Chapter 80 — The Awakening of the Golden Age
The sky across the entire world seemed to be on fire. Everywhere, eyes turned upward toward the monstrous star that occupied far too large a place in the firmament, like a glowing red wound ready to burst.
Kingdom of Britannia – Castle of Britania
Merlin stood atop the highest tower of the citadel, his long green robe whipping in the burning wind. His deep green eyes, usually sparkling with mischief, were narrowed with worry. The sun was far too close. Far too large. Its reddish light bathed the white towers of Britania in a bloody hue.
Arthur arrived behind him, out of breath, his crown slightly askew. The young king's face was tense.
"Merlin… Tell me this is a natural phenomenon. Some weird eclipse, or… I don't know, something. Just explain what's happening…"
Merlin remained silent for a long moment, then slowly shook his head.
"No, Your Majesty. I don't believe this is natural… Even I cannot explain how the sun is moving like this. If it continues, we risk the worst and it will be irreversible… And yet… despite that, I can feel an overwhelming magical pressure, even from here. It's crossing continents. This is the work of a mage. Or rather… of an entity far too dangerous."
Arthur widened his eyes in shock.
"Is there really someone powerful enough to move the sun?"
Merlin furrowed his brow, looking deeply troubled. His voice dropped lower:
"If it's the person I'm thinking of… then this is going to end very badly. We might all perish this time."
Kingdom of Atlantis – Palace of the Eternal Ice
In the frozen depths of the palace, a dark and oppressive atmosphere reigned. The pale blue crystal walls reflected the reddish light that filtered even through the oceans. Edward stood near the large bay window, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Everyone in the throne room was silent.
Agnor, the Ice King, imposing in his crystalline armor, stared at the distorted sky through the glass. His face was grave, almost funereal. A cold, heavy aura emanated from him.
"Who… is doing something like this?" he murmured in a hoarse voice that echoed like cracking ice. "This is not a simple natural disaster. I know it… I'm sure those bastards are behind it."
Edward slowly turned his head toward Agnor. The king continued:
"The Illuminati… Loki, what the hell are you and your group doing?"
A heavy silence answered his question as his gaze darkened.
Kingdom of Solgaleo – Land of Eternal Fire
In the kingdom bathed in lava and flames, yet also blessed with magnificent spring, the atmosphere was even more chaotic. The volcanoes rumbled in response to the sun's increasing heat. Leonidas, the old veteran king, still powerfully muscled despite his age, his thick white mustache impeccably trimmed, slammed his fist violently onto the black stone balustrade.
"If this damned sun keeps getting closer like this, I'll destroy it myself and create a new one!" he roared across the hall.
Mereos, his loyal advisor, placed a worried hand on his shoulder.
"Calm down, King Leonidas. You always tend to want to… solve everything with force. You should take the time to think. This isn't a decision to make hastily."
Aleos, imposing and muscular with his arms crossed, gazed at the sky with a mix of fascination and suspicion.
"…I wonder if this isn't the work of someone I know. That magical signature… it feels familiar…" A faint smile appeared on his face.
Back to the Dragon Kingdom – Dragonil
Dominus danced across the tower, her viscous tentacles whipping the air in a sensual and deadly ballet. She multiplied her attacks, preventing Alexander from fully concentrating on his telekinesis.
"You can't ignore me, my love!" she purred, her cheeks flushed with excitement. "Look how beautiful it is! The world burning… and us in the middle. We should do it right now, don't you think? Go on, go on… and make me yours!"
Alexander dodged every strike with surgical precision, his face impassive.
"You're insane. Have you forgotten that if the Earth is destroyed, you'll disappear too?"
Dominus burst into laughter. She was truly foolish.
"So what? It would be a magnificent end, don't you agree!"
And then Alexander had a sudden idea.
Two minutes later…
Down below, Vulcan was beginning to tire. His colossal body of lava and rock was covered in gashes and bite marks. Noël, exhausted on his back, was breathing heavily.
"They just keep coming…" Vulcan growled.
Suddenly, a golden ray pierced the sky. A corrupted dragon was slammed to the ground with incredible force.
Then another.
Then ten.
Dozens of figures identical to Alexander appeared on the battlefield. Five hundred clones, each possessing 0.01% of the original's power, but perfectly coordinated.
The real Alexander—or rather, one of them—landed near Noël and Vulcan.
"You held out well. Now rest a little."
Noël stared at him, mouth agape.
"You… you cloned yourself?!"
The clones sprang into action. They danced between the dragons like luminous ghosts, sending hundreds crashing down with disconcerting ease. One of them sat cross-legged atop a hill and began casting the large-scale telekinesis spell.
The sun, which had started approaching again, now retreated much faster, gradually returning to its original place in the sky.
Alexander explained in a calm voice while still fighting the shocked Dominus:
"I couldn't use my full power until now. We Sacred Dragons have very strict restrictions. But now… I don't really have a choice. I'm going to have to release a small part of my true strength… to put an end to all this."
On Vulcan and Noël's side, the clones danced across the battlefield, instantly regenerating their wounds. The corrupted dragons were powerless against this perfect army.
Even in his titanic form, Vulcan remained stunned.
"Such power… it's monstrous."
In the sky, Flora blazed with thousands of lights. She released billions of orange luminous particles that hurtled toward the ground like a rain of flaming meteors.
Obliranca fought back with all her strength, but even weakened and ill, Flora remained a terrifying Sacred Dragon much stronger. Their clashes caused the clouds to explode.
A clone of Alexander rose into the air. With a fluid motion, he blocked all billions of projectiles with a single gesture, creating a protective red dome around the kingdom.
Then he continued.
Ancient sealing runes appeared around Flora. He temporarily suppressed her magic, forcing her back into human form. Red chains wrapped around her as he purged the last remnants of Almadraco from her body.
Flora lost consciousness in his arms.
Obliranca landed beside her, impressed.
"…Even in this state, you can still do that… You really are strong, Flora," she said, her face softening as she looked at her.
Alexander handed Flora over to Obliranca and descended to fight the other dragons.
Meanwhile, the original Alexander continued facing Dominus. She moaned with every blow she received a sick mix of pain and pleasure.
"Ahhh… Harder…"
Alexander remained cold. He didn't want to kill her. He wanted to capture her to extract information.
Dominus, panting, still smiled.
"I understand now why Darkenn said we should be careful with you among the Class S…"
Alexander froze.
"…What? She said what…? Darkenn?! Darken? How does she know him?!"
Dominus chuckled weakly.
"Well, he told us a lot about you, you know. It's actually thanks to him that I got to know you and saw what you looked like. That's also when I fell in love with you, one could say… But anyway, our mission is coming to an end," she said with a dark look.
At the same moment, deep within the palace, Luppy had finally found the legendary hall where Alexander and Vaeris had fought earlier. One of his flies had spotted it. He arrived directly in front of it.
Luppy pushed open the massive sculpted door. A breathtakingly beautiful room opened before him. Massive gold columns soared toward a vaulted ceiling encrusted with rare gems, while cascades of golden light floated in the air like sacred mist. At the center of this forgotten cathedral rested a monumental tomb carved from black stone veined with pure gold.
And on the chest of the statue lying there, the Draconic Power Stone shone with a hypnotic glow, pulsing like a living heart.
Luppy approached slowly, eyes wide despite himself. Even someone like him, accustomed to horrors and treasures, could not remain indifferent before an artifact of such power.
"Dominus is really crazy for sending me here alone…" he muttered with a nervous smirk.
He raised his hands and began reciting the incantations his former master, Skull, had once taught him. Ancient runes lit up one by one on the tomb as he repeated the forgotten words in a low, almost reverent voice. The air grew heavier, charged with ancient energy.
Then, with a dull crack, he tore the Stone from its pedestal.
Absolute silence fell for a second.
"Mission accomplished…" he breathed with a triumphant smile.
But the moment he turned around, the tomb blazed with blinding golden light. A colossal, primordial energy exploded from the depths of the stone.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The entire kingdom shook violently. The palace walls cracked, the towers swayed, and a shockwave swept across Dragonil like a divine earthquake.
On the surface, Alexander's eyes widened, his body freezing mid-dodge against Dominus.
"That sensation… No… It can't be…"
In the tomb chamber, Luppy was paralyzed by a primal, visceral terror, as if his deepest instincts were screaming at him to run. His legs refused to move. His breath caught in his throat. The Draconic Power Stone slipped from his trembling hands and fell to the floor with a crystalline clink.
The golden light became unbearable.
Then it slowly, very slowly, dimmed.
A heavy footstep echoed.
Two steps.
Three steps.
A titanic silhouette emerged from the light. Two meters of perfectly sculpted muscle, dark skin with metallic reflections, a bare torso adorned with ancient pharaonic relics that seemed to have crossed the ages. An overwhelming, divine, almost unbearable aura filled the entire room. Every movement of this presence made the air vibrate like a war drum.
Luppy, face deathly pale, staggered back one step.
The man no, the entity first spoke in an ancient tongue, deep and resonant, with divine accents. Then, as if adjusting to the current world, he switched to the common language. His voice was that of an earthquake profound, ancient, heavy with centuries of slumber.
"Who are you…? Why do you dare disturb my sleep?"
His golden eyes settled on Luppy as one would observe an insignificant insect.
"..."
In the sky, amid the battles still raging, Obliranca who was helping fight the remaining dragons felt the aura explode. Her face turned deathly pale. Her white wings trembled slightly. She murmured in a broken, almost reverent voice:
"No… not this… that sensation... It's him... The one once considered the most powerful of the Sacred Dragons… The oldest among us… The direct disciple of Goddess Selene herself…"
Her throat tightened.
"Abraham… has been awakened."
A glacial wind seemed to sweep across the kingdom despite the sun's lingering heat.
"An era of despair… has just begun."
To be continued…