CHAPTER 85: AN INVITATION

"Who do you think could be attacking us?" Vacuse asked in a calm voice.

Ragna stared at the sky through the bar, and his eyes narrowed. His expression darkened. "Why are you so calm?"

Outside, the soldiers were arranging themselves into formation, and everyone was covered in faint rolls of aura as they got ready for battle.

The black carriage began to glow with silver light as the runes lit up.

"Anyone that attacks us is either stupid... or strong," Vacuse said. "Either way though, it won’t be easy to get to us. Your Bones Riders and my Dragon Guards are going to do a number on them."

Something blurred through the air, falling right atop them, but they created space for it, and the beast slammed into the ground with a bone-crushing force.

It was the bird beast of the Dragon Guard Soulbearer.

The beast’s neck had been cut up, leaving behind only a small string of flesh to connect with the neck.

The soldiers stared at the bird monster with grim expressions, and the fallen Dragon Guard member was dragged away to be treated.

"Lord Vacuse, it’s best you stay in the carriage until we have eliminated the threat," Captain Mera said.

Vacuse nodded. "That’s alright."

Captain Mera bowed and began shouting orders.

"Lord Vacuse, you should stay away from the window," Harkon said. His hand was atop one of his swords as he scanned outside through the window.

Lord Ragna had already moved away from it, dragged back by his captain, Valka.

Vacuse nodded, but he didn’t immediately move either. "The windows are protected. Look at the bars; each of them is covered by runes. It’ll hold enough for me to get away in time.

"I must know what is attacking us."

Outside, everyone waited with bated breath, and it didn’t take long for something to happen.

The dead beast suddenly opened its eyes. Dead, lightless eyes stared at the nearest soldier, and then it leaped, crossing the distance in a blink, metal-like beak stabbing down like an arrow toward his neck.

The soldier reacted fast, swinging his weapon upward, but the beast was somehow faster, and its beak was just inches from the soldier’s neck when a blur passed through.

Another Dragon Guard member was there, legs covered in silver, shiny energy as he jumped, his legs like hammers as he marched the beast to the ground.

Bam!

Bones snapped like twigs, and the ground shattered with force, scattering stones covered in the shiny silver light from the guard’s leg.

"What the fuck... did the dead beast just move?"

"What is going on?"

The Bones Riders and the Dragon Guards murmured among themselves as they watched. Although they didn’t move from their positions, they still kept eyes on what was happening.

The way the Dragon Guards were positioned in the formation meant that one soldier could help each other while the other was fighting. Or vice versa.

Captain Mera, who was standing beside Vacuse’s carriage, watched with a dark expression.

Vacuse narrowed his eyes. "You know something."

She smiled with a grim expression. "If you look closely at the beast’s body, you’ll see an almost invisible string attached to it. If I have to predict, I’d say the string comes from an infamous person.

"A member of the Black Accord, Serenthar. He has the pathway of the Threadfiend beast with the highest rank beasts of A. And he is an A-ranked Deepbonded Resonant."

Vacuse narrowed his eyes. "What’s your advancement stage, Captain?"

She smiled. "I am at the peak of Deepbonded Resonant as well. And my beast rank is A as well."

Vacuse didn’t like the odds. "Is this Threadfiend at the peak of Deepbonded Resonant as well?"

Her brows furrowed. "I doubt it. Maybe he’s in the early stages. But his power is diverse, as you can see what he did to the monster. The Black Accord treasures him so because he’s a master of the battlefield.

"For them to send him here, then they must really want you dead, Lord Vacuse."

He grimaced. "Yes. I’m popular like that. Then tell me, Captain, is the Dragon Lord right in sending you over?"

She smiled. "In a way, I am also concerned as a master of a battlefield."

Just then they heard the same high whine sound as before rushing toward them. They soon saw dark figures dropping from the sky.

Bam! Bang! Bam!

They slammed into the ground like nails, cracking stones and throwing up sand.

Vacuse counted at least five of them.

And they aren’t humans.

They are constructs made of dark metals with runes running around their bodies. They stood there unmoving.

Captain Mera stiffened. "I was right. It is him. The Puppet Master, Serenthar!"

A cold laughter drifted through the air, and another figure fell from the sky and landed atop one of the constructs. "Hellllllllllo! I am Serenthar of the Black Accord! Nice to meet you all, my potential puppets!"

Everyone stiffened.

"What a way to make an entrance," Vacuse said dryly.

The man was tall, his limbs thin, with a head covered in short white hair. He looked around, twisting his upper body to look at the Dragon Guards and the Orcs. "What a strange thing. Humans and Orcs! I’ve never had an Orc puppet before. Are you telling me that today is my day?"

Captain Mera glared at him. "What are you looking for here? Don’t you see the Dragon flag? Don’t you see that this is the territory of the Dragon Lord? The Grand Duke?"

Serenthar blinked, jumped down, and bowed toward the carriage, ignoring all the glares and dark aura flying around. "Oh, I’m sorry. For me, eh... Dragon Lord?"

Vacuse smiled. "Oh, I like him. As a joker, not as someone that’s trying to kill me."

Serenthar raised his head, and their eyes met. He faked surprise. "Oh! It’s not the Dragon Lord! It’s his heir! Forgive me, forgive me.

"Then, Lord Vacuse, I have an invitation from the boss of the Black Accord. It says—surrender and follow him quietly, or we’ll make your life very miserable by killing all you hold dear."