Ember Dragon
Chapter 597: The Ember Emperor and the Devil
Chapter 597: The Ember Emperor and the Devil
"Your Supreme Majesty, the unparalleled Ember Emperor, you must understand, this was not my intention." The devil trapped in the goat’s head pleaded for mercy, showing none of the previous arrogance.
"Your Majesty, you have to believe me, it... it was the goat persona of the Chimera King! He set me up!"
With the Chimera and the Red Dragon both present, blaming a sub-personality he had already devoured was undoubtedly the best choice.
However, the Emperor did not give him the chance for smooth-talking, directly cutting him off.
"No more nonsense, Devil. Since you’ve barged into someone else’s territory—how could you not meet the master of this place?"
A massive claw, covered in red dragon scales, grasped in midair. The Chimera, nearly twenty meters long, was lifted as easily as a chick and dragged into that burning spatial rift.
Albert twisted his head, struggling continuously, but he was mercilessly dragged inside, while the Chimera, who held control of the body, was especially compliant.
But in that brief moment, the devil’s mind spun rapidly, constantly thinking of his next move, weighing the pros and cons.
The worst outcome was nothing more than being killed by the Emperor and reborn in the River Styx. After all, he was Bael’s confidant; it wouldn’t be irreversible.
"Swish—"
With a crisp sound, they left the Chimera’s lair and appeared in the spacious Iron Dragonwing Palace—this was the place where the Emperor entertained foreign guests.
The moment they entered the palace, the devil felt an unprecedented, terrifying pressure. That force surged from all directions, constantly compressing his body, mind, and even his soul.
That power was stronger than his master Bael’s, even more intense than Zariel, the current ruler of Avernus, in Hell.
He lowered his head, and the ugly goat’s face showed a "fear" expression that was almost human-like. He couldn’t help but mutter, "Nine Hells, this is simply..."
At this moment, Albert only felt like a lone reef in the vast ocean, constantly battered by raging waves.
In an instant, all the schemes and plots in his mind dissipated under that overwhelming tide. In his filthy soul, only one thought remained—what exactly is this?
Simply... it was like a god.
The devil panted heavily, struggling to raise that goat’s head and looked towards the majestic figure not far away. His eyes widened in shock.
Upon the iron-forged throne, a giant dragon over fifty meters long lay sprawled casually.
Even the most talented bard would find it difficult to describe the Red Dragon’s appearance. His scales resembled the cracked ground of Hell, his spine like winding mountain ranges, his wings as vast as open plains, and the four massive horns were like a regal crown.
Cassius, or rather, the Ember Emperor, lowered his head. His pale golden eyes, like molten lava, stared at the devil, revealing undisguised contempt.
The Red Dragon merely leaned forward slightly, and the devil felt as if the entire world was pressing down on him, the pressure crashing upon him like a tsunami.
"Albert, is that right?"
"Y-yes, Your Majesty, your majestic form will forever be etched in my memory. I have never seen... a dragon like you."
Albert did his best to withstand the pressure, barely holding his composure, trembling as he replied.
In fact, the devil was not lying. Thousands of years ago, Albert’s master, Bael, had betrayed Zariel without hesitation, becoming the new ruler of Avernus.
Yet, neither Mephistopheles nor Baalzebul trusted him—the reason being his willingness to betray his former mistress without hesitation.
Because of this, Bael constantly feared retribution from behind. But under the constant onslaught of demonic armies, he had no time to secure his rear. He spent most of his time waging war against the Abyss, inspecting fortifications, and crafting battle strategies—endeavors that drained him greatly.
So, Bael formed a deceptive alliance with Tiamat, the Chromatic Dragon Queen, giving her territory in Avernus while he gained Chromatic Dragons and Abishai (Dragon Devils) as allies.
Zariel was imprisoned in the Bronze Citadel, subjected to cruel torture. Abishai would slice her flesh piece by piece with sharp blades and deliver it to their masters to feast upon.
As Bael’s confidant, although Albert had never met the Chromatic Dragon Queen, he had seen many Red Dragon minions sent by her.
In Albert’s memory, those Red Dragons were brutal, savage, and overwhelmingly powerful, natural-born killing machines that could turn enemies to ashes on the brutal battlefields of the Blood War. Sometimes, they would even kill weaker devils indiscriminately.
But none of those Red Dragons could compare to the Ember Emperor before him. His supreme majesty was unmatched. Just standing in his presence made Albert’s heart tremble with the instinct to submit.
Nor had he ever seen a Red Dragon of such magnitude—colossal like a mountain, merely existing there would cause the entire Anzeta to quake—even Tiamat’s male consorts, those powerful Ancient Red Dragons, could not match him.
When facing such a being, there was only one choice—to flatter, never to defy.
With that thought, Albert abandoned his earlier plan of "threatening him with Master Bael’s name." In front of a dragon like this, even if his master were present, it would not end well.
The devil reorganized his words, quickly setting a new course of action for himself—to flatter as much as possible and display his own value.
Albert took a moment to gather his emotions, forcing a flattering smile, and then, as if he were a bard, he began to recite.
"The Supreme Ember Emperor, the sole ruler of all life in Anzeta, the one true master of this land—the great Emperor Cassius, please forgive my rudeness. Your form is as majestic as the mountains..."
"Enough, Devil. I told you, do not play word games in front of me. Do you think I am like those muscle-brained kin of mine?"
Cassius sneered, unhesitatingly cutting off the devil’s impromptu performance. He even thought to himself that when it came to "smooth-talking," even the devils of Hell could not compare to him, a master of [Persuader].
"I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare. I was simply speaking from my heart—I couldn’t help but express my admiration."
The devil trapped in the goat’s head quickly lowered his head, groveling to the extreme, his nose already touching the ground.
But at that moment, the previously docile Chimera suddenly took control of the body, knelt before Cassius, and the dragon head snarled viciously, "Master, don’t be deceived by this pretentious devil!"
The lion head followed suit, adding, "Yes! This devil tried to make us betray you! Fortunately, we resisted the temptation, but that foolish goat..."
Cassius was amused by the Chimera’s little act. He grinned and cast a gaze filled with oppressive might at the goat’s head. "Devil, is that true?"
Albert was about to defend himself when he heard the Emperor’s icy words.
"If you dare deceive me, I will burn your filthy soul to ashes, ensuring you never reincarnate in Hell."
Under that oppressive gaze, the devil, seasoned in countless battles, felt as though he were suffocating. He could only force a stiff smile and stammer, "Objectively... that is the case."
"Should I interpret that as Bael declaring war against me?"
Cassius’s question terrified Albert to his core. If he truly provoked such an enemy, his master would surely subject him to eternal torment.
The devil broke into a cold sweat, hurriedly attempting to explain and remedy the situation: "Emperor Cassius, please don’t misunderstand, I had no choice... It’s... it’s all Zariel’s fault! Yes, that crazy woman despicably seized my master Bael’s position as the Lord of Avernus, forcing us to wander everywhere, seeking powerful beings to replenish our army and plot for revenge. I used flowery words to lure Lord Chimera, only because... your vassals are simply too powerful!"
The devil’s words were accompanied by tears and sobs, sounding extraordinarily sincere.
Cassius’s mouth twitched slightly. He couldn’t help but marvel inwardly—indeed, devils lived by deceit and trickery. Even he found it hard to match their talent in sophistry.
However, although Albert’s reasons were pieced together rather deliberately, the conversation still veered in the direction Cassius wanted.
Thus, the Red Dragon slowly rose from his throne, his majestic face showing an amused expression, and his pale golden slit eyes glimmered with light.
"Zariel?"
"It seems I have much to discuss with your master. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and my Ember Empire... has had some entanglements with her as well."
Albert’s eyes brightened instantly, overwhelmed with joy. He exclaimed, "Emperor Cassius, I told you, this was just a little misunderstanding. At its core, it’s all that damn crazy woman’s fault... I will immediately contact Lord Bael for you!"
The devil’s joy was evident. As the embodiment of evil order, their lifelong goal was ascension, and Albert was merely a high-ranking devil. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
If he could help his master find such a powerful ally capable of confronting Zariel, his status would undoubtedly rise another tier.
As if struck by a sudden thought, the devil’s eyes rolled, and he spoke in a pleading tone: "Your Majesty, could you let me out first? This noble body of the Chimera King, flowing with dragon blood... for a humble devil like me... it is truly undeserved."
But Cassius only chuckled and said, "Heh, I have always believed in addressing things as they are. You still haven’t paid the price for your crimes—invading my empire and enticing my subjects to defect.
The Chimera has lost one of its personalities, and allowing you to be its ’Wisdom’ for the next few centuries seems like a fitting way to atone."
Albert instantly fell into despair, somewhat regretting entering the Ember Empire. But he still held onto a sliver of hope. Although he couldn’t oppose the Emperor, controlling this foolish Chimera did not seem impossible from a devil’s perspective.
Yet Cassius only squinted his eyes and continued, "Moreover... as long as you are in this body, your soul’s life and death are entirely in my hands. You should think carefully."
"Emperor Cassius, but..."
"Devil, there are no buts. This is what you deserve. Now, continue contacting Bael for me."
At the Red Dragon’s signal, the Chimera relinquished control of the body. But the devil, who finally took over the long-desired vessel, did not seem happy. Under Cassius’s watchful eyes, he cautiously began drawing the magic circle.
Soon, an intricate formation based on a six-pointed star appeared on the floor, exuding a sinister and twisted aura. Upon it were placed strange sacrificial items: mermaid oil candles, soul coins, hellstone eggs, skulls, and more.
The candles were lit, and the summoning ritual for the demon began.
Instantly, sharp, piercing shrieks echoed layer upon layer throughout the palace—the wails and cries of countless sinful souls.
"Sinful souls shall inevitably fall into Hell—"
"He is the Lord of Avernus, the nightmare of mortals, the flame that extinguishes hope—"
But Cassius merely snapped his fingers, and the surrounding environment fell silent. That grand, operatic noise vanished completely.
"A bit noisy," the Red Dragon remarked.
Immediately after, the six-pointed star formation flared up. Countless sparks shot into the sky, and the fires of Hell roared to life. Flames and black mist surged, forming a towering, ferocious demonic figure.
But the moment that demonic shadow saw the Red Dragon, all the flames and dark mist abruptly dissipated, transforming into a young man with black hair, dressed in lavish robes, and strikingly handsome.
He looked graceful, like a well-educated noble’s son, but his pitch-black eyes betrayed his true nature—a devil, and not just any devil, but the former Lord of Hell, the archdevil who once stood at the pinnacle of the Nine Hells, Bael.
This appearance was actually quite normal. Among the many archdevils of the Nine Hells, Bael was not known for combat prowess but for his cunning in betrayal, deceit, and ambushes—always one step ahead of his opponents.
Bael bowed slightly, offering a courteous salute. "I was wondering who was summoning me... turns out it was you."
He flashed a genuinely friendly smile, his voice deep and magnetic. "I’ve heard much of your name; it’s truly an honor, Your Majesty, Lord of the North, Ember Emperor. What you saw earlier was merely a method to scare mortals."
But Cassius could feel it—from that "entrance ceremony," he sensed a terrifying aura emanating from Hell. It was no accident; it was a deliberate display of power.
"You know my name?"
Bael replied with a smile, "Of course, your reputation in Hell is quite remarkable. Last time... that Dragon Queen was absolutely livid."
Seeing his ally, who occupied territory in Avernus, suffer such a setback seemed to greatly amuse Bael.
Facing a being that could barely be considered his equal, Cassius stood up, slightly spread his wings, and nodded in greeting. "Good day, Lord Bael of Hell."
Bael said, "Unfortunately, I am merely the former Lord of Avernus. Nowadays, I am but a fallen noble."
But Cassius gazed at the devil and exchanged a knowing smile. "Lord Bael, but I believe you will replace Zariel and reclaim your position as the Lord of Avernus. As long as you are willing to cooperate with me and become a friend of the Ember Empire."