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"...Where the hell am I?"
That was the first thought that ran through Sekke's mind as his consciousness slowly returned. Everything was dark. Silent. Warm.
He tried to move his arm—nothing. Then his leg—also nothing.
'You still here, Vritra?' Sekke asked mentally.
'Yup,' replied the dragon king flatly.
'Any idea where we are?'
'Buried underground,' replied Vritra.
'...Buried?'
'Yes. Under approximately fifty-seven tons of dirt and rock, if I had to estimate.'
'Oh, that explains the full-body spa treatment,' Sekke muttered.
A few moments later, the ground above him exploded as Sekke burst out of the earth, coughing out dirt and looking like a zombie that had just escaped its grave.
Dusting off his clothes, he looked around and whistled in amazement. Everything was blackened, molten, and cracked.
"Damn, I'm awesome…" Sekke grinned.
'And an idiot. Who uses an attack that sends themselves flying as well?' Vritra sighed.
"I got excited!" Sekke protested. "It's not every day you get a toy that causes that much boom!"
The dragon sighed, unwilling to continue the conversation.
"Anyway... we're far away from our destination," Sekke said grimly.
He could tell they had been teleported far from the barren land where the gateway to their world was. The locator given to him by the Will of the World confirmed it.
'These divine beings will keep getting in your way and teleporting you away. It's going to be difficult to accomplish our goal like this,' said Vritra.
"What else can we do? It's not like we can not go to that dimensional gate. It's the only known way back home," Sekke replied, sitting cross-legged on the ground and popping a fruit from the Tree of Life into his mouth.
'We need to think of other measures,' Vritra suggested.
"What do you want me to do? It's not like I can just stroll into their HQ, kill all those divine bastards, destroy their resurrection mechanism, and then be on my merry way…"
Hearing his own words, Sekke froze, realization dawning.
"Listen... I may have an idea," he said, smirking.
'No,' Vritra rejected immediately.
"You didn't even hear me! You're so not supportive," Sekke huffed.
'I did hear you. And though it's enticing, the answer's still no.'
"Why?" Sekke frowned.
All of a sudden, Sekke's body felt heavy—an immense pressure fell over him, sending a shiver down his spine.
'Sekke Bronzaza,' called the Will of the World.
'Oh… got it,' Sekke replied, now understanding why Vritra had refused his plan.
"Hello there, Mr./Ms. Will," he greeted sheepishly.
'What was that last attack of yours? You gave your word that you wouldn't cause large-scale destruction,' the Will said coldly.
"I got caught up in the momentum. I apologize," Sekke said quickly.
'You were lucky this time that no innocents were caught in your clash. Do you realize what could have happened?' the Will chided.
Sekke wanted to retort but decided to remain silent. Interrupting would just make the lecture longer.
After scolding him for a while, the Will finally fell silent.
'You are not to escalate things more than necessary. There was no need for an attack of such magnitude. Am I clear, Sekke Bronzaza?'
Sekke was about to reply when a projection appeared before him. Inside it stood Albert, his captains, and an entire army of white-clad young masters.
"Human… seems like you're still alive," said Albert with a sneer.
Sekke simply waved at the projection, which only made them glare harder.
"I'll give you one final warning," Albert continued. "Come to us and surrender yourself—and the dragon's soul—without struggling."
"You high, dude? Last time I checked, I whooped your asses without even breaking a sweat," Sekke replied, genuinely confused about their confidence.
The old man turned around. "Ariel, show him."
Ariel nodded, and the image of the dimensional gate shimmered to life. Sekke watched as the portal's surface rippled, revealing a scene that made his blood run cold.
It was his home.
"Last time I toyed with your mind, I caught glimpses of your world," Ariel said with a cruel smile. "Ain't it nice? Seeing your home after so long?"
Sekke's silence spoke volumes.
"What do you think? Should me and my friends go and have a tour of your world?" Ariel's grin widened.
Sekke's fists clenched, his knuckles cracking.
"Don't mess with me, assholes. I'll destroy you all," he said, voice low and dangerous.
"Do it," mocked Xander.
"We can revive. Your people can't," added Xena smugly.
"I'll make sure to destroy your so-called revival mechanism first," Sekke snarled.
The soldiers shifted nervously. Their fearlessness came from the knowledge that they could always come back. If that changed, everything changed.
"You can try," Albert said calmly. "But while you're busy destroying our system, what happens if someone slips through… and visits your world?"
Sekke fell silent, but his glare only grew darker.
"Come to the dimensional gate within a day," Albert said before cutting the connection.
Sekke stood motionless, seething with fury. His mana leaked uncontrollably, cracking the already ruined ground beneath him.
'Calm down, my other half. We must handle this carefully,' Vritra urged.
The Will of the World said nothing this time. It wanted to scold Sekke for the destruction, but seeing that the inhabitants of its world were now threatening another… it stayed silent.
Perhaps it was time to intervene directly.
Sekke's rage continued to shake the terrain around him for a long while.
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Near the Dimensional Gate:
The white-clad army was busy setting traps and spells across the barren land.
"Do you think it was wise to threaten that human?" Merrick asked nervously. "He could wipe us all out on his own."
"I agree," said Ariel. "We don't even have permission to wage direct conflict with another world. The last time—"
"Enough," Albert interrupted sharply, silencing her with a glare.
"Your concerns are valid," he said finally, "but understand this: the human now holds power that threatens our existence. If we don't strike first, he will. And we need the dragon's soul to increase our divine power."
"But taking such risks…" Xander grumbled. "Why not let him return home? He'll die within decades. We can harvest his and the dragon's soul later."
He shuddered, remembering how Sekke had "donutted" him earlier.
Albert shook his head. "If we let him live, what happens if he grows even stronger—or worse, returns with others like him? If another being of his level comes here, we'll be doomed."
That silenced everyone.
Albert continued, "We also need to fill the gap left by him. Contact with a dragon soul of this magnitude cannot be wasted."
The captains exchanged uneasy glances, then nodded reluctantly.
"We move forward," Albert declared firmly.
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The next day
A shadow blotted out the sun. The captains looked up and froze as a massive dragon descended—Sekke, radiating killing intent that made their knees buckle.
"I really want to kill you all right now," he said coldly, his voice shaking the air.
"Seeing that you haven't yet, I presume you're considering our proposal?" Albert asked cautiously.
Sekke's face inched closer to his, forcing Albert to suppress his fear.
"Don't act cocky," Sekke growled. "I'll destroy your whole world if I have to."
"You're welcome to try," Albert replied evenly. "Let's see who's faster—you destroying our world, or us reviving and destroying yours."
'It was worth a try, my other half,' said Vritra.
Sekke groaned, flames flickering in his mouth—but after a moment, he turned away.
"I'll surrender," he said flatly.
The battlefield fell silent. Mana pressure eased, but no one dared celebrate.
"I have conditions, though," Sekke continued, dampening their hope.
"What conditions?" asked Albert.
"First," Sekke said, "I want to know how long you've been in contact with those so-called gods who grant you power—and how long you've neglected sending souls to the afterlife."
"What would you do with that knowledge?" Albert asked.
"Personal curiosity," Sekke smirked. "When you turn me and my buddy into soul wine, I just want to know how old or strong my opponents will be."
"…You think you'll live to fight back?" Merrick asked incredulously.
"Who knows? I'm the Dark Lord—I make impossible things possible."
"And if we don't tell you?" Merrick challenged.
"Try it. That one's non-negotiable."
After a tense pause, Merrick sighed. "Fine, I'll tell you."
"Merrick!!" Albert barked.
"What? Him knowing or not knowing doesn't change the outcome. I'd rather not fight a losing battle," Merrick said.
"You're smart, Merrick. Love the hairstyle, by the way—you get extra brownie points for being reasonable."
"Don't tell him any—" Albert began, but Sekke cut him off with a smirk.
"Too late~."
Merrick's eyes glowed as he floated midair.
'Hope that helps,' Sekke thought.
'It does. My gratitude to you,' replied the Will of the World.
Albert and the others glared, assuming it was Sekke's doing.
"Relax. He won't be harmed… probably," Sekke muttered.
Albert clenched his fists. "What's your other condition?"
Sekke looked toward the dimensional gate showing his world.
"I want to see my world—just one last time," he said softly.
The others looked surprised but allowed it.
"Go ahead," Albert said, waving his hand.
They weren't worried about him fleeing; they knew he wouldn't risk his world's safety.
Sekke flew toward the arch, transforming back to human form as he entered the glowing portal.
The scenery shifted—a space between worlds, stretching endlessly like a corridor.
'We're back, my other half,' said Vritra.
"We're back… I want to see my parents, Secre, the Black Bulls," Sekke murmured.
'You have the option to run. If you want, we can escape,' Vritra offered.
Sekke looked down at his hometown below.
'These bastards even pinpointed my home…' he thought grimly.
He turned around and saw the army preparing on the other side of the gate.
'You finished, Mr./Ms. World?' he asked mentally.
'Yes. Thank you, Sekke Bronzaza. And goodbye. Enjoy your world,' replied the Will.
Sekke didn't answer.
Instead, he turned around—back toward the divine world.
"So? Enjoyed your last visit?" Xander smirked.
"Yeah," Sekke said calmly. "You should enjoy yours too… for the last time."
Xander frowned, confused.
Sekke said nothing. He simply drew Extase, the sword humming with immense power.
The draconic armor manifested, darker and more fearsome than ever, a crimson halo glowing above his head.
The sheer surge of mana blasted everyone back.
"Sorry in advance, Mr./Ms. Will," Sekke said—and swung.
[Extase: World Cutter]
For an instant, the world lost all color.
Then—disaster struck.