CHAPTER 160 – A NEW SAPLING
HIRAYA MISTELTEIN – PREVIOUS TIMELINE
Alris’ form immediately transformed into a towering ten-meter tall Nova Dragon, blazing with intense blue flames. His crimson eyes burned with hatred, mirroring my own fury as I charged towards the Rainbow Dragon and the Emperor-consort.
“I’ll kill youuuuuu!” I roared, my voice echoing across the battlefield. The Nova Dragon, fueled by blue flames, surged forward with immense power, lunging at the Rainbow Dragon.
“Fusion Bolt!” the Emperor shouted, his voice filled with urgency. The Rainbow Dragon’s wings unfurled, releasing a torrent of rainbow-colored lightning sparks. The vibrant bolts crackled through the air, their intensity undeniable.
We had no time to evade; the Nova Dragon and I took the full brunt of the attack. Yet, to my astonishment, there was no pain. The sparks, despite their condensed mana, merely tickled us, harmless and almost playful.
“Nova Slash!” I bellowed, my voice resonating with determination. The Nova Dragon raised its right claw, engulfed in blue flames. With a swift, decisive strike, we countered, sending the Rainbow Dragon hurtling through the air. It crashed into the flaming tree buildings, the impact reverberating through the ground.
“Why? Why is it not working?” the Emperor muttered, his voice tinged with desperation as he rose from the debris, the Rainbow Dragon by his side. “Jasmine! We will use Dracaryx!”
The Rainbow Dragon’s wings spread out in a stunning display, resembling a magnificent peacock. Thousands of colorful lights erupted from its feathers, dazzling and blinding. Then, a powerful beam of energy blasted forth, aimed directly at us, a force of sheer destruction.
“Dracaryx! Activate Rainbow Road!” the Emperor-consort shouted, his voice filled with determination.
My Nova Dragon, lacking the speed to evade the incoming beam, braced for impact. The rainbow beam collided with us, its force dissipating like a gentle breeze. It had no effect.
“Again? Even Rainbow Road does not work!” the Emperor cried, his voice tinged with frustration and disbelief.
I glanced at my hand, where the Mark of Vesryn glowed in a radiant crimson. This mark, I realized, was shielding me, making me invulnerable to the Emperor’s relentless assaults.
“Darn it!” the Emperor roared, fury etched across his face. Nature energy surged through his veins, manifesting as a brilliant blue orb on his forehead. His ears sharpened, taking on an elfin appearance.
I had heard of the spell he was using: Elform, a rare transformation that granted mastery over nature energy. Few in human history had ever achieved it.
“Fusion Flare! Fusion Bolt!” the Emperor unleashed his powerful magic upon me. Yet, despite the vivid flames and dazzling lightning, none of it could harm me. Even in his enhanced state, even with the power bestowed by nature, his attacks were futile against the might of the Dragon Lord.
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“Alris,” I muttered, my voice calm and resolute.
“Yes, my goddess,” my Nova Dragon responded telepathically, his tone filled with unwavering loyalty.
“Turn him to ashes,” I commanded, my voice cold and resolute.
The Nova Dragon gathered blue flames within its mouth, then unleashed a torrent of fire towards the Emperor-consort and his exhausted Rainbow Dragon. The intense heat melted the Rainbow Dragon’s colorful wings and white scales, its cries of pain echoing through the air.
“Aaaah! Aaaaaah!” Emperor-consort Cleru Neos screamed in agony, his final moments filled with suffering. His body was consumed by the flames, turning to crisp ashes that were carried away by the powerful breeze.
As I watched the snow-like ashes ascend into the sky, a painful smile spread across my face. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I let out a hollow, unfunny laugh. Despite the victory, I felt no joy. Despair consumed me, and the damage to my body, mind, and heart left me with nothing but laughter as a release.
“Ahahahahahaha!”
“Hiraya…” My Nova Dragon’s telepathic voice broke through my sorrow.
Following my dragon's gaze, I saw the burnt stump of the Yggdrasil tree. I descended from my dragon and walked towards the stump, my steps heavy with grief. Beside it stood a small sapling, the essence of the island of Yggdra. Gently, I sank my fingers into the soil, carefully removing the sapling from the ground. I cradled it tenderly, like a newborn baby, its fragile life a symbol of hope amidst the destruction.
Kate, Gaeun, Charlotte, and Maggie approached me with concern etched on their faces. I greeted them with an innocent smile.
“This is the dawn of a new planet. The world shall be scorched with flames, and this sapling shall emerge and bloom against the daybreak,” I declared, my voice filled with solemn determination.
“Hiraya…” Kate whispered, her voice trembling. All of them looked at me with a mixture of worry and uncertainty.
“I shall embrace my destiny as the destroyer of humanity. As the Dragon Lord, it is my duty to be the Daybreaker, leading life towards a brighter tomorrow,” I continued, my resolve unwavering.
I extended my hand towards them, my smile soft yet resolute. “Will you help me?” I asked.
“We will. We will follow you wherever you go, Hiraya,” Alris, now returned to his humanoid form, answered. He bowed deeply in front of me. Following his lead, all the other dragonoids bowed in unison, their loyalty evident.
I could no longer escape my destiny as the Reincarnation of Exceria. It was now my duty to end humanity itself. The weight of this responsibility pressed heavily upon me, but I knew what had to be done. My ultimate task was to kill Arthur, and there was no turning back.
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For the next two years, we bolstered our forces, moving in the shadows to secretly recruit more to our ranks. We spread our propaganda through the influential religious Cathedral Exas and prepared our secret weapons—bell towers capable of housing my Dragon Lord Commandments.
Gazelle informed me that the other Dragon Lords were non-human species who could activate the Vesryn Pulse. With this knowledge, we journeyed to the Land of Mermaids, Antarticus, to seek out the next Dragon Lord.
There, we encountered Velissa Petrova, the princess of the mermaids. With her striking white hair and vibrant orange eyes, she exuded a serene yet commanding presence. She had fallen in love with one of my dragonoid generals, Marlou Marcel. The negotiations were peaceful, and the mermaids assembled in their castle hall to hear our proposal.
“Miss Velissa Petrova, with my authority as the Reincarnation of Exceria, I hereby baptize you as the Third Dragon Lord, the Revenant,” I proclaimed, touching her forehead.
Her forehead glowed with a radiant V-Mark, signifying the completion of the ceremony. The Mermaid Dragon Lord had been anointed.
“We will follow you to the edge of the earth, Daybreaker,” Velissa declared, bowing deeply. “We shall destroy all humans for the preservation of our pure blue world.”
The assembled mermaids and mermen pledged their allegiance, bowing with unwavering fealty.
“You do not need to dirty your hands with filthy human blood,” I assured the mermaid princess. “All I ask of you is to defend your island from any foreign forces. I will handle the rest. I will be the one to travel the path of carnage.”