Submission and the Pasha

"This... His Majesty has killed the Fire Giant!"

"God..."

"It's actually true! The Fire Giant was killed! Not only was it killed, but it was also eaten by this Emperor!"

"He is far more powerful than those Fire Giant! This is the master we should truly serve!"

"A large Fire Lizard elder with a snake-like lower body and a thick tail exclaimed in surprise."

These slaves have been enslaved by the Fire Giant in the Black Iron City for an unknown period of time. Even the Fire Lizard were raised as a slave race and have been enslaved generation after generation. They can trace their lineage back more than ten generations; they were all slaves of the Fire Giant.

Even after being released, most of them still harbored an image of an omnipotent "master" in their hearts.

Those were deep-rooted chains that the Fire Giant had set up for them over thousands of years to prevent rebellion; they were not something that could be broken so easily.

It's easier to erect a new statue than to smash one.

Similarly, it is much easier to shift one's beliefs than to completely destroy them.

When the Fire Giant, whom they regarded as an omnipotent god, was easily crushed and even devoured by a more powerful and colossal individual, their feelings of obedience and worship naturally transferred to Keosius.

A cacophony of fearful chatter arose among the slaves.

"He gave us back our status as free citizens!"

"What a benevolent emperor!"

"Yes!"

They exclaimed this in their respective languages.

Those pairs of eyes, each unique in their own way, were filled with fawning over those in power and worship of the strong.

Although Keosius declared them to be free people, most of them still followed the old custom, replacing the giants and treating this dragon king as their master.

"Long live His Your Majesty Keosius!"

"Burning! Long Live the Empire!"

The Fire Lizard elder raised his arm and shouted.

His Common Tongue was not very fluent; it was halting and interspersed with some Fire Clan Language breathy sounds, yet it made him seem exceptionally devout.

"Smack!"

The Fire Lizard knelt down, its lizard-like head pressed against the scorching ground, its thick snake-like body writhing excitedly.

Slaves of many other races, as if triggered by some kind of physical instinct, knelt down in unison, their foreheads pressed against the scorching ground, whispering calls of their masters.

The heavy chains wrapped around their necks and the metal shackles fastened to their feet clanged against each other.

"Tsk tsk..."

"These Fire Giant have a good way of keeping slaves."

Keosius flapped his wings high in the sky, looking down at the slaves on the ground with his pale golden eyes, his face revealing little emotion.

"Whoosh—"

He slowly descended from the sky, landing on the ground and kicking up clouds of ash and dust.

Ignoring the kneeling slaves, Keosius swung his claws, using flames to tear apart the space nearby, creating a massive Space Rift.

Thousands of officers and soldiers from the Fire Elemental Plane Vanguard marched out of the portal in orderly steps, rifles in hand, and lined up in front of Keosius at the command of their commander.

Everyone was extremely excited, for this was His Majesty's personal inspection! What an honor!

Countless imperial soldiers would never get such a precious opportunity! Yet they are able to stand in formation before His Majesty!

"Bang!"

At the officer's command, the soldiers raised their guns and fired a warning shot.

The Fire Lizard and Fire Dwarf kneeling on the ground trembled with fear, thinking they were about to be harmed.

Serkan, on the other hand, knelt before the Red Dragon, placing his right hand on his left chest in a standard "loyalty" salute.

"His Majesty!"

"The Fourth Imperial Vanguard has come at your command."

"Serkan, I need you to take complete control of this city, including these..."

Keosius glanced at the kneeling slaves, their expressions incredibly tense, before continuing, "Free people."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"First Battalion! Take over the South District!"

"Second Battalion! In charge of..."

The officers began issuing orders in accordance with military regulations.

Serkan, meanwhile, stared at the tense slaves, grinning with a ferocious, dragon-like smile.

"Everyone, please lead the way."

Led by the slaves, the imperial soldiers quickly took control of the entire city, encountering lurking Fire Giant along the way.

During this process, they also encountered remnants of the Fire Giant hiding in the city, but through long battles, the imperial soldiers had learned the weaknesses of these elemental creatures and easily quelled the sporadic resistance.

However, some of the unique customs of the Fire Elemental Plane still made them somewhat uncomfortable—for example, the fire fountain in Emil's mansion, and the "trinkets" collected by the Fire Giant that were enough to turn mortals to ashes.

Keosius returned to the city wall, gazing at the billowing steam clouds in the orange-red sky and the falling ash rain. His pale golden pupils shimmered, and Sulfur Scent smoke billowed from his nostrils.

He seemed somewhat excited.

"Strange celestial phenomenon..."

"Is it finally coming... the true envoy of the Fire Giant Grand Sultan? Even if the Grand Sultan can't come in person, he should at least send a Pasha."

"Boom!"

First came a heavy, muffled thud, followed by a piercing sound like the air bursting open.

Immediately afterwards, the rivers of lava on the ground surged, and the wildfires on the wasteland grew even more intense and violent, with scalding white steam spreading across the surface and wisps of flame in the air.

Rivers of lava plunged down the cliffs, creating a massive and spectacular waterfall of fire. This liquid flame shattered an area, forming natural whirlpools that caused the surrounding elements to rage wildly.

In the sky, an even more spectacular vortex of fire, hundreds of meters in diameter, appeared. It resembled a lion's head with its mouth open, causing debris to fly and ash to swirl around it, almost engulfing everything in its path.

"That is..."

"Flame Lion!"

The older Fire Lizard elder gazed at the strange phenomenon on the horizon, his body trembling violently, the deep-seated fear etched into his bloodline surfacing uncontrollably in his heart.

"Flame Lord..."

"It's Pasha! A distinguished Pasha has arrived!"

The Fire Lizard elder couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

He only had the privilege of witnessing the imposing figure of a Pasha when he was young, and although nearly a century has passed, the memory of that event remains vivid in his mind.

"Noble?"

"No one is considered noble before His Majesty. Watch your words."

Serkan crossed his arms and reminded him in a somber tone.

"Yes, yes... sir."

The Fire Lizard elder quickly apologized.

High in the sky, the strange phenomenon continued. First, an arm emerged from the center of the vortex of flames, and finally, a powerful body appeared—it was a Fire Giant!

This unfamiliar Fire Giant was much larger than ordinary Fire Giant, and didn't even seem to be the same species. This ten-meter-tall giant was exceptionally robust, with skin that was reddish-purple and covered with intricate flame patterns.

His glaring, round eyes blazed with intense fire, like two dazzling stars. Atop his head were a pair of dark, curved horns, and thick smoke billowed from his body.

The Fire Giant wore a robe made of fine silk and satin over his rough skin, and he also wore bracelets and rings made of gold, but most striking of all was the shimmering gold ring around his neck.

That was a rare treasure bestowed by the Grand Sultan of Fire Giant, and a symbol of status—it represented that he was the incomparably noble Pasha, one of the Grand Sultan of Fire Giant's six direct servants.

Only the most powerful Fire Giant are qualified to be granted such an honor and become the Grand Sultan's right-hand men.

"Red Dragon!"

You've crossed the line!

"The Fire Elemental Plane is the realm ruled by the Grand Sultan! It is the glorious land of the Fire Giant! You will not be allowed to act so presumptuously here!"

The roar echoed across the scorched wasteland.

As Keosius gazed at the furious Fire Giant in the distance, his pupils contracted slightly, and a look of keen interest appeared on his Dragon Face.

"Does just one of the Pasha possess such strength...?"

Ismail Enver Pasha

Challenge Rating: 24 (65000xp)