My Dragon King System-Chapter 363: Prelude To The HolyGrail War(III): An Ally Of Darkness

Chapter 363: Prelude To The HolyGrail War(III): An Ally Of Darkness

He spread both arms wide as he walked, in a theatrical gesture.

"That is why I am the single most powerful being across all universes."

His grin broke into a sarcastic laugh that made the air rumble like thunder, enough to rattle the shadows around them.

Aiden shook his head with some smile on his face.

While Lord Shadow amused himself, Aiden’s thoughts had drifted elsewhere. He found himself thinking about the previous Ruler of the Seventh Universe.

He still knew very little about that figure. But one thing was becoming harder to dismiss as coincidence.

That person had met with the Architect to build a system, one that eventually found its way to Thyrak, then through the other hosts, and eventually to him who would use it to protect everything that had been left behind. And then separately, through means Aiden still didn’t fully understand, that same former Ruler had cultivated some manner of relationship with the most dangerous being in the neighboring universe, one who now stood beside Aiden on a shadow street, cracking himself up over the poor decisions of his peers.

None of it felt random.

It felt like the careful work of someone who had seen far enough into the future to position everything precisely where it would be needed, long before the need ever arose.

Lord Shadow stopped walking, then stared blankly into the distance for a moment, before turning toward Aiden. The amusement was gone from his face now and he suddenly looked serious.

"Alright, Usurper. I will bring no further retribution to the Seventh Universe. But it is time you left my world. You have already stayed longer than the others did."

Aiden nodded in understanding. He was already turning to leave when something Lord Shadow had said stopped him.

It was the second time the shadow ruler had referenced other rulers coming here, and he couldn’t let that pass without asking.

"Grant me an answer to one question," Aiden said.

Lord Shadow waited.

"Why do the others come here?"

"Why else?" Lord Shadow replied, with no particular expression. "The Sixth and Seventh Universes are neighbors. And more recently, any ruler who comes here asks one of two things. Either my assistance in taking the power residing in the Seventh, or my guarantee that I will do nothing to interfere with their attempt."

Aiden was quiet for a moment, processing that.

"I see...Well, I would offer my thanks for not coming to terms with any of them, but I don’t think you would want that from a Fake Ruler."

"Get off my world, Usurper." Lord Shadow said, flicking his fingers.

A void of darkness open behind Aiden. Without warning, shadowed arms covered in dark miasma burst forth, seized him, and dragged him back into the abyss.

Aiden didn’t resist.

He let them take him, and the smile on his face remained all the way until the darkness closed over him.

Lord Shadow stood alone on the pavement for a moment. He exhaled slowly, then disappeared in a burst of smoke.

The shadow people on the street continued walking. The vehicles kept moving, and the city went on without pause, as though nothing had happened at all.

———

The void reopened at the edge of the Seventh Universe, and Aiden hovered out of it into open space. He let out a slow breath and almost immediately, a few notification screens materialized in front of him.

[The Lord of Shadows has sent a creature of shadows along with you]

[Purpose: The shadow creature is to act as the Shadow Ruler’s eyes and ears in this world]

"Huh?"

Aiden’s eyes widened for a moment, then he looked down at his feet with narrowed eyes.

"I see. So that was when." He said with a smile.

He realized that this had happened when the shadow arms had pulled him into the portal. The creature had slipped into the shade of his own silhouette during those brief seconds of contact.

[Evaluating strength of shadow creature... 1%... 2%...]

[Evaluation Complete]

[Strength of creature is at least Angel Level]

[The System advises you not to destroy or send the shadow creature away. Doing so may anger the Ruler of the Sixth Universe]

Aiden laughed out loud at the last line, shaking his head as the screens dissolved.

His expression settled after a moment as something else Lord Shadow had said came back to him. That the other rulers already had agents operating inside the Seventh Universe, concealed so thoroughly by their respective rulers that even someone of Aiden’s perception wouldn’t catch them at first glance.

A smirk then crossed his lips.

"I will find you all."

——

The Castle Of the Shadow Lord, The Tenebrous Haven was quiet at this hour, or whatever passed for an hour in a place with no sun.

Lord Shadow walked a long corridor until he reached a particular door, pushed it open, and stepped inside.

The room was filled with thick and unmoving darkness.

He raised one hand and swept his fingers sideways, which made the darkness fold back from the room like a curtain being drawn, retreating to the walls until the space was clear.

In the same moment, the sound of coughing came forth as he crossed the room quickly towards the young woman lying on the bed.

She had dark hair spread across the pillow and was clothed in a black gown. But even in her current state she was strikingly beautiful.

She turned her head toward him and raised one hand slowly.

"Father," she said in a weak voice.

Lord Shadow crossed the room quickly with all composure gone from his face the moment he saw her. He reached the bedside and took her raised hand in both of his, lowering himself to sit beside her.

"My child, I am here" His voice had lost every edge it carried earlier in the throne room, or the street with Aiden.

This was why he had sent Aiden away when he did. She had woken up, and nothing else in any universe came before that.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​