CHAPTER 162 – PROPHECY OF THE PURGE
HIRAYA MISTELTEIN – PREVIOUS TIMELINE
"No way… It can't be!" The words tore from my throat, echoing off the ruins around me.
Amid the devastation and merciless slaughter that had reduced an entire town to ashes, there he stood—the lone survivor, my primary target—Arthur Castamere. His once elegant clothes were now charred remnants clinging to his form. Not even his intricate tunnel networks had been spared. Yet, there he was, untouched by the carnage that had consumed everything else.
Arthur raised his hand, and I saw it—a glowing pattern of crimson circuits pulsating beneath his skin. "This is my secret," he said, his voice unwavering. "The Archonlight."
My breath hitched as the realization dawned. "Are you telling me that you are a true Royal Blood?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
"Precisely, Hiraya." Arthur's lips curled into a confident smile as he spread his hand, the circuits glowing brighter. "My name… my true name is Arthurius Elkyria Neos, the firstborn of Cleru Neos and Empress Serenity Elkyria. Even if I was exiled by my father and my mother, my right to the throne of Humanity never wavers. I am the promised savior. I am the promised messiah. I am the promised King of Humanity."
Images from my visions in the Tree of Wisdom—the New Yggdrasil Tree housed in the Cathedral Exa—flashed through my mind. The Archonlight, a power that shielded its possessor, making them nearly invincible.
"As the King of Humanity…" Arthur's voice cut through my thoughts. "I will continue to exist, so long as humanity breathes on the surface."
A bitter realization settled over me like a shroud. To kill the King of Humanity, we would have to eradicate every other human on the planet. The Archonlight's protection would not falter until the last human heart ceased to beat.
Suddenly, a crimson meteor crashed into the ground in front of Arthur, sending a shockwave that rattled the air. My heart pounded in my chest, confusion washing over me—neither the Nova Dragon nor the Alientech Dragon had launched any attack.
As the dust settled, it became clear that the meteor was not a meteor at all, but a human figure. He stood up slowly, revealing long black hair, the Eye of Deus glowing ominously, and pale white skin marred with cracks. On his chest, he bore the Mark of Vesryn, even though he was not a Dragon Lord.
"No… No way!" The Alientech Dragon's voice echoed in my mind, raw with disbelief. Gazelle, in his Partial Dragon Form, stepped forward, his eyes wide with shock. "Those eyes… Are you for real?"
The mysterious man remained silent, his expression unreadable, his presence unsettling.
"Big Brother Amphere!" Gazelle's voice trembled with emotion. "Big Brother, it's me! Gaz!"
I raised my hand, stopping Gazelle before he could move any closer. "That is no Sir Amphere Harrison," I said, my voice firm.
"But…" Gazelle's voice broke, his eyes pleading.
For the first time, I saw Gazelle's fierce demeanor crumble, revealing a vulnerability I hadn't known existed. His eyes, usually filled with malice, now shone with sorrow and confusion. His fighting spirit had vanished, replaced by a heartbreaking longing. It was clear to me how deeply he had admired Sir Amphere Harrison, how strong their bond must have been.
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"May I introduce to you my loyal servant—Deo," Arthur said, his smile as sharp as a blade. "He is the first Dragon Knight, and the lover of Vesryn. He is a living weapon specifically designed to slaughter Dragon Lords."
Deo's arms extended, and ten shimmering glass swords materialized around him, each one humming with deadly energy. In a heartbeat, the swords unleashed a barrage of photon lasers.
"Gah!" Gazelle cried out as one of the lasers struck his right shoulder, searing through his flesh and leaving a charred wound.
In an instant, my Nova Dragon unfurled his flaming wings, enveloping us in a protective barrier of fire that absorbed the remaining lasers. The heat was intense, but it kept us from further harm.
I could feel the palpable fear emanating from Deo. The Mark of Vesryn on his chest indicated that he could nullify the immortality of Dragon Lords, making him a truly formidable foe.
“This is bad! We have to retreat, Supreme Leader!” I shouted, the urgency in my voice undeniable. I commanded my Nova Dragon to flap its powerful wings, lifting us swiftly into the air.
"Amphere…" Gazelle muttered, his voice tinged with sorrow as he deployed his UFO-like wings. We soared into the sky, desperate to escape.
As we ascended, a heavy weight settled in my chest. I had made a grave mistake. My wrath had led to the slaughter of innocent lives in Tasty Town, their deaths now meaningless. Arthur still lived, and with him, a horrifying immortality that could only be undone by the extinction of humanity.
And then there was Deo. A mysterious, formidable adversary from another timeline, designed specifically to counter our powers. I glanced at Gazelle, his once fierce determination now replaced with fear and reluctance. He would never willingly face Deo in battle, not after recognizing him as his revered Big Brother Amphere.
The situation was dire. Our enemies were not only powerful but also deeply entwined with our past and present, making our path forward fraught with peril and uncertainty.
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When I returned to the Demonic Cathedral, I made my way to the New Yggdrasil Tree, seeking its prophetic visions.
The visions unfurled before me with unsettling clarity. I saw the floating island of the Mermaids, where they now swam gracefully through the air, their eyes turned an eerie obsidian. The island of the Onis blazed with unending flames, and their eyes, too, glowed with that same dark hue.
The palace of the Vampires, usually shrouded in darkness, was bathed in eternal sunlight. The harsh light and unrelenting famine had replaced their regal gaze with pure blackness. The fortress of the Dwarves came into view, where endless labor had turned them into automatons, tirelessly constructing machines.
Dragons with obsidian eyes unleashed hellfire from the skies, laying waste to cities and civilizations beneath their wrath. Amidst this destruction stood the King of Humanity, Arthur, towering over the chaos with a cold, imperious gaze.
And there I was, a vision of myself, chained and impaled on a cross beneath her, a symbol of helplessness and defeat. Above Arthur, a portal began to open, and from it emerged a foreign god, its presence dark and ominous.
The prophecies were clear: a tide of darkness was coming, and with it, a power that threatened to consume all.
The visions from the Tree of Knowledge were harrowing. Though the Tree didn't predict exact destinies, it revealed the most probable futures—a dire warning of the suffering that awaited us if we failed to act. We faced a fate worse than death for all eternity.
Determined, I summoned the Six Dragon Lords to discuss these urgent matters. As we gathered, the gravity of our situation became evident.
“Everything is terrible. The Empire of Alterra has now branded Neo Arcadia as an international terrorist organization,” Mariko reported, her voice tense with concern.
“I've heard that Elysia, Sargus, and Fleija are joining Alterra in hunting us,” Darlix added, his expression grim.
“As I thought, those livestock humans think so highly of themselves,” Earvin sneered. “They still believe they are the superior race.”
I rose to my feet, commanding everyone's attention. “What is done is done. We can only move forward,” I said firmly. “I know I have made a grave mistake, but our objective remains unchanged. We will use the bombing of Tasty Town to instill fear in humanity.”
“What should we do next then, Daybreaker?” Velissa asked, her voice steady despite the tension.
“We will purge all humans from this planet,” I proclaimed, my resolve hardening with every word.
The Dragon Lords exchanged looks, their expressions a mix of shock and determination. We had crossed a line, and there was no turning back. The path ahead was fraught with peril, but we would face it together, bound by a common purpose and a shared vision of a world reshaped by our hands.