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Scarlet Dragon King – Chapter 11: The Flames That Stand With Me
The moon was high.
The stars, strangely quiet.
And at the center of Kyoto, in the private garden warded from all pantheonic interference, eleven powerful auras converged.
One by one, they arrived.
First was Rias Gremory, crimson-haired and determined, her demonic power coiled like a blade ready to strike. She didn't need words—her eyes met Eric's, and in them, trust.
Next came Grayfia, the Silver Queen, ever-calm, ever-sharp. She stood like a general before her king, silent but watchful.
Female Shiva, Goddess of Destruction, stepped through a glowing sigil, her presence thunderous even in stillness. She said nothing—but her energy dared the gods to challenge him.
Death arrived in a whisper, her cloak trailing darkness that shimmered like galaxies. She offered Eric a faint smile, almost shy. A goddess of endings… now standing for his future.
Then came the Sun, the gentle cosmic embodiment of warmth and light. Her presence calmed the garden, even as war loomed. She stepped beside Eric and laid her hand on his shoulder. "They will know why we chose you."
The Creation Goddess came in a storm of golden petals, radiant and full of unknowable power. She bowed slightly—not to submit, but to align. "I walk where creation itself bends. Today, it bends for you."
Astaroth, the Eldritch Goddess, appeared last of the original ten. Her beauty was madness and elegance entwined. She didn't speak. Her eyes—burning with twisted affection—never left Eric.
And finally—
Yasaka, the newest bond, stood by Eric's side, glowing with golden flame. Her presence wasn't just powerful—it was proud.
Eric turned slowly, meeting the gaze of every woman who had chosen to stand by him—not as trophies, not as pawns, but as equals in destiny.
"I won't lie," Eric began, his voice steady. "The gods see us as a threat. Each of you represents something they fear: freedom, change, love, chaos… power. They want to test us. Break us."
He took a breath. "I won't let that happen. But this test—this Trial of Realms—it's not just mine to face. It's yours too. Every one of you will be challenged… not in battle, but in your soul."
Silence followed. Not fear.
Readiness.
Rias stepped forward first. "Then let them come. I've followed you into the unknown once before. I'll do it again."
Grayfia nodded. "Let them test the strength of our bond. They'll find it unbreakable."
Shiva's smile was sharp. "I destroy what no longer serves the universe. The old gods? They're overdue."
Death's voice was a whisper. "Even I can't predict the end of this… and that excites me."
The Sun, radiant, simply said: "You've given me something to believe in again."
The Creation Goddess followed: "I have shaped stars. But nothing as beautiful as this union."
Astaroth tilted her head, grinning wide. "Let the heavens choke on our love."
Eric smiled—not with arrogance, but with pride. With love.
This wasn't just a harem.
This was a family of flames ready to burn for him—and with him.
And somewhere, in a plane far above, the gods watched in silence…
And began to feel fear.