Round Two Begins

The overwhelming smell of carrion wafted up to the sky of the Dimensional Boundary. "Bell, come down." Rihan ruled over the Dragon Race knights of the Bellsmor family.

The dragon figure with a distinctive back in the form of hexagonal pyramid-shaped crystal pillars and emerald green nodded obediently. He was the Dragon People who came to report to Rihan.

Bellsmor circled slowly in the air looking for a landing spot. Down there lay thousands or maybe tens of thousands of corpses of the Green-skinned Dwarfs. They all died horribly.

Bell was forced to land on the land with the least pile of corpses. He tried to thin out the disgust as his four limbs stomped on the shattered goblin corpse.

Rihan jumped down and was followed by Julius and Indra. The three of them covered their noses. Less than 6 hours and severe decay has eaten most of the Poor People's organs.

"What's going on here?" Indra had never seen the corrosive power of an Alvi Veenessa Endley before.

"Daniel, could it be…" Julius wasn't too sure. The life span of a person exposed to a corrosive force should be 24 hours. But what seems here is too much.

Rihan tries to touch one of the nearby corpses. The long 'cusss' sound mixed with black acid gas seems to rise up when it comes in contact with the nullfied energy. "Veena, what have you done?" he muttered, clenching his fists.

"Help! Somebody help me!!!" A female goblin was running scared towards them.

When the distance was only a few meters, the leg of the dark green dwarf lost all strength. He fell to the ground kissing. Decay was suddenly exposed on his back.

"To—" The goblin tried to raise his body. Hands outstretched to ask for help. But before he could finish speaking, a jet black sharp object had pierced his head.

Thick green blood seemed to drip from the tip of the blade sticking out of the forehead.

Black flames followed blazing from the blade and began to devour the creature's pitiful body.

"Rihan Daniels..." A familiar voice jolted Rihan away from the murder scene he had just witnessed.

"There's also Julius and Indra Saka, apparently," continued the owner of the voice, smiling unfriendly.

"Al—" Julius' throat was too dry to mention the name 'Alvi'.

"Veena, are you okay?" Rihan took a step forward trying to get closer. "Where are mom and dad? Then uncle, aunt and also Ririn?" he asked anxiously with relief. At least one of the people he was looking for had been found.

"They exist." Alvi answered with a stiff intonation. He had never spoken in such a voice.

Rihan realized that something was wrong. But as much as possible he ignored the drastic changes. He took a step forward towards Alvi. A gentle smile formed on his lips. Hope this unpleasant situation can melt away soon.

"Where are they?" Rihan asked hoping that Alvi could take them to Arken and Freya as soon as possible.

The next thing Alvi did was to thrust his right hand into a tight fist.

Rihan's smile faded slightly. His eyes alternately looked at Alvi's hands and eyes. He tried to understand what she meant.

"…here." Alvi opened his fingers one by one. Sand dust seemed to fall and then blown away without leaving the slightest residue.

Rihan watched it in silence. He kept looking for an explanation behind Alvi's flat face.

"They are dead. These goblins did. I'm just helping with the crushing," said Alvi as he pulled out the jet black sword that was still stuck in the goblin's head. "…except for Ririn. He's lost somewhere." There was a pained tone when Alvi mentioned his sister's name.

"Vena..." Rihan was about to say something.

"Listen, Ryan!" Alvi's voice suddenly rose. "I'm fed up with this situation. The precious people in my life keep getting hurt and snatched away! I hate my weak self! I hate having to keep hiding behind other people's backs!"

"Veena, calm down first. We can look for Ririn together." Rihan tried hard to control the situation.

Alvi couldn't hold back a small cold laugh. "Looking together? Where are you planning to find Ririn? This Dimensional Limit? Beta Urora? Or the Shadow Dimension? Even I myself am not sure Ririn is still alive, "he said frustrated.

Damn, Rihan hasn't had time to think that far. That's right, with the concentration of corrosive power in this Dimensional Boundary, there was very little chance of Ririn surviving. But the possibility of life is still there, right?

"Ryan, you are so strong that you can protect anything and anyone you want. As for me? I can only witness with my own eyes the deaths of those closest to me without being able to do anything about it!" Alvi vented all the feelings of disgust, anger and hatred that had been mixed in an incoherent way.

"Beta Urora, Dimensional Boundary or People from another dimension. If they so desire the fire of death and corrosive power to become rulers, then I will be the one who will rise as the new ruler!" Alvi suddenly threw the black sword in his hand at Rihan.

Rihan didn't move from the spot. Instead, her holy-weapon chain appeared and bounced off Alvi's black sword. The chain then moved nimbly to attack the woman's vital point. But before he could hurt, Rihan first held his attack.

"Veena, I don't want to fight with you. We can go home first and discuss this with a cool head." Rihan is still trying to persuade.

"Go home? Go home to where?!" Alvi grabbed the sword that bounced towards him.

"Did you forget that my house was gone twenty years ago?! Did you forget that my family died twice because they had to protect me?!!!" Alvi shouted loudly. Without thinking he stepped forward swinging his sword at Rihan.

A long 'cusss' sound mixed with black acid gas seemed to rise up as the holy-weapon chain wrapped around Alvi's blade.

"I understand. That feeling really hurts." Rihan once faced a period where he seemed to have lost everything.

"Veena, you can take all your anger out on me. But please stop running wild like this." Rihan began to worry about the fact that a corrosive force was slowly attacking the user back.

"How can I stop when they all want my life?" Alvi pulled his sword hard.

Rihan had no intention of holding the gun any longer. The holy-weapon chain released its coils.

"Ryan, I won't stop! I will not stop until I become ruler over all the land!" said Alvi. He attacked again and this time with seriousness.

The tip of Alvi's blade went smoothly into the area around Rihan's left shoulder.

Alvi was half surprised. It was not an attack that could be dodged or parried. "Why…? Why didn't you dodge?" Same with Rihan. Alvi himself didn't really want to fight the man in front of him.

Rihan drew Alvi's black sword with his bare hands. Then he placed the sharp weapon right in front of his heart. "Why miss? If you are determined to kill, do it seriously or you will regret it later." Rihan did not play with his words.

Alvi immediately withdrew his sword. "Ryan, don't think I can't kill you. Get lost before I change my mind." Alvi looked away as if he was giving Rihan a second chance.

"I will not leave until you agree to stop and come with me back to Tanah Agra." Rihan insisted.

Both are stubborn.

Alvi gripped his sword tightly. He smiled wryly as he said. "Who are you to dare to control me?"

"Even if you are the Venerable of the Dragons, I have no obligation to obey your orders. Don't forget, this is land. This place is not the territory of the Na People—"

"Veena, how hard is it to stop?!" Rihan has never felt this angry.

"I told you I wouldn't stop, Daniel! You're the one who should stop getting in my way! Land affairs let us, the land dwellers to solve! The Dragons have no right to interfere!" Alvi replied in a tone that was no less high.

Surprisingly the goblin corpses around them started to rise up one by one. The corpses seemed to have raised their respective weapons and attacked Rihan when Alvi swung his sword at the man.

Rihan turned the holy-weapon chain into a long spear. Two powerful swings succeeded in slashing the fragile limbs of the goblin corpses on the left and right.

Meanwhile, Alvi was deliberately allowed to enter Rihan's front defense. Before their weapons clashed, the spears had turned into chains. The object resembling a snake instantly moved around Alvi's arm and wrapped it around his neck. The pointy end of the chain stopped threatening just behind the woman's head.

Alvi's sword swing came to a complete stop and that's not all. This action was also very effective in stopping the attack of the goblin corpse army completely.

"Veena, are you serious? You will no longer be able to return to Tanah Agra if you choose this path." Rihan wanted to make sure one last time.

Alvi gripped his father's jet black sword tightly until his hands trembled. "I will be the ruler over the land. The Ifrits will rise up and no one can stop me including you, Raka, Julius or anyone from the Dragons," he said firmly.

The holy-weapon chain loosened its coils. "Okay. What happens on land let you, Land dwellers, settle." Rihan finally gave up. He took two steps back before finally turning away with a look full of disappointment.

Alvi could only freeze on the spot. No one knew what kind of mixed feelings he had when he decided to take this dark path of solitude. People immediately thought he had gone mad, and he was. Alvi has gone mad.

If time could turn back to 6 hours ago, maybe he would immediately say 'yes' when Rihan asked him not to go. His family as well as Arken's uncle and Freya's aunt would also surely postpone his planned departure if he insisted on not going.

Alvi is sorry. But everything is unrepeatable. There's no such thing as friends anymore, let alone family.

From now on, he was alone.