"Basil Bertram..." I cried out in shock.
Basil Bertram looked weak and frail. I still couldn't believe it—Basil Bertram, one of the Seven Ghost Sovereigns, standing at the pinnacle of all ghosts alongside John Chou and the others.
"How does it feel, Basil Bertram? Not so good, right? Heh, we've already thoroughly investigated you. At the Feast of Ten Thousand Ghosts, our people infiltrated and checked things out, but we still couldn't believe it. Turns out, you really were on the verge of death back during the battle of the Seven Sovereigns."
Dreadstar spoke as he walked up to Basil Bertram and kicked him. Basil tried to block with one hand, but still took a kick to the face. Even so, he clung to Leah King, crashing to the ground.
"And your Hundred Ghosts? You really can't command them anymore, can you? You're just a show-off, always putting on airs. Even now, you pretend nothing's wrong when your power is almost gone. It's unbelievable—your Blue Wraiths are all stronger than you now, but they still follow you without question. When I found out you'd truly lost your strength, I was shocked. But right now, I'm in a great mood..."
I stared blankly as Basil Bertram showed a faint smile.
"Heh, back then I spared you. Who would've thought you'd become such a menace..."
"That's right, Basil Bertram. Back then, you Seven strutted around, each more arrogant than the last. Now John Chou is sealed away for good—he'll never get out. And you're next. Once I extract the Wooden Contract Stone and refine it, you, Basil Bertram, will cease to exist in this world."
As Dreadstar spoke, he tried to pull Leah King from Basil Bertram's arms. Suddenly, Basil's hand turned into something like a sharp, withered branch and stabbed toward Dreadstar.
With a crack, before it could even touch Dreadstar, Basil Bertram's hand crumbled into splinters.