"My Lord of the Sky can control everything in the sky."
"So the question is, what is the sky?"
"In my eyes, even this land floats above the void."
Therefore, there was no such thing as a truly absolute 'land.' Everything Frey saw was a subject under the rule of her Ultimate Skill, Lord of the Sky · Horus.
The sky wasn't just wind. It was a direction, a perspective, a relative concept.
Ultimate Skills were the same.
Their descriptions might sound simple, like 'Lord of Something,' but how powerful they became depended entirely on the wielder.
"Like this!"
Under Frey's command, it truly seemed like the entire sky was under her dominion.
Rocks and soil reassembled into a massive mountain, and then, under her control, transformed into an asteroid dozens of kilometers long.
What stunned Carrion even more was that this asteroid had flowing rivers, grasslands, forests, and even a small, perfectly constructed city.
Whoosh!
The asteroid quickly disassembled into countless particles, then returned to their original places.
The mountains reformed, rivers flowed back, and even the animals and plants that had been swept up returned to their original locations, restored by Frey's control.
"This is my Lord of the Sky · Horus."
Just like how Horus was most known for his all-seeing eye, upon acquiring this Ultimate Skill, Frey also gained terrifying calculation abilities and total mastery over magicules.
"Visible earth and stone, invisible thunder and storms, even light."
As if responding to Frey's will, the surrounding light distorted. A mass of dark clouds covered the sun, and a double layer of darkness blanketed the world.
At this moment, in Carrion's eyes, Frey was no longer just a Demon Lord.
She was like a god of destruction.
Even after the demonstration ended, Carrion was still staring blankly into the sky.
"Now, give me your answer."
"Do I even need to think about it?"
Carrion was completely backed into a corner.
Frey first beat him senseless, forcing him to confront the brutal reality.
Surrender or die.
Carrion had no other option from the beginning.
And the terrifying physical display and overwhelming power afterward were simply the carrots dangled before him—meant to show him the benefits of submitting to Rin.
"I'm not so foolish that I can't see what's in front of me."
"You're right. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If I miss it, I'll regret it forever."
Now, it all came down to Rin's attitude.
Would he accept Carrion's allegiance? Would he give Carrion the same level of care and empowerment as Frey?
So this is the world out there… it's terrifyingly vast.
Since when did the proud and confident Lion King start to worry about whether someone would accept him?
"Well done, Frey."
"Who?!"
Carrion was startled by the sudden voice.
He turned toward Frey, only to see her bowing respectfully to a man.
That respectful posture… Carrion had never seen her do anything like that before.
"Isn't this the little lion from Guy and Rudra's game?"
Velzard descended alongside Rin. She had been curious who Rin intended to recruit. So it was Carrion.
"You are…"
Carrion felt Velzard looked familiar, but couldn't place her right away.
As for the 'game' Velzard mentioned, Carrion had no clue.
Still, he sensed this wasn't the time to think about unrelated things.
"Oh, right! You're that woman beside the Dark Emperor!"
Suddenly, it clicked.
He remembered. A long time ago, during a Demon Lord Banquet, Guy had brought Velzard with him.
He hadn't paid much attention back then.
He never expected to see her again like this, standing beside Rin.
"You recognized me."
Velzard gave a casual wave. "But don't misunderstand. I have nothing to do with Guy anymore."
Though they were still on good terms, Velzard had already pledged herself entirely to Rin.
Guy and Velzard didn't have that kind of relationship.
What she meant was simple, Rin had no connection to Guy. He wasn't one of Guy's people.
"Then who exactly are you…?"
"Let me introduce you."
Rin said, "This is Velzard. Younger sister of the Star King Dragon. Once a True Dragon. Now the White Ice Dragon God."
???
A flood of titles made Carrion's brain go blank.
Sister of the Star King Dragon?
A True Dragon?
White Ice Dragon God?
Carrion had already assumed that anyone walking with Guy wouldn't be ordinary.
But this identity… wasn't it a bit too terrifying?
Even Veldora alone was enough to send chills down Carrion's spine.
And now there was someone even more terrifying.
"You forgot the most important part."
Velzard smiled and hugged Rin's arm, stating it clearly. "I now belong to my brother Rin."
"…"
Carrion didn't know how to respond.
Velzard's bold claim also left Rin rather speechless.
He tried to pull his arm away, but Velzard held on tightly.
"Ahem. In any case, I accept your allegiance."
"And don't worry. I never mistreat those who sincerely surrender."
Rin added, "The beastfolk you sent into the forest are safe. They're currently guests in my city."
"Really?"
Carrion's eyes lit up. "Thank you very much, Lord Rin."
"Please forgive my earlier probing. I was just uneasy about the sudden changes in the forest."
"No problem."
Rin understood Carrion's thoughts.
All he ever wanted was someone's attitude.
As for arrogant fools like the Kingdom of Falmuth, he didn't mind erasing them on the spot. He had no patience for that type.
But someone with vision was a different story.
As long as they didn't go too far or cross Rin's bottom line, he was more than willing to give them a chance.
Of course, the prerequisite was that their character had to hold up.
If someone was a backstabber or a thankless traitor, Rin would never accept them.
Yes, that's right. I'm talking about you, Youm.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)