Chapter 249: Olivia (Part 2)
Under this overwhelming pressure, Olivia's magic could no longer hold.
The faint magical light flickering around her body intensified, her form suddenly expanding back into that of a silver dragon.
However, the young silver dragon, over ten meters long and an imposing sight for any mortal, looked like a mere kitten in front of the red dragon—its head didn't even reach the red dragon's chest.
Olivia let out a feeble growl.
"Grrr…"
"Red, red dragon, before you stands the Silver Star, O-Olivia."
She made the declaration with no confidence at all.
Olivia barely managed to hold herself steady, spreading her silver wings, arching her back, glaring defiantly at the red dragon.
Even with all her efforts to appear composed, her wings trembled slightly, claws clinging tightly to the ground, the brilliant silver scales almost standing on end.
The fear, a deep-seated terror, was impossible to hide.
In response to this frightened posturing, Cassius spoke calmly.
"Don't be nervous, silver dragon."
"Perhaps we can talk—about your intrusion."
Though Olivia's body still quaked, she mustered the courage to reply, "Th-this is not your domain! You're nothing but a cruel invader."
Cassius slowly unfurled his wings, his immense shadow completely engulfing the silver dragon, and a twisted grin appeared on his four-horned head.
"Very well, silver dragon, then I shall first teach you—"
"The most basic manners."
As the red dragon drew closer, Olivia began to feel a sense of despair.
This creature was beyond anything she could face alone.
But the larger a dragon was, the clumsier its movements would be, and the thirty-meter behemoth before her was no exception.
Perhaps she could exploit this flaw, her only chance of survival.
"Roar—"
Olivia let out a low cry, her chest scales lighting up with a dazzling silver glow—those were magical engravings. Olivia wasn't a "Magic-Eating Dragon," but these were high-level runes inscribed by her grandfather, her final life-saving measure.
Instantly, several spells were cast upon her, significantly enhancing her speed and defenses.
But it wasn't over yet.
[Crown of Stars]
Hundreds of glowing, star-shaped lights materialized, circling around the silver dragon's head and wings.
The starlight reflected off her silver scales, shining brightly all around, making her appear almost holy—like a celestial being from Mount Celestia. The title "Silver Star" didn't seem unfitting in this moment.
The starlight transformed into brilliant streaks, darting across the air towards the red dragon.
Olivia seized the opportunity, folding her wings and darting towards a gap on the red dragon's side.
She didn't expect to harm the red dragon; she merely hoped to distract him long enough to make her escape.
However, Cassius simply raised one claw, shooting out a straight beam from his razor-sharp talon.
[Magic Nullification]
In an instant, the splendid starlight dimmed and dissipated entirely where the beam struck.
Olivia, flying at high speed, was struck by a sudden realization. She had forgotten that the "Ember King" was capable of casting ninth-level spells!
But even more shocking was what came next.
The massive thirty-meter-long body moved with an agility that defied belief, even faster than her, blocking her path like an impenetrable wall.
Olivia had no time to change course, heading straight towards the red dragon's chest.
Cassius reached out with his huge claw, easily grabbing the silver dragon by her neck, lifting her as effortlessly as a kitten.
"Let go of me, red dragon!"
Olivia struggled, wildly flailing her claws in the air, but could do nothing to free herself from his iron grasp.
The sheer difference in strength and size was overwhelming. In the face of this thirty-meter red dragon, Olivia might as well have been a newborn kitten.
With a slight exertion of force, Cassius flung her away.
Under the immense power, Olivia was hurled tens of meters, tumbling across the ground, her delicate wing membranes showing signs of injury.
Olivia struggled to her feet, attempting to stand again, but before she could react, the red dragon closed in like a storm.
"Silver dragon, this is but a trivial punishment."
Cassius pressed her down with one claw, speaking dispassionately.
[Wagner's Dragon Binding Array]
At that moment, runes on the ground lit up, and hundreds of chains rose up, tightly binding the young silver dragon, leaving her unable to move.
"Let me go!"
"I am the descendant of the ancient silver dragon Oszedro!"
Olivia struggled, her voice hoarse as she shouted.
Feeling the impossibility of breaking free, she resorted to invoking her lineage.
The silver dragon twisted and turned, pouring in all her strength, but the chains merely glowed, burning her, leaving black marks on her silvery body.
Cassius watched the dragon, bound tightly by the array, and spoke leisurely: "You can choose to stay here for hundreds or thousands of years, or—you can submit to me."
In this desperate situation, Olivia's heart was filled with fury and bitterness. She yelled, "You dream, red dragon!"
"For a noble silver dragon to submit to a marauding red dragon, an enemy of all that is good—it's the biggest joke in the world!"
"Where's Angel? What did you do to him?"
At these words, Cassius couldn't help but let out a laugh.
He hadn't expected his "guise" to leave such an impression on the silver dragon, nor that she hadn't realized the "golden dragon's" true nature.
Cassius sneered, his voice dripping with malice.
"Are all metallic dragons like this?"
"If you persist in resisting, you'll end up just like that foolish gold dragon."
"You—"
Olivia's eyes reddened, tears welling up.
Hearing Cassius' words, she could almost see that familiar figure being crushed by the red dragon, his face, always so determined, consumed by fire.
"Damn you, evil dragon!"
She roared, tears streaming, "I will never, ever yield to the likes of you! Not even in death!"
Cassius lowered his head, looking at Olivia with a mocking glint, like a predator eyeing its prey, making her scalp tingle.
"Evil?"
"How could I be evil?"
Cassius grinned.
Olivia glared at him, her teeth gritted in anger. "Cassius! Your deeds are known across Anzeta. Your infamy is spread throughout the Northlands."
"You've raised a vast army of monsters, invaded territories, greedily seized lands for your own. You've plundered wealth, occupied cities, enslaved people, and cruelly persecuted the innocent—"
She didn't even pause for breath.
"If that isn't evil, then there's no such thing as evil in this world!"
Olivia poured out her hatred, using every ounce of scorn in her vocabulary.
But Cassius merely shook his head.
"That's only your perspective. You are not human, just an outsider. You silver dragons claim closeness to humanity, yet you remain aloof. You take on their form but do not immerse yourself in their society. You view them more as… your pets."
"Do you think humanity is one single entity?"
"The nobles are people, but so are the commoners, the merchants, even the serfs. I have chosen to eliminate a few of the cancerous nobles to save the majority."
"To tens of thousands of serfs, I am their savior, lifting them from the status of 'gray livestock' to people with dignity."
"To those plagued by vampires, I am the bringer of justice. I wiped out the bloodsuckers who fed on them for centuries, I obliterated the Lackman family—they should only thank me."
"You've seen it too. For the vast majority, I have given them a better life. I have founded a new kingdom, freeing them from the decaying old order of the Northlands…"
"Yet you care only for those few obstacles? Are they really 'the majority's justice'?"
The red dragon watched her, a faint smile on his face, concluding his speech word by word:
"If my actions aren't justice, then all the nobles in the Northlands deserve the gallows."