Chapter 55

Diana was in ragged clothes.

Panting and breathing heavily.

The smile left her face.

The urge to fight disappeared when she faced this huge being.

The dragon was still unwavering with only small cuts on the surface of his scales.

She thought Cayn left her this dragon as a test to reach the castle.

Diana also noticed this dragon was pretty similar to her in terms of prowess.

His aura also seemed to synergize with hers.

The way he fought was also the same.

Their speed was also on the same rank.

It was pretty evident that Cayn put such a being here on purpose.

And this one was stronger than the dragon god in her world Ryujin.

Suddenly her eyes fell on a tablet next to the door behind the dragon.

"Realm of truth. Conquer your inner dragon. Yourself."

Her eyes widened.

Now it was evident. That is why there was no other dragon, and he was so similar to her in everything. Even following her line of thoughts as if they were the same person.

She felt it from the beginning. The dragon's eyes were the same as hers. They weren't simply looking at prey. But they were judging her every move.

Her lips slowly curved into a smile.

Her eyes turned determined.

Then changed to their cold self.

Focused, she was.

She will tame this beast.

She was confident.

"Now you finally know the truth."

Suddenly a voice rang in Diana's ears.

She was surprised, but her eyes never left the dragon.

"Our thoughts are finally aligned when you understood I am your mirror. The dragon arts you learned from your master. Conquering me would be finishing your first stage."

Diana held her swords tight.

"I know. I shouldn't know something you don't about the arts if I am truly the inner you. But in this realm, I can manifest myself easier even if you haven't conquered me. Not only that. I can also communicate with your master's inner dragon, as this realm is under his rule."

Diana was taken aback.

"Yes. That dragon you and many others saw in the visions, is real. Not only that. The killing intent emitted from your master was never truly his but the dragon's, the ruler of this realm."

"You mean that black dragon was the one who got angry?" Asked Diana.

"The black cigarette. Your master is using that sedative that kills his emotions. From his highness, the ruler's information. If the master truly let out his killing intent or, at the very least, got angry even once, any kind of triggering emotion, his seals would be forcibly broken. Which would end in the destruction of all that you know. Even the creator God himself if things reach that far."

Diana staggered back. Love and hate only have a fine line between them. Was that why he also never tried to find joy in this life? To not be attached?

To not be overwhelmed by his emotions? Killing them slowly?

Does that mean he was also pressuring himself to not feel rage even when his mother almost got raped?

Was that why she felt chills and coldness whenever he sent her home when they dated?

Was that why he smoked more after getting married?

To enjoy the few moments when he loved her, he had to take more and spend days meditating.

Diana started shaking.

The power of destruction in him.

She could assume that power came from his past life.

Coming from his shattered mental health, from the endless slaughtering.

The emperor in the visions she saw was talkative, could scream when in rage, and laugh with his family even when he hid his scares. At least he could react wholeheartedly.

She slowly saw that light of his dim down with time. The light he lost at the end of his life, that the Creator God still has.

In this life.

Cayn is cold. While his actions carried affection, care, and love his eyes could only send little warmth. Diana couldn't help but wonder how he was stopping his love for all his people from overwhelming him. How is he stopping, his love for her?

Cayn never lied.

That means he showed all those emotions to her, only to kill them a few moments later. Then repeat. Again. And again.

Diana was immersed in her thoughts.

It would have been better if he just went somewhere else. If he just lived far away from anything, rather than torture himself like this.

But no. She realized.

If he did. He would just die like in his past life. A man whose will to live disappeared. Rather, he never cared about his life and death. He cared about finishing his job. He always treated himself as a tool. He said so himself.

That is why he decided to use that cigarette.

His care and love for his close ones. It's the only thing keeping him from losing his will of destroying everything, losing his mind to chaos. A ticking bomb.

But using such a measure as killing his emotions. The drawback was different than his past life.

Last time if he lost himself and didn't die he would have destroyed that dimension. Now if he loses himself, he can destroy all the dimensions under the Creator God, even that being himself.

The more he cared the more he had to inflict pain on himself. He killed himself. His job was done.

He didn't want, to remain alive long enough to turn into the monster destroying the people he fought for.

Now in this life, he still wasn't free because of his seal.

"But..." her eyes slowly turned red, "he said he was resting for now... R-resting... D-does he, not even care about s-such pain?" Her grip loosened on her swords.

That meant killing his emotions and truly becoming a tool for his mission was the only hope for him to carry it safely.

But in Diana's head something else made her tremble.

Cayn has to torture himself like this until his mission would start and end. Until all of this is over. Until he is ready to unleash his seals.

She finally uncovered all of the truth.

He was, more broken than she thought.

She picked up her swords.

Her face darkened.

"From him to be ready to unleash his seals he needs people whom he can trust his back to."

She started walking towards the dragon.

"In that small moment. In that brief moment where he opens his seals. It's either we all die or we survive. He needs people to stop him."

"That is why he never looked for the strongest person that can only stop him physically, even if I don't think such a person exists. But his family, who can bring him back to himself. That is why he is making all of us stronger."

"But until he does that, he can't lose control. Explaining all the emotional pain he is inflicting to stay true to himself. I guess he was doing the same in his life as an angel or I don't know what."

"Now it's even worse since he got a family and more people he cares about so it's easier to trigger his emotions."

Diana let go of her right-hand sword, leaving it flying in the air as she massaged her neck with her eyes clenched shut.

"Smoking." Her voice became harsh and deep. "huh."

The red dragon's eyes widened. He quietly took a step back.

"Hah." A breath of steam.

She opened her eyes. A tray of red and dark energy poured from them. "I guess I shouldn't waste my time here."

Her eyes grew murderous. Her hair started dancing in the air.

The dragon being a part of her could feel her true emotions.

It broke a sweat, gritted its teeth, and roared.

---

A figure gently started flying on top of the castle.

Cayn, watched Diana and the red dragon from above, with a cold expression dressed in a black hoodie and jeans, completely different from the clothes in Diana's world.

It seemed like something changed in him.

His presence was more imposing. At the same time as if he was non-existent. A transcendent being.

His eyelids were halfway on his dead-looking eyes. He raised his hand to put the hood on his hair covering half of his face.

Between his fingers formed the black cigarette.

He smoked as he lay on the spire of his castle. A baby black dragon gently wrapped down his shoulders.

Cayn pet its head while it lay to sleep.

"Thank you."

While his words carried gratitude they were cold and distant.

He slowly turned his head toward the dimension doors of Ariel.

---

In the other world.

Cayn's past world.

In ten different castles scattered around the universe and planets.

In ten different rooms.

Ten dark figures.

Their eyes twitched, opening with a tray of light.

All raised their heads towards Malik's dimension doors billions of light years from them.

They all jumped from their seats, beds, and thrones.

---

Malik was shaking, staring at the small dimension door in front of him.

A golden and dark aura was screaming from its letters.

The ten figures suddenly appeared behind him.

All staring at the door.

One of the figures walked up in front of Malik.

A big tall man, raised his hand towards the door, feeling the aura squeaking from it.

"Is-is, IS IT HIS?!" Screamed a beautiful woman behind him.

The man stood there without saying a word. His back faced Malik and the others.

"Open this door," his cold voice shook the entire universe.

"O-PEN-IT!" He turned his head slightly. His eyes glowed with a blue murderous light.

Malik didn't say a word.

While the other behind them gasped. Their eyes glowed with different colors as if they were getting ready.

He is alive.

Their big brother, the emperor, is alive.

---