At the one hundredth floor of the central tower of Canaan, the sunlight came through the frameless windows and shined upon a humongous venerable figure standing at the center of the room. Adorned with a giant pair of black wings as dark as night, the ancient dragon wielded a towering mace in his hands, holding it in a solemn stance as if praying. Around him, the other members of the dragon council were also sitting with their eyes closed, mediating in silence. That was what they have been doing recently, taking turn of each other as they chanted in silence the spell that maintained the barrier surrounding Canaan. This was actually a ritual that allowed them to channel the mana flow from the Dragon Vein and redirect it to the tower itself, fueling the spell. Thanks to it, the last few days have been rather peaceful with none of the rebels could even come close to the barrier itself. To many, it was as if the victor of this war has been decided.

Walking in toward the large figure, the black dragon Taragon addressed him with an excited tone.

"Just a little more, father! The army of Ceadric has engaged the enemies. In just a few more days, they will achieve victory and will head here and together, we will get rid of these rebels."

"It's such a pity that they refused to listen to the voice of reason..." Maragon uttered in a grave voice. "To think I have to kill not just one more but thousands of my own people again...what a shame!"

"I understand how you feel, father! But as much as I want to share your opinion, we must think about order and the ones who still wish for the existence of our council. Remember that we offered them a chance for salvation but they turned it down, even going as far as trying to kill me! If I have not brought the mana bomb with me, things might have taken a turn for the worst..." Taragon conveyed.

"I know...it's just...If possible, I would like to spare as many as I can. The people should not be held accountable for the actions of their leader, especially when they are being deceived by a liar."

Suddenly, a dragon rushed into the chamber, interrupting the conversation between the father and son.

"REPORT! REPORT!" the dragon shouted hurriedly.

"What is this?" asked Maragon.

"The rebels are gathering around the citadel. I think they are preparing to launch an assault." Reported the dragon.

"What? Have they gone mad? Are they so desperate they are prepared to risk everything?" Maragon angrily spoke.

"I am not sure, milord! For now, they are still outside the range of our defensive system and have not moved since."

"What are they planning..." Maragon asked himself. "Taragon, take out the crystal orb!"

From his sleeves, the young black dragon brought out a crystal orb and threw it high. Lifting itself up to the ceiling, the orb expanded until it reached a hundred times its initial size while maintaining itself on air. From its surface, images of the surrounding area around Canaan were reflected through the curved screen, granting the dragon council a complete vision and surveillance network of their citadel.

Indeed, something was odd. The forests and vegetation encompassing the City of Firmament Spires have all been cleared out, turned to ashes by the constant laser beams coming from the central tower that incinerated all its surroundings when Kaiser attacked a few days ago. This gave a clear view of anyone who dared attempt to come close to the city, allowing for a swift execution at the highest concentration of energy. However, Kaiser's army was nowhere to be seen. Just like the dragon grunt has reported, his army was still outside the range of the tower, probably hiding in the forest. Just what could they possibly hope to achieve by mobilizing their army now?

"Father, look! There is someone coming out!" pointed Taragon at the small figure walking out from the bushes in front of Canaan's main entrance in a casual manner.

"A child? What is he doing here?" Maragon spoke in awe without understanding anything that was happening. The same could be said for the other members of the dragon council who have stopped their meditation to observe the situation.

"Should we fire? He might be an agent of Kaiser." Said a member.

"But it's just a child. That is a little excessive don't you think?"

"Just ignore him and he will have to go back! As long as we are inside the barrier, we have nothing to fear!"

"I agree. This might be a plan to lure us outside the barrier. Let's just stay here!"

"Father, what should we do?" asked Taragon.

"Hum...zoom in on the boy!" The crystal zoomed in on the small figure. Suddenly, the boy who seemed a bit confused at first looked right back at the black dragon who was watching him closely. It was as if the boy was able to detect someone was sneaking on him.

Waving his hand in a joyful manner, the young man spoke. "Hello? Can anyone hear me? Hi, my name is Alastor, just your random kid wandering around here. The thing is that I seem to be lost so can you give me shelter for a while?" He inquired innocently.

"Don't listen to him, father! It must be a trap." Said Taragon.

"Of course I know that! Who do you take me for? The question is how he will react if I say no..." Clearing his throat, the old dragon spoke to the boy through the crystal orb. His voice was amplified thanks to the magic he was using, resonating loudly across the entire area around Canaan like a siren. "Who are you, little one? And what is your business here? Don't even think that your little pathetic act could fool us!"

"...Hehe it's still worth to try, don't you think so?" Alastor changed his tone. "Won't you allow a mere simple boy to enter your marvelous city? Or are you dragon council too scared of a little boy like me? Don't worry, I won't bite!" grinned Alastor.

"Your provocation is futile, young one! This is our final warning: leave or perish by the power of Canaan!" Maragon spoke in a majestic voice.

"Uhmmm...how about....no?" Reaching his hand in his pocket, Alastor took out something but hid it inside his small fist, allowing no one to see what it was.

Could it be some kind of secret weapon capable of damaging Canaan's absolute defense? Curious but at the same time cautious as if there was something he has learnt from his years of experience it was to never underestimate an opponent, Maragon ordered the members of the dragon council to resume their meditation, preparing themselves for an incoming attack. And Alastor's action only added the tension. He deliberately moved in slow motion in a rather dramatic way, making the dragons sweat even more with each movement he did.

"Take this, the ultimate weapon!!!!!" Alastor raised his arm high before assuming a throwing stance.

"Be ready, everyone!" Maragon shouted, stiffened his grasp on his large mace as he readied himself.

""

With what could only be described as the flimsiest throw ever, the young boy hurled the tiny pebble, barely visible on the crystal orb, at the barrier. Unsurprisingly, the small rock was rebounded back lightly the moment it touched the energy wall before falling on the ground, motionless.

"Well shit! You manage to defend yourself against my secret art." The boy uttered in shock.

.....

"....That's it?" Maragon, confused by the boy's act, asked himself if he was seeing things.

"HAAHAHAHAHAHAA" the members of the dragon council started to laugh out loud after witnessing what they saw as a comedic act. "Did you see that? Oh my god that's hilarious!"

The laughter was so loud it even reached Alastor who was standing so far away from them. To them, this was just a pathetic yet innocent attempt of a youngster who knew nothing of the world. And quite frankly, Alastor's small appearance kind of gave off that vibe. After all, it was certainly not the first time he was underestimated because of his looks.

"Oh well, attempt number one failed. Let's try number two!" the boy spoke.

Hearing his declaration, the dragons concentrated even more just to see what kind of circus play he would do next. At least, it would provide a distraction, a small entertainment from the boring days they confined themselves in Canaan.

But Maragon was probably the only who saw a change in the boy's expression. The innocent, naïve face from earlier has turned into an impish smirk as Alastor finally revealed his true intention, which was in no way trying to please the oblivious dragons.

"Let's try something bigger. Hehehe!" the boy grinned evilly. A small fiery orb appeared by his side as Alastor cast his spell.

A sudden chill change in the air was felt by Maragon as he finally realized Alastor's power. "What the..."

""

From the sky, a tremendous pressure entered the atmosphere as a giant burning stone half the size of a tower fell from the sky toward the central tower. Without warning as the dragons were too distracted to react in time to activate the laser to destroy the rock. Crashing onto the barrier, the meteor created a crack on it before crushing itself a part, releasing a huge quantity of smoke and a shockwave across the entire area.

"....Humm..not quite enough!" the boy muttered as the smoke dissipated, revealing a large fissure on the barrier. Canaan's absolute defense still stood even after that devastating attack. And already it has started to heal and resumed its usual form in matters of seconds. What was worse was that the barrier was not even in its full potential yet as many members did not manage to participate in the channeling in time. This meant that even if Alastor cast another spell, it would not work again since he has already lost the element of surprise. However, while it might seem that the boy was in a pinch, it was never his intention to destroy the barrier with that spell. He had something else in mind already for that purpose.

"How? How was he able to do that?" Taragon uttered in awe after witnessing that kind of power in the hands of a young boy.

"Taragon, call up all the members now! Quickly!" Maragon shouted at his dumbfounded son, waking him up from his shock.

"Yes..Yes father! Right away!" The young dragon rushed toward the lower levels.

Turning toward Alastor, or rather his reflection through the crystal ball, Maragon spoke with a threatening voice. "Who are you really?"

"It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is what I do and what will happen if you don't surrender! So what is your decision?" the boy asked arrogantly.

"I admit you are powerful, boy. But that arrogance will be your undoing! If you have launched several times of that attack earlier, which I know you are well capable of that, maybe, just maybe the barrier might have been broken. Not that it would last for long but you will have enough time to send your best men inside. However, you are too confident in yourself or perhaps too foolish to realize that you have lost your only chance at defeating us. In the end, we will prevail!" Maragon preached.

"Well, if I did that, then that means I wasted all that time crafting these just for occasions like this." The shadow of the boy began to expand as a part of it separated itself from the main shadow. From it, something was trying to crawl out. "May I present to you one of the ten armies of the Legion of the Abyss: the Devourers!"

A tall figure manifested itself from the shadows. Judging from the shape, it looked more like a beastman rather than a human because of the black fur on its shadowy skin. With sharp claws and slim tail like that of a cat or creature of the same family, it assumed a familiar form to that of one of the nine demon lords Alastor has made a pact with but with their body colored in black just like when Alastor first met them. Now that he has come out of the shadow, his true nature was finally revealed as a tiger beastman.

"Wait a minute...that figure is...Beelzebub!" Maragon recognized the shadow. Having lived this long, it would be unsurprising that he knew the faces of the many demon lords who have once 'terrified' this world as they called it. After all, he himself was a hero of the oldest generation after slaying a demon lord himself.

Of course that was merely a clone of the original Beelzebub, more precisely a lesser version of him with limitations on their powers. However, the difference was that Alastor could make up for that weakness with numbers.

One by one, other similar dark figures appeared from all directions surrounding Canaan. Numbered in a hundred, they formed a perfect circle around the citadel as they walked simultaneously toward the barrier.

"Beelzebub...how is it possible?" Maragon could not understand how not just one but multiple copies of a dead demon lord were present in this place. However, now was not the time to concern himself with how but rather why they were here. And Maragon understood why. Out of all the demon lords with their abilities, Beelzebub was perhaps the perfect one for this situation to use against Canaan. "He can't be using that...CALL EVERYONE NOW! Start channeling with utmost concentration! We must use the barrier at its full potential." The dragon shouted at his brethren.

It was an astonishing sight for the members as it was the first time they saw the calm Maragon to panic facing a mere boy. Many of them did not even have any idea of what was happening and could only do what Maragon was telling them to. After all, most of them have not even heard of the name Beelzebub to understand the gravity of the situation they were in. Without any other choice, the ensemble of the dragon council started chanting loudly as more members have arrived with Taragon.

Seeing the situation, Taragon gave the command. "Fire at those things!"

In an instant, volleys of beams of pure mana were shot from the central tower in every direction. But to their horror, as the beams came close to a Devourer, the figure raised his hand at it, making the beams dissipating quickly before vanishing completely. It was as if it was sucked into that black holes lying on their palms.

"Stop firing!" Maragon roared. "Focus on the barrier only!" Unlike his idiotic son who could not grasp onto the situation, the ancient dragon understood how futile it was to use the beam cannons against something like this. "Prepare yourselves!"

"For what, father?" asked Taragon.

All the Devourers have finished their march. The one hundred figures raised their hands and touched the barriers simultaneously. It was now that the true fight began.

Casually sitting down on the ground and crossing his legs in a meditating position, Alastor spoke joyfully. "Let the banquet begin! Everyone, please enjoy your feast!"

In an instant, all the Devourers activated their power at the same time. Without warning, the members of the dragon council suddenly felt a huge pressure on them, even knocking out instantly a few of the weakest. They felt their strength being drained from them to an unknown source.

"What is happening?" Taragon asked as he crouched down on his knees.

"Grahh...they are sucking out all the mana from the barrier." Explained Maragon. "All members of the dragon council, focus on directing all the mana you can find from the Dragon Vein to sustain the barrier! This is a battle of endurance: either we run out of stamina first or they reach their limit first. Now FOCUS!"

The Devourers formed one of the ten armies as part of the Legion of the Abyss. Like their counterparts the Millennium Regiment or the Oracles, the Devourers were created in the image of a demon lord, and in this case, it was Beelzebub. Just as the other battalions shared similarities and powers with the original one, so did the Devourers. Using Beelzebub' signature skill , these warriors, if they could be called as such, were capable of nullifying all magic since they could simple 'devour' the spell, turning it back to pure mana before absorbing them. In this case, the barrier surrounding Canaan was made of only mana from the Dragon Vein, making it the perfect target and most vulnerable against an army with mana absorption skills like the Devourers.

However, as Maragon has indicated, this was a battle of endurance. While the Devourers could absorb mana as long as they wanted, there was actually a limit to how much they could absorb as imposed by their very own nature: their mana pool. It meant that they could not absorb more mana than what the limit their body imposed on themselves. Meanwhile, the mana source from the Dragon Vein was considered to be not infinite but it would not be too much of an overstatement to consider it so. After all, we were talking about the mana of the entire world passing through here. It would be unthinkable for anyone, even a God or a powerful individual such as Alastor to be anywhere capable of such feat.

As for the dragon council, the only thing that could stop Maragon and his peers was that if they failed to continue the channeling since the meditation while under this pressure could be quite exhausting for their body to keep up.

The fight continued for hours with no clear winner ahead. Some dragons who could not maintain their consciousness started to fall one by one. In fact, most of the work was being done by Maragon alone. Every time someone needed a rest, he would pitch in and replace them for a while. With them taking turns like that, the dragon council would be able to last for days. Not that they wished to but at least they must maintain the barrier until Ceadric came. The latest news Taragon received was that the Ceadric coalition was winning and victory was in sight. A good news for them nevertheless as it was difficult to prolong the current circumstance for too long.

It lasted for a total of three consecutive days and nights. On the morning of the fourth day, the situation took a slightly different turn when one of the two sides decided to do something else.

"I seem to have reached my limit. I guess I underestimated the Dragon Vein and this Maragon a bit. But that's what makes this interesting. Hehehe!" Alastor grinned as a drop of sweat fell from his forehead to his chin. "Time to use all these mana I have gathered so far!"

.....

"Father, he is doing something!" Taragon woke up the ancient dragon who was taking a short nap upon noticing Alastor moving after three days of immobility.

The reason for his inactivity was because the mana absorbed by the Devourers was sent to him instead of staying inside the clones. Due to the large quantity and flow of energy, the boy had to focus in order to stabilize the mana flux inside him. Without it, his body might go out of control. However, it was now a different story if he decided to use all that mana for another purpose.

"What is he doing?" uttered Maragon when he saw the peculiar things floating around the boy.