Spiral of Madness: Ascension of the Villainous Dragon Prince

Mikoto slowly set her teacup down, looking genuinely confused. She had never expected Mirai to speak such words about the country that had kept her "captive" for so long. After years of failed attempts to retrieve her, Mikoto had hoped to seize this chance to bring the strongest Sinner to Yamato. She could be an incredible asset. Instead, she met a stubborn young woman who was nothing like an inexperienced lab rat.

She turned back to Louis.

"What’s wrong, Princess Mikoto? Mirai has already given you her answer. She does not want to join your house. Still, we are grateful for the offer," Louis said. "I was wondering, though—do you treat your members well? Is there anyone who dislikes you? Maybe I can bring them here instead."

"There is no such student. Everyone loves me," Mikoto replied with a warm smile as she stood up. "Anyway, I suppose I should get going. Thank you so much for your hospitality, everyone. See you tomorrow~!"

As the princess turned to leave, Louis tapped the table. The entire world around her suddenly warped.

"Hm?"

Her eyes widened. She found herself standing in a desolate ashen wasteland. Large dark red trees rose into the sky, and five gigantic heads stared down at her with overwhelming power.

"W-Wha...?!"

Mikoto looked around, feeling an immense pressure that threatened to crush her small body. Her eyes bulged and pain flared in her chest as something enormous loomed behind her.

"S-Saizo...! Saizo?!"

She called for him but could not find her brother and bodyguard. She felt completely powerless as two gigantic beings approached. One luminous creature stood behind her, while another dark and monstrous entity loomed above through an endless sea of chaotic clouds, their eyes glowing bright red.

"W-What is happening...?! I was leaving and then suddenly I am here?! I did not even sense anything. Is this... a Domain? No, a Fantasy Realm?!"

She slowly turned and faced what she had been dreading. Her entire body froze as she saw a massive being of almighty divine power covered in white scales, with two luminous wings of eternal flowing light.

Six sharp golden eyes glared at her, accompanied by enormous golden horns. The being was easily over three hundred meters tall.

"D-Dragon...! A Dragon?! What?! Ah?!"

"You seem surprised. Did you never think for a second that I could kill you right now if I wanted?"

"Y-You...! Y-Youuuu?!"

Mikoto screamed in horror as endless despair rapidly infected her Fantasy Heart. Her hands trembled, her teeth clenched, and terrifying fear filled her eyes.

"Do I look like a clown to you now, Princess Mikoto?"

"Saizo! Where is he?! What did you do to him?! Why are you doing this?! How are you doing this anyway?! You are a crippled bastard— I thought the rumors about you saving your country were all fake!"

"What’s wrong? I am sure you must be used to seeing dragons, right? You speak so much about my aunt and her son as if you are so close to them. Why are you so afraid of a dragon? Aren’t we all friends?"

"A-Ahhh!"

Mikoto stepped back, desperately trying to summon the powers within her Fantasy Heart and her Magecraft. Her Soul Gear struggled to manifest, but she could not call it forth.

Despair poured from her mouth, eyes, nose, and ears like black liquid, forming rivers of darkness. Her hands shook violently as the giant dragon took a step forward.

"W-Why...! Wait...! Wait a second...! Aack...! This cannot end like this! Why is this...! Aahh...! Y-You...! You are so powerful— HOW?! Are you even Louis?!"

"I am. I guess you truly are as weak as I imagined. All of you are. You will likely grow stronger throughout the year. That is, if I allow it."

Like the Sinners in the academy, all students were extraordinarily strong and possessed enormous potential.

But compared to a Fractured Spiralwalker at Tier 7 who was also an Awakened Esper with every ability fully unlocked?

No. Louis was likely a god among all the students right now. Completely untouchable.

"H-How are you...! So strong?! What is...! This is a dream, hahaha...! A dream! A DREAM!"

Mikoto laughed like a madwoman while the five monstrous dragon heads emerged from the sea of chaotic clouds. Black liquid continued pouring from her eyes, nose, ears, and mouth as she felt she could die at any moment.

"Hmm. I wonder what would happen if I killed you right now. I could do it, and I lack any ability to care about the consequences."

"D-Don’t kill me!" Mikoto cried desperately. "Prince Louis, I was wrong...! I was wrong! Please forgive me! You are indeed strong! So very powerful—you are a hero of your country! Please have mercy. I am a foolish woman...! I... I am a pathetic person who has always felt like she cannot compare to her mother... I always look for flaws in important people and mock them to make myself feel better."

"Is that so? Is this your sad backstory, Mikoto?"

"Eugh..!"

Mikoto groaned and vomited blood as a giant claw grasped her body tightly, squeezing harder until bones cracked and organs burst one by one.

"Aaaaaaaaggghhh!"

"Ah, how delightful it is to see the bitch who thought she could speak ill of me and my kingdom scream in utter agony. Perhaps I should devour your arm next."

"Kaizo...! Vermillion Bird...! Help me...! Help— Aaaaaarrggh!"

In horror, Mikoto’s left arm was torn off and eaten by Louis’s monstrous dragon jaws. Blood dripped from his teeth as she screamed in pure despair.

"This world is truly unfair, isn’t it, Mikoto?" Louis asked, swallowing the flesh and blood. "Sometimes, without warning, you encounter a terrifying being you can do nothing against. I have experienced that many times. Now it is your turn. Tell me in the finest detail, my friend. How does it feel to despair when you have no power to change your fate? Is it painful? Does it make you want to cry? Do you want to fight back? Or do you want nothing but to be saved by someone else, as you always have been? Inside that hollow heart of yours, is there anything called willpower or determination beyond the joy you feel from mocking and torturing others?"

"A-Ahh...! Please forgive me...! Prince Louis...! Please forgive me— Ick...! Ahhh...! Auuuh...! Uuaaahh..." Mikoto cried genuine tears of fear and despair. Her arm bled profusely, bones clearly visible.

"Aw, are you sorry?" Louis asked. "How cute... It only makes me want to tear you to shreds even more. How pathetic. You do not even look at me with defiance, only fear? How absolutely pathetic. And you aim to become some kind of empress with that wretched heart and pathetic personality? There is no flame in your heart as I once mistakenly thought. I expected some fight, but you are just a pathetic little thing, a beast waiting to be killed. I could usurp everything you are and everything you have right now, and you would end."

"B-But... I am..." she muttered. "They will know and you will be expelled. Frostbane will become an enemy of my country! My mother will avenge me...! M-My mother...!"

"Hahah... Hahahah... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Mikoto stared in utter horror as the monstrous holy dragon laughed with his bloody jaws wide open.

"GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"E-Eh?"

Louis smiled back at her, sneering with pride and joy. His eyes blazed with nothing but the desire to conquer and destroy anyone who would one day dare oppose him.

"Let them come."

"...?!"

"Do you think I fear your country?"

"..."

"Do you think I fear your mother?"

"...!"

"Do you think I am AFRAID?"

"..."

"LET THEM COME! I WILL TEAR THEM TO SHREDS! I WILL BATHE IN THEIR BLOOD! AND I WILL DESTROY YOUR COUNTRY! WITH MY BREATH AND MY LANCE, I SHALL IMPALE YOUR MOTHER’S HEART AND EAT IT!"

"...!"

"DO YOU, FOR A SECOND, THINK I CARED?"

"...Ahhhh... M-Monster...! Monster...! MONSTER!!!"

As Mikoto screamed in agony and despair, Louis’s jaws opened wide and swallowed her whole, biting her entire body.

"Aaaaaaaeeeaargghhh!"

She screamed in horrifying agony as her body was torn apart by enormous sharp fangs. Her limbs were crushed, her skull pierced dozens of times and shattered, and her brain was slowly swallowed as Louis licked his lips.

"Aaaahhh!"

Then she opened her eyes again, gasping for air and coughing black miasma. She was back in the ashen wasteland.

"W-Wha... What happened to me?"

She touched her face and body, realizing everything had been restored—her arm, which had been devoured, and her entire destroyed body were whole once more.

But she was not alone.

"S-Saizo?!"

Her eyes trembled as she saw Saizo on the ground, bleeding profusely. His arms and legs were missing, his face twisted in horror as he gasped and vomited blood. A spear of ice pierced his stomach.

"SAIZO!!!"

She screamed and ran to her brother’s side, but he could barely focus on her, trapped in endless agony and despair. Black miasmic curses poured from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.