Chapter 53.1

What surprised him even more was that as he approached the Old Rose Castle, he felt a strong sense of familiarity and comfort. It was like inhaling a breath of fresh air, jumping into warm spring water amidst ice and snow, or feeling a cool breeze in the midst of scorching heat. His whole body naturally relaxed without conscious effort.

However, this feeling soon jolted him awake. Feeling relaxed and happy in such a dangerous environment may not necessarily be a good thing. And what brought him joy might not be beneficial for ordinary people.

In particular, this feeling reminded him of something, something he had destroyed with his own hands...

As this realization struck him, he tightened his grip on the reins and shouted, "Oswald! Turn back!"

He pulled back on the reins, but the formidable beast beneath him continued moving forward without stopping.

"Oswald?!" Kevin yelled, his face turning cold. He sensed that something was seriously wrong, exceeding his expectations.

Yet, Oswald did not respond to him immediately. He continued flying forward, showing no signs of slowing down.

At that moment, Kevin heard the rumble of horseshoes and the flapping of wings behind him. He could even feel the gusts of wind caused by the approaching vultures brushing against his back.

What was happening?!

He turned around in astonishment and saw that the advancing army, which had been left far behind, had somehow caught up to them. They were getting closer, even attempting to overtake them. The vultures were galloping forward, running madly as if in desperation.

"Wood! Retreat!" Kevin shouted at the people on the back of Sirius. However, like Oswald, Wood and Nick seemed deaf to his words, showing no response.

"Are you deaf?! Fall back!" Kevin tightened his grip on the reins, trying to slow down Sirius' speed while leaning down to command the army running wild on the ground.

Due to the strong wind, he had to shout at the top of his lungs to make his voice heard, yet his two cries had no effect.

Are they out of their minds?! Kevin was momentarily stunned on Sirius' back, but his attention was once again drawn to the densely packed crowd near the Old Rose Castle.

As they drew closer, he was shocked to see a horizontal military flag of the Bronze Army from the Golden Lion Kingdom among the throng. He recognized the flag instantly, even without seeing its patterns clearly.

The group of Bronze Army that remained in the Golden Lion Country's base camp had later merged with Oswald and several other armies. Now, the few who still held the single military flag could only be from two factions.

One group had ventured into the depths of the Great Rift Valley with Kevin and the others, tasked with rescuing citizens through another secret passage. The other group was the garrison army ordered to protect the area bordering the desert and the Golden Lion Country, led by Mi Ao.

Considering the route and distance, only the latter group could have gathered at the foot of the Old Rose Castle at this time.

But Mi Ao was not someone who acted recklessly or disobeyed orders. Why did he abandon his position at the border to come here with a large army?!

What terrified Kevin even more was that there were more than just Mi Ao's forces at the foot of the Old Rose Castle. The crowd, including survivors from Leiyin City, Peida City, and small city-states, wore distinctive pieces of armored clothing.

There were even border guards from the Northern Emerald Country and individuals without any military affiliation.

Squinting through the wind and smoke, Kevin scanned the area from front to back...

His heart skipped a beat – he could see more and more black dots, like ants, gradually approaching. It seemed as though they were bewitched or on a pilgrimage, disregarding any obstacles, to gather here.

It appeared that the ruins of Chateau de Rose, buried in sand and wind for hundreds of years, had suddenly become a sacred place for the entire continent.

Witnessing such a scene, Kevin was momentarily stunned. His face turned solemn, and his lowered eyelashes hid his true emotions from view.

Though the Old Rose Castle was still some distance away and two swirling wind nests obstructed his view, he had almost guessed what awaited him within the castle.

Oswald stared blankly, his wings tilting slightly as if guided by an unseen force. In a hovering posture, he bypassed the two wind nests, revealing the ruins of the old rose castle in full view.

And, finally, the concealed secret hiding within the castle was fully exposed...

It was a colossal bird, towering over the broken wall, with long tail feathers cascading down. Its body was enveloped in a radiant light, blinding anyone from discerning its true form, except for its slender silhouette and pitch-black eyes.

Its wings shimmered with fiery red flames that burned relentlessly, exuding an overwhelming vitality that seemed eternal.

As more people gathered, the silhouette of the giant bird grew even more dazzling.

Until Kevin arrived above the old rose castle.

Suddenly, the motionless giant bird lifted its head and let out a resounding cry, as if coming alive in an instant.

Simultaneously, the light surrounding it burst forth, radiating as brilliantly as another sun in the world.

Under Kevin, Sirius, unable to bear the intensity of the light, plummeted downward, and Kevin himself lost consciousness as though struck by a heavy blow.