Clink!
The crystal wine glass shattered upon smashing onto the thick marble flooring. Scarlet liquor splashed, bringing a hue of red on the pitch-black floor. Ion lifted his head and stared at the darkness before him. His eyes glinted in a maroon flash.
“You haven’t found her? Useless trash!!”
“We’re really sorry, Your Majesty.”
Facing Ion’s wrath, the vampires who were donned in luxurious robes and half-kneeling before him turned as white as a sheet, lowering their heads in trembling fear. It had been a long time since Erin’s disappearance, but they didn’t manage to catch sight of her in the slightest. Although they searched the entire Darkness Capital, they didn’t find any clues at all. Ion was enraged. He had even activated the enchanted field in the city to stop his younger sister from escaping. But this group of worthless trash… Just couldn’t even get the job done!
“You fools are worthless!”
Gazing at the vampires who half-knelt in front of him, Ion berated and let out a snort. He swung his right arm abruptly and along with this movement, a razor-sharp, strong gale erupted and pounced on the vampires. In a deafening screech, the vampire at the front was blasted to the back. His blood was mangled with chunks of flesh as they scattered everywhere, exuding a bloody scent in the palace. Looking at this horrible scene, the vampires at the back lowered their heads instantly, holding their breaths as they stared at the ground.
“Scram! All of you! No matter how you do it, you must find Erin! Be it dead or alive! Find her! Do you hear me?! If you don’t, every single one of you will die! All of you! Now, get out of my sight!”
The entire palace was left in complete silence except for Ion’s echoing snarls. The vampires left the scene swiftly and silently, but Ion’s mood didn’t turn for the better. He stood up, sauntered to the window with a grim expression, and gazed at the pitch-black city. At that moment, the Darkness Capital wasn’t as peaceful as it was in the past. Under the envelopment of the Dark Curtain, the city was an utter mess. Exquisite buildings had turned into debris, while the homes of families that rebelled against Ion were razed to the ground. Green spiritual flames continued to blaze over the piles of debris. At a glance, the Darkness Capital was like a brazier with extinguishing coals. Accompanied by the remnants of the flames, only traces of conflagration remained. The ancient city that survived for thousands of years under the night sky had crumbled and fallen apart. Ion sent out huge armies to search for his younger sister in the Darkness Capital, at the same time eliminating rebels and civilians who avoided him. He was aware that not everyone in the Darkness Capital was willing to obey his orders, especially after he possessed much stronger power. But so what? They would eventually be destroyed. No one could escape the Darkness Capital. Their only choices were either to surrender or be destroyed. And that was only a matter of time.
But really… So what?
Looking at the wreckage of buildings, Ion’s eyes flashed with traces of insanity and joy. He gained power and was stronger than ever. He didn’t borrow someone else’s strength nor received the reward from anyone. He relied entirely upon himself to receive this power instead! Not only that, but he also obtained unprecedented authority! One of these days, the continent, world, and everything would bow down before him!
When that day arrives, no one will be capable of becoming an obstacle. No one can stop me—not even Erin!
At this thought, Ion couldn’t help but clench his fists. The corners of his mouth perked up into a fanatical smile.
But at the next moment, his expression changed abruptly!
Right before his eyes, the dark barrier enfolding the Darkness Capital gradually faded away as though after a long period of preparation, the stage play was finally about to begin. The barrier that used to be pitch-black rose and re-connected the Darkness Capital and the outside world. At the same time, white fog on the outside gushed into the Darkness Capital like pouring tides. Looking at this scene, Ion widened his eyes instantly. His expression twisted and he couldn’t help but yell in disbelief.
“What’s going on?! How did this happen! Who? Who dismantled the barrier?!”
It wasn’t surprising that Ion harbored such doubts because unlike an enchanted field, the Dark Curtain was responsible for guarding the safety of the Darkness Capital. Only the ruler of the Darkness Capital had the authority to access it. In other words, other than Ion, there shouldn’t be anyone else authorized to deactivate it!
“———!”
At that moment, as though responding to his doubts, a crisp, dragon cry echoed from all directions in the sky . Upon hearing it, Ion’s expression changed instantly. He knew whose voice that was. But how could she possibly leave the underground? It wasn’t possible!
“Erin… You… Ahhhhh!”
But before Ion finished his sentence, his words were replaced by a miserable scream. The tall, burly man who stood upright a few seconds ago hugged his head and shouted at the top of his lungs. His expression twisted, turning sinister and terrifying. Beads of sweat on his forehead trickled down his face. An agonizing pain, as though one slashing into his body with a blade, spread from the center of his soul, slamming heavily onto his body. Ion gnashed his teeth, resisting the excruciating torment with his willpower. His body ran out of control. It began to curl up, tremble, and his muscles twitched on their own. The immense pain tortured his every vein and nerve.
After a whole 10 minutes, Ion’s body stopped shuddering. However, he had transformed entirely. If Rhode were to meet Ion now, the former would be flabbergasted. Right now, the mature and earnest Ion had a completely different look. His skin was as withered and wrinkled as an old tree’s, while his determined eyes became dull and lifeless. His thick, black hair had fallen off his scalp, and his tall, upright built became fragile and crooked.
“Erin… I see…”
Unlike in the past, Ion now spoke in a hoarse, dry voice. He finally understood what happened. He received the dragon soul power through underhanded means and now, the dragon soul power had found its rightful owner. He no longer benefited from the hibernating dragon soul power. Not only that, but his body also used to be linked to the dragon soul power and this disconnection between them affected him greatly. Right now, the dragon soul power in his body had been cut off, which was almost no different from cutting off his life!
But…
“Heh, heh, heh… Heh, heh, heh… Well done… Erin… Heh, heh, heh, wahahaha!”
Curled up on the ground, Ion was furious, and also burst into fanatical laughter. Along with his laughter, the pitch-black shadow under him surged like flames and wrapped him entirely in the blink of an eye. After about 10 minutes, the blazing flames extinguished gradually, unveiling Ion once more. But this time, he looked completely different.
The appearance of a skinny, old man earlier had disappeared completely. Right now, Ion turned into a young man in his early 20s. His clean, handsome face displayed a strange, elegant smile. He seemed like an entirely different man. If it was said that in the past, Ion was aloof and determined, right now, he looked like a frivolous playboy. Ion showed an attractive smile as he looked at the sky. Then, he narrowed his eyes and an ice-cold glint flashed.
“Not bad, Erin… Thanks for solving the problem that I’ve been having… Alright then, it’s about time to say hello to you!”
After saying that, Ion metamorphosed into a dark ray of light, charged out of the palace, and flew to the sky.
“———!”
The deafening roar of a dragon.
The huge Dark Dragon lifted her head high, expanding her wings that were large enough to enfold the entire sky. Along with the dragon roar, the world transformed yet again. The dragon soul protection that was contaminated by Chaos shattered and disappeared swiftly, revealing the pitch-black night sky as the dome of heaven. Clear, silver-whitish moonlight spilled and illuminated the lands. Upon sensing the moonlight, the white fog proliferating across the plains rolled and retreated hurriedly. At that moment, the power of Order once again regained dominance. The gentle moonlight metamorphosed into a solid barrier. The silver-whitish brilliance shot straight ahead; almost nothing was able to stop its invasion. The white fog withdrew from the surface, allowing the land to restore its original state.
“It seems rather successful.”
Rhode heaved a sigh of relief at the result. Fortunately, the Country of Darkness hadn’t been infiltrated by Chaos for too long. For that reason, the Country of Darkness wasn’t entirely shaken yet. As long as Erin used the power of darkness to reorganize and restore the power of Order, Chaos would self-destruct.
“Feels similar to Leader’s Void Territory, huh?”
On the other side, Mini Bubble Gum looked at the night sky curiously, nodded pleasingly, and said. Well, this young lady wasn’t wrong. After Erin accepted the inheritance of the dragon soul, the new Dark Dragon’s soul protection was unveiled with characteristics of Erin’s rule. Initially, the Country of Darkness under the night sky had three blood, full moons. But now, the night scenery became much calmer and more peaceful. Unlike the darkness from before that seemed as though it were going to swallow an entire person, it now looked like a night scene in the evening, quiet and laid back. A round moon the size of a silver platter hung high in the air, soothing one’s soul in a tranquil atmosphere as though one were lying in the wilderness and watching the night and twinkling stars.
Of course, even though the night sky above this brand new Country of Darkness appeared somewhat similar to Rhode’s Void Territory, the difference between them was rather huge, as a matter of fact. After all, the Country of Darkness under Erin’s control had ordinary nights, unlike Rhode’s Void Territory, where the sky was basically like outer space…
Rhode didn’t stop Erin from restoring Order in the Country of Darkness straightaway. After all, she possessed the dragon soul power now and didn’t need to conceal herself like in the past. Besides, with Rhode by her side, he refused to believe that anyone would dare to fight them. For that reason, Rhode placed his hands behind his back and watched Erin as she hovered in the sky and reorganized the power of Order.
“Roar———!”
All of a sudden, they heard another dragon roar.
But this time, it didn’t come from Erin, but from a place surrounded and invaded by Chaos instead!
“Erin, be careful!”
Upon hearing the dragon roar, Rhode knew that something was wrong. And as expected, right after he yelled out, the presence of Chaos that was retreating to the moonlight stopped moving. Not only that, but it also launched an attack on the dark barrier! The silver-whitish moonlight and dark night sky pushed ahead like an earth-shattering mountain flash flood. On the other hand, the white, turbid Chaos let out piercing screeches and swept up as it retaliated, gathering in layer upon layer and charging ahead in an instant!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
In an instant, the entire world shook. The ground trembled and the air ruptured. The collision of forces invisible to the naked eye caused space to twist and deform. An empty void began to reveal itself. The undulation and flow of energy poured from above. The aftermath of this clash lashed the vast land. Along with explosions of vibrant, colorful brilliance, the solid ground fissured. Hard soil and rock shattered fast under the great, crushing force, vanishing from sight. In the face of Chaos, Erin had no intention of backing down. She widened her eyes, stared at them, and opened her mouth. Along with this action, silver-whitish moonlight coalesced around her and formed ancient, sacred runes that were bursting with power. The instant the runes took shape, the silver-whitish moonlight grew even brighter. From the perspective of Rhode’s group, it seemed as though the round moon hovering in the sky erupted a ring of light that blasted down, merging with the moonlight and shattering Chaos’s retaliation like a heavy hammer!
However, it was apparent that Chaos wasn’t willing to give up that easily. Facing the constant attack of moonlight, Chaos didn’t retreat. The white fog was shredded repeatedly, vanished, and reappeared in midair as though one were unwaveringly tugging and dragging their body. No matter how one stabbed with a knife, shot with a machine gun, exploded a grenade, or even fired a nuclear warhead, one wouldn’t let them off unless they were thoroughly dead!
“How is it possible that Ion became so powerful?”
Rhode couldn’t help but knit his brows at the unrelenting Chaos. According to the two dragon young ladies, after Erin inherited the dragon soul power, Ion should stop receiving the transfer of dragon soul power. That would definitely be a huge blow to him, where even if he weren’t dead, he should be half-dead by at the very least. But now… Judging from his aggression, he didn’t seem to be on the verge of death. After all, even if he were putting up a deathbed struggle, there was also a time limit. Based on the situation of Chaos, this seemed to be preparation for a war of attrition instead of a reckless act of revenge.
Seems like Ion is deeply influenced by Chaos.
At this thought, Rhode put up a stern expression. Since Ion lost the support of the dragon soul power but was still able to display such powerful strength, Rhode guessed that Ion had gained formidable power that was as strong as dragon soul power. Considering Ion’s current situation, the answer was revealed plainly. It was apparent that Ion was completely influenced by Chaos, which was why he dared to go against the dragons with the power of Chaos at his back.
All of a sudden, the white fog on one side of Chaos retreated rapidly. Then, a massive figure appeared before everyone. Upon seeing it, Rhode couldn’t help but twitch his brows.
The real deal is here.
“… Big Brother.”
Erin hovered in midair, gazing quietly at the enormous dragon. At that moment, Ion couldn’t recognize her in the slightest. Logically speaking, Ion’s true form should also be a huge, black dragon as one of the dragon race. But now, he was covered in turbid whiteness from top to bottom as though his body were coated with a layer of filthy paint. Not only that, but his eyes also turned maroon. Just the look of it was enough to startle one.
“Seems like you finally gained the inheritance of the dragon soul, my adorable younger sister.”
Facing Erin’s gaze, Ion didn’t seem to realize that anything was wrong. He stared at the Dark Dragon and said with a smile.
“I knew this day would come. But… There is no point in speaking about it anymore.”
“Yes, Big Brother. It’s pointless now.”
Erin responded plainly. Just like Ion said, no matter what sort of intention he harbored or under what circumstances caused him to make his decision, he had already made his choice. And the situation had gotten to this point. There were no ifs in history. Since no one could return to the past, there was no point in questioning, interrogating, or regretting. Ever since the day the Dragon Soul Continent was born and Order and Chaos met, there had been only one ending.
Battle.
“Let’s start, Big Brother. I want to end this and chase Chaos back to where it comes from!”
“How foolish, my younger sister! I shall let you see exactly how strong the power of Chaos is!”
As the siblings snarled, the powers of Order and Chaos coalesced and collided once again!
And so, the battle unfolded!
