At last, beneath the city gates, the massed Demons parted to either side like a receding tide.
A towering figure walked slowly into the city.
Balks.
He wore jet-black armor, his face gaunt and cold. Dense, twisted black markings covered his skin, and a dark purple gleam shone faintly in his sunken eyes.
The three Demon Generals' first reaction to his appearance was fear.
Earthsplit and Plague Rot exchanged glances, seeing the tension in each other's eyes. Lord Balks rarely fought in person, but whenever he looked like this, an uncontrollable dread rose from the depths of everyone's hearts.
Balks surveyed his surroundings without expression, his gaze sweeping over the defenders still putting up a desperate resistance. He did not spare them a second thought.
Instead, Vera's unyielding stare made him tilt his head slightly.
Ansu Morris's younger sister?
At the thought of the name Ansu, a cold, mocking smile curled Balks's lips.
The next instant, a domain that sent shivers through the very depths of the soul spread silently outward.
Within this domain he ruled.
All the weak lost control of themselves, no more than ants to be crushed underfoot.
"Kneel."
Danielle and Sean shuddered involuntarily. Their knees buckled, and they nearly dropped to the ground.
"Ms. Danielle!" Shocked and furious, Vera grabbed her tightly, while she herself could barely stay upright even with her teeth clenched.
Fear.
Fear of the powerful, fear of slaughter...
While risking her life gathering intelligence in the western part of the continent, she had heard descriptions like this—
In his domain, even the hands of the living trembled around their swords; even the dead were stripped of their right to rest in peace.
"Die."
Balks slowly raised his hand.
At that moment, the twin horns atop his head and his black demonic claws