★229
THIRD POV
Somewhere in the Abyss.
"That's why I said a gathering isn't truly needed."
Violet Vortex thundered, each word heavy with restrained fury.
"Antares dealt with him and wiped out more than ninety per cent of the army. Do you have any idea how many A and B Tier Void Dragons I lost?!"
His hands trembled, fists tightening until the knuckles shone white, eyes burning with a storm barely held at bay.
"That's what you get for having too large an army."
The Crimson Lord replied smoothly, a mocking curl on his lips.
"Shut up!"
The Dragon snapped, his voice cracking like a whip.
"He's dead, and someone, someone took down the Void Dragons in Kalidor. Not to mention a Deity emerged out of nowhere, clad in Azrith!"
The fury and disbelief rolling off him in waves, echoing through the endless void.
"That sounds like a you problem."
Magisa said, her voice cold and steady, untouched by the tension.
"Of course it is."
The Crimson Lord added, his smirk widening.
"The Void Dragons were useful assets. Losing the three Realms in Kalidor has more impact than the army we've lost."
The Void Emperor noted, his back to the Dark Nebulas. Voice cold and sharp as the void he embodies.
"Well, what happened has happened. We have to move on. What's your word, Emperor?"
Phoenix asked.
"Nothing changes except the fact that we'll be heading out to the battlefield ourselves soon enough."
"That's to be expected. Is it all right if we head out immediately? Lady Magisa and I don't have an army in the first place."
"Where are the little girls you've molested and experimented on?"
Violet Vortex hit the spot but the expression on Phoenix's face only grew. He's the type that doesn't hide his sins and won't bother if you criticise him about them.
"I'm heading out to fetch more specimens."
He stood up.
"Listen, Achenar. This will be the last time I'll let you step on my nerves."
This wasn't because of what he said. The Violet Vortex has always been this way.
"Don't call me by that name you, son of a BITCH!"
He spread his wings and flew towards him at maximum speed, his claw drenched in violet mist as he attacked.
Phoenix snapped his fingers, summoning a mirror before him but Violet Vortex didn't stop. The moment his claw grazed the mirror's surface, it rippled like water. He flinched, then unleashed a burst of violet flame, shattering it to dust. But Phoenix was already gone and so were the Dark Nebulas.
That's when he realised his mistake. High above, Phoenix's face loomed, gazing down upon Violet Vortex with quiet, burning judgment.
Death Knight departed the space instantly after receiving a single nod from the Void Emperor, who still stood with his back turned to them.
"An insolent God has no right to look down on me!"
His aura surged violently, corroding the mirror realm as he broke free from Phoenix's grasp. His arm twisted, revealing his True Body, an arm clad in black scales, darker and denser than Phase One.
The orbs twisted and elongated, transforming into rigid rods that pinned Violet Vortex from head to toe. He lay motionless on the floor, his chest rising and falling shallowly, eyes wide, pupils dilated with shock and disbelief.
"Violence between us is not prohibited."
5he Void Emperor said, his voice calm. He did not turn, yet every word seemed to pierce Violet like a blade.
"But you should learn to read the room, Violet Vortex."
Violet's jaw tightened, his lips pressing into a thin line. The fire in his eyes did not waver, even as he struggled against the unyielding grip of the rods.
Phoenix began, his tone dripping with disdain.
"A cheap Star from A-Class should understand their place…"
His words faltered as a rod materialised before him. The hum of lethal potential radiated from it, waiting to strike the moment a command was given.
A shiver ran down Phoenix's spine despite himself, and his confidence wavered for the first time. Every instinct screamed caution, yet pride rooted him to the spot. Violet Vortex, pinned and exposed, shared the same tension, the unspoken understanding that one wrong move could end everything instantly.
"I won't overlook any disclosure of one's identity anymore, Crimson Lord."
A second void appeared in his hand, severing it.
"Go."
He dismissed them.
"Excuse us."
Crimson Lord bent down, picked up his severed arm, and disappeared. Magisa followed without a word. The rods behind Violet Vortex collapsed into an orb. His wounds closed, his clothes restored.
"Go take out your rage on Alnath."
The Void Emperor said.
Violet Vortex surged forward, anger burning through him, wings outstretched, leaving nothing but a streak of fury behind.
'I've given them reason to hate more. They'll have to take out the hatred on those Stars. Now that Antares has disrupted my plans, again, it's time to let this one take care of him.'
The Emperor now stands in front of a large transparent egg filled with a dark amethyst aura. The being inside fidgets before opening its eyes. Six bloodshot eyes stared deep into the Emperor and the egg cracked.
"Once you're awake, go and feed on the Stars."
The Emperor said, the egg hatching rapidly as if the creature within couldn't wait to fill its hunger.
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To be continued...