The rest of the dragon emerged, its heavy presence pressing down on everything around. Trees bent slightly, shrubs flattened against the ground.
"One second!" Nyara counted. Her body flickered toward the building, instantly reaching sonic speed, but large tigers leaped at her, matching her velocity.
However, they never saw what touched them—their heads were severed from their bodies, and they skidded to a halt.
"Two seconds!" Her counting continued.
Heat whipped toward her as dragon breath was unleashed on the yellow-armored man mid-air. His armor glowed red instantly before a tail whip slammed into him, sending him away from the building to crash down with a loud boom.
"Three seconds!" Her voice agitated. She had dispatched twenty-three powerful tigers as she scaled to the building's top.
Dragon King flapped his wings and appeared atop the building. Releasing a dragon roar, silencing everything, Nyara had reached the top just in time while trying to survive the thunderous sound.
"Four seconds!" Her calm wavered as a column of fire descended on the building, covering the entire top. But a man standing casually raised his hand, and a forcefield blocked the flames.
Nyara Dume's body flickered, reaching twice sonic speed, killing a nurtured beast designed to become annihilator beasts.
"Five seconds!" Sundown shout came from where he had smashed onto, and a yellow flash appeared above the dragon, who suddenly disappeared and became human.
Sundown yellow blade came down, but an indigo puddle wrapped around Dragon King, and he vanished.
Sundown fell down, and in a yellow flash, he was before Nyara that was about to kill the last beast. His speed too that he stabbed her thighs, biceps, and chest multiple times before she could react.
With his usual calm he stood before her and he said, "Nyara. I have a proposal for you!"
Only after he spoke did the veins he had cut burst open, blood flowing freely. She should have fallen, but her mastery over her skeletal frame kept her standing.
Prince Robin frowned, "You're not supposed to be here this early. How?"
Prince Robin and Sundown are both Phase 2 while Nyara was only Phase 1. Their pressure pressed on her mind and body, but she held on despite the injury.
Of course, she was physically stronger than Robin, but his talent was difficult to deal with. A psionic would never face you head-on.
Sundown is a Power like herself. She had zero hope in physical combat against him. But she held on and remained standing.
"You're breaking the rules. Aren't you afraid of the consequences?" She forced out. By now she contracted her muscles and slowed the bleeding.
Prince Robin looked down at the beast he was nurturing into an Annihilator.
"It's forbidden to create annihilators. The Peace Alliance will have your head." She threatened.
Sundown chuckled. "Your knowledge doesn't encompass everything, my dear friend. The Peace Alliance has no say here." He continued, "But that's not important..."
"Spare me your speech. How did you even find this place?" she demanded. Forcing a strong front.
The feeling in the atmosphere changed brought by the beast changing to Annihilator .
"It's ready!" Prince Robin said as he moved away from the beast, then threw it into the forest with his psionic powers.
Multiple roars rose from the forest—each one an annihilator beast. Then numerous corrupted beasts roared, designed to follow them.
"You..." Nyara was horrified.
Sundown came very close to her and whispered while ensuring she couldn't speak. "Dragon King can't use his form until tomorrow. No help is coming. How about you join me? My Prince will give you everything you want. Your growth-type talent will be developed under him!"
The way he spoke was more pleading than asking.
She sighed as her mouth was allowed to move. "You know me, Sundown. I won't change!"
Her body was gripped by a force and yanked into the air. Prince Robin said, "Quick death. Tell me how you get here faster than normal!"
Nyara forced a smile with her bloodied mouth "Ah. You haven't seen him. He is perfection. Sublime. I don't blame your..."
Her body was thrown where the beasts had congregated.
"...fear of him!"
Her voice rang out as a beast lunged at her. She spun to attack, but a golden construct appeared above Prince Robin and flashed into her stomach, pinning her down immediately.
Realization came to her. 'I'm going to die here.' Panic filled her face. 'They're going to kill me?'
Her eyes darted to Sundown—he would save her, right?
His hand stretched out. All she had to do was agree, and he would rescue her.
Different beasts sank their fangs in her arms, biting away her hardened flesh but being a Power made her body resilient.
'They're scaring me?'
She thought, but Prince Robin's eyes were dismissive, as if he was staying only because of Sundown's desire. If she broke, she'd be saved; if not, she'd be left to die.
'They're killing me!'
Her mind raced. How can she save herself? But the construct inside her had blocked her body's functions. There was nothing she could do.
'Killing me would be trouble for them. I'm a chamberlain and from the Dume clan…'
But then she realized she wasn't being killed by them, but by the beasts tearing her flesh and gnawing at her bones.
'Accidental death!' She weeped.
"Rising Pond, don't be arrogant. Join me now!"
Sundown shouted with anger.
Her eyes went to him as three silhouettes closed in on her head.
"The guards are coming. Sundown, let's go!" Prince Robin ordered.
'I'm dying.'
'I have so many dreams.'
'I didn't even find you…'
'Eiran…'
Her thoughts paused at his name.
His cute face. Crimson eyes. And pink lips.
His charms. His childish antics and his monstrous talent.
She felt a stabbing regret. "How I wish to see you grow.''
''To see the limit of your height... if you even have one."
Three newborn annihilators lunged at her—one at her neck, one at her face, the other at her head—and bit down.
Injured and bleeding but still resilient, they struggled.
Prince Robin turned to leave but stopped and looked back. His lips curled.
"Her talent is evolving. Incredible!"
But he waved his hand, and the golden construct exploded. Her body was torn to pieces.
The beasts ran to the scattered remains.
***
A dirt-covered boy ran out from a bakery holding bread, his face panicked but smiling, when a metal pan slammed his head, sending him tumbling.
The bread fell from his hand, rolled, and came to rest in a puddle of red, dirty water. The boy bled from where the pan had struck but scrambled up, took the soaked bread, and ran ahead, laughing, oblivious to his bleeding head.
He passed a corpse-like old woman shouting with an aged voice, "It's today. The demon child..."
She panted and forced herself to continue, "The cursed one. The Crimson Eyes."
She collapsed, her eyes hollow with fear. "He is here..."
The boy understood nothing of such things. All he wanted was to take the bread home to his dying father.
Many people passed the old woman, glancing at her with disgust , despite her prophecies usually coming true.
One of her recent predictions was the blood rain that killed one hundred people instantly and because of it countless others had fallen sick with no cure in sight.
They hated her for it, believing it was her mouth that brought them disaster.
She wasn't down for long. As if grabbed by something, she stood faster than her body should have allowed and pointed at the sky.
"He is here... more will die by his..."
She fell down as if the strings were cut from a marionette.
Their hate for the Misfortune Teller was great, but they listened as they looked up. Wind blew, and they felt their blood moving as if stuffed with countless worms inside.
Some began to bleed from their orifices. Some leaked brain matter from their ears and died.
But the rest trembled in terror as information seeped into their minds.
[He came, he rules. But if you do not desire him, your collective will can bind him. You may judge him to Hollow Fall.]
The dirt-covered people—some limping, some barely standing, and even those who were bedridden—felt energetic and were able to face what was coming to them.
At the largest field in the town, a figure appeared, dazed and frozen in place.
Those who were close to him trembled more. Even energetic, they fell bleeding. The disease in them spiked up.
A few managed to run; the rest lay motionless.
Despite the panic, everyone was filled with the desire to come to the town square, and they dragged themselves forward.
Eight people, led by an old man, dragged their bodies ahead.
"We have chosen ourselves. Don't get close. Don't get close. We will face him. Let us bind the alien with our collective will."
They spoke, and people listened.
The alien moved his head, and the whole congregation around him shifted back. His features appeared to them.
Crimson eyes!
Crimson lips!
And caused more death, just as the Misfortune Teller foretold.
But young and extremely handsome. His gaze was filled with innocence and curiosity.
The maternal nature of the mothers around rose and they felt an instant desire to cuddle him despite his danger.
They would have acted if not for the shout that came:
"The demon has appeared, just as the Misfortune Teller foretold!"
"The cursed one is deceiving us. He came in the form of a young boy!" another shouted.
Despite the shouts, not even the volunteers made a move as they stared at the boy before them.
He was the most beautiful thing their eyes had ever seen.
His white attire was unblemished, designed with the highest quality they could conceive.
His long cape that touched the ground gave him a commanding charm.
The blade at his hip gave him an authoritative air.
One word echoed in their minds: 'He is royalty!'
Some wondered, "How could someone so handsome, so cute, so innocent be the source of our curse?"