As dusk settled over the Empire, the city streets grew quiet, with people returning home to rest after a long day…. But the sudden blare of an unexpected announcement jolted them from their evening routines.
It was a summons from the Dragon Emperor himself!
They didn’t know what the call was for, nor why it came so urgently, but they knew one thing: if their Emperor commanded, they must respond.
Without delay, people hurried to assemble, watching as a massive screen flickered to life above the towering black castle, visible from every corner of the Empire.
Anticipation filled the air as everyone awaited the grand words of their Emperor, their god-like ruler.
Inside the black castle, deep within the throne room that had recently been remodeled, the atmosphere was tense.
High-ranking officials, adorned in their ceremonial robes, were gathered around a polished round table at the center of the room, each looking as eager—and as anxious—as the crowd outside.
“I can’t believe he summoned us so suddenly, without any warning,” one noble grumbled, his face pinched in frustration. “I had other pressing matters tonight.”
“Pressing matters?” another official snapped, his voice dripping with disdain. “Do you think you’re above the Emperor’s orders? When he summons you, you come—no matter the hour, no matter your so-called ‘other matters,’ understand?”
“Enough!” A third voice broke in, laced with authority. “This is no place for petty arguments. Show some respect!”
One noble gave a derisive snort, followed by another.
“Where is the Dragon Emperor, anyway?” a man at the far end of the table muttered, his eyes fixed on the empty throne that dominated the room, “He called us here, and yet…”
“It seems His Majesty is… taking his time,” an old man finally spoke up, leaning back with a heavy sigh.
“Oh? If it isn’t General Drakhairs?” another noble remarked, casting a curious glance toward the old man. “It’s been some time since you graced these halls, General.”
Drakhairs gave a slight nod but held his silence.
“Hmm… if even General Drakhairs is here,” another noble mused, “then this must be truly serious business. Why only him, though? Where are the other generals?”
“Perhaps he’s here to remind everyone of his importance,” another noble muttered under his breath, then gave a mocking laugh. “Perhaps hoping His Majesty might favor him a little more.”
“Hahaha!”
The laughter quickly faded as everyone fell silent, awaiting their Emperor.
The citizens outside, too, watched the giant screen with bated breath. Then, at last, the screen flickered.
A tall, imposing door appeared on the screen.
Thud!
The door swung open, revealing a towering figure cloaked in shadow…. The crowd collectively held its breath.
They couldn’t see it clearly but they knew it was their Dragon Emperor.
“That must be him… the Dragon Emperor!” someone murmured, eyes wide with reverence.
“All hail the Dragon Em—” The masses were about to kneel when they stopped, frozen in place as their eyes fell on an unexpected sight: a white-haired boy wearing a mask stood in the doorway.
“Who is he?”
The question rippled through the crowd, but before anyone could voice an answer, the sound of heavy metal echoed.
Clang. Clang….
Every onlooker gasped in pure shock and… bloodlust igniting in their eyes as they took in the sight on the screen.
In the throne room, the nobles’ faces twisted in shock and fury.
Their Dragon Emperor—chained like a mere beast.
Victor stood in the doorway, holding the chain with a look of smug amusement.
Without an ounce of fear, he strode confidently forward, pulling the chain as he went, his lips curling into a twisted grin.
Clang. Clang.
Arkanis, the mighty Dragon Emperor, followed on all fours, his once-fierce eyes vacant, as if he were under some unbreakable charm.
“YOOUUUU!” One of the nobles leapt to his feet, his face contorted in rage. “How dare you humiliate our Emperor like this! I’ll tear you apart!”
The rage in his eyes was palpable; the Emperor’s humiliation was an insult to all of them.
It was as if their pride of pride was being wounded!!!
But Victor only turned his head slowly, his gaze icy and calm…
ROARR!!!!
The noble froze mid-stride, horrified as he looked into the furious eyes of the Dragon Emperor himself—eyes that now glared at him, as if protecting the very man who held his chains.
The room fell into a stunned silence. It was as if their Emperor himself was shielding this intruder.
Everyone’s eyes widened as they realized,
“He’s bewitched him…” someone finally whispered, the words barely audible.
“A vampire?” murmured the crowds outside, their hatred simmering as they realized what they were witnessing. “If he’s a vampire, he’ll suffer the fate of every blood-drinker in this land.”
“He must be like that one… the woman they call Bloody Mary,” one noble muttered, his face twisted in disgust as he eyed Victor.
Victor moved slowly to the round table and sat, crossing one leg over the other as he leaned back.
Arkanis, still chained, sat obediently at his side, casting menacing glares at the nobles as though guarding his captor. With a soft smile, Victor ran his fingers through Arkanis’s hair, watching the dragon-man growl lowly at the crowd, ready to bite.
Victor’s eyes scanned each face before him, taking his time as he studied their reactions. His gaze finally fell on an older figure, watching Victor with a look of calm rather than rage.
Victor recognized him immediately—Drakhairs. He was the same man who had once saved Arkanis in pervious timeline, whisking him away before Victor could kill Arkanis. The general hadn’t fought him; he had simply taken Arkanis and stared at him before disappearing.
Victor’s lips curled into a dangerous grin. “Sit down.”
“Sit down? You arrogant bastard! Who do you think you are?” one of the nobles spat, fury blazing in his eyes. His gaze darted to their Emperor, chained and on his knees, his lips trembling with barely-contained rage. “Let our Dragon Emperor go, now…” he growled, his form beginning to shift, scales flickering along his skin as he slowly transformed into a dragon.
Yet, before he could fully transform—
ROAR!
“Whoa, easy there, big guy.” Victor’s voice was steady, almost mocking as he held up a hand. “There’s no need for violence, is there? I just wanted to have a little… chat with you all.” His words were calm, unruffled, and he barely blinked.
The nobles exchanged dark glances, their fury simmering, and the room crackled with tension. Outside, the citizens watching the live broadcast seethed with rage, their voices uniting in a relentless chant:
“KILL HIM!”
“TEAR HIM APART!”
“How dare this lowlife disrespect our Emperor!”
The cries echoed through the castle, reverberating like a thunderstorm around the Empire. The nobles sneered at Victor, one of them stepping forward with a cruel smile.
“Hear that, scum?” he taunted, his tone dripping with contempt. “Even if you begged for your life, you wouldn’t make it out of here alive. Not with all of us, and certainly not with the whole Empire after you.”
Victor sighed, glancing over at Drakhairs with a raised eyebrow. “Are they always like this, Drakhairs?” he asked with an amused smirk.
Drakhairs frowned, “Enough,” he said, his voice low and calm. “Everyone, calm yourselves and sit down.”
The room fell silent, though the nobles exchanged incredulous looks, their faces twisting in anger. One of them couldn’t hold back, leaning in to snarl, “Calm down? Do you even understand what’s happening? This… this
filth
has chained our Emperor before our very eyes, and you’re suggesting we should stay calm?”
“Are you forgetting who you’re speaking to?” Drakhairs’ voice dropped to a deadly whisper, and with it came a wave of crushing pressure, filling the room with a terrifying weight that made even the boldest nobles gulp in fear.
Victor watched with an intrigued smile as the nobles slowly sank into their chairs, cowed by Drakhairs’ overwhelming aura, ‘He’s stronger than I expected,’ Victor thought, noting the resemblance in strength to…. Alaric.
Drakhairs swept a hand toward Victor, who was now casually running his fingers through Arkanis’s hair, treating the once-feared Emperor like a mere pet, “Look at him,” Drakhairs said, his voice hard. “Do you think he’s a fool for coming here? For chaining our Emperor in the heart of this Empire, within this very castle? I assure you, he’s not afraid of any of us.”
A ripple of understanding spread through the room.
Even those watching the broadcast outside fell silent, uneasy murmurs replacing their shouts of fury. ‘Something isn’t right,’ they whispered to one another, their anger momentarily overshadowed by confusion.
Victor gave a nod of approval, a satisfied smile touching his lips. “Well said, Drakhairs. It’s true, wisdom comes with age,” he quipped, glancing at the old man, who responded with a sharp snort.
Victor turned his gaze back to the assembled nobles, giving them a calm nod. “Now that we’ve all settled down,” he said with a faint, knowing smile, “so?”
“So?” One of the nobles frowned, “What do you mean, ‘So’? What do you want? You’re the one who called us here, remember?”
Victor raised his brows as if he’d only just realized something. “Oh, yes… That’s right, I did call you here.” He paused, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “Now, why was that again…?”
A vein throbbed visibly on one of the nobles’ foreheads. “Enough of this farce!” he shouted. “What’s your purpose in all this? Speak now!”
Victor blinked slowly, feigning surprise. “My purpose?” His lips curled into a devilish grin. “Now that’s a good question… What do I want?”
BAM!
Another noble slammed his fist down on the table, his voice a furious snarl. “If this is some kind of sick joke, know that it won’t end well for you!
You can’t possibly believe you’ll escape unscathed from this. Our entire Empire will hunt you down.
Even if you’re a disciple of the Sovereign herself, I doubt she’d dare to protect you after you’ve disgraced our Emperor.” He motioned to the citizens outside, his voice a rallying cry. “Isn’t that right, my fellow citizens?”
“YES!” came the thunderous response, a surge of rage from the Empire as they seethed, their collective wrath palpable.
The noble smirked, turning back to Victor. “See? There’s no escape for you. Go on, try it—touch a single hair on our Dragon Emperor’s head. I dare you. We’ll—”
But his words stuck in his throat as Victor’s hand shot out, grabbing Arkanis by the hair.
In one swift motion, Victor slammed the Emperor’s head down onto the table with brutal force, drawing a gasp from the room. Then, with a flash of steel, he drew a long butchering sword, raising it high.
Slice!
The blade descended, and in a single, fluid motion—
Thud.
A solitary head rolled across the polished surface of the table.
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Drip… drip…
Blood poured from the lifeless body of the Dragon Emperor, pooling on the table in a dark, silent flood.
“….”
Pure silence!
For a long, agonizing moment only silence stretched… Outside, the crowd watching the broadcast was equally stunned, their horrified eyes fixed on the screen displaying the severed head of their beloved Emperor.
The entire Empire turned total silent….. so silent that one could hear the faintest pin drop.
Except,
“Hehehehehe….”