The Third Prince Of Darkness

Chapter 174: Perfection

Annaxor's eyes met mine for only a moment, but that gaze reverberated through my entire body like a searing pain. The pressure I felt wasn't just from his piercing stare, but also from the trembling walls of the cave and the dark energy saturating the air. With every breath he took, with every movement, the surrounding air grew heavier, oppressively thick.

Vash'tor, Liriel, Gorun… All of them stood frozen as if crushed under an unbearable weight. The fear in their eyes made it seem like they were one step away from death. The overwhelming aura surrounding Annaxor had enveloped every warrior present. Slowly, that colossal being scanned each of them, his gaze settling on me as he began to advance.

Liriel's eyes grew emptier with each step Annaxor took. She didn't scream; she only gasped for air in silent terror, clutching her magical energy shield tightly. Yet, I knew that her magic was futile against this power. It was as if nothing could protect against Annaxor's presence.

He turned first to Vash'tor. Every movement he made resonated in the air like an explosion. Annaxor took one step, then another, closing in on Vash'tor. The giant man, as immovable as a river against its current, stood firm. But no matter how strong he was, he was nothing more than a child's plaything before this entity. Annaxor raised his arms and struck Vash'tor down in a single blow. The mighty warrior crumpled to the ground, blood trickling from his mouth, his eyes fading. One of the greatest professors of the ancient Dragon Academy was defeated so effortlessly.

Liriel's arms trembled with the insecurity she felt against Annaxor's presence. "W-we have to stop this… or we'll all… we'll all die!" she stammered, tears streaming down her face. But when Annaxor glanced at her, her panicked cries ceased immediately. The light that shimmered in her eyes vanished in an instant, her hands dropping lifelessly as the energy within her dissipated. Under Annaxor's crushing grasp, her body was lifted into the air and then hurled to the ground.

Gorun gripped his axe with both hands and charged fearlessly toward Annaxor. "Damn… May the gods curse you!" he roared, swinging his weapon. But the massive creature didn't even flinch, taking a single step back. Gorun's axe struck Annaxor's impenetrable torso, as though it had hit an immovable mountain. With a single motion, Annaxor swiped his colossal hand, sending Gorun flying. The strike opened a deep gash across Gorun's chest, and the mighty warrior fell heavily, his breath ceasing. In mere moments, three of the Dragon Academy's strongest warriors—each more powerful than me—lay dead.

This was a power even dragons feared. Annaxor, a being capable of slaying an average dragon with one hand, possessed strength enough to annihilate all of humanity. He was the embodiment of the greatest-made catastrophe existence had ever witnessed.

Now, I was the only one left. My mind felt scattered, my body seemingly a part of this horrific scene. Everyone else had been crushed, abandoned to death. Before me loomed the crimson figure, its shadows flickering ominously. Something stirred within me—a force—but it wasn't a beacon of hope; it was a pull toward destruction, toward the source of the darkness. Stay updated with mvl

Annaxor cast one last glance over at the fallen warriors, his eyes weighing them as though deciding they're worth. Slowly, he raised his shoulders, as if contemplating erasing every existence in a single breath. Then, with his last movement, the entire cave trembled.

"This shouldn't have been so easy," he said, his voice seemingly directed solely at me.

In that instant, everything froze. My body went numb, my vision darkened, and the voice of my own shadow whispered to me. But when Annaxor's crimson eyes turned back to me, I felt both dead and reborn in the same moment. Each step he took shook the ground like a small earthquake. I had no idea what to do. Could I escape this monster? Most likely not. Absolutely not. Could I defeat him?

I searched desperately for a clue, anything to grasp or understand, but there was nothing. What would I do now? The only option left was to fight this cursed beast. Maybe… maybe he had a weakness, though it seemed impossible.

As Annaxor approached, the surrounding darkness seemed to deepen. Each step brought a heavier tremor, the air suffocating like a shroud pressing down on me. My heart pounded as if trying to drown out the ominous murmurs in my head. Fear swelled within me, but so did something else—a need to destroy him, to erase his existence. Whatever it took, I had to try.

There was no other choice. I quickly stretched out my arms, channeling my inner energy and focusing my Kaizer power into my fingertips. In this moment of life and death, everything depended on me. Just as I lunged forward to attack Annaxor…

Time froze again. His glowing red eyes pulled me into another realm. I hadn't even realized I was caught in a spell. My arms hung motionless in midair, my steps halted. My mind blurred, dragging me into a blinding void of white.

With a single motion, Annaxor released a wave of energy from his eyes, and everything around us began to spin. His colossal form rose, shaking the structures of the cave with every movement. Suddenly, my soul felt as though it had been ripped from my body. The surrounding cave dissolved into a brilliant white emptiness. And then it was as if I was pulled into another realm, caught in the wave of that overwhelming magic.

My eyes no longer saw the dark cave, but instead saw a dazzling light. My entire being was absorbed into the blinding void, stretching infinitely. Time and space ceased to matter, leaving only this endless expanse where nothing else existed.

The white light consumed every fear and pain within me, leaving only a strange serenity. I floated in a vast nothingness, feeling my soul gently drift away. Yet my soul wasn't like a shadowy entity; it seemed to progress toward an infinite peace. The darkness power and Kaizer power within me had vanished, replaced by a profound light and tranquility.

The hum resonating within the white light gradually gave way to a profound silence. And that's when I realized—I wasn't alone.

Before me rose a figure that seemed to embody all the light and darkness of existence within itself. Its immense size defied reality, as if it had been plucked from the imagination of a creator beyond comprehension. Its body was sculpted like an ancient masterpiece, as if carved with precision by a divine hand. Hardened, flawless contours framed its form, while enormous muscles rippled beneath its deep gray skin. Thick veins bulged across its chest and arms, pulsing with latent energy. Every movement it made suffused the air with an oppressive weight, turning even breathing into a struggle.

From its head, sharp, bone-like horns jutted outward, each one a menacing herald of death. Every detail of its being radiated forewarning, as if daring any to challenge its existence.

Its eyes... there were no words sufficient to describe them. Pure, ruthless crimson burned within their depths, like a fire that threatened to consume anyone who dared to gaze at them. Those eyes pierced through every thought, every fear, as though they could lay my soul bare. When they settled on me, I felt a vibration deep within—an echo of destruction and endless darkness.

"Who... who are you?" I whispered, my voice cracking with fear.

The figure took a step forward. Even a simple motion caused the transparent ground to dispersal beneath its weight. With each step, time seemed to grow heavier, and the world around us shrank to insignificance. As it leaned closer, I could feel its breath—thick, foreboding, and brimming with an ominous power. Its voice, deep and resonant, broke the silence like a thunderclap.

"I am Annaxor. The harbinger of destruction and the end. The shadowed balance of existence, the dominion of chaos. To mortals, I am a myth; to gods, I am a terror."

"But how? The last time I saw you, your form was... different. You were more like—"

"A monster?" Annaxor interrupted, its tone tinged with dark amusement. "But this is my true form. Or rather, it once was. Long ago, I was the embodiment of perfection. But now... now I have become a monster." His voice, though smoother than before, retained its commanding and masculine undertone.

"What do you want from me? And where even is this place?" I asked, my voice trembling but steady enough to form the question.

"This is the one place where all beings are equal—the realm of souls. The origin of all spirits. Here, all souls appear as they were created... And it seems you, too, have wrapped your soul in a shell," Annaxor said, his piercing gaze scanning me from head to toe.

When I looked down at myself more carefully, I was struck with shock. I was no longer in Ethan's body. Instead, I was back in my original form—the body I had in my previous life. The wretched body that carried all my vile memories.

This detestable form, riddled with scars from a life I wanted to forget, now stood exposed in the realm of souls.