Chapter 459: Submission and Pasha
"Th-This Emperor killed the fire elementals!"
"Gods…"
"It's true, the fire elementals have been killed! Not only killed, but they were eaten by this Emperor!"
"He's far stronger than those fire elementals! This is a master truly worthy of our allegiance!"
A massive fire lizard elder with a thick serpent tail exclaimed in shock.
These slaves had been under the fire elementals' yoke in Black Iron City for so long that even the fire lizards were bred as a slave race, enslaved for generations. If they traced back more than a dozen generations, all had been slaves to the fire elementals.
Even when freed, most of them still harbored the image of an all-powerful "master" in their hearts.
It was a chain embedded into their flesh and bones over millennia, placed by the fire elementals to prevent rebellion, and it wasn't easily broken.
Building a new idol was easier than breaking one apart.
Likewise, shifting one's faith was easier than destroying it entirely.
When the seemingly invincible fire elementals, regarded as gods by their slaves, were easily crushed and devoured by a larger, more powerful being, their subservience and worship naturally transferred to Cassius.
The slaves murmured anxiously and fearfully among themselves.
"He even granted us the status of free citizens!"
"What a merciful Emperor!"
"Indeed!"
They expressed their admiration in their various native tongues.
Their diverse eyes glimmered with flattery for their new superior and admiration for a stronger master.
Though Cassius had declared them free citizens, most continued their old habits, simply replacing the fire elementals with this dragon emperor as their new master.
"Long live Emperor Cassius!"
"Long live the Ember Empire!"
The fire lizard elder raised his arm and shouted passionately.
His grasp of the common tongue was shaky, with stumbles and hisses from his native fire language, but his reverence was unmistakable.
"Smack!"
The fire lizard fell to his knees, pressing his lizard-like head against the scorching ground, while his thick serpentine tail writhed in excitement.
Many other slaves from different races followed, as if compelled by instinct, kneeling and pressing their foreheads to the ground, softly whispering their master's name.
The heavy chains wrapped around their necks and the iron shackles on their feet clinked with each movement.
"Tsk tsk…"
"Those fire elementals sure knew how to train their slaves."
Cassius hovered above, flapping his wings as he gazed down at the slaves with his golden eyes, his face revealing little emotion.
"Swoosh—"
He descended slowly, landing on the ground and stirring up ashes and dust.
Cassius ignored the kneeling slaves and instead swiped his claws through the air, tearing open a fiery spatial rift.
From the rift emerged over a thousand officers and soldiers of the Empire's Fire Elemental Plane advance team, marching in perfect formation with rifles in hand. Upon receiving their commander's orders, they lined up before Cassius.
Every soldier was brimming with excitement—being inspected by the Emperor himself was an incredible honor!
Many imperial soldiers never got such a rare opportunity, but here they were, standing before the Emperor.
"Bang!"
At the officer's command, the soldiers raised their rifles and fired a salute.
The fire lizards and fire dwarves kneeling on the ground trembled in fear, thinking they were under attack.
Serkan, however, knelt on one knee before the red dragon, placing his right hand over his chest in a formal display of loyalty.
"Your Majesty!"
"The Empire's Fourth Advance Regiment reports as ordered."
"Serkan, I need your troops to take full control of this city, including these…"
Cassius glanced at the anxious, kneeling slaves and continued, "free citizens."
"Understood, Your Majesty!"
"First Battalion, take control of the southeastern district!"
"Second Battalion, secure…"
The officers began issuing orders according to military protocol.
Serkan grinned menacingly, baring his dragon-like teeth as he looked at the nervous slaves.
"Lead the way."
With the slaves guiding them, the imperial soldiers quickly gained control of the entire city.
They encountered some remaining fire elementals hiding within the city, but the soldiers, well-versed in the weaknesses of elemental beings, swiftly eliminated the resistance.
However, the peculiarities of the Fire Elemental Plane still took some getting used to—for example, the flame fountains in the Emir's residence and the various dangerous trinkets collected by the fire elementals that could easily reduce mortals to ash.
Cassius returned to the city wall, gazing at the orange-red sky, the billowing steam clouds, and the falling ash rain. His golden eyes flickered with light, and he exhaled sulfurous smoke from his nostrils.
He appeared invigorated.
"Strange phenomena…"
"It's finally happening… The Grand Sultan's true envoy is on the way. If the Sultan himself can't come, he'll at least send a Pasha."
"Boom!"
A heavy rumble was followed by an ear-piercing crack as the air split apart.
Rivers of magma surged, wildfires grew more intense and violent, and white-hot steam blanketed the landscape. Fiery tendrils snaked through the air.
Magma cascaded down cliffs, forming massive fiery waterfalls. The molten rivers created natural whirlpools that stirred the surrounding elemental forces into chaos.
In the sky, a massive vortex of fire—over a hundred meters in diameter—took shape. It resembled a lion's gaping maw, pulling in surrounding debris and ash, threatening to consume everything.
"That's…"
"The Flame Lion!"
The elderly fire lizard trembled violently as he gazed at the phenomenon, unable to suppress the primal fear embedded deep within his bloodline.
"By the Great Flame Lord…"
"It's a Pasha! A noble Pasha has arrived!"
The fire lizard elder couldn't help but exclaim.
He had witnessed a Pasha's magnificent form once as a child, nearly a century ago, and the memory remained vivid in his mind.
"Noble?"
"In the presence of His Majesty, no one is noble. Watch your words."
Serkan crossed his arms and warned coldly.
"Y-Yes… Sir."
The fire lizard elder quickly apologized.
In the sky, the phenomenon continued. First, a massive arm extended from the vortex's center, followed by a muscular torso—revealing a fire elemental!
This fire elemental was far larger than the average one, almost a different species altogether. The ten-meter-tall giant had a robust build, with reddish-purple skin etched with intricate flame patterns.
His round, glaring eyes emitted intense firelight, resembling twin suns. Two black, curved horns crowned his head, and thick smoke billowed from his body.
He wore a robe made of luxurious silk and satin, adorned with gold bracelets and rings, but the most striking feature was the radiant orichalcum collar around his neck.
This collar, a rare treasure bestowed by the Grand Sultan himself, symbolized his status as a Pasha—one of the six direct subordinates of the Grand Sultan.
Only the most powerful fire elementals were granted such an honor, serving as the Sultan's most trusted lieutenants.
"Red dragon!"
"You have crossed the line!"
"The Fire Elemental Plane is the Grand Sultan's domain, the land of fire elemental glory! You shall not act recklessly here!"
The Pasha's furious roar echoed across the scorched wasteland.
Cassius narrowed his eyes, his dragon face revealing a hint of amusement as he gazed at the enraged fire elemental.
"So, even one of the Pashas possesses this level of power…"
[Ismail Enver Pasha]
Challenge Rating: 24 (65,000 XP)