Blackout Ascension: Return of Primordial Heir-Chapter 35: Generals of GKA

The grand Hall of Solaris Dominion shimmered brightly with warm torchlight on one side and suffocating tension on the other. It was a towering circular chamber where the proud banners of conquered lands and ancient allied families hung from the high stone ceilings. This was absolutely not a place for simple celebrations. This was a calculating hall where true global power was weighed.

Exactly six people sat high upon massive stone thrones carved deeply with their royal crests, arranged in a semi-circle overlooking the room.

King Raezon Solaris and the powerful representatives of the other five major kingdoms were fully present. Each specific seat reflected the true nature of the kingdom resting upon it. Some arrogant nobles leaned back confident, their sharp eyes scanning the crowded room for weakness. Others sat completely stiff, their knuckles white, their sweaty fingers gripping the cold armrests in unadulterated fear.

Standing in a tight ring around the circular chamber were the hardened warriors and elite generals who had miraculously survived the brutal Crystal Colosseum. These were tough men and women who had confidently looked death in the eye before. They were seasoned veterans of bloody monster hunts and deadly dungeon raids.

Yet today, something in their proud eyes had changed. They stood just a little bit closer together than usual. They spoke only in low, hushed tones. They nervously glanced at the empty spaces in the formation where their fallen comrades should have been standing.

King Raezon Solaris slowly stepped forward. His crimson cloak wavering grandly behind him, like an ocean wave with thick gold embroidery. As he moved to the center, the noisy hall respectfully quieted down. His immense presence alone pressed down on the chamber like a physical weight. The burning torches seemed to burn much lower when covered by his massive shadow.

"Today," King Raezon started, his voice echoing loudly across the hall, commanding the room. "We honor the bravery of those who willingly stepped into the bloody arena. We honor the fourteen legendary warriors who rightfully earned the high title of General."

For a brief moment, the proud words swirled around the quiet chamber. A low, polite wave of applause followed.

CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!

It was loud, and respectful. As the clapping sound quickly faded away, an unspoken thought promptly crept into every single mind, thinking heavy in the warm air.

Fourteen. Not fifteen.

There were supposed to be fifteen new generals crowned today. But the highly anticipated final match of the tournament had ended in world-ending chaos.

Complete silence took over the room when everyone thought about the five empty seats sitting right in the front row. The luxurious seats specifically reserved for the legendary House of Dracortis.

****

The Royal Hospital: High Recovery Ward.

At the same moment the powerful Kings were officially meeting, the secure hospital wing located near the royal palace was quiet. The sharp, bitter smell of crushed antiseptic herbs and bubbling healing potions filled, lingering in the warm air. Exactly five soft beds were lined up neatly in the large, pristine white room. Each single bed carefully held a wounded Dracortis sibling.

Stark lay still with his massive arm wrapped tight in a plaster cast, his chest heaving fastly. Veldra and Aeryth were unconscious, their bruised chests rising and falling in a very slow, painful rhythm. Luxara looked incredibly pale, her pleasant radiant light dimmed and faded. And right in the center bed, Pyrix laid flat on his back. His muscular body was broken, thick dragon scales were cracked.

They were five terrifying beings who had proudly entered the arena as unstoppable forces of pure destruction. Now, they lay unmoving, quietly suspended in the dark space between life and death.

Sitting quietly beside Pyrix’s bed, his eyes drifting patiently on a small wooden stool, was Kairos.

He was gently dipping a soft white cloth into a small bowl of cool water and very gently wiped the burnt soot from Pyrix’s bruised forehead. He checked the tight bandages wrapped around Stark’s broken arm. He gently adjusted the warm wool blanket over Luxara’s sleeping shoulders. He remained awake while everyone else slept.

Suddenly, Pyrix weakly jerked his heavy head on the pillow. The Fire Dragon’s scarred eyelids desperately tried to flutter open. A painful groan slowly escaped his dry throat. The waking world slowly returned to his mind in broken, obscuring fragments.

Pain. Extreme heat. Absolute silence.

The terrifying, humiliating memory of a Demon God stepping on his scaled neck flashed in his mind. His vision was blurred, exactly like dark smoke clouding his sight. He desperately tried to focus his eyes on the memory. For one brief, fleeting second, his golden eyes cleared. He clearly saw the quiet Kairos sitting right beside his bed.

It was only for a single second. But exactly in that fraction of a second, Pyrix’s spine precipitously thrilled with pure, ancient instinct. As his waking consciousness brushed gently against Kairos’ hidden aura, he felt something mysterious, and terrifying that he hadn’t noticed in the heat of battle. It was an ancient aura rushing against his sharp dragon senses. It actually felt like standing in front of an unmoving mountain that had been sitting there silently since the very literal creation of the entire world.

I surely know this dark presence... Pyrix thought wildly in his spinning mind, his heart racing. From exactly where...?

A deep memory instantly flashed. It was a genetic, bloodline memory, buried deep inside the ancient dragon bloodline itself. A terrifying memory of a dark sword confidently held by a towering figure that looked exactly like Kairos... but it was from a brutal forgotten ’Void Era’.

The Warrior... from the Void Era?

The horrifying thought cut through his rapidly fading consciousness like a sharp blade.

"You..." Pyrix whispered weakly, his dry throat cracking.

Kairos slowly looked directly at him, his warm hand gently reaching up on Pyrix’s bruised shoulder.

"Just rest, Pyrix," Kairos said softly, his voice calm and steady. "The brutal war is over for today."

The physical touch was warm like the touch of a family member. The terrifying, ancient aura vanished into thin air, hidden instantly right behind the impeccable mask of a kind, ordinary boy.

Darkness returned, swallowing Pyrix’s mind once again. He desperately thought it was a pain-induced hallucination. He passed out once more, falling deep into a dreamless sleep.

****

The Hall of Solaris Dominion.

Back in the massive hall, the tense atmosphere tightened even further. It was as if something dark and unseen had just silently passed right through the cold room.

The quiet hall tilted attention to King Raezon Solaris.

"Exactly only one match remained without a proper conclusion today," King Raezon announced loudly, his golden gaze slowly creeping across the nervous nobles and battered Generals. He looked at the empty front seats of the mighty Dracortis family. Then he looked slowly at the single, empty seat reserved for the mighty winner of the final, brutal death game. "It was the highly anticipated, final battle between Pyrix Dracortis and Kairos Vedaryan."

A loud, nervous murmur rippled through the cacophonous chamber. Some proud lords adjusted uncomfortably in their soft chairs. Some tough generals straightened their posture. Some angry warriors tightly clenched their sweaty fists. Absolutely everyone was fully nervous and held their breath as they waited.

King Raezon slowly hovered his massive golden sword, Vitesse, high into the air. The shimmering blade was the manifest symbol of true Solaris justice and command.

"For this coming, brutal war..." King Raezon said slowly, speaking very deliberately so every single person heard him. "There will not be fifteen generals."

Total confusion rumbled, roaming like cold air through the silent hall. The powerful representatives exchanged deeply worried looks with each other.

"There will be sixteen generals." King concluded, followed with loud, panicking whispers broke out, spreading across the room like hot sparks catching on dry wood.

Sixteen?

Another full general?

Who?

King Raezon did not wait patiently for their cowardly questions. He raised his prideful voice, silencing the noisy room instantly.

"The Fifteenth General is none other than the proud warrior who pushed his physical body beyond the mana limits of his ancient bloodline. The Almighty Fire Dragon... Pyrix Dracortis."

A gentle intake of breath followed the loud announcement. Some proud warriors nodded their heads in genuine approval. Pyrix’s raw power was unquestioned; he had transformed into a full dragon. But after that, what had brutally happened with Algreth, fear clinging to his famous name like burnt ash.

King Raezon slowly lifted his glittering blade slightly higher.

"and the highly unprecedented, Sixteenth General..." King Raezon paused dramatically, looking down at his beautiful daughter, Princess Seyana, sitting quietly right in the front row. He clearly saw the burning anticipation shining brightly in her amber eyes. "...is the indomitable hero who reigned supreme in the bloody arena today. The one who proudly stood on the ground when literal legends fell. The one who currently carries the heavy weight of the entire future." King Raezon’s voice boomed, shaking the dust from the rafters.

"Kairos Vedaryan. The Man of Pride."

For one single, highly suspended heartbeat... There was total silence.

Then, the massive hall completely roared.

The chamber praised the grand announcement with huge, deafening applause.

Proud warriors who bowed to no mortal kingdoms stood up on their feet for him. Hardened Generals who had brutally crushed enemy armies rose from their velvet seats. Hundreds of deep, battle-hardened voices roared loudly in approval, and hundreds of calloused hands that had destroyed entire kingdoms happily applauded.

IT WAS A STANDING OVIATION FOR A MERE PEASANT!!

They clapped hard until their bare hands hurt. They cheered a single name ’Kairos’ as loud as they could until their dry throats were sore. They were all wild cheering for a quiet boy who was far out of the room, sitting quietly in a royal hospital room taking care of his defeated rivals.

It was something deeper than royal loyalty. He received a gentle recognition of a true Savior. They knew, deep down in their very souls, that without his intervention, none of them would be standing here breathing tonight.

Sitting quietly among the arrogant royal heirs, Princess Seyana sat frozen. Her heart pounded against her ribs with immense, shimmering pride and pure relief.

Kairos... she thought happily to herself, her eyes shining. You actually did it. They finally see how amazing you are. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Her bright amber eyes shimmered with unshed emotion. She was a proud Princess of Solaris. She proudly raised her chin high with pride in her face.

Brandon Sylphyros was standing just a few feet away from her. He clapped his gloved hands too, but only because he had to keep up appearances. But his pale blue eyes were hollow and dead.

King Raezon and the other powerful representatives slowly rose together from their thrones. King Raezon slowly lowered his golden sword.

"Brutal, unforgiving training officially begins at sunrise," King Raezon declared. "The Great War draws near. Prepare yourselves completely. Tonight, we happily celebrate our survival. But tomorrow, we will actively prepare for extinction." The grand meeting officially concluded.

****

The Royal Balcony.

The loud, joyful celebrations happily continued far down in the lower banquet halls. Loud laughter, upbeat music, and the clinking of expensive wine glasses could be heard faintly drifting up. But high up in the secure royal quarters, it was peaceful.

A bright, full moon hung high in the pitch-black night sky, casting a beautiful, soft silver glow over the sleeping capital city. Standing alone on her private marble balcony, Princess Seyana looked out over the kingdom.

She wore a simple, elegant nightgown made of pure white silk, and her beautiful golden hair flowed loose in the cool night wind. She was quietly staring at the flickering lights of the city, but her amber gaze was unfocused, looking toward the hospital wing, barely visible in the dark distance.

She gently wrapped her bare arms tightly around herself to shield from the night chill. "You’re probably exhausting yourself taking care of all of them right now, aren’t you?" she whispered softly to the empty wind, a small smile touching her lips. "You always put everyone else first."

She smiled warmly, but it was a sad, slightly lonely smile. The fragile world was safe for now. But standing alone in the dark peace of the night, the creeping fear slowly returned to her heart. She deeply missed him. She missed the quiet, gentle boy who happily read dusty books alone with her in the silent library.

She slowly looked up at the bright, glowing moon. "Please, just be safe out there," she whispered quietly into the gentle night.

The silent moon just watched her quietly from above.