Chapter 256: The Emperor Takes Stage

"Woolie...?"

The voice was small, weak, and almost inaudible beneath the roar of the five Diamond-Tier Terra Beasts and the sphere of destruction descending from above. But it cut through the chaos like a needle through cloth.

Raiden froze as his head snapped down toward the small bundle in his arms.

Woolie’s eyes were open.

They were half-lidded at first, unfocused and groggy, like a child who had just been woken up from a very long nap. His little ears twitched once, then twice, as if he was still trying to figure out where he was and why everything sounded so loud.

"Woolie...?" he mumbled again, his voice hoarse and confused.

Raiden’s throat tightened.

For a second, he couldn’t speak. He just stared at the little sheep in his arms, his heart hammering so hard it hurt.

Then Woolie’s eyes fully opened. The first thing he saw was Raiden’s face.

The second thing he saw was the massive ball of fire, ice, stone, lightning, and darkness falling directly toward the top of their heads.

His pupils shrank to pinpoints. His body moved before his brain could catch up.

"WOOOLIE!!!"

He shot out of Raiden’s arms like a violet comet, leaving behind a trail of static that made Raiden’s hair stand on end.

His small body blurred through the air, faster than his thoughts could catch up with him, and he planted himself directly between the falling sphere and his family.

The Diamond-Tier master’s smile widened.

"Hahaha, it’s too late!!" he said. "That attack will erase you all."

The sphere descended.

Woolie planted his tiny hooves against the air itself, violet lightning erupting around his body in a violent storm. His wool, which had been flat and lifeless for a week, suddenly stood on end, started crackling with enough electricity to make the air around him hum and distort with power.

"Woolie Woo!!" Don’t touch my family!!

He raised both front hooves toward the sky.

The lightning around him condensed, twisted, and roared.

Then a pillar of thunder erupted from the ground beneath him.

It wasn’t just lightning.

It was a column of pure, concentrated destruction, violet and crimson intertwined, wide enough to swallow the sphere of annihilation whole. It shot upward with enough force to shake the entire battlefield, causing even the people running out to pause for a second in its awe.

BOOOOOOM!!!

The sphere stood no chance as it shattered.

The five elements that had been merged together were ripped apart by the sheer voltage of Woolie’s thunder, scattering in every direction like broken glass. Fire turned to harmless sparks. Ice shattered into mist. Stone crumbled into dust. Lightning dispersed into harmless static. And darkness was torn apart by the sheer brightness of the violet light.

Looking at this, the Diamond-Tier master’s smile vanished.

His five beasts staggered backwards, their bodies smoking from the backlash of having their combined attack destroyed so completely.

"What..." His voice was barely a whisper. "What just happened?"

Woolie landed softly on the ground, his tiny hooves barely making a sound.

He looked up at the five Diamond-Tier beasts with an expression that was equal parts sleepy and annoyed.

"Woolie Woo..." he muttered, rubbing one eye with a hoof.

Too loud. Can’t a sheep get some sleep around here?

Silence.

As soon as Woolie’s words rang out, there was a complete, absolute silence on the battlefield.

Then Neva screamed.

"SHA SHA!!!" BIG BROTHER!!!

She shot across the battlefield like a golden missile, her eight limbs flailing wildly as she threw herself at Woolie with enough force to knock him flat on his back.

"Woolie Woo!!" Oof!! Hey, be careful!!

"Sha Sha!!" Big brother is awake!! Big brother is finally awake!! Neva was so worried!!

Neva didn’t care about anything else. She hung herself on Woolie and started to cry. Big, ugly tears streaming down her face as she buried herself into Woolie’s wool and refused to let go.

Rose wasn’t far behind.

Her massive crimson body slithered across the battlefield at top speed, wrapping around both of them in a protective coil that was equal parts hug and death trap.

"Hiss Hiss..." Big brother... you’re okay... you’re really okay...

Her voice was trembling too.

Woolie, who had been struggling to breathe under Neva’s enthusiastic assault, finally managed to free one hoof and pat Rose’s head gently.

"Woolie Woo..." Don’t worry, little sisters. This Emperor is fine. Just needed a little nap, that’s all.

"Sha Sha..." You were asleep for a whole week!! Neva thought you were never going to wake up!!

"Woolie Woo..." A week?! That long?! No wonder I’m hungry.

Rose let out a small, wet laugh.

"Hiss..." You’re awake for five seconds, and you’re already thinking about food.

"Woolie Woo!!" Of course!! A strong Emperor needs to eat well to stay strong!!

Neva laughed through her tears, and Rose’s body loosened slightly around them.

Raiden stood a few feet away, watching the three of them with an expression that was caught somewhere between relief and disbelief.

He felt his throat go tight and his eyes burn. He wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t come.

Woolie noticed him standing there and tilted his head.

"Woolie Woo?" What’s wrong, human? Why are you making that weird face??

Raiden opened his mouth.

Closed it. Opened it again.

"...You idiot," he finally managed, his voice cracking. "You absolute idiot. You were asleep for a week. I thought... I thought..."

He couldn’t finish.

Woolie blinked at him.

"Woolie Woo?" You thought what??

"I thought you had turned really lazy and were going to become a fat ass in the future. I thought you would keep on sleeping forever."

Woolie’s expression shifted from confusion to mild offence.

"Woolie Woo!!" Hey, what do you mean by that? Emperor Woolie is always hardworking, okay!! This Emperor doesn’t die that easily!! I was just resting!! A strong Emperor needs his beauty sleep, you know!!

Raiden stared at him. Then he laughed. It sounded like a broken, wet laugh, but it was real one.

"Yeah," he said, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. "Yeah, you’re right. My bad."

Woolie puffed out his chest, satisfied.

"Woolie Woo!!" That’s more like it. Now stop making that face. It’s weird.

Raiden smiled.

Was a small but genuine smile that adorned his lips. Emperor Woolie was awake, and somehow, that made everything feel a little less hopeless.

The Diamond-Tier master, who had been watching this entire exchange with growing irritation, finally snapped.