THREE MONTHS LATER
The hunter's corps HQ
The door to Ash's quarters burst open. Saious Coal stood framed in the doorway, his usual calm replaced by urgency. Long brown hair was pulled back in its customary ponytail, but his honey-colored eyes were sharp with concern, his black Hunter uniform immaculate as always.
"Ash, get up. Now. We have a serious problem." His tone tolerated no refusal.
Ash groaned from under his blankets, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Ugh, God, what is it now, Coal? Seriously? I barely got six hours. Need at least eight more..."
Saious let out an exasperated sigh. "How you function on that much sleep is beyond me. Just get dressed. I have to brief everyone at once, and I'm heading out soon."
Dragging himself out of bed, still groggy, Ash stumbled into the main operations room.
Chain and Jorden were already there, hunched over an ancient-looking, leather-bound book spread open on the central table. Saious joined them, pointing emphatically at a specific passage, his voice low and tense.
"The Order's escalating," Saious stated grimly as Ash approached. "Our latest intel confirms they're actively hunting the Sealing Amulets.
They're closer than ever to releasing Vaelor And Estariel And of course Aerthea." He looked directly at Chain and Ash. "If they succeed... I'm not sure even the two of you are enough to stop him."
Ash stifled a yawn, trying to focus. "Okay, rewind. Vaelor? The Dragon King? Give me the short version."
Jorden looked up, his historian's face unusually pale. "It's all in here, Ash. This text details the sealing. The Order believes finding the three specific amulets used back then will break the seals. If the kings are unleashed..." He trailed off, the implication hanging heavy.
Chain frowned, arms crossed, examining the book suspiciously. "Where the hell did this relic come from, Jorden? Never seen it."
"It was tucked away on your personal shelf, Chain," Jorden explained, flipping a brittle page. "Left by your old master, apparently. I doubt you ever even opened it."
Chain raised a skeptical eyebrow. "My master? That old man barely knew how to read his own name, let alone ancient texts."
Ash smirked. "Using that brain today, Chain? Or just the muscles?"
Chain shot him a glare. "Hilarious, Ash. Fine." His expression turned serious again. "If these kings are as bad as Saious implies, we prepare to kill him. Simple. No ancient lizard god is taking over on my watch."
"That's the spirit," Saious nodded, "but brute force won't be enough. Vaelor and the other two kings wasn't just powerful; they legends say they were cunning. And the Order is dangerously devoted. This requires strategy."
Ash sighed dramatically, running a hand through his messy hair. "Great. Another world-ending crisis before I've even had coffee."
"Look here," Jorden said, pointing to a specific line in the book. "It mentions Vaelor, 'the Dragon who spoke Man's tongue, ruling before the Blessing of the Violet came.'"
"Blessing of the Violet?" Saious asked, leaning closer. "What's that?"
"It's an old term," Jorden explained. "Refers to individuals born with unique power, appearing maybe once every few centuries."
Chain clarified dryly, "Most people know them by a less flattering name: 'Cursed Eyes'."
Ash rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Like fred that and that demon we fought yesterday? The one with the purple eyes?"
"The one I killed, Ash," Chain corrected instantly.
"We both know I delivered the finishing shots," Ash retorted.
"Only because you interfered when I had it handled!"
Jorden interrupted, looking shocked. "Wait – you killed a Cursed Eye demon? Yesterday? Do you realize how rare they are? Maybe one in a millennium!"
"Exactly," Chain confirmed. "A young one, still learning its power. Strong, yes, but I dealt with it before it could become a real threat." He pulled out his data slate, showing Ash's kill shots framing the ice-spike impalement.
"And I made sure it stayed dead – ice prevents that kind of regeneration. Documented everything, unlike some people who just posture for the cameras."
"You left the corpse?" Jorden asked, still processing.
"Efficient disposal," Chain shrugged. "Took plenty of evidence photos Leox couldn't dream of faking."
"Guys, focus!" Ash interjected, waving a hand dismissively. "Dragon King? Apocalypse? Remember?"
"Right," Saious agreed, refocusing. "Jorden, the text mentions 'Cursed Eyes' were historically dangerous. Ferdinand Zauberstern, Rellen Lowsea – both brought war and chaos. Why would an ancient text call it a 'Blessing'?"
Jorden fixed Saious with an intense look. "Who does the book credit with sealing Vaelor?"
Saious frowned. "Well... common knowledge says Eques Scutum, founder of the false sun Knights."
"And who," Jorden pressed, his tone sharp, "do you think this book implies the 'Blessing of the Violet' was?"
Saious paused, realization dawning slowly. "You're saying... Eques? No, I've never heard any report suggesting Eques scutum had Cursed Eyes."
"Exactly," Jorden confirmed. "Because you rely on official reports, not obscure texts. The Knights venerate Eques. Admitting their founder had the same 'curse' as someone like Ferdinand Zauberstern? Unthinkable. So they buried it."
Ash smirked. "But Ferdinand was a Knight Commander too, 500 years back. What's the difference if both had the eyes?"
"Timing and reputation," Jorden explained. "Ferdinand's actions are too recent, too infamous worldwide to deny his Cursed Eyes. Eques lived over a thousand years ago.
Enough time for the Knights to carefully sanitize their history, erasing the 'inconvenient' truth about their founder's nature, especially since most people outside the Middle Lands already view the eyes with suspicion."
Chain caught Ash stifling a laugh and shot him another warning glare.
"Alright," Chain declared, taking command. "New plan. We split up, gather allies. Jorden, head straight to Star's Bridge City. Secure our usual hotel, set up a research base, dig into any weakness Vaelor might have.
Find anything useful for killing an ancient dragon god." He turned to Saious. "Coal, you go South. Silver's Peak. See if General Helefi is willing to lend support – or at least provide intel.
Find anyone strong down there." He looked at Ash. "Ash, you head North. Find Carlos. He dropped off the grid a year ago, but you know his haunts better than anyone. Bring him back."
"What about Seif?" Saious asked.
"Already sent him on a retrieval mission," Chain replied. "I'll contact him later to rendezvous at Star's Bridge." He clapped his hands together. "Okay, everyone grab your gear. Move out."