Chapter 243 — Very Bad Ideas Often Begin Calmly
The silhouette said:
— Come with me, Ancient.
— I'll show you how it's done…
He paused.
— …when you especially don't want things to go well.
The silhouette tied his hair back.
His brown eyes slowly turned red.
He smiled.
— Father will regret having been merciful.
The Primordial Void bent.
An instant later,
the Ancient and the silhouette arrived in his domain.
An immense palace.
Terrifying.
Not decorative.
Functionally hostile.
— Charming, murmured the Ancient.
— Childhood trauma is palpable.
The silhouette ignored him.
— Let's go in.
They crossed the palace without walking,
until they reached a vast circular hall.
At the center…
A child.
Or rather,
something that looked like a child.
Black hair with bluish highlights.
Two black horns.
Folded dark wings.
Around him,
no chains.
But seals of nothingness,
floating in the air,
preventing his essence from unfolding.
The Ancient frowned.
— …Wait.
The silhouette said calmly:
— Yzareth.
— The Primordial Dragon of the Void.
The Ancient inhaled.
— I heard his name from Aetherion.
— He wondered if Vael had captured him…
— and prevented his return.
Kharas smiled.
— In truth, he came back.
— But younger.
— Valen erased him,
— and also touched his essence.
A beat.
— Which erased all his variants in Creation.
The Ancient nodded.
— Aetherion said
— they could return even if their essence was erased.
— But they risked becoming younger.
— Exactly, replied Kharas.
— And look at him now.
Yzareth moved slightly.
— I hear you, you know…
— Of course you do, sighed the Ancient.
Kharas continued:
— I plan to use him
— to cause disorder
— in the Pillar of the Primordial Divinities.
— Their leader is gone.
— And several are dead.
The Ancient frowned.
— How is that possible?
— They're immortal too.
— That, said Kharas,
— I'll tell you soon.
Then he added, amused:
— But isn't it strange?
— The Creators could have recreated them.
— Or brought back their king.
The Ancient reflected.
— …Yes.
Kharas burst out laughing.
— Because he has already returned.
Silence.
— What do you mean? asked the Nameless Ancient.
— Reincarnation.
— Human world.
He smiled.
— But I won't tell you more.
— It only benefits us.
At that moment,
Yzareth opened his eyes.
Red.
Furious.
Kharas placed his hand on his hair.
— Little one.
— I have a mission for you.
— Are you in?
— He's just going to get wrecked, murmured the Ancient.
Yzareth's eyes widened.
— Who are you talking to like that?
— You stand before His Majesty Yzareth,
— Lord of the Void!
— Shut up, replied the Ancient.
— Valen dominated you.
— A mere incarnation of Vael.
Red with shame, Yzareth growled:
— He caught me by surprise!
— Otherwise he never would have defeated me!
— Yeah, yeah, replied the Ancient.
— Sure.
— A little respect, said Kharas.
— He is still His Majesty.
The seals dissipated.
Yzareth stood, swelling his aura.
— Anyway,
— I hadn't put enough power into this body.
— I can destroy all of Creation with a finger if I want.
— Stop lying, kid, said the Ancient.
— It was Vael who helped him!
— Otherwise he never would have killed me!
Kharas clapped his hands.
— Well.
He smiled.
— Here's the plan.
— Yzareth,
— you take care of the Realm of the Primordial Divinities.
— Make enough noise
— to attract the Creators.
He turned to the Ancient.
— Meanwhile,
— I'll stir up chaos
— in the Royal Palace of the Primordial Void.
— He's going to get beaten up, said the Ancient.
Yzareth smiled.
— That's what you think.
— Fine, replied the Ancient.
— I'll come too.
— Just in case.
Elsewhere.
In the Domain of Origins.
The projections of Azarion and Aetherion trembled.
Azarion said softly:
— I feel that something…
— is being plotted.
The Primordial Void vibrated.
Something had clearly just gone wrong.
Chapter 244 — When Things Move Too Slowly to Be Honest
The Realm of the Primordial Divinities did not explode.
It was worse.
It hesitated.
The skies did not split.
The laws did not collapse.
The temples remained standing.
But something…
shifted slightly out of place.
A misalignment.
Tiny.
Almost polite.
Enough for everyone to feel it.
Not enough for anyone to know what to blame.
Yzareth appeared at the threshold of the realm.
Not in force.
Not roaring.
Just there.
He looked around.
— …Okay, he murmured.
— Breathe.
— Let's do this cleanly.
The divine ground vibrated beneath his feet.
The Primordial Divinities present froze.
— Identity? asked one of them, wary.
Yzareth lifted his chin slightly.
— His Majesty Yzareth.
— Primordial Dragon of the Void.
Silence.
Another divinity narrowed their eyes.
— …You're small.
Yzareth clenched his jaw.
— It's temporary.
He released a fraction of his aura.
Not enough to destroy.
Just enough to disturb.
The hierarchies trembled.
Divine orders overlapped.
Two laws tried to act at the same time…
…and canceled each other out.
— …This isn't normal, murmured a divinity.
Yzareth smiled.
— Ah.
— There it is.
Elsewhere.
In the Primordial Void.
The Royal Palace was not attacked.
It was visited.
Kharas walked calmly through the corridors.
The structures recognized him.
Reluctantly.
— Still as pretentious as ever, he murmured.
— Even after all this time.
He placed his hand on a pillar of the Palace.
The Void vibrated slightly.
As if it disliked it.
But did not dare protest.
Kharas smiled.
— We'll wait until Yzareth draws the Creators…
— and then…
He spread his fingers slightly.
— …bam.
He chuckled.
— Patience is underrated.
In the Domain of Origins—
Aetherion opened his eyes.
— …They're not striking.
Azarion frowned.
— They're shifting.
Aeternus appeared, arms crossed.
— Oh no.
— This is the kind of problem
— you can't solve by shouting very loud.
Erik sighed.
— I preferred when threats
— were at least honest.
In the Realm of the Divinities—
A divinity staggered.
— The orders contradict each other!
— The hierarchies overlap!
— Who is responsible?!
Yzareth raised his hand.
— Technically?
— No one.
He tilted his head slightly.
— Practically?
— Me.
— Creators! someone shouted.
— Call the Creators!
Yzareth felt something.
A pressure.
He blinked.
— …Oh.
— They bit.
In the Primordial Void—
Kharas stopped.
His smile widened slowly.
— There.
He lifted his eyes toward infinity.
— Father.
— You wanted restraint.
His gaze darkened.
— Now watch
— what patience looks like.
The Primordial Void contracted slightly.
Not an attack.
Not yet.
On the throne of the Royal Palace,
a figure with long white hair, tied back, sat.
Motionless.
Calm.
At his side,
the primordial attendants kept watch.
And for the first time in a long while,
the center…
was watching.
Chapter 245 — When the Center Opens Its Eyes
The Royal Palace did not tremble.
It didn't need to.
The figure with long white hair remained seated on the throne.
Motionless.
Calm.
Zarion slowly opened his eyes.
Not surprised.
Not annoyed.
Just… attentive.
— …They chose the subtle method, he murmured.
At his side, the primordial attendants watched in silence.
Astra broke the stillness.
— Yzareth is actively disturbing
— the Realm of the Primordial Divinities.
Nyx added, absent as always:
— And Kharas walks through the Palace
— as if it were his own.
Kharis crossed his arms.
— He provokes without attacking.
— He draws without striking.
Thalassa sighed.
— So obviously…
— it's going to escalate.
Zarion rested his elbow on the throne's armrest.
— Not yet.
He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second.
In the Guild of Eclipse—
Zarion inhaled sharply.
— …Ah.
Valen raised his head.
— What?
— Now, I see more clearly.
Elyon frowned.
— Bad news?
Zarion hesitated.
— Let's say…
— someone is playing with things
— they don't know how to finish.
Naël grimaced.
— Again?
— Yes.
— But this time,
— it's deliberate.
Back at the Royal Palace—
Zarion reopened his eyes.
— Kharas wants a reaction from the Creators.
— Yzareth wants to prove he still exists.
He paused.
— Neither of them
— truly understands
— what that implies.
Ébérus spoke gravely.
— Do we intervene?
Zarion slowly shook his head.
— No.
A silence.
— Not yet.
Nyx smiled faintly.
— You want to let them sink?
— I want to see
— how far they dare go
— thinking no one is watching.
In the Domain of Origins—
Azarion observed the flows.
— They're exposing themselves.
Aetherion nodded.
— Yes.
A beat.
— And this time,
— they won't be able to say
— they didn't know.
Aeternus appeared, looking falsely relaxed.
— So…
— we let it simmer?
Erik sighed.
— I hate when "letting it simmer"
— involves unstable pillars.
Aetherion gazed into infinity.
— As long as they don't break anything…
He opened his hand slightly.
— …we observe.
In the Realm of the Divinities—
Yzareth felt the pressure increase.
Not an attack.
Not a threat.
An attention.
He swallowed.
— …Okay.
— Now it's less fun.
The laws continued to contradict each other.
The hierarchies refused to stabilize.
— Perfect, he murmured.
— They're coming.
In the Primordial Void—
Kharas felt something change.
He stopped.
His smile grew thinner.
— Ah…
He lifted his eyes.
— You're finally watching, Zarion.
He laughed softly.
— Good.
The Primordial Void remained silent.
But everyone knew now.
It was no longer a test.
It was no longer a game.
The pieces were on the board.
And this time,
the center
had decided
not to look away.
Chapter 246 — Making Noise Without Breaking the House
The Realm of the Primordial Divinities vibrated.
Not a collapse.
Not an attack.
A structural disagreement.
Yzareth looked up.
— What are the Creators waiting for?
He spread his arms.
— I am literally destabilizing the pillar — that holds all this together — and they do… nothing.
He smiled.
The Nameless Ancient appeared behind him.
— Kid. — Don't do anything stupid here.
Yzareth slowly turned his head.
— Don't call me kid. — Or I'll annihilate you.
He tilted his head.
— And daring to speak like that — to the Lord of the Void — is madness.
He crouched calmly.
A divinity whispered, panicked:
— What is this… this little one doing?
Yzareth placed his hand on the ground.
Then pressed.
The structures groaned.
The laws hesitated.
The pillar shivered.
— Stop, said the Nameless Ancient.
— If the Creators come,
— they will not be merciful with you.
— I don't care. Yzareth smiled.
— I'm just doing
— what I was asked to do.
He pressed again.
— I'm making noise.
— To draw the Creators.
— Here.
— Now.
The Ancient sighed.
— Very well.
— But avoid causing damage.
Yzareth straightened.
— I do what I want.
A wave burst.
The Primordial Divinity of Destruction rushed at him.
Mistake.
Before the attack even formed, her head was already in Yzareth's arms.
The body stopped dead.
The divinity gripped Yzareth's neck.
There was nothing.
No resistance. No struggle.
She looked at him, horrified.
This monster, even weakened, remained dangerous.
And most of their strongest divinities…
were dead.
— Hey. Yzareth patted her head.
— Step back, little one.
— I wasn't asked
— to kill you.
— So calm down.
The Nameless Ancient crossed his arms.
— Just so you know.
— You're the little one here.
Silence.
In the Domain of Origins—
Aetherion struck one of his domain's pillars.
— They fear nothing.
Azarion placed a hand on his shoulder.
— Calm yourself, Aetherion.
— They know exactly
— how far they can go.
In the Royal Palace—
Kharas walked calmly.
His footsteps echoed softly.
— Ah…
— Yzareth.
He smiled.
— You almost excite me.
— The Creators must be furious now.
He laughed.
— Hahaha.
He lifted his head.
— I knew you were perfect for this.
— The Nameless Ancient is far too cautious.
Throne Room—
Zarion spoke with the Primordial Attendants.
Ébérus spoke.
— Should we let him continue like this?
— Yes, replied Zarion.
— For now.
He straightened slightly.
— If you think his plan
— is just to make noise…
— you are mistaken.
Nyx tilted her head.
— Then?
— His real plan
— is for the Creators
— to confront Yzareth.
Kharis raised a brow.
— Honestly,
— Yzareth is suicidal.
Zarion smiled.
— Suicidal?
— No.
— He's playing with limits.
He folded his fingers together.
— Even if they intervene now,
— they won't kill him.
— He hasn't done anything truly serious yet.
Thalassa sighed.
— And if they intervene…
— they leave Kharas
— with every opportunity
— to wreak havoc here.
Zarion nodded.
— Exactly.
In the Palace of the Void—
Vael applauded slowly.
— Masterclass.
Nyxa smiled.
— The plan is dishonest.
— But interesting.
Valt frowned.
— What are you talking about?
Nyxa looked at him.
— It's obvious.
— You're looking for trouble.
Death raised his hand.
— Calm down, both of you.
Nihil nodded.
— Still.
— When a performance deserves applause…
Silence.
The Void observed.
And somewhere, far away, something finally began to rise.