The parlor of Anruin's palace was quiet.
Too quiet.
Golden light spilled through the tall glass windows, reflecting softly across the polished marble floor. Outside, the city hummed with its usual life—merchants bargaining, miners hauling gemstone crates, children laughing somewhere beyond the palace walls.
Inside the room, King Gatling Zellon sat comfortably in a cushioned chair near the balcony doors, lazily sipping tea from a jeweled porcelain cup.
Elmira sat across from him on a sofa, gently playing with the small spirit floating beside her—Lucky. The little spirit drifted lazily in the air, glowing faintly like a shard of winter moonlight.
Everything seemed normal.
Except for Shoda.
He stood near the center of the room, breathing unevenly.
His eyes darted across the parlor.
His fingers trembled.
He knew this moment.
He had lived it already.
"I… rewound…"
His whisper was barely audible.
Then the realization struck him fully.
The broadcast.
The dragon.
The destruction.
His death.
Shoda suddenly shot to his feet.
"Hey."
No one reacted.
Gatling calmly continued drinking tea.
Elmira tilted her head curiously.
Shoda's voice rose.
"Hey!"
Still nothing.
Then his voice exploded.
"HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY!!"
Elmira flinched.
Gatling slowly lowered his teacup with visible irritation.
"My dear Elmira," he said calmly, not even looking at Shoda, "keep your servant under control. He is disturbing my resting time."
Elmira stood quickly and hurried toward Shoda, gently tugging his sleeve.
"Shoda, please… calm down."
"Screw that!" Shoda snapped, pulling away.
He turned toward the balcony windows, pointing wildly toward the city beyond.
"Thousands are going to die! I saw it!"
Before anyone could question him—
The broadcast tower crackled to life.
A voice echoed across the entire city.
"Ehem… I am in a hurry here."
Shoda froze.
His blood turned cold.
"This will be a warning."
Outside, a massive shadow rose into the sky.
The Black Death.
The colossal obsidian dragon burst upward from the tower platform, its wings unfurling like dark storm clouds. Lightning crackled along its jagged scales as wind gathered beneath its wings.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOM.
The dragon flapped once.
A hurricane burst outward.
A deafening shockwave of wind tore across Anruin, ripping banners from buildings and throwing dust and debris into the air. Market stalls shattered. Roof tiles ripped free.
Citizens screamed.
Across the streets people clutched their ears and collapsed to their knees, the violent roar shredding through the air like a blade.
The entire city trembled.
Inside the palace, the windows rattled violently.
Elmira covered her ears.
Shoda clenched his fists.
This wasn't a dream.
It was happening again.
Outside, panic erupted.
People ran.
Some dove under market tables.
Others sprinted toward their homes.
Merchants abandoned their goods in the streets.
The realization spread like wildfire.
This was real.
Then the voice returned.
"I want to speak with the king of Anruin."
Moments later the parlor doors burst open.
A palace guard stumbled inside, drenched in sweat, chest heaving.
"Your Majesty!" he gasped. "The Circle priest… he wants to speak with you!"
He held out a glowing telecom crystal.
The crystal hummed as Gatling took it.
Moments later the palace speakers activated.
Gatling leaned slightly toward the crystal.
"What do you want?"
The voice on the other end chuckled.
"Wow… what a pleasure to meet you, King."
A pause.
"But I'll cut to the chase."
"I am here for one thing and one thing only."
"The Devil Sister's remains… that lie beneath the Trail Tree."
Gatling stiffened.
His teacup slipped slightly in his hand.
How…
How is that possible?
Only the royal family knows that secret.
Before he could answer—
Shoda rushed forward.
"Answer him!" Shoda shouted. "Give him the damn corpse and let him leave!"
The room went silent.
The doors opened again.
Hector and Lysa entered.
Hector approached his younger brother calmly before turning toward Shoda.
"That is impossible," Hector said coldly.
"If we give him the corpse… Anruin will collapse."
Shoda blinked.
"What?"
Hector folded his arms.
"The entire city's gemstone ecosystem is tied to the energy beneath the Axis Mundi Tree."
"If the corpse is removed… Anruin will lose its foundation."
Shoda cursed under his breath.
"Damn… damn… damn…"
His mind raced.
Where is Roderic?
He should be here by now.
If he were here… this wouldn't be happening.
---
Far away along the highway leading to Anruin—
A battlefield raged.
Towering Jotunn giants—eighty feet tall—roared as they swung massive stone fists.
Roderic Vale moved like lightning between them.
Flames of brilliant gold erupted along his blade.
Knightflame.
Unbreakable sacred fire.
The flames wrapped around his legendary sword—Gram—a weapon blessed by the world itself.
Roderic slashed upward.
A pillar of holy fire cleaved straight through a giant's torso.
The massive creature collapsed.
But more emerged.
Another Jotunn swung its massive arm.
CRASH.
The blow slammed directly into Roderic.
The impact shook the ground.
Yet he didn't move.
His Blessing of Absolute Durability absorbed the strike completely.
Inside a nearby carriage, Eldritch Cain sighed.
"This will take forever, Roderic."
"Patience, my lord," Roderic replied calmly.
Then—
A massive column of water blasted across the battlefield.
A Jotunn was instantly shredded apart.
A knight approached through the mist.
"Good day to you, Roderic."
Roderic smiled.
"Sir Valerius."
The Water Knight lowered his weapon.
"What are you doing fighting giants on an open highway?"
"Clearing distractions," Roderic said. "We were on our way to Anruin."
"Then we share the same destination," Valerius replied. "King Gatling requested reinforcements."
Suddenly—
A wounded Jotunn stumbled forward and collapsed.
The shockwave sent the royal carriage flying across the road.
Roderic vanished.
His Blessing of Temporal Acceleration activated.
Time around him slowed to a crawl.
In an instant he caught the flying carriage and returned it safely to the ground.
A nearby knight gasped.
"I didn't even see him move…"
Valerius nodded calmly.
"Of course you didn't."
"He is the World Knight."
"The strongest knight in all of Astrae."
Roderic scratched his head awkwardly.
Then he heard something.
Groaning.
Inside the carriage.
He opened it.
Eldritch lay inside, pale.
A jagged wooden beam had pierced through his arm.
Blood poured across the carriage floor.
Roderic's smile vanished.
He pulled the beam free and instantly cauterized the wound with Knightflame.
"Is there a medic?" Valerius shouted.
None answered.
Roderic shook his head.
"It seems our reunion will have to wait."
He lifted Eldritch carefully.
"Tell the princess… her father will not reach Anruin."
"I am taking him back to Nordovia."
Before anyone could reply—
Roderic launched into the sky.
Gone in a flash.
Valerius sighed.
"Advance toward Anruin!"
---
Back inside the palace—
Hector now held the telecom crystal.
"What is it you want, priest?"
Aruz laughed through the speakers.
"You're not the king."
"The king I heard earlier had a younger voice."
"Who are you?"
"I am the king's assistant."
Across Anruin, people slowly relaxed hearing Hector speak.
But Aruz continued.
"You heard my demand."
"I want the corpse of the Devil Sister beneath the Trail Tree."
Citizens murmured across the city.
"What corpse?"
"Is the royal family hiding something?"
Hector spoke calmly.
"The Trail Tree has remained untouched since the Devil Sister of Time once walked here."
"Only those with Devil Sister blood may enter."
Aruz laughed loudly.
"Oh ho ho ho…"
"Well that's convenient."
"Because rumors across Astrae say something very interesting."
Elmira slowly stepped backward.
Shoda noticed immediately.
Why is she backing away?
Aruz's voice echoed again.
"A Devil Sister… has a daughter."
Elmira trembled.
"No…"
"Please…"
Then Aruz shouted for the entire city to hear.
"And that daughter… is in this very city!"
His voice rang like thunder.
"ELMIRA CAIN!"
"DAUGHTER OF THE KING OF NORDOVIA!"
The room froze.
Everyone slowly turned toward Elmira.
Her face was pale.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Shun and Mira burst into the room at that moment.
"What's going on?!" Shun shouted.
Elmira collapsed to her knees.
Gatling stared at her in disbelief.
"What… is the meaning of this?"
"Because of you… my kingdom is in danger!"
Before he could continue—
CRACK.
Shoda's fist slammed into Gatling's face.
The king stumbled back in shock.
"Be quiet!" Shoda roared.
"Can't you see she's terrified?!"
He turned toward Hector.
"Control your arrogant dog before he becomes a hazard!"
Gatling lunged forward.
Shoda dodged.
"Is that all you've got?"
Shun suddenly grabbed both of them with transformed beast arms.
"STOP!"
"This isn't the problem!"
Hector spoke calmly.
"What we need… is a plan to get her inside the Trail Tree."
At that moment—
Aruz activated something.
A massive barrier erupted around Anruin.
Thirty kilometers of glowing energy sealed the city.
Then Aruz's voice rang across the streets.
"I place a bounty on the Princess of Nordovia."
"Anyone who brings her to me… will be spared."
Silence.
Then slowly—
People emerged from hiding.
Fear filled their faces.
"What if… we do it?"
"What if he's serious?"
More people stepped forward.
Then more.
Soon angry crowds formed.
They began marching toward the palace.
"WHERE IS THE DEVIL?!"
"BRING OUT ELMIRA!"
"GIVE HER TO THE PRIEST!"
The mob swelled into thousands.
Guards blocked the palace gates.
Gatling ordered the military to attack the priest.
But the Black Death descended.
The dragon tore through the soldiers like paper.
Flames and storms devoured the battlefield.
Inside the palace—
Shoda grabbed Elmira's trembling hand.
"Come with me."
Mira shouted after him.
"Where are you going?!"
Shoda turned.
"I need to talk to her."
"Alone."
He pulled Elmira down a quiet corridor and into a small bedroom.
He closed the door.
Elmira sat on the bed, shaking.
Shoda stood before her.
His expression was serious.
"Tell me everything."
Far above the city—
Aruz stood atop the broadcast tower.
The Black Death soared through the sky behind him, storm clouds swirling beneath its wings.
The dragon roared again.
Aruz laughed.
"Ahahahahaha!"
"This is just the beginning."
"This is getting interesting."
"Stay tuned."