Last Born Of The Desdemona

Chapter 366: Chapter 366: Sometimes, It’s Wiser to Close Your Mouth.

Chapter 366 – Sometimes, It’s Wiser to Close Your Mouth.

"Well, no. I refuse," Scarlet said, with a smile that all but begged to be punched.

Cassius didn’t react at first, his mind lagging for a moment, not quite processing it. But that didn’t last long as his eyes snapped open, more outraged than surprised.

"Come again?" he blurted out.

"I don’t like repeating myself, but I’m in a rather strange mood today," Scarlet repeated lazily. "I will not become your contracted spirit."

"But that’s not what we agreed on!" Cassius snapped, his aura destabilizing, red plasma crackling around him. "You promised that—!"

"Now," she cut him off, pressing a finger to her lips. Cassius’s hand shot instinctively to his own mouth, a flash of fear passing through him that it might get stitched shut again.

Scarlet laughed merrily at his reaction. "First, let’s get one thing straight, boy: I never promised you anything. And if you don’t believe me, tell me the exact moment I said ’I promise’ or ’I swear.’"

"You’re twisting your words," Cassius hissed, frowning. "You never said those exact words, but you did accept the bet. And the bet was that if I succeeded in creating something worthy within three days, you’d become my contracted spirit."

"I did accept your bet. So what?" Scarlet tilted her head, genuinely puzzled. "I accepted it, and now I simply don’t feel like keeping my word. What are you going to do about it, Cassius? Call your goddesses? They can’t do a thing to me in this Spirit World, let alone in my own domain."

"If my goddesses are limited here, then I’ll simply call my master."

"Oh, please, go ahead," she grinned. "It’s been a while since I fought anyone on my level. Maybe Silver Voice would like a round or two."

Cassius fell silent, staring at the Primal Queen, realizing just how foolish he’d been.

He’d accepted the whole deal without even making sure this woman would keep her word.

He should have guessed a being like her wouldn’t care about honesty or saving face. Hell, even he wasn’t always honest, in his own ways.

’Still, it stings and it makes you angry, being on the receiving end of it,’ he thought, unsure what to do next.

Even though what he’d gained — the creation of his Sun Concept — was far bigger and more significant than anything he’d originally planned, Cassius couldn’t just accept being manipulated this easily.

And he was a greedy man. He’d seen the level of power the Primal Queen of Fire commanded.

Why the hell would he walk away from it?

"Alright," Cassius finally relented, smiling coldly, his body temperature so intense that arcs of plasma zipped around him, more controlled this time. "If it pleases you to break your word to a simple mortal like me, so be it. But I think you’re forgetting something important, Primal Queen."

She narrowed her flaming eyes at him. "Something important, you say?"

"Oh yeah. Very important," his smile deepened. "Before you dragged my physical body into this world, I’d already begun a contract with your three blood daughters."

Scarlet began to frown.

"The contract obviously never completed. But my blood has already been injected into their bodies, and into their very fires," he said, watching her eyes gradually brighten with realization. "I don’t need to tell you how strong and unique my bloodline is. And most importantly..."

He shrugged.

"...how poisonous it could become, if its owner — that being me, Cassius Desdemona — decided to be, say, aggressive. After all, we carry the Blood Path, and my blood has been inherently poisonous ever since I ate some bastard child of a red moon."

The Primal Queen stared at Cassius for a moment before laughing, loud and hard, though her eyes never moved, not even a flicker.

It was a laugh of anger and disbelief, as if wondering whether she’d somehow slipped into an illusion.

Had someone actually just threatened her daughters’ lives, in front of her? Inside her own domain?

A mortal, no less, barely Second Rank?

"Do you really think I can’t kill you?" Scarlet asked, her tone so calm it made Cassius shiver inwardly.

He realized he might’ve pushed too far, driven by frustration and anger. Just like the first time he’d let himself get provoked.

’Fuck, I never learn, do I? I really need to keep my mouth shut sometimes.’

But this clearly wasn’t one of those times. He couldn’t back down now, even if he wanted to.

"I won’t claim killing me is difficult," Cassius said. "But it’ll probably be the worst decision you ever make in your life, Primal Queen."

"Oh, the worst? Are you sure about that?" she cackled. "Oh, Cassius, Cassius, Cassius."

The temperature spiked around them, the fires burning hotter than before. A hundred times worse.

’Queen’s skirt!’

"You’ve got yourself a Sun Core, and now you dare speak to me like this, hm? Do you think anything’s actually changed between then and now? You’re still just a slightly bigger ant to me." Her face began to burn, literally, until she looked like a demon straight out of hell. "You’re still far too young to be a threat to me. I might as well kill you now and save myself the trouble later."

Cassius’s Sun Core pulsed, red destructive plasma cracking around his body, laced with golden lightning.

His aura’s lethality spiked to a whole new level, his eyes turning into twin sun-like pools, swirling with killing intent.

"You caught me completely off guard the first time," Cassius said, forming two plasma swords, one in each hand, undaunted by the death threat hanging over him. "This time will be different. And if you have even an ounce of courage, you’ll fight me at my level."

Scarlet barked out a laugh, and the fires around them surged skyward, forming a dome that sealed them both inside.

"I don’t fight like that, Cassius," she said. "When I fight someone, no matter who or what, I give it everything I have. So what do you say?"

She spread her hands wide, like a bird’s wings about to take flight,

"Shall I show you my Soulblade, little insolent bastard?"

Cassius’s eyes widened as Scarlet parted her lips, her eyes burning with murderous intent,

"Soulblade..."

’Oh, fucking hell, is she serious?!’ Cassius screamed inside his mind, activating his Sun Core at full power and unleashing his Ultimate Skill.

A new one, born during the creation of his Sun Core.

However,

"...Hell—!"

BOOOOMMMM! BOOOMMM!! BOOOOOMMMM!!

The entire Fire State shook to its core as attacks rained down on Scarlet’s Chamber of Fire.

Within seconds, the dome of fire Scarlet had raised shattered into thousands of pieces, swallowed whole by a void that appeared out of nowhere.

Or rather, a void that arrived with the woman now hovering above Scarlet and a startled Cassius.

"So this is where you were, Cassius," Mallory said, her tone calm and flat, her draconic eyes fully active, her expression so blank it felt as if she carried no emotion at all. "Let’s set aside, for now, all the annoyance you’ve put me through, and focus instead on..."

Her empty silver eyes settled on Scarlet, who was grinning.

"...you, Scarlet."

"Oh, dear Mallory. Been a while," Scarlet murmured, smiling. "Are you here to fight me?"

"I’m here to take my disciple. However," an overwhelming aura began pouring off her, one that dropped every spirit in the Fire State to their knees, unable to move an inch.

"If you intend to keep attacking my disciple..."

The sky above darkened.

"...I’ll be your partner instead."

Scarlet burst into laughter, then turned to face Mallory fully, her eyes alight with madness.

"Shall we dance, then?"

—End of Chapter 366—