"You court death!"
Along with Otto's hysterical roar, inside the Throne Room, the remaining seven Tower Casters simultaneously pressed their hands onto their respective consoles, pouring all the energy within their bodies into them without reservation.
The body of the Tower began to tremble violently. The energy circuits covering its surface all lit up in an instant, emitting a blinding light as immense power gathered at its peak.
Even the sky above the Tower's peak seemed to be stirred by a formless, giant hand, the clouds converging into a massive vortex.
"Defenses! Watch your defenses!"
Taylor roared, raising his warhammer.
The Pickets behind him subconsciously raised their weapons, their palms slick with cold sweat.
Though they all knew that such gestures were meaningless in the face of such power.
W let out a whistle, the smile on her face receding slightly, replaced by a morbid excitement.
"Oho, looks like they're getting serious."
She pulled several strangely shaped bombs from behind her back.
Hoederer ignored her. He plunged his greatsword into the ground, folded his hands over the pommel, and stood at the very front of the Sarkaz mercenary corps.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for the radiant Arts to descend and completely vaporize them.
At this very moment!
Lacey took a step forward and slowly raised his right hand.
Instantly, the thousands of Pickets and guards behind him, even the tens of thousands of citizens from the Wasser Fief who had voluntarily followed with pickaxes and wooden clubs in hand.
The trust, hope, and reverence they held for Lacey in their hearts transformed in that moment into an invisible torrent, pouring into his body!
[United We Stand!]
A power far more immense than that of the Tower coalesced before Lacey.
His body became like a furnace, bearing the will of an entire class.
The next moment!
Atop the Tower, the seven casters responsible for the spell exerted their full force simultaneously.
The energy at the Tower's peak transformed into a thick pillar of light and shot down with a deafening roar!
"BOOM—!"
The earth-shattering explosion devoured all surrounding sound.
A tidal wave of energy spread wildly in all directions, kicking up a sky full of dust and smoke as the entire plain shook violently.
Before the monitoring light screen, Otto Gladstone revealed a cruel smile.
He could already see the scene of those rebels turning to ash amidst their screams.
This single strike, concentrating more than half the energy of seven Tower Casters and the defensive formation, was powerful enough to level a small town!
However, as the fierce winds subsided, the energy dissipated, and the dust slowly settled, the smile on Otto's face suddenly froze.
On the plain, the red flag bearing a sickle and axe fluttered sharply in the wind.
A golden magical barrier stood before Lacey. Its light was dim, but it had not shattered.
Behind the barrier, Lacey's army was completely unharmed; even their formation was not in disarray.
Lacey still held his hand raised, his expression perfectly composed.
"N-No... Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
The savage smile on Otto's face solidified completely as he cried out in disbelief.
The wine glass in his hand also fell to the ground with a *crash*, the crimson liquid spilling out.
"Th-That was a strike from the Tower! He... he alone..."
The seven casters inside the Tower were even more ashen-faced. Two of them, suffering from the backlash of their Arts being forcibly interrupted, spat up blood and collapsed weakly to the ground.
How was this possible?
The enemy was only one man!
How did he block an attack of this magnitude?
Is he the Witch King reincarnate?
Otto's body began to tremble uncontrollably, not from anger, but from a long-forgotten fear.
He suddenly realized that the Tower he was so proud of was perhaps utterly fragile before the man standing before him!
Lacey's own strength had far exceeded their estimations!
With the Tower's internal forces currently depleted, the enemy, by his strength alone, could perhaps easily dismantle the Tower's defenses.
Even if they could barely hold off Lacey with the Tower Casters and the few remaining Golden Lawguards, if those Sarkaz mercenaries behind him charged...
The handful of guards left in the Tower couldn't possibly stop them!
He was finished.
"My lord... my lord..." The Chief of Staff's face was pale, his voice trembling. "W-what... what should we do?"
Otto did not answer. He stared intently at Lacey's calm face on the light screen, trying to find a flaw.
But he failed. That face showed only absolute confidence and composure.
Just then, a Picket rode forward on horseback and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Otto Gladstone!"
"Give us a straight answer! Are you surrendering or not!"
Otto's body swayed, and he had to clutch the table to steady himself.
Surrender?
His Gladstone family had ruled the Wasser Fief for hundreds of years; there was no precedent for surrender.
But... not surrendering was a dead end, and a death utterly devoid of dignity.
Inside the Tower, the few remaining Tower Casters looked at each other, their eyes filled with terror.
The Arts staff in one of their hands fell to the ground with a clang.
They were casters in service to the Elector, not sacrificial pawns to be buried with him.
Otto listened to the tsunami-like calls for surrender from outside and then looked at the guards and casters beside him who had already lost their will to fight.
He collapsed into his seat, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.
He had lost. Lost completely, without a shred of doubt.
To continue resisting would only lead to a more humiliating death.
Perhaps... there was still a sliver of a chance to preserve the last shred of dignity for his family.
Otto took a deep breath and ordered in a hoarse voice: "Disarm... disarm the defenses."
The Chief of Staff froze for a moment, then, as if granted a pardon, scrambled to relay the order.
A moment later, the energy circuits enveloping the Tower flickered a few times and went completely dark.
"Let Lacey... come up alone." Otto's voice broadcast out via an amplification Arts formation. "I wish to speak with him."
The main gate at the base of the Tower slowly opened.
"Mr. Lacey, be careful! It could be a trap!" Taylor immediately stepped forward, his face full of vigilance.
"Yeah, boss, this old codger is definitely up to no good. Why don't we just charge in and drag him out!" W said, clutching her bombs, eager to go.
Lacey shook his head.
"He has no cards left to play."
He looked at Serafina. "You all wait for me down here."
"No!" Serafina refused without a second thought.
"I'm going with you!"
Her Originium Arts could sense emotional fluctuations; if Otto had any killing intent, she would be the first to know.
Lacey looked at her determined gaze, did not insist further, and nodded.
He turned to Taylor and Hoederer and instructed, "Wait for me outside. If I'm not out in half an hour, storm the place immediately."
"Yes, sir!" Taylor responded loudly.
Hoederer nodded in agreement.
He watched Lacey's back with a complicated expression.
This young man not only possessed terrifying power but also the courage and strategy to match it.
Perhaps the future of Kazdel truly needed more intersections with a man like this.
...
Inside the Tower.
On both sides of the corridor, the Golden Lawguards who should have been standing guard now hung their heads, their weapons placed by their feet, their gazes averted, not daring to meet Lacey's eyes as he approached.
Serafina followed closely by Lacey's side, her hand resting on the communication device at her waist, her Originium Arts ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice.
But she did not sense any killing intent from the Golden Lawguards, which allowed her to breathe a small sigh of relief.
After passing through the long corridor, they arrived at the Throne Room on the top floor of the Tower.
________________________________________
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