Online Game: Starting With SSS-Ranked Summons-Chapter 396: Aether’s terrifying.

A flicker of tension passed through the squad.

The second-in-command stepped forward, jaw tight. freewebnøvel.coɱ

"You’re making a mistake," he warned.

"We’re federal agents, operating under official jurisdiction. Any interference will be viewed as obstruction of justice."

"You really want to go down that road? Don’t make us call for backup. It won’t end well." His tone hardened.

Gates considered his options, and he tried thinking of different de-escelating tactics but a peaceful resolution seemed increasingly unlikely.

I need to avoid a fights without using just words... I need a demonstration of overwhelming force.

That’s when Gates remembered their most effective deterrent.

He turned toward the battlefield where Aetherion continued his elaborate games, the void dragon currently engaged in what appeared to be demon juggling.

"Hehe, It’s so funny playing with these demons. Master should’ve brought me to this playground long time ago,"

"AETHERION!" Gates shouted across the distance. "These people are disobeying Master !"

Invoke the magic words.

The effect was nothing short of terrifying.

Aetherion’s playful giggles ceased immediately, his void-black eyes snapping toward Gates with laser focus.

The cute, childlike demeanour vanished, replaced by something far more dangerous.

Aetherion’s protective instincts activated. He knew that Gates was one of the men that Arthur trusted, so he believed him.

"Who dares to disobey the best Master in the universe?"

His voice remained adorably high-pitched, but ice-cold menace flowed beneath the innocent tones.

The contradiction was deeply unsettling.

Cute death incarnate. Sarah thought, watching Aether’s expression.

The demons currently trapped in his spatial manipulation began screaming as forces intensified beyond their already unbearable limits.

What had been playful juggling became incredibly powerful compression.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Demon bodies burst like overripe fruit under impossible pressure, their death shrieks echoing across the battlefield.

Aetherion’s attention remained fixed on the military squad.

"Please, mercy!" one demon gasped before spatial forces reduced it to paste.

Aetherion ignored their pleas, his focus entirely on the humans who dared challenge his master’s authority.

No mercy for those who threaten family! Aether thought, with a cute frown on his face.

The military squad watched in horrified fascination as the small, cute dragon murdered humanities worst entities casually.

Their weapons and gear suddenly felt inadequate against such casual displays of power.

"That... that dragon, it’s talking...it can also understand human tongue...how?" one soldier whispered.

"It’s killing them without even looking." The other whispered, a horrified expression on his face.

The second-in-command’s assessment rapidly recalculated threat levels. Whatever they were facing transcended normal levels.

He had to withdraw, otherwise they would die before they knew it.

"Maybe we should..." another soldier began, taking an unconscious step backward.

Aetherion’s head turned toward them with grace, his void-black eyes focusing on the military soldiers with uncomfortable intensity.

"You make Master Arthur unhappy?" he asked in that same cute voice. "That makes me very unhappy too."

The pressure around the remaining demons increased exponentially, their screams reaching frequencies that made human teeth ache.

"I-I think we should go back," the communications specialist said urgently.

"Good idea," his companion agreed, already moving back toward their helicopter. "Very good idea."

The entire military squad began backing away from the building, their weapons lowered.

Soon, they were back to waiting next to the helicopter. Whether their leader was alive or dead was no longer important, what was important was whether they could leave this place alive or not.

None wanted to face that dragon. Despite his cure voice and size, he was absolutely terrifying.

"Good job, Aetherion! Master will be very pleased, I will make sure to let him know." Gates said with a huge smile on his face.

Aether had completely solved the situation without the need to fight.

Aetherion watched their retreat with satisfaction, his cute features brightening.

"Yay! Naughty people going away!" he announced cheerfully. "Master will be happy!"

The dragon immediately returned to his games, spatial manipulation shifting back to playful applications.

The contrast between murderous actions and childlike joy was deeply disturbing to the soldiers.

Above them, Aetherion had resumed his demon volleyball tournament, his cheerful voice providing commentary for increasingly creative violence.

"New personal record for distance!" he announced proudly. "Master will be so proud of my improvement!"

Gates shook his head with bemused affection. Working with Arthur meant accepting impossible contradictions.

Just another day at the office

Inside the headquarters, Arthur had learned a few things from Jax during their brief interrogation session.

The most amusing revelation was his own bounty—a figure so astronomical he almost considered turning himself in for the reward.

Ten billion dollars. For my capture dead. I’m flattered.

The number was staggering even by wartime standards. Enough money to fund small countries, buy entire corporations, or sustain military operations for years.

Apparently, the American government valued his elimination very highly indeed.

"Ten billion, Master," Jax had reported with perfect loyalty. "Dead or alive, though they prefer alive for interrogation purposes."

Arthur’s laughter filled the conference room. "Ten billion? That’s more than most countries’ GDP. I should feel honored."

The second piece of intelligence proved equally interesting.

All military personnel in Detroit had been warned about a large dragon potentially belonging to Arthur Fate. Detailed briefings included photographs, and engagement protocols.

They know about Aetherion because of that drone...well, they sort of do.

But their intelligence was flawed in fundamental ways that revealed the limitations of conventional thinking.

Jax had initially considered the possibility that the small dragon outside belonged to Arthur.

The timing was suspicious, and location were suspicious.

But he’d dismissed the connection based on deeply flawed assumptions about draconic nature.

"The dragon they described was massive," Jax explained with posthumous clarity.

"Nearly twenty meters long, wings that blocked out sunlight, presence that could be seen from kilometers away."

Those are indeed accurate descriptions of Aetherion’s large form.

"The creature I observed was small, playful, almost... cute," he continued. "Nothing like the terrifying predator from the reports."

"Size transformation never occurre​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​d to me. Why would a legendary dragon make itself smaller? Dragons are known for intimidation through overwhelming presence. Size reduction would contradict their fundamental nature." Jax continued.

Arthur found this oversight hilarious.

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