Abyssal Sovereign: The Demon's Dominion Chapter 281 - 280: The peak is lonely, Darius entering the b

BOOM!

CRACK!

A loud, sickening sound echoed through the arena as Caius's head snapped backward.

"Eldest Prince Caius!"

A gasp escaped soone's lips in the crowd as everyone froze, swallowing hard.

Back on the platform, Theron stood tall, his golden eyes blazing. He had Caius by the hair, gripping his head tightly. Despite the blow, Caius's skull began to nd almost instantly, his expression calm—unnervingly calm.

"Co on," Caius muttered, his voice low and defiant. A chill spread through the spectators.

The truth was undeniable—Theron was stronger. Not by a small margin, but by a mile.

Caius's strength rivaled that of a high-level Galaxy Realm being…

But Theron? He stood at the very peak of it.

The outco seed clear to everyone watching.

"Hahaha… co on, then?" Theron laughed, though his eyes narrowed as he studied Caius's unflinching face.

"Very well," he said, his tone shifting from mocking laughter to a voice sharp and cold enough to pierce bone. "You might die here, brother—but your mory will not be forgotten."

BOOM!

CRACK!

CRACK!

Theron launched forward again, his every strike aid to kill.

Broken bones. Shattered ribs. A punctured heart.

Yet Caius's regeneration defied reason—every wound closed as quickly as it appeared.

Theron was enraged now, furious that Caius had dared to strike him earlier. In his anger, he had lost an arm—and he would not let that go unpunished.

The younger prince unleashed everything. Each hit landed with the force of a god swatting an insect.

But after every blow, every claw, every brutal impact… Caius's crimson eyes grew darker.

Deeper. Redder. Wilder.

Until—

POWWW!

Reality itself tore apart.

Space disintegrated. Light bent.

Ti twisted as black ink swallowed them both whole.

CRACK.

"What's going on?"

"Is it over?"

"After that barrage, prince Caius must be dead…"

Murmurs spread through the crowd as despair filled the air.

Even the powerhouses watching from the depths of space were silent. None believed Caius could still be standing—unless a miracle occurred.

But hadn't Caius already shown everything? What miracle could be left?

And then… the darkness began to fade.

The torn fabric of space revealed itself, slow to nd—a terrifying sight on its own.

"Who won?" soone whispered.

All eyes turned toward the platform.

There stood Caius and Theron—face to face, motionless.

No guard stance. No killing intent. Just silence.

"Don't fail, brother," ca a familiar voice.

Theron smiled faintly.

Opposite him, Caius's eyes glowed crimson.

"I won't," he replied softly.

Theron's body relaxed as he smiled one last ti—and collapsed.

BOOM.

Theron reverted to his normal form as General Drezan rushed forward, checking for vital signs.

"He's fine," Caius said, crossing his arms. "I only knocked him out."

His voice was steady, indifferent.

Drezan didn't stop checking. If any royal sibling died under his watch, his head would roll. But Caius was right—Theron was rely unconscious.

The crowd remained silent, stunned beyond words.

Monts ago, they feared Caius was dead.

Now, he stood tall—no wounds, no fatigue—only those crimson eyes that burned like a curse.

It left a question lingering in everyone's mind:

What really happened in that black ink?

"And the winner is… the Eldest Prince, Caius!" Drezan announced, handing Theron to the dics.

No cheers. No applause.

Only confusion.

No one understood how Caius had won.

Was it a trick? A psychological ga? Or sothing darker—sothing unseen?

Among the shocked faces, one set of eyes burned with sharp focus.

Darius.

"I'm up next. Do you need ti to rest?" Darius's calm voice cut through the silence.

Lydia, who had been about to congratulate Caius, froze.

Seraphina and Lyssandra were equally stunned.

"You want to fight Caius? Why?" Lydia asked in disbelief.

The crowd murmured. Darius was a prince too—yes—but hadn't he forfeited the throne already?

"Caius declared he would challenge all princes for the throne," Darius said, his gaze never leaving his brother. "Who am I to decline? I'm a prince, after all."

"We can start now," Caius replied coolly.

Darius nodded and stepped forward toward the platform.

"Wait, Darius!" Seraphina said sharply. "You're the one who wanted us to stop fighting for the throne. You gave up your claim!"

"Did I?" Darius said quietly, a faint smile touching his lips. "I've changed my mind."

The audience fell silent again.

No one expected Caius to accept.

No one expected Darius—the youngest general, the monster of the Federation—to fight.

"Caius, don't do this!" Lydia urged desperately.

"Brother, please don't!" Seraphina added.

"Please, big brother," Lyssandra whispered.

But Caius didn't even glance their way. His eyes stayed locked on Darius.

"Before we begin," Caius said, voice calm but curious, "I have a question."

He took a step closer.

"You once gave up the throne. You even tried to stop this entire battle among siblings. So why now? Why fight?"

The crowd leaned in, their curiosity hooked.

"Is he really going to fight General Darius?" soone muttered.

It seed impossible—yet here they were.

Darius smiled faintly, closing his eyes for a mont before speaking.

"That," he said softly, "is simple…"

"The reason this is important to … it all started when I was thirteen. Back then, I was hailed as a young genius—worshipped like a god among gods. They said I could rival even Hollowind.

At the ti, I was thrilled. But I knew words ant nothing unless I proved them true. So, I entered the trials with all the other so-called prodigies. That's when everything went south."

Darius paused. The room fell silent. Even the powerhouses leaned in, drawn to the tale of the Federation's future legend.

"They were weak… too weak. None of them could push to show even half of my strength. Battle after battle, I grew bored—so bored that I began challenging Universal Realm beings."

His eyes glead with joy, sending a shiver through the crowd.

"He did what?"

"He's a monster…"

"A terrifying one…"

"They were powerful," Darius continued, "and I lost when I first faced them."

A wave of relief washed over the audience—even Caius felt tension leave his shoulders.

"But that was then," Darius said with a faint smirk. "I grew. I evolved. Until eventually, I could defeat them too. And then… I grew bored again. I hunted Universal Realm beings for sport, but the thrill was gone. The joy I once felt in battle faded. The world felt lonely. I thought I had reached the peak—until I t him."

His tone darkened, and even the air seed to freeze.

"His na… unknown. But he was from the Dreadborne Organization."

Gasps rippled through the hall.

"Even though we stood in the sa realm, I couldn't defeat him. He crushed —so easily that I questioned my very existence."

The na Dreadborne hung heavy in the silence.

"But that defeat," Darius said, eyes burning with rare light, "it broke —and in that breaking, I felt joy. The top wasn't lonely anymore. I wasn't invincible. Hahaha…"

He laughed, the sound echoing like thunder.

"Then I ca here—to fix us. But I found out you had a twin brother, and the battle for the throne began. As you fought the others, I saw it in your eyes, Caius—the loneliness. You never showed your true strength, did you?"

Caius, arms folded, answered simply.

"...Yes."

"I knew it." Darius's grin widened. "That look—it awakened sothing in . I rembered him. The one from Dreadborne. And you… you went there and ca back reborn. It stirred a hunger in ."

He took a step forward, his voice rising like a storm.

"I wonder… are you as strong as him? Can you make feel that sa excitent again? Can you push to fight with everything I have?"

The ground trembled as his aura erupted, sweeping across the Federation.

"CAN YOU MAKE SHOW MY FULL STRENGTH!?"

The entire hall fell silent. The world seed to stop.

Caius's eyes flickered, his heart pounding as he looked at his brother. The realization hit him like lightning—he didn't truly understand Darius. They weren't fighting for the throne in the sa way. While Caius sought to rule, Darius sought aning.

They were both climbing the mountain—but Caius was still wondering how to leap from the cliff, while Darius was already flying through the stars.

How ironic.

Caius smiled faintly.

"Brother… I will give you that excitent."

His blood boiled, power rising like an inferno.

"Don't disappoint ," Darius said, grinning wide.

The battlefield trembled. Two beings stood ready—one seeking purpose, the other seeking freedom.

The world itself held its breath.

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