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“Stop.” I cut him off because it was obvious what he was about to say. They had lost. In fact, they had lost a strategic location.

Grit…!

A fresh scent of blood filled my nose. I could feel pain from my lower lip. I can’t even fathom how many times I’ve bit my lower lip.

Grip!

I tightened my fist.

Crack…!

The throne’s armrest shattered just like my heart; into a million pieces.

… Just like this, so easily, both gone.

Count Cyclone and David had both been my loyal subordinates since my rebel days, but now they were dead. Even I, a cold-blooded emperor, could hardly digest this news.

But I couldn’t show it. I resisted the urge to destroy everything around me and scream my lungs out.

I was the emperor, a father to all my people, and a barrier who should protect the empire from the northern evil. I wasn’t allowed to falter. This was just work. Simply work. Merely… the death of two precious subordinates.

“Your Imperial Majesty...” Alfred continued with his report. “T-That’s… not the end… your Imperial Majesty...”

“...”

“I’m sorry to report, but, even the temporary base at Dhaulagiri...”

Suddenly, I could feel my ice-cold façade collapse.

“All 150,000 soldiers...”

“...”

“N-None of them survived...”

The Dhaulagiri temporary base was the most important strategic location of all.

“Your Imperial Majesty… the enemy...”

“Stop.”

“Y-Your Imperial Majesty...”

“I said stop.”

“However...”

“Stop!”

I blasted a roar in the tent that was so great that the whole camp shook from the echo.

…Damn it.

“Excuse yourself for now.” I told Alfred. “I don’t want to hear it anymore.”

“Your Imperial Majesty...”

“I want to rest, Alfred.”

“...!”

“It’s a tiring night.”

Defeat, defeat, death, and more defeat. Bad news back to back took a toll on my mental strength.

“Yes, your Imperial Majesty...” Alfred bowed. “Then I shall excuse myself. Please… even just for today… rest well...”

I did not reply to him.

After he had left,

“There’s no… solution...” I pondered deep into the night. “Nothing...”

The enemy was too strong. No matter if it was my army or my subordinates, absolutely nobody survived the encounter with the enemy.

“God damn it… I should have realised it then...”

Two years ago, when the mysterious disease that swept over the whole of the Nosferatu region appeared, I did not expect it to be a foreshadowing for worse things to come.

Even I could not fight against the five Agnagas, the enemies, who were beings from another world.

• 
  

  Surrender and you will live, or die otherwise.

These aliens suddenly made their appearances one day and demanded all living things bow before them.

There was no exception. Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and even dragons… they wanted all to submit to them.

Of course, nobody took the five Agnagas seriously at first, including myself. Such a lame threat could not affect me, who ruled the entire continent. Humans were strong. Ever since the dragons taught us how to use mana, a few humans, including myself, had long since surpassed the limits of our species.

Magic-engineering was also extremely significant. The invention of magic-engineered cannons and engines was as groundbreaking as the discovery of mana.

Therefore, the five Agnagas’ threat was nothing but bullshit to me and the human race, that is until they managed to hunt down the ancient green dragon, Theseus.

“Phew.”

I let out a long sigh as I recalled Theseus’ corpse hung up at the Agnaga army’s frontlines. Even I couldn’t guarantee a win against a 6000-year-old monster like an ancient dragon. The Agnagas hunted it down to warn and display their might in front of all living organisms in Pangaea.

“We are this strong. Surrender. You don’t stand a chance.”

It was like they were voicing this with that action.

“Is suicide my only option?”

Out of frustration, a ridiculous remark slipped out of my mouth. I still had two more lives because of the Wheel of Three Lives.

I had already used the Wheel of Resurrection in my battle with Aventador, the Knight of the Crimson Flames. The Wheels of Reincarnation and Return were still available.

But… even those could not resolve this bleak situation.

If I still had the Wheel of Resurrection, maybe I could have brought one Agnaga down with me. Unfortunately, that was impossible with only the Wheels of Reincarnation and Return. Even if I activated the Wheel of Reincarnation, the continent would have fallen in the Agnagas’ hands before my reincarnation could regain sufficient strength.

It was even worse for the Wheel of Return, because the Wheel of Three Lives had to be used in sequence: Resurrection, Reincarnation and Return. To use the Wheel of Return, I would have to wait at least 15 to 30 years for my reincarnation’s past-self to awaken his powers. The whole continent would already be destroyed by the Agnagas, so what use was there to try to change the past?

“Hu...”

Devoid of solutions, all I could do was sigh. Of course, I knew that I wasn’t being myself – Julius Berlineta Pon Aurangzeb. However… the accumulating defeats, repeated retreats, deaths of my loyal subjects, and the miniscule chance of winning were all shaking me to the core.

If only I could charge into the enemy base and kill those damn Agnagas myself… but I couldn’t afford to act so flippantly, since my death would have a huge impact on this continent. Being an emperor is no easy task. As the leader of the entire human race, even my smallest actions carried an immense weight.

“By hook or by crook...” I clenched my teeth. “Never… huehue…!”

The situation was gloomy, but strangely enough I let out a laugh.

“I will never succumb to you bastards…! Even if the human race goes extinct… I… will destroy you by any means…! To the very last moment… kek...”

“Impressive.”

Suddenly, I could hear a woman’s voice.

When did she come? I had greatly heightened senses thanks to Oraclomind. There weren’t many individuals who could hide their presence and approach me.

In other words...

An assassin.

A skilled one had come!

Swish! I whipped out both Kaiforce and Mitra and turned around.

“You are fast.”

“...”

“That speed… my head would be cut off in the blink of an eye.”

The enemy did not resist. Instead, she evaluated my speed astonishingly while...

“...!”

-Blocking a fully swung Kaiforce with one finger.

“Hello?”

“...”

“It’s a great evening.”

It was a young lady, an extremely beautiful one. She also seemed somewhat special. Her long, black hair flowed down her shoulders. Even I could not appraise the depths of her wisdom, which seemed to originate from years of experience.

“A dragon, huh.” I could roughly identify the stranger. “Black hair… a black dragon?”

“Yes. [1] ” She replied. “I’m a dragon.”

“Not a tone befitting of a dragon.”

“Not all dragons are rude. But I do know where you are coming from. The way my fellow dragons treat other living things… it embarrasses me.”

“Ancient?”

I realized that she was much wiser than a typical dragon. If not, there was no way a dragon would speak formally to a human.

“Yes, I’m an ancient dragon.”

“I see.”

“To be exact...” She spoke. “I’m Emilia, the ancient black dragon.”

“...!”

“You know me?”

Why wouldn’t I? Emilia was the perpetrator who led to the downfall of the Sharada Empire.

“Ah, that’s right. I once erased an entire empire off the map. The humans might have recorded my name down in their history books.”

“Well, I don’t blame you.”

I hadn’t had the slightest intention to criticize her horrible misdeed in the past.I would have done the same. In fact, I could have been worse than her. If someone kidnapped my daughter, I would destroy not only an empire but the whole world.

“Anyways.” I asked Emilia. “Why are you here?”

“To form an alliance.”

“Alliance?”

I was surprised. Since when did a dragon request to form an alliance with a human? It was almost unbelievable.

“Yes, that’s right.” Emilia replied. “What we need is an alliance transcending species. Those Agnagas… we dragons can’t stop them by ourselves.”

“...!”

“Are you shocked?”

“I can’t say I’m not.”

I acknowledged Emilia’s words without question. I never thought I could hear such a humble remark from an arrogant species.

“Sad, but it’s true.”

“Is that the consensus amongst the dragons?”

“No.”

“...?”

“This is my personal judgment.”

“...”

“I, Emilia, the ancient black dragon, believe that those Agnagas are difficult to fend off, even if all the species in Pangaea combine their strengths.”

“That’s why you requested an alliance from me – the emperor?”

“Yes.”

“What do the other dragons think?”

“Actually… most of them do not recognize the severity of the situation. Many dragons believe that Theseus, the ancient green dragon, was killed due to his negligence and overly gentle character. In fact, some dragons even wish for the Agnagas to downsize the human population.”

“...”

“It’s a pity...”

“I see… to request for an alliance despite such circumstances… then you would have to persuade the other stubborn dragons. I assume that’s not going to be easy, even as an ancient dragon.”

I had a point. Dragons were stubborn and arrogant creatures. Emilia, who visited me personally to have a tranquil conversation, was an exception.

“That’s not necessary.”

“Not necessary? What do you...”

“I only need to give a command.”

“...!”

“I don’t need to persuade anyone.”

Immediately, I could deduce Emilia’s true identity.

“Yes, that’s right.” She seemed to have read my mind. “I am the current Dragon Lord.”

“Dragon Lord…!”

“Yes. I, Emilia, the ancient black dragon, came to visit the leader of the human race to officially propose an alliance.”

“...!”

“Also...” Emilia added. “I would also like to make a personal request.”

“A personal request…?”

Something was strange. I was beginning to feel uneasy.

“Yes.”

“What kind of personal request would the Dragon Lord make...”

“In the future...”

“...?”

“In the distant future...”

“Yes?”

“Please… take care of my daughter, Desdemona, the black dragon.”

“What do you mean by take care of? Isn’t Desdemona already a fully-grown dragon? Why would I...”

“I’m not asking you to be her guardian.”

“...?”

“Please be my son-in-law.”

“S-Son-in-law? What are you...”

“In other words, be my daughter’s husband.”

Bam! For a moment, I thought I was hit by a blunt weapon on the head. I stood there dumbfounded.

What kind of bullshit was she spouting?

[1] She is speaking in a formal tone.