The old prince's body convulsed violently twice. Blood vessels bulged beneath his skin, blue veins crawling across his forehead and neck. His blood had been forcibly activated by the potion, scalding hot as boiling water surging wildly through his body.
The three-meter-tall suit of armor rang with clashing metal.
Every dark-red circuit lit up.
The entire underground palace hummed and shook.
Outside the royal palace's outer city, Su Li walked at the front.
A broad dark-red greatsword rested on his shoulder, the fire ether warping the air around its blade with heat. He still wore that old shirt, its sleeves rolled up above his elbows. He looked less like he was heading into battle than like he was going out to work the fields.
Elena was on his left, the Ice Soul Rapier hanging at her waist, her figure cinched tight by red flexible battle armor.
Saina was on his right, cradling a heavy hand axe in both arms before her chest. Elonore followed at the rear, clutching a stack of shield rune cards to her chest and stepping carefully, afraid of treading on the scattered arrows littering the ground.
Old Ford led thirty thousand Iris private troops behind them, their ranks neat and their banners unfurled in the wind.
Seeing that formation, the outer city's defenders poked half their heads over the walls and counted—four young people walking abreast, every one of them radiating the ether pressure of the fourth tier.
Four fourth-tiers.
The crossbowmen's palms were drenched in sweat. They exchanged a glance, wordlessly shoved their crossbows aside, then retreated down the wall stairs.
No one stopped them.
Su Li turned and glanced at the empty battlements overhead.
"Not even anyone left to put on a show."
Saina kicked aside a broken spear beneath her foot.
"Isn't