Chapter 4087: The Warrior King and the Emperor (Part 2) "Do you mind, dear?" Meron had saved his Vital Storm for that moment. "I need a sparring partner, and who better than you to show everyone the effectiveness of our new weapon?" Sylpha didn’t miss her husband’s choice of words, nor did anyone with a pinch of political awareness. Lith had introduced Vital Storm as something he wanted to share, and the King had just recognized it as an asset of the Kingdom, not just of the Verhen Household. The Royals started with a light spar, their movements fast but perfectly clear even to an untrained eye. Then Meron picked up speed until only violet-cored Awakened could follow the exchanges, while to everyone else the arms of the King and Queen seemed to have disappeared. Only the thuds of the blocks and the snaps of the arms as they whipped through the air betrayed the ongoing fight. The fight was balanced, which surprised Raagu and Inxialot. The Queen was known for being a better fighter, and the King’s life force was still cracked, yet he matched her with ease. Then, Meron used the extra power from Vital Storm to enhance his precision and strength while keeping the same speed. This way, Sylpha could still keep up with him, and the Awakened spectators follow the fight. Soon, the Queen was forced to move from her spot and use footwork to avoid being overpowered. The King remained rooted to his spot, yet his advantage grew with each attack. The fight ended suddenly, with Meron’s extended arm and hand pointing an ice blade at Sylpha’s throat. The Queen had stepped back at the last second, but the ice spell had been faster. She was now off balance in a precarious position. One flick of Meron’s hand or a spark of his mana, and her blood would be spilled. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎 The King dispelled the ice blade and smiled, turning his hand with the palm up. "I yield." The Queen gave him a polite bow before taking the King’s hand. "How much of this Vital Storm can you produce, Supreme Magus Verhen?" "As much as I want." Golden lighting erupted from Lith’s body and hit every piece of furniture, table, and silverware, engulfing them with jolts of electricity as proof of their enhanced condition. "Also, I’m not the only one who can use it." Tista produced a second burst of Vital Storm, and after being infused with it, Kamila and Elysia also released a bit of golden lightning. Amplifying Vital Storm was much easier than generating a new one, but Lith glossed over this part. "My wife is pregnant, and I would never force my daughter to train at such a young age, so I hope you are not too disappointed." He said. Quite the contrary, everyone was enthusiastic about the idea that even a small child or a woman who just carried an Indech baby could already use such a powerful ability. Just as Lith had planned. "To make up for this, I’ve prepared one last demonstration." Lith gestured for the others on the bandstand to move back. "Please, bear with me for a few seconds." Lith’s wings flapped gently as he activated Swirling Wind and amassed a huge amount of world energy around him. At the same time, he took deep, slow breaths as if he were preparing to perform a difficult task. Humans and Awakened alike would have wondered what he was doing, if they hadn’t been too enraptured to care. Just like in Jiera, everyone could now feel the power of mana coursing through their bodies. Even those with a weak core and who had never practiced magic had electric sparks arcing from one finger to another and small fires erupting from their eyes. In that moment, they all shared a deep sense of communion. When the humans looked at the Indech, they saw him covered in heavy translucent chains that weighed him down. The other Indeches and everyone in the room carried those chains as well, forming an inescapable web across the Ball Room. No one had ever seen those chains before, but they all knew they had carried the chains their whole lives. They had always been there, restricting the humans’ movements and suppressing their potential. Then, Lith unfolded his wings wide, raising his head toward the ceiling with his mouth open in a silent scream. The Indech split the accumulated world energy into its elemental components and absorbed it through his eyes with Abyssal Gaze. The flow of energy moved to the wings, where it was amplified before spreading to the rest of his body. Lith’s bright violet aura burst forward and, after a few seconds, so did his wings. They split into six burning wings comprised of pure energy, each one of a different elemental color. Once the wings formed and stabilized fully, the chains restraining the Indech shattered. Lith hadn’t grown taller, and his aura was still bright violet, but his presence now encompassed the entire room. Those looking at him felt as if the Indech had broken past his limits and achieved unrestrained freedom, and they rejoiced for it. Because even though they still carried the chains, they knew deep in their souls that every human could shatter them as well. Every fiber of their being screamed at the humans that they could be like him, it was just a matter of discovering how. Even the Lich felt the call of her putrefied human body roaring with suppressed might and ambition. The Royals stared at the Indech with wide eyes and agape mouths, just like everyone else. There was only one exception in the room. Only one person had his eyes narrowed, and his jaw clenched. Zogar Vastor experienced the same feelings as everybody else, but he processed them differently. The Arisen inside him stared at the Indech with a mix of envy and frustration. The Master felt as if he were a warrior king, someone who still had to pay in blood, steel, and tears to expand his nascent realm of a single meter, standing at the court of a powerful emperor. The warrior king knew that, one day, he would have his own castle and court. That one day, he would be the one at the center of attention, wearing a priceless crown. Alas, the warrior king also knew that day was not today. Today, the Arisen was just another guest, forced to crane his neck to look at the Indech who sat above him on his golden throne of power. "Please, be quiet." Several seconds had passed, and no one had made a single peep, but Lith gestured for everyone to stay put. "I’m not done yet." He took another deep breath and shapeshifted into a Tiamat while Abyssal Gaze drained the remaining world energy. The result of the transformation shocked everyone again. Lith’s Tiamat form was well known, but the two membranous wings comprised of pure white light were not. The Dragon wings shone like a small sun, creating a stark contrast with the black figure of the Tiamat that lasted until black energy feathers covered them. Bolts of energy crackled from both Lith’s upside-down membranous wings and the feathered ones, the power of the former and the runes of the latter working together to give form to the third set of wings.