Emperor Joseph watched the boy’s transformation with furrowed brows. Given his long experience, he knew this was not an ability but something different. And, in the report he had complied about Arthur Silvera, it was said that his brother had a fire-elemental power.
The other two men seemed to be deme-rankers as well. But, despite being an Astra-ranker, the emperor knew that his time was limited since the howling was coming closer.
“I have no time to waste against the likes of you,” said the emperor as strings left his body and connected to the valley. Some even attached to the four men without notice, draining their mana. “Die with that woman!”
The emperor’s size grew larger as his fists brought destruction. He slammed it to the ground, causing a giant rift to spread in the valley. His strike reached the deeper layers of the earth, causing an earthquake to pull one side of the rift away from the other.
“Protect her!” shouted the same voice from above as the flying vessel started shining brightly. The emperor bolted toward the woman, seeking to kill her as the others lost their powers.
“My mana… is being drained!” shouted the thin man with a magic gun, realizing it a tad too late. The taller man said the same thing but still grabbed his sword to strike at the emperor. In one swift strike, the emperor sent him flying before jumping to the next boulder.
The two men were next to approach, who used something akin to astral blessings. The sword that the masked man struck radiated an overbearing aura. As for the boy in armor, his giant silver sword struck at the emperor.
“Don’t overestimate yourselves!” shouted the emperor as he sent two fists, each toward an enemy, and sent the two flying. His aura exploded further as mana entered his body, supplying him with the desired strength.
This was the reason that his ancestor was called the God of Destruction. Whatever land he wanted to destroy, he did because no one could oppose him. As soon as the mana turned to elements, their abilities turned them back into mana and drained them.
The masked and armored men slammed into Superbia’s gate before falling to the ground. As for the emperor, he was standing above Suyin now. She was unconscious, sleeping peacefully. Although he didn’t want to give her a swift death, he had no time.
As he raised his fist again to slam her skull, a hot searing light hit his chest and sent him flying back again. The recurrence of his failure made the emperor disgruntled, but the pain in his chest made him realize the strength behind such an attack.
As his feet dragged on the ground of a sinking piece of land, the emperor raised his eyes toward the attack’s source. He saw the flying vessel, once known as the Calamity Spider, lighting up with runic arrays.
“Each and every one of you….” muttered the emperor with rage, his veins bulging on his forehead. His youthful face morphed in wrath as his arms inflated. “Need to know your place!”
The emperor rushed forward and grabbed a giant piece of land. It rose due to his last attack, and the emperor picked it up with his inflated arms. He stomped on the ground to rise with the giant boulder before hurling it toward the flying vessel.
PHOOOW!
As the small hill soared toward the flying vessel, the latter shot mana beams to destroy it. But instead, the boulder exploded into countless fragments covering the sky, which was the emperor’s aim.
“You can’t attack me now,” said the emperor as he was about to rush forward again, but a howl stopped him in his tracks. It came from behind him and terrorized his heart. Then, as he turned around slowly, he found the giant wolf with red eyes standing atop a mountain. “It’s here….”
Emperor Joseph has prepared for the outsider all of his life. He realized that even if the outsider could use the runes of the world, then the emperor could counteract it. However, the revelation that Arthur Silvera also carried one of the Seven Deadly Sins within him threw his plans astray.
“I can still make it,” said the emperor before turning toward Suyin and rushing forward, but the wolf gave another howl. He could feel the giant monster approaching him from behind, and the cries grew closer.
Before he could reach the woman, the emperor felt the wolf’s presence behind his back. Then, without notice, he was slammed to the ground by its giant claw. His face was buried in the soil, and his eyes bled from the humiliation.
“I AM THE LIGHT EMPEROR, VILE BEAST!” roared the emperor before slamming his fists to the ground and pushing the wolf back. His body turned midair as he struck at the wolf, but the monster prepared another claw for him.
The fist met the claw, but the claw sent him flying nonetheless. The emperor slammed into a cliff, which couldn’t stop him. The once mighty emperor was buried in the cliff, with rubbles falling on him.
“I… was… prepared…” muttered the emperor as blood leaked from his forehead. “Father… your son is a failure….”
***
The armor cushioned the impact, but Oren’s head was still dizzy from slamming into the dungeon’s gate. He saw the emperor fighting against a giant monster as he rose from the ground. It was a wolf of black lightning, which crackled with its every step.
“What in the world is that?” muttered Oren with fear as it saw the wolf’s red, bleeding eyes. The emperor was no match against it as if all of his strength didn’t count anymore. With a mere two attacks, the emperor was sent crashing to a cliff.
However, the wolf was unsatisfied. It started howling again and slamming its head to the valley, causing a giant fissure to appear on its land. The emperor’s attack was enough to cause earthquakes, but this wolf seemed capable of ending the world.
“Why is this monster harming itself?” questioned Oren while grabbing his sword and raising it for another fight. The monster turned toward them and howled, sending chills down their spines.
Although the group could use mana again, they all realized that the situation had turned direr. The giant monster defeated the emperor, who sent them flying without a sweat. Furthermore, it didn’t seem to be the type who could be reasoned with.
“This aura… raw and ancient,” muttered Li in a rare gesture. The masked man was usually silent, not saying a word. “This monster is not something we can handle.”
Luckily for the group, the wolf seemed focused on the emperor. It howled again before rushing toward him, charging toward the cliff. The wolf was seconds from reaching its enemy when a wall of earth appeared in front of it.
“This is enough, Eragon!” shouted a white figure as it soared through the skies. Oren frowned as he saw the unusual creature, who looked like a humanoid monster. “Any more, and Arthur Silvera will die!”
The words made Oren’s eyes widen with surprise before he took a step forward. The newcomer landed above the wall, which separated the wolf from the emperor. His aura was threatening, but a wound on his back leaked spiritual energy.
“What do you mean by that?” shouted Oren as he raised his sword and carried it toward the wall. The white being turned to the side, glancing at them. “Where is my brother?!”
“Your brother?” questioned the newcomer with a frown before realizing something. “You are the outsider’s brother? If so, then you are quite the failure. After all,” said the being while pointing at the wolf, “there is your brother.”
Oren was confused before he stared at the dangerous monster. It was howling at the wall while raining claw after claw. The wolf was tens of meters long, with a height of a small giant.
“You think that would fool me?” muttered Oren, realizing this must be a ploy to push Oren into fighting this monster. “My brother is nothing like that.”
“For a pair of siblings, you know very little about him. Nevertheless, no one expected that a man with no feelings would have such ferocity inside him. Yet, here we are, before the truth.”
Oren was silent as he gripped his sword tighter and stared at the wolf. It was howling with rage, slamming itself against the wall, all in an attempt to reach the emperor.
“Li, go and save that woman. She is Arthur’s friend, or so I heard,” said Oren before stepping toward the wolf. “If this monster is him, he would answer my calls.”
“If not, then all of us will die,” said Alan from beside him. “This is a risk that involves all of us, Oren.”
“A risk that we will take for our guild leader, right?” glared Oren at the man, who was silent before sighing. “Step back. I will be the one to talk to him.”
Carrying his great sword, Oren walked toward the wolf. The wall was barely standing together, seemingly under the control of the Calamity.
“Arthur! Is that you, Arthur?!” shouted Oren toward the wolf, who paused as it heard his voice. Then, the pair of red eyes turned toward him with recognition before a hoarse voice came out of the wolf.
“O…ren… Run….”
