Let's peel back the curtain and show what the Divine Pantheons are seeing, feeling, and fearing. Chapter 16 brings us to the Heavenly Observation Chamber, where gods, demons, and beings beyond mortal comprehension gather… and realize that Eric Aivor and his flames may not be a legend—they may be a threat.
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Scarlet Dragon King – Chapter 16: Eyes of the Divine
High above the mortal plane, past the celestial veil and outer dimensions, stood the Heavenly Observation Chamber—a ringed fortress of astral light, where the pantheons met.
Today, its thrones were filled.
Shinto. Norse. Greek. Egyptian. Even the fractured fragments of the Abrahamic and Fae courts. And though absent in body, the Hindu pantheon had sent a divine echo—ten thousand voices in silent harmony.
They all watched the Trials of the Scarlet Dragon King through the Mirror of Infinity, a scrying pool that showed soul over strength.
The Elder Sky God of the Greeks, his eyes heavy with ages, broke the silence.
"He's passed three," Zeus said, frowning. "The Crimson Devil, the Ice Queen, and the Destroyer Herself."
Ra, golden and solemn, folded his arms. "This Trial was meant to reveal weakness… but instead, it's refining them."
Freya leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with fascination. "No man has ever bonded with such a collection of divine feminine forces. Not without losing himself."
Odin grunted. "He hasn't tamed them. He's stood beside them."
And that, to some… was worse.
A ripple passed through the chamber as a new voice joined.
Not loud.
But it made the stars outside the hall dim.
A being cloaked in shadow and fire appeared—neither male nor female, its form ever-shifting.
The Primordial Court had sent a representative.
"The Dragon is not bound by Fate," it said. "That makes him dangerous."
A few younger gods shifted uncomfortably.
Amaterasu finally stood, radiating light like the Sun itself. "Or perhaps… he is what we all failed to be. A balance."
Athena turned to her. "You would risk letting him rise unchecked?"
"I would risk letting hope exist," Amaterasu replied calmly.
But hope was not what the others saw.
They saw an unpredictable Dragon King gathering goddesses, devils, forces of death and creation.
They saw a flame that could light the universe… or burn it to the ground.
A single sentence echoed in the chamber, spoken by none—but heard by all:
> "If he passes all eleven trials… will anyone be able to stop him?"
The chamber fell silent.
And the gods watched as the fourth mirror began to shimmer—its color not blue, red, or silver…
But pure black.
Death was awakening.