The news about a dragon burning down a city in the land of warriors didn't take even a single day to reach the ears of the mightiest dragon slayer. Kneeling in front of the emperor's throne, he cast his gaze up high at the glistening splendor of his master.
"How in the world did the lord of wraths sneak past the border of Scorchen Gaia?" His head rested over the back of his hand, the emperor looked down at Michael kneeling in front of him.
"There's been a breach in the ranks," gulping in fear, Michael could no longer look into the emperor's eyes. Lowering his head, he continued. "The demon lord tore through border control himself, and then marched inward until we lost sight of him."
Raising his head from his hand, the emperor stood up from the enlightened throne, and once again asked Michael a question.
"Lost sight of him? One of the most vicious monsters in the world and you lost sight of him?" Deeply disappointed in him, the emperor began slowly stepping down from the throne steps.
Clad in a white robe, he appeared like an angel. His body, as frail as ever, made him seem even more innocent. But behind that veil was a man competent enough to rule the world, and cruel enough to use any means necessary.
"I told you that you shouldn't have made him a general," bringing everyone's attention to him with that insult was Razor, standing at the entrance to the hall.
Wearing his usual attire of a blue suit with golden laces, he marched forward and stood beside the kneeling general. And although the emperor wasn't too fond of being interrupted, he let the naive man blabber to find out what he truly thought of Michael.
"And why do you think that, Razor?" The emperor asked in a monotone voice.
Scoffing off, Razor let out a laugh as he circled Michael. Tired of his antics, Michael got up on his feet and shot a piercing gaze at the mocking general.
"Do not take my silence for cowardice child," he uttered, trying his hardest to keep his rage in check.
Returning his gaze with a smirk, Razor turned to the emperor to finally reply to his question.
"You ask me why I think you shouldn't have made him a general. How about this for starters?" Swiftly reaching into a realm tear, Razor made his hands come out from behind Michaels's ears. There, reaching for Michael's earrings he tried to pull them off.
However, realizing what he was trying to do just in time, Michael zapped away like thunder and appeared behind Razor's body. Quickly taking hold of both of his arms, Michael folded the general's arms over his back and then pushed him down onto the floor.
"Ughhh!" Looking at him from the edge of his eyes, Razor growled at Michael.
"Still think I'm incompetent?" Michael whispered into Razor's ears before letting him go completely.
All the while, Razor groaned about as he struggled to get back onto his feet, Michael shifting his attention back to the emperor, and he lowered his head in shame.
"I apologize my lo-"
"Don't apologize, go clean the mess you've caused, and take care of that damned dragon wreaking havoc first!" For once, the emperor's tone was no longer indifferent. He seemed visibly angry, which shocked Michael and Razor both to the core.
'There's something more going on, he's never so…distraught.' Thought Razor, squinting at him with suspicion drooling down his eyes.
Unlike his fellow general, Michael did not have the luxury to question the emperor's action, and so he simply raised his head and replied.
"As you say, my lord," turning around, Michael marched straight out of the throne room door.
Left behind with the emperor, Razor turned to him to ask a question that had been haunting him for a while. But the moment his gaze met the emperor's eyes, he knew better than to stay in his proximity any longer. Squinting the emperor was glaring at the foolish general, and the usual dead silver eyes were replaced with a spiraling constellation of the stars.
"Don't test my patience, Razor Alumnibolt…" With a single blink of his eyes, the emperor teleported him out of the throne room.
Isolated inside the dark hall, the emperor made his way back to the spotlighted throne. After settling back into his seat, his eyes changed back to the normal silver, and even his demeanor changed completely.
'My memory is rotting, and this world won't lag too long behind.' Resting his head on the back of his hand, he closed his eyes shut to contemplate over his thoughts. 'I need to save this accursed place before it all withers and dies away.'
With the burden of the empire resting over his shoulders, he found himself losing sight of his original goal, but the visions of the haunting past wouldn't let him escape.
"Almuld, that war-hungry bastard. If only you weren't so easily threatened by other demons," having some clue as to why the king of wraths broke into the human domain, the emperor figured out where he was possibly headed, and for exactly what reason. "This Shin guy…Choosing a human to replace you, what are you plotting, Asmodia?"
Struggling to understand what kind of game she was playing, the emperor kept his eyes closed and let himself slowly drift into the dark. While the alleged ruler of all lands took rest, Michael had made his way out into the open. Standing outside the rundown castle, he braced his heart and glanced high up in the skies.
"Better do this quick," he mumbled.
The very next moment, his whole body sparked up with burning thunder, and with a single leap into the air, he was halfway across the emperor's personal domain. Within a matter of minutes, he would be far away from the border, and on his way to the warrior cities of Aria.
'A fire dragon, huh? I wonder who it is.' Even though he could see Roselia's image popping up in his mind, he decided not to jump to any conclusions. Being the only one unaware of the overtaking of Aria, he was still under the impression that Rose was under Duke Frost's command.
The sourc𝗲 of this content is fre(e)webnovel