Later that night when the three branches return.
Alec Dragna was walking down the halls with a smile on his face.
“Alec.”
It was at this moment that Kirika walked out of a dark shadow and approached him.
“Woah!”
Alec jumped in fright when he saw her.
“Damn, sis! You almost gave me a heart attack.”
He said while holding his chest.
“Don’t ever do that again. Huh?”
He looked behind him and checked his pants.
“Ahh….good. I didn’t shit myself.”
He said with a sigh.
“Alec, where were you going this late at night?”
Asked Kirika.
“Just a walk.”
“You’re going to meet with that Miko, aren’t you?”
Alec didn’t answer and smile.
Kirika approached him with a stern look.
“Alec, isn’t it time you tell me why you’re so obsessed with him?”
“I can’t tell you yet.”
Her stern look disappeared when she heard that.
It was replaced with a sad look.
“I see.”
She said.
“Hey, don’t look at me like that. It hurts my heart.”
Said Alec.
“Look, I’ll tell you eventually I promised. But I can’t do it now, because they’ll be severe consequences if you were to hear it.”
“Severe consequences?”
“You’ll be targeted in the future.”
“By who?”
“I can’t say, but know this. They aren’t mortals.”
Kirika’s eyes widen when she heard that.
“Alec, what have you gotten yourself involved in?”
Concern was present in her voice as she held his shoulders.
“I can’t tell you. But I can tell you this, I regret nothing.”
“Regret? Wait, why does it sound like it’s something that might make you end up dead?”
“……..”
“Alec!”
She shook him.
“Wait….Don’t tell me this has something to do with that woman?”
Alec nodded.
“I knew it. You’d only act reckless when she’s involved.”
“Don’t blame her, Kiri. I asked to take up this role, she didn’t force anything on me.”
“….But.”
Alec smiled and placed his hand on her cheek.
“Don’t worry. I won’t die so easy.”
He stepped back from her.
“Besides, in the future you’ll realize that Miko is worth betting everything on.”
After saying that, he turned his back on his sister.
“I must go now. Be sure not to follow me, alright?”
He started to walk into the dark halls while whistling.
Kirika looked at him with anxious eyes.
“Alec…..”
After walking for a while, Alec appeared in front of Miko’s room.
He didn’t sleep in the royal chambers and left it for his parents.
Alec knew that he shared a room with Tiamat and scanned his surroundings first before opening the door.
After confirming that there wasn’t anyone in the vicinity he slipped inside Miko’s room.
The room was dark and huge.
Alec looked and saw Miko sleeping on his bed.
Alec activated his Qi to hide his presence.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
He lifted his hands in the air to indicate to the guardian beasts watching from afar that he meant no harm.
They got the order to stand down from Tia who was also observing the situation.
“Let’s watch what he wants to do.”
Alec sighed in relief when he sensed that the guardian beast weren’t going to attack.
He slowly approached Miko’s bed until he stood beside him.
“………”
Alec silently looked down on him before stooping down to his ear.
He paused for a while before speaking.
“Timor mortis conturbat me (The fear of death confounds me). Omnia mors aequat (Death makes all things equal). Nascentes morimur (From the moment we are born, we begin to die). Nemo ante mortem beatus (Nobody is blessed before his death). Facilis descensus averno (The descent to hell is an easy one). Abyssus abyssum invocat (Hell calls hell; one misstep leads to another). Pulvis et umbra sumus (We are dust and shadow). Pars maior lacrimas ridet et intus habet (You smile at your own tears but keep them in your heart). Tanta stultitia mortalium est (Such is the foolishness of mortals). Acta est fabula, plaudite! (The play is over, applaud)!”
*Flash!*
The moment Alec finished speaking, a bright light lit the room.
The moment that light appeared, Tia and the five guardian beast were unable to see inside Miko’s room. Not only that, they could no longer sense him or Alec anywhere in this world.
Tia immediately appeared in front of the door.
“Wha?!”
She was shocked because she was actually trying to appear in the room but something blocked her.
“It couldn’t be….”
She hastily opened the door and was shocked by what she saw.
“It’s gone?”
Miko’s room was gone. Only thing that was left in its place was a dark space.
“What’s going on?”
Inside Miko’s room.
Alec looked at Miko who was still laying on the bed.
After a while he opened his eyes. However his normally blue eyes were purple. More ever, it looked different than it would normally look like when it turned purple. It didn’t look draconic, but like a human’s.
“………”
Miko looked at the ceiling for a while before turning his gaze on Alec.
He slowly sat up at the edge of the bed.
Alec noticed that the look in eyes were completely different from what he would normally see.
These eyes were filled with wisdom, indifference, and power.
He immediately kneeled in from of Miko.
“Descendent, Alec Dragna sincerely greets Divine Conqueror Augustus Dragna!”
Miko sighed when he saw Alec kneeling.
“You know, you could at least try to be more believable if you’re trying to act sincere.”
He said.
“Oh? Was I seen through already?”
Alec lifted his head and smiled.
“It would’ve been more believable if you weren’t leaking bloodlust.”
Said Miko, while resting his head in his palm.
Alec stood up.
“Sorry about that. I was just testing if it was really you.”
“Is that so?”
Miko didn’t look bothered and kept a straight face.
“Well at least this proves it.”
Alec smiled.
“You’re able to take over whenever you wanted to.”
He stopped smiling.
“At least that’s what I’m hoping. But to confirm could you introduce yourself?”
“Introduce myself to a junior? Well, I guess it’s fine.”
Miko stood up and looked Alec in the eyes.
“Remember this well, boy.”
A devious smile appeared on his face.
“My name is Augustus Dragna. The strongest person you’ll ever meet.”
Miko’s, no Augustus’ tone was so arrogant that even if a god was present, even they couldn’t deny his words.
“That arrogant introduction is identical to the one I remember.”
Alec gave a courteous bow.
“Again I apologize. Even though you showed Deus Malum, you can’t be too careful you know.”
“I don’t mind. My enemies are gods so anything is possible.”
Augustus answered.
“More importantly…”
The air around Alec suddenly became thin, and the temperature in the room hit rock bottom.
“Who the hell are you and why do you know our secret saying?”
Alec felt like he was being surpassed by a gods hand.
He seriously considered the possibility of his heart giving out if he’s forced to endure this kind of pressure for long.
Thinking that, he hurriedly took something out of his pocket and showed it to Augustus.
“Hm?”
Augustus stopped supressing him when he saw what it was.
It was an emblem of a Phoenix entangling with a dragon.
“My insignia?”
Augustus muttered.
He looked at Alec and the emblem in his hand.
And then-
“Ah. You’re an heir.”
Alec nodded.
“If you were an heir, you should’ve said so from the start. I almost eradicated you from history you know.”
Augustus laughed and sat back on the bed.
“I see. That explains why you know our secret saying. When you whispered it in my ear I had to find out who it was.”
Augustus was now all smiles after seeing the emblem.
Alec could finally breath easily again.
From what he heard, Augustus won’t attack him if he showed the emblem after all.
“So? Whose will are you inheriting? Sumia? No, you look like the playboy type. She’s not good with your type so it can’t be her.”
He held his chin.
“Edwin?”
Augustus shook his head.
“Nah. Even though your personalities is similar, I don’t you’ll get along.”
He entered deep thought.
“I doubt it’s Karma. He/She isn’t the type to take protégés. Then that leaves Ajax and…..”
He looked at Alec again.
“I see. You’re Sandora’s heir.”
Alec nodded.
“My master is one of your Divine Generals and your first wife, Sandora Tepes.”
At the sametime somewhere in the world.
Someone was walking through a grave yard in the middle of the night.
This person was Ajax Diabolus.
“That bastard. To think that he was in a place like this…..well I guess it fits his image.”
He said as he looked at the skeletons on the ground.
This graveyard was abandoned countless years ago was filled with thousands of unmarked graves.
He didn’t know if the graves were robbed or were dug up by animals, but there were countless bones on the ground.
No matter what he tried, he’ll step on a bone with every step he took.
“Seriously, this place is creepy no matter how much times I come here.”
Said Ajax.
This wasn’t the first he’s been to this graveyard. He’s been here thousands of years ago.
This graveyard was called Angel’s Graveyard.
It was a graveyard that was said to exist since the beginning of time.
No one knew who built it or who was buried here. Not even Beings like Tiamat.
It was one of the 12 Phantom Grounds that was said to be a paradise for death gods and necromancers.
This place was overflowing with death aura and filled with spiritual energy, which were both perfect for necromancers to train their arts.
From the moment this place was discovered, it was filled past capacity with graves which made it creepier.
“Where is that bastard?”
Ajax said as he looked around.
“Hm?”
That’s when he spot a particular headstone.
It was red as if it was bathe in blood.
Ajax approached it with caution.
Even him didn’t want to act carelessly in a place like this.
When he stood in front of the headstone he realized that something was written on it.
“Here lays history’s most handsome hero?”
That sentence was written on it.
He looked at the name under it.
“Edwin Sugar Lips.”
“………..”
Ajax looked at the name with clear disgust for a very long.
After a while-
“Alright. I couldn’t find him. I guess he’s dead.”
He turned his back to the headstone and started to walk away.
*Boom!*
That’s when the grave cracked open and someone started crawling out of it.
“Eiyah!!!”
Ajax suddenly turned back and kicked the person across the face which made them lose consciousness.
He then silently walked over and used his foot to stomp them back underground.
After they were forced back underground, Ajax wiped the sweet from his brow.
“I saved the world from a zombie apocalypse. It feels great to do a good deed.”
“Fuck you!”
A voice came from within the grave as a head pushed out.
*Boom!*
Not even a second after the head was blown apart.
“I forgot that you need to destroy the head to kill them.”
Ajax said as he spun the black revolver he used on his fingers.
He turned back around.
“You son of a-!”
This time the person was able to crawl out successfully.
“Ajax, you bastard. I’m going to kill you, revive you and kill you again!”
They roared.
Ajax looked back and smiled.
“Yo, you piece of shit Edwin. I’ve finally found you.”