Chapter 483: Squaring Them Up

She wore a determined expression.

Hayley understood that Morgana was on a completely different level compared to any of them but she hated f the way the Queen spoke to them, as though they were children who had no idea what they were doing, or as though they were simply weak and useless.

It pissed her off and she wanted to prove the Queen of Demons wrong.

Hayley looked toward the rest of the team as though seeking their validation. Her brother gave her a nod, while the others gave her approving looks.

She then turned back toward Morgana.

The Queen scoffed. "We'll see about that."

After a brief pause, she continued. "Now that we're all in agreement, this is how it's going to be."

She pointed toward Aggravain. "This knight is going to fight just you, and you alone, son of Izzgur."

Hayley's eyes widened. "What?"

Ethan's expression became slightly distorted.

In the short time Aggravain had been standing there, Ethan had felt his magical presence steadily growing. Whatever Morgana had created, this was clearly an extremely powerful puppet.

Morgana paid little attention to Hayley's surprise. Instead, she turned toward Lucius and pointed at the High Mage.

"Izzgur. You will fight him alone."

Nathan gave no visible expression except by turning towards the dark skinned mage.

She then pointed toward the skull-faced demon. "And the rest of you will contend with this one."

Ethan had this frown on his face. "What are you doing?"

Morgana looked at him as though the answer should have been obvious. "Of course. Did you think this was going to be some group-versus-group display?"

She chuckled. "Among your group, you and your father are the strongest. And if I were to evaluate your respective chances against dragons…"

She raised one hand, then lowered it again, weighing the comparison.

"Well, I'd say the two of you at least stand a considerably better chance than the others."

She gestured toward Aggravain and Lucius.

"So the fighters I've prepared for you have been specifically tailored to your levels. As you well know, not all dragons are equal in strength."

Morgana pointed toward Aggravain.

"You see Aggravain here? He has fought and beaten a dragon with his bare hands before."

She laughed lightly at the memory. " witnessed it myself"

Back in the days of old Camelot, during one of Beilong's rampages, Aggravain had beaten the adult dragon with his bare hands.

Her smile widened. "So I'd say this should be a very good contest for you."

Morgana then turned toward Lucius. "As for this High Mage… believe it or not, there was a time when he was considered one of the greatest mages of the era. He would eventually go on to teach another mage who would later be regarded as the greatest of his time."

The other mage she referred to in this scenario, was Merlin.

She looked toward Nathan. "I believe he will be a fitting match for you."

Morgana then turned toward the remaining members of the group and pointed toward the skull-faced demon.

"This one was a demon general from the period when demons still spoke the old tongue."

"He was one of the very few demons of that age to be considered a direct descendant to the Devil race."

"Considering the strength he possessed back then, I believe he should be a fitting opponent for a dragon."

"Given your combined strength, it should be interesting to see how the rest of you fare against him."

Morgana turned toward them all. "Now we'll move on to the playground."

She clapped her hands.

Suddenly, a large green magic circle spread beneath everyone's feet. In the next moment, the entire group vanished.

When they reappeared, they found themselves standing in a vast wasteland.

Remnants of a once-thriving settlement were scattered across the landscape. Destroyed buildings stood in ruins, with broken bricks and cracked roads stretching through the desolate terrain.

Different skeletons dressed in old soldier uniforms lay scattered across different corners of the wasteland.

This place had once been one of the provinces of the Demon Continent.

There used to more than ten of them in the past; but that changed when the provincial lord of this particular territory became convinced that he had grown powerful enough to challenge the Demon King; especially as he had also gained the support of several major domain lords within his province.

Morgana had responded personally, coming to the province herself and wiping it out alone.

The destruction served as an example to the other provinces and was one of several events that eventually reduced the number of provinces until only ten remained.

Morgana looked over the ruined landscape.

"The battles will take place here. All you have to do is either win against your opponent or survive for ten minutes."

"There are no rules of engagement. Use whatever you can to your advantage."

"For the first five minutes, you may spread out across the area however you wish. And you may only assist the others after you have completed your own challenge within the allotted time."

Slowly, Morgana began to levitate into the air.

"Oh, and one more thing." She smiled. "There is no surrender."

Her smile became more devious.

"You will either survive the allotted time, defeat your puppet…"

"…or die trying."

Their eyes widened slightly.

Morgana then added, "Refrain from calling upon the Mistress during this time. She may be willing to save you, but don't forget…"

Her eyes narrowed. "This is still my kingdom."

She said nothing more.

It sounded like a threat, and perhaps it was. Still, none of them were particularly intimidated by it.

Even if the situation reached the point where they had to call upon Isabella, they were confident the Mistress would be able to handle whatever retaliation Morgana might attempt.

Besides, several of them genuinely wanted to face these opponents.

This was an opportunity to understand exactly what they would be dealing with when they eventually faced dragons. It could also reveal the weaknesses in their own abilities and give them a chance to correct them.

In that regard, they did not entirely disagree with Morgana's methods.

Morgana looked down at them. "The challenge officially begins."

She then flew high into the sky and moved far away from the battlefield, watching from a considerable distance.

The group glanced at one another.

Hayley turned toward Ethan. "I know you can take care of this guy, but be careful, okay?"

Ethan smiled. "Shouldn't you be more bothered about your own opponent?"

She turned toward the skull-faced demon. "Well, there are six of us against it…"

Her eyes glowed amber. "We won't lose."

Ethan then turned his attention toward the knight, who was already staring back at him

Lightning streaked across his eyes, then he disappeared in a flash.

Aggravain moved at the exact same instant, his figure vanishing in a burst of yellow flames.