Chapter 647: The Tyrant Prince!

Every soldier in the courtyard stiffened.

For a brief moment, the Northern Palace descended into complete silence. Even the Longman commander, who had arrived with a hundred soldiers and enough confidence to demand the arrest of a Prince, felt an unfamiliar chill crawl down his spine.

Sol had not moved from his throne. He had not even bothered to look at them. Yet the casual manner in which he had dismissed their presence made the commander feel as though they were the ones who had been cornered.

He quickly suppressed the unease rising within him.

"Quickly! Seven-Fold barrier Formation!" he screamed, retreating into the ranks.

The soldiers reacted immediately. They raised their shields in unison, planting their feet against the stone pavement as crimson inscriptions illuminated their shields. One barrier appeared, followed by another, each overlapping the previous one until seven layers of crimson walls surrounded Sol and Leo. The formation extended across the courtyard, isolating the two figures from the rest of the army.

The commander raised his weapon.

"Unleash the Crimson Lightning Array!"

"UNLEASH THE CRIMSON LIGHTNING ARRAY!" another soldier repeated.

The command echoed across the courtyard.

Hundreds of demonic arrays materialised beyond the crimson walls. They appeared in rapid succession, spreading across the ground, climbing the surrounding buildings, and filling the air above the throne. Their intricate inscriptions revolved as crimson lightning gathered at their centres, the crackling energy illuminating the soldiers’ faces.

Leo watched the preparations with mild amusement.

"Will you handle it, or should I?"

Sol stretched out one hand, extending his index finger toward the sky. His golden iris shone brightly, its radiance intensifying until it resembled the sun itself.

"Relax," he said. "I started this, it’s only befitting I finish it."

Beyond the Northern Palace, the entire residence had been surrounded.

Thousands of soldiers occupied the surrounding streets, their ranks arranged according to their respective units. Infantry divisions secured the roads, elite warriors guarded the perimeter, and artillery crews positioned their weapons behind reinforced barricades. Heaven-Sundering Cannons stood beside Devil Ballistas, while massive Demon Fire Carts waited to unleash torrents of destructive energy.

The operation had clearly been planned well in advance.

At the centre of the command formation stood Duke Riot, a Longman demigod whose reputation had spread throughout the Imperial Capital. His extraordinary limbs made ordinary armour unsuitable for his body, so his crimson plate armour had been personally tailored to fit his proportions. A black cap fluttered in the wind above his helmet, while long black hair spilled from beneath it, reaching all the way to his waist.

In his hand rested a black spear.

Its hilt bore the distorted face of a screaming human, the mouth stretched unnaturally wide around the base of the weapon. The black blade extended from the mouth, giving the impression that the spear had been grown from the remains of something that had once been alive.

Riot’s cold eyes narrowed as he watched the Northern Palace.

He had accepted this assignment knowing exactly who his target was. This was their greatest chance of putting an end to Sol’s existence. The court could not afford to let such an opportunity go to waste.

"Has the formation been completed?" Riot asked.

"Yes, the array is ready. All artillery units are awaiting your command."

Riot gave a small nod.

"Standby until I give the signal."

The next moment, the entire Northern Palace exploded.

A tremendous flash swallowed the residence, and the surrounding buildings trembled beneath the shock wave. Stone walls collapsed, towers disintegrated, and the courtyard vanished beneath an eruption of crimson and golden light. The explosion rose into the sky, its brilliance visible across several districts of the capital.

For a moment, it seemed as though a second sun had appeared above the Northern Palace.

Then the light began to recede.

Where the residence had once stood, there was only a massive scorched crater.

Inside Damian’s palanquin, the conversation with President Shūren and Laura came to an abrupt halt.

The three of them were still seated together, discussing the final arrangements for the Alchemy Association’s return to Velmora.

Shūren had been explaining the records his association could provide concerning the Soul Fortification Pill when the distant explosion shook the surrounding buildings.

The palanquin’s protective formation flickered. Laura’s ears shot upright, and the president instinctively turned toward the window.

Damian did neither. His gaze had already shifted toward the northern horizon.

The faint amusement that had lingered in his expression disappeared, replaced by a cold, calculating stare. He could sense the extraordinary concentration of power in the distance, a presence so overwhelming that it seemed to distort the surrounding demonic energy.

He knew that power.

"That monster finally made a move," Damian hissed.

Shūren’s face paled.

Laura swallowed as she stared at Damian, the earlier playfulness entirely gone from her expression. Even from this distance, the energy erupting above the Northern Palace was enough to make her instincts scream.

"Sire, are you going to—"

Damian did not even wait for her to finish.

"No."

He leaned back and folded his arms.

"I have no plans of getting involved in this madness."

Laura stared at him. "But the Northern Palace—"

"Is none of my concern."

His answer was immediate.

Damian had no intention of inserting himself between Sol and the Imperial Court. The Prince of Pride was an absurdly dangerous monster, and anyone who had spent enough time around him understood that provoking him was rarely a sensible decision. If the court had chosen to confront Sol, then the consequences belonged to the people who had made that choice.

Besides, Damian had his own preparations to make.

He was leaving for the Dark Continent, his soul was still damaged, and the Alchemy Association had only just agreed to provide him with resources that might help preserve his lifespan. He would not jeopardise those plans by rushing into a conflict that had nothing to do with him.

He glanced toward the northern horizon once more.

"Let them settle their own problems."