Chapter 42: The Council of the Internal Void
The throne room of Leonora was no longer a place of regal diplomacy; it was a graveyard of marble and gold. Debris lay scattered like jagged teeth across the floor, and the air was thick with the suffocating scent of ozone and pulverized stone. Those left behind—ministers, knights, and the trembling Court Mage Lyra—stood paralyzed, their gazes fixed upward through the jagged maw in the ceiling.
High above, the sky was a canvas of violence. Golden and silver light collided with such ferocity that the resulting shockwaves felt like physical blows to those below. Each impact sent a tremor through the earth that threatened to bring the rest of the palace down. It was only the presence of the Dragon King, Aurelion, that kept the kingdom from crumbling. His massive shadow acted as a literal shield, his passive mana dampening the catastrophic energy released by the two sparring sovereigns.
Even in a "random" bout of anger, the Lion and the Bunny King possessed the power to erase a city from the map.
---
Inside the damp, dim cell, Saferu L. Goldmoon sat perfectly still. To any guard watching, he appeared to be in a state of shock. But beneath the surface, his mind was a storm of activity.
Through his connection with Grokemon—the persona currently "interfaced" with the Blue Room—the internal landscape of Saferu's psyche was in full deliberation. The Blue Room, a vast, hum of ethereal data and flickering lights, was crowded.
**Lazy Saferu** lay sprawled on a couch that didn't exist, staring at a ceiling of static. "Can we just... not?" he muttered, waving a hand dismissively. "The loud cats are fighting. It's a lot of work to even listen to the noise."
**Braindead Saferu** sat nearby, playing with a ball of pure blue mana, occasionally drooling as he watched it bounce. To him, the world outside was just a series of pretty lights and loud pops.
However, the atmosphere shifted as **Smart Saferu** and **Serious Saferu** stepped toward the center of the room. Their eyes were fixed on the "projection" of the world outside, specifically the gargantuan form of Aurelion.
"The energy output is illogical," **Smart Saferu** adjusted a pair of non-existent glasses, his voice crisp. "The Dragon King isn't just flying; he's warping the local gravitational constant to prevent the Lion King's kinetic force from leveling the city. His mana density is... immeasurable by our current standards."
**Serious Saferu** nodded, his arms crossed. "He is the primary variable. The Lion and the Rabbit are distractions. If that dragon decides to descend, there is no escape. We need to categorize every movement, every flare of his scales. He isn't just a beast; he's a living planetary defense system."
As they spoke, a heavy, chilling silence fell over the Blue Room. From the darkest corner, **Evil Saferu** emerged. Usually, he was wearing a smirk of malice or chaotic intent, but today, his expression was grave. He stared at the projection of the Dragon King with an intensity that bordered on fear.
"That thing," **Evil Saferu** rasped, his voice like grinding glass. "It smells like the end of us. If it realizes what we really are... it won't just kill us. It will erase the memory of us."
**Good Saferu**, standing perpetually at his side, placed a gentle hand on Evil's shoulder. "They don't mean harm for now, brother," he assured softly. "The Bunny King came for us. There is kindness in his violence. We must trust in the bonds we've made, even if they look like war."
---
Back in the ruined courtyard, the perspective was much more grounded, if no less chaotic.
**Mirae** stood amidst the rubble, shielding her eyes as she looked at the soaring streaks of light. She didn't look terrified; she looked embarrassed. "Of course," she sighed, kicking a piece of a stone gargoyle. "Uncle always has to make a scene. He couldn't just knock on the front door? He had to drag the Dragon King into a domestic dispute?"
Beside her, **Bunsway** was rubbing his temples so hard it looked like he was trying to push his fingers into his brain. The headache was throbbing in time with the sonic booms above.
"Imbecile," Bunsway hissed, though whether he meant his brother or the Lion King was unclear. He was already pulling out a small ledger and a magical quill, his mind racing through logistics. "The west wing is a total loss. The throne is cracked. The frescoes from the Third Dynasty are dust."
He sighed, scribbling numbers furiously. "The compensation for this is going to be astronomical. Luckily, we aren't exactly hurting for gold."
It was a well-known secret among the elite that the Rabbit-kin of the **Echo Forest** were technically wealthier than half the continent's human and beast-man kingdoms combined. They sat on veins of mana-crystals and rare herbs that the rest of the world would kill for.
"I just hope I can hire some decent dwarves to fix this mess," Bunsway muttered, glancing at the devastation. "Leonidas is going to try to overcharge us for the 'emotional trauma' of his palace being used as a trampoline. I'll need to contact the Ironfoot Clan by morning."
He looked up at the sky one last time as a massive sonic boom signaled the Dragon King's departure toward the sea. "Hurry back, brother. Before I decide to sell your personal chambers to pay for this roof."