Chapter 462: Tidal Frenzy
"Red dragon—"
"You'll make a fine offering! I will present your head to the Grand Sultan!"
"I'll sacrifice your body to the almighty Fire Lord!"
The fire elemental roared in the sky, his massive body descending amidst rolling black smoke, eyes blazing with brilliant fire.
The thirty-meter-tall crimson giant, wielding his brass scimitar, descended in an unstoppable slash.
"Swoosh—"
The space within the Fire Elemental Plane tore apart under the overwhelming force, revealing flame-like cracks.
Cassius looked up at the descending fire elemental, his Heavenly Calamity Dragon eyes gleaming.
The next moment, a sharp, whistling sound echoed.
Cassius flapped his wings at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, his body turning into a crimson blur, leaving a cone-shaped cloud in his wake.
With a sudden flash, the massive red dragon vanished from where he had been.
"What?"
"How is that possible?"
The fire elemental's downward strike missed its mark, leaving his face contorted in anger and disbelief.
As a Pasha of the fire elementals, Ismail had fought alongside fearsome red dragons before, some of whom were followers of the Evil Fire Lord Imix and frequently collaborated with the Fire Elemental Nation.
He knew firsthand the destructive power of red dragons and considered them near equals in strength. But when it came to agility, Ismail had always believed himself superior.
And yet—
"Squish."
The sound of flesh being sliced open.
Ismail felt a gust of scorching wind behind him, followed by a searing pain.
In that brief moment, Cassius had already circled behind him, slicing through his neck with razor-sharp claws.
Molten blood, like magma, sprayed into the air.
"Die!"
Relying on instinct, Ismail whirled around and mustered all his strength to slash his brass scimitar at the red dragon's chest.
"Swoosh—"
The blade tore through the air, leaving a crescent-shaped arc of destructive energy.
Just as the blade was about to slice through his scales, Cassius flapped his wings again, creating a whirlwind and retreating nearly a hundred meters in the blink of an eye.
"Boom!"
The scimitar unleashed a crescent-shaped shockwave that expanded outward, destabilizing the surrounding space and leaving spiderweb-like cracks in the air.
But with Cassius's speed enhanced by layers of enchantments, even the shockwave couldn't touch him.
Cassius soared higher, positioning himself a hundred meters above Ismail. Looking down at the enormous fire elemental, he let out a mocking laugh.
"If this is all you've got—"
"Then the Grand Sultan's blessing is unimpressive at best."
"Coward!"
"Do you think running away will change your fate?"
"Red dragon! Fight me up close! Stop relying on your magic tricks and deceptive words!"
He was insulting his opponent's pride.
Floating in midair, the fire elemental roared toward the heavens, his gaze fixed on the red dragon, brimming with hatred and fury.
Ismail had been the strongest of his tribe since childhood, carving a path of blood on the battlefield by the age of fifty when he beheaded a wind elemental Emir.
By eighty, he had become a renowned warrior within his tribe.
But his rise wasn't easy—it had been a brutal struggle, emerging victorious against countless challengers among the fire elementals.
He had knelt before the Grand Sultan, covered in blood, to be granted the prestigious title of Pasha.
Recalling his journey, he raised his brass scimitar and pointed its blade at the red dragon—a gesture of challenge and defiance.
He would prove his strength to this formidable opponent!
Flames coiled around his massive body, his eyes radiating intense fire as thick smoke billowed behind him.
At this moment, Ismail embodied the essence of the Fire Elemental Plane itself.
"Come on, red dragon! Stop running and face me head-on!"
He knew red dragons well.
They were combative, quick to anger, arrogant, and self-absorbed.
Any creature that issued a direct challenge to a red dragon was considered an insult, driving the dragon to annihilate the insolent "insect."
But Cassius didn't react with anger. Instead, he tilted his head curiously.
"Shouldn't you be reflecting on why your spellcasting is so weak?"
"Or are you just not trying hard enough?"
Cassius grinned, his nostrils releasing a puff of sulfurous white smoke, taunting his opponent.
"But—"
"Against a fool like you, there's no need for tricks. Overwhelming brute force will do."
"Come! Show me the strength you're so proud of!"
Flames soared skyward as smoke and ash filled the air.
Cassius flapped his wings with force, creating a scorching gust as he dived down like a meteor—hurtling straight toward the fire elemental Pasha.
Ismail braced himself, charging forward without hesitation, his body surging with the power of the plane.
"Boom!"
Blinding light erupted.
What followed was a series of explosive collisions, each impact shaking the heavens and tearing through the fabric of the plane.
Flames and smoke intertwined, steam and ash danced wildly, creating burning spatial rifts in the plane's orange-hued sky.
The massive forms of the red dragon and the fire elemental clashed within swirling clouds of smoke and vapor, their scales and limbs occasionally flashing into view.
Each collision unleashed waves of scorching air that flattened nearby creatures, killing many instantly.
The sky was torn asunder.
The ground trembled and groaned.
"Fire Lord above..."
"They... They're divine punishments sent to destroy us!"
"O Lord..."
"What... What are those beings?"
"I've lived eighty-seven years and never witnessed such a battle!"
The slaves, once filled with curiosity, now trembled in fear, unable to lift their heads and watch.
It was too terrifying.
They had seen flames from the battle rain down, instantly incinerating dozens of unfortunate fire lizards.
"Cassius, our Emperor will win!"
Selkan looked up with unwavering determination, his expression bordering on faith.
Even the most ordinary imperial soldiers raised their heads, watching the sky with anticipation and tension.
But none showed any sign of doubt about Cassius's victory—it was impossible.
Their Emperor never lost.
It had always been this way.
Whether against nobles, demons, silver dragons, or fire elementals, Emperor Cassius always crushed his enemies and led them to glory.
This wasn't just confidence born of countless victories—it was the result of the empire's years of indoctrination.
Many imperial soldiers had faith in their emperor comparable to religious zealots, bordering on fanaticism.
"The great red dragon never falls!!"
"Long live Emperor Cassius!"
"Rejoice, everyone! Our Emperor has taken the field—this will end soon!"
The soldiers' cheers were drowned by the sound of explosions but persisted in waves, like a rising tide.