Vol. 5 Ch. 101

"I will never undo the seal of Ultimate Fear. If you want it opened, you'll have to step over my corpse."

Faced with the Tower Lord's unwavering resolve, Shadow finally lost his patience.

Lowering his hand, his black robe no longer carried the deep, resounding voice that had reverberated moments before.

"To lowly beings like you, whether the seal is undone or not won't change the fact that you will die by my hands."

He sneered. "However, since you've chosen to struggle until the bitter end and are determined to waste my time..."

"Why not make this farce a bit more entertaining?"

With that, Shadow spread his arms. In an instant, black clouds gathered in the night sky.

The clouds churned violently, a cold wind whipping through Sky City. The oppressive aura emanating from the sky forced the Tower Lord and Claudia to retreat step by step.

"What is he doing?" the Tower Lord muttered gravely.

Claudia frowned, her gaze sharp. "It doesn't seem like an offensive spell... It looks more like summoning magic. Or maybe... teleportation?"

As she analyzed the situation, Claudia recalled what Shadow had told her earlier—that one of his methods was using Black Dragon magic to control various dangerous creatures.

The realization made her pupils contract in dread.

"Tower Lord," she said, her voice tight, "until Leon arrives, we may be in for a very long and painful fight."

Her words had barely left her mouth when the black clouds dispersed. Emerging from the swirling void were countless creatures, their forms varying in size and shape, filling the sky like a plague.

They roared and screeched, some spreading massive leathery wings to hover mid-air, while others darted toward Claudia and the Tower Lord, encircling them and cutting off all escape routes.

Claudia quickly recognized them: they were high-level dangerous species from all corners of Samael Continent.

Each creature bore wings of black or blood-red, their scarlet eyes gleaming with a feral hunger as if ready to tear the two apart.

"Now then," Shadow said coldly from above, "show me how much resolve you have to protect that seal."

With a disdainful laugh, he gave his command. "Tear them apart."

At his order, the swarm of creatures charged at the Tower Lord and Claudia.

The Tower Lord was the first to act.

Channeling his magic, he opened two interconnected spatial portals, one in front and one behind.

The creatures, numerous but lacking coordination, charged straight into the portals without hesitation.

As they emerged, their disarray caused them to collide with one another, leading to a chaotic brawl among themselves.

Their infighting delayed the swarm momentarily, but given their overwhelming numbers, it was merely a temporary reprieve.

The Tower Lord used space magic to bisect the incoming creatures, while Claudia, though not a combat-oriented dragon, unleashed powerful water magic with practiced ease.

Together, they managed to slay hundreds of the creatures, their corpses vanishing into the spatial rifts.

The once suffocating encirclement thinned, giving the two a brief moment to catch their breath.

"For lowly beings, your fighting spirit is commendable," Shadow remarked, mockingly clapping his hands. "But that’s the extent of my praise."

As if responding to his applause, the defeated creatures on the ground began to stir. Their wounds mended rapidly, and their snarls filled the air once more.

Claudia watched in shock as the monsters rose again, her fists and jaw clenched in frustration.

"The Black Dragon scales have granted them unparalleled vitality. They are completely under my control and will fight relentlessly until their last breath."

The Tower Lord examined the revived creatures, his expression dark.

"Regardless of their resilience, we must hold out until reinforcements arrive," he said.

"Let’s just hope we’re not on the menu before then," Claudia quipped dryly, a humor she'd picked up from Leon.

Their exchange was cut short as the horde descended upon them again, forcing the pair to fight with renewed intensity.

The Tower Lord clasped his hands together, conjuring two massive magic arrays—one above and one below. The arrays clamped shut like jaws, crushing hundreds of creatures into pulp.

Claudia, her eyes narrowing, darted forward and cast a blue array on the ground.

From the array emerged a hundred water-formed tentacles that snaked through the battlefield, coiling around the creatures and snapping their limbs and ribs.

The spell—Raging Sea Cage, an S-class water magic—was powerful enough to counter even Constantine in his berserk state.

Shadow, watching from above, chuckled. "Impressive, Princess of the Sea Dragons. But don’t get too pleased with yourselves. The surprises I’ve prepared are far from over."

As Claudia prepared for the next wave, she noticed a change in the horde's behavior. Several creatures stopped fighting and approached the corpses of their fallen comrades.

"What are they doing?" she murmured.

The Tower Lord's brow furrowed. "They can’t be reviving again… That’s impossible, even for magic of this level."

Claudia's expression darkened as realization struck. Her voice was filled with disgust."They’re devouring their comrades’ corpses."

"What?!"

The Tower Lord turned, horrified, to witness the gruesome scene. The creatures feasted on the remains, consuming flesh and blood with terrifying fervor.

As they fed, their bodies grew larger, their aura of chaos intensifying. They became more ferocious, their blood-soaked maws glistening under the moonlight.

The once vibrant Sky City had transformed into a nightmarish battlefield, drenched in blood and carnage.

Even Claudia, a veteran of many battles, felt her stomach churn at the grotesque sight.

Once the feasting ended, the empowered creatures launched another assault, their newfound strength making them nearly unstoppable.

Overwhelmed, the Tower Lord and Claudia found themselves forced to retreat, struggling to hold their ground.

Shadow, watching his creations wreak havoc, sneered."Absolute numerical superiority. Savage attacks. Bodies impervious to pain. And even in death, they serve a purpose…"

"This is the feast of slaughter, Tower Lord. Claudia. Enjoy it to your hearts’ content."

As he spoke, a pelican-like creature landed beside him, carrying a woman in white robes.

"Lord Shadow," Elizabeth said, dismounting gracefully. "We’ve located the seal—it’s directly beneath the Tower Lord’s position."

"Excellent," Shadow said, turning to the ruins of the Twilight Tower. "Guard me while I unseal it. Let no one interfere."

"Understood, my lord."

Shadow descended to the ruins and began channeling his power into the seal.

From across the battlefield, the Tower Lord saw a pillar of violet light pierce the sky. His heart sank.

"He’s found the seal… If he breaks it, this will spiral out of control."

But before he could act, a thunderous roar drew his attention.

A blazing monster emerged from the shadows, its fiery form advancing toward Claudia.

The Tower Lord’s heart froze.

"Flame Demon…"

As if one weren’t enough, three more Flame Demons stepped forward, their heavy steps echoing ominously.

Claudia, battered and bleeding, lay helpless in the rubble as the demons prepared to strike.

Closing her eyes, she braced for the end.

Suddenly, the sound of slicing wind filled the air.

A blade spun through the night, its lightning-charged edge cleaving through the Flame Demons' attack.

The weapon landed before Claudia, sparking with arcs of blue electricity.

Her eyes widened. She recognized it.

"Thundercloud Blade…"

A familiar voice echoed from above.

"Sorry, am I late?"

Descending from the skies on his dragonhawk, Leon landed, his presence igniting hope in the chaos.