Izuku—who possessed the knowledge of making another batch of serum—recited the formula for Emperor Katsuki. Due to his current state, Izuku could only verbally recall it, not having the strength to write it down on a piece of paper. As he listened, Emperor Katsuki nodded, absorbing every bit of information. Being a Titan on the verge of advancing to a demi-god at Order 5, an enhanced memory and the ability to recall important details was a trademark ability of a pathway primarily specializing in combat, war, and achieving dominance over one's enemies.

  After Izuku finished his explanation, Emperor Katsuki nodded slowly, his lips parting ever so slightly. Following a brief moment of silence, the blonde emperor stood up, eyes fixated on the door leading to the hallway.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  Izuku only managed a smile in response, rolling over in his bed. Emperor Katsuki looked at him for a few more moments before sighing softly, walking out the door leading to the medical wing. He navigated through the countless chambers and hallways of the castle—something he had personally instructed when the castle underwent severe renovations. This way, he could get to places faster if he possessed the corresponding knowledge.

  Gradually, the wall lamps of the castle darkened, almost flickering out as the air around Katsuki cooled. He came to a wooden door that looked mottled and worn, time testing how long it could remain on its rusted, metallic hinges. He extended a gloved hand, pushing the door open and descending down the flight of stone stairs. Above him, he heard the sound of water dripping to the stone floor at the bottom of the chamber.

  It was at this moment when he wished he had worn his armor when journeying into the underground chambers. It wasn’t that he knew hidden and malicious dangers would surely want to attack him—because he could verify there were little to no dangers he couldn’t eviscerate—but the fact that the underground passages were awfully frigid. Accompanied with the denseness of the winter weather, the falling snow, and the bitterly cold winds outside, they surely would find their way down here, whether through subtle cracks in the stone, a door left wide open, or a careless servant tracking in snow.

  “Damn weather…” Emperor Katsuki grumbled, habitually huddling a little closer to himself, wrapping his arms around his body.

  As he made his way deeper into the underground chambers, he rounded a corner only to see a narrow hallway—one he knew all too well yet had only heard stories about. Spaces in the walls had been cut out, sealed behind iron bars that were only mere inches in distance. It was deathly dark in this region, a darkness that could only be permeated by dim candle light or a mystical ability.

  Emperor Katsuki clenched his fist, energy blazing up from his palm, condensing into an orange flame that levitated above his hands. This ability—normally utilized for setting fires—now provided a light for him to see. As he walked, he gazed into the empty cells of the underground prison, their vacancy enough to make him shudder.

  Criminals, traitors, and other beings who committed misconduct were kept down here, often under the personal command of the queen herself. When he entered his teenage years, he could vividly recall hearing the screams and pleas for mercy, for the sweet release of death, echoing in the underground chambers. Katsuki recalled the nightmares he used to have about being trapped down here alone.

  Emperor Katsuki quaked, banishing those malicious thoughts from his mind as he pressed forward—Emperor Izuku’s sickness and recovery was at stake at this very moment, not juvenile recollections of suffering and childish nightmares. After walking for another few minutes, he finally found the underground lab, which was a mess.

  “Those tailback bastards.” Emperor Katsuki rubbed his temples, huffing with annoyance.

  The laboratory, in contrast to the other rooms, was well-lit with lanterns and oriel lighting fixtures. Emperor Katsuki entered the lab, looking around with a flicker of curiosity. He saw test tubes lying astray; some spilled over with unknown liquids seeping across the counters before spilling onto the floors. He’d also spot the occasional stray whisker or spot of fur left behind by Francis and Fatima.

  He moved to the cabinets nestled in the corner of the room, slowly pulling them open and peering inside at the contents. Inside the cabinets were a myriad of different powders, scrolls filled to the brim with alchemical and botanical knowledge, and other miscellaneous ingredients he could use.

  The ingredients for the control serum spiralled in his mind, almost omnipresent in correlation with the current situation. His spiritual intuition led him to one ingredient after the other, allowing him to gather them all in quick succession. He had collected Devil’s Fault Fruit, two milligrams of water, Dragon Bone, and a pinch of Emerald Powder.

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  Emperor Katsuki laid out the required ingredients, grabbing a test tube nearby, following logical procedures as recommended by Izuku. At this moment, a thought flashed through his mind—if he were to use more water, what if there’d be more potion? Upon thinking this, Emperor Katsuki smiled and poured a cup of water into a test tube.

  Following that, he picked up an ink-black fruit that resembled a mixture between an apple and a pear, a grotesque amalgamation of nutrients and supplementary ingredients that he crushed in between his fingers, the insides of the fruit slowly dripping into the test tube. The moment the Devil's Fault Fruit touched the water, it emanated a strange and eerie crimson glow.

  He picked up the Dragon Bone—something that had been kept in a personal stash of his hidden in the lab. Emperor Katsuki had once slain a dragon for sport, bringing back its heart as both a trophy, and a hearty meal for a kingdom-wide feast. Now, he kept its bones in case they were needed for a situation like this, also because he thought they’d exemplify and flaunt his powerful feat.

  The moment he dropped it into the already brewing concoction, the potion reacted strangely, fizzing and bubbling before turning an illusory green color with hints of red. Emperor Katsuki’s eyes widened as the entire potion swirled and mixed itself, before finally coming to a rest. He slowly and carefully removed the bottle from its holster, before pouring the mixture into a vial.

  As he moved back towards the door with the completed Control Serum, Katsuki suddenly paused, looking to the closest corner of the lab. Lying among the countless barrels, manuscripts and formulas was a strange bottle, filled to the brim with a blueish-green liquid. Within the blueish-green liquid, illusory fireworks seemed to explode, emanating a colorful lightshow.

  Emperor Katsuki walked forward, eyes fixated on the peculiar bottle nestled in the corner. Upon closer inspection, he found that there were many other bottles laying beside it; they all looked the same, containing a similar-looking liquid. He picked up a bottle, peering in closer. Within the liquid, he could see inscrutable and small particles moving around, drifting within this serum.

  Using the enhanced vision given to him through the Barbarian pathway, Katsuki gazed further at the small specs within the bottle, noticing something that made his eyes widen. These small particles were actually organisms with twelve legs and wing-like appendages. They slithered and ‘flew’ through the serum. Every time they collided, they’d merge, giving birth to a new batch of these creatures.

  This was an unorthodox life process right before his eyes!

  He suddenly recalled what he had seen from Francis back in his throne room, noticing how the vulpur had used the same serum to make an arachnid-like creature emerge from the soil, having appeared out of nowhere! From what Kael had previously told him, the twins were working on a serum to greatly accelerate biological processes, allowing for plants to grow and be ready for consumption at a quicker rate.

  This was the same serum that was used to do that; the twins had made extras?

  An additional confirmation report from Felonious documented that the twins made extras to help with Seraphis Kingdom and the farmers outside in the forest. Had they directly made arrangements for a few bottles to be left here so they could use them too? After all, Seraphis imports would surely take a while, and they didn’t want to risk starvation.

  After gathering his thoughts, Emperor Katsuki smiled to himself, grabbing the potions and stuffing them into the pockets of his robe. Once everything had been collected, the blonde-haired emperor took a breath, walked through the door, and turned another corner. He walked in silence for another five minutes before ascending the staircase, making his way back to Izuku’s bed, and giving him the replicated serum.

  …

  In among the darkest quarters of the underground chambers, where light could barely permeate, a figure, clad in all-black robes, made their way through the twisting halls and chambers, walking past the prison hall, past the alchemical lab, and stopping in the darkest and coldest corner of the underground labyrinth of hallways.

  A large, imposing stone door stood before them, laced with intricate patterns and symbols, alongside engravings detailing battles and conflicts spanning countless ages. The figure took a sigh, pressing their hand against the surface of the stone door. The door slowly opened outward, crumbling and creaking loudly.

  The room behind it was large and circular in shape—deathly dark too. The figures’ cloak billowed behind them as they entered the room, gazing up at the ceiling, a small smile forming on their face.

  A colossal object could faintly be seen in view. It was a dragon, entirely composed of bones. Its mouth was torn open in a silent, eternal scream, its pose reminiscent of a mighty battle it had once fought. The only thing stopping the dragon from walking amok was the casing around it—pure gold. The figure pulled down their hood, revealing a head of crimson hair, elven ears, and a charming smile—Kael.

  In the corner of the room, crimson and black flames materialized to form another figure. It was Head Chaos, with his pale-blue eyes and gaunt face. The duo remained silent for a second before Kael spoke up, his tone low and collected.

  “I can’t believe my emperor has defeated this thing. If it were me in the fight, I too would have difficulty.”

  “He is a Titan, isn’t he? He’s only Order 6, you’re a demi-god—an Order 4.” Head Chaos marveled the dragon's form, quietly feigning a sense of respect.

  Kael nodded, clicking his tongue. “That’s true, but… we know the truth behind this dragon, do we not?”

  He looked to Head Chaos, giving the other man a knowing smile.