Chapter 4: The Overlord’s Power

The battlefield fell silent.

The soldiers of the Crimson Banner Legion stood frozen, eyes locked on the two figures facing each other at the center of the open field.

Ezren Veyrion. The Overlord. The conqueror of nations. The man they believed had perished.

Lily Eryndale. The Ice Queen. Once his sworn knight—now the leader of the army sent to crush him.

She leveled her lance, blue runes glowing along its shaft. Her silver hair fluttered in the wind, her icy blue eyes betraying a hint of hesitation.

Ezren simply stood still, his crimson sword resting lazily on one shoulder. His armor, dark as the void, radiated a power that made the very air around him feel heavy.

"I never thought we'd fight like this, Lily."

Lily's fingers tightened around her weapon. "Neither did I, my lord."

For a moment, the past flickered in her mind—memories of standing at his side, fighting battle after battle under his command.

But those days were gone.

She exhaled sharply, banishing the hesitation in her heart. "But if you truly are Ezren Veyrion, then I have no choice but to test you."

She charged.

In a flash, she closed the distance, her lance thrusting forward with blinding speed.

"[Frozen Fang]!"

A wave of icy energy erupted from her weapon, racing toward Ezren like a winter storm.

The Overlord did not move.

The ice surged forward—only to shatter before it could even touch him.

Lily's eyes widened in shock. "What—?!"

Ezren tilted his head slightly, his expression unimpressed. "You always did rely too much on your magic."

He took a single step forward.

The ground cracked beneath his feet.

Then—he vanished.

A heartbeat later, he reappeared behind her, his sword humming with power.

Lily barely managed to twist around, raising her lance just in time to block his downward strike. The force of the impact sent a shockwave through the battlefield, kicking up dust and forcing the surrounding soldiers to stumble backward.

"Tch!" Lily gritted her teeth as her arms shook under the weight of his attack.

"This strength… This speed…"

Ezren pushed harder, and Lily felt her knees buckle.

"No doubt about it."

"This really is him."

With a fierce cry, she rolled away, putting distance between them. Frost spread beneath her feet as she activated her next skill.

"[Glacial Step]!"

Ice surged from the ground, encasing her boots and propelling her forward at inhuman speed. She twisted, striking from Ezren's blind spot.

A direct hit—

Or so she thought.

Just before her lance could pierce his side, Ezren's hand shot out and caught the weapon mid-thrust.

"Too slow."

Lily's breath caught in her throat.

Before she could react, Ezren yanked her forward and drove his knee into her stomach.

She gasped as the impact sent a shockwave through her body. The world blurred, and before she even realized what had happened, she was slamming into the ground, her weapon knocked from her grip.

Silence.

The Crimson Banner Legion watched in stunned disbelief.

Lily—their strongest warrior—had been defeated in less than a minute.

She struggled to push herself up, her breath ragged. Her body ached, her magic felt drained, and her pride lay in tatters.

Yet, even in her weakness, she felt it—the undeniable truth.

"He's not just Ezren."

"He's stronger than before."

She gritted her teeth, forcing herself onto one knee.

Ezren stood before her, his sword pointed at her throat. His crimson eyes glowed with power.

"Do you yield?"

Lily trembled.

She had been ready to die fighting. She had steeled herself to go down as an enemy of the Overlord.

But now, as she stared into the eyes of the man she had once followed, she felt something else entirely.

Not fear.

Not defiance.

But relief.

Because she knew—this was her rightful king.

Slowly, she bowed her head.

"I… yield."

Gasps echoed across the battlefield.

The Ice Queen had surrendered.

Ezren turned to the thousands of soldiers behind her, his voice like thunder.

"Your leader has chosen to kneel. What will you do?"

For a moment, there was silence.

Then—one by one—the soldiers of the Crimson Banner Legion dropped to their knees.

In an instant, Ezren had gone from outnumbered five to one to commanding an army of over six thousand.

He smirked.

"Good. Now the real conquest begins."

End of Chapter 4