Chapter 143: Arrival
"Are you sure about this, son?" Kaelith asked as they advanced toward the castle entrance.
After hearing that Averis was moving toward the castle, Hades had decided to go out and meet her himself.
Kaelith’s concern was understandable. Her son had only just woken from his slumber, and now he intended to fight Averis—a Duke-ranked dragon.
True, the dragoness would be weary from travel and hunting, but even then, she was older, far more experienced, and utterly consumed by her obsession with the fallen Primordial. There was no chance she would hesitate to strike.
Though Kaelith could shield her son, and though the castle had defenses strong enough to bring Averis down, she still wanted to hear what her son truly wanted.
Hades exhaled slowly. "Well, Mother, I need this fight to test myself, just as you said. And in the world we live in, I don’t have the luxury of years of training before I’m forced to face monsters with centuries of skill and strength."
His eyes hardened, his voice gaining weight. "If I don’t learn how to stand against those stronger than me now, how can I ever hope to protect myself—and my mates?"
Kaelith halted, her hand pressing firmly onto his shoulder. "I understand your resolve, and I won’t forbid you from joining this battle. But at the very least, choose a weapon for yourself."
Hades raised a brow. "Generally, I fight with my fists."
"But you’ve always leaned toward blunt weapons, haven’t you? That’s why I had this prepared for you," Kaelith replied.
At her signal, a maid stepped forward carrying a tray. Resting atop it were two short war hammers, each about three feet long.
The handles were thick, reinforced with subtle grips so they would never slip in his hands. A deep black metal formed the shaft, its surface etched faintly with patterns that seemed to drink in the light. At the crown gleamed polished silver: one side a heavy, flat hammerhead built to crush, while the other curved into a hooked pincer, bent inward like a predator’s claw—perfect for tearing through armor or driving deep into flesh.
The pair of weapons carried a raw, brutal elegance, promising both weight and precision in Hades’s hands.
Hades smilingly looked up before saying, "Thank you, mother."
°°°°°°
Clouds tore apart as she sliced through them at full speed.
Even after three days of travel, her excitement hadn’t dimmed in the slightest. The thought of his arrival kept her restless, her heart still racing as if it were the first moment she heard the news.
The Chaos Heir.
The one who carried the will and blood of the being she worshipped.
A living proof that her great lord had once walked this world.
If she could abandon her home for years, chasing only faint traces of her god, then how much greater was her thrill now—knowing she was about to meet someone tied to him by blood?
"My lady, armed forces ahead," her shadow warned.
But she didn’t slow down. She didn’t even consider it.
With a grin she whispered, "Let them try. I won’t stop."
Her wings stretched wide, dark scales glinting against the sun as she surged forward, straight toward the castle standing proud on the hill. Soldiers spotted her. Their weapons could wound her, maybe even force her back—yet not a single one moved.
’Does this mean you accept my challenge?’ Her pulse quickened as the town blurred beneath her. In seconds, she reached the castle walls.
Hovering above, her gaze caught someone standing in the courtyard.
A man with blazing red hair.
Their eyes locked.
A shiver ran through her spine.
She dropped from the sky at a terrifying speed, so sudden that Hades braced himself, certain she meant to crash down on him. But at the last moment, her body twisted. Wings folded tight around her frame, her form shrinking midair.
She landed lightly—not as a beast, but as a woman.
Her long violet hair spilled over one shoulder, covering half her face. She wasn’t slender, but full, her curves only adding to her striking presence. The thin one-piece dress clung to her frame, her chest pressing boldly against the fabric.
But it was her eyes—dark, dangerous purple—that held him. Unblinking, sharp, they studied him with a hunger that words could not disguise.
"Averis... barging in without any invitation or prior notice."
The woman finally looked away from Hades and fixed her eyes on the familiar red-haired figure before her.
"Kaelith! How have you been?" Averis stepped forward with a bright smile that barely hid the frown she’d worn a moment before.
Kaelith’s expression hardened. "Why are you here?"
Averis paused, expecting no hugs today from her aunt. She clasped her hands behind her back and said, "I’m here to satisfy my curiosity."
Kaelith made an annoyed sound. "You do understand my son isn’t someone you can just come to assess, right? We aren’t close enough for you to be this bold."
"I’m ready to die today." Averis cut in without a flicker of doubt. She smiled as she spoke. "Even if you want to kill me, fine. I’ll write my goodbye so my grandfather won’t blame you."
She glanced at Hades and, softer now, added, "But today I will find out if he’s truly worthy to carry that blood."
"And who are you to judge that?" Hades snapped, his eyes darker, almost blood-red. "Why should I prove anything to you? I don’t know you—and I don’t care."
Averis’s grin widened, her sharp canines catching the light. "Call me the most devoted follower of Lord Zerathos. It’s my duty to find out if you’re the true heir or..." She leaned in until her breath brushed his ear, whispering, "...a fake."
Kaelith bristled, her aura flaring, but Hades raised a hand and the tension dropped like a held breath. He met Averis’s steady stare and asked, "What do you gain from proving this?"
Her smile turned almost shy. "A lot." She hugged herself as if to steady her excitement. "I can’t explain what I’d receive if my Lord had truly returned. I’d feel like I’d done everything right in my life."
Hades’s toke suggested no emotion as he told her, "Then so be it."
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A/N:- Thanks for reading.