The Epic Tale of Chaos vs Order

Chapter 2530: The real might of a Sacred Treasure

Below, the eyes of the Royal Blutlinie began to glow with dawning understanding.

Bit by bit, the truth became clear.

The Red King was powerful—monstrously so—but his background was not some untouchable mystery tied to higher realms or ancient empires.

He was... ordinary.

Or at least, not protected.

Not backed.

Not beyond their reach.

The smile on Shakra’s face widened as he sensed the shift.

The doubt that Cain had sown moments ago was fading. The hesitation among the warriors of the Eternal Soul Kingdom began to dissolve, replaced by something far more dangerous—

Confidence.

The Eternal Soul King had been weakened by his clash with the Nirvana Crown Prince. That much was undeniable. But even so, he still retained immense strength.

Defeating the Red King alone might have been difficult.

But he was not alone.

Unlike Cain.

"You have no one," Shakra repeated, his voice steady, certain.

For a moment, Cain said nothing.

His body trembled slightly.

But it was not fear.

Not dread.

Something else entirely.

Then—

"Hahahahahahaha!"

His laughter exploded across the sky like thunder.

It carried no deception.

No hidden trick.

Only raw, unrestrained mockery.

It echoed so powerfully that even the hearts of the Royal Blutlinie trembled, a strange sense of unease rising within them.

The laughter lasted only a few seconds.

But it felt far longer.

And when it ended—

Cain lifted his hand to his mask.

Then crushed it.

The fragments fell away, revealing his face to the entire battlefield—and the radiant, almost manic smile upon it.

"You’re right," he said calmly. "I am the Scarlet King. And I am alone."

His gaze swept across the battlefield.

"For the first time in a very, very long time... I can say that with certainty."

His smile sharpened.

"No subordinate. No ally. No master..."

A brief pause.

"...not even that idiot of a brother."

The last words drew frowns and confusion from those listening, but Cain paid them no mind.

"However," he continued, his tone shifting slightly, "there’s something you’re wrong about."

His eyes locked onto Shakra.

"What I meant by negotiation was you handing your fragments to me."

A faint glint of hunger appeared in his gaze.

"I need them."

"For my collection."

The moment those words fell—

The fragments of the Sacred Treasure fused with his legs.

Before the process even completed, new fragments appeared—those corresponding to the arms—wrapping around his limbs and covering them almost entirely, leaving only one hand exposed.

"BOOOOOOM!"

A surge of energy erupted from his body.

It rose like a pillar, piercing into the highest layers of the sky. The sheer density of power warped the surrounding space, creating a presence that felt almost divine.

Shakra’s eyes widened.

Cain... had nearly all the fragments related to the arms.

For the first time, the Eternal Soul King felt something stir within him.

Not fear.

But instinct.

A warning.

He had always looked down on the Ninth Realm, dismissing its inhabitants as insignificant. Yet even he had to admit—

The Dark Blood King had been exceptional.

A true adversary.

And someone like that would never willingly hand over fragments of such importance.

Which meant—

Cain had found them himself.

Taken them.

Right under the noses of every army searching for them.

The more Shakra understood, the louder his instincts screamed.

Danger.

He even attempted to summon his ultimate trump card—his Ancestor Domain—but the pain in his soul stopped him. The earlier battle had pushed him too far.

He would have to rely on his physical strength.

And his Ancestor Power.

Still, when he glanced downward, he saw something that reassured him.

The forces of the Immortal Nirvana Kingdom were retreating.

They were confused. Disoriented.

But one thing was clear—

They were not going to protect the Scarlet King.

"Good," Shakra muttered.

"They may be tired, but together... we can kill him."

His gaze hardened as it fixed on the scarlet pillar in the distance.

"My warriors—"

He never finished.

Because in the next instant—

Cain appeared before him.

A direct blow slammed into Shakra’s chest.

But instead of being sent flying—

Something far more horrifying occurred.

Shakra felt it instantly.

The power.

The resonance.

The scarlet plasma wings behind Cain were interacting with something—

Something embedded within the chest plate he had only recently fused into his body.

In a single heartbeat, that resonance spread.

From the chest plate—

To every fragment of the Sacred Treasure he possessed.

For years, those fragments had been like a second skin to him. Perfectly controlled. Fully integrated.

To remove them, one would have to kill him.

Or shatter his soul.

At least...

That was what he had believed.

But now—

Under his horrified gaze—

The fragments moved.

They disengaged from his body.

One by one.

As if they had wills of their own.

And they flew—

Toward Cain.

The Scarlet King did not wait.

Before the fragments could even fully reach him, he twisted his body and delivered a brutal kick to Shakra’s face.

This time, the Eternal Soul King was sent crashing downward, slamming into the earth with devastating force, shattering the land beneath him.

The battlefield froze.

Every warrior stood stunned.

Unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed.

And amidst that silence—

Cain smiled.

Radiant.

Triumphant.

Everything had gone exactly as planned.

From the very beginning.

He had altered the chest plate using the Power of Chaos before handing it over to the Nirvana Crown Prince. He had wanted Shakra to take it.

To fuse it.

To integrate it with the rest of his fragments.

Because hidden within that piece—

Was a seed.

A fragment of Chaos.

Its purpose was simple.

To spread.

To infect the other fragments.

So that when the time came—

Cain could take control.

Override them.

And call them back.

To the one who held the greatest number of fragments.

Himself.

"SUCCESS!"

Cain roared as the fragments merged into his body.

They spread across him—legs, arms, chest—forming an increasingly complete armor that radiated terrifying power.

Only one piece remained missing.

But even so—

It was enough.

For the Sacred Armor to reveal its true splendor.

And for everyone present—

To understand.

They were witnessing something extraordinary.