Chapter 503: Respect
Thick smoke billowed forward, filling the hall with a choking haze. Jennyhis lifted her head, her pupils dilating in shock. Her lips parted slightly, whispering, "That... is the Emperor of the Ashen Flame."
As the smoke gradually cleared, a colossal figure emerged at the far end of the staircase—perched upon the towering Iron Throne. There, coiled in effortless majesty, lay a being of unimaginable scale: a Red Dragon, its form vast beyond comprehension.
By Bahamut’s might! What a Dragon this was!
Jennyhis had never seen a Red Dragon of such magnitude—its size dwarfed even the primordial Golden Dragons of her memories. Smoke erupted intermittently from gaps between its scales, and the beast’s body, massive and sinewy, resembled a living mountain of fire, as if it might erupt with molten magma at any moment.
But it was the Dragon’s aura that truly paralyzed her. Even a soul as seasoned as hers stood frozen, trembling deep within her spiritual core. The sheer weight of its presence was overwhelming.
An Ancient Red Dragon? No—this was more than that. The metallic sheen of its scales, the crystalline growths across its chest, the peculiar horns—each detail declared this creature’s uniqueness.
Despite her pride, she felt it—the instinctive urge to kneel, to worship. A memory stirred in her mind: the ancient tales of her clan’s legends—dragons who ignited divine flames and ascended to immortality.
Now, Kai Xiusu lowered his gaze upon the visitors. His pale golden eyes, like molten lava spheres, gleamed with amusement.
"Long time no see, Olivia. Lanpu told me of your deeds. Seems you’ve carried out my quest admirably."
He paused, his stare locking onto Jennyhis. Flames flickered within his eyes.
"Besides... this unfamiliar guest. Won’t you introduce yourself?"
Olivia shifted nervously, a flicker of pride beneath her tension. Jennyhis, finally snapping out of her daze, smoothed a strand of silver hair behind her ear. A strained smile tugged at her lips as she bowed slightly, lifting her skirt with a graceful, practiced gesture.
"Envoy of Melward—Jennyhis. I present myself to King Kai Xiusu."
Olivia whispered beside her, "Jennyhis is my aunt. The most accomplished among our current generation, deeply trusted by Grandfather. He sent her personally. Now you see Melward’s sincerity, don’t you?"
"Oh?" Kai Xiusu’s gaze lingered on Jennyhis’s full figure, a spark of interest dancing in his eyes. "How curious. So this is the daughter of that old Home? No wonder I felt a familiar presence."
Jennyhis stiffened, a flush of irritation rising. After a moment’s pause, she spoke aloud, voice clear and firm: "When Olivia returned, our elders debated fiercely. It was my father who stood firm, pushing for this collaboration. King Kai Xiusu, forgive me for being blunt..."
"Enough, Auntie," Olivia tugged at her sleeve, her voice urgent. "Temper your tone."
She could not afford to make Melward an enemy of Kai Xiusu. Not after what she knew. Though Kai Xiusu wasn’t a pure embodiment of evil, his treatment of foes was colder, more merciless than any true monster’s. The bloodstained guillotines across the Empire stood as grim testament.
But Jennyhis—recognized as the Silver Dragon most like Oszedro in spirit, fiercely proud and unyielding—was not so easily swayed.
She ignored Olivia’s warning and pressed on: "For a future ally, must you not show at least the most basic respect?"
"Respect?" Kai Xiusu rose slowly. With a powerful roll of his massive wing-back muscles, he stretched his broad wings wide, casting a shadow so immense it seemed to swallow the very light. The oppressive aura of an ancestral Dragon surged forward—like a tidal wave of pure dread. Jennyhis trembled violently, her body seized by fear.
Clang!
A sharp, crystalline sound shattered the silence. The arcane-charged crystal ball, floating midair, shattered into fragments that rained to the floor.
The Red Dragon’s gaze remained icy, cold as a winter storm. "Using a spell to expose weaknesses upon an ally? Is this the sincerity of Melward? Clearly, you hold no respect for me."
"No—this can’t be!" Jennyhis’s face drained of color. Her limbs went numb, nearly collapsing. That was her borrowed Truth-Seeking Crystal Ball, a relic from Tralfranlo, capable of revealing an enemy’s vulnerabilities. Even legendary mages, without profound divination mastery, could not detect it.
And yet—this Red Dragon, a barbaric sorcerer by all accounts—had sensed it instantly.
Kai Xiusu advanced, each step echoing like thunder. "Of course. The biological daughter of that old Home. Pride. Stubbornness. Hypocrisy."
"Did you never ask your father about my spellcraft?"
Shimmer.
In the face of such overwhelming pressure, Jennyhis could no longer maintain her human form. Her polymorph spell shattered, magic flaring in tiny, desperate sparks. With a roar that shook the hall, a silver dragon—nearly twenty meters long—burst forth.
But before the forty-five-meter Red Dragon, she was but a child. Her powerful frame trembled in terror, her cries raw with panic. The sheer force of Kai Xiusu’s ancestral aura pinned her to the ground. Not even her tail could lift.
"No… not like this," Jennyhis gasped, shaking her head. In all her centuries of life, she had never faced such a foe. Even the mightiest enemies had once hesitated—out of respect for her father, Oszedro. The five-colored dragons, too, had kept their distance. They knew better than to provoke a Silver Dragon favored by Bahamut.
But now—her life force trembled, threatened. The arrogance within her soul crumbled. Her heart pounded like a war drum.
She might die… and even her father, Silver Wings Oszedro, could not save her this time.
With every ounce of strength, she raised her head. Her vision blurred, but she still saw him—towering, eternal. And in that moment, something new stirred within her: not fear, not pride, but a strange, unfamiliar awe.
Kai Xiusu finally stood before her. Without mercy, he drove his massive left claw down onto her spine.
"Enough of your laughable tricks, Jennyhis. If you represent Melward’s willpower—if you are the embodiment of that old Home’s pride—then I cannot help but see this as provocation. Perhaps even… a declaration of war."
He pressed down, adding just enough strength to make her cry out in pain.
"No! Wait, Kai Xiusu!" Olivia, pale and trembling, forced herself forward, her voice cracking with urgency. Everything had happened too fast. She hadn’t even seen it coming.
She never thought her aunt would dare challenge Kai Xiusu—openly provoke him in his own throne room.
The worst had come true. If this wasn’t handled carefully, Melward Clan would be declared an enemy of the Empire. A disaster not just for her clan, but for the entire Metal Dragon Clan.
"Auntie…" Olivia’s voice broke. The weight of her aunt’s reckless sense of justice—her stubborn idealism—now fell entirely upon her shoulders.
(End of Chapter)
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