The group left through the Phoenix Sanctuary barrier spell several minutes after the funeral ceremony was over. Lakshman’s wives were greatly surprised by how cheerful Venezuela appeared to be, despite being covered in tears a while ago. They did not know what had taken place inside her head, except for Lakshman, who was looking at her with a pleasant smile on his face.

Emilia, with a doubtful expression on her face, turned and saw the expression on Lakshman’s face. She, instantly, realised that he must have done something that they were not aware of. She, slowly, edged her way through the group to walk next to him before placing her head near his ear to speak.

“Did you do something? You clearly look like you did,” she stated in a muttering voice.

Lakshman, merely, smiled in return and replied, “I’m just glad she’s smiling again.”

Emilia looked suspiciously at him and said, “Still, I’m curious about what happened at the funeral.”

He grinned at her and said, “Alright. I’ll tell you once we return home.”

With that, she became satisfied and nodded her head in agreement before straightening up to walk alongside him. He sighed in relief when Sonia walked up to side and began asking him questions about the ceremony.

“Would you mind explaining to me what that blaze of fire was about?” she asked.

“Sure,” he replied with a smile on his face. “It’s the fire of the phoenix of light and hope that the Phoenix Clan pray to. Of course, I don’t pray to it because I believe in my own strength than the strength of something supernatural.”

“Oh,” said Sonia as she blinked at him in surprise. “Then, what was that jet of fire that got shot into the sky?”

“That was the fames of protection that created a passage straight to the Higher Plane, where the spirit will go to rest,” stated Lakshman with a smile on his face.

“Ah. I take it that huge burning phoenix bird was the one who did that?”

“That’s correct. It consumed the casket into its protective flames and guided the soul to the Higher Plane. That is the ritual of the Phoenix Funeral; to send off the soul safely from out of this world to its resting place.”

“I see. That’s quite unique,” said Sonia with a smile on her face. “Normally, people would bury the dead, but your clan has done something very different to that. Your method of sending off the dead allows them to pass through the Border Plane and head straight to the Higher Plane. Whereas, burying the dead would only ensure that the soul reaches the Border Plane, allowing it to return as a ghost if it chooses to. Comparing that to this, I’d say your clan’s method is better.”

Lakshman looked amazed and he chuckled as he said, “Haha. I see that you understand the magic behind our clan’s method of holding a funeral ceremony.”

Sonia smiled at him with an impressed look on her face as she thought, “Yes… I understand and am impressed at the level of thought given into this by the Phoenix Clan. That’s why, I’m glad it’s you I’m loving and not somebody else…”

Lakshman noticed that she was staring at him fixedly and he tuned to ask her, “What’s wrong? Is something on my face?”

“Ah! Nothing!” Sonia said quickly and she turned to face the front again.

Lakshman looked at her with a perplexed expression on his face as he thought, “Mmm… I don’t think it’s ‘nothing’ as you state… This is the same kind of reaction I got from Sumara when I noticed her looking at me. It’s as if…?”

He, inwardly, gasped in surprise as he realised the chain of thoughts he was heading towards. Looking closely at her, he noticed that she was blushing slightly, which was similar to how Sumara looked when she responded like Sonia.

“No way…” he thought with widening eyes. “Could it be that she—?”

His chain of thoughts suddenly got cut short when, in a whirl of wind and darkness, a Phintex Raja appeared kneeling before him. Lakshman reacted in surprise and stopped walking, causing the entire group to stop behind him, causing several to bump into each other by accident. Zen came to the front and was surprised to see a Phintex Raja kneeling before them with his head bowed.

“What’s the matter?” Zen asked with a serious expression on his face.

‘Sir! I have a message to deliver, given to me by a member of the Dragon Clan,” stated the Phintex Raja kneeling before them.

“What?!” Zen exclaimed in shock and he turned to stare at Lakshman, who was looking surprised. “They know where to look for us? How? The entire kingdom is protected by the Phoenix Sanctuary barrier!”

“You have much to learn about the Dragon Clan, Zen,” replied Lakshman as he stared seriously at the young Phoenix Emperor. “They possess the Dragon Eyes, which renders concealment magic ineffective against them.”

Zen was taken aback at this revelation because he had never known about that piece of information.

Lakshman turned to the kneeling Phintex Raja and asked, “What was the message they wanted you to deliver? Tell me!”

With the order issued, the Phintex Raja nodded his head once and said, “Master! They have taken the Sword Titan, Dominic Rutherford, hostage and want you to meet personally with the Dragon Emperor.”

This time, it was Lakshman’s turn to be shocked as he loudly exclaimed with widened eyes, “What?!”

***

A few hours earlier, Dominic Rutherford, also known as the Sword Titan, was fighting against the Dragon Clan army of warriors. The battle was fierce and it proved to be very difficult for the Sword Titan to taken down his enemy without mortally wounding them. Due to this, it took him almost an hour to take down the last of the warriors before he headed for their home.

As he flew towards the Dragon Clan home, where he sensed the life signals were coming from, he was suddenly under attack. Waves of energy cannons were fired from the ground and caused him to fly around wildly to evade the blasts.

Being unable to bypass the attackers aiming for his life, he activated his Destiny Sword and swung it at the ground, sending a powerful slicing wave of energy at his attackers. It destroyed the forest that surrounded the area and knocked his attackers’ unconscious. He did this several more times to take them down before flying on his way towards their home.

It took him a few minutes to fly through the air and once he landed, the Dragon Clan people were shocked to find a warrior that was badly wounded, breathing heavily and wearing torn clothing.  The women screamed in fear as everyone began to run for cover to get away from him and within a few minutes, the place was deserted as they all escaped into the nearby forests to take shelter.

He began to advance by foot and was confronted by royal guards of the Dragon Clan. They wielded spears and attempted to stab him with them, but they found themselves not being able to get close. This was due to Dominic using the Blasting Blades technique to knock them out. Some attempted to catch him by surprise by increasing their speed, but he caught their attacks and used Paralysing Blades to freeze their movement before using Blasting Blade to render them unconscious.

As he reached the castle, he walked for a few minutes in silence until he reached the doors leading into the throne room. He breathed a heavy sigh and pushed the doors open, letting the light from the outside lit the entrance. Staying on his guard, he slowly entered the throne room and walked a few meters in silence while looking around.

At that moment, the doors swung back and closed firmly behind him, causing him to turn around in alarm. A moment later, the throne room was suddenly slit brightly, making him cover his eyes almost instantly. He, slowly, opened his eyes and adjusted his vision to the brightness before sensing the presence of four people within the room.

“They must’ve masked their presence,” he thought as he turned to face the front.

Standing in front of the stairs leading to the top were three warriors; the Fire Dragon King. Water Dragon King and the Earth Dragon King. Sitting on the throne chair was the Dragon Emperor, who was smiling down at their enemy.

Dominic ignored the emperor and eyed the three warriors warily because he sensed them to be very strong. He, instantly, guessed that they were the three other Dragon Kings because their power level almost matched with that of the Air Dragon King.

“Welcome!” the Dragon Emperor said in a loud carrying voice that made Dominic look up at him. “I see that you’ve fought your way through our army composed of our strongest warriors. Unfortunately, it’s clear that you’ve sustained heavy injuries and it will prove to be your downfall for your foolishness in thinking you could stay on our continent.”

“That’s right!” the dragon warrior with the red skin of dragon scales, the Fire Dragon King, said in a serious voice. “For trespassing on private land, you’ve forfeited your life!”

“I don’t know how you found this continent, but it’s the biggest mistake you could’ve ever made!” the dragon warrior with the blue skin of dragon scales, the Water Dragon King, said with a serious look in his voice.

“Huh?” Dominic asked in surprise as he stared at him with an eyebrow raised. “I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s you idiots that came attacking me! All I came here to do is find a certain someone and you idiots just got in my way. As such, justice is by my side because I knocked everyone out in self-defence.”

“What?” Fire Dragon King, Fizard, asked and he exchanged a confused look with the Water Dragon King, Waddit.

The Earth Dragon King, Gurret, stared at Dominic with a puzzled expression on his face. He thought he recognised the man standing before him, but he was unable to clearly remember who it was.

 “You say you’re innocent?” Waddit asked suspiciously through narrowed eyes.

“That’s hardly believable!” Fizard said sharply. “He invaded our continent and disrupted our peace! Trash like him need to be dealt a hard lesson in reality!”

“I quite agree, Fizard,” replied the Dragon Emperor in agreement with a smile on his face. “Show this intruder the capital punishment of entering our continent without regard for the consequences.”

Waddit turned around and looked up his master for a moment before nodding in agreement. He turned back and faced Dominic before he said, “Okay. Let’s take down this violent man.”

Dominic was alarmed and he indignantly said, “Violent?! You’re the ones being violent when all I want to do is talk!”

“Whatever!” Fizard said angrily.

He powered up instantly and radiated red aura that surrounded him, causing shock waves and wild blowing winds to be sent in all directions. The ground shook as the other two Dragon Kings also powered up, making the wind blow really hard towards their foe. Dominic stood his ground firmly and stared at the powered up Dragon Kings with a serious expression on his face.

“Okay, but I will prevail because justice is by my side,” said Dominic in a firm voice as he also began to power up and radiated golden aura that surrounded him.

***

It took almost an hour before their battle came to an end and by then, the castle was unrecognisable due to the heavy damage it had taken from their battle. Several pillars were crushed and the statues of the dragon warriors from the ancient times were destroyed.

Fizard and Waddit lay unconscious on the ground while Gurret was barely conscious as Dominic walked past them. He was battle tired and sported multiple wounds covering his entire body, but he remained determined to what he came there to do.

Throughout the battle, the emperor simply sat there and watched with an expressionless face, but after seeing their defeat, he was smiling for some reason. His behavior intrigued Dominic as he breathed quickly and looked tiredly at the man sitting on the throne chair.

“You’ve done well, defeating three of the mighty Dragon Kings!” the Dragon Emperor praised in an impressed voice. “I, sincerely, did not expect a mere human to match their powers, or maybe, it’s the powers lent to you by that sword you wield.”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“Fool,” said Dominic in a firm voice. “Do not underestimate the potential of the human race, but again, how would a race, so far gone into their own prowess, ever realize the hidden potential that others have.”

The Dragon Emperor smirked and said, “Strong words from a man, whose race seems to always be its own enemy. Please, remind me of the numerous times your race waged war on itself and the world due to self-interest, greed and a lust for power.”

Dominic narrowed his eyes and said, “That’s enough of a history lesson and instead, tell me where the Dragon Titan is.”

The Dragon Emperor blinked once and asked, “I won’t ask you about him, but give me one reason why I must tell you his whereabouts?”

Dominic smiled a little and said, “You will because I am the Sword Titan, Dominic Rutherford!”

“What?!” the Dragon Emperor said in alarm. “You’re the Sword Titan?”

“That’s right! I’ve come here on a mission entrusted to me by my dear friend, the Phoenix Titan; Lakshman Reddy!”

The Dragon Emperor’s eyes widened in shock and he thought, “As I thought! The Phoenix Titan has become interested to seek out the Dragon Titan, as was prophesied by the Dragon Sage. If he returns, the truth of his past will be revealed and my family will be hated forever and kicked out!

No! I must not let that happen! My ancestor worked hard to put the blame of our world’s collapse on him to save us from shame. Now, it’s my turn to carry out that burden, but how am I supposed to divert the Sword Titan’s attention?”

Dominic stared at him and thought, “His reaction to learning of who I am is expected, but he’s so shocked upon hearing my friend’s title. I guess, it would be a shock to anyone, especially after learning that their fiercest enemy wants to know about one of their own people.”

“Yes,” said the Destiny Sword telepathically in his mind. “The Dragon Clan had been mortal enemies of the Phoenix Clan since the meeting between the first Phoenix Titan and the Dragon Titan of that time.”

“You’re right,” thought Dominic and he smiled inwardly of the kind of impact that his best friend had on one of the strongest races in the world.

Meanwhile, the Dragon Emperor thought for a moment when he realized something crucial.

“Wait… This man doesn’t know of the predicament that befell the Dragon Titan. That means… I can tell him both the truth and a lie at the same time. Excellent! It’s time to play him by the nose and fool him for his impulsiveness. Then, once he drops his guard, I’ll spring my trap and capture him!”

He sighed and relaxed before showing a smile that Dominic was a little taken aback to see. It was a reaction that he did not expect, which made him become instantly cautious of him.

“How can I refuse to tell you when it’s the Phoenix Titan requesting to know where the Dragon Titan is,” said the Dragon Emperor in a calm voice. “Of course. It’s—.”

“If you say ‘it’s not free’ or something similar, I will unleash the force of my blade!” Dominic threatened and he pointed his sword at the Dragon Emperor.

The Dragon Emperor looked amused and said, “I think it’s rude to interrupt someone when they’re speaking.”

“Maybe, but I’ve seen all too many times of people naming a price to get something done and I grow tired of it,” replied Dominic with a serious look on his face.

Surprised by those words, the Dragon Emperor shook his head and said in a casual voice, “No. I was about to say: It’s not an easy task to find him though.”

Dominic, instantly, became enraged and shouted, “If you don’t know where he is, then, say is straight! Don’t give me these riddles, dammit!”

He pointed his finger at the Dragon Emperor and said, “After defeating the Air Dragon King, I asked him the same question and he, instead, directed me to you! So, you better have the answer, otherwise, I will show you the justice that happen to those that use violence against me!”

As he breathed quickly, the Dragon Emperor stared at him in surprise and said, “Uh… Okay. Anyway, it’s hard to find him because… you see… he’s actually not in this world.”

Dominic blinked at him with a disbelieving look on his face before he asked, “Hold on… Are you saying…?”

A small smile appeared on the Dragon Emperor’s face as he said, “Yes…! The Dragon Titan doesn’t exist in this world!”

Dominic’s eyes widened in horror and he shouted, “No!! The Dragon Titan’s dead?! It can’t be!! Without him, the Nine Pillars of Power are incomplete!!”

“Whoever said he’s dead?” the Dragon Emperor asked curiously and Dominic looked at him with in surprise. “I simply said that he doesn’t exist in this world.”

Dominic became enraged and he swung his sword to point it threateningly at the Dragon Emperor’s throat while his fore stared coolly back at him.

“Stop giving me riddles and give me a direct answer, otherwise, my sword will have your head!” Dominic said in a fierce voice.

The Dragon Emperor smiled coolly at him and asked, “My, my… So, the rumours were true. The mighty Sword Titan, despite being notoriously powerful and all, is a weak minded fool that gets angry at the simplest things.”

“What?!” Dominic said in shock.

“Stop! Relax! You’re heating up!” the Destiny Sword warned him telepathically in his mind, but he paid no attention to her words and stared angrily at his foe with his sword pointing straight at him.

“It’s a fact,” stated the Dragon Emperor with a honest look on his face, “otherwise, you would’ve realised that pointing a weapon at me, the Dragon Emperor, with lethal intent will mean a war with the Phoenix Clan!”

“Huh?”

“You may not be part of the Phoenix Clan, young man, but you came here as their representative. As such, you involved the Phoenix Clan and the Dragon Clan will not sit around while their emperor is being threatened. The Dragon Army failed to take you down because they weren’t well equipped, however, they will be fully armoured in their all-powerful Dragon Armours and wage a merciless war against the Phoenix Clan.”

The Dragon Emperor pointed a finger up at Dominic and said in a firm voice, “All of this because of a fool like you!”

Dominic looked at him with a frustrated expression on his face as he gritted his teeth tightly. He was feeling less confident now that the Dragon Emperor stated the prospect of war between the two clans. Even so, he positively believed that the man was bluffing and with determination to not be intimidated, Dominic decided to call his bluff.

“Your threats don’t scare me one bit!” Dominic said in a firm voice with a determined expression on his face.

Still, the Dragon Emperor continued to smile as he asked, “Oh really? Then, what about the threat standing behind you?”

“What?!” Dominic exclaimed in shock.

At that moment, he sensed a presence behind him and turning his slightly to the left, he was alarmed to see an exact copy of the Dragon Warrior standing there. He was smiling at his enemy as he pointed his sharp nails at the throat of the Sword Titan, who was seemingly at his mercy.

“It’s a pity that you spent so much time speaking to my illusion,” commented the Dragon Warrior standing behind him with a gleaming expression on his face. “Now, however, your life ends here for your foolishness in ever thinking you could get answers out of me.”

Dominic glared at him fiercely and gritted his teeth tightly as his anger reached a boiling point. Having had enough of going easy on his opponents, he decided to kill that man there and then for good.

“No! Don’t!” shouted the Destiny Sword sharply in his mind, but Dominic ignored her words as he attacked.

“Swift Blade!”

With a shout, Dominic spun around and began swinging his sword until he slashed through his enemy’s body through uncountable times before swinging it aside. The Dragon Warrior, who had his hand fixed like before, stared with a horrified expression on his face as his body split into pieces.

“You’re stupid to think I wouldn’t kill for such a small threat!” Dominic said with a grim expression on his face.

His expression soon changed to that of shock when the Dragon Warrior disappeared into tiny particles of light. Instantly realising that he had been tricked, he attempted to turn around, but it was already too late.

“Dragon Shock Burst!”

The real Dragon Warrior, quickly, rose from his chair and placed a firm hand on Dominic’s back. In an instant, a powerful wave of lightning began to surge through the Sword Titan’s body, causing the warrior to scream loudly in pain and agony.

It was the kind of shock treatment that he had never felt before and it quickly made his mind go blank. A few seconds later, the lightning stopped and he slowly collapsed to the floor and the Destiny Sword fell within arm’s reach. The Dragon Emperor wore a smug satisfied smile as he stared triumphantly down at him.

“It’s your fault for allowing me to trick you,” commented the Dragon Emperor with a smug look on his face. He looked at the surroundings and said loudly, ‘Guards!”

In an instant, the surrounding area seemed to quiver before cloaks were removed to reveal over two hundred dragon warriors in waiting. All of them seemed to be well equipped and were wearing the Dragon Armours, which were red coloured and had dragon symbols embossed onto their chest plates. After coming out of hiding, they rushed forward and kneeled before the stairs leading to the throne chair.

“Chain this man in the in an Energy Blockade Cell! Call in the rest of the guards I left as backup and make sure to escort him with more than four hundred of our strongest men!” the Dragon Emperor ordered the guards in a commanding voice. “Also, ensure that his sword is chained tightly so that no one shall set it free!”

“As you wish, your majesty!” the guards all said in unison, causing their voices to echo in the badly damaged castle.

He sat down and watched as several of them climbed up the stairs and deeply bowed to him before carrying the Sword Titan away, forming a large escort. At the same time, several used magic to make the Destiny Sword hover in mid-air to make it float away since they realised that the Sacred Spirit of the sword would kill them for daring to touch it. Meanwhile, others began to quickly heal the collapsed Dragon Kings.

As the large escort group carried Dominic away, the Dragon Emperor smiled eerily before he said, “It’s time I meet the Phoenix Titan and give him what he deserves!”

----------------------------------------

Author's Note

Hey everyone and thanks so much for reading this chapter. To be honest, this chapter took me five days to write because of how busy my life had become. So, I hope that you like it very much and will look forward to more as the clash between dragons and phoenixs draws near!

In addition to writing this story and being busy in life, I also conducted myself into making a new AMV. It's a song called "The Young Souls" by "Myka Relocate" and it's a damn awesome song! It is an epic AMV with fast paced clipping and music to match the rumble! So, if you enjoyed it, please Like, Comment and Subscribe! It means a lot to me! :D

Short Version

Extended Version