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The moment his full form emerged, the entire World of Dragons trembled. The golden and white divine beast unfurled his vast, radiant wings, their brilliance illuminating the heavens. Then, with a thunderous roar that split the sky, Vyrakos's power shook creation itself.
Mors and Phoenix's eardrums ruptured instantly, blood streaming from their ears as they were forced to endure the Dragon's roar firsthand. The sheer force distorted reality itself, Energy twisted and began to move as if alive in response to the roar.
Mors swung her scythe, the Energy arc slicing through space and tearing open a rift. She tried again, but the distorted Energy arcs flew wildly, summoning rifts across the skies.
At his roar which issued a command, commanding the Sacred Fragments that shape the very fabric of Existence itself. The World of Dragons began to change.
Kalidor expanded, reshaping itself into a grand hierarchy of ten Realms in total, arranged and shaped the hierarchical structure suitable for the Star Dragon.
His descendants, the Dragons he had hidden across creation, fell into deep slumber, their minds sealed and memories erased as the reconstruction advanced.
At the apex of this new order rose a colossal palace, radiant and boundless, a sanctum befitting Vyrakos's dominion. Before its gates, a vast mass of energy gathered, swirling and coalescing with impossible density, Vyrakos's own divine essence made manifest.
The lands once home to the other Dragons were now divided and reshaped, forming vast domains of harmony and power. Majestic houses, towering citadels, floating islands, shimmering forests, and flowing water bodies emerged, all crafted according to the Star King's divine decree.
Each Realm pulsed with concentrated Energy, yet none could compare to the First Realm, the core and heart of Vyrakos's dominion, where his power reigned supreme. The Seventh Realm followed as the second most potent, its balance maintained keeping off the shadows from advancing.
Meanwhile, Kenos's shadows, which had spread across the World, were forcefully driven down into the Ninth Realm, sealed beneath the layers of creation. The Eighth Realm remained empty, a silent barrier left unoccupied by design, a safeguard, should any fragment of shadow attempt to rise again.
At last, Vyrakos spread forth his divine blessings/fragments of his power and essence, casting them across his slumbering descendants. Each fragment ascends like a skyrocket, embedding itself within chosen souls at random, shaping their fates to carry a spark of his legacy.
But the act came at a heavy price. The Star Dust that fueled his dominion waned, his control over Yuánlì fading with it. The backlash of tampering with the Existential Force struck deep, his colossal draconic form trembled, then dissolved into radiant motes of light.
Scales of gold flaked away, and his once-blinding eyes dimmed as he reverted to his mortal guise.
Mors seized the fleeting moment. With a cry that echoed through the newly developed Veyra, she swung the Scythe of Unwritten, its edge cleaving through his torso, unravelling his form from existence.
As his broken body fell, Kenos raised his hand, the void orb ignited, pulling Vyrakos's fading essence into itself. Vyrakos met his end due to the backlash. The immense strain of tempering with Energy and dividing Essereos shattered his being from within.
What remained was no longer the Star King made from two creators, but a hollow vessel carrying only faint, scattered fragments of his once immeasurable power.
(Loyalty that transcends death, devotion that borders on filial piety or the preservation of his own essence. He's not just honouring a mentor or god-figure; he's safeguarding the foundational "dream" that birthed him.
He could have ended them in an instant, but victory would have been a betrayal. His allegiance was not to triumph, but to the covenant that had birthed him. Peak Altruism & Self-Transcendence.)
"That didn't go well."
Phoenix said as he was released from the spikes.
"He didn't go all out."
"It doesn't matter. What matters is that our mission was accomplished. We have the Azurer kid and the Star King is dead."
Kenos pointed out.
"Not to mention we have his vessel."
"The Scythe..."
"He was dead long before you killed him. The orbs are preserving his vessel for now."
Kenos intervened.
"Where will we be living now? The Abyss is out of the option."
"I agree."
"Don't worry, the World is endless. Finding a home won't be a problem."
Kenos said and suddenly, Acamar was able to decipher the Yuánlì barrier and finally got into the sealed World.
Upon arrival, his gaze immediately locked onto the Dark Stars. Sensing the disturbance, someone reacted. With speed that transcends the distance between Elyvra and Kalidor, Elara darted forward, her wings flaring as she shot into Kalidor at full speed, her fist aimed straight for Phoenix.
Mors reacted instantly, swinging her Scythe in a wide arc, but Acamar intervened, pulling Elara back just in time to nullify the strike's ripple.
"What is your explanation for this act?"
He asked, his voice calm yet edged with a chilling coldness that silenced the field.
"The First Light said our actions belong to us alone."
Phoenix replied, his tone sharp and unwavering, that smirk never leaving his face.
"We owe no one an explanation."
"Phoenix is right. But eternal peace is boring for us who crave destruction and chaos."
Kenos replied.
"You started a war for something so nonsensical?"
Elara asked, her hair flaring up straight as if charged with electricity.
"The real War is yet to come. Until then..."
The space cracked and the duo exited through it, Kenos left his words unfinished, leaving the Stars to their thoughts.
"Is it alright to let them go?"
Elara asked. Acamar could've intervened and prevented them but he didn't.
"Phoenix is right. Our actions are ours."
He said nothing more before soaring into the Kalidor, passing effortlessly through the newly formed Realms.
It was as if Kalidor itself had acknowledged his presence, granting him passage until he reached the familiar mana signature that called to him.
He descended before the palace in Azrith and landed silently, only to find a figure standing guard before its gates, a Dragon in humanoid form.
The being had long, flowing black hair and four sharp horns that curved backwards like a crown of blades. His bare chest was marked with golden scales that shimmered faintly under the pale light, and though his presence was suffocating, his eyes remained closed. as if he saw all without needing to see.
"Acamar."
It called his name.
"And you're?"
"A guardian. A guardian with no name."
"The Guardian."
"Where are all the Dragons? I can sense a few signatures."
He asked, his voice low but commanding.
"Still asleep."
The Guardian replied calmly.
"The effect placed upon them runs deep. It will take time before they awaken."
"You've been granted immortality and knowledge."
"As well as the power to protect what I was ordered."
"..."
Acamar was silent, waiting to hear what it was.
"Protect Azrith, protect the Crown and protect the Dragon Deity. These were my commands from the Star Dragon."
"Is that all?"
Acamar asked as he turned to leave.
"Don't ever harm the Dragon-kin even if they're corrupted by Kenos. A message for you, specifically."
"As long as they don't cause problems in the Pond, I swear no Star will bear their Art to them. You're a sacred being to begin with."
The Guardian was silent because it didn't need to say anything to him.
"You don't need to do that. Kalidor is sealing itself as we speak. No Star shall ever set foot in Kalidor for the time being."
"For the time being. So there's a possibility that Grand Lord's dream will come true."
"It will. It's only a matter of who and when."
"I see. Until we meet again."
With nothing more to add, Acamar turned and left. Kalidor had already sealed itself off, its boundaries locking tight against intrusion, so he simply stepped out before the closure could take hold, leaving the Dragon World behind.
...
..
.
To be continued...