The Ruler extended his hand and materialized a large spear.
The dragon hissed in response and rose, prepared for battle.
"Antares has made a grave mistake. We will not allow the Demon Monarch to be born again," the Ruler declared, pointing his spear before releasing a beam of light toward the beast. In retaliation, the dragon opened its mouth and unleashed a concentrated stream of fire. The two attacks clashed, evenly matched, and collided in the middle, resulting in a massive explosion that shook the dungeon and sent rocks crashing from the ceiling.
As one of the falling rocks threatened to crush Renji's corpse, which was shrouded in an ethereal blue aura, the dragon swiped its tail, knocking the boulder away and shielding the body from harm.
Seeing this, the Ruler's eyes widened in horror. The ritual for the Demon Monarch's rebirth had already begun. He accelerated toward Renji, spear poised to decapitate the human in one swift motion—but the dragon lunged, tackling him just in time.
It pinned the angelic being beneath its massive claws and fired a beam of flame directly at him. The Ruler shielded himself with his wings, deflecting the brunt of the attack. With swift precision, he swung his spear and severed the dragon's arm that was pinning him down.
Realizing he needed backup, the Ruler flared a massive burst of mana to alert the other Rulers. But something was wrong—his signal couldn't escape the dungeon, as if an unseen force was containing it.
"The Dragon Monarch...?!" he muttered in disbelief. Then, raising his voice at the beast, he shouted, "Such interference before the destined battle will come at a great cost! Why does the Dragon Monarch still cling to the revival of the Demon?!"
"Heh. As if you critters could ever comprehend our liege's mind," the dragon sneered, blood dripping from the stump of its severed limb.
The Ruler dashed forward, desperate to end this confrontation. He had to stop the rebirth, no matter the cost. But then he froze, sensing the presence of something immense within the dungeon. His gaze turned to the human undergoing the ritual—and in that moment, he saw them: two serpentine eyes, gazing down at Renji with dreadful expectation.
'Antares himself is watching the descent of the Demon Monarch into this vessel,' the Ruler realized mid-battle. 'But why?'
Soaring to the dungeon's ceiling, he came crashing down onto the dragon's skull, staggering the beast. Even while fighting, his mind reeled, trying to piece everything together. 'Antares has never cared about other Monarchs. Not once in any world cycle has he observed the descent of another Monarch—so what has changed now?'
'The previous Demon Monarch was slain by Ashborn, but somehow, the Dragon Monarch salvaged his essence and is using it for rebirth. But what if—?'
His eyes shot wide open in dread.
'No...' he screamed inwardly as realization struck like a blade.
'The Dragon Monarch's essence is too powerful—no vessel could ever contain it. That's why he only descends during the destined battle. But what if... what if he's training a vessel? By first giving it the lesser but still overwhelming power of the Demon Monarch. A body strengthened and molded by the Demon's power might one day withstand the Dragon Monarch's essence.'
But even that wasn't the most horrifying part. If Antares succeeded, he would gain dominion over the power of two Monarchs—a calamity too terrifying to fathom.
The Ruler spread his wings wide as his body erupted in brilliant golden light. He was drawing upon the full authority of his higher being. But almost immediately, the light began to fade. The spear in his hand dissolved into pure mana and evaporated into the air.
"Hahaha!" the dragon laughed heartily. Of course, this was inevitable. Beings as powerful as they are could not exist freely in the material world without paying a cost. In truth, the dragon almost felt grateful—without this restriction, it knew it would have lost the battle long ago.
The severely weakened Ruler dropped to the ground. He tried to resist, but the dragon swatted him aside like an insect. With his remaining mana, he desperately continued to send messages through the Monarch's barrier.
Wearing a cruel smile, the dragon approached the immobilized Ruler, each arrogant step echoing through the dungeon. It opened its jaws wide, intending to devour its ancient rival in one bite. But just before its fangs closed around him, a scream rang out across the chamber.
Both creatures turned toward Renji, who had risen from the altar and was clutching his head. Another agonized scream burst from him, releasing a pulse of mana that obliterated everything nearby.
"What is going on?! Get ooouuuutttt of MY HEAD!" he screamed, collapsing to the floor as blood poured from his eyes and nose. His mind felt like it was splitting apart.
In brief flashes, both beings witnessed his eyes shifting—first into serpentine slits, then into monstrous demon eyes—before returning to their human form. His body underwent rapid, violent transformations: sprouting a demonic horn, then a dragon-like tail. Scales replaced his skin, then vanished, followed by a chitinous carapace that quickly melted away.
And then it all stopped. Renji lay twitching in a pool of his own blood.
The two entities watched, breathless, paralyzed. The fate of the planet—perhaps the fate of their eternal war—hinged on this very moment.
After long minutes, the transformations ceased. All that was left was a frail human. Silence once again swallowed the dungeon.
Renji rose, trembling, hunched in pain. Even the warm air stung like needles against his skin.
He looked at his quivering hands, then up at the two beings—one brimming with hope, the other shivering in fear.
"W-What is happening t-to m-me?" he stammered, dazed and disoriented. He didn't even recognize the dragon who had nearly killed him earlier.
That single question wiped the grin off the dragon's face, replacing it with stunned confusion.
'How?! How is the human's mind still intact? No soul should've survived the combined force of two Monarchs. No way!' the dragon thought frantically. 'Unless... No. It can't be! I need to warn my liege—I have to tell him—'
But before it could finish the thought, dozens of radiant weapons impaled its body from all directions.
When the Dragon Monarch's grip on Renji broke, the dungeon's containment barrier had collapsed. The weakened Ruler, who had never stopped trying to send for help, had finally succeeded. His message reached the other Rulers, who appeared instantly.
The gathered Rulers watched as the dragon's life flickered out. Suddenly, a massive red gate opened beneath its corpse, pulling the hulking body into another dimension. All eyes then turned to the trembling human, who stared up at them in fear and confusion.
Though his instincts gave no warning, Renji decided it was wise to remain cautious around these beings.
The angelic figures glanced at one another, a silent conversation passing between them. Then, in agreement, they each gave a solemn nod.
Before Renji could react, one Ruler stepped forward and placed a hand on his head. A stream of mana surged into him, knocking him unconscious.
They needed time—time to decide what to do with this anomaly.
This human could become their greatest weapon against the Monarchs... or the greatest threat ever known. It was a gamble unlike any they had ever taken.
.
'A shame to have lost the essence of White Flame,' he sighed. Then he materialized a small device in his clawed hand. The crystal at its core was now empty—but the aura it emitted still pulsed with residual might. Anyone could tell that whatever had once been inside... was of unimaginable power.
'But at least the Rulers have no means of harnessing that essence,' he murmured, a cold glint in his eyes.