Gol D. Ace In Coiling Dragon

Immediately recognising the identity of the newcomer, both Garot and Verano bowed their heads, respectfully greeting Phueus.

Though Killian and the others didn't recognise the "child", between his terrifying aura and the fact that the two paragons were so quick to show their respect, they understood that the newcomer had to be a sovereign. As such, they also bowed respectfully.

Phueus didn't seem to care about any of their reactions as his jet-black eyes scanned the group intensely, pausing briefly on Killian.

After hearing Joleon's story, aside from Ace, the only other member of the Golden Sun Pirates who had caught his attention was Killian. As a three-way soul mutate who appeared to be following the path of a supreme genius, there was a chance that one day he could go on to be the strongest existence below the Sovereigns, and someone like that was precisely the kind of subordinate he would spare no expense to recruit.

He offered him a near limitless supply of Sovereign's Might, two Sovereign Artifacts, as well as an inexhaustible amount of money. Still, Killian rejected whilst being as respectful as physically possible, even going so far as to remind him that he already had a sovereign-level master.

Unfortunately, Phueus cared little for Killian's "master", especially a mere lesser sovereign. But just as he was prepared to pressure Killian into accepting his offer, the Field of Darkness began to shatter.

And then, much to the surprise of both Verano and Garot, only Ace and Amira were left inside.

As soon as Phueus saw Ace, his eyes lit up with greed.

Ace and Amira barely had time to assess their surroundings when Ace felt an irresistible force lift him against his will.

The force wasn't powerful enough to cause him any harm, nor was it so powerful that he couldn't break free of it should he truly want to; unfortunately, the only way for him to break free of it would be to reveal his ability to use his Willpower. And in the face of someone who was quite clearly a Sovereign, doing so would be tantamount to suicide.

Lucky for him, Verano, using his Willpower, was able to stop Phueus from getting his way.

Phueus hadn't used much force for two reasons. First, because he didn't want to hurt Ace, and second, because he didn't think for a second a mere deity would ever even try to stop him, even if said deity was a paragon.

Looking at Verano, Phueus' aura turned frigid as he warned him that even if he's good friends with Orloff – the Chief Sovereign of Fate – he wouldn't hesitate to kill him if he dared to get in his way again.

The truth was, the moment he arrived on the scene, he immediately saw the striking resemblance between Amira and her mother – his disciple – Cecelia. And with his mind being as sharp as it was, he was able to put two and two together to understand that Amira was the true descendant of the Vis clan, and the only reason Ace could use a Visual Manifestation was because, like Cecelia and Larkel, Ace and Amira were also soulmates.

As Cecelia's master, Verano could be considered something of a grandfather to Amira, and although he had no direct connection to Ace, with them being soulmates, he was well aware that if Ace were to lose his life, Amira would end up losing hers as well. As such, he couldn't just allow Ace to be taken.

Despite the tremendous pressure he was facing, Verano remained calm as he told Phueus that he couldn't take Ace.

Hearing that, Phueus looked at Verano as he allowed the full weight of his killing intent to bear down on the frail, elderly-looking man before telling him that that was his last chance. He had no right to tell him what he could or couldn't do, and if he ever did so again, he would kill him where he stood.

Still, Verano remained calm as he replied that if he was determined to take Ace, he obviously couldn't stop him, but he would be offending one of the other Chief Sovereigns if he did.

Phueus hesitated before asking why Orloff would have taken an interest in Ace, believing that he was the only Sovereign that could ask a Paragon like Verano to make a move on their behalf.

Still, Verano shook his head and responded that he was referring to the wrong Chief Sovereign.

It was right then that something clicked for Phueus. Without a second thought or an ounce of hesitation, he moved at a speed that no one present could even begin to follow, hurriedly grabbing Ace by the scruff of his neck before proceeding to tear a hole in space and entering the chaotic void, preparing to hurry back to his Divine Realm of Darkness.

By the time they realised that Ace had been taken, Phueus had already escaped an inconceivable distance. Still, Amira, Killian and the other Golden Sun Pirates didn't hesitate to enter the void, prepared to chase after the Chief Sovereign of Darkness – futile as it may be.

Before they could take off after Phueus, though, Verano grabbed Amira and stopped the rest of them. He reminded them that even in a real world, the chances of them catching a Lesser Sovereign were all simply impossible, let alone chasing after a Chief Sovereign in chaotic space, a place where even a paragon like him struggles to move freely. And even if by some miracle they were able to catch him, they would be sending themselves to their deaths.

Amira frantically fought to free herself. Unfortunately, Verano was simply too far above her in terms of strength. Still, she told him that if he didn't let them go, she would make it her life's mission to kill him.

In response, Verano sighed and replied that she was just as headstrong as her parents.

It was those words that temporarily calmed her down just enough for him to explain that he was on their side and that they should trust him; nothing bad would happen to Ace.

At the same time, Phueus, still holding onto Ace by his neck, was speeding through chaotic space at an inconceivable speed when a frown made its way onto his already pensive face.

A domineering and extremely haughty voice pierced through chaos itself before ringing in Phueus and Ace's ears. The voice commanded Phueus to stop, but Phueus merely snorted before replying that he was the Chief Sovereign of Darkness; no being in the universe was qualified to give him an order, not even the Chief Sovereigns of the Four Edicts, let alone a mere Chief Sovereign of Light.

The man chasing after them was precisely Augusta, the Chief Sovereign of Light, who, for some reason, went out of his way to protect Amelia's father all those years ago.

Till now, Ace had barely reacted after being adult-napped. After all, no matter what he tried, there was no escaping from a sovereign after being captured, not with his current level of strength. But after hearing that the man chasing them was Augusta, the same man who had saved his now deceased father-in-law in the past, his mind churned as he thought of ways to escape his current predicament.

He didn't know the truth behind Amira's father's relationship with Augusta, nor could he bring himself to trust him, especially as he was precisely the reason why Beirut, and by extension, his grandfather, Bluefire, couldn't leave the Yulan Plane without fearing for their lives.

Still, when compared to Phueus, he was definitely the lesser of two evils. As such, Ace, who had been deathly silent up until now, decided, using all the knowledge he had amassed till now, to go for broke and risk it all on what could only be described as a Hail Mary.

Ace's face suddenly paled, his body starting flailing around in Phueus' arms as he called out "in fear" for his "Godfather Augusta" to save him.

Phueus frowned as he looked at Ace. Ace's jerky movements didn't do anything to hamper his movement speed, but it definitely had his mind whirring as he thought about the potential consequences of his actions.

Although there were no explicit rules against it as such, all sovereigns knew that killing the loved one of a fellow Sovereign was something of a Taboo.

And although the relationship between a Godfather and Godson wasn't one bound by blood, considering the limitless lifespan of a Sovereign, it wasn't unusual for Sovereigns to have tens, if not hundreds, of children.

The chances of them being close to each of their children were virtually non-existent. At most, it would only be 3 or 4, but for a Sovereign to be a Godparent, it would mean that although their relationship wasn't necessarily one bound by blood, it was one that they truly acknowledged.

Still, he didn't know if it was really the truth or if Ace was just saying it to try and get himself out of it.

Then, as if Augusta could read Phueus' mind, Augusta's voice rang out once more. He told Ace not to worry; with "Grandpa Augusta" here, nothing bad would happen to him, and if so much as a hair was harmed on Ace's head, he would raise the Divine Plane of Darkness into oblivion.

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Story Complete!

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