The Dragon Lord's Aide Wants to Quit [BL] Chapter 394: Judgment Rendered

This scenario was utterly impossible.

Every bit of it was nothing short of inconceivable.

Surely, once he finally awoke, this entire ordeal would conclude.

He clung to that thought with all his might, yet it proved exceedingly difficult when his mind was being besieged by far more pressing concerns.

Foremost among them: what exactly was transpiring with him at this precise moment?

Malrik felt an overwhelming urge to stifle his throat, a wave of panic washing over him as he questioned why his voice had inexplicably returned.

However, the treacherous trap he had stumbled into became glaringly obvious when Kael's gaze landed upon him, sharp and piercing as ice. "Since when did dragons possess such an appearance?"

Chancellor Malrik, seized by a sudden, intense dread, attempted to examine himself with his hands. To his horror, his appendages no longer felt like hands but transformed into unmistakable claws, far removed from any humanoid form.

"!!!"

It was at this moment of dawning realization that he perceived his immense new size. His vantage point shifted dramatically, now towering over those who had once looked up to him. After a desperate attempt to survey his own form, he found himself on all fours.

He had somehow transformed into a hydra, a monstrous, single-headed aberration that would elicit even a second glance from its own kind.

Pure anguish escaped his lips as he opened his mouth, but instead of the formidable dragon fire he had so desperately desired, only a noxious stream of corrosive poison spewed forth.

Riley observed Malrik's descent into a frantic, existential meltdown.

He truly deserved such despair, having inflicted the same disquiet upon everyone else.

The lessons he had imparted to those young disciples?

How utterly contemptible was this individual, who possessed such a frail mental constitution from the outset.

Riley, without question, harbored a vindictive streak, yet even so, he felt a sense of weary frustration and leaned against Kael, seeking solace and purification.

Then, as if resuming his duties, he spoke, his voice dripping with feigned astonishment. "My dearest... is that truly a hydra? But how could he have maintained such a secret for so long?"

Kael looked down at his beloved mate, immediately grasping his unspoken wish. He was more than willing to indulge him.

"It appears his existence has been relatively untroubled, considering he has only managed to manifest a single head," the dragon lord remarked with chilling detachment.

"Since he is so adamant about his true nature, then let us all witness it firsthand."

The golden dragon operated with ruthless efficiency.

His desire was for a swift conclusion, so with a mere flick of his wrist, he unleashed a display of terrifying power, effortlessly severing the hydra's head.

"AAAAHHHHH!!!"

The assembled onlookers erupted in gasps and screams at the sudden act of decapitation, a collective wave of horror washing over them as they witnessed such brutality unfold before their very eyes.

But the true shock was yet to come.

Following a screech of unnatural clarity, they watched in stunned silence as the severed head began to regenerate. Yet, instead of one, two heads now emerged where only one had been.

"Tch."

Kael emitted a dismissive scoff as the onlookers pointed and whispered, their gazes fixed on the undeniable monstrosity. While proving Malrik's hydra nature would indeed transfer jurisdiction to the entirety of the MBE rather than solely to Kael, a far more critical detail demanded attention.

A dragon's betrayal was grave, but a non-dragon daring to insult one was a far greater offense.

"For the profound crime of impersonating a dragon," he declared, his voice devoid of emotion and utterly final, "you are hereby stripped of all your rights and privileges."

A pregnant pause ensued.

"You are condemned to death as a hydra. This sentence is effective immediately."

The aforementioned hydra writhed violently, struggling against its restraints in a desperate attempt to refute Kael’s pronouncements.

He dares?!

How could Kael possibly treat such a venerable elder with such disregard?!

Yet, his agonized cries went unheard by all.

Instead, Malrik observed the human place a hand upon the dragon lord's chest, regarding him with a languid, self-satisfied smirk.

Then, once more within the confines of the mana bubble, he perceived the demon's voice, intended solely for his own ears.

"Ah, but we must meticulously examine every detail, mustn't we? So, listen closely as you endure..."

Initially, Malrik found himself utterly bewildered.

He couldn't fathom the meaning behind the demon's cryptic words.

But then, the very atmosphere seemed to warp, and the mana bubble began to feel oppressively constricting.

Suddenly, in a shocking turn of events, the barrier became engulfed in ethereal blue flames.

"!!!"

The flames spread rapidly across the barrier's surface before inexorably seeping inward, gradually consuming the entire space.

It appeared as though the inferno would leave no part of the enclosure untouched. Malrik recoiled, attempting to retreat, but the heat permeated the entire bubble.

There was simply nowhere to escape.

He was utterly enveloped.

"Hey. Are you paying attention?"

"You really should listen when you're instructed, you know?"

"Tsk. Even children adhere to instructions more diligently than you," Riley muttered, his words carrying an even more menacing undertone as the flames danced provocatively, underscoring their lethal intent.

"For dereliction of duty and gross negligence. For the abduction and trafficking of the vulnerable. For the indoctrination and psychological manipulation of our youth."

Every impact landed with significant force.

"For the unlawful use of magical sigils and the slaughter of those who dared to oppose you. For perpetrating treason and secretly aligning with the enemy."

The flames that had previously enveloped him suddenly flared with increased intensity.

As though finally permitted to unleash their destructive potential, the inferno wrapped itself around Malrik.

It was on the verge of completely consuming him.

"And for inflicting harm upon the individuals most dear to me..."

Malrik let out a deafening scream.

Riley's tone had become icily detached, a chilling testament to the mental tally he had meticulously maintained, flinging every known transgression back at the pathetic excuse for a being before him.

He genuinely wished he could enumerate each name, to recite every victim from the damning ledger they had discovered, which Thyrran had so frequently referenced.

However, Malrik—this utterly foolish individual—was far too feeble to even withstand the weight of his own transgressions.

He couldn't sustain the burning long enough to atone for even a fraction of his misdeeds.

Surely, the tormented cries of those he had wronged must have been more harrowing than the sounds he was currently producing. If only he could writhe with a greater degree of terror.

Witnesses watched in stunned silence as the formerly esteemed Chancellor Malrik Veyth was consumed by flames. The onlookers couldn't help but tremble at the sheer power wielded by the dragon lord.

Yet, in reality, the source of this overwhelming power was Riley.

Malrik's screams were directed at someone he had long dismissed as a mere disposable human. Now, his flesh was being devoured by the coveted azure flames emanating from that very same being.

Azure flames.

The profound irony of the situation could not possibly elude him.

Malrik's regenerative abilities struggled valiantly to keep pace, but it proved an insurmountable task.

He was being obliterated and battered by flames so potent they defied his very essence.

"...For all your wicked deeds against the children and against Eryndra, and for your insatiable desire for that which could never belong to you..."

Riley’s eyes blazed with intense light.

Brilliantly.

Lethally.

"Perish with the knowledge that someone as utterly inconsequential as yourself fell by the hand of an Iltheran."

Riley's eyes flared with a final, fatal brilliance as the inferno surged, engulfing Malrik entirely.

"You shall be remembered as a mere hydra," Riley added in a low voice, "that is, if anyone even bothers to recall your existence."

"Congratulations."