Chapter 250 – Olivia (3)
“You—” Olivia froze, her voice catching in her throat. She wanted to argue, but found no words. Even she had to admit—this Red Dragon’s Sophisticated Argumentation was masterful. She couldn’t find a single flaw in his reasoning, not even after careful Reflection.
After all, the liberation of Peasant Laborers, the transformation of Citizen Life, and the flourishing of Urban Prosperity were all things she had witnessed with her own eyes. Even with her deep-seated prejudice and hostility, Olivia couldn’t pretend these realities didn’t exist.
“But— but—” She stammered, her resolve hardening despite the tremble in her voice.
“You brutally slaughtered those PursuitJustice,” Kai Xiusu interrupted, his tone calm, almost amused.
Olivia bit her lip, her jaw clenched. After struggling for words, she finally spat out, “Yet you killed them!”
Kai Xiusu nearly laughed—though he held it back, letting only a faint, sulfur-scented breath escape from his nostrils. “Silver Dragon,” he said, “am I supposed to stand still and let them be my executioners? Should I wash my neck clean just so they can slit it?”
He paused, then pressed on, sharp and unyielding. “And let’s return to the original question—what is Justice, really?”
Olivia sneered, deliberately turning her head away. “It’s not for you, an Evil Dragon, to define. No matter how clever your lies, your Tiamat blood will always betray your inner evil. Bahamut’s Radiance will never touch you.”
Kai Xiusu ignored her, continuing without pause. “Your so-called Justice Advocates—Gray Hawk Slaud, the chief mage of the Lakanman Family—was once a key accomplice in the massacre of thousands of Tieflings. He served the old Vampire with loyalty and cruelty.”
“That— that was an exception!” Olivia shot back, her voice rising in defense. “Slaud’s collaboration was forced. Among those who oppose you, there are still individuals like Anher—men of unwavering principle—”
Kai Xiusu cut her off, his voice like a blade. “Then tell me— when Tieflings were slaughtered en masse, when Peasant Laborers were crushed under oppression, when people were reduced to Blood Slaves— where were they?”
He leaned in slightly, his tone laced with quiet mockery. “Why didn’t your righteous heroes appear? Instead, it was me, the so-called ‘Evil Dragon,’ who brought an end to it all.”
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. “As for the so-called Gold Dragon?”
He smirked. “When you learn the Truth, you’ll realize how utterly ridiculous you look.”
Olivia didn’t catch the hidden meaning beneath his words. She only heard mockery—Red Dragon taunting her with the death of the Gold Dragon, trying to make her feel powerless, insignificant, and force her into Submission.
Her eyes burned with tears as she thought of her missing companion, the one clad in armor—Anher. Her voice cracked, raw and desperate. “Stop trying to smear others with your filth! You’re nothing but an Evil Dragon—how could you ever understand the Justice in Anher’s heart?”
Her voice trembled, edged with a cry, almost hoarse. The blue-gray depths of her eyes welled like a spring, tears carving silver trails down her smooth, silken cheeks.
“…” Kai Xiusu listened to the Silver Dragon’s impassioned defense—her soul laid bare in her plea—and couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of amusement and disbelief. He nearly laughed out loud.
He hadn’t expected the fabricated Gold Dragon figure—the one he’d casually invented—would become so deeply embedded in her memory, so vividly shaped by Memory Enhancement and emotional embellishment. It was almost impressive.
He had planned to reveal his true Status then, shatter Olivia’s psychological defense, and seize control of her mind. But seeing her stubborn defiance, her unwavering faith in that fictional “Gold Dragon Anher,” he suddenly changed his mind.
Maybe I can extract more benefits from this foolish Silver Dragon.
Kai Xiusu rubbed his chin, the spines along his jaw clicking softly. Perhaps she’s worth keeping… for now.
Just then, Olivia’s weak voice broke through his thoughts.
“What do you want?”
Kai Xiusu turned, studying her with slow, deliberate eyes.
Before him lay the young Silver Dragon—slender neck, delicate limbs—all bound in scorched manacles. Around her streamlined silver body, thick, heavy Magical Chains coiled like serpents, locking her torso and her gleaming, rigid wings together. The Rune Array designed to bind even ancient dragons was more than enough to hold her—her prison, unbreakable.
Numerous scales had been crushed, flaking off in silver fragments. Her body bore deep wounds, and the unnatural position forced by the bindings made her appear broken. This pampered, young Silver Dragon had never known such pain. Her eyes were half-lidded, her body trembling faintly as she breathed shallowly, rising and falling with effort.
Dragon aesthetics were beyond conventional beauty—now, Kai Xiusu could even appreciate the elegance of an Ogre. How much more so for a Metal Dragon, kin to his own kind? To him, this young Silver Dragon—her form balanced, her lines refined—was undeniably beautiful.
He stepped forward, lowering his massive head until their eyes met—his gaze unflinching, indifferent to the fear and hatred blazing in her own.
“I’ve changed my mind, Silver Dragon,” he said, his voice low and calm. “Out of respect for Bahamut, I won’t take your life. Though you’ve broken guest courtesy, I’ll still uphold Host-guest etiquette. But if you persist in your stubbornness… then you’ll simply have to stay here—for a few centuries.”
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On the other side of the palace, White Dragon Tinia caught the scent of her Master. Her heart leapt with excitement. She darted into the grand hall, only to freeze at the sight before her.
There, emerging from the palace, was the mighty Red Dragon—now disguised, yet unmistakable. Through the Bonded connection and the familiar, pungent stench of sulfur, Tinia recognized him instantly: Kai Xiusu.
At nearly thirty meters long, his form dwarfed even the palace’s towering halls. At his feet, bound by the same terrifying Rune Array, lay a young Silver Dragon—wounded, exhausted, her body broken, her gaze filled with defiance as she stared up at her captor. The scene was unmistakably his doing.
“Roar?” Tinia let out a confused cry.
This was strange.
The Rune Array had been taken—by someone else. She should have felt joy. No longer would she fear being dragged back to face her Master’s wrath. Yet… staring at the Silver Dragon—broken, helpless, lying before Kai Xiusu—Tinia felt something stir within her.
A deep, unfamiliar emotion—Envy—bloomed in her chest.
For a moment, she wanted nothing more than to charge forward, to take her place. She longed to endure the pain Kai Xiusu had inflicted—any pain, even the Dragon Binding Ritual again—if only she could be the one to suffer it in his eyes.
She finally understood what she truly desired.
“Damned, worthless Silver Dragon—get away from Master’s side!”
Her voice was a snarl, her scales bristling with rage. “Only I deserve to be whipped by him!”
Tinia stood rigid, her teeth clenched, her golden eyes locked onto the fallen Silver Dragon—ready to destroy her with her gaze alone.
(End of Chapter)
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