Chapter 623: The Sky Descends
Kai Xiusu unfurled his wings—vast, shadowing the heavens—and gazed down upon the world below with his pale golden eyes.
Countless eyes, filled with awe, dread, and reverence, turned upward from the earth, fixed upon the colossal Dragon.
“By Amanata above…”
“O gods…”
“It’s King Kai Xiusu! It’s King Kai Xiusu! The war is over!”
After a moment of stunned silence, a murmur of disbelief and terror spread across the battlefield, as the true form of the Emperor of the Ashen Flame finally came into view.
The Red Dragon, over fifty meters in length, stood silhouetted against the sun. Its immense body was outlined in golden light, the edges of its shadow glowing as if edged in fire. With each slow, deliberate beat of its wings, waves of dragon flame erupted into the sky—scorching thermal surges that painted half the heavens in a fierce orange hue.
But the most breathtaking sight was the Dragon Crystal embedded in its chest. It blazed with a light so intense it seemed like a second sun had appeared in the sky, even momentarily eclipsing the distant sun.
Ironically, from appearance alone, compared to the divine offspring of the Northern Aether, this Emperor of the Ashen Flame looked far more like an avatar of the Sun God himself.
“Eternal Lord of Radiance, God of Golden Light, Sovereign of Law and Sun—bless me, grant me strength to overcome my enemies.”
Duke Walter’s heart sank as he finally saw the truth. All hope slipped away. He lowered his head, whispering a silent prayer.
Though not as dramatic as the earlier phantom image, this Red Dragon’s size was undeniable—fifty meters, no exaggeration, no illusion.
A fifty-meter-long Dragon?
Even the Primordial Golden Dragon he had once met in Mercury—Famed Golden Sage, head of the Golden Dragon Council, Regent Krasus—was only thirty meters in length. Compared to this beast, the ancient dragon was but a child.
And in the Material Plane, Primordial Dragons were already rare, sleeping for centuries, rarely seen. The monsters in the distance were not just beyond them—they were beyond legend.
This time, the enemy before him might be the most powerful Dragon to appear on the Feiansuo Continent since the Third Era.
Walter stared up at the sky, breathing deeply. His eyes hardened with resolve. He had made peace with death.
“This… this…”
Zalan, a high-level mage standing atop the city wall, gasped sharply, then spat a spray of crimson blood. Just a casual use of True Sight had sent a psychic shockwave through him—a phantom Dragon roaring toward him, tearing his mind apart with fangs and claws.
“Mistrala above! This Red Dragon isn’t just a legend—he’s a spellcaster beyond myth, a being who has touched the root of magic!”
Zalan trembled, his hands shaking as he wiped blood from his lips. His legs gave way. The sheer strength of the Dragon dwarfed the intelligence reports from the City of All Arts.
And under the gaze of thousands, Kai Xiusu spread his wings, advancing through the air on a storm of searing wind. The sheer aura of dread radiated across the battlefield—a living cataclysm.
Now, the Red Dragon was not just a beast. It was an omen.
Under the crushing weight of its terrifying presence, the already battered Allied Forces soldiers broke completely. Weapons clattered to the ground, their courage shattered.
“This… what is that monster?!”
“Gods, this isn’t a foe we can beat! Devil, explosion, dragon—senseless death! I’ve had enough! I’m leaving!”
Soldiers fled in panic toward Collins City, collapsed to their knees, or fainted outright—this war had become a nightmare from which there was no waking.
Then, Kai Xiusu slowly opened his jaws. A deep, thunderous voice rumbled from his throat:
“Foolish mortals… the situation is clear. The fall of the Allied Forces is inevitable. Will you not surrender? Will you truly sacrifice your lives for the fading vision of the Faldran Empire? For the selfish desires of a few divine-blooded nobles? Open your eyes. Sacred Fedran is dead. Northern Aether is a hollow name. Joining the Empire of Ashen is your only path.”
The voice boomed across the ravaged battlefield, shaking the souls of every soldier. Their resolve cracked.
Was it worth it? To die for a dream long gone?
“Enough! Don’t listen to his lies!”
A voice—loud, dignified, unshakable—rang out from the clouds above the battlefield, like a command from heaven.
Sacred Word
Then, a hymn began—soft at first, then swelling across the earth. A miraculous light poured from the sky, bathing every Allied soldier in its glow. Their minds calmed. Reason returned.
This was the power of the Lord of Silver Heaven—his mere words, unadorned, could rekindle the will of thousands.
Far in the distance, clouds gathered, forming a celestial corridor high above. The hymn continued, echoing through the air, as a procession of Heavenly Elite emerged—cloaked in dazzling armor, wielding radiant weapons. From within them stepped Barachiel, the Messenger.
His massive wings, layered with white feathers, flared gently. In his hand, his longsword crackled with lightning, pointed unwaveringly at the Red Dragon.
Barachiel spoke coldly:
“Kai Xiusu. I’ve heard of you. You once led your empire to repel the Demon invasion, and slay an Abyssal Lord. That is commendable. I thought you might walk the righteous path, become a friend of Heaven’s Mountain. But… you still cannot change the Chaotic Evil essence of the Red Dragon. You have chosen the path of chaos and ruin.”
“Chaotic Evil?” Kai Xiusu sneered, then laughed—a deep, mocking roar.
“The Messenger of Heaven’s Mountain, I am the hero who resisted the Abyss. I am the guardian of the multiverse. What right do you have to judge me?”
Duke Walter could no longer hold back. He raised his longsword, voice trembling with fury:
“Have your crimes not been enough?”
“Roar—!”
The Ancient Gold Dragon Titus stepped forward, wings flaring, letting out a thunderous, angry bellow:
“Scion of Tiamat’s blood! Hide your evil face!”
But Kai Xiusu only smiled faintly, speaking with cold conviction:
“A century ago, the Holy Faedran Empire conquered Northern Aether by force, bringing a century of peace and order. Now, Faedran is dead. The current ruler cannot protect Northern Aether. But the Empire of Ashen—stronger, wiser—has both the duty and the obligation to restore peace. I do this to forge a new order. My heart is pure, my actions just. I am not a villain. I am justice.”
His words rang with iron certainty across the battlefield, stunning soldiers, noble-born, and celestial warriors alike. Some even began to question—were they wrong?
Duke Walter raged silently in his heart.
How can this dragon be so shameless?
To call evil conquest “protection”? To claim it as a duty of the Empire of Ashen?
But while the words flew, Kai Xiusu narrowed his eyes, scanning his enemies—especially the Lord of Silver Heaven, whose floating Heaven’s Judgment Dragon Eye pulsed with power.
Wings of Fadalan—Walter Graham (Challenge Rating: 24)
Once a noble, legendary being, Walter was a force of legend, nearly on par with a Primordial Dragon. But to Kai Xiusu now? Merely a nuisance.
And Titus—another pawn, a spy in the enemy camp.
The only one worth his attention was the Messenger—Barachiel.
Even among allies, Barachiel rarely appeared. Mysterious, elusive. Even Kai Xiusu’s Golden Dragon Avatar could not fathom his true depth.
But now, at last, the truth was clear.
Messenger—Barachiel (Challenge Rating: 30)
“Ah… a worthy opponent.”
Kai Xiusu licked his lips. His golden vertical pupils glowed with an ancient, primal hunger—the instinct of a Red Dragon facing a true challenge.
After defeating Jelrazaks, he had not faced an equal in centuries. Few could stand before him in the Material Realm.
Now, Barachiel was one of them.
“Everyone—forward!” Walter roared, lifting his sword.
Titus let out a long, defiant roar:
“Yes! Together—we end this evil Dragon!”
At the signal, soldiers from both the Empire of Ashen and the Allied Forces raised their horns, charging once more.
Artillery roared. Engines thundered. Battle cries filled the air—chaotic, endless. The battlefield, once silent, erupted into chaos.
At the peak of the field, Kai Xiusu stood across from Barachiel, Walter, and Titus—hundreds of meters apart. Though no clash had yet begun, the collision of their auras sent the air itself screaming.
The radiant light of justice spread for thousands of meters, clashing with the Red Dragon’s terrifying presence—equal in power.
This was not a fair fight. It was a one-sided duel—Kai Xiusu against the Lord of Luciath. Titus was a traitor. Walter was irrelevant.
And the Lord of Silver Heaven, too, believed it.
Focused beyond all else, Kai Xiusu and Barachiel saw only each other. Golden pupils met dark violet eyes—tension thick in the air.
“Not bad… for the Lord of Silver Heaven. Truly, the most powerful I’ve ever faced.”
Kai Xiusu spoke in awe.
To him, Barachiel was wrapped in the pure light of order—his lightning-crackling sword, his robe studded with stars, the silver horn at his waist—all embodiments of celestial perfection, nearly reaching Artifact-level power.
The Seven Heavenly Orders granted him dominion over a layer of heaven. Though restrained by the Material Plane’s limitations, he still drew strength from the divine.
Heaven’s Mountain was the realm of Order and Justice. To oppose it was no small task.
But to a Red Dragon, such light was not a threat. It was a feast.
Kai Xiusu’s eyes gleamed with hunger. He could barely contain his excitement.
Below, Barachiel stood in radiant silver, his violet eyes alight with starlight. He studied the Red Dragon—its powerful frame wrapped in magical auras, its strength unmatched even among Bahamut’s chosen.
To exist in the Material Plane with such power, unchallenged… it was unthinkable.
Yet Barachiel knew now: this Dragon must be stopped.
But he felt the weight of the Material Plane’s restrictions. His Heavenly power was muted. He could not fully manifest his true strength.
High above, Kai Xiusu smiled—then mocked:
“Three against one? Is this the justice you claim to uphold?”
Walter stepped forward, sword raised.
“Because just men never stand alone!”
Titus roared, wings flaring:
“Against a villain like you, rules are meaningless!”
Feeling the contempt in Kai Xiusu’s gaze, Barachiel stepped forward, solemn and resolute:
“In the name of Heaven’s Mountain, if you will not return to the righteous path, I shall grant you termination. Let all know—justice and order still endure. Let all know that justice is eternal.”
For the first time, his cold violet eyes burned with fire. He raised his silver horn to his lips and blew.
“Uuuuuu—”
The long, clear note echoed through the sky. Angels—uncontrollable—began to sing. A force of pure order surged upward, overwhelming the air. For a moment, Kai Xiusu’s dragon aura faltered.
Then, the sky darkened.
Night descended.
The sun vanished behind a veil of clouds. Only Kai Xiusu remained lit by the glow of his own flames.
All eyes turned upward—shocked, awestruck.
In the eternal night, there was no fear. Only serenity—like a summer night, filled with starlight and silver moonlight. Angels danced through the sky.
Far beyond, the Sacred Mountain rose into the heavens. A magnificent silver fortress. A bay brimming with holy water.
“This…?” Walter gasped, his jaw dropping.
This… this is Luciath’s beauty. The world of Lucia.
Heavenly Phenomenon
Under Barachiel’s silver horn, the first layer of Heaven’s Mountain—Silver Heaven Luciath—had descended upon the Material Plane.
Barachiel sheathed his horn, gripped his lightning sword, and stared ahead with cold detachment.
“Kai Xiusu. I gave you a chance to repent. Now… you have no hope left.”
Kai Xiusu did not flinch. He surveyed the breathtaking scene, breathing in the overwhelming surge of divine power.
“So this is Heaven’s Mountain… magnificent. Beautiful…”
He grinned—revealing rows of jagged, needle-like teeth. His Dragon face twisted into a fierce, triumphant smile.
“Truth be told… I almost hate to tear it apart.”
(End of Chapter)
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