The Heaven's Emperor warship abruptly turned. Though smaller in tonnage than the Celestial Fortress, it was far more agile. All eight dragonhead cannons locked onto the Imperial fleet, poised like a gleaming white sword pressed to the enemy's throat.
"A national divine relic… Why is it targeting us?"
All the NPCs aboard the Imperial warships stood frozen, a chilling dread spreading through their bones. Their programmed minds couldn't comprehend this sudden betrayal.
"Empress!! You—!!" Jenonis's sinister smile froze on his face.
"A corpse of a pope dares rule this empire? I, Ursula, will not allow it."
The sweetness vanished from Ursula's face, replaced with cold, unwavering resolve. No one despised the Holy Light Church more than she did. Her people had been enslaved, tortured, and broken. She had played the game of power for decades, bearing the sins of survival.
She would remake the Light Dragon Empire.
Old Yin: "I swear I was bracing for death and turns out—reinforcements?!"
Texas Musk: "Knew it! Empress definitely saw how handsome I am. Looks matter, bro!"
Wearing the Crown of Sin, Ursula raised her hand, then slashed it down.
The eight dragonhead cannons glowed, dragon crystals embedded at their cores shimmering with divine light.
Eight beams of destruction, each tinted a different hue, burst from the dragon mouths—these were the breath attacks of eight Dragon Kings!
"Let's gooo! Burn them all!" Old Yin roared, and the guild mages followed up instantly.
Thirty-two divine-grade cannons atop Celestial Fortress fired in perfect sync behind the Dragon King breaths, tearing the sky apart in an avalanche of light and flame.
"No way… this can't be real!"
"A divine warship turned traitor!? It's blowing up its own fleet?! That's insane!"
In the Infinite Dimensions livestream studio, SirLagsALot and every staff member jumped from their chairs, shouting in disbelief. The comment feed exploded, practically flooding the screen.
No one could have imagined the Empire striking itself—this sudden defection defied all logic.
"I am the rightful empress of the Light Dragon bloodline! Regent of the Throne! Sole heir to the Empire—Ursula!"
Her voice echoed across the realm, sharp and absolute.
Just yesterday, her assassination bounty quest had concluded. The last living illegitimate son of the previous Light Dragon Emperor, Roent, had been killed in a border town called Blackwind Port.
With him dead, the royal bloodline was extinct.
Tulikiki's hopes of installing a puppet ruler vanished.
Though Jenonis still held military power, by tradition, Ursula stood as the de facto heir to the throne.
What surprised Ursula, however, was that the Holy Light Dragon had not moved against her with a master-servant contract. Tulikiki had said nothing.
"My Megacaster... you're truly terrifying," Blank murmured, watching the skies blaze with fire.
Warships fell like dying stars, their hulls torn apart by the joint bombardment of two divine war engines. Even Dawn-class vessels couldn't hold out.
Two weapons of mass destruction. A single one was a kingdom-ending threat. Two? No king could watch without fear.
"Honestly… I didn't see this coming either."
Orson stared at the burning skies. Three Dawn-class warships were already shattered, and over twenty heavy-class ships were blown out of the air.
There were only two Emperor-class warships in Infinite Dimensions—one under the Dark Dragon Empire, one under the Light Dragon Empire.
Now, the Light Dragon royals were gone. That didn't mean Ursula was guaranteed control of the weapon.
Lore said these vessels were only bound to their respective Dragon Kings: Rebellion of the dark, Tulikiki of the light.
Ursula's access had to be granted by Tulikiki himself.
In other words, this whole move was sanctioned. Tulikiki clearly had no intention of letting an angel rule his empire.
"Whatever that old bastard's scheming, at least it's not against us."
Orson kept his thoughts brief. There was no time for theorycrafting now.
He knew full well—massive warships and divine weapons were brutal tools, but against kings and Supremes? Not decisive.
They needed charging time. Once shields were broken and enemies boarded, control could change hands in a flash.
High risk, high reward.
"You'll burn for this!" Jenonis screamed. He never expected to be betrayed so utterly.
Immediately, he ordered the Imperial Dragon Riders to charge the Heaven's Emperor. If they didn't bring it down now, it could spell annihilation for the Empire's forces.
Jenonis led the ground army straight toward Forever City, eyes locked on Orson atop the wall.
Dragonfire erupted. Blinding flames surged skyward.
The Dragon Riders let out frenzied war cries, hurling themselves toward their empress. Their concentrated breath attacks blasted the Heaven's Emperor's shield, carving shimmering ripples across its magic barrier.
Just from this assault, a third of its shield vanished.
So many dragons working in unison—this output exceeded even a Dragon King's breath.
"Hellfire Burn! Protect Ursula!" Orson shouted.
"Burn them all! Steal their dragon crystals! Rip off their scales! We're getting rich!" Old Yin shrieked with joy. Mages locked in their targets—Gaedashiram's Wrath primed.
A piercing shockwave cut the sky. The earth trembled. Reality cracked.
Hellfire roared to life.
"Forbidden curse incoming!"
"Light them up! Blow them all to hell!"
Hearts thundered. American players had always adored mushroom clouds—and now the chance had come. Viewers clenched fists, wishing they could inject their own power into the spell.
But just before Hellfire Burn could land—
Jenonis unfurled a scroll.
"Aurora Blood Curtain."
The scroll burst with radiant light. Two angelic phantoms, each with red holy swords and sorrowful eyes, descended from the sky.
The angels waved their swords once. The blades crossed—
A gate to heaven bloomed open in their wake.
"Under the effects of SS-rank Light Forbidden Curse: Divine Realm Purity."
"SS-rank Fire Forbidden Curse: Hellfire Burn has failed."
The system prompt echoed. Orson's eyes widened.
The Hellfire was drawn into the divine gate. The angels faded. The scroll dimmed and vanished.
Clearly, Aurora Blood Curtain had multiple effects. It could absorb forbidden curses, but such power had a steep cooldown.
"Shit! My forbidden curse!!" Old Yin yelled.
"Bro what the actual hell—this birdman NPC is cracked! Even forbidden spells are useless?!"
"Oh man… now we're screwed…"
Excitement turned to dread. The reversal was so surreal, no one could react.
"Pathetic adventurers, drown in despair."
Jenonis sneered, laughing as he stared Orson down.
Orson's eyes sharpened. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
The Crimson Lizard King beside him transformed, letting him mount its scaled back.
He raised the Supreme Arcane Blade high, his voice booming over the battlefield.
"Who's got the guts… to blow them to hell with me?!"