As the two small rectangles in the ceiling close, every bit of this enormous white room has been coated in a layer of dense green divine energy.
Andras opens up his system interface again but speaks to the Warlords before him in a condescending tone while he activates a unique feature.
"Over the years, your minds must have deteriorated too much to still comprehend the true power gap between us. Lower life forms were never meant to rule anything in the Upper Realm. You may believe your little stunt has ruined my reputation, but you have merely given me the perfect chance to show this Citadel how ruthless The Vermillion Family really is..."
A pulse of divine energy comes out from Andras' system as it disappears in front of him, vibrating through the entire room in seconds.
At the same time, on the side of every tower that owns a public projection device, a perfectly clear holographic image of this massive dueling room can now be seen.
Many shop owners panic at first, as they believe their surveillance and announcement systems are being hacked; however, the sight before their eyes once they look closer fills them with awe.
Every Avatar in the city receives a notification and a free mandatory fast-travel trip to the nearest playing of this live recording.
The entire Citadel stops what they're doing to watch an enormous Demonic Dragon flap its wings and swoop down to land right behind the shadowy Vermillion Lord they have all lived under in fear their entire lives.
Torvak takes advantage of this moment to answer the Demon's earlier question.
"You're the one that has forced our hand. You say you are sparing our lives, but I say this is no way to live. If you truly seek to overpower us once and for all, commit—try and kill me where I stand."
He pulls his massive black Soul Weapon Club from his Storage, and it lights up with white and green light, crackling with static electricity.
Zashen follows his display by pulling his long swords—almost as long as his entire body—out from his storage and swinging them about.
White mist begins to cover his being, and cool wind starts to blow around in the room as his elemental abilities automatically activate upon channeling energy into his blades.
The sharp eyes of the Berserker Giant King lock onto the Demon as he points his blades in the same direction.
"We're being suppressed here in Ellipsia; we're being cheated and abused in the Grand Citadel too. The Berserker Giants are a strong fighting race. We either stand by the side of our allies or declare war out loud and fight to the death with our enemies. This slow torture cannot go on any longer. I shall stand by the Ogre Conglomeration as an ally. If you wish to seek his death, then you seek mine."
The High Orc on the far left side of the lineup nods, pulling a dual-bladed axe from his storage.
An earthy smell of iron permeates through the room as he lets it hit the floor with a thud, staring forward with an unchanged face.
"We, the High Orcs, shall fulfill the duties of our ancient alliance. Even if our past leaders, the Noble Wyvern Clan, have been killed by your Family Head, there is still a power that came before and guided them. The Demons may be strong, but history often repeats itself. There is always someone stronger. You shall lose in the end, and I will gladly help to teach you this lesson."
Ember smiles inwardly, as these words are nothing but nonsense to many that watch; however, in the growing crowds of Lords that line the streets in public places all over the citadel, a handful of older 2nd Class Lords that survived the War understand that all of the odd events in the city recently have not been mere small scuffles and coincidences.
The red-haired human just keeps his arms crossed and doesn't take out anything from storage like the others. He just speaks with a confident tone in the direction of the demon.
"Indeed. There truly is hope for those of you watching. Even a 5th Class human can stand in the same room as 1st Class Higher Race Lords. This Noble Demon even looks me in the eyes. This will be a historic event. Times shall change."
The room is filled with silence, and tens of millions of Lords within the Citadel begin sending more transmissions back and forth than ever before.
"It's that human! And that Blue Ogre! The ones that fought those 1st Class Demons in the Volterra District earlier..."
"I told you it was too good to be true. The Citadel Lord is already taking care of them. This is what happens when the little guys like us mess with the business of Nobles."
"But they look so confident... maybe they could win."
"Ha! You're kidding. This is a Noble Demon. They are true Gods of this Realm. Numbered-grade Worlds can't even make one bleed, that's what I heard."
"It's true. I've seen the fights in the Grand Citadel. They don't allow them to fight outside their World Class. They say the gap between a 1st Grade and Noble World is the same as a 5th to 1st... It's impossible..."
"H-Hey... Speaking of the Grand Citadel... I just tried to send a transmission out there, but my messages are blocked..."
"Me too! Even the Fast Travel Orbs off of Ellipsia are paused."
"W-What's going on? We're cut off from the rest of the Realm. Is this battle really so important?!"
"Of course it is. These are the Warlords, the last remaining 1st Class Lords with enough high-grade Worlds to hold some influence. It's a battle to the death—we're watching a duel to the death for the citadel itself..."
"Then... who is that human...?"
"I don't know..."
Many more private conversations spiral out of control as the seriousness of the hologram they're watching sinks in to more and more Lords.
Meanwhile, Andras grins and looks up in the air, making those watching shiver, while he replies to the Warlords who have pulled out their weapons but is truly speaking to the entire Citadel.
"You have all lived your lives far too freely. With powerful entities running large portions of the Citadel, it seems you have all forgotten that the Vermillion Family rules this entire Green Zone of the Upper Realm. Today, I will remind you why Noble Demons are feared by all."
A system storage portal opens beside the Demon, and out of it, a three-pronged spear materializes.
Its base is jet black, and the two sharpened blades at its tip share that same glossy dark coloring.
The middle point is an enormous white stone, carved to perfection, nearly the size of an entire human, sharpened to a deadly point.
The Demon's hand glows with energy, and the spear vibrates while plumes of demonic energy, divine threads, and pure ether flood into it.
The crystal at its tip changes its shade to match the eerie aura of the dangerous black cloud surrounding him, and the Demon points it forward at the line of Warlords.
A bright [79,550] glows on his world token beneath the grip of his spear, and his eyes flash with a white light as he prepares to unseal his noble bloodline.
"You have brought this upon yourselves. In the name of the Vermillion Family, I declare an all-out duel. None of you shall leave this room alive, and the entire Citadel shall watch your end. In a sense, it is their end as well. This will finally silence the lingering whispers of your dying glory era..."
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Author's Note:
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[CH598+ Continued] Dungeon Diver: Stealing A Monster's Power
FantasyA story following a young hunter named Jay. He has grown up in a world where dungeons, monsters, and humans with leveling systems are a cultural norm. At the age of 20, he awakens a skill that allows him to steal the abilities of monsters. While oth...
Chapter 720
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