The Sacred Dragon Empire's flag still hung from Xita City's walls, where soldiers patrolled the battlements. People streamed through the gates, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
The caravan slowly approached from afar. After identifying themselves, they headed straight into the city. Count Stanwen remained alert, but when he saw nothing amiss with the crowds beyond the gates, he finally relaxed.
"All right, we'll rest in Xita City tonight and set out again tomorrow morning for Sacred Dragon City."
Count Stanwen spoke loudly, and everyone cheered. The journey had left them exhausted, and now they could finally get some proper rest.
Bang!
Everyone suddenly turned around and discovered that the massive city gates had been closed without their noticing. The soldiers who had been guarding them were now watching the caravan warily.
"Something's wrong! Get out of Xita City!"
Count Stanwen immediately sensed danger. He unleashed his Fourth Beastification Form, transforming into a terrifying Dread Crocodile, and turned to force the gates open.
"Count Stanwen, I've heard that the Dread Crocodile Behemoth possesses boundless strength. But so does my Golden Python. I wonder which of us is stronger?"
Among the soldiers guarding the gates was an expert in the Fourth Beastification Form. He transformed into a python thirty meters long, its scales covered in a golden glow that made them look like gold.
"A Golden Python? You're Osato! You've already taken Xita City?"
Count Stanwen's expression changed drastically. He knew quite a bit about Osato, the rebel leader who possessed the golden python bloodline. He had already captured Xita City and had merely been luring the caravan inside.
"Count Stanwen, there's no need to leave in such a hurry. It took quite some effort to trick you into coming here. How could I let you leave so easily?"
Osato