Volume 4 Chapter 171
by Need_More_SleepVolume 4 + Chapter 171: The Vampire Clan’s Surrender
“Damn you, Dragon Clan!!”
Oune picked up his weapon unwillingly, intending to make a final stand.
“ROAR!!!”
Elly, having fully unleashed her true dragon form, smashed through the gate’s wall and slammed her claw straight down toward Oune.
BOOM!!
“Lord Oune, aaaaah!!”
After a violent tremor, dust and debris filled the air. The Vampire Clan soldiers screamed, no longer daring to look.
After all, with such terrifying force crashing down, how could anyone possibly withstand it? Whoever it was would surely be crushed into pulp.
Elly maintained the posture of her descending claw, completely motionless. When the dust finally settled, Oune’s figure was still standing.
“I… I’m not dead?”
Oune’s face was filled with disbelief. Lowering his head, he discovered that the spot where he stood happened to be between the gaps of the green dragon’s claws, allowing him to narrowly escape death.
Had his position been even slightly off, he would have already,
At that thought, cold sweat poured from Oune’s hands, and the color drained from his face.
This was no coincidence. The other party had clearly spared his life on purpose.
“You are the commander guarding this gate, are you not?”
Oune heard a youthful, not-yet-mature voice. He looked up and saw a young girl standing atop the green dragon. Her silver hair fluttered gently under the moonlight, and the golden holy sword in her hand emitted a faint glow. Like a young sovereign, she gazed down at a defeated general.
“I am the Silver Dragon Princess, Xia Yi · Christie,” Xia Yi introduced herself. “Now, the Vampire Clan’s crucial gate has been breached by me and my subordinates, and your life lies in my hands. I ask you this, do you accept defeat?”
“I…”
“Gate commander, let me remind you,” Xia Yi said calmly. “Depending on your answer, I will make different judgments. The fate of every Vampire Clan here will differ accordingly. You should understand the weight of what you say at this moment.”
Oune’s entire body began to tremble slightly.
He raised his head and looked at Xia Yi.
The Dragon Clan were an exceedingly arrogant race, unlike other races that enjoyed reasoning and negotiation.
If Oune chose to show defiance here, the other party would very likely continue the battle.
Under the present circumstances, the Vampire Clan’s combat strength had already been heavily depleted. Facing the Dragon Clan head-on was essentially impossible, it would only end in one-sided slaughter.
There was only one choice left.
Oune nearly bit through his lip. Though his heart was filled with unwillingness, stubborn resistance would only doom the remaining soldiers.
He loosened his grip on his weapon, removed the helmet that symbolized his command, and threw it to the ground.
“Lord Oune!!” the Vampire Clan soldiers cried out in unison.
Under everyone’s gaze, Oune lowered his head and assumed a posture of humility before the Silver Dragon Princess.
“All gate garrison forces are willing to abandon resistance and choose to surrender.”
“Surrender to whom?”
“To the Elven Clan and the Dragon Clan…”
“You are mistaken, Oune,” Xia Yi reminded him. “The ones who breached the gate and defeated you were not the Elven Clan.”
Not the Elven Clan?
Oune was momentarily confused, but he reacted quickly, immediately realizing that the Dragon Clan’s sudden appearance on the battlefield was anything but simple.
The Silver Dragon Princess was personally negotiating with him, yet she made no mention whatsoever of the Elven Clan, her intent was self-evident.
To preserve the lives of the Vampire Clan soldiers, he had to make the wiser choice.
Oune knelt on one knee and presented the most important command token of the gate.
“I, Oune, on behalf of all Vampire Clan soldiers at this gate, surrender to the Silver Dragon Princess and willingly offer the gate’s command token to the Dragon Clan.”
At these words, the Vampire Clan soldiers were filled with resentment, yet utterly helpless. One by one, they chose to lay down their weapons.
They no longer had the will or confidence to continue fighting the Dragon Clan.
“Very well.”
Xia Yi leapt down from Elly’s back and took the gate’s command token.
Elly also withdrew her claws and lifted herself from the ground, signifying that Oune was no longer in immediate danger.
“Oune, on behalf of the Dragon Clan, I accept the surrender of all Vampire Clan garrison forces.”
……
“Why did it turn out like this?!”
Kennedy was rushing toward the gate, needing to confirm the situation with his own eyes.
He had just personally witnessed Xia Yi leading her subordinates to successfully breach the gate.
Not only him, other Elven Clan and Vampire Clan alike had seen it as well.
Once the gate was breached, the Vampire Clan completely lost their will to fight, retreating en masse toward the gate like a routed army, no longer caring about formation.
The Elven pursued from behind, unaware that the Dragon Clan’s sudden assault had been Xia Yi’s personal decision. They believed it had been coordinated between their general and the Silver Dragon Princess.
“General, the Dragon Clan broke through the gate before us!” an Elven officer cried anxiously. “Is everything already beyond saving?”
“Not yet, there’s still time! We must find Oune and kill him!”
Kennedy was about to issue orders, commanding every Elven soldier to search for Oune and execute him on sight.
But suddenly, a voice rang out across the battlefield, bringing everyone to a halt.
“I am Oune, commander of the gate garrison! All Vampire Clan, heed my command, lay down your weapons and cease resistance! We, the Vampire Clan, have surrendered to the Dragon Clan. Continuing the fight will only lead to unnecessary sacrifices! I repeat, this battle is over. The Vampire Clan have surrendered to the Dragon Clan!”
A disheveled Oune appeared on the battlefield, proclaiming the outcome to all.
Upon realizing their defeat, the Vampire Clan soldiers surrendered en masse and abandoned the fight.
“……”
Kennedy fell silent.
The outcome he least wanted to see had still come to pass, the Vampire Clan had surrendered to the Dragon Clan, not to the Elven Clan.
From beginning to end, Oune had not mentioned the Elven Clan even once.
After all that effort, it amounted to nothing, like drawing water with a bamboo basket, only to end up making wedding clothes for another.
The Elven general, who had schemed so painstakingly, could not accept this reality. The gears of fate had already begun turning in his favor, only to be jammed dead by an iron rod wielded by a foolish little girl.
He even wanted to order the Elven army to swarm forward and kill Oune.
Yet the Dragon Clan seemed to have anticipated this. Dragon Clan soldiers had already positioned themselves beside the surrendered Vampire Clan, watching the Elven forces warily.
It was as if the moment Kennedy made a rash move, a second battle would immediately erupt.
Though furious, Kennedy restrained himself from losing his rationality and issuing a foolish order. As long as the situation had not reached a completely irreparable stage, there was still room to maneuver.
“General, what should we do now?” the Elven officer asked in panic. “Is the battle truly over?”
Kennedy’s other subordinates were equally stunned.
All eyes turned toward Kennedy, then he gave an answer no one expected.
“…No. It is not over yet.”
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