A week had passed since the birth of Vera Noxs and the preparations for her welcoming ceremony. The imperial city shimmered with hope. Silk banners fluttered in every corner. Magical fireworks had been prepared. People poured in from distant villages to see the newborn princess.
Yet… hope often walks hand in hand with calamity.
The clear blue afternoon sky suddenly turned dark, as though veiled by something that wasn't a cloud. The wind stilled. Birds that normally circled the clock tower vanished without a trace.
Then—
"BOOOOM!!"
A deafening explosion tore through the air.
Windows shattered. Magitek shop alarms blared in unison. Tremors crawled through the earth, strong enough to shake roof tiles loose.
Birds flew in panic. Dogs howled. Children began to cry.
In the center of the market, a boy pointed at the sky with a trembling hand.
> "MOMMM!! SOMETHING'S FLYING!! IT'S HUUUUGE!!"
The mother turned briefly—then yanked her child into her arms. Her eyes widened. Her face went pale.
> "Oh God… that's no bird… that's not—"
A massive shadow passed over the city sky.
Its shape was immense, winged, and as dark as living hellfog. Its body, deep violet. Its scales shimmered like shards of congealed blood crystal.
> "DRAGON!!" someone shouted, and like an unspoken signal—panic erupted.
---
THE CITY FELL INTO CHAOS.
People screamed and shoved. Merchants abandoned their stalls. Carts overturned. Goods scattered. Some were trampled. Others fell.
In the distance, the watchtower rang the emergency bell. But even that was drowned by the chorus of mass terror.
A young man tried to protect his sister but was swept away by the frantic crowd.
> "GET INSIDE! HIDE! DON'T LOOK UP!"
> "IT'S DESCENDING! IT'S COMING DOWN!!"
> "OH GOD! I HAVEN'T PAID MY SHOP RENT YET!!"
A colossal dragon hovered low above the city. Its wings spanned wide, casting a shadow over the entire eastern district.
A single flap unleashed searing wind, sweeping the market like a storm.
Tents tore away, fabrics shredded, fruit baskets flew. A horse broke loose, dragging a chicken-filled cart that exploded into a feathered frenzy.
> "MY CHICKENS!! WHERE'S THEIR DAMN HEADS!!"
One merchant wept hysterically, chasing a bald, featherless chicken as it darted into an alleyway.
---
Amid the chaos—two figures stood firm.
Alron, his massive frame and greatsword in hand, stood like a wall refusing to fall.
Beside him, Haruto leaned casually against an overturned ice cream cart and said:
> "Chill… chill… let's just BBQ together. Flying meat special."
Some of the still-aware citizens glanced his way—and somehow—laughed in the midst of horror.
> "DRAGON SKEWERS! I'LL BRING THE SOY SAUCE!"
> "YOU'RE INSANE, HARUTO!!"
But that laughter didn't last.
The dragon roared.
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
The sound wasn't just loud—it was mental pressure. It shook hearts. Buckled knees. A rookie soldier fell to his knees, sobbing. A mother fainted. An old monk clutched his prayer beads and chanted in forgotten tongues.
> "IT'S DOOMSDAY!! THIS IS THE END!!"
And just when everyone thought it was over…
The sky ignited.
"FWOOOOOOM!!!"
A fire projectile—blazing hot and blinding like a meteor—shot from the eastern sky, screaming through the air before—
"BOOOOMMM!!!"
—striking the dragon in the chest.
The massive beast was hurled backward, shrieking in agony and crashing beyond the city's western gate. A tower-high dust cloud erupted. The earth trembled. People dropped to their knees. Silence blanketed the city for a moment.
All eyes turned to the dust.
And from within that haze… someone emerged.
---
A woman, riding a white horse.
Not from the sky, but from the northern gate opened by the guards. Yet the way she entered—calm, poised, commanding—everyone instantly knew: this was no ordinary woman.
Her long purple hair flowed, partially braided. Her white cloak brushed the ground. At her side hung a massive book glowing with golden light.
> Catalyst Creator — Destiny Writer.
A rare artifact, held by only one soul in the Empire. A name spoken only in battlefields and legends.
She dismounted and stood atop the ruined marketplace. Her gaze swept the scene. Cold as a blade.
People stared in stunned awe.
A little girl tugged at her mother's sleeve.
> "Mom… is that an angel?"
The mother replied, voice trembling:
> "No… That's General Stevi. The Empire's Angel."
---
Stevi raised her hand. Blue magic radiated from the book at her side.
> "Rescue team! Separate the wounded! Secure the perimeter! The dragon's not dead—just injured!"
Her voice was soft—yet it rang clear through the entire city.
The imperial soldiers who had just arrived sprang into action. Some carried stretchers. Others formed barricades. Healers from the Tower of Restoration began treating the injured.
Alron blinked.
"...Who is that?"
Haruto smirked, slipping a surviving chicken into his pouch.
> "General Stevi. Tokisaki Uzen's right hand. She's a demon wrapped in angel flesh. Beautiful on the outside—but her Catalyst? That thing's a monster."
---
And elsewhere...
Chimamire no Tsuki Tower.
Tokisaki Uzen stood atop it. Wind whipped his black cloak. His eyes stared into the distance. Thunder split the sky, echoing his thoughts.
> "This is not an invasion…"
> "It's a message."
---
Meanwhile, inside the Imperial Palace…
Emperor Elden Noxs sat on his golden throne, his face cold and burdened.
> "What exactly happened?"
Minister Hiden answered with a trembling voice:
> "A dragon, Your Majesty… crossed our skies."
> "...And you're still here?"
Behind the throne room, imperial guards held position outside the empress's quarters and the baby's chamber. Almariya had not fully recovered—and the Emperor silently knew… this attack was no accident.
---
Outside the city walls, the dragon that once soared now writhed in pain on the ground. Thick black blood dripped from its chest—its wound burned from within by high-tier magic.
But a creature that strong… doesn't die from one strike.
It rose slowly. Its glowing yellow eyes seethed with rage.
Its body slithered like a serpent, and when it opened its jaws—blue fire ignited in its throat.
---
Atop the city wall, Stevi stood unmoving.
Her white cloak billowed, shimmering under the magic light that still pulsed from her book.
The guards held their breath. Some stepped back. They knew: this was no ordinary battle. This was a clash of legends.
Stevi opened her book.
Its blank pages began to write themselves.
Ancient runes flared in the air, forming a magical circle that spun like clockwork.
> "Mode: Genesis Invocation. Type: Multi-Constructive Attack Magic. Class-8."
> "Judgment Script: AZURE COMET – Act One."
The sky rumbled.
Three beams of light descended, striking the dragon simultaneously.
"BWOOOM!!! BWOOOM!!! BWOOOM!!!"
The earth buckled. The air boiled. Shockwaves rattled buildings until windows exploded.
---
In the city below, people screamed and hid under tables, behind carts, or in each other's arms.
An old man clutched his grandchild, whispering a prayer even he had long forgotten.
Children cried. Babies wailed. Even veterans of the Eastern War looked uneasy.
But no one ran.
Because somehow… as long as Stevi stood there, even alone, even small against that monster… there was hope.
---
The final blast struck the dragon's head.
It roared—one last time—before crashing to the earth like a falling mountain.
"BOOOOMM!!!"
The ground cracked. Dust engulfed the surroundings.
Then… silence.
Everyone held their breath.
And then, slowly…
> "...Dead?"
> "It's… not moving."
> "IT'S DEAD!!!"
Cheers erupted.
People shouted, cried, laughed. Some hugged. Others kissed the ground. A child climbed onto his father's shoulders and waved at Stevi.
> "ANGEL!!! THANK YOUUUU!!"
---
Stevi exhaled.
Her face remained calm. But her trembling lips and weary eyes betrayed something beneath.
Her hand bled slightly—from the recoil of her magic.
She knew all too well...
> "That wasn't the only one."
---
Inside the Imperial Throne Room.
Emperor Elden Noxs stood stiffly.
> "It's been centuries since dragons last appeared in our domain. The last… a thousand years ago. What's the explanation?"
Minister Hiden trembled.
> "...We're… not certain, Your Majesty. But… that dragon seemed sent."
The Emperor hissed.
> "Sent?"
> "We found a strange emblem beneath its scales. An ancient symbol… from the western continent."
> "The continent that was destroyed."
---
In a distant ruin far beyond the Empire...
A figure in a mask gazed at the sky. Behind them, thousands of shadows knelt—tall, gaunt, with eyes glowing like embers.
> "One has fallen."
> "Three more will be sent tonight."
> "Test their strength. And shatter the shield of hope."
---
Back in the city, Haruto raised an eyebrow, staring at the dragon now turning to ash.
> "...That wasn't normal, 'Ron. This isn't your average dragon."
Alron slowly sheathed his sword, still watching Stevi return to her white horse.
> "The Empire… will burn soon."