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Alatreon Stands Upon Terra “Doctor!” The storm gradually dissipated, as if everything was returning to a calm stillness.
Yet, not a single person present dared to believe it.
Even the red dragon couldn’t break through that tempest of raw Originium.
Amiya had initially thought that defending the Doctor for those five minutes would be their most dangerous hurdle, but it was now clear that the moments immediately following were the true test.
The crude Originium deposits brought down by the Catastrophe vanished completely from Chernobog.
The survivors of the city would later call this a miracle, having no idea what had actually transpired.
However, the hostile forces of Reunion fully understood that the people standing before them had utilized all that Originium, even if they didn’t yet know for what purpose.
The red dragon’s flames erupted once more.
It was a pure, terrifying fire capable of melting solid rock and reducing steel to ash.
The defensive formation assembled by Nearl and Ace bore the full brunt of the blaze.
Waves of blistering heat slammed into them, causing the very shields in their grip to soften and warp.
The hands gripping those shields were undoubtedly suffering severe burns, and the armor meant to protect their bodies had turned into suffocating steel ovens.
And to think, this was merely a casual strike from the dragon girl…
If Amiya’s black threads hadn’t deflected a portion of the flames, the defender squad would likely have lost more than half its members by now.
Behind them, an entire city block had been reduced to a pool of bubbling magma.
The acrid stench of molten steel and sulfur blanketed the battlefield, the pungent scent keeping everyone’s nerves stretched taut.
“I don’t know what you people from Rhodes Island just did, but you will pay the price for the comrades you’ve slaughtered,” the dragon girl declared.
“Now, I shall grant you the exact same fate.” Energy surged in the dragon girl’s palm as she drew the slender black sword from her waist.
A single glance was enough to tell that the blade was entirely unsuited for close-quarters combat; it was a staff, a catalyst designed to fuel her raging inferno.
With a wide sweep of her arm, a tidal wave of crimson fire roared toward the group.
The sheer volume of the flames made it look as though the entire sky had turned blood red.
Had the Catastrophe truly ended?
No.
To the operators of Rhodes Island, it felt as though they were staring the Catastrophe right in the face.
Though it was a demoralizing thought, the Rhodes Island operators knew deep down that this attack couldn’t be stopped.
Amiya’s Arts had already slipped out of her control in such a chaotic, Originium-rich environment.
Wisps of black energy uncontrollably leaked from her nose and mouth.
“It seems I’ve arrived just in time?” In the next second, the roaring flames were completely quelled.
Or rather, they vanished without a single sound.
Genuine shock was written plainly across the dragon girl’s face.
Even the Demon King’s power fell silent, the dark will dissipating as if it had never existed.
This rapid, impossible shift left both Rhodes Island and Reunion entirely off guard.
It took a long moment for everyone to finally shift their gaze toward the source of the voice.
Handsome.
That was undoubtedly everyone’s first impression of him.
He was clad in a black and red formal suit, adorned with pendants that resembled gleaming purple scales.
His luxurious attire was utterly spotless, completely untainted by the surrounding ash.
With the noble, elegant air of a prince from a distant kingdom, he looked entirely out of place in these ruined streets; he looked as though he belonged in a magnificent castle, seated upon the grandest of thrones.
Yet, sprouting from his head was a pair of massive, heaven-piercing horns.
They possessed traits of a Sarkaz, yet also resembled those of a Wyvern or a Draco…
These visually striking horns stood in stark contrast to his breathtaking beauty, yet they suited him so perfectly that it felt as if they were entirely natural.
“Apologies.
I was taking a moment to adjust to this power, so I’m a little late,” he said smoothly.
“The Doctor?
Are you the one I’m supposed to protect?
Then please, set your mind at ease.
As long as I am here, no one will be able to harm you.” “Thank you for your help,” the Doctor replied.
“Do you need me to wipe out these rioters?” Kai asked, offering a simple suggestion.
Since the system had been forcibly awakened, the mission parameters were incredibly vague, lacking even a clear completion requirement.
For instance, if he simply ignored the rioters and escaped with the Doctor’s group, wouldn’t his efforts be in vain if these thugs decided to take revenge on the Doctor after he left?
“No need…
Let’s just evacuate quickly,” the Doctor decided.
“Is that so?
Alright then.
You guys head out first; I’ll hold them off for you,” Kai said.
“Oh, and little rabbit, let me borrow your power for a bit.
If I use my own energy, none of you are getting out of here either.” “Borrow my power?
If it helps you, please feel free,” Amiya responded.
Amiya shook her dizzy head, still slightly disoriented from losing control of her Arts moments prior.
Yet, upon hearing Kai’s request, she instinctively agreed.
“Don’t worry, I’ll give it back,” Kai assured her.
With a gentle wave of his hand toward Amiya, a black crown materialized above her head.
It swiftly darted over to Kai, settling firmly onto one of his horns before going completely still.
This eager, almost magnetic response perfectly illustrated its sheer desperation to return to its ‘rightful’ place.
“You cheeky thing…
Whatever.
Just so we’re clear, I’m only your temporary master.
You’re going back to her later.” The dark crown quivered slightly against his horn, as if acknowledging his terms.
“The Crown of the Demon King…” Out of everyone present, likely only the dragon girl and Amiya truly understood the significance of the object resting on Kai’s horn.
The dragon girl could never have imagined that a mere impulsive skirmish would bring her face-to-face with the legacy of the Demon King.
It was enough to make her flawless composure begin to crack.
“Alright, hurry up and get out of here.
Oh, leave me a communicator, or I won’t know how to find you guys later,” Kai reminded them.
Soon, only Kai and the members of Reunion remained in the ruined plaza.
Truth be told, when the Doctor told him not to kill the rioters, Kai breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
At the end of the day, he still didn’t have the resolve to take a human life.
“What should I call you?” Kai casually strolled right up to the dragon girl, entirely unconcerned about a potential sneak attack.
This entire sector—no, this entire city—had already been converted into his Divine Domain.
Here, without his explicit permission, all forms of energy would remain absolutely silenced.
This was the innate divine authority of Alatreon, an overwhelming power that manifested as naturally as breathing.
It was also the only Alatreon ability Kai currently knew how to use properly, which was precisely why he had borrowed Amiya’s Arts; he was frankly too terrified to experiment with the rest of his destructive skillset.
As for why he could wield the authority of the Demon King, Kai wasn’t entirely sure himself.
Ever since arriving in this world, strange voices had echoed in his mind.
Furthermore, he intuitively knew this wasn’t truly a ‘Demon King’s authority’—it was an ancient terminal mechanism known as the Lord of Fiends.
“Demon King…
I never expected to cross paths with you here.
I am Talulah.
On behalf of Reunion, I offer you my greetings.” “Talulah?
That’s just the name of the body, isn’t it?
If you’re going to use that name to speak with me, I might just have to drag the real her out to chat,” Kai replied lightly.
To the current Kai, the true nature of everything in the world could be understood with a single glance.
The dragon girl’s current condition was genuinely fascinating.
It wasn’t a simple case of possession; there were two distinct consciousnesses residing within Talulah’s body.
One personality lay deep in slumber, while the other was the entity currently speaking to him.
“…I am Kaschey.” Talulah Kaschey—let’s go with that for now.
Actually, the ancient serpent hadn’t lied entirely; he was also Talulah, merely a version of her that had been warped into the Duke of the Black Snake.
His possession wasn’t just a simple hijacking of a host; he worked through subtle, insidious manipulation, molding the host until they naturally developed a brand-new personality.
This new persona would then seamlessly inherit everything that made up the Black Snake.
“My name is Kai Constantine.” The two fell into a heavy silence.
Behind Talulah, the Reunion rioters nervously watched the wordless standoff between these two titans.
Anyone with eyes could tell that this man with the massive horns was incredibly dangerous.
Even Talulah was clearly no match for him, let alone mere foot soldiers like them.
Suffocating in the awkward, tense atmosphere, they were genuinely terrified that the two heavyweights would suddenly erupt into a death match at any second.