Thales clapped his hands together and rose from the stone.
The exit of the wormhole had vanished into thin air. The individuals who were supposed to arrive in the Second Parallel Universe through that gate never appeared; it seemed Zoran had forcibly shoved them back. While Thales didn't know exactly why Zoran had done this, he trusted that the man had his reasons.
Thales trotted over to Zoran's side. "Uncle, I heard you mention some name earlier. What's going on?"
Zoran smiled and shook his head as he slowly descended. "It's nothing. The one on the other side trying to send someone over was Hades."
He said it lightly, but the words hit Thales like a physical blow, leaving him dazed.
"Hades...!?" Thales' eyes widened, his sharp mind instantly shifting into high gear.
That meant Zoran's outburst of Hetero-Energy earlier was actually a contest of strength against Hades, one trying to push someone through, the other blocking them. And by the looks of it, Hades had actually lost!
That was Hades! Weren't they currently on a quest, 100,000 years in the future, just to stop Hades from being resurrected?
A spark of inspiration flashed through Thales' brain. Was it possible that if he buttered him up enough, his uncle could just fly straight to Hades' lair? Why bother dealing with the Four Great Guardians? Just head straight to the final boss!
Zoran glanced at Thales, who was lost in his own wild imagination, and shook his head. "Stop overthinking it. Keep up."
"Eh? Oh, wait for me!" Thales squinted and trotted after Zoran like a little ball.
Before long, Dragon City appeared before them. Zoran glanced at the guards at the city gate, then reached out, lifted Thales, and took flight, landing atop the central hall of Dragon City.
A short while later, two figures hurried toward the central palace. Zoran watched in silence. He had already altered the course of the Poison Dragon Pool incident; now, he would see how the gears of karma would turn as a result.
Meanwhile, inside the main hall, the Elder of the Dragon Clan sat on the throne, with two groups of warriors standing on either side; one, the Azure Dragon Clan, the other, the White Dragon Clan. They were all waiting for their respective leaders to arrive and compete for the title of the future sole commander of the Dragon Clan.
The heavy doors opened, and the two men stepped inside almost simultaneously.
Rowan, as he walked toward his clansmen, cast a wary and confused glance at Valen, who was holding his own daughter. It was bizarre. Earlier today, a massive shockwave had erupted from the Poison Dragon Pool. He had risked his life to investigate, only to find a mountain standing where the pool had once been; the danger had vanished without a trace. He knew Valen of the White Dragon Clan had intended to deal with the threat, but based on his knowledge, Valen lacked the level of Hetero-Energy required for such a feat.
So, who had helped the Dragon Clan?
Opposite him, Valen, clutching his daughter Solita, was equally baffled. The Poison Dragon had been a festering threat to the clan for ages. He had resolved to eradicate the root of the plague today, but it was gone. Moreover, earlier that day, a terrifying fluctuation had swept through the Second Parallel Universe. That kind of power was rarely seen anywhere in the cosmos. Some entity had descended upon this world, and no one knew why.
Anxious, Valen set Solita down. Amid the cheers of both clans, he clasped his fists toward his opponent.
"White Dragon Clan, Valen."
Rowan returned the gesture. "Azure Dragon Clan, Rowan."
The Elder's voice echoed from the throne: "Since both representatives have arrived, let the duel begin. The winner shall become the future leader of the Dragon Clan and receive the Energy Locker passed down through our generations."
"Please, instruct me!" both shouted in unison.
100,000 years later, Second Parallel Universe.
Outside the Black Tortoise starship, Kino and the version of Devin from the Azure Dragon timeline came face to face. The latter had led his people to investigate the massive fluctuations in Hetero-Energy, only to find a strange, alien starship sitting on their territory.
At the very first moment they met, Devin intended to test the newcomer's strength. However, the moment a red-haired kid stepped out of the ship, his first words left Devin stunned.
"Your master is in danger! Hurry back and save him!" Kino blurted out, carrying out the instructions Zoran had left behind.
One after another, Flash Riders zoomed toward Dragon City.
"Kino? Is that your name? If you are lying to me, I will never forgive you!"
Devin pushed his speed to the limit, racing back toward the city. Rowan was his master and the strongest warrior in the Second Parallel Universe, who could take his life? He didn't believe it, but his master had just handed the Energy Locker to him, leaving him at his most vulnerable.
If this kid named Kino is lying, Devin thought, he isn't getting away.
The Flash Riders burst into Dragon City, where an evil, sinister aura was emanating from the palace.
"It's true... something has happened!" Devin's face darkened.
"Obviously. That was the word of a high-level expert; you locals just need to listen," Kino said, flicking his bangs and demonstrating his trademark "high emotional intelligence."
"Master!" Devin kicked the palace doors open and charged inside.
Rowan was face-to-face with a strange woman, his expression looking troubled.
"Oh? It seems someone wants to interrupt me," Solita said, glancing at the arriving Devin with annoyance.
Her Hetero-Energy surged in an instant. "Perhaps this is part of the revenge. Witness my wrath with your own eyes!"
Her black armor radiated waves of evil energy. Her scorpion tail lashed out, trembling, as she lunged at Rowan.
"Master!" Devin cried out in panic.
He had already entered his armored state and rushed to intercept. At this critical moment, Rowan simply closed his eyes. But the death he expected did not come.
Devin kicked the scorpion tail aside, tackling Rowan to the side, and asked desperately, "Master, why aren't you fighting back?!"
"Fighting back?" Rowan opened his eyes, his gaze filled with sorrow and regret. "The cycle of vengeance... when will it ever end?"
He looked at Solita. "I can die, but please, do not harm my disciple or my people. Let all this enmity end with me."
As a powerhouse, he had chosen to abandon all resistance, refusing to dodge or parry, letting Solita strike at will.
But Devin, who had been protecting him, didn't have it as easy. He held Rowan tight, trying to dodge, but dragged down by his master's suicidal resolve, he was caught off-guard and kicked away by Solita, both of them slamming into the wall.
Watching this, Kino was absolutely furious.
Already in his armored state, he didn't bother trying to stop Solita immediately. Instead, he pointed a finger at Rowan and cursed, "You old geezer! If you want to die, don't drag other people down with you!"
"Well said! Hahaha!" Solita laughed toward the sky.
"And you, you poisonous shrew, I'm calling you out too! Taking advantage of people when they're away to sneak an attack on their base? Taste my boot!"
Kino didn't stop his verbal assault, leaping forward and kicking out with all his might.
————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my p-atre-on: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]