The Flame Emperor's face turned pale, and the fire spirits, now devoid of their illusionary cover, were filled with terror and unease.
When the jubilant crowd sobered up from their excitement and remembered that they were still enemies, everyone felt a bit awkward. However, before defeating the demon race, it was impossible for humans to start fighting among themselves. They absolutely could not give the Flame Emperor any opportunity to take advantage.
"How did you see through it? Even angels cannot see through my illusion magic! What makes you doubt me?" The Flame Emperor was baffled. Was this human male stronger than the Power Angel, with even keener insight? Not only him, but even the Temple Knights and Holy Warriors were surprised upon reflection. The magic illusion just now seemed so real that not only seeing through it, but even harboring doubts seemed impossible.
The Power Angel, who was high above and often battled with demons, was so scared that he fled.
How did Rody see through the illusion?
"Actually, it's very simple. If you were really that powerful, you wouldn't have talked so much," Rody said with a slight smile. "That's how the strong are; if one sentence is enough to solve a problem, they definitely won't waste effort on a second. If you were really strong, with many minions, it would have been straightforward to capture us first, and interrogate us while fighting. But you hesitated to act, only using words to intimidate, which inevitably raises doubts. Besides, you said your true self is fighting in the heavens, and this is just your avatar, but to possess such immense power doesn't make sense. If the avatar is so powerful, why not go to the heavens to help your true self in the battle, instead of troubling us humans? In a word, you must be deceiving!"
"Smart human, aren't you afraid that I will go all out to kill you?" the Flame Emperor asked coldly.
"Do you know what?" Rody laughed heartily. "That's exactly what I wanted to tell you!"
"Temple Knights, charge!" The leading Temple General raised his hand high and slashed it down. Over a hundred mounted Temple Knights spurred their demonic steeds, charging like lightning towards the surrounding fire spirits. As they charged, hundreds of Holy Shield archers had already coordinated in drawing their bows and arrows, shooting into the sky, suppressing the enemy.
Fire spirits, engulfed in flames, had a great advantage over ordinary human warriors. However, they were no match for the Temple Knights protected by Holy Shield magic.
Temple Knights, selected from the elite among humans, were not only exceptionally strong but also equipped with the best gear and enhanced by Light magic. Their combat power was sufficient to contend with the demon race's death knights.
The Flame Emperor was about to cast a magical attack, but he found that Rody on the ground had whipped up a person with a vine whip and was attacking him.
With a tenfold enhancement, Chris's sneak attack couldn't injure the Flame Emperor but prevented him from smoothly casting his magic. After the heavy blow, Chris didn't fall to the ground but instead used his strength to pull. Rody, rushing forward, used the vine in his hand and Chris's pulling force to soar into the sky. At the same time, a golden spirit warhammer formed in his palm like a blazing sun.
"Fire Shield." Almost before the golden spirit warhammer could strike, the Flame Emperor had already erupted with a huge fiery shield.
"Too late..." Rody's real sneak attack was not just the spirit warhammer but the Undying Divine Fire that he had refined into his own body. Was the Flame Emperor's fire shield stronger, or the Undying Divine Fire, which could burn souls, stronger? Rody always longed for a weapon that could restrain all strong beings. Besides the obvious spirit warhammer, the subtle Undying Divine Fire was the best tool for a sneak attack.
The golden warhammer shattered the fire shield.
The enormous explosive force of the fire shield violently hurled Rody and Chris away, falling to the ground.
However, to Stanley and the others' astonishment, the powerful Flame Emperor was rolling in pain in the sky. He couldn't maintain his human form and turned into raging flames, sometimes soaring into the sky, sometimes crashing to the ground, burning the Temple Warriors and Temple Knights who couldn't dodge in time to ashes. Everyone knew Rody had attacked the Flame Emperor, but they couldn't understand what method he used.
After a while, the ten-meter-tall Flame Emperor used a fiery sword to forcefully cut off half of his body.
His upper body floated up and reformed into a human shape.
His appearance was not only disheveled but also in extreme pain. He stared at Rody as if he wanted to swallow him whole.
"Ha, I know I am handsome and worthy of admiration, but I really don't like a man looking at me like that!" Rody helped Chris up from the ground, dusting off his clothes, and laughed loudly, "Flame Emperor, how does it feel? You've never experienced being burned by flames before, right? How does it feel? Is it enjoyable?"
"Divine fire, how can you possibly have divine fire in you?" the Flame Emperor roared. "You're clearly human, how is this possible!"
"Stanley, bring me some water, I need to moisten my throat, then I'll think about whether to explain or not!" Rody said with a light smile.
"The Flame Emperor is severely injured, let's surround and kill him..." As soon as Chris spoke, not only did Stanley and the others burst with fighting spirit, but even the Temple Knights crazily spurred their steeds over.
"I won't forget you, Rody!" The Flame Emperor ascended into the sky with a whoosh, opened a fiery teleportation portal, and disappeared without a trace. But his voice lingered over everyone's heads, continuing unceasingly: "When my true self returns, I will definitely kill you, no one can stop me! Human male with divine fire, you are destined to be hunted by all the strong beings in the world, just wait..."
"I'm waiting!" Rody hummed.
He revealed the Undying Divine Fire not just to show off his most hidden power for glory, nor was it simply to scare away the Flame Emperor. In front of him, there was another group of enemies - the Temple Knights and Holy Warriors. Although humans had been forced to unite in the face of imminent danger, now that the fire-elemental demons of the demon race had been annihilated, the Temple Knights might very well turn against and surround his elite squad if they did not feel sufficiently threatened.
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But now, having made the Flame Emperor suffer and fall to the ground, he had demonstrated his formidable strength, making the Temple Knights hesitant to start a battle.
Although revealing his power and inciting the jealousy of the world's strong was somewhat unwise, his bloodied and exhausted elite squad needed his display of strength. If the elite squad were to fight again, they would likely be annihilated, which was the last thing Rody wanted.
The Temple Knights chased and trampled the fire spirits under their demonic steeds, slowly regrouping.
The atmosphere was now very awkward.
The Holy Warriors and some of the Temple Knights, deep down, did not want to fight Rody again. They revered heroes and were grateful for Rody's lifesaving grace. They preferred to resolve their enmity with Rody, especially after witnessing Rody and Chris jointly bring down the Flame Emperor, which filled them with awe and fear. But iron-clad laws and loyalty were their creed. If the Temple General ordered them to attack, they would find it difficult to disobey.
Therefore, they were very reluctant to start a battle, fearing their superior would issue an attack command, each of them looking at their general.
Several captains of the Temple Knights also had conflicted expressions.
They too were looking at their leader. If they were now ordered to charge at Rody and his elite squad, it would be a shameful and painful act. Knights uphold eight virtues and the highest honors; if they were ordered to attack for the sake of slaying evil, they would not hesitate even in the face of death. But the man in front of them was a human brother, a lifesaver, a heroic figure...
"Sergeant Rody, you can't understand my feelings right now," the leading general rode out, his hand on his holy sword.
"No, I understand," Rody slowly approached.
Everyone's heart was in turmoil, fearing that the two of them would command to start a battle.
It was the last thing anyone wanted to see, but they, each representing the commanders of their respective sides, were directing the will of their forces. Though they were extremely reluctant, if they really ordered to start a battle, everyone would have to suppress their sorrow and launch an attack.
"My faith has been shattered, my life is in despair. After this battle, I feel I have lost all my honor and pride!" the leading general said coldly. "All this, because of you, Sergeant Rody. If not for chasing you, I would still be kneeling in the grand hall of the temple, praying with devotion and hope."
"Until I was five years old, I, like you, was full of hope. But on my fifth birthday, I understood what despair meant," Rody slowly looked at the Temple General on horseback.
"Say your last words to me," the Temple General nodded and said coldly.
Everyone's heart tightened.
Was this Temple General still not satisfied with the killings? Wasn't the bloodbath in the dwarf territory enough? Was he planning to turn against Rody's elite squad, stubbornly maintaining his loyalty to the angels and his beliefs? Was he going to kill Rody to salvage his shattered faith?
"In my most desperate times, I chose to keep living, even though it was incredibly painful, I never gave up," Rody said solemnly.
"So, you are you, you are Rody, the miraculous boy, the military genius!" the Temple General shook his head and said, "I am not like you. Since I was five, I have always been called a prodigy. At fifteen, I was the strongest in the Knight Academy. At eighteen, I joined the Temple Knights. Now, more than twenty years later, I have never doubted my righteousness and beliefs, nor have I felt shame or depression. The world calls me the perfect knight, the most loyal and outstanding among the nine squads of the Temple Knights. So, when the divine will came, whether it was to kill dwarfs or even my own father and son, I would do it, believing it to be absolute justice, even pursuing you, a hero of humanity."
People were more and more alarmed as they listened, thinking the Temple General was set on his misguided path.
Stanley and others clenched their weapons, ready to fight to the death.
"Sergeant Rody, you are the only one who understands me. Please accept my crest. In my hometown of Niel, I have an eight-year-old son. I hope that when he grows up, he can follow in the footsteps of his father's crest, as it represents his father's proudest honor!" The Temple General took off the crest representing honor from his chest and threw it to Rody. He slowly rode back, looked at his subordinates, and slowly removed his helmet, revealing his golden hair.
Like a golden lion, he sternly surveyed everyone.
His hand slowly drew his holy sword. Everyone now understood what he was going to do, and they all pleaded with him, hoping he would change his mind.
Several captains of the Temple Knights rode forward, each removing their helmets, looking at their general. They too hoped the general would change his decision, but more so, they respected his wishes because they had always held such respect for their general in their hearts.
"Everyone can make mistakes, even a perfect knight like me is not an exception," the Temple General declared solemnly. "Everyone must pay for their mistakes, and I am no exception. You are not guilty, you are not wrong, but as the highest commander, I need to use my blood and life to atone for the innocent lives lost. When we cease to be just, we become the executioners of evil. I hope your captain can lead you on the path of righteousness."
"General!" The Temple Knights and Holy Warriors cried out as they saw the Temple General place his sword against his neck, wailing loudly.
"Farewell, my wife, my son, you deserve a righteous and honorable husband and father, not me, an unjust executioner. Farewell, my brothers, you need a perfect knight, not me! Farewell, my beliefs... Let me fall into hell! There I will atone for all my past sins!" With these words, the Temple General's sword swung, his head fell, and blood spurted skyward.
"General, you will always be our general, our perfect knight... Let us bear some of your sins, let us atone for you a little! Our hands, full of sins, should be severed!" A dozen Temple Knights rode out, along with several tearful Holy Warriors. They raised their holy swords and cut off their own arms, and two of the Temple Knights also took their own lives.
"Sergeant Rody," a captain of the Temple Knights rode out, his eyes brimming with tears and his voice hoarse, he shouted at Rody, "We will exile ourselves, atoning for our sins for the rest of our lives, never to be enemies of humanity again. We hope one day you can invite us back to the battlefield, to campaign against orcs and demons."
"That day will not be far away," Rody nodded.
"Salute!" the captain of the Temple Knights loudly issued the command, and led a salute to Rody.
All the Temple Knights and Holy Warriors took off their holy helmets and, led by the captain, slowly walked through the blazing dwarf territory, towards the corpse of the dwarf chieftain with the horned helmet. They threw away their holy helmets, discarding their identities. They then solemnly repented and tearfully set off, led by their captain, slowly leaving for the Evil Forest.
At that moment, they became self-exiled wandering knights.
When their faith in justice was shattered, when honor turned to shame, when the hope in their hearts was extinguished, all they had left was a life of aimlessness and atonement.
The elite squad had originally resented this group of self-proclaimed righteous individuals, but now seeing them in this state, they felt great sympathy.
What could be more tragic than a life where beliefs, honor, and hope were all shattered?
Red Hat and the dwarf guards originally wanted to kill all the Temple Knights to avenge their loved ones, but now seeing these people in such a pitiable state, like walking corpses, they felt that their current suffering was worse than death. Watching the enemies walk away, the two dwarfs couldn't help but embrace each other and burst into tears, realizing they were the only ones left of their entire race.
"Stanley, bring down the body of the chieftain with the horned helmet. Everyone, gather the bodies and burn them, then we need to leave this place immediately. The Light Knight Regiment, reinforcements, and demon race reinforcements will soon arrive." Rody patted Red Hat's head and said, "Stop crying, you two are warriors now. Dry your tears and come with me!"
"I just want to cry, wuwuwu, my heart hurts, I'll cry if I want to, you can't control me, wuwuwu..." Red Hat sobbed loudly as he followed behind Rody.
Chris fell to the ground with a 'thud', blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
He had been injured by the explosion of the Flame Emperor's fire shield and had been holding on until now, but he couldn't sustain it any longer.
Neither his body nor his spirit was as resilient as Rody's, who had been refined by the black dragon's blood and the divine fire. Rody, even if grievously injured, could recover quickly due to the restoration of his life source, but Chris could not.
"What a troublesome guy!" Rody smiled, walked over to Chris, and cut his own wrist with a dagger, letting the blood drip into Chris's mouth.
"Your blood is salty, salty and sour, it tastes terrible..." Chris opened his eyes and said this first.
"Hey, want me to carry you? Although you're annoying to look at, you're still somewhat useful!" Rody bent down, reaching to help Chris up, then bent over to carry him. But Chris pushed him away, a sickly flush on his pale face, and shook his head: "Don’t underestimate me, I'm also a tough warrior, a little injury won't defeat me."
"Suit yourself, I can hardly hold on myself, don't want to bother with you!" Rody saw Stanley carrying over the chieftain's body, gently adjusted the chieftain's horned helmet, and said softly, "Chieftain, we're leaving now. We'll come to see you again. If there's any hidden wine in the cellar, remember to bring it out for me."
"Chieftain, I won't fight for your position anymore, Chieftain... Wuhuahua! Wuhuah!" Red Hat cried his heart out.
"I will carry on your will, reviving the dwarf race!" The dwarf guard also cried tears, but his eyes showed determination. He knelt down to swear, then reached out to Rody: "Great mage, please bestow upon me an iron hat, as a symbol of the sturdy friendship between dwarfs and humans."
"Put on this hat, already redeemed with blood!" Rody picked up the holy helmet that the Temple General had thrown on the ground and slowly placed it in the dwarf guard's hands.
"The enemy's blood, the friend's friendship, the relative's last wish, and the mage's gift, I, the 1652nd dwarf chieftain Iron Hat, together with Red Hat, will guard the friendship between dwarfs and humans for life, revitalizing our hill dwarf race!" The dwarf guard slowly put on the holy helmet stained with the Temple General's blood, tearfully swore to the sky, and then embraced Red Hat tightly, both weeping together.