"Aurithon, so this is where you kept the eggs. No wonder you were prepared to sacrifice everything... it turns out you had left a leeway."
Before Drakion could respond, a chilling voice echoed through the chamber—a voice soaked in meaning, sending shivers crawling down his spine.
When Aurithon heard it, a visible shock swept across his face as his eyes turned toward his own corpse.
"How can you be alive? I erased your entire soul," Aurithon said, his voice trembling with disbelief.
"If your soul still lingers in this world, why can’t mine?" the menacing voice replied with a dark chuckle. "You’ve always underestimated me, Aurithon."
Aurithon turned to Drakion, his expression grave as he handed the eggs to him with solemn care.
"So this is your new Dragon Emperor... I heard you calling him that," the voice sneered. Drakion suddenly felt a powerful gaze fix on him. In that instant, his dragon soul trembled—recoiling as if in fear. Before he could grasp what was happening, his connection to the Devouring Dragon Soul was severed; it had hidden itself away.
"You dragons truly don’t plan on giving up," the voice spat with disdain. "How do you expect to seek revenge? We massacred your entire clan. Even if you managed to hide a few eggs, that won’t guarantee your success."
Aurithon merely snorted, unfazed. He turned back to Drakion.
"Emperor, give me a moment... to deal with this imbecile."
"Who the hell are you calling that?!" The voice snapped. Just then, the golden dragon’s eyes glowed faintly—and in a flash, Aurithon’s figure vanished.
A thunderous shockwave erupted from the golden corpse, yet Drakion stood unaffected, surprised. He knew this was Aurithon’s doing.
The palace began to quake violently. Dust that had settled over millennia now rose like a storm, clouding vision and swallowing sound.
Drakion became a mere spectator, unable to follow the battle raging inside the dragon’s colossal corpse. The clash of ancient forces was hidden within, the body absorbing the shockwaves of their power.
Time blurred. Drakion couldn’t tell how long he had been watching, nor could he see the enemy’s form. This made him wonder: was the opponent so monstrous, so hideous, that a mere glance would force one to vomit?
Suddenly, a golden light burst forth from the corpse.
A small golden dragon emerged, its radiance blazing.
"Is that you, Aurithon?" Drakion asked.
"Yes. It seems... I am on my way now," Aurithon replied, his voice weak. "I used most of my remaining energy to destroy him."
He paused, then added with solemn gravity:
"Emperor... the hope of the dragon clan now rests in your hands."
Drakion’s mind spun with unanswered questions—questions that burned for resolution.
"Who is the enemy?" he asked.
"The Emperor will learn... in time. For now..."
Tentacles—dark and twisted—suddenly burst through Aurithon’s small dragon body, piercing through him. His glow flickered and dimmed.
"I told you not to underestimate me..."
Drakion and Aurithon froze in horror as the voice returned—a voice belonging to someone they had believed dead.
"How can you still be alive?!" Aurithon roared, fury and disbelief clashing in his voice.
"Did you forget who I am?"
"I am... a Dragon Eater."
In the next moment, all Drakion could hear was the sickening crunch—the sound of Aurithon being consumed. A visceral, primal fear gripped his body, locking him in place.
Drakion stared at the creature, and in the depths of his being, he could hear the low, mournful humming of the Dragon Soul... screaming.
It had a Draconic head—yet it was no true dragon. It was a grotesque fusion of countless dragon races, mashed together into a malformed horror. Its eyes were void-like sockets, swirling with vortexes of red, violet, and abyssal blue.
Its chest was composed of shifting plates of bladed void-metal, embedded with ancient dragon bones and dead runic brands of dragons. The runes emitted an ominous, suffocating aura. But what struck Drakion the most... was its mouth.
It wasn’t on its face. No—its massive, circular maw, lined with jagged black fangs and etched with twisted runes, was located in its chest. Tentacles sprouted from that maw, the same ones now piercing through Aurithon’s dying form.
Two enormous, shredded wings stretched from its back—black as night, glowing with sinister red runes. A long, whip-like tail trailed behind, armored in fused scales from countless dragons, spiked with bone thorns, and tipped with a rotating, crescent-shaped blade.
Above the creature hovered a black spiral fang, devouring a dragon-shaped flame—like the twisted parody of a holy ring. But as Drakion looked closer, he realized this fang was also embedded in both wings and beside the chest-mouth, multiplying its menace.
The creature was not large—yet as it devoured Aurithon, Drakion watched in horror as a new Draconic runic brand appeared on its body, shining briefly with golden light... before fading to darkness.
The realization hit Drakion like a thunderclap—the runic brands represented the dragons it had devoured.
Chills erupted across his skin. Fear spread like wildfire within his chest.
"Dragon Souls taste the best," came the voice again—this time from the creature’s chest. The tentacles retracted slowly, slick with dark essence.
Then the Dragon Eater turned its gaze upon Drakion.
"Now... to take care of you, Dragon Emperor."
[It has been detected that the Host is in danger.]
"I heard Dragon Emperors taste the best," it snarled. Drakion could feel the creature licking its lips, its hunger palpable. Goosebumps surged across his flesh. His hair stood on end.
[Seeking countermeasures for the threat to Host...]
"Hmm? Why can’t I sense your Dragon Soul? Are you truly the Dragon Emperor?" the Dragon Eater questioned, its tone laced with suspicion.
Drakion remained silent—paralyzed, unblinking.
[Countermeasure found.]
He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t wait for a second ding.
With a surge of adrenaline, Drakion exploded into motion, bolting out of the chamber at full speed.
The Dragon Eater let out a devilish, guttural laugh, the sound echoing like a curse through the ruins of the palace.
Drakion didn’t dare look back.
He raced through the crumbling halls, his heart pounding like a war drum, fear scorching through his veins like wildfire.
Now... he understood.
He finally understood the words of the Progenitor Dragons:
Because only now, in the face of this nightmare, did he truly feel what it meant to tremble before a force beyond reason.