[Author’s Note: Sorry guys Chapters are mixed up! Please don’t read this before reading Exactly what is the Principal fighting against?]
Nyx Shadowfall…. also known as the “Dead-Lover”—was infamous for her mastery over necromancy, a dark art feared by many.
Aether blinked when he heard the details from Celestia….
His gaze shifted back to Nyx, standing with a smug, satisfied expression as she held the half-dead Jack.
His body, burned to a crisp and covered in grotesque scars, was somehow still functional. His hairless head had been stitched back onto his neck, and he moved on all fours, obedient like a tamed beast. A heavy iron collar wrapped tightly around his neck, completing the eerie transformation.
“Shall we go now?” Nyx asked in a playful tone, gripping the chain with a possessive smile.
Everyone was filled with questions, their faces twisted with confusion and horror, but the situation was far too dangerous to dwell on them. Just as they were about to move, a red snake slithered into their path, ready to strike. Instinctively, someone prepared to finish it off when—
“Go, Jacky~” Nyx’s voice chimed with amusement as she released the chain.
“WOFF!”
Jack let out a guttural bark, like a twisted mockery of a dog, before lunging forward. In an instant, his body split—once, twice, four times—until multiple grotesque versions of him swarmed the snake, devouring it with terrifying speed. The snake didn’t stand a chance, ripped apart by the horde of undead Jacks.
Aether’s jaw dropped, utterly flabbergasted by the display of power. His mind raced, trying to comprehend what he had just witnessed, “You… you can use his ability?” he stammered, his voice tinged with disbelief.
Both Nyx and Jack wielded really had broken abilities!!
Nyx simply shrugged, uninterested in providing explanations. She turned her attention back to Jack, who returned to her, his maw clamped around a glowing, rainbow-coloured Arcane crystal.
With an almost childlike eagerness, he placed the crystal at her feet, then barked again, as if awaiting praise.
Nyx’s lips curled into a sweet smile as she gently patted his head, “Good Jacky,” she cooed, taking the crystal from the ground and pocketing it. Without missing a beat, she began walking again, Jack trotting dutifully at her side, ever the loyal hound.
“You guys coming, or what?” she asked over her shoulder, her voice dripping with amusement, as if the bizarre display of necromantic control was nothing out of the ordinary.
The rest of the group stood frozen in place, their minds reeling from what they had just witnessed.
Some were filled with fear, others with disgust, all sharing the same unspoken question—would they too become one of Nyx’s undead servants if they died in battle?
As they continued forward…. Soon, they neared the Dragon Emperor’s Army.
“Sigh, finally, everything will be alright!” Vesperine breathed, her voice laced with relief as the sight of the massive army brought a sense of hope.
Kai let out a sigh of his own, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, we’ll be fi—”
BAMMM!!
The ground shook violently, and everyone flinched, their heads snapping toward the source of the impact.
A towering figure stood before them, the ground around him cracked and smoldering. It was the Dragon Emperor, his massive frame pinning the black lung dragon beneath him.
“Hahaha… how’s that now?” the Dragon Emperor bellowed, his laughter echoing through the battlefield despite the deep wounds marring his body.
Kai’s eyes widened, and without hesitation, he sprinted toward the Dragon Emperor, “You defeated the beast? That’s incredible, Dragon Emperor!” he shouted in awe.
The Dragon Emperor smirked, tightening his massive claw around the struggling lung dragon’s body. “Of course,” he replied, his voice dripping with pride. “Who do you think I am? The MIGHTY DRAGON EMPEROR!!!” He roared triumphantly, unleashing a torrent of dark blue flames into the sky, marking his victory for all to see.
The approaching Dragon Army, upon seeing the signal, erupted into a unified chant, their voices booming across the battlefield. “ALL HAIL THE DRAGON EMPEROR!!”
Aether winced at the noise, picking at his ear with an annoyed expression. ‘They’re shouting way too much,’ he thought irritably, not sharing the same level of enthusiasm as the rest.
The Dragon Emperor’s attention then shifted, his eyes scanning the group, “Where is my son?” he asked, a glimmer of curiosity in his tone. He had hoped to show his son this glorious moment—the defeat of the black lung dragon would be something to boast about, especially in front of his heir.
Everyone flinched.
Kai’s face darkened, sadness and dread filling his expression as he prepared to say when Selene quickly intervened.
“Some of the others haven’t returned from the summit yet,” she said, her voice calm but firm, masking the true tragedy.
The Dragon Emperor nodded in understanding, his thoughts turning inward, ‘Well, consuming the heart forged from the deaths of millions of dragons must take some time,’ he thought to himself, imagining his son growing stronger from the ordeal.
Meanwhile, the black lung dragon, still pinned beneath the Dragon Emperor’s claw, attempted to struggle, but it was no use. The mighty ruler’s grip was too powerful, and its fate was sealed.
“You think you can escape from me?” The Dragon Emperor sneered, his piercing gaze fixed on the lung dragon writhing beneath him.
“I’ll finish you… for the good of all,” he declared, his deep, menacing tone punctuated by the gathering of dark blue, electric flames. The fire coursed through his massive body, crackling and sparking with deadly energy as it concentrated into a glowing pinpoint in his throat, ready to be unleashed.
The lung dragon, battered and burned, growled weakly, “Grrllwoww…wlwowow….”
The Dragon Emperor’s smirk widened, his sharp fangs gleaming. “Don’t worry,” he mocked, his voice laced with icy malice, “I’ll finish your sister too. I don’t leave loose ends.”
SSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
The sky erupted as the blue, electric flames shot from the Dragon Emperor’s mouth, a raging torrent of fire aimed directly at the lung dragon’s face. The blast scorched the air, and the unmistakable stench of burning flesh filled the battlefield, thick and nauseating.
Kai, like the others, stood frozen in awe, unable to tear his eyes away from the brutal spectacle.
Aether, however, was distracted. His eyes lifted toward the stormy skies, his mind racing. He couldn’t help but wonder, ‘What kind of monster is the Principal fighting right now… alone?’ The thought sent a thrill through him, a mixture of fear and excitement.
Yet suddenly—
/Aether, no!/
Celestia’s voice rang sharply in his mind, her telepathic warning cutting through his thoughts like a blade.
He sighed, his lips twisting into a half-hearted smirk as he shook his head.
/How is Aqualina doing?/
/She still isn’t waking up./
Aether’s chest tightened with frustration. Something had broken Aqualina—whatever she had seen had shattered her resolve, and he needed to know what it was.
Meanwhile, the battle raged on.
The Dragon Emperor, still relentless in his assault, stopped for a moment, his molten flames subsiding as he observed the lung dragon’s head. The flesh was charred beyond recognition, a blackened husk. Its body slithered weakly, writhing in agony, unable to escape the inevitable.
“Stubborn to the end, aren’t you?” the Dragon Emperor mocked, his voice filled with derisive laughter.
His eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he prepared to unleash another devastating attack. He inhaled deeply, preparing to finish the creature once and for all.
But then—
“Orrllwwww….wweeeee,”
The Dragon Emperor’s flames faltered. His expression darkened, his brow furrowing, “What did you say?” he growled, suspicion creeping into his voice, “Origin… Emperor?” His words caught in his throat, and for the first time, a flicker of fear passed through his eyes.
A deep, primal dread clawed at his chest, and his massive body tensed instinctively. There was something about those words, something ancient and terrifying. Before he could react, the lung dragon seized the opportunity. It summoned a surge of crimson flames from its maw and slithered, fleeing into the sky.
“No, you won’t escape!” the Dragon Emperor roared, his rage boiling over. He lashed out with terrifying speed, his jaws clamping down around the lung dragon’s body. With a violent twist, he slammed it back to the ground, the impact causing the earth to tremble beneath them.
“ARRHH!” The lung dragon groaned, its skull smashing into the ground, leaving it dazed and disoriented….. Something came from its mouth, rolling across the dirt.
The Dragon Emperor growled in triumph, ready to end the creature when his gaze fell on the object…. His entire body stiffened.
It was a small, broken horn…. his son’s horn.
His slit blue eyes widened in disbelief and horror as he reached out, trembling. His claw brushed against the horn, and in that instant, the death spell he had cast upon his son long ago, which had been interfered with by time, revealed the boy’s final moments.
His son, his flesh and blood, had been killed… slaughtered by a cursed monster. The vision played out before him, the brutal details of his son’s death seared into his mind.
The Dragon Emperor let out a guttural growl, his teeth grinding together as anguish twisted his face. A deep, primal wail of sorrow and rage erupted from him, a sound so raw and powerful it shook the very heavens.
But then, as he mourned, something else flickered in his vision…. an image, brief but unmistakable. A small, unassuming ring… and its bearer.
His heart seized in his chest.
“No… it can’t be…!” he muttered, his voice trembling.
And then, as if pulled by some unseen force, the truth crashed down upon him, a horrifying realization that made his blood run cold.
“ORIGIN EMPEROR!!!” he roared in terror, his eyes wide with madness. In a blind frenzy, he lunged forward, his massive body whipping through the air as he locked onto his target.
Before anyone could react, he was upon Aether.
With a single, monstrous motion, the Dragon Emperor devoured him whole, his jaws snapping shut in an instant.