Raidon and the Magi of the Black Legion were having a hard time fighting the cultists. They, as well as the elite Magi serving a few Councilors, were currently defending Council Keep against an onslaught of spells and steel.

The battle in the Downtown Quarter was one of the harshest, and Council Keep was located in the heart of this district. Moreover, since the building served as the central command for the city's forces, it also became a big target for the cultists.

"Hold the line!" The tall figure of the Captain of the Black Legion could be seen weaving through the enemy lines, his twin blades flashing as he reaped the lives of one Magus after another.

Even the most powerful of Mana Liquefaction Magi did not stand a chance against him. Although he and his men seemed to be holding on for now, there were two things that constantly worried him.

First, the absence of his Lord Commander, the Dark King. Through mystical means of communication, he had learned from others that Adam was trapped within his own estate, completely surrounded by an army of Magi, dozens of whom were Mana Vortex Magi.

He also learned that a strange dome surrounded the entirety of the Constantine Estate, and a thick, dark purple miasma permeated every inch of land within that magical dome.

Raidon feared for the safety of his Lord Commander. Yes, Adam was a Mana Vortex Magus, but no matter how strong he was, could he really stand a chance against a small army of Cultists?

Second, and his most immediate concern, there were no Mana Vortex-level cultists in the vicinity of Council Keep. It was only a sea of Mana Foundation and Mana Liquefaction Magi, which was precisely the reason he and his men were able to hold on for as long as they had.

It kept gnawing at him. Council Keep was one of the most obvious targets for the intruders, yet they hadn't sent a single Mana Vortex Magus to conquer it? Just what were the cultists planning?

Of course, if he'd known that the enemy was already inside the building, he would have felt his blood turn cold. Regardless of the current situation, he and his men continued to fight tooth and nail to defend Council Keep.

Inside, there were four Councilors and various other influential and powerful Magi, who were currently going through a plan of action in order to turn the tide of war.

But no matter how Raidon saw it, this did not seem like a battle they could win. As more time passed, more and more enemies emerged from the damned sewers, and more and more of his allies fell to the cold embrace of death.

Bloody hell! How long do we have to keep up with this?!

He thought to himself with a grim look on his face as he dodged a Magic Missile aimed at him. He arrived before the attacker in the blink of an eye, his blades flashed with a cold light, and the next moment, the cultist was beheaded.

"Hold the bloody line! I'll kill you if you die!" He roared again.

"Hoo-ahh!" The warriors of the Black Legion happily obliged. They were bred for war, and as such, compared to the other battle units of Ravenfell, were quite efficient at warfare. In fact, they much preferred wars to social events.

Suddenly, a small shell attached to Raidon's color started emitting faint mana fluctuations. Following that, a panicked voice sounded from it.

"We have spotted the Dark King! I repeat, we have spotted the Dark King!!"

Raidon's eyes widened in shock.

Finally! Did he manage to leave his estate, after all?!

He slashed his sword, brutally injuring an enemy, then stepped back, allowing his allies to take care of the rest. He then quickly drew back towards Council Keep. Once he was away from the heat of battle, he infused mana into the shell and said in a loud, booming voice:

"Where is the Lord Commander?! Is he injured?!"

A moment later, the voice resounded from the shell once again.

"He… he is fighting a Mana Core Magus!! They're currently in the Market Quarter!"

The sound of explosions and the clangor of blades mixed in with his voice. But despite the disturbances, Raidon could hear him clearly. His body trembled in astonishment.

"Fighting a… Mana Core Magus?! Does he have a death wish?! No… more importantly, there was such a powerhouse hidden within the city walls all this time?!"

A few Magi, who were taking turns resting and replenishing their mana reserves, couldn't help but turn deathly pale when they overheard Raidon's conversation.

A Mana Vortex Magus fighting a Mana Core Magus?

Just what kind of ridiculous concept was that?

Had the Dark King truly lost it?

Suddenly, the sound of buildings crumbling to the ground could be heard through the shell, followed by a loud scream. Just as Raidon was about to ask the man's status, the atmosphere suddenly shifted.

A cold feeling of dread permeated the air. Something primal, something truly evil, was about to descend.

Raidon felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

This feeling… he thought, his eyes flickering with terror and hope. He had felt something similar in Blackshore. It was during the battle that his Lord Commander had earned the moniker of the Dark King.

And then it happened!

The space in several parts of the city was torn open by unseen hands, and the next moment, several humongous portals materialized in the waking world—some on the streets, some within broken buildings, and some even underground.

And then they appeared…

HIISSSS!!

The Serpents of War had arrived!

One portal just happened to tear open in the vicinity of Council Keep. As the portal stabilized, countless serpents of all colors, big and small, ranging from Mana Foundation to Mana Liuefaction-level and a handful of even Mana Vortex-level, descended upon the cobblestone, bloodied streets of Ravenfell.

Their predatory eyes blazed with bloodlust and hunger as they brandished their razor-sharp fangs. Then, something in their eyes sparkled… a hint of intelligence… an echo of a command. The following moment, they lunged at the cultists, ripping them to shreds.

As a brutal massacre ensued, the Magi of Ravenfell found themselves in a state of utter disbelief. One moment, they were being drowned in pressure, and the next, that insurmountable veil seemed to have completely vanished with the arrival of these predators from the spirit world.

Their shock only lasted for a few moments before they roared in excitement and once again began their slaughter. This time, they were fighting side by side with the Serpents of War summoned by the hero of Ravenfell, the Dark King.

Amidst the carnage, Raidon seemed to have turned into a lifeless statue. His expression paled incomparably when he heard the last few words spoken by the person connected to the other side of the shell.

He grabbed the shell that clung to his collar with a trembling hand and said, his tone filled with disbelief and panic:

"What… what do you mean the Lord Commander and the enemy Mana Core Magus have disappeared?!"

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