Reincarnated with a lucky draw system

Chapter 402: PICK THE COIN

The administrator’s brow furrowed deeper, confusion twisting his features into a mask of unease.

"Were we expecting anyone from the dragon kin? Do we have the right preparations in place? Protocols, escorts, anything?"

"I’m not sure, sir," the PA replied, fingers flying over the datapad in a frantic check.

"We shouldn’t have an appointment. Nothing on the schedule."

"Then what the hell is going on?!" The administrator’s voice rose, laced with mounting tension.

He paced to the window, staring out at the starry vista beyond the domed city. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the climate-controlled air.

"Find out what’s happening now! And report the situation to me immediately."

"There will be no need for that," a cold voice interjected, slicing through the room like a blade of ice.

The voice was deep, resonant, and utterly unfamiliar, layered as if a thousand souls spoke in eerie unison, echoing from shadows that shouldn’t exist.

The administrator whirled toward the window. "Who’s there?"

From a patch of unnatural darkness pooling on the floor outside, two silhouettes emerged: a man and a dragon, both shrouded in writhing shadows that clung like living armor.

"Me?" the shadowy figure replied calmly, his form shifting slightly as if the darkness itself breathed.

"I go by many names throughout my life in this galaxy. But recently, the people here have given me a new one."

The administrator’s heart pounded wildly against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat echoing in his ears.

He swallowed hard, forcing the words out in a whisper. "The Celestial Devourer."

He dreaded speaking it louder, as if voicing the name would summon the nightmare into reality.

"Indeed," the figure confirmed, his tone laced with quiet amusement. "That’s the name I’m being called now."

Panic surged through the administrator like wildfire.

"Inform the governor! Inform the governor as soon as possible!!" he yelled, backing deeper into the building, his legs unsteady beneath him.

The walls seemed to close in, the air growing thick with fear.

Aaron, still cloaked in shadow, turned to his companion.

"Alright, buddy. Run riot a bit," he said, rubbing Flameborn’s head once more.

The dragon’s scales thrummed under his touch, warm and alive with anticipation.

Flameborn roared again, this time with pure excitement vibrating through his massive frame.

He opened his maw wide, flames gathering at the back of his throat, not the usual crimson blaze of dragonfire, but something darker, more ominous.

The flames swirled black and void-like, devouring the surrounding light as if embodying a solar eclipse, where shadows consumed the sun itself.

The administrator’s eyes widened in horror from his vantage point.

"What the hell is going on?! Take me out of here!!!!" he screamed, voice cracking with raw panic as he scrambled toward the emergency exit.

Flameborn unleashed the breath in a torrent.

The dark flames surged forward with deliberate, hungry purpose, engulfing the administrative building in an instant.

The structure groaned and melted under the assault, reduced to ash and vapor without a trace left behind.

But the flames didn’t stop, they raced onward, a relentless wave swallowing ships, stations, and debris in their path.

They carved through the void, obliterating everything until an entire nebula vanished completely, leaving only empty blackness in its wake.

Aaron stared at the newly formed void, a low chuckle escaping his shadowed form.

"I think you took it too far," he said, amusement coloring his words despite the devastation.

Minutes ticked by in the aftermath of the chaos, the silence broken only by the distant hum of engines.

Then, warships materialized from hyperspace, sleek vessels of varying sizes, bristling with weapons and shields.

Accompanying them were seas of soldiers, generals in armored suits, and even civilian volunteers who had rallied to defend their cluster.

Their formations were tight, disciplined, a wall of defiance against the intruder.

"Celestial Devourer," the commanding general’s voice boomed across the void, amplified by ship speakers to reach Aaron clearly.

"You are advised to stop your madness this very moment. Surrender yourself and face punishment for your crimes."

Aaron regarded the assembled army, his shadowed face splitting into a hidden smile.

The sheer scale of their force thousands of lights glinting off hulls, energy weapons charging with a low whine did little to faze him.

From the depths of his shadows, he conjured ten coins, each one materializing in his palm with a faint, ethereal glow.

The heads bore the etched silhouette of his shadowed form, mysterious and imposing; the tails featured Flameborn’s fierce visage, fangs bared in eternal roar.

"This is ten coins," Aaron announced, his unified voice carrying effortlessly to every ear.

"Whoever wants their life to be spared will pick up a coin."

The soldiers exchanged stunned glances, outrage rippling through their ranks like a shockwave.

Deadly glares fixed on him, weapons humming louder, but Aaron remained utterly unbothered, his posture relaxed amid the asteroid field.

With casual ease, he flicked the coins toward the battalion.

They spun through space, trailing faint shadows, scattering like mocking gifts before the furious horde.

"You! How dare you disrespect us in this form!!!" the general bellowed, his face contorted in seething rage behind his visor.

Veins bulged in his neck, his fists clenched at the sheer audacity.

Aaron shrugged invisibly within his cloak, indifferent to the outburst.

He could care less about the general’s wounded pride or the army’s simmering fury.

"Be grateful," he replied coolly. "I just offered you ignorant bums a way to save all your lives."

"Kill him!!!" the general bellowed, his voice raw with unbridled anger, veins bulging on his neck like twisted ropes.

Spit flew from his lips as he thrust a sword attack toward the shadowed intruder, commanding his vast armies to unleash hell.

Aaron’s smile widened beneath his veil of writhing darkness, a hidden curve of satisfaction amid the chaos.

"Buddy, let’s go all out!" he called to Flameborn, his tone laced with exhilaration, the thrill of battle igniting a fire in his veins.

Still fully enveloped in the living shadows that clung to him like a second skin, cool, pulsating, and alive with ancient power, he surged forward toward the clustered ranks of the armies.