Chapter 434: 434

"Is it happening again?" Adriana’s eyes trembled as she looked at the distant horizon. The explosion’s light reflected in her pupils, painting them with the color of despair.

From far away, she could see the Colosseum swallowed in chaos. The shockwaves from the blast rolled through the air, shaking the ground beneath her feet. Smoke and flames covered the once glorious city, and her chest tightened seeing the endless destruction spreading further.

The Black Dragon was still in the air, roaring in fury. The upper echelon of the Abyssal Cult had appeared, and the Duke’s forces were clashing with them. The whole place had turned into a battlefield that reeked of blood and death.

Today would be remembered as one of the darkest days in the Empire’s history. Everything that once stood proud and noble was now in tatters.

"Will everything follow the same path again?" she whispered weakly, her voice trembling.

She knew this scene. She had seen it before. Yet no matter what she tried, the end always repeated itself. Despite her knowledge of the future, she was powerless to change it.

Ever since the start of the Crown Games, Adriana had been working endlessly, tracking every move of the group she once thought she could stop. She had hoped to find some evidence or weakness that could change the course of events, but everything was moving just like before.

"How did Rein even get involved with them?" she muttered, gritting her teeth. "It didn’t happen like this last time..."

Her thoughts ran wild, tangled with fear and confusion.

"Rein became Crown Prince because Martina and Roosevelt died... No..." she paused, her expression darkening. "In fact, Rein took the opportunity of chaos.He used it to poison Princess Martina while Prince Roosevelt was killed during the uprising."

Her heart pounded faster as she remembered every step of that tragic timeline.

"It’s going to fall again... Even though some things have changed, I wonder if it’ll make any difference."

She clenched her fists and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She had planned to leave this place long ago, to avoid getting caught in this storm again.

But then... a faint image appeared in her mind.

The white-haired man.

Her lips trembled.

Adriana didn’t like his nature. He was cold, unpredictable, and sometimes terrifying. Yet, something about him had always drawn her in. There was a strange pull that she couldn’t ignore.

She bit her lower lip, hesitating.

"No," she whispered. "At the very least, I should warn him. I’ll just warn him and then leave."

Her expression hardened.

"After all, it’s not the Abyssal Cult that delivers the final blow this time."

. . ....

At the same time, inside the Colosseum—

"What the hell is this shit now?!" Roosevelt roared as he swung his sword, his aura bursting with fury. The Imperial Swordsmanship he unleashed cleaved through several monsters, leaving behind trails of energy that cut through the air.

Martina stood beside him, her armor scorched and dented. She was breathing heavily but continued to strike down one monster after another, her holy spear shining brightly with divine light.

Roosevelt’s eyes darted toward Kael, who was standing a few meters away commanding his men. "You! Why do you look weaker than when you fought last time? Are you holding back?"

Kael glared at him, blocking a monster’s claw with his sword and twisting his body to throw it aside. "Holding back my ass!" he snapped, panting.

He felt his chest tighten with frustration. ’In the virtual realm, I could devour and push myself near SS rank,’ he thought bitterly. ’But here, back in the real world... damn it, the gap is too big.’

Before he could think more, a loud voice boomed from above.

"Protect your people!"

Kael raised his head and saw the sky splitting apart. The heavens trembled as the shockwaves from the dragon’s battle spread through the air. The sound was deafening, and waves of pressure rippled across the city.

Energy flares flashed across the clouds like lightning, and even Kael felt his skin burn slightly from the intensity.

He turned to his companion. "Gare, take care of this," he said firmly.

With that, he slammed his foot on the ground, creating a crater, and launched himself toward the upper stands.

But as soon as he landed—

"..." His expression darkened. What he saw made his veins twitch in anger.

"Old man, can you stop fucking around?!" he shouted furiously.

"Bang!"

"What did you say?" Ramos roared back, slamming his fist into a monster that dared to approach. The beast was crushed instantly, its body exploding into pieces.

The entire stadium was collapsing, debris falling everywhere, yet inside the private stand reserved for the Grand Duke’s family, Ramos was calmly sipping coffee. His mother and Lyria sat beside him, both looking far too relaxed given the chaos outside.

Kael stared at them, completely dumbfounded.

Then suddenly, something crashed into him.

"Papa! Papa! Elfie missed you!"

A small dragon slammed against him, knocking him slightly off balance. The creature’s eyes sparkled with joy as she nudged his face, licking his cheek.

Kael blinked, then laughed softly despite the chaos. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her head gently.

"Papa missed you too, dear Elfie," he said quietly. "You’ve grown a lot."

Elfie puffed her chest proudly. "Hehe! Elfie has been eating really well! Haha!"

Kael smiled faintly, his expression soft for the first time in hours. But his face froze again when a deafening explosion erupted nearby. The entire stand shook violently, and the windows shattered.

"Shit..." he cursed, his eyes widening.

He looked around at Ramos and the others still sitting calmly. "Why the hell are you all sitting here like this instead of escaping?!" he shouted, his voice filled with both anger and disbelief.

"I wanted to go out but Sir Ramos said it’s more dangerous outside than here..We should wait for the chaos to calm down."Emilia spoke with a helpless expression.

Ramos lifted his cup, completely ignoring the chaos outside. The ground trembled, debris fell from the ceiling, yet he calmly took another sip.

"What’s the rush, boy?" he said lazily, setting his cup down with a soft clink. "It’s just a dragon. We’ve seen worse."

Kael’s jaw dropped. "Just a—just a dragon?! That thing outside is literally the size of a mountain!"

"Mountains are stable," Ramos replied, nodding seriously. "That one moves too much. It’s annoying, yes, but hardly worth panicking over."

"Your dad got it.."

Kael’s eyes twitched. "You’re insane..."

Emja giggled from the couch, where she sat comfortably, brushing her hair as if she were preparing for a festival rather than an apocalypse. "Kael, dear, don’t shout so much. You’ll scare Elfie."

Elfie, perched on Kael’s shoulder, puffed up her tiny chest proudly. "Elfie’s not scared! Papa will protect me!"

Kael sighed, rubbing his temples. "Yeah, sure, but who’s going to protect me from all of you?"

Before anyone could respond, another explosion thundered through the Colosseum.

The shockwave blasted through the room, toppling a few vases and sending dust flying everywhere. Ramos calmly raised one hand, and a transparent barrier formed around them. The debris stopped midair before falling harmlessly to the ground.

"There," he said, brushing off his robe.

"Problem solved."

"Problem solved?!" Kael shouted, pointing outside the shattered window where soldiers were literally running for their lives. "The city is being flattened, and you’re having a tea party!"

Ramos blinked. "Would you like some?"

Kael froze. "What?"

"Tea," Ramos repeated, pouring himself another cup. "It’s from the eastern province.It soothes your nerves..You can ask Emilia."

Emilia nodded, holding her cup delicately. "It really does soothe the nerves."

"Mother, for the love of—" Kael groaned and ran his hand through his hair.

Just then, Ramos stood up slowly, finally showing a hint of seriousness. "Fine, fine. If it’ll make you feel better, we can do something."

"Thank you!" Kael said, relieved.

"Elfie," Ramos said suddenly.

"Yes, Grandpa Ramos?" Elfie tilted her tiny head.

"Go play fetch with the dragon."

Kael’s eyes widened. "WHAT?!"

Elfie’s tail swished eagerly. "Yay! Big scary toy!"

Kael immediately grabbed her by the wings. "No, no, no! You are not going near that thing!"

Elfie pouted. "But Papa, Elfie can help!"

"I don’t need help, I need sanity!" Kael snapped.

Ramos chuckled under his breath. "Relax, brat. She’s stronger than she looks."

"She’s still a child!" Kael shot back.

"She’s a dragon," Ramos corrected with a smirk.

"She needs to see how big one looks."

Lyria looked out through the cracks in the wall, watching the distant battle of magic and light that illuminated the sky.

"It’s not a real dragon right."

"Hm...It’s an undead."

Before the argument could continue, the entire building shook again. Ramos sighed and set his cup down once more.

"Well," Ramos shrugged.

Elfie giggled and raised her tiny claws. "Papa, Grandpa’s is so cool and funny.*

Kael looked like he was about to collapse. "He’s not funny. He’s mentally unstable."

"Now you’re talking sense," Ramos said with a satisfied nod, sipping his tea again as another tremor shook the room.

Elfie fluttered her wings and nestled against Kael’s shoulder. "Papa, don’t worry. If a big mean dragon comes here, Elfie will bite his tail!"

Kael tried to hide his anger and patted her head. "You better not. That tail’s probably cursed."

Ramos smirked, looking toward the sky through the shattered window. "Don’t worry, brat The game isn’t over yet. I feel there is more to this.

Kael sighed heavily, staring up at the glowing cracks in the sky.

"I can guess that...No way an evil group would just bulldoze its way straight to the capital without any thought.