Consternation

Everyone's face instantly dropped. Even Phoenix's heart skipped a beat.

"What are you—"

"Before panic erupts, let me finish," Astaroth interrupted the rising voices, raising his hand to silence them.

"You cannot be serious! Calling us in for a declaration of war?! Have you lost your mind?!" Commander Alena shouted.

"I said let me finish!" Astaroth's voice boomed, a pulse of mana slamming into the woman.

She felt like a mountain had just slammed onto her shoulders, and her knees almost buckled instantly.

'What the… When did he become this powerful?!' she wondered, struggling to stand up straight.

The last time they had fought, a few days before his disappearance, he had needed to meld and use Royal Protection just to make her feel this way. But she couldn't see any traces of such a thing on him currently.