The situation was chaotic as fuck if I said it in any small terms of the way. In bigger terms, the most useful way will be to use the chaos to my own advantage. Of course, this decision to bring out Draxton like this—all beaten up and humiliated—will have problems for me. It will affect issues and cause a loss, even in morale, for the whole tower. But it will be a loss I will have to bear to create an even better future.

'Looks like the ways of things going my way have ended.'

My expression, hidden, was pretty pissed. It would seem perhaps when everything kept going my way, somewhere along the way, I had fallen into the loop that things will always go my way. Especially when I have so much control over the world. But it seems when fate wants to screw you over, it will find ways to screw you over. No matter how good you think you are.

"Now, we have seen the fact that nothing is wrong. And I, under the name of Austin Lionheart, descendant of the protector, have kept my name in promise. Also..."

At the end of my words, a bright light shone from deep within me, blinding the world for a moment. After which, a beautiful, stunning bow appeared that seemed to ripple the space around me. A bow that seemed to break upon the chaotic and holy, shining forth. Its beauty is devastating. It was like the weapon itself existed beyond the level of understanding of the realm itself.

The bow shone beautifully. The greatest colour of blue shines around it. A moment later, it exploded from inside me. The blue power that seemed to fight against corruption seemed to vanish from existential difference. Something so primal and warm. Like the feeling you get of absolute trust and happiness in your heart when you sit with someone you trust 100%.

A feeling of love and acceptance. Like perhaps falling back into the embrace of your mother when you were young. That's what was surrounding me now. It swirled around me, combining and forming into me from the bow itself. Which I unleashed from my body. Spreading deep outside into a range from me. Spreading far and deep, covering a huge portion of the city. Not everything, but enough to matter and cover over several important organisations.

The aura made everyone feel so loved and blessed in their heart. Like the purest sense of connection. Though that came along with it a hint of difference that broke down. Draxton, who was with me, was fine. But some people around me, some spread about in certain locations, started to tremble, shake. Soon after, the red aura of corruption surrounded them.

People who were close by, who were about to help, flinched. Their eyes betrayed their fears. Friends who thought they were close felt the betrayal burn in them. The anger ruffled forth. In a single moment, several hidden corrupted ones all around started to tremble, fret, and break. Both inside and out, the effects spread.

The actions were instantaneous. Chaos spread. It wasn't just within them. My aura, making the red hidden disgusting, spread around the bodies of one or two guards from the war council that came to attack the Archery Association. Between important places, the same happened. Members who had been in power for a long time in power fell like pieces of corruption.

It's bad. Really bad.

Thanks to my aura and power with me, I restrained them. They couldn't move at all as they trembled in place, screaming and crying with pain. I smiled at the elf in front of me who had gone completely pale. My right hand moved forward as I got a hold of the bow in front of me. Feeling its power ruffling through me as I held it.

With the practised posture and experience of the years I spent, I quickly aimed the bow to the sky as I pulled the string back. Just the power of me pulling the string back caused ripples of space around me to twist and break. A tightening sound, as if a heavy metal was being bent, spread about. As I, with a smile, spoke.

"Time to teach a lesson."

With those words, I let go of the string, and a massive arrow left my bow. The arrow itself, within a single moment, broke apart so many times that it fell away from my control. Breaking through spatial cracks and disappearing. There must have been more than 100 arrows that were created as they split open space in front of them and disappeared.

Their location? To the other parts of the Archery Association being held down.

"Take this as a consequence of doing something without considering the full power of what you all had done."

I said, speaking to the pale elf who was trembling. Right now, they are trying to rip open a scar in my place, my home. And now I went ahead and ripped open the scar far deep within the war council. It would have been fine if it were anybody else. But no. I had shown that the corruption also existed within the war council. I had openly shown it in front of the whole world. Their reason was ripped apart.

'It's not over yet.'

Musing on it, I pulled the string again. This time, a light blue gentle arrow of light formed around the bow as I fired it to the sky one more time. But this time, the arrow split more into gentle batches of blue light, which soon fell upon the bodies of the several ones spread apart. Hitting each of the members that was lying everywhere.

From the ones on the ground to the ones far away in their rooms or chambers, fallen apart. The gentle blue light flew like a blessing and soon fell upon their bodies. Their screams shut down. The gentle light covered their whole body. Making them feel better as the blue light fought against the red corruption, breaking them apart.

Which soon brought back the screams from their mouths. The red and blue were fighting against each other as I spat out blood from my mouth. A line of blood even falling from my nose, and lines of blood flowing down my eyes too.

'When you play, you must play to perfection.'

As I thought of this.

"Austin!"

The scream of Eleanor sounded out as she flashed to my side and caught my body before it fell. She held me tight as I swaggered a bit. My legs were touching the ground as I looked weak. My aura is fluctuating. As if the mere act of this wasn't enough. Soon, with a blast, everyone hit with the blue light went unconscious.

"Cough... Cough!"

I coughed up blood. The bow disappeared back into my body as I held my mouth to cough.

"Austin! Breath! Breathe!"

Eleanor shouted with worry as she patted my back, making things easier for me. And within some seconds, I turned out to be okay as I finished coughing. My eyes were red and my face filled with blood. And even though my body still radiated the might of a dragon, I looked weak as I, using the support from Eleanor, wiped away the blood from my face as my words spread.

"I couldn't completely break away the connection to corruption, but it has decreased. With some more treatment and help, they will all be better."

My words were warm and filled with conviction. In the end, I ended up looking like the hero as I leaned into Eleanor, who was quickly wiping away the blood from my face with a face full of worry. But I kept smiling at her as I leaned against her and whispered in her ear.

"See, I kept my promise. I protected you."

My words made Eleanor pause for a moment. Her body was trembling, after which she was entirely speechless.

"You... you..."

Was all Eleanor could say as she held onto me tight. While we were lost to ourselves, all around the city it was once again a sense of mayhem. Just the depiction of what had happened was shocking everyone. Not to mention the revelation I had given. In the end, I had played it all perfectly down to the last detail. Now they will have zero right to even try to interfere. Because they were screwed too!

My senses could see shocked people moving around. Others are trying to hide the situation in areas that weren't open. But it was useless. The shot I gave wasn't just to save them but also open up the areas hidden away in powerful factions. To show them that those places also held these things. To the public eye, that might be a good move. But to the eyes of the powerful, it was a big red mark showing that corruption is there too.

Leaning against Eleanor, I could see the look on the lead elf's face. Bow is definitely stunned to the limit. No matter how good his imagination was, no way in a million years would he have guessed that things would have ended up like this. This was way beyond anything. I had opened up the big problem in the world, and I had done it very publicly.

Though experience and old is still old. And with that comes understanding. The stunned expression of the elf slowly morphed into one of defeat and understanding. His gaze looked all around with sadness. Looking through the distrust that even formed within the auras themselves as they saw one of their own infected.

Then his eyes landed on me. His words were a whisper.

"It was a total defeat. Well done. Well done..."

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