"Let them in. They are just a few mudfish."
Ryuzaki Haruto's voice echoed through the domain.
The guests gasped, then sighed in admiration. Calling the Ancestral Dragon Nest—one of the most terrifying Ancient Royal Families—"mudfish" to their faces? The Divine Son was truly domineering.
In the sky, Ryuu Haotian narrowed his golden eyes.
"Mudfish?" Haotian sneered, landing his dragon in the courtyard. "We'll see who the mudfish is when I stomp your head into the dirt."
He had come here for one purpose: to humiliate the Ryuzaki Clan. To avenge the shame of his ancestor being skinned by Haruto's father.
Haotian dismounted, followed by a group of ancient royal prodigies. They walked into the banquet hall with arrogant strides.
Haruto watched them indifferently. Suddenly, his gaze landed on a figure behind Haotian.
A human woman in a blue dress. She kept her head lowered, but her eyes burned with resentment when she looked at Haruto and Ryuzaki Reika.
"It's her?" Haruto raised an eyebrow.
At the Ryuzaki table, Ryuzaki Kenji (Sequence 10) stood up, shock written on his face.
"Tachibana Ayaka?" Kenji shouted. "What are you doing here?"
He had exiled her for her cruelty, but he hadn't killed her out of mercy for their past master-servant relationship. Now, she was standing with the enemy?
Haotian smirked. He reached out and grabbed Ayaka's chin, forcing her to look up.
"What are you saying, Sequence Ten?" Haotian provoked. "She is my slave now. Isn't that right, pet?"
"Yes," Ayaka replied obediently, her voice filled with venom. "I am Lord Dragon Prince's slave."
"You...!" Kenji's face turned red. His fists clenched.
This was a slap in the face. His former follower was now serving the Dragon Prince. It implied that Kenji couldn't even control his own people. The Elders were already frowning. If this wasn't handled well, Kenji might lose his Sequence status.
"Damn it," Kenji thought, sweating cold bullets. "I messed up."
Just as the atmosphere turned heavy, Haruto stepped forward.
"I never expected the Dragon Prince to have such a... unique hobby," Haruto said, his tone light and conversational.
"Hobby?" Haotian frowned.
"I didn't know you liked collecting old shoes," Haruto smiled, a look of genuine pity in his eyes.
"You are willing to pick up the trash my family threw away? You really are a seasoned sucker."
Silence.
Then, the hall erupted in stifled laughter.
"Pfft... old shoes?" "He called the Dragon Prince a trash collector!" "Hahaha! The Divine Son's mouth is more poisonous than a viper!"
Haotian's face turned green. Then purple.
His attempt to humiliate Kenji had backfired completely. Instead of looking dominant, he looked like a desperate scavenger picking up Ryuzaki rejects.
Ayaka's face went pale as paper. She trembled with shame. No woman wanted to be called "old shoes" in front of the entire Empire.
"You...!" Haotian choked.
Kenji looked at Haruto with gratitude. "Divine Son... thank you."
Haruto waved his hand. "We are family. No need for thanks."
"Wow," Minamoto Ruri whispered, her eyes shining. "Brother Haruto is so smart! He destroyed the Dragon Prince with one sentence!"
Haotian, realizing he was losing the verbal war, decided to switch to violence.
"Hmph! Sharp tongues are useless!" Haotian roared. "Are the descendants of Ryuzaki Mumei only good at talking?"
Ayaka, emboldened by her master's anger, stepped forward.
"That's right!" Ayaka screeched. "So what if you have the Ancient Sacred Body? In front of Lord Dragon Prince, you are nothing! You think you are invincible just because you broke one shackle?"
"One shackle?" Haruto tilted his head.
"An insect dares to speak?" Haruto said indifferently.
In his eyes, Ayaka was already dead. A traitor who barked at her former masters had no right to live.
"Since you are so eager to reincarnate... I will grant your wish."
BOOM!
Haruto raised his hand.
Golden Mana exploded from his body. A giant palm materialized instantly above Ayaka's head, descending with the weight of a mountain.
"How dare you?!" Haotian roared. "Killing my slave in front of me? Arrogant!"
Haotian lunged forward to intercept the palm.
"If I want to kill someone," Haruto's voice was cold as the abyss. "No one can stop me."
He raised his other hand.
[Art of a Thousand Soldiers]!
Thousands of golden swords and spears materialized from thin air, forming a torrential river of steel that crashed into Haotian.
"What?!" Haotian's expression changed. The force was overwhelming.
BANG!
Haotian was blasted backward, his feet carving grooves into the floor. He couldn't reach Ayaka in time.
"No... Lord Dragon Prince! Save me!"
Ayaka looked up at the falling golden palm. The shadow covered her face. Her eyes filled with absolute terror.
"NOOO—"
SPLAT.
The scream was cut short.
The golden palm slammed into the floor. The ground shook.
When the dust settled, there was nothing left of Tachibana Ayaka but a red stain on the marble tiles.
Haruto retracted his hand, looking bored.
"See?" Haruto looked at the furious Haotian. "I told you. Just a mudfish."