Chapter 427: 427

Then, without another word, Red spread his wings.

With a single, mighty beat, he lifted off the ground. Another beat, and he was already ascending. His colossal form blurred as he picked up speed, and within seconds—

He was gone. Yet his presence remained, the aftermath of his fire followed immediately, its effects still unraveling.

As Red vanished into the night sky, the lingering sea of flame began to take effect.

At first, the battlefield stood eerily still. The Zealots, still heavily numbered, suddenly stopped. Their bodies twitched and shuddered, their instinct screaming for them to get to the other world, sadly their connection to the other world was severed by the fire’s divine will.

Then, the flames sank into the ground, spreading like veins of molten gold.

A sudden pressure gripped the battlefield. The Zealots screamed.

The spiritual fire did not burn them like ordinary flames—it attacked their very essence. The shadowy marks on their bodies, once pulsating with eerie light, began to crack. The cursed inscriptions they bore—the very thing that allowed them to slip between dimensions—shattered like broken glass.

One by one, the Zealots began to collapse, their bodies spasming, their faces twisted in agony. Some clawed at their own skin, as if trying to peel away the burning force that now clung to them. Others, eyes wide with horror, tried to run—but there was nowhere to go.

The Apeling guards, still standing within the protective glow of the fire, watched in silent awe.

Then, without warning—

The first Zealot turned to ash. It happened instantly, his body collapsing into embers that floated into the air before vanishing completely.

Then another and another. Like falling dominos, the Zealots were erased—not merely burned, but purged from existence itself.

Their screams grew fainter. Their bodies disintegrated faster.

And soon—There was nothing left of them but dust.

The battlefield fell deathly silent.

Only the quiet crackling of the spiritual embers remained, floating through the air like fireflies in the dark. The Apeling guards, still breathing heavily, lowered their weapons. Their enemies were gone. Utterly gone.

Yet, despite their victory, none cheered.

They had seen the cost of this battle.

The bodies of their fallen still lay scattered across the field, the scent of blood mingling with the lingering warmth in the air. Those who had been dragged into the other world and never returned—they were truly lost.

And then— A voice, weak yet defiant, broke the silence.

“The captain…”

The remaining warriors turned, their eyes falling upon the place where Ikem’s grandchildren still fought.

The origin gods and their counterpart who were playing tug of war stopped for a second, their expression filled with surprise.

A factor they didn’t consider just interfered in the play, the dragons existence has been so hidden and out of development that their presence is easily forgotten.

It had never occured to the origin gods to ask the dragons for help and for their counterpart. The existence of the dragons were forgotten but now it seems even though they have forgotten them, the dragons haven’t forgotten them.

The origin gods could feel their counterpart retreating, Crepuscular counterpart spoke up “It seems this round will be handed to you guys, it was a very teachable moment”

Jaws, Mahu and Crepuscular frowned “This was something they hated, their counterpart willingness to learn from loss, their weakness. For the gods whos has had an eas going life till now, it was an annoyance knowing that their immortal lives wil be spent under the watchful gaze of such opponent”

They already proved how capable they are, if the dragons hadn’t intervened. The protectors deployed for the demigods would be overwhelmed by the Zealots’ numbers, as for calling for reinforcement. That was unlikely to happen as who knows what plans they have in store once the kingdom guard is weakened.

Across the divide, their counterparts were sharing a moment of insight, Crepuscular’s counterpart spoke up “We weren’t looking deep enough and was instead focused on the gods and their children”

Ikenga’s counterpart whose attention is divided elsewhere spoke up “Indeed, the dragons would have made such a great ally. We need their knowledge. The leviathan demon was supposed to fill in our knowledge gap but he has been proving to be useless and would rather sleep his time away”

Keles counterpart spoke up “How do we get our hands on the dargons, from what we have seen it seems they can move and leave from our realm as they want to”

Mahu’s counterpart offered a crucial observation, “Not entirely. They were hasty in their departure, distinctly uncomfortable in our world. Their stay was brief, and I sensed… fear. That’s why they were so quick to leave.” A subtle shift in the balance of power, a vulnerability revealed. The dragons, despite their power, were not entirely at ease in their realm. This information, however small, was a potential lever.

A thoughtful silence descended upon the counterparts. The revelation of the dragons’ discomfort was a significant development, a chink in their otherwise impenetrable armor. It wasn’t just about their knowledge or power; it was about understanding their limitations, their fears.

Ikenga’s counterpart spoke first. “Fear… intriguing. What could possibly frighten such powerful beings?”

“Perhaps it’s not fear in the conventional sense,” Keles’ counterpart mused. “Perhaps it’s… incompatibility. Our realm, our energies, might be… hostile to them. Like oil and water.”

Crepuscular’s counterpart nodded slowly. “A plausible theory. If they are uncomfortable here, it explains their reluctance to engage. It also suggests a vulnerability we can exploit.”

Jaws’ counterpart, always direct, cut to the chase. “Exploit how? We can’t exactly invite them over for tea and biscuits. They’d likely ignore us and go back into hiding before we could offer the first crumpet.”

“Subtlety, Jaws,” Crepuscular’s counterpart replied, a hint of amusement in their voice. “We don’t need to force them. We need to understand them. Their motivations, their weaknesses… their needs.”

Mahu’s counterpart, their gaze distant, added, “And their history. Why have they remained hidden for so long? What caused them to resurface now? These are questions we must answer.”

“Indeed,” Ikenga’s counterpart agreed. “Information is key. We need to delve deeper into their past, uncover their secrets. The leviathan demon might be useless for magical knowledge, but perhaps he has some thoughts to share on the dragons”

He then continued, “The question now is, how do we get hold of one? Unlike the demon, there aren’t many ways we can get hold of them. And since they seem to be aware of our existence, I doubt they would fall easily into our hands.”

Mahu’s counterpart gave an eerie smile as she opened her hand, revealing a small figure. “As it happens, one of these dragons has a weakness we can exploit. But it will come at a price.”

“And that price is?” her counterpart asked.

“We must accept that this time, we have lost. But in doing so, we pave the way to capturing a much bigger prize in the future.”

The other counterpart remained silent for a moment before nodding. Then, with a low chuckle, they added, “Even though we’ve lost, that doesn’t mean we can’t make it harder for them to enjoy their victory.”

With that said, the counterparts simultaneously sliced their fingers with their nails, squeezing out tiny drops of dark blood. They flicked the droplets into the air, where they dissipated instantly.

Meanwhile, in the real world, the gods watched as the dragons dealt with the Zealots, each in their own way.

Western Continent, moments earlier.

The Zealots unleashed upon Ursula and her protectors were proving far more difficult to handle than those sent after Ikem.

The battle began with the Zealots stripping the harpies of their greatest advantage—the sky. Thunder rumbled across the night as dark-colored rain poured from the heavens, crackling with an eerie energy. The rain wasn’t just water—it was acidic, eating away at everything it touched.

Forced to the ground, the harpies struggled to fight while constantly expanding mana to shield themselves from the corrosive downpour. But the Zealots’ assault did not stop there. They reached into the otherworld, pulling unsuspecting harpies into the abyss and drowning them in its dark waters.

To make matters worse, others wielded that very same water, summoning waves of darkness that surged across the battlefield, swallowing everything in their path.

One Zealot lunged forward with terrifying speed, his blade slicing downward. A harpy barely dodged in time, his feathers sizzling as acidic rain grazed his wings. Before the Zealot could follow up, another harpy thrust her talons into the ground, channeling raw lightning through her arms. A blinding bolt surged forward, striking the Zealot square in the chest.

He convulsed violently, his body crackling with energy—but he did not fall.

Instead, he let out a guttural growl and lunged again. His arms twisted and morphed into liquid tendrils, snaking around the harpy’s legs. A sharp yank—

She was dragged toward the dark waters pooling beneath his feet.

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