The Third Prince Of Darkness

**(Third-person POV)**

Among the southern clans, there was one clan that was quite different from the others. This clan was actually a small island clan. What set this clan apart from the other southern clans was not just the fact that it was established on an island; the biggest difference was that, despite raising incredible warriors, it never went to war with other states.

This clan was called the Black Dolphin Clan. They were the only southern clan that had not yet been conquered by Alpshar. However, time passed quickly, and Alpshar brought all the main southern clans under his control, leaving only the extremely peaceful Black Dolphin Clan. Foreseeing that war was imminent, the leader of the Black Dolphin Clan, Uraluon, began preparing for battle.

He fortified the island’s perimeter with traps, barricades, and other defenses to protect the entire island. Six months after uniting all the southern clans, Alpshar sent a letter to Uraluon, asking him to peacefully accept his rule and submit.

At around 337 years old and him life devoted to the Great Water God, Uraluon responded with a letter filled with harsh insults. Six months later, Alpshar's ships appeared around the island, and a great battle began. Alpshar had not been able to build a large fleet in such a short time, so he suffered the greatest losses he had ever faced in battle.

Moreover, a rebellion could break out at any moment in his newly established southern kingdom, so this war had to be concluded quickly. For this reason, Alpshar launched an all-out assault, which he called Operation Lightning . After nearly three months of struggle, Alpshar’s forces finally breached the main castle of the Black Dolphin Clan, but there was a huge problem. Uraluon, at 337 years old, was at the seventh stage of Kaizer power.

He positioned himself in the courtyard of the auxiliary castle at the rear and cut down the advancing soldiers like cheese. Having already wasted much time, Alpshar, for the first time since his childhood, decided to use his Kaizer powers in battle.

“Hah... hah... hah... You’re quite strong, boy” Said Uraluon as he took deep breaths.

Uraluon was sitting on the long stairs beside the courtyard, his face covered in blood. His long white beard and hair were also stained red. A massive sword, identical to the one he held in one hand, lay on the ground. Looking at the deep gouges in the courtyard floor and the walls, it was clear that a fierce battle had just taken place.

Opposite Uraluon stood a young man with red hair, trying to calm his breathing. He had pushed his body too hard, for the man before him was even more formidable than he had anticipated.

“You’re strong enough for an old man...” said Alpshar, taking a deep breath before continuing, “but unfortunately, the strength of someone about to die is irrelevant.”

“Hahaha, I suppose you’re right. But don’t be too proud, Alpshar. You’ll die soon too! Do you think the other kingdoms will just sit back and watch as you continue your conquests and expand your lands?” Uraluon said as he reached for the other sword on the ground without getting up. 

“I’ve heard there will be a marriage between the Tamerid Empire and the Asina kingdom. And the current emperor of the Tiamat Empire is nothing more than a puppet of the Tamerid Empire. The Tamerid Empire now has all the north in its grasp, and do you really think they’ll be peaceful with you? When you are the biggest threat to their plans?" he shouted in a hoarse voice.

“Let them come. The larger the enemy army, the greater the victory I’ll achieve"Alpshar replied with a smile.

Uraluon looked at the young man before him for a while. His gaze lingered on Alpshar, and then his eyes reflected concern and fear. Indeed, Alpshar was a monster. He had the potential to annihilate any army that crossed his path. There was no doubt that this young man was blessed by all the gods.

“Every conqueror has a Tiamat” he whispered.

The proverb he quoted meant that every great emperor would eventually be defeated by someone even stronger. Slowly, his eyes turned upward, looking at the cloudy sky. Then he looked back at the young man with blood-red hair standing before him.

“At least will you tell me why you declared war on us? We, the Black Dolphin Clan, were never a threat to you! We never fought with the other clans! We only grew stronger to be closer to the Great Water God! We trained soldiers, but only to draw closer to the god whose power surpasses all nature! What problem did you have with us? What did we do to you... No, what did this world do to you? But in the name of all the great gods, I curse you, Alpshar! And I hope May all the places you bring suffering don't heal...” Uraluon said.

Alpshar looked at Uraluon with a contemptuous gaze for a moment. “You and your foolish gods... The greatest insanity I’ve ever seen in my life is people like you. Gods and religions are nothing but nonsense created by the weak to make themselves feel better. And did you only remember the god when you lost? Did you only remember the god when you fell? And in your battle against me just now! Did the thought of a god cross your mind at all?” he said.

Uraluon took a deep breath and struggled to stand, forcing his heavily wounded body upright. In one hand was his massive sword, and in the other, his ribs, which he clutched in pain. Although he wanted to carry the other massive second sword, he failed, so he threw it to the ground before standing up. Slowly, he took a few steps toward Alpshar; with each step, blood seeped under his feet, staining the stone courtyard. His eyes were filled with both rage and sorrow.

“No matter how wrong you are about the gods, trying to correct someone like you is futile. Something within you has already broken, Alpshar..." Uraluon said, his voice hoarse and sorrowful. “Remembering the god doesn’t happen in the midst of battle; it happens at the end of the battle, at the final breath of life. Because at that moment, only the truth stands before you. When you realize your own smallness, your helplessness, your regrets; only then does one turn to the god.”

Alpshar laughed mockingly at Uraluon’s words. “I don’t want to hear the excuses of the weak,” he said coldly. “Neither you nor your god can stop me.”

Uraluon closed his eyes in response to Alpshar's words. For a moment, he recalled the peaceful days of the island long ago—the blue seas, the blowing winds, and the temples dedicated to the Water God. For a brief moment, a sense of peace filled him, but it was short-lived.

When he reopened his eyes, he was face-to-face with the young conqueror standing before him. “Alpshar, remember?” he said in a heavy tone. “Every conqueror eventually meets a Tiamat. Every emperor has an end, and your end may be very near. You can kill me, but there are things you can never destroy. The gods' curse will haunt you.”

As if tired of the old man's ramblings, Alpshar raised his long sword and took a heavy step toward Uraluon. There wasn’t a hint of mercy in the young conqueror eyes. An icy wind blew through the courtyard, momentarily easing the intensity of the battle, but the lingering scent of blood and the silence of death remained.

Uraluon looked up at the sky one last time. He recalled the blue seas, endless horizons, and the grandeur of the temples. He took a deep breath and gathered his remaining strength. Although he was too exhausted to stand, his spirit had not given up the fight. But the young man before him was far too powerful…

Alpshar lunged forward, raising his sword. The sharp edge of the blade gleamed in the air for a moment before it slashed toward Uraluon. However, Uraluon stepped back at the last second and met the young ruler’s blow with his sword. The metallic sound of clashing swords echoed through the courtyard, startling the birds in the vicinity and causing them to take flight.

He realized that the young man's Kaizer element was something abnormal. After all, his body had never felt so heavy before, and the sword he used to lift as easily as a feather now felt as heavy as a mountain. Uraluon grimaced in pain but didn’t falter. Ignoring the wound on his left hand, he used all his strength to resist Alpshar. Every movement pushed the limits of his aged body, but the determination in his spirit remained unshaken. Clinging to his own strength, experience, and faith, he tried to stand against Alpshar.

Alpshar, on the other hand, watched this resistance with astonishment. He was surprised that Uraluon was still this strong despite his age and the Kaizer feature he used. However, this surprise didn’t stop him; on the contrary, it motivated him even more. In his eyes, the old man’s stubbornness was just a futile effort, the struggle of a dying wolf in the last moments of a battle that was already lost.

In the end, Uraluon fell to the ground with a heavy blow, realizing the harsh reality of death beside him as he crawled toward the stairs of the courtyard. Just as he reached the stairs, he felt Alpshar’s foot on his back, but it was as if the weight of an ocean had pressed down on him.

“Ahhhghggg!” he screamed with all his might in pain.

"In my brief life, I have realized that humankind is naturally enslaved. They were like slaves who believed in nonsense, clinging to meaningless things to give their meaningless lives some semblance of purpose. The unskilled fools awaited hope from their gods, while those who thought themselves powerful declared themselves gods—until someone stronger came along. All of this is nothing but a feeble attempt to add a shallow meaning to their lives, inherently enslaved by their nature" said Alpshar and gave more strength to Uraluon's foot on his shoulder. 

"AHHHHHGGGGGGGGG!" Uraluon screamed in agony as the sound of breaking bones echoed in the air. Alpshar continued speaking with a smile that resembled that of a madman.

"And I, Alpshar! The king of kings, born a slave, has long since broken my chains! I have transcended the nature of humanity and have become something greater than the rest! I am now the High-Human! Hear me, inferior beings... Listen to my voice and break your chains with me—rise up and ascend!"