Rudra smiled as he blazed to the Namrium Kingdom.
The fools had tried to launch an attack on his kingdom, but unfortunately for them, they had met with him and--
"Gryun, I will lead this time."
Rudra declared with an arrogant grin. This was his way of brushing off the ominous feeling in his heart.
Not to mention, Velgrynd was a dragon. Her presence against the Namrium dynasty warranted surrender, even more so since she had destroyed their army casually with little effort.
However, Rudra wanted to show the world in its entirety the Hero Emperor's might, that he was not a coward who hid behind a dragon.
"Sure"
Velgrynd giggled.
Using [Weapon Creation], she created a sword of the highest grade and threw it at Rudra, who caught and zoomed past.
Rudra disappeared from her sight and reappeared within the Namrium capital walls.
He hovered above the castle, remaining motionless, ignoring the numerous arrows and magic spells shattering right before him, as if crashing into an invisible wall. His eyes traced the minuscule remaining forces guarding the capital.
Gazing at the centre of the castle, his eye narrowed—
"That should be the place."
Rudra's visage vanished into thin air, leaving the guards on the wall confused…before suddenly running to the castle.
Rudra stood before a gold door. This was his first time doing this by himself…after all, it was not as if the 2 guards that lay by the doors were going to be by his side. He always had Velgrynd by his side before, but now, even if she was watching from a distance, he was doing this himself.
He let out a soft chuckle. Why was he even this nervous? He was now the Ruler of the Nasca kingdom, which had become the Strongest Force after the Heavens. He had even defeated that Red Hair…almost.
Rudra grinned as he kicked open the door, striding forth with absolute confidence.
"Who—"
An elderly man snapped toward the door. His eyes widened as sweat rolled down his cheeks.
"Y-You—"
His words were cut short as Rudra's blade decisively sliced through the guards that dashed at him; a single swing was all it took to taint the metal a hue of crimson red.
It was only then that Rudra remembered…
Those fierce eyes once held an ocean of greed and arrogance.
Before Rudra's reign, the Kingdom of Nasca was but a minor nation. Back then, this Kingdom was an overbearing nation that could be seen as a symbol of humanity's oppressive tendency.
But now....
Rudra raised his sword with a frown, ready to strike the king down. The sharp blade reflected the visage of the moist eyes of his target.
"I SURRENDER!"
Rudra's eyes narrowed.
There was no way he did not know of Rudra's terms.
The Rudra who ruled the Kingdom of Nasca was a conqueror; as such, there were only two options: absolute and complete surrender, or utter destruction of the royal family.
It was far from peaceful for a goal such as Rudra's, who wanted to unite humanity and create a world where disputes could be handled with mere words, without any bloodshed.
However—
Rudra wasn't entirely naive. He did not believe in the folly of humanity allowing for equality, especially those who sat in seats of power.
He understood that sacrifices were necessary for his goal; humanity was simply too greedy for power to just be left to their devices, they would devour each other. Few nations would willingly give up their power for such things.
That corrupt ocean in those eyes only confirmed it; there was no reason, no merit, no desirable thing that would come by keeping him alive. No potential for redemption
So, even if it meant being a conquering and overbearing Ruler, he would do it.
Rudra's sword swung down at the king's neck—
Whimper.
Rudra's blade halted just short of the king's throat, as his eyes traced to the child trembling behind the gold-plated chair.
He had been so fixated on the king that he almost forgot about the child that seemed just like the elderly man shaking beneath his blade.
A deafening silence engulfed the room, only disturbed by the occasional drop of red striking the regal clothing covering the king's shoulder.
Rudra heaved out a sigh, lowering his blade. He just could not bring himself to kill a father right before the child's eyes.
"You know the terms—"
Rudra spoke, or rather, declared in a low commanding voice.
The Namrium superpower was now a vassal of the Nasca Kingdom; no, calling it the Nasca Namrium Empire would be more accurate.
Rudra smiled internally. He was closer to his goal now.
"———!"
Rudra shuddered as a deep pain stung his soul. It was similar, just like when his skill, [Michael: Lord of Justice], rejected his control. Yet this was way too painful even compared to that…it was almost as if—
Rudra's eyes widened. There wasn't any time now—Rudra swiftly moved back to the capital, ignoring time and space in his haste.
His eyes furrowed, scanning the scene unfolding before his eyes. The Nasca City was bathed in flames as the civilians' screams permeated the air.
Recognizing the aggressors, Rudra's frown widened. That was until his eyes reached it….a body all too familiar—
"—M-Master?!"
His eyes widened in horror, looking at the still corpse with an arrow buried in its head.Gritting his teeth, he turned his head toward the platoon marching toward the castle. His grip on the sword tightened as his heart raged.
He almost teleported to the enemy when, suddenly, a huge presence entered the air.
It was familiar—
"Master…"
Rudra's moist eyes took in the view of the dragon floating above, heaving a small sigh of relief.He watched as the flag-bearing group fled the capital, terrified. For some reason, he felt
nothing—
Numb. Not even Anger or sadness as he watched the platoon retreat, or rather, run for their lives.
He was not going to confront Veldanava, who would just laugh it off, saying it was a new experience. However, he would not forgive those who tried to hurt his family—
And so, the fate of the Union of Ulmeria was sealed.
He watched his master's silhouette disappear and narrowed his eyes in the direction of his target.
The Angels would soon arrive, so, ignoring the forces running away, he jumped straight to the Nations of the Ulmerian Union, flying to the bastard behind this.
+—————+
Velgrynd was watching over Rudra as he infiltrated the Namrium Capital.
It was quite entertaining, to say the least. Watching the humans throwing those puny little projectiles toward Rudra was laughable.
It was a different feeling compared to watching him from afar and not by his side as usual, but still, it was pleasant nonetheless.
She could watch it all day.
Though she did note that king's face, Rudra hated him for some reason, perhaps she should ask her brother what that was about.
Still, if Rudra didn't like him, neither did she.
Suddenly, a haunting feeling exploded in her heart, as if something just left her soul.
It didn't take long for her to understand what she sensed through the soul corridor.
Velgrynd turned around and accelerated at full speed, using [Cardinal Acceleration] without restraint, rushing at near light-speed. Though she had used protective barriers to keep the collateral damage to a minimum, it was still enough to leave a trail of scorch in her path.
The Dragon Species was immortal; it was an undeniable truth to anyone who knew of the beings. As such, Velgrynd should have had no problem with one of them dying, as reincarnation was inevitable. However...
Veldanava had been reduced to nothing more than a mere human, not even capable of sustaining his own body. While all facts pointed to him being capable of reincarnation....he seemed resigned to his new state...
It was a horrifying thought...
Velgrynd shook her head. There was no way it was true, even if True Dragons were stripped of their ability to reincarnate when they were reduced to such a state, there's no way 'he' would not find a way to turn the odds...
Velgrynd wrestled with these thoughts as she flew to the capital of the Nasca Kingdom.
[It's been a while. Sorry about the unannounced hiatus and the short chapter. No promises about the regularity of updates from now on, but ill be uploading from now on.]