Chapter 300: Portal
Caeloria - Elf Kingdom
Rhys Lufiel stared at the projection with an expression that mixed fury and grudging respect.
"He’s insane," Rhys muttered. "Completely fucking insane."
Lady Claudia’s musical voice carried disapproval.
"He’s effective. Barbaric, yes. Crude, certainly. But effective in a way that transcends re combat ability."
She gestured toward the projection showing the field of corpses. "This isn’t about killing enemies. This is about sending a ssage that resonates across continents. Every house, every kingdom, every ambitious noble just learned that House Kaiser is untouchable."
Rhys’s hand moved to his side where Jack’s lightning-enhanced strike had sent him flying during their duel. The mory stung worse now, knowing what Jack was truly capable of.
"I want a rematch," Rhys said quietly. "I want to face him again. Prove that the duel was a fluke."
"No," Lady Claudia’s voice carried finality that brooked no argunt. "You’ll stay away from Jack Kaiser. You’ll avoid House Kaiser entirely. Because what we just witnessed wasn’t a fluke, Rhys. That was a glimpse of what he becos when his family is threatened."
Her green eyes tracked Jack’s laughing form on the projection. "And I will not lose my son because he let pride override his survival instinct."
-----
Hall of Eternals
The assembled gods had gone silent.
Even Zephyros’s usual smirk had faded, replaced by an amused expression.
"Well," he said finally. "That was... thorough."
Draven stood with his arms crossed, electricity crackling around his form with satisfaction that transcended re pleasure. "I told you. He is MY Chosen One. And he just demonstrated exactly why."
The other gods who’d been betting on the battle’s outco processed what they’d witnessed. Fifteen thousand rcenaries.
A proclamation to the world delivered while laughing in a field of corpses.
"The bet," Zephyros said slowly. "I believe I owe you a follower. A woman of exceptional quality to help your chosen one spread his bloodline."
"Indeed," Draven’s smile carried vindication. "And I’ll collect. But more importantly, the world just learned what happens when my chosen one is threatened."
A goddess whose domain touched warfare spoke up, her voice carrying genuine respect. "That wasn’t combat. That was psychology. He made them fight each other, gave them false hope, then executed them while proclaiming to every observer what happens when House Kaiser is touched."
"Brilliant," another god agreed. "Brutal, but brilliant. Every house, every kingdom, every ambitious fool just learned that Jack Kaiser is not soone you threaten."
Draven’s electricity intensified.
"He’s exactly what I knew he’d beco. And this is just the beginning."
----
Back on the Battlefield
Jack’s laughter finally subsided. He stood amid fifteen thousand corpses, his golden eyes sweeping across the carnage with satisfaction.
Father Caelen stood nearby, his breathing having returned to normal after the exertion of casting two powerful skills.
S approached Jack calmly.
The demon’s red eyes carried amusent. He clearly enjoyed the whole spectacle.
"Quite the show," S observed. "I particularly enjoyed the false hope. That was a nice touch."
Jack’s smile was sharp. "They needed to understand. Not just these n. Everyone who was watching. House Kaiser is not a target."
He raised his hand, and reality tore open.
A massive portal materialized, easily thirty feet across. The opening revealed... nothing.
Darkness beyond human comprehension.
"Take them," Jack gestured to the seven captains bound and terrified near S.
S moved with casual efficiency.
His superhuman strength made the task trivial, he grabbed two captains by their armor, slinging them over his shoulders like sacks of grain. Dragged two more by their bindings.
The remaining three he simply seized and hauled toward the portal.
The captains scread and begged for their life. Thrashed against S’s grip with the desperation of n realizing their fate was worse than death.
S threw them through one by one. Their screams cut off as they disappeared into the void beyond, swallowed by whatever waited on the other side.
Jack walked toward Marcus Thorne’s catatonic form.
The broken noble sprawled on blood-soaked ice, drool still frozen in his beard, his eyes vacant pools that barely registered Jack’s approach.
Jack grabbed Marcus by his armor’s collar, hauling him upright with strength that made the motion look effortless.
Marcus’s ruined leg dragged behind them, leaving a trail through corpses as Jack dragged him across the battlefield.
"This is where you belong," Jack said quietly, voice pitched for Marcus alone. "In darkness. In pain. In a place where your screams will echo for as long as I decide you deserve to scream."
Marcus’s eyes focused just enough to comprehend.
Horror blood across his broken features as so fragnt of his shattered mind understood exactly what was happening.
Jack reached the portal’s edge and hurled Marcus through with the sa casual disdain soone might show when tossing out garbage.
Marcus’s scream was raw. The sound of a man finally understanding the full scope of his mistake.
Then the portal swallowed him, and silence returned.
Jack let the portal remain open for a mont longer. Let everyone watching see the darkness beyond.
He wanted them to wonder where those prisoners had gone. Understanding that death would have been rcy compared to whatever fate awaited in that void.
Then he closed his hand, and the portal sealed with a sound like reality healing itself.
----
King Eric’s Throne Room
"What in all hells was that?" Aurelius breathed, his amber eyes went so wide they almost popped out of his mouth.
The projection had shown it clearly.
The massive portal. A human casually throwing grown n through like they weighed nothing. Jack dragging Marcus across corpses before hurling him into darkness.
"A portal," Eric said slowly. "To... sowhere. Sowhere those prisoners are going to suffer for a very long ti."
Alaric’s smile carried dark satisfaction.
"My son has resources beyond what anyone suspected. That’s good. They will fear and revere him."
Lady Genevieve squeezed his arm. "Alaric, do you know where that portal led?"
"No," Alaric admitted. "And I don’t need to. All that matters is Jack has sowhere to send his enemies that’s worse than death. That’s a ssage every house will understand."
----
Stormblood Estate
"Did he just..." Garrick trailed off, his face went pale.
"Open a portal to an unknown location and throw prisoners through for eternal tornt?" Chiron finished. "Yes. Yes he did."
Charlotte’s storm-colored eyes had opened more than they ever have in her life.. "Father, that’s... that level of spatial magic shouldn’t be possible for soone his age."
"Clearly it is," Chiron replied sincerely. "Which ans Jack Kaiser has access to resources we haven’t even begun to understand. What else is he hiding?"
His smile widened. "This just beca far more interesting."
Garrick clocked her cheeks becoming flush. She slowly touched her face and her eyes narrowed. "Father, I just have him. He’s the one." She replied as her voice dripped with ecstasy.
’Oh great, her shifty personality is coming out again. And father will indulge his daughter because she’s the only one.’ Garrick grimaced at the thought.
----
Sunblade Observation Post
Cassius watched the portal close and slowly concern grew.
"That’s... unprecedented," he said quietly.
Lady Sunblade’s hand trembled slightly. "Cassius, what kind of man is our daughter marrying?"
"The kind," Cassius replied, his golden eyes never leaving the projection, "who will protect her with every resource at his disposal. The kind who has power beyond our understanding and the will to use it."
Aurora’s hands moved in sign language.
Lady Sunblade translated. "She says she’s not afraid. She says anyone with that much power who still protects family is exactly who she wants."
Cassius nodded slowly.
---
Hall of Eternals
"A portal," one god breathed. "To where?"
"Sowhere painful," another replied. "Sowhere those prisoners will suffer for however long he decides they should suffer."
Draven’s smile carried vindication.
Draven’s electricity intensified, but his expression softened in a way the other gods rarely witnessed.
’Sarin...’ The na echoed in his thoughts like a prayer.
’You gave up godhood for others to have a chance at redemption. Surrendered everything you were for a chance to make things right.’ His jaw clenched. ’And I let it happen. I let them strip you of your divinity rather than stand with you.’
Zephyros’s expression had shifted from amusent to genuine interest.
"This changes things. A mortal with dinsional access. That’s... rare. Unprecedented for soone so young."
"He’s special," Draven said simply. "I told you he was special. Now the world knows it too."
-----
Back on the Battlefield
Jack took one final look at the battlefield.
The portal was closed.
"We’re done here," Jack said to S and Father Caelen. "S spend so ti with Father Caelen. I have sothing to finish."
He turned away from Sorne, and Jack disappeared from sight heading to finish the last piece of business.
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