Chapter 328 - 328 - Taming 5/8

เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 มี.ค. 2569 07:39

Sirius concentrated for an instant. A dark aura intertwined with the white light of his tiger. He wasn't combining the physical characteristics of his beasts as Kharzan did, but rather fusing their essential abilities. His Black Serpent, normally invisible in his shadow, contributed its dark essence, doubling the power emanating from him. Selphira followed a similar path. The energy of her White Serpent integrated with her Black Turtle as a perfect harmonization of opposing energies. Her aura intensified, also doubling her power. The geometric patterns on her skin began to shift and flow, symbols rearranging themselves into new configurations of power. Kharzan observed these transformations with contempt. "Impressive," he conceded with sarcasm, his distorted voice echoing strangely in the chamber. "But I still surpass you by a factor of two." Sirius didn't respond with words. Instead, he slowly raised his right hand, revealing the ring with markings that seemed to constantly change shape. With a deliberate movement, he extended his arm and touched Selphira's shoulder. The effect was immediate and spectacular. The energies of both fused in a whirlwind of light and darkness. Selphira's aura expanded dramatically, pushing outward like a cosmic tide. The characteristics of the Black Turtle and White Serpent combined in a way entirely different from Kharzan's grotesque fusion. What emerged was a mythical creature few had seen: a Lesser Genbu, the harmonious combination of turtle and serpent. Selphira's armor acquired more complex patterns, while an ethereal white serpent coiled around her body, forming a kind of living crown above her head. The mana pressure emanating from her almost perfectly matched Kharzan's. Two immense forces pushing against each other in perfect opposition. For the first time, the Goldcrest patriarch's arrogance faltered. His abnormal eyes narrowed, and a click of irritation escaped from between his deformed teeth. The power demonstration lasted barely a second more. Kharzan, recognizing the stalemate, began to retract his abyssal manifestations. The plates melted back into his skin, the appendages withdrew, and gradually he returned to a mostly human appearance, though his eyes retained that disturbing purple tone. "You still have more old tricks than I thought," he commented brazenly, adjusting his clothing as if nothing extraordinary had happened. "But my 'progress' remains superior. It can be applied to dozens, hundreds of combatants..." He looked at Victor and Ignatius. "I already have some of the friends who caused you problems... How many rings like that exist, Sirius? Three? Two?" Sirius didn't answer, but the ring on his hand briefly glowed before apparently powering down. Selphira also returned to her normal form, though the process seemed to cost her more effort than it did Kharzan. Small beads of sweat pearled on her forehead, and her breathing was slightly irregular. The Genbu's power, while formidable, clearly extracted a price from its wielder. "This demonstration has been... enlightening," said Kharzan, breaking the tense silence. His voice had regained its human quality, though an echo of something else lingered beneath the surface. "But it doesn't change my position." He headed toward the door, pausing briefly before exiting. His shadow on the wall momentarily appeared larger than it should have been, with protrusions that didn't match his human form. "You have until dawn," he reminded them. "After that, I'll consider your silence as a declaration of war... And now that you've seen what you might face, I hope you choose wisely." The door closed behind him with a thud that sounded like the seal of an inevitable fate. In the silence that followed, the five leaders looked at each other, the gravity of the situation weighing on them like a stone slab. The air in the room still felt tainted, the memory of abyssal energy lingering like a foul odor. "He's more advanced than we feared," murmured Ignatius, his phoenix's embers dimmed slightly, responding to his unease. "Those weren't simple experiments. They've achieved the integration of six beasts in a single body..." "We're on the brink of a conflict for which we aren't prepared," concluded Julius. His Qilin's antlers briefly flickered with anxiety. "He knows our power almost perfectly, but there's another factor we must consider," said Sirius, staring fixedly at the door. "Not knowing how many altered soldiers they already have." "They can't be enough or they would have attacked already... Do you think he'll really dare to sacrifice himself so Yino can destroy us?" asked Arturo, verbalizing the concern they all shared. "It doesn't matter whether he will or not," responded Julius, his face serious. "We cannot yield to threats of this kind, or we'll be establishing a dangerous precedent." "And the boys?" inquired Victor. "We don't know if Klein is still contaminated. It's probable that Kassian already is as well." Selphira remained silent for a moment, her eyes fixed on the door through which Kharzan had left. Was that the usual way 'the lion Kharzan' spoke? Was there something strange about the corruption? Or were her old ideas already outdated? But she couldn't shake the feeling... 'It seems that power makes some… more immature.' ♢♢♢♢ Kharzan Goldcrest withdrew along with his men to a temporary tent they had erected at the academy's boundaries. His stride was firm, his posture erect, the perfect image of a victorious leader returning from a successful negotiation. Golden light still emanated from him, though it seemed dimmer than before, as if struggling against an unseen darkness. Only the most observant would have noticed the slight irregularity in his breathing, the subtle tremor in his hands, which he kept firmly clenched at his sides. "How did it go, my lord?" asked his chief advisor as soon as Kharzan crossed the tent's entrance. The interior was illuminated with crystals of dim light, revealing five of his closest allies, figures from noble families who had staked their futures on backing the Goldcrest patriarch. "Exactly as we expected," Kharzan responded, his voice carefully measured. "Empty threats, moral posturing, the same outdated rhetoric." "Have they agreed to release your son?" inquired another noble with a sharp face and calculating eyes. "They will before dawn, if they know what's good for them," Kharzan assured, unfastening the upper clasps of his clothing to relieve an invisible pressure. His fingers fumbled slightly with the fastenings, betraying his deteriorating control. He made a gesture and the servants abandoned the tent, leaving him alone with his closest allies. With a choked gasp, Kharzan dropped to one knee. His face, previously impassive, contorted into a grimace of pain. Beneath his skin, something moved, shifting, crawling, seeking escape. "My lord!" One hurried to his side, but Kharzan stopped him with a brusque gesture. "Don't... approach," he ordered through gritted teeth. His skin briefly acquired a purplish tone, black veins pulsing beneath the surface like writhing worms. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂 "The complete manifestation..." murmured others, maintaining a prudent distance. "It's..." "Silence," Kharzan snapped. With evident effort, he controlled his breathing, forcing the abyssal entities to retreat completely. "I just... need a moment." The others observed in tense silence. After a moment, natural color returned to his skin, and the tension in his body slightly relaxed. "Insufficient," growled Kharzan, pouring a cup of thick, dark liquid from a sealed flask. He drank it in one gulp, visibly shuddering. ♢♢♢♢ In another sector of the academy, Klein Goldcrest found himself in a room that, despite the surveillance, was far from a cell. His quarters had a comfortable bed, a table with food, and even some books to distract himself. They didn't really have him locked up, just watched, while they observed if he manifested any side effects from the abyssal energy. But since that rot... that irritating Ren Patinder had shot that light beam at him, he had felt completely normal. Bored and somewhat restless, Klein approached the door intending to 'ask for more food', though in reality he just wanted to take a look outside. To his surprise, upon slightly opening the door, he discovered there was no one on guard. 'Strange,' he thought, frowning. The surveillance had been constant since his arrival. It was then that he felt it: a wave of powerful energy, distant but unmistakable. A shiver ran down his spine.

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