Chapter 119: The Patriarch Test

Albert's words penetrated deeply into Strax's mind... By a whim of fate, two of his wives could still be considered members of their families, after all, they continued to use those names. Strax was already pondering the issue of the surname; he did not want to carry Vorah in his name, he desired something of his own, his own family.

"You called me here to protect me? Tell me another, come on, tell me," Strax said, his voice dripping with disdain. He knew his father wasn't that foolish, and in that cold heart, there was nothing but an insatiable hunger for power. While Strax continued to nurture that incessant hatred for being abandoned...

"Stop being arrogant. I called you here to ask you something. After knowing all this, tell me, boy... What do you desire?" Albert said, and Strax immediately felt the pressure in the room change. Was it a test?

[]

"Of course this bastard was testing me..." Strax muttered, watching as Albert's gaze returned to being completely cold. For a second, he almost believed his father still had some humanity. Strax remained silent, but soon Albert's aura violently pushed him back, forcing him to jump from the chair.

"I don't have all day, boy." Albert said. "Come on, tell me, what do you desire most?" He stood up, and it seemed like his body was growing... in fact, it was. His muscles swelled, reaching almost two meters in height... "A beastly physique..." Strax thought, seeing Albert's claws.

Strax had much to ponder, many doubts, but a single phrase came to his mind... the phrase he had said long ago.

"I want to be the strongest of all," he said, without trembling or showing fear. It was pure arrogance, something really surreal to think about. For a moment, everything went silent, only to be broken by something even more terrifying.

A laugh.

"YOU ARE VERY FUNNY!" Albert's voice echoed with a comical, yet insanely dangerous tone. He truly seemed to be on the verge of losing control.

"You killed your older brothers..." Albert's imposing voice cut through the air like a sharp blade, striking Strax with brutality. He fell to the ground, powerless, crushed by the pressure of Albert's aura, which seemed to be completely insane.

"Killed your brothers brutally for revenge, and now you dare say you want to be stronger than me?"

Albert took a step forward, each movement making the ground tremble slightly. The aura around him seemed like a raging storm, threatening to swallow Strax at any moment. The air was heavy, difficult to breathe, as if it was charged with electricity.

"You think you know what strength is?" Albert growled, his voice reverberating through the room. "You're nothing but a boy, a pup trying to pass as a wolf. I have seen true strength, I have conquered and destroyed it. What have you done? Killed your brothers? For revenge?" He laughed again, a cruel and insane sound.

"You understand nothing about power." Albert advanced further, and Strax felt the ground give way under his weight. Each word was a blow, each step a sentence. "You want to be the strongest? Want to surpass me?"

Strax tried to get up, but was pushed again by the invisible weight of Albert's presence, even his Dragon aura was no match for it, his swords were vibrating, but Tiamat and Ouroboros would not come out. He could feel his own heart beating uncontrollably, despite all this, he felt no fear; in the depths of his eyes, there was still a spark of defiance.

"Yes," he whispered, the word barely audible but laden with conviction. "I want to be the strongest. I want to destroy you and everything you stand for, wasn't that what you wanted? You created your worst nightmare." This might sound strange, it might even sound arrogant, and it really was. If Albert wanted something, then Strax would give it, and he would give it with everything he had.

"Tiamat," Strax spoke, gripping the sword tightly. He felt a weak response, a whisper of power almost fading away...

"Assimilation," Tiamat's voice echoed in his mind, and suddenly, he understood. The sword was not just a weapon but an extension of his very soul. He needed to merge with it, let its powers flow through him.

Strax closed his eyes, concentrating deeply. He felt Tiamat's energy envelop his body, a sensation of warmth and strength beginning to pulse within him. When he opened his eyes again, he felt a power far beyond what he had ever known. It was as if... his body had been coated with some strange force...

[]

Reading the message, Strax remembered something... the assimilation with Ouroboros had a similar effect, turning his ice into Black Ice. "I understand..." he murmured.

"Now you'll see," he said, his voice firm and resolute. With a swift movement, he launched himself at Albert, Tiamat's sword glowing intensely.

Albert smiled, a cold and calculating smile. "Finally, something interesting," he murmured, preparing for the confrontation.

Albert blocked the attack, but for a moment, he seemed surprised. Strax's strength was growing exponentially.

[]

"You're starting to impress me," Albert admitted, his voice laden with a strange mix of pride and disdain. "But it's still not enough."

He launched a fierce attack, his claws glowing with Byakko's energy. Strax felt the pain sear through his body, but he didn't retreat. Instead, he used the pain as a catalyst, intensifying his resolve.

"You're starting to irritate me!" Strax shouted. He realized one thing... His father... wasn't using his full power. If he had been, Strax would have felt fear. But despite the strength, he felt nothing.

Then, he focused all his energy into a final attack, Tiamat's blade glowing like a shooting star. "Extending this damn fight won't change anything," Strax said, watching his father charge at him again...

"Focus," Strax heard as if Tiamat were embracing him from behind.

With newfound clarity, Strax channeled the combined strength of Tiamat and his own willpower. As Albert closed in, Strax felt the world slow down, every detail sharpening with intense clarity. The final clash was imminent, a convergence of raw power and unyielding determination.

"Now," Strax whispered, feeling Tiamat's presence fully merge with his own, "let's end this."

With a roar, Strax unleashed his attack, the blade of Tiamat cutting through the air with blinding speed. The clash of energies created a shockwave that rippled through the battlefield, shaking the very foundations of the ground beneath them.