Silence… Pressure… Tension.

Everyone was quiet — excited, yet undeniably afraid. Especially as they stared at the massive dome of energy protecting everyone in the Federation.

Earlier, during the battle with the other royal siblings, no one had ever doubted its power or the strength of General Drezan. But now... they did.

Even Drezan's face twisted in disbelief.

He had always known Darius was a monster — he'd heard the tales but dismissed most as rumors. Yet now, standing so close and feeling that terrifying aura firsthand, Drezan was convinced. And the fact that Caius hadn't even revealed his true strength yet was mind-blowing.

"I hold it… it holds," General Drezan muttered under his breath as he poured more power into maintaining the barrier.

At the center of the platform… two beings stood.

Two stories converged.

One — a monster from birth, a legend, the goal of every young being in the Federation.

The other — once at the peak, once destined for the throne, until tragedy struck. Through twisted fate and a chain of events, he found himself in the Dreadborne Organization. His destiny warped — his potential, limitless.

"Glad to hear that," Darius said, his voice calm yet commanding. "You should show me your full strength. Hiding it any longer will only make you weak… and boring."

Caius' brows furrowed. His brother's tone had changed — the warmth of respect and support was gone, replaced with cold authority.

It opened Caius' mind.

"My brother… is truly the General of the Army," Caius thought as his gaze drifted.

Theron and Vaelen — both under medication.

Lyssandra, Seraphina, Lydia — all held their breath in fear and anticipation.

The crowd mirrored their anxiety. Even the powerhouses looked uneasy.

That made Caius chuckle.

No one believed he could win. No one thought Darius was in danger. They feared only that Caius would die. To them, this wasn't a battle — it was a suicide match. Even Darius himself didn't see Caius as a threat, only an opportunity for warm-up.

With the world silent, Caius closed his eyes.

He could feel it — his terrifying bloodline flowing like a raging river through his veins.

His body temperature rose. Smoke escaped his mouth, ears, and skin.

Gasps erupted as heat waves surged across the Federation.

"Chain of Madness… you said our potential was limitless, our strength unbound. Now that I've reached the Galaxy Realm… let's see if I can stand against the Federation's number one genius."

Caius didn't whisper — he declared it for all to hear.

The powerhouses stirred with excitement. The Dreadborne Organization was shrouded in mystery, yet Caius' words reminded them of their creed — the Chain of Madness.

Lydia clenched her fists. She too was remade by Dreadborne, yet she never truly believed those words. Sure, she was stronger — ten times more, maybe — but against Darius? His feats were legendary, his power unthinkable. Some even refused to believe the stories, calling them myths.

Darius was often compared to Hollowind, the ancestor of the Hollowind family — a being who had reached the multi-Universal Realm and stood as one of the peaks of existence.

Hollowind wasn't just powerful — he was terrifying.

Invincible from the Galaxy Realm onward, he conquered every young prodigy, every Universal Realm expert and beyond. Now, as a multi-Universal Realm being, his true strength was unknown — but dreaded.

And yet… Darius was compared to him.

Not in current strength, but in potential.

Darius spread his arms wide, smirking.

Caius grinned back.

"Release."

The soft word echoed through the Federation as Caius' transformation began.

The skies darkened. Clouds churned. Lightning tore through space as black holes formed and reality itself began to disintegrate.

Every being trembled in primal fear.

"Chaotic being?" Drezan whispered, eyes wide.

The other powerhouses were equally stunned.

"It seems this fight won't be easy," one of them murmured.

On the platform, Caius' skin began to peel.

Terrifying scales emerged beneath, his body growing — four meters tall. A long tail whipped out, two massive horns spiraled from his skull.

When his eyes opened, every living being felt the urge to kneel.

Their legs trembled. Their souls screamed. It was as if the sky itself was pressing down, threatening to collapse.

A presence unlike any ever seen had descended upon reality.

"What… who is that?" voices broke out among the crowd.

Even the powerhouses couldn't hide their shock.

A single question clawed at every heart — What truly is the Dreadborne Organization? Are they monsters like the Wild Shade Group?

Amidst the chaos, only Darius grinned.

He felt no fear — only excitement.

The two brothers vanished, blurring into motion faster than sight could follow.

BOOOOOM!!!

Space ruptured.

Time shattered.

Reality twisted and bent as light itself was devoured.

The crowd screamed as the energy dome began to crack.

Crack—

Then it shattered.

"No!" Drezan roared, pouring everything into reinforcement — but the barrier was instantly destroyed.

The Federation trembled as a storm of destructive energy spread like wildfire.

Regret filled every mind.

Is this the end? they wondered as death loomed.

Jake frowned, his body twisting, ready to move — ready to protect what little he could.

But then…

Silence.

Everything froze.

The combatants vanished.

The energy dissipated.

A calm, distorted voice echoed through the air.

"Their battle is too grand. Their strength exceeds the limits of this Federation. I've shifted them into my alternate reality — yet sound and vision shall still be transmitted across the Federation skies. We, the Ancestors, are also interested in this duel."

Everyone exhaled in relief.

The battlefield was empty — untouched.

Moments later, the sky above them changed, revealing a scene that stole their breath.

On an enormous planet within another dimension, Darius and Caius clashed once more — their blows tearing through that world as every sound and image was broadcast live for all to see.

Fear and awe filled their hearts.

It seemed one of the multi-Universal Realm Ancestors had intervened… and saved them.

*****************************************************

Also I wanna write a novel with this idea for a contest

IDEA 3

You lived in a world where the dead conquers the living, where the gods have forsaken humanity to its own demise. You awaken an ability to see and "consume" souls to strengthen yourself, but at a high cost which is you will lose a bit of humanity every time you did so, and by the end of the day, nobody could have guessed whether you will be the hero that saves the world, or the demon that destroys it.

Your thoughts about this ?