The Bleeding Angel

"Master, a guest from Hell wishes to see you."

With a slight ripple in the Weave, Lang Pu's image appeared before Keosius, still respectful and speaking with perfect composure.

"Those sales-obsessed devils again? Just send out any simulacrum to deal with them, this is never going to end." Keosius's tone was somewhat impatient.

After his victory over Barachiel, invitations from the devils poured in, and Keosius received all sorts of fancy offers.

All factions within Hell hope to obtain an incomparably powerful Red Dragon as their ally, to fight on all sides and gain merit in brutal Blood War.

But Lang Pu hesitated for a moment before replying, "Master, the guest said he has something important to report and hopes you can come in person."

Who are you talking about?

Keosius then began to take it seriously and roughly guessed the identity of the guest.

"That former demon lord." Lang Pu was careful not to call out the name directly—after all, a great demon could sense anyone's call and react to it.

Keosius didn't seem to care. He simply shook his head, gently spread the wings folded behind his back, and continued to ask, "Where is he now?"

"Right in the Black Dragon City, Lord Smaug, the leader of the Wyvern race, is receiving him."

"Okay, I understand."

Before he finished speaking, Keosius took a step forward, and the space in front of him shattered like glass, revealing a huge void, which the Red Dragon then stepped into.

As long as they are within the territory of the Embers of the Burned Empire, the Red Dragon, possessing the power of the [Empire Domain], can appear anywhere without restraint or scruples.

The Dragon City, the Lonely Mountain Treasure Vault.

This former treasure vault of the Dwarf has now become the palace of Smaug, the "King Under the Mountain," where he lives comfortably with a dozen or so female Wyvern.

But at this moment, the usually majestic Dragon Lord was huddled in a corner of the cave, trembling, and the smile on his Dragon Face was more like a grimace.

Meanwhile, a handsome young man with black hair, dressed in magnificent robes, sat on the throne that should have been his, looking around with great curiosity.

"So this is the Lonely Mountain Treasure Vault of the Dwarf? Tsk tsk, even I've never been inside." The young man gazed at the rock wall and sighed softly.

He turned to Smaug, smiled kindly, and asked, "Your Majesty, King Under the Mountain, is it not impolite of me to sit here?"

"This, sir, of course not, you are the master's honored guest." Feeling the powerful pressure from Hell, Smaug shrank into the corner, feeling like crying but having no tears.

The young man looked frail and weak, almost like a nobleman's son who had been abducted into the lair of a brutal Wyvern, but his dark pupils shone with a terrifying light.

Looking into those eyes and seeing through the illusion, one can see a high and mighty, cruel and tyrannical demon lord laughing mockingly, his overwhelming pressure sweeping over Smaug as if he were in purgatory.

Smaug thought that after receiving the Bloodline Gift of his master and becoming a legendary powerhouse, he could tyrannize and run rampant on the Feanso Continent.

Unexpectedly, God Avatar and demon kings appeared before him one after another, turning him, the "King Under the Mountain," into a complete joke.

Suddenly, an even stronger, almost tangible pressure descended, and the air inside the cave suddenly became scorching hot, even turning the rock walls red-hot.

Immediately afterwards, the Weave inside the cave surged with turbulent waves, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared in the space, followed by the appearance of a portal engulfed in flames.

"Bael Bayer, given your status, there's no need for you to frighten my family." A majestic voice came from mid-air.

Smaug, as if he had found his anchor, let out a long sigh of relief, his eyes regaining their light, and he cried out eagerly, "Master, you've finally come!"

Keosius strode out of the portal, and even the Lonely Mountain Treasure Vault seemed somewhat cramped and crowded in comparison to the enormous dragon body that was nearly sixty meters long.

Bael then dropped his mocking expression, put on a polite smile, and stood up from his throne. "Your Majesty Keosius, you are joking. As the most loyal ally of the Embers of the Burned Empire, how could I possibly provoke you?"

You have recently displayed your Divine Might on the Feanso Continent, successively destroying the North Aisel Duchy and the High Mountain Dwarf Kingdom, and even killing an incarnation of a god. I am truly impressed.

Keosius sat on the throne and interrupted without any mercy, "Bael Bayer, I've grown tired of the devil's flattery lately. Tell me, what brings you here this time?"

"I see." Bael chuckled, his expression finally turning serious, his once gentle and mellow voice now filled with resentment. "It's that madwoman. I can feel it—she's growing stronger and stronger. She has already absorbed tens of thousands of souls."

Her power began to influence the Material Plane, and her apostles walked upon the earth—especially in the City of Sunrise, when that boundary was broken."

"Will Auguste fall into Hell?" Keosius asked.

Bael gritted his teeth and replied, "Yes, and the entire city will become her Soul Pasture, from which she will gain an endless source of power."

The great devil's voice was filled with hatred, jealousy, disgust—and deep greed and desire.

The soul is something that every devil is born with an insatiable thirst for; this is a law of the multiverse, and it is especially true for Bael, who is a great devil.

In the devil's eyes, there are no eternal friends, only unchanging interests.

Keosius knew that if Bael were still the lord of Avernus, he would not hesitate to cooperate with Wilhelm and become an enemy of the Empire.

Bael's voice was like a hoarse viper. "Your Majesty Keosius, Zariel is too powerful now, and my army in Hell is suffering defeat after defeat."

Forgive my bluntness, but those crazed ' Soulless One ' under your command, though immortal, cannot provide us with even a shred of soul power.

As an ally of the Empire, I must obtain more souls to continue resisting her and to become your ally, so... "Impossible."

Before Bael could finish speaking, Keosius refused without hesitation. In those few brief words, he had already guessed Bael's thoughts.

This great demon wanted the Embers of the Burned Empire to sacrifice the souls of its people, like the Thrace Kingdom, in order to gain greater power, or even to create a similar "Soul Land."

But Bael didn't know was that Keosius's goal was to become a god, and that every citizen in the empire was a valuable resource in Keosius's eyes, who would become the source of his faith in the future.

The empire's lands were even more of a chasm for Keosius. That was his own kingdom, and how could he tolerate it becoming a ranch for devils?

Seeing the resolute tone in Keosius's voice, Bael chuckled and tried to persuade him tactfully, "Your Majesty Keosius, your empire is vast and populous, and what I need is—"

The devil cautiously extended a finger and whispered, "Just a tiny fraction of it."

In Bael's view, these Five-Colored Dragon lords basically treated their people as lowly slaves and disposable materials, and did not care about their lives at all.

With a few sweet words, the Red Dragon Emperor will eventually relent and send tens of thousands of pure souls to Hell.

How could He have imagined that this Red Dragon would be so greedy as to regard every citizen as its precious possession? "Bael Excellency, there's no need to discuss this matter further."

Keosius's voice was resolute. "To help you Contend Against Zariel, I will send 30,000 elite Starfallers —what you devils call the Soulless One —to Hell to fight."

Keosius's idea was simple: send a group of players as reinforcements so that they could level up while Contend Against Zariel, killing two birds with one stone.

Upon hearing this, Bael's handsome face suddenly contorted into a grimace, and fine cracks appeared on his skin as if it were about to be torn apart, with Sulfur Scent fumes emanating from it.

His dark pupils flickered slightly, filled with rage, as if Hellfire was about to erupt from them.

"Boom--"

A powerful Hell aura spread out, terrifying and horrifying, as if one could see the mountains of corpses and seas of blood in Avernus.

But Keosius merely sneered. He spread his wings, unleashing an even more intense dragon's might, while the Law Power of the Empire Domain pressed down. The two powerful forces collided, creating violent fluctuations.

As the two powerful beings clashed, Smaug cowered in a corner of the cave, trembling, and let out a low howl.

Isn't this his lair?

How could it have come to this? Under the heavy pressure that made him unable to lift his head, the Wyvern leader even began to doubt his own existence.

Bael let out a suppressed growl, "Keosius, you've gone too far!! Anyone who collaborates with the devil must pay the price, and you are no exception. This is an eternal truth!"

"It's truly a devil's innate ability to twist concepts." Keosius sneered, taking a step forward, and the Hell aura was instantly swallowed up by the dragon's might.

The unique pressure of the Progenitor Dragon descended upon Bael's shoulder, instantly tearing away His disguise and making this great demon unable to maintain his dignity any longer.

Suddenly, a tall demon with wings on its back appeared in the cave, its body bursting with Hellfire —it was not Bael's true form, but an incarnation formed from the condensed power of Hell.

Keosius stepped forward and said coldly, "Bael, you've got one thing wrong. In this cooperation, the Embers of the Burned Empire is the absolute leader."

You are just a deposed Hell Lord. Without the support of the Empire, you might have to hide in a corner of Avernus for thousands of years, like a wild dog, constantly on the run from Zariel's pursuit.

But I have many choices. In Hell, there are countless great demons who have a grudge against Zariel, and even some of the Hell Lord have extended olive branches to me."

Finally, the Red Dragon looked down at the devil, its pale golden pupils gleaming. "Remember, it was the Empire that chose you and gave you the opportunity to reclaim Avernus."

"If it weren't for Zariel, you wouldn't have been in the right to make demands of me."

Keosius's words were powerful and resolute, like sharp spears Ground Spike the devil's body.

Keosius wasn't exaggerating. If he wanted, the Embers of the Burned Empire could indeed sign contracts with many Hell Lord and cooperate, but that would pose too great a threat to the Empire.

Compared to cooperating with those powerful and cunning Hell Lord, risking being cheated and deceived, Keosius preferred to support a fallen great devil, as this would allow him to better control him.

Upon hearing Keosius's words, Bael's previous arrogance immediately diminished, and he even withdrew the Hellfire from his body.

The great demon shrunk in stature, transforming back into a slender, gentle young man. A mocking smile reappeared on his handsome face as he bowed and apologized, "I apologize, Your Majesty Keosius. I was inconsiderate. I hope you can forgive me."

The dragon's might suddenly dissipated, and Keosius said with a smile, "No need for formalities, Bael Bayer, I have always regarded you as a steadfast ally."

I know you were simply blinded by momentary greed and desire, which led you to make such an irrational request.

"Yes."

The estrangement between the two vanished completely, replaced by a harmonious scene, as if their previous confrontation was all an illusion. Smaug, standing to the side, was stunned and at a loss for words.

Then, Keosius asked, "But now that Zariel is so powerful, how can you overthrow her, or even—kill her?"

A sly smile appeared on Bael's face, "You don't know this, but the day the City of Sunrise fell into Hell, the day known as the ' Day of Corruption,' was the moment when Zariel was at his weakest."

"At that time, she will surely do everything in her power to maintain the portal Material Plane and Hell, dragging the city into Avernus, and that will be my opportunity to strike."

Keosius asked curiously, "Aren't you afraid she'll secretly complete that ceremony?"

"Impossible."

Bael declared confidently, "Wilhelm will not give up the City of Sunrise until he has completely lost hope."

And now, the only one who can drive that king to his doom is you.

Your Majesty Keosius, I hope you will lead a large army to attack the Thrace Kingdom, cut off all the king's hopes, and force him to sacrifice the City of Sunrise to Hell.

I will kill Zariel Lieutenant General her weakest ' Day of Corruption ', helping you eliminate the threat from Hell.

"By then, you will have conquered Thrace, and I will have reclaimed Avernus, and we will both have a bright future."

The man and the dragon exchanged a knowing smile, everything unspoken. Only they could hear this conversation; even Smaug, who was huddled nearby, was left completely bewildered.

But only Keosius and Bael knew what other thoughts were in their hearts.