I Died and Became a Noble's Heir

Chapter 714: Dragon’s Pride

Jack’s response came with absolute calm, his voice cutting through the defensive chorus like it was insignificant noise; the outrage of the Herald’s lieutenants was nothing more than an irritant he acknowledged out of courtesy.

“Exactly. You can’t even fight your own battles, can you? You need your lieutenants to defend you. You need your empire to shield you from the reality of your own weakness. That’s why you brought an army with you, Herald. That’s why you hide behind thousands of dragons instead of facing something that might actually challenge you. That’s why, when confronted with the possibility of fighting something that might be stronger, your entire psychological framework begins to fragment. You’re a waste of a dragon. I know wryms with more pride than you.”

The Herald’s breathing deepened. His claws released their grip on the stone, only to dig in once more with such force that the command platform itself began to tilt, becoming unstable under the weight of his rage.

His entire frame seemed to shift as something fundamental changed in his consciousness. The fear that Jack had perceived through the [Phobia] ability had been exposed to his lieutenants for all of them to hear.

The Herald’s shame was undeniable. Every dragon in his formations had heard Jack’s words. Every creature under his command now understood that their leader harbored a fundamental terror of superior strength.

The carefully constructed image of invincibility, of absolute dominance, of wanting to be the strongest entity in existence, had been shattered in a single moment.

The only way to restore his honor, to prove that Jack’s assessment was fundamentally wrong, was to destroy the human himself.

The Herald’s voice conveyed an exceptionally resolute, unwavering tone, reflecting the profound conviction of an entity that had embraced an undesirable reality to avoid the enduring burden of acknowledging its fear.

“I will fight you one-on-one. And when this is over, I will feed your body to my children.”

Jack’s response indicated a casual disregard, as he was merely offering an idea.

Jack raised his right hand.

Reality tore open across the landscape.

Portals erupted into existence with violent simultaneity. Over two hundred apertures in space opened at once, each one a different size and scale, each one burning with black lightning that flickered and crackled with the weight of Jack’s power.

Some portals were small enough to allow only a single creature passage. Others were enormous, capable of accommodating entire formations simultaneously, their apertures stretching across hundreds of feet of open space.

The dragons watched as portals multiplied, filling the sky and the ground with apertures that led to destinations beyond their comprehension.

The Herald’s entire body convulsed with rage. His claws dug into the command platform with such force that the entire structure began to crack beneath his weight.

His golden eyes widened as the realization washed over him. The human had never negotiated in good faith.

The human had orchestrated this entire sequence to position his own army for deployment while the Herald was engaged in a one-on-one encounter.

But commitment was irreversible now. The Herald had spoken of his intention to everyone present.

To withdraw would be to confirm everything Jack had said about his fundamental cowardice. To refuse the engagement would be to live with the knowledge that he had been afraid.

The Herald had no choice but to proceed.

The portals continued to open, to expand and flood the battlefield with apertures. From the portals came the creatures Jack had summoned.

From the portals came the minotaurs first. Two hundred forty-six of them, each one standing nearly ten feet tall, their bodies composed of muscle and bone hardened through combat across countless battlefields.

They were armed with massive weapons, greatswords, greataxes, and polearms that looked like they could tear through dragon scales with ease.

Their horns were sharp enough to pierce stone. Their eyes carried the weight of creatures that understood they were about to fight for a master whose power transcended any force they had previously encountered.

The Panthers emerged next. Sixteen of them, each one a lithe, deadly predator that emerged, but no dragon could see them. They arrived camouflaged, waiting on their master’s orders.

The Ice Drake emerged from one of the larger portals, a creature of white scales and crystalline formations that seemed to radiate cold even at this distance.

Its jaws opened to reveal teeth that glowed and released mist.

The Stormfang wyvern emerged with a strong presence, as its scales crackled with electricity that arced between them with the force of contained lightning. Its wings seemed to bend reality as it spread them, each beat sending shockwaves across the landscape.

The Hydra emerged from one of the enormous portals, a creature with multiple heads that began to hiss in unison.

The sound was so loud that it made the air itself vibrate and distort.

The Voidweaver spider emerged from the shadows of one of the portals, a creature so massive that it made the ground tremble with each step.

Its legs were thick as tree trunks. Its fangs dripped with venom.

Corvin, the carrion raven, emerged from the portals and rested on one of the minotaurs.

And finally, from the largest portal, emerged Mira.

She was stunningly beautiful in a way that seemed to transcend conventional attractiveness and venture into something that operated at a level beyond normal perception.

Her body was provocative in every possible way, curves and contours that were specifically calibrated to draw and hold the eye of any creature with functioning sensory perception.

Her auburn hair fell down almost to the top of her ass, flowing like liquid copper in the light of the portals.

Her amber eyes conveyed the profound burden of an individual reanimated into a state of servitude, possessing a clear comprehension of her current identity and impending actions.

There was no ambiguity in her demeanor. Instead, there was an evident acceptance and a focused clarity.

A being who had reconciled with their designated function within a grander scheme.

She wore minimal clothing, just enough to preserve the most basic sense of coverage and maintain her mobility, leaving the majority of her provocative body exposed to the air.

The fabric she wore clung to her form in ways that emphasized every curve, every contour, every aspect of her sexy body.

Her shoulders and stomach were bare. At the same time, her legs were bare from mid-thigh downward.

Her demeanor exuded an inherent authority, commanding attention through her mere presence. Each stride was purposeful, every action meticulously controlled. She was not merely approaching the draconic convergence; rather, she was ascending to her pivotal role in the impending fight.

And she was smiling.

It was not a smile of fear or uncertainty. It was the smile of someone who had accepted their position and was ready to fulfill the role assigned to them. It was a smile of absolute dedication to the creature who had resurrected her and given her purpose.

She had come back to life and forgotten her memories, but she was loyal to Jack, regardless of her hate for the Soul Warden.

The moment the final creature emerged from the last portal, the Herald launched himself directly at Jack.