaction of his breath with his powerful control over Fire Elemental, making the Fire Breath almost costless for him.

"Boom--"

The breath initially spread in a cone shape, but then gradually condensed into a pillar of fire.

The flames were initially dark red, then turned orange, then yellow, and finally a blinding incandescent white.

The silver shields were scorched red, radiating terrifying heat, even the handles on the back of the shields were burning hot.

Damn it!

One of the Lionheart Knight couldn't resist letting go.

He was instantly burned to a crisp by the flames that surged in from all around him.

Under the baptism of the blazing white pillar of fire, the giant shield composed of dozens of silver shields was shattered and its surface was even melted into liquid, with molten silver flowing through it!

"Ah!"

"I'm going to be burned to a crisp!"

"Damn it, it, it melted!"

"Fire! Fire everywhere!"

A series of pitiful wails echoed from the Lionheart Knight Order.

Some were burned alive by the scorching flames, some were choked to death by the pervasive smoke, and some were even swallowed by the flowing molten silver and cast into a struggling silver statue.

Freed barely managed to maintain the Guardian Light around him, desperately resisting the raging Fire Elemental invasion.

"As expected of the legendary ' Purgatory Calamity,' it truly lives up to its name; this is a truly Hell sight."

He gazed up at the blazing white flames descending from the sky like Divine Punishment, watched his comrades die in agony, saw their horrific deaths, and heard their agonizing wails. Yet, a strange calm appeared on the face of this "Black Lion Knight," perhaps his final composure before death.

"How could we possibly win? Even someone like Tarick died against a monster like that."

"If, if it were Tarick, what would he do?"

Freed lowered his head, as if lost in memories.

He was shocked to discover that he was never that kind of person.

Loyalty, courage, and justice—these qualities seemed to be irrelevant to him, given his naturally gloomy and aloof nature.

Yes, he was not the renowned "White Lion Knight," nor the hero who single-handedly defeated hundreds of enemy soldiers. Even though he had become one of the Knight Commanders of the Lionheart Knight Order, he still could not follow in the footsteps of the fallen knight. He was merely clumsily imitating Tarick.

"What, I'm not dead yet?"

The Red Dragon in the sky looked down at the ravaged land and temporarily stopped the raging flames from its mouth.

"I admire those strong individuals who can withstand the dragon's flames for so long."

His powerful voice echoed across the land.

"Submit to me and serve the Embers of the Burned Kingdom, and I will grant you great power and long life!"

"Otherwise, what awaits you is utter death!"

The remaining Lionheart Knight on the ground raised their heads and glared angrily at the Red Dragon in the sky.

As the most elite knightly order in the Bosque Duchy, they are mostly nobles within the duchy, receiving the finest knightly education from a young age and swearing sacred oaths of loyalty. They represent not only themselves but also the honor of their entire families.

To them, becoming a member of the dragon's harem is not only the erosion of their personal identity, but also a disgrace that brings shame upon their family.

"You evil dragon, you are indulging in wishful thinking!"

With bloodshot eyes, the lieutenant Jayden struggled to his feet, supported by his sword, and pointed at the Red Dragon in the sky, firing a Light Guiding Arrow.

He knew such an attack would be futile, but it was his last stand as a knight, representing the courage to charge against an invincible enemy.

Sure enough, the light vanished and disappeared before it even got close.

Then a fireball descended, turning Jayden, who couldn't dodge in time, into charred remains.

"That's quite courageous, but your abilities don't match it."

"Keosius said coldly."

When the knights saw Jayden die, they were not afraid, but rather filled with indignation.

"Evil dragon, your tyranny will eventually end!"

"My death is not the end; there will always be a rebellion!"

"For the Bosque Duchy! For Grand Duke Leo!"

As expected of the most loyal and powerful knights of the Bosk Family, they considered it an honor to be killed by a powerful enemy. In this utterly hopeless situation, they all chose to become heroes who should bravely face death, launching an attack on the Red Dragon in the sky like Don Quixote charging at windmills.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Fireballs shot out from the Red Dragon, landing precisely on the knights.

The sound of burning bodies rang out, sparse flames danced across the wasteland, and wails continued as the Lionheart Knight perished one after another.

Soon, only the last Lionheart Knight remained on the scene—"Black Lion Knight" Freed. Unlike those noble knights who were all born into noble families, Freed grew up in a monastery and was all alone. He had no relatives, and the only one who was as close as an elder brother to him was Tarick.

Just now, Freed also tried to charge forward fearlessly, just like his comrades, to fulfill his last act of loyalty as the Lionheart Knight.

But no matter what, he couldn't control his body from going to his death.

His nature was such that he was indifferent to loyalty, honor, and the so-called Knightly Spirit.

Freed spent his entire life following in Tarick's footsteps, but never experienced his own life, not even as a member of the Evil Dragon Kin.

"I am not Tarick, nor am I even the so-called Lionheart Knight."

"I am just myself."

"A petty person who puts profit above all else."

Freed muttered to himself, telling himself this.

The Red Dragon crashed down from high above, sending dust flying and even cracking the ground.

Keosius looked down at the last remaining "Black Lion Knight," amusement in his golden eyes. He saw the knight's inner turmoil and confusion, which he found quite intriguing.

But he didn't say much, nor did he need to; he simply stated, "Surrender, or die."

"I"

"Submission".

Freed gritted his teeth and lowered his head.

As if by fate, this former "Black Lion Knight" ultimately succumbed to the dragon and submitted to his former enemy.

The pocket watch, engraved with the emblem of the God of Courage Heronius, fell to the ground, covered with a thin layer of dust. It seemed as if it had never belonged to Freed, not even for a moment.

Wishing all the book lovers in the group a speedy recovery during flu season!