Chaos' Heir

Chapter 1601: Crown

Beams of obliterating energy shot forward, covering everything, expanding left, right, up, and down in a widespread, violent attack that left no spot untouched.

The situation left no room for control or precision. Khan wasn’t even sure he could enforce any of that in his current state, especially since that wave of strength had come from the forceful absorption of True Chaos.

Of course, those details never entered Khan’s mind. He had been lucky enough to find a way to summon one spell, so he had poured everything he had into it, planning to destroy that separate dimension for good.

The result was the best, grander spell Khan had ever cast. What was left of the atmosphere the God had created vanished under those obliterating beams, and deafening creaking noises resounded as the dimension’s edge bent, pressed from the inside by Khan’s attack.

A wall of purple-red light had illuminated the world, creating a barrier of destructive energy no one could possibly oppose. However, someone did just that, even taking it one step forward.

A tiny black dot appeared in the middle of that overwhelming wave, pressing on it, fighting it on multiple layers of existence. The figure wasn’t only piercing that energy. Its advance was also actively pushing it aside, ultimately declaring a winner.

The massive cluster of violent beams abruptly froze before exploding into sparse gales of energy that blew everywhere. The spell crumbled into split waves of destructive mana that kept expanding through the separate dimension as their dispersion began.

Meanwhile, the black dot accelerated, charging forward until Khan could see it clearly. He obviously didn’t need that vicinity to recognize his transformed companion, but the now undeniable scene put an end to his struggles.

It wasn’t that Khan had given in to his desperation. He was simply spent, unable to muster a single additional ounce of energy. His previous attack had truly been his last, leaving him completely defenseless and powerless against the fiery smoke that had reached his waist.

Nevertheless, it seemed the True Chaos wouldn’t get the chance to transform Khan since his former companion was about to kill him first. And, in a way, that was a silver lining to his death.

After all, Khan very much preferred to die at the hands of his former friend rather than succumbing to the God’s plan.

So, Khan watched as the fuming humanoid figure reached him, its right fist lifted, ready to deliver the attack that would end his life, finally putting a stop to his struggle.

Khan planned to witness the entire event. After all, dying wasn’t exactly a common occurrence, so it felt right to experience it fully. It was meant to be his final act, something in which he hoped to find a tinge of helpless peace.

However, Khan’s eyelids were too heavy, so they closed, his heightened perception showcasing the advancing darkness of his awareness. It seemed he wouldn’t witness that final moment, but his shaken brain had the decency of summoning pleasant memories to console him.

Losing felt beyond unfair after a lifetime of struggles, but Khan knew he had achieved some incredible victories against all odds. He had married his one true love after losing her for a decade and had even experienced the short but undeniable joy of building a family with her.

Also, despite the countless tragedies, there had been truly great moments.

The ecstasy of flying, the many drunken parties, more hedonistic pleasures Khan could recall, and the loving, cozy, and private moments he had long since connected to cold temperatures flowed through his obscured vision, almost putting a smile on his crushed face.

And the stream of memories left Khan with one certainty. After a lifetime of nightmares, he would pay any price to be in a bed with Liiza and Yeza and just sleep. If there was a victory to be found in his life, it was that.

But then, the impact occurred. Something hit Khan, albeit not on his face. It landed on his chest, but the clash wasn’t as destructive as he had expected. It didn’t even hurt. It was closer to a friendly nudge than a punch.

That strangeness forced Khan to reopen his eyes, which somehow found the strength to go wide at the scene. His fuming companion was in front of him, his big fist placed on his chest, only for it not to exert any pressure.

There were more strange details to be found, too. The transformed Emperor had looked almost almighty earlier, but his existence felt brittle now, his receding, flickering True Chaos highlighting that condition.

It seemed the transformed Emperor hadn’t come out of the clash unscathed, but Khan saw something else. There was more than True Chaos in that humanoid mass of flickering smoke, almost making him believe in the impossible.

Nevertheless, as the True Chaos kept receding, those hopes shattered before they had the time to take form. The flickering smoke thinned and began dispersing, starting from the transformed Emperor’s head.

Khan watched the fuming head vanish, followed by part of the transformed Emperor’s back, his left arm, and his legs. Only a layer of his torso kept clinging to its structural integrity before starting to disperse, too.

Against all odds, Khan had achieved one last victory. His spell had defeated his former companion, but that success felt empty. After all, his existence was still transforming, and his time had almost run out.

Yet, when the torso dispersed, too, a tremor hit Khan’s mind, seemingly replicating one of the God’s mental messages, carrying an unmistakable language and voice.

"[To defy death]," Khan heard in the Emperor’s Thilku accent loud and clear while the dispersion progressed, eating the back of the fuming arm, only leaving that huge fist on his chest.

And the fist ultimately dispersed, too, removing any trace of the Emperor’s transformed existence, but leaving one item behind.

Khan lowered his glowing gaze, and his tired eyes illuminated a large golden crown that hovered before him due to the removal of the area’s atmosphere, a tinge of darkening True Chaos glowing at its center.