Chapter 550: The Final Act
"Red Dragon! How dare you! Are you truly threatening us? Threatening three true Deities?"
A thunderclap split the sky. Around the Tyr Avatar, an oppressive Aura of Intimidation surged, its single steel-gray warhammer-clutching arm trembling with veins bulging like ropes. Yet Kai Xiusu stood unshaken, his massive dragon claws stepping forward once more, his Empire Domain radiating raw strength to withstand the divine pressure.
The Red Dragon lifted his head, raising his brow ridges—scales like ancient armor—before speaking softly into the heavens.
"Tyr, His Majesty, this is no threat. Merely a friendly reminder."
"Boom!" Gale roared, wind howling like a storm given voice. The two Auras collided midair, unleashing wave after wave of violent shockwaves that rippled across the sky.
Ilmat narrowed his eyes, head bowed low, his expression one of quiet sorrow—unreadable, perhaps even lost in thought.
And Bahamut, high above in the clouds, slowly unfolded his wings. From his overwhelming height, he surveyed the Red Dragon perched atop the mountain peak. His ancient, white-golden face showed no emotion—neither joy, nor sorrow—only the deep stillness of contemplation.
After a long silence, the White Gold Dragon God finally spoke.
"Kai Xiusu… be wise."
"Aaaarrrr—" Bahamut raised his head, unleashing a long, echoing roar that trembled through the heavens.
His entire body shimmered with a pale, bluish glow, every scale aglow. His long, serpentine form began to fade—dissolving into the clouds until he vanished entirely, merging with the sky.
"Hail the King Bahamut!"
"Praise the White Gold Dragon God!"
"Praise the Lord of the Northern Wind!"
From afar, the Gold Dragons, Silver Dragons, and Copper Dragons bowed their heads in solemn reverence, offering their final homage to the departing deity.
"Jelrazaks is dead. Mortal realms deserve rest. This war has run its course."
Ilmat slowly straightened, his voice rasping like gravel from a throat worn thin by centuries of suffering.
"Sky collapses. Earth crumbles. Mortals weep. Endless agony descends upon the world. Let all wounds… all pain… be mine."
With a mournful, trembling lullaby, he limped across the ravaged land—cracked, scarred, and broken—carrying the weight of all suffering.
And then, as a gentle breeze brushed the ruins, his broken form dissolved into nothingness.
"Praise the God of Weeping."
"The Lord upon the Gallows."
The low, solemn hymns of Metal Dragons and Celestial Beings echoed through the shattered mountains.
Even the most devoted followers of the Empire could not bring themselves to speak ill of the God who bore the world’s pain. They watched in silence, hearts heavy, as He faded from existence.
Above, within the churning clouds, the Tyr Avatar—clad in light armor, wielding a steel-gray warhammer—also began to shimmer, his form growing translucent.
His hollow eyes turned toward Kai Xiusu. White light flickered within the void.
"Last Hope… are you truly as powerful as you claim? Or are you merely a slave to strength?"
"Boom!"
The heavens and earth trembled. Stellar radiance flooded the sky. Thunderbolts rained down from every direction. A blinding, pure white light enveloped all living things.
And then, the Tyr Avatar dissolved—leaving behind only a lingering, oppressive Aura of Intimidation.
"Three His Majesties… safe travels. No need to see you off."
Kai Xiusu stood motionless atop Dragonblood Mountain, gazing upward at the storm-wracked clouds. At last, a faint, relieved smile touched his lips.
Success.
Everything unfolded exactly as he’d planned years ago.
The Abyssal invasion had been stopped. Jelrazaks was dead. The complete corpse of Karex now lay in his grasp.
"Roar—!"
Kai Xiusu reared his head high, stretching his long neck into the sky, unleashing a thunderous, triumphant roar that echoed across the Anzeta Great Wasteland.
The Red Dragon declared his supremacy—absolute and unchallenged.
"O gods…"
"Kai Xiusu reigns above all!"
"Long live the Empire of Ashen! Long live Emperor Kai Xiusu!"
Hundreds of thousands—Angels, Metal Dragons, Dragon Bloodline descendants—lifted their eyes, gazing toward the distant peak. A sea of eyes converged upon the towering figure.
There, suspended in midair, the Red Dragon hovered—his pale golden eyes sharp, piercing, radiating dignity and might. Sunlight bathed his forty-meter-long, mountain-like body, casting a soft halo around him. His crimson scales blazed like embers in the dawn.
Wind howled. Clouds swirled. The jagged, monstrous Dragonblood Mountain beneath him seemed to tremble, as if in worship.
For some reason, the people felt it—a presence, a power… something beyond mere strength. Something divine.
Kai Xiusu looked down upon his followers with calm indifference, slowly flaring his wings.
He felt their gazes—some frenzied with awe, some devout in piety, others trembling with fear. His eyes narrowed slightly.
And then, like a long-lost memory, his Character Sheet reappeared before him.
[You have slain an Abyssal Lord. Achievement unlocked: Legendary Armor Classhievement — Demon Slayer]
The once-snowy peaks of Anstica—now a wasteland of shattered mountains, rivers of melted snow, and fissures spewing molten lava—stood as testament to the battle’s fury.
Only the newly risen Dragonblood Mountain remained, standing defiant between heaven and earth, as if it had always been there—proof of Kai Xiusu’s might and merit.
After the departure of the Holy Trinity, though minor conflicts flared, the Empire still paid its promised gold coins to the relief forces that had come from afar.
The Celestial Beings watched their divine beings vanish into the heavens, then turned away—uncomfortable under the cold, unfriendly stares of the Empire’s followers. One by one, they vanished through group dimensional portals, returning to their home planes.
Metal Dragons created gateways of their own, carrying golden effigies of Kai Xiusu’s face back to their ancestral sanctuaries.
All of these beings from across the Multiverse had witnessed the duel firsthand. The story would be etched into legend—a battle of titanic scale, a war that shook the foundations of reality.
A Lord of the Abyss had been slain.
That news alone would send shockwaves through the Multiverse.
And Kai Xiusu’s name—already rising—would now echo across every realm.
From Heaven’s Mountain, Joseph’s Garden, Hell, the Bottomless Abyss, even the deepest reaches of the Stellar Realm—countless eyes would now fix upon Anzeta. Upon Dragonblood Mountain.
"Master," came a voice. "The Ancient Silver Dragon of the Mervold Clan wishes to pay audience. Also, the Blue Dragon of Faria, and envoys from the Thrace Kingdom."
"Let them wait. For ten days, do not disturb me."
Kai Xiusu lay curled atop the peak—formed from Karex’s skull—exhaling sulfur-scented white smoke in irritation. A low growl rumbled in his chest.
"Yes, Master."
The Cannibal Magician bowed deeply, then waved his staff and vanished in a flash.
Kai Xiusu sighed.
"Tch. Such a nuisance. Now that the war is over, every power is rushing to my door."
He lowered his head, scanning the reports Lanpu had delivered.
"During this war, the Empire, under the leadership of King Kai Xiusu..."
The Empire of Ashen had achieved a costly yet glorious victory. Though their defensive lines had been prepared, the relentless onslaught of demons still shattered the frontlines. Twenty-one Southern Cities were reduced to rubble. Thousands of civilians perished. Fourteen million Imperial soldiers and followers fell on the southern battlefield.
And countless Players died—millions upon millions of lives lost. The Abyssal invasion had cost the Empire over ten million Golden Nael.
Kai Xiusu could have simply flown to Anstica, obliterated every demon with overwhelming force, and slain Jelrazaks in a single stroke—avoiding all loss.
But he did not.
On one hand, the prolonged war had honed the Empire’s army, refining tactics and testing every layer of strategy—baptizing the Empire in blood and fire.
On the other, to Kai Xiusu, demons were not just monsters of chaos and death. They were a goldmine of Experience Points.
Over the course of months, the Empire slaughtered over thirty million demons—many of them thanks to the Stellarfallen.
And on Kai Xiusu’s Battalion Character Sheet, the average level of the three million players under his command had risen by five full levels.
Most of them had been newcomers from The Age of Kings era—barely above level one before the war. Now, thanks to mass slaughter, some had reached level seven.
Veterans who had followed Ashen Hollow since the Internal Test had broken through ten levels, ascending into true Supernatural Beings.
The Empire’s core strength had been massively bolstered. The Ember Army now boasted tens of thousands of mid-to-high-level professionals.
Compared to these gains, the southern losses were negligible.
And the massive use of military equipment had also revitalized the Empire’s internal industry—injecting new life into a stagnant economy.
For the Empire of Ashen, "growing stronger with every battle" was no empty slogan. It was real. It was inevitable.
But for Kai Xiusu, the greatest reward was his own ascension—and the priceless corpse of the Ancestral Dragon beneath him.
"For years… I’ve waited for this moment."
The Red Dragon’s eyes narrowed. A faint smile curled his lip. His Character Sheet floated before him once more.
Armor Classhievement — Demon Slayer
It is said only demons can kill demons. Even gods can only seal such chaotic beings. To truly slay a Demon Lord, you must be more ruthless, more brutal—something nearly impossible. The Black Spines War, as told in The Dark Scroll of Aum.
Passive Ability Unlocked: Demon Slayer
Constitution +1, Charisma +1
With unwavering resolve, fueled by an unyielding desire for Order, you have slain a Demon Lord—and the world has responded.
You gain the following Traits:
[Resistance to Chaotic Flesh]: From now on, you gain immunity to all Abyssal powers and are highly resistant to Abyssal Will Corruption.
[Order Restoration Breath]: After consuming vast energy, your breath gains miraculous, world-restoring power.
The black-gold trophy on the Character Sheet pulsed faintly, then slowly seeped into Kai Xiusu’s body like liquid light.
Kai Xiusu closed his eyes, letting the transformation flow through him.
With each breath, his muscles tightened, his chest expanded, his heart beating with a furnace-like intensity. His Constitution surged.
Around him, the wind roared. Elemental particles danced in the air. His Charisma ascended to a new threshold.
"Hiss…" Steam burst from every scale gap, from his nostrils, from between his teeth.
"Roar—!"
The Red Dragon let out a low, guttural cry of pure satisfaction. He stretched his wings, spread his limbs—feeling utterly alive.
This stat enhancement—this transformation—was now familiar. Even enjoyable.
But what truly intrigued him were the two new traits—those that fought Chaos.
Suddenly, Kai Xiusu froze, staring at the Character Sheet.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"...This is Entropy Reduction."
He uttered a word long forgotten.
Jelrazaks had been right. Even in Ailezegai’s world, all things naturally drift toward chaos—what mortals call "entropy increase." In a realm ruled by the Bottomless Abyss and demons, this manifests as invasion, destruction, decay.
But what Kai Xiusu now possessed… it reversed that trend.
It reduced the system’s chaos. It eradicated demons—the extensions of Abyssal Will—utterly and completely.
"Whirr—"
For a heartbeat, silence fell. The world seemed to whisper.
Everything unfolded before him—revealed.
He saw magma surging beneath the earth. He saw the passageways connecting the Material Plane to the Outer Planes. He saw the Elemental Plane, parallel and eternal.
Seven Heavens. Joseph’s Garden. The Mechanical Realm. The Chaos Sea. The Outlands.
All branched from the same root—unfolding before him like the limbs of a cosmic tree.
And within the Mechanical Realm—shaped like a droplet of water—thousands of endless, interlocking gears turned slowly, endlessly. Their crisp, metallic clicks echoed through space. A faint, pure light spilled from their center.
"Click."
A jolt passed through Kai Xiusu.
Silver particles surged within him—new life, new power.
He felt it. He knew it.
He summoned his new strength. His pale golden eyes flashed with silver sparks.
Then—without hesitation—he opened his maw and unleashed a torrent of searing Dragon Flame.
"Boom—!"
[Order Restoration Breath]
A column of silver flame erupted—pure, radiant, and impossibly precise. Around it, the Weave of Magic reorganized itself—perfectly, flawlessly, in absolute order.
All chaos was undone.
This—this was the power that could erase chaos.
This was The Blade of the Demon Slayer.
(End of Chapter)
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