“What in the…?”
“I-Is that even possible?”
“What sort of miracle is Arcane playing with us now?”
The people from Pyra stared at the live telecast, their faces shifting between horror and awe, unable to comprehend the madness unfolding before their eyes…
What they witnessed was beyond anything they had ever imagined—a man engulfed in roaring purple flames, his entire body resembling a blazing torch as he pushed against the massive Empire with nothing but his bare hands!!
And to their utter shock, the Empire… actually moved!
It wasn’t by much, just the tiniest fraction—millimetre by millimetre—but it was moving!! Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire
Victor’s entire form burned like an unstoppable force, his body acting as fuel, an energy source blazing hotter than a high-powered engine running at full capacity!!!
“It’s… It’s moving!!” Lyirrs screamed in sheer disbelief, her voice trembling with both excitement and fear.
Even Drakhairs, known for his unwavering composure, found himself momentarily speechless, his eyes locked onto Victor as if trying to understand what kind of monstrous force of nature he was witnessing, ‘What in the name of all creation… What kind of being is this man?’ he thought, shaken to his core.
Raven, who had been tense all this time, finally exhaled a soft sigh of relief, a faint smile appearing on his lips. Thalia and Emberlyn, standing beside him, felt their own emotions stirring.
However, Emberlyn was the most shaken of them all. The more she looked at Victor, the more she realized—he wasn’t just strong; he was something beyond the realm of emperors, beyond rulers, beyond anything she had ever known.
“Truly… a one-of-a-kind existence,” she whispered, her voice laced with admiration.
Her words resonated with everyone around her, and they found themselves unconsciously nodding in agreement.
Raven, not wanting to waste any more time, turned to Lyirrs and asked, “What about Phase-3?”
Lyirrs quickly nodded, her expression serious. “Everything is in motion, Your Majesty. We’re proceeding as planned.”
Meanwhile, back in the Naiadae Empire, the people who had been convinced that their end was near suddenly found themselves frozen in place, eyes glued to the live footage being broadcasted.
Yes—this wasn’t just being shown in Pyra. The Naiadae Empire, too, was watching. Every single citizen bore witness to Victor’s insane act of defiance.
Something stirred deep within their chests—a feeling they hadn’t felt in a long time. Watching a lone man desperately trying to protect his people made them reflect on their own ruler… Empress Marisandra.
Marisandra, her lips twitching as her eyes darkened. She knew exactly what her people were thinking at that moment.
‘Tch… What the hell is that man trying to pull in my Empire?’ she mused.
She could have easily shut down the broadcast, and prevented her people from witnessing this so-called “heroic” act, but… she didn’t.
Because deep down, she, too, wanted to see what he was planning.
The Naiadae Empire continued its slow but inevitable descent towards Pyra. It was only a matter of time before the third collision!!
Leon clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, his entire body radiating anger.
Victor… That bastard… Doing all this just to save the people? He wasn’t buying it for a second!!
There had to be something more… There was always something more when it came to that man!
But he couldn’t guess what!
Kai, standing beside Leon, sighed and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. He understood Leon’s hatred better than anyone, but at the same time, he couldn’t let his emotions cloud their judgment.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Kai muttered. “But relax. That guy is still nothing compared to us Chosen Ones. No matter what kind of power he flaunts now… Sooner or later, we’ll bring him down. You’ll get your revenge, Leon. Just be patient.”
Leon didn’t respond, but his jaw remained tightly clenched, his body filled with rage and resentment.
Then, Kai’s gaze shifted.
His mother still wasn’t there.
‘Well, she’ll be fine…’ he thought, brushing the concern aside. His attention then landed on his sister, whose eyes remained fixated on the screen.
Kai’s brows furrowed.
Her expression…
There was something in her gaze—something that irritated him beyond reason.
Admiration!
Pride!!
‘Tsk!’ He clicked his tongue in annoyance, his irritation growing when he noticed that Velc had the exact same expression—completely captivated by Victor’s display of power.
“Oh no… He’s losing his power!” Velc suddenly exclaimed, his face paling.
Leon’s eyes snapped toward the screen, and what he saw made his breath hitch.
Victor’s once-brilliant flames were beginning to dim.
The brightness that had once illuminated his entire body was flickering—just like a dying torch running out of energy.
Leon’s lips curled into a smirk.
The mighty Victor was finally reaching his limit.
A wave of dread washed over the people watching.
Gasps and murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire.
Victor’s strength—his Arcane energy—was depleting before their eyes.
The Arcane energy fueling him was running dry!
“FUCK!!!!” Victor roared in frustration, his teeth grinding together.
He had to push harder—had to go beyond his limits!!
If he didn’t, the collision would obliterate the Pyra Empire’s foundation!!
And then… He did something that sent shivers down their spines.
He smiled.
Victor lifted his head, his gaze meeting the spider which holding the camera.
That expression… It was the smile of a man who had accepted his fate.
Even in the face of death, he wasn’t afraid.
“W-What is wrong with him?!”
People couldn’t understand it!
Why?
Why was he smiling like that?
It was too painful to watch. It pierced their very souls.
And then…
They saw his lips move.
But there was no audio.
They couldn’t hear him.
“W-What is he saying…? Is he… Is he saying goodbye?” People frowned.
Then, Thalia’s voice rang out,
“He said… ‘I am very proud to serve your Empire, my people… Please don’t lose your pride… ever again.'”
Silence!
Their hearts stopped!
BOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!
The Naiadae Empire crashed into Pyra’s base!!
The impact sent devastating tremors through the land, splitting the foundation further apart!! Cracks spread like veins of destruction, and vibrations shook everything in sight!!
And then—
Static.
The live footage cut out.
No signal.
Silence again!
The world came to a standstill.
Delphine and Sandra’s hearts skipped a beat.
TRRRRRRRR!!!
The Naiadae Empire’s base was sliding over Pyra’s… The destruction was inevitable!!
“Lyirrs?” Raven shouted, her voice sharp with urgency.
“I’m trying, Your Majesty!” Lyirrs cried out, her fingers flying across the controls as she desperately worked to reconnect the camera, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
Finally—
The screen flickered, static crackling before the image came into focus, revealing something that made their hearts clench in sheer horror.
A broken man, motionless, drifting through the endless void of space—like he had been thrown out, abandoned to the merciless expanse of the universe.
Their breath hitched collectively.
Their minds struggled to process the sight before them.
Their Emperor—Victor—the man who had sworn to protect them all… was now floating away, unreachable, unsavable, left to the cruel silence of space.
“N-No… No… NO!!”
“I-It can’t be… This isn’t happening…”
“W-We have to do something! There has to be a way!”
People finally started to think about him!!
Panic surged through the people… Guilt, already weighing heavy in their hearts, now turned into something far worse.
The man who had sacrificed everything for them—who had fought, bled, and burned for their survival—was now slipping away before their very eyes, and there wasn’t a single thing they could do to stop it.
Thalia’s voice trembled as she whispered, “T-That’s it… W-We can’t… I-I’m sorry… It’s over…” Her words broke into a sob, her sorrow overwhelming her as tears welled up in her eyes.
This was it.
There was no one left to save them.
The people of Pyra looked around, their faces reflecting the same realization, the same impending doom settling into their very bones.
And yet…
None of them felt fear.
Because somehow, deep down, watching Victor in that moment—watching his unwavering resolve even as he drifted away—made them feel like they deserved it.
But then—
“There is one way…”
A single voice cut through the despair.
Everyone turned in shock, eyes locking onto the speaker.
Drakhairs.
Their General… Their second most pride!
The man they had always looked up to, the warrior who had never failed them.
A flicker of hope sparked in their eyes.
“What is it?!” The entire Empire demanded in unison, voices rising with sheer desperation, like drowning men grasping for air.
Drakhairs raised an eyebrow at their intensity but didn’t falter.
“You see…” He gestured towards the ground., “We drilled a few holes for thrusters during construction. Time was against us, so we abandoned them. But now… based on his position… if we—by some miracle—manage to work together, we might be able to send him power, just enough to make a difference.”
A heavy pause.
“But the chances of success are only 30%.”
Silence.
The people turned toward the massive funnel-like structures embedded in the ground!
They peered down into the depths, seeing nothing but darkness!
Doubt crept into their expressions,
“Give him power? What the hell is he talking about?”
“30%? That’s not even a real chance!”
Murmurs of hesitation spread among the crowd… No one moved!
No one dared to act!!
Raven and the others frowned at this situation!
Hesitation!
Doubt!
Cowardic–
“Big brother needs help?”
A small voice broke through the murmuring, soft yet determined.
A child stepped forward.
Not just any child—a mutated child.
He had massive, powerful wings, but a human body. One of the many experiments left behind by the previous Dragon Emperor, a product of cruel science.
“Darling, where are you going?!” his mother cried, reaching out to stop him.
But the child, waddling awkwardly like a duck, squeezed through the crowd until he stood before one of the massive funnels, his small frame dwarfed by the towering structure.
He stared at it in awe before turning back, eyes bright with determination.
“Big brother needs help!” he declared again, louder this time.
Then—
“Yarrrrwwwnnn!!”
The child opened his mouth, trying to release flames with all his might.
But all that came out was a small, pitiful puff of smoke, weak and insignificant.
The people blinked in stunned silence.
Yet—
“Yarrrrwwwnnn!!”
Puff!
“Yarrrrwwwnnn!!”
Puff!
“Yarrrrwwwnnn!!”
Puff!
One after another, the tiny bursts of flame flickered and disappeared, barely enough to be called an ember, vanishing as quickly as they came.
If it was another time others would be laughing their asses but now… something hitting different.
And then—
More children stepped forward.
Mutated children.
Experiments.
The ones the world had cast aside, the ones no one had ever truly acknowledged.
“Let’s do it together! We can help Big Brother like he helped us!”
“Yay!”
“Yes!”
“We can do it!”
“And then Big Brother will give us something yummy!”
The crowd stood still frozen, stunned into silence.
For the first time, they were seeing the mutated children this close. And yet, those children—the very ones who had been treated as nothing more than failed creations—were the only ones stepping forward to help.
The children gathered before the massive funnel.
They exchanged determined looks,
Then—
“1!”
“2!”
“3!”
“Yarrrrwwwnnn!!”
Pufffff!!
Tiny flames erupted from their small mouths, flickering and fading almost instantly, barely even visible.
It was nothing.
Not even close to enough.
Yet—
They kept going.
Again!
And again!!
And again!!!
They refused to stop!
They refused to give up!!
Because they knew what it meant to be saved.
Emberlyn, who had been silent until now, finally snapped.
She grabbed the microphone, her voice booming with fury, every word dripping with raw, unfiltered rage.
“I can’t believe you people!!” she shouted, her voice like a whip cracking through the stagnant air.
The people flinched.
Emberlyn’s gaze swept over them, filled with nothing but disgust.
They had claimed to want to help, yet they hesitated.
Because Victor wasn’t a dragon!
Because he wasn’t one of them!!
That small, pathetic hesitation—that was what was holding them back.
“M-Mom, we need to stick to the plan—” Thalia started, her voice hesitant.
“Screw this shit!” Emberlyn roared before shouting into the mic,
“You ungrateful bastards don’t deserve to be pushed around! Look at you! A pile of worthless cowards, while a CHILD knows when to be grateful!”
Her words cut through them like a blade, slicing deep into their pride.
Emberlyn’s voice echoed through the Pyra Empire, filled with fury and contempt, unwavering in its truth…
“He’s not a Dragon or a Phoenix. SO WHAT?!” she snarled. “Do you think you’re above him just because he’s not one of you?!”
“Do you even understand where you are right now?!” she demanded. “That man—that HUMAN—freed you from the Dragon Emperor who used you like LAB RATS!!”
Silence.
“You think Arkanis saw you as anything more than disposable trash?! And yet, you hesitate—hesitate—to give your pride to the man who risked everything to save you?! That’s disgusting!”
Emberlyn’s fists clenched.
“You people deserve this,” she spat.
“If you can’t bring yourselves to pride him—then just DIE with him.
That’s the least you ungrateful rats can do.”