Lord of the Truth

Rumble... Rumble...

The atmosphere shifted in an instant. Conversations ceased, laughter was cut short, and even the sound of breathing became scarce. It was as if the world had collectively held its breath, sensing the arrival of something ominous. A moment later, waves of energy crashed in from the east, causing the very air to tremble. Space itself felt as though it was pulsating—contracting and expanding, stretching beyond its limits and then snapping back violently.

"Hmm?" Caesar floated slightly into the air, his gaze sharp as he looked toward the disturbance. His eyes landed on one of the grand space portals. It was distorting unnaturally, its internal structure warping. The very fabric of space twisted and compressed within it, sending out powerful ripples of energy. Lightning bolts, not of any ordinary storm, but ones birthed from the void itself, crackled violently, striking everything within proximity of the portal. The scene looked unstable, as if the portal was on the verge of collapsing—or worse, exploding.

"What's happening there?" Zara, standing beside him, had also noticed the strange phenomenon. Her golden eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the portal. A sense of foreboding gripped her. "Something is about to happen. We need to evacuate the citizens from the promenade immediately!"

Caesar's generals had already anticipated this command. Without hesitation, they stepped forward, their bodies tensing as they prepared to move. At any moment, they would take flight at full speed, racing toward the promenade where families, merchants, and travelers still lingered. The area was bustling with children playing, elderly citizens walking peacefully, and vendors tending to their stalls. If the gate truly erupted, it would spell disaster—a tragedy that would stain this day of celebration with blood.

But the time for evacuation had already passed.

Fwooooom!

In that instant, something colossal emerged from the portal.

A massive serpent's head, crowned with five long, menacing horns, pierced through the veil of space. Its scales glistened like obsidian, reflecting the chaotic energy swirling around the portal. Its crimson eyes flickered, scanning the surroundings with intelligence, malice, and an unshakable sense of dominance. For a brief moment, the creature simply observed, taking in the world it had just entered.

Then, it opened its jaws—rows of razor-sharp fangs lining its maw.

"Fwoooooaaaahhhhhh!!"

A thunderous roar erupted from the beast, shaking the entire imperial city. Though it was not as deafening as the legendary battle cry of Crexis, its effect was no less terrifying.

The audience in the grandstands clutched at their chests, their faces turning pale. A primal fear seized them, as if their very souls were being drained by the sheer force of the serpent's presence. Their knees buckled, and some collapsed entirely, their bodies paralyzed by the overwhelming aura of the gigantic beast.

And yet, their fate was still better than that of the civilians who remained in the pathway.

Those unfortunate enough to be near the portal had no chance to react. When the beast's roar reached their ears and their eyes turned to see its monstrous head looming over them, their minds shattered. The overwhelming dread sent them sprawling onto the ground. Many screamed, while others were so petrified that they could not even find their voices. Some lost control of their bodies entirely, wetting themselves in sheer terror.

Bzzzzt—

The moment the beast announced its arrival, sending waves of shock through the gathered crowd, it wasted no time. With terrifying speed, the five-horned serpent lunged forward, fully emerging from the portal.

Whoosh!

"Ahhh—!!"

The citizens closest to the portal let out horrified cries as they saw the monstrous form rushing toward them. Yet their screams were swallowed by the sheer presence of the creature. It did not even acknowledge them. Its massive, slithering body, nearly 200 meters in length, moved with unnatural grace and power. The ground beneath it cracked under the weight of its coils, sending tremors through the city.

In a single motion, it obliterated the imperial promenade. The beautifully paved roads, the ancient stone walkways, the lush gardens filled with rare plants—all were reduced to rubble beneath its passage. Birds that had nested in the nearby trees scattered in fright, their cries lost in the chaos.

As for the citizens?

They had simply vanished.

"STOP!"

The warlords and elite soldiers of the first army sprang into action, their battle instincts kicking in. They surged forward, attempting to intercept the beast before it could wreak further havoc. But it was too fast. A blur of black scales and boundless energy, it moved as if gravity itself bent to its will.

To make matters worse, no one dared attack it outright. A creature emerging from a space portal was not to be taken lightly. If it had come through an imperial channel, attacking it could have dire political consequences. Rumors had already spread that this beast might be an important ally of Empire nowadays. The soldiers hesitated, unwilling to take responsibility for striking first.

Then—

"DURGAARRRRRRR!!!"

Caesar's furious roar cut through the chaos. His voice carried an unrelenting power, shaking the very air. Without wasting another second, he propelled himself forward, black flames igniting along his arms. His momentum sent a shockwave through the battlefield, his killing intent sharp enough to make weaker warriors falter.

Behind him, the other generals followed suit. Their expressions were grim, their eyes burning with determination. Sakaar, Aro, and the rest of the high-ranking officers charged toward the beast as well. Even Holak, who had been watching from the imperial balcony, leaned forward with intrigue, eager to witness what would unfold.

Among the panicked screams of the audience, chaos erupted on the promenade.

Durger—the five-horned serpent—moved like an unstoppable force, its long, muscular body weaving destruction with every motion. The imperial soldiers scrambled to evacuate any remaining citizens while the warlords attempted to seize hold of its tail. Caesar's presence loomed behind them, bringing with it the full force of the empire's wrath.

For a brief moment, time itself seemed to freeze.

Then—

KACHA!!

A sudden force descended from the sky.

A streak of green lightning, faster than the eye could follow, struck the monstrous serpent. The impact was devastating. The force of the strike slammed Durgar's head into the earth, burying it deep into the shattered remains of the promenade.

The battlefield fell into stunned silence.

"Hmm?" Caesar halted mid-air, his brows furrowing as he processed what had just happened. Something was off. However, there was no time to dwell on it. The distance between the Grand Plaza and the Grand Portals was vast, and he couldn't afford to waste even a second. Without hesitation, he resumed his path, black flames igniting along his legs as his speed increased.

Meanwhile, on the ground—

"Haaaahhh!!!" A monstrous roar echoed through the air, shaking the very foundations of the imperial walkway. Durger, the Five-Horned Serpent, cried out in pain, his voice reverberating across the city like a storm tearing through the skies. He struggled, thrashing with all his might, but his colossal head remained firmly pressed against the ground.

Something—no, someone—was standing atop him.

An unimaginable weight bore down on his skull, pinning him in place. It felt as if an entire mountain range had collapsed onto his head, rendering him completely motionless.

And then—

A voice as deep as thunder resonated from above, "Show respect, visitor of Jura. Show respect, or be buried within it!"

The words were not merely spoken; they carried a force, an authority that sent a chill through every warrior present.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

With a furious snarl, Durger refused to accept what was happening. His pride would not allow it. He slammed his tail down onto the earth with enough force to crack the imperial road, sending tremors across the city. From between the hardened plates of his enormous body, a thick, violet mist began to spread—the Gas of Corrosion.

As the toxic fog spread outward, the Warlords who had been gripping his body were forced to release him, leaping backward to avoid being engulfed.

Freed from their grasp, Durger seized the moment.

WHOOOSH!

With a single, devastating motion, he swung his tail sideways, aiming to knock whatever was above him into the sky. No being—mortal or divine—should have been able to withstand such a strike. The sheer force behind it could split mountains in half.

And yet—

BOOOOOOM!!!

His tail came to a dead stop mid-swing.

The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, but… nothing budged.

Durger's slit eyes widened in disbelief. His tail—his strongest weapon—had struck against something immovable, something unshakable. And then—

CRAAAAACK!!

A sound he had never once heard before.

A sensation he had never once experienced.

His own scales, the same scales that had withstood divine flames and celestial lightning, were shattering.

"Haaaahhhh—what is happening?! I am a guest here! Haaaaah!! What are you doing to your guest?!" In his desperation, Durger abandoned his ancient tongue and roared in the language of humans.

It was a plea—no, an accusation.

And then came the reply.

"A guest?" The voice was filled with nothing but contempt. "A guest who destroys our land? Who tramples our citizens? Did you truly believe yourself an equal ally, you miserable crawler? That you could waltz into our empire and act as you please? Did you think Jura has no one to protect it? Fool!"

The weight above him suddenly shifted.

Durger barely had a second to react before—

BOOOOOOM!!!

Another stomp crashed down upon his skull, sending another pulse of pain through his massive frame.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

His howl of agony was louder than before.

He had never—never—felt such degradation.

What had gone wrong?

He had received an invitation. He had walked through the gate. He had simply begun moving toward his destination—nothing more, nothing less.

And yet—these foolish warriors had attempted to stop him.

Did they not know who he was?

Did they not understand the honor of his presence?

He had refused to be delayed by mere humans, so he had pressed forward. Why should he stop? Would it not be utterly ridiculous if word spread that a few insignificant soldiers had blocked his path?

During his legendary wars against the Empire of the Great Serpent, he had fought in honorable battles. There were no such humiliations. Armies clashed in grand, magnificent warfare. He alone had stood against tens of thousands, his fangs carving through the enemy ranks like a divine calamity. Again and again, he had forced Pythor to retreat, proving himself superior each time.

True, he had lost blood in those battles. He had suffered wounds.

But never his dignity.

Even when Robin Burton came to him, he had not been challenged. He had not been attacked. Instead, the man had earned his respect by offering something beyond value—Energy Pearls infused with the Path of Destruction. A rare, sacred offering that Durger had accepted as a tribute to his greatness.

But now…

Now!

Durgar's entire body froze.

His head—pinned.

His tail—restrained.

He had never been bound like this before.

For the first time, something primal stirred within him. Something he did not recognize, yet could not ignore.

Could he still fight back? Yes.

He could release his Corrosion Law, flood the battlefield with a deadly purple mist, and force the figure above him to retreat.

But…

Something deep within him screamed at him—warned him—that he would regret it.

That if he dared, he would suffer something far worse than pain.

A sensation foreign to him.

A feeling he had never known before.

Was this…

Humiliation?