For a few seconds, inhuman shrieking filled the Inner Ring.

Then silence followed.

The demon ceased to exist... she has been dead for who knows how long. And only now was 'Her' consciousness that had persisted for millennia simply... ended.

Kaori's body collapsed forward onto the marble, free at last.

The dragon swallowed once, grimaced slightly. "Such a foul taste." He glanced down at the corpse. "A waste. She was such fine material."

Ishiki ran forward, dropping to his knees beside Kaori's body. This time, when he looked at her face, the wrongness was gone and only emptiness remained.

Yuki appeared at his side, both of them kneeling over their fallen friend as the other players streamed through the obsidian gates behind them—dozens now, maybe a hundred, all watching with wide eyes.

The dragon turned away from the scene, dismissing it entirely. His golden eyes fixed on the palace gates ahead... massive doors of solid gold adorned with intricate reliefs.

But there was something that was out of place here.

Sitting with one leg on another, on the marble steps before the golden gates, as if he had been waiting there for precisely this moment, was a man.

He rose fluidly as the dragon approached, revealing himself to be tall and powerfully built. Long pink hair fell past his shoulders, catching the moonlight. Silver armor adorned his frame, bearing marks of recent combat. When he opened his eyes, they were the exact same shade of pink as his hair.

The exact same shade as Yuki's.

The dragon stopped, head tilting with interest. "And who might you be?"

"My name is Renji," the man said calmly, showing no fear. "I've been here in the Inner Ring for eight days, trying to open these gates."

"Eight days?" The dragon's smile widened. "That is impressive. So did you open them? And by the way, doesn't that coward brother of mine not show himself?"

"I couldn't," Renji admitted bluntly. "And In the past 1 year and a few months I have been here, the Emperor hasn't shown himself at all." His pink eyes met the dragon's golden ones without flinching... there was a weird pattern inside his iris which subsided without a hint.

"I believe that these gates are sealed as well and one needs something specific in order to open them." He added after a pause.

The dragon laughed. "Pragmatic! I like that. Tell me—that pink hair. Are you related to the frost maiden by any chance?"

From behind them, near Kaori's body, Yuki's sharp intake of breath was audible. Hearing that she suddenly looked up and in front of the dragon. "Brother..?"

"She's my sister," Renji confirmed without looking in her direction. "Though that's irrelevant to our arrangement."

"Is it?" The dragon's smile widened. "I find family dynamics fascinating. But very well. You are right... with your deduction. And I quite like you... so, what do you think about joining me?"

"I accept!" He said simply, bowing a little. "I want access to what lies beyond those gates and you can open them. I want freedom to pursue my own goals. In exchange, I offer you my loyalty, and my service."

"Until when?"

"Until our interests diverge."

The dragon studied him for a long moment, searching for deception and finding only honest self-interest.

"I accept," the dragon said finally. "You'll be my First Minister and my right hand." He gestured toward the golden gates. "Now let's see what you've been waiting eight days to find."

The dragon walked up the stairs with excitement and carefulness. After all, there was a battle that waited beyond these gates. He reached the gates and raised both hands, pressing his palms flat against the golden surface.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then the gates began to glow.

Ancient runes appeared across the surface. They spun in concentric circles, gathering power.

The dragon's Orb pulsed on his forehead in response, golden light answering the gates' activation.

With a sound like thunder contained in crystal, the massive doors swung inward.

A long corridor stretched beyond. A strong gust of wind flowed outwards and the countless lamps burned on their own.

The ancient and sacred corridor stretched in front of them, lined with pillars of white marble veined with gold. At the far end, barely visible, stood an archway opening onto a chamber bathed in golden light.

The dragon stepped through, Renji following one pace behind. The two subordinates hurried to keep up.

Behind them, the gathered players exchanged uncertain glances before following as well. Ishiki and Yuki gently lowered Kaori's body to the marble, then joined the procession—unable to stop now, needing to see how this ended.

The corridor seemed endless despite being maybe a hundred meters. Every footstep echoed strangely.

Then they emerged into the throne room.

It was magnificent—soaring ceilings that reflected golden lights from the lamp in all directions making it seem as if a sun had emerged inside. Massive pillars carved from gold, stained glass depicting scenes of ancient glory.

And at the center, elevated on a dais of seven steps, stood the throne itself. Wrought from gold, shaped with impossible artistry, flanked by six lesser seats arranged in perfect symmetry of three on each side.

But every seat was empty.

Dust covered every surface... thick and undisturbed, which showed decades of abandonment. Cobwebs stretched between pillars. The stained glass was dark with grime.

There were no guards or courtiers.

There was no Emperor.

The palace was utterly and completely empty.

The dragon stood at the threshold, golden eyes wide as understanding dawned.

"Empty," he breathed. "Where did my brother and that otherworldly bastard run off to?"

He walked forward slowly, each step stirring dust clouds. "There is no emperor. haha... That fool is dead."

He laughed whole heartedly as he climbed the seven steps and reached out to touch the throne's armrest. His fingers came away coated in dust.

"It was this easy? I can get back what was mine without a fight." He paused for a second and sighed.

"I wanted to kill him with my own hands." Then he started laughing again.

It started quietly but built rapidly, echoing through the throne room until it seemed to come from everywhere.

"Of COURSE!" he roared. "Maybe he is not dead. What emperor would have stayed while I walked free? They FLED!"

He spun to face the crowd, arms spread wide.

"And three thousand years later, when I break free, I find their precious throne empty and waiting!"

The dragon sat down on the throne. The fit was perfect. His four wings spread wide, framing him like a living sunburst.

"Well then. If there's no emperor or heir to challenge me and no authority to contest my claim..."

He leaned forward, golden eyes blazing.

"Then I'll become the emperor myself!"

The Orb pulsed with blinding intensity, and reality bent around him—acknowledging something that was now undeniable fact.

The moment he made contact with the golden throne his third seal broke. Freeing him from his shackles completely.

"I am the Dragon Emperor of Aethelburg! Returned from three thousand years of imprisonment to reclaim my birthright!"

He rose, spreading his wings to absolute limit.

"This palace was built for MY bloodline! This throne was wrought for MY RULE! And this empire was always MINE before those cowardly gods sealed me away!"

He turned his gaze upward, addressing something beyond the physical ceiling.

"And to the Great Old One who watched my imprisonment and did NOTHING..." Golden flames erupted around his form. "Bear witness to me taking back what is MINE!"

The proclamation echoed through the throne room, shaking the very foundations.

Then, as suddenly as it began, the display ended. The dragon settled back into his throne with casual ease.

"Now then," he said pleasantly. "Let's build an empire, shall we?"

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.