Watching Kuchierkan’s battle spirit surge wildly, the other non-human races behind her all revealed awkward expressions in unison.
Among them, the Fishfolk were the most agitated, blowing bubbles continuously from their fish mouths. On their backs, visible Burn Scars could be seen.
Obviously, during their journey together, the members of the Visiting Delegation had received no shortage of duel invitations from the battle-loving princess.
There was no alliance between their races—the so-called Visiting Delegation was just a formal grouping. Kuchierkan’s current leading position had been earned with her fists, every bit of it fought for.
At this moment, no one could persuade Kuchierkan to rein in her arrogance. All they could do was retreat, giving her a wide berth, and wait for the humans to respond.
With her Greatsword slung over her shoulder, Kuchierkan’s Dragon Eye, dazzling like gold, was full of wild defiance and burning with the desire for battle.
“Isn’t anyone going to answer? Do humans always use pantomime to entertain their guests?”
The City Lord took a deep breath.
Such blatant provocation left them caught off guard. His hand, pressed against a stone, bulged with veins as he suppressed his anger.
His tone remained steady as he spoke, “Lady Kuchierkan, this is not a battlefield. There is no duel before the city gates.”
The hidden meaning was: Are you trying to reignite a war between humans and non-humans right here?
Kuchierkan let out a disappointed sigh, slamming her Greatsword into the ground with a thunderous crash.
She raised her arms, showing she was unarmed, her tone laced with narrow self-righteousness. “Don’t pin labels on me. My actions only represent myself. I just want to spar with a strong human.”
“The reason I brought it up before even entering the city is because I’m worried you humans will make endless excuses to brush me off. Why not just satisfy my wish right from the start?”
“Considering this isn’t your Royal Capital… hmm, fine. I won’t use weapons or magic. That should be enough, right?”
A hearty smile hung on Kuchierkan’s face, making her seem like an earnest warrior. But regardless of her words’ sincerity, to the City Lord and others, her every remark was full of contempt.
The Secretary Officer clenched her fists, angrily shouting, “She’s just trying to put us in our place! City Lord, let me handle this!”
The City Lord shook his head, refusing. “You’re not a match for her. I’ll do it.”
“No, City Lord, if you step out it’ll be undignified. Let me send a young man instead!”
As the City Lord, to openly fight at the gates with a non-human displaying such arrogance would damage his reputation regardless of victory or defeat.
The City Lord knew this well, but under the circumstances, if he didn’t step up, no one else could stand against a princess whose strength was at least Fifth Tier.
“And besides, even you might not win, City Lord!”
“Shut your mouth.”
His subordinate’s jabs truly made the City Lord want to cough up blood. He resolved that once this troublesome affair was over, he’d go into seclusion for training. Someday, he’d make all these irritating underlings eat their words!
But that was for another time.
Right now, Kuchierkan was growing impatient. Leaning on her Greatsword, she propped up her generous, deep cleavage with both arms and urged, “Have you decided yet? It’s so boring to wait this long, hey!”
The City Lord’s gaze darkened. Just as he was about to speak, his expression suddenly froze.
Without warning, a massive Space Gate unfurled on the ground beneath the entire Visiting Delegation, including the nearby onlooking non-humans.
None of them were prepared as they all began to fall.
Kuchierkan was the first to sense the energy surging beneath her feet, shock flashing in her eyes.
She quickly reached for her sword, and at the same time, her back split open as her clothing tore, revealing black fleshly wings. With a gust of wind, they helped Kuchierkan steady herself in midair.
The other non-humans also used their various abilities to halt their descent. None wished to fall unprepared into an unknown Space Gate.
Kuchierkan and the others thought they’d stabilized the situation. They glared angrily at the humans atop the city wall, all prepared to shout accusations of treachery and ambush. Kuchierkan was the most enraged; her fury became tangible, igniting her Greatsword. Her powerful figure, like a meteor, crashed toward the barely closed Space Gate below.
“How dare you resort to sneak attacks and defile a sacred duel! Unforgivable!”
Yet this rage-fueled strike achieved nothing. When the flames faded, Kuchierkan stared in disbelief at the scene before her. Dozens of silver-white tentacles stretched from within the Space Gate, easily blocking her attack.
The blazing fire twining her Greatsword melted away like snow under the tentacles’ touch. In a flash, the tentacles raced up the sword toward Kuchierkan.
She reacted swiftly, wild magic surging throughout her body, increasing her magical output to finally tear the tentacles apart.
But the severed tentacles didn’t disappear. Instead, they transformed into countless tiny silver spheres, scattering like broken drops of mercury.
In the next instant, the mercury spheres exploded, splitting into fine silver spikes that shot toward the non-humans.
Like a downpour, the attack was impossible to dodge. At first, some had the strength to resist, but the Mercury Poison, able to shift form and infiltrate every gap, still seeped into their skin, stealing away vitality.
The Fishfolk, weakest of all, showed the first signs of collapse—their floating bubble even became tinged with color.
Soon, exhaustion overwhelmed them. As more tentacles emerged, they seized the opportunity, popped the bubble, and swept the struggling body into the Space Gate.
Next, the Mountain Dwarves and Elf Race fell one after another, leaving only Kuchierkan desperately hanging on.
Seeing the peril grow ever greater, a fierce light flashed in her eyes—she was about to unleash the Dragonkind’s most primal form.
But alas, the mastermind never gave her the chance. Sinister crimson magic surged along the tentacles, battering Kuchierkan’s magical circulation wherever it ran.
It only lasted an instant, but it was enough for the tentacles to wrap Kuchierkan’s body entirely. Her vision, too, was gradually sealed off. All she could do was let out a furious dragon’s roar: “Despicable wretch!!”
At last, she was dragged into the Space Gate, which then rapidly snapped shut.
The City Lord and his companions stared in confusion at the spot where the Visiting Delegation had stood. Now, only a calm, empty ground remained, as if none of them had ever been there.
The Secretary Officer approached the City Lord in shock, seeking comfort, her voice trembling. “City Lord, you hid your strength so well…”
“Get lost! That had nothing to do with me!” The City Lord’s defeated yet relieved gaze shifted toward a certain spot in the city behind him. He waved his hand casually, “She’s taken care of our problem. Take down all the city’s defenses, it’ll save us the trouble.”
“Are we just going to leave it at that? Is it really fine?”
“No need to interfere. We can’t do anything, anyway.”
A wry smile appeared at the corner of the City Lord’s lips.
It was equal parts self-mockery for needing someone else’s help due to his own lack of strength, and schadenfreude for the calamity that might soon befall the non-humans.
“Those non-humans are in for a real disaster.”