The hallway outside Nocturnal Mercy Ward was already turning into a war zone.
"My name is Krazia," she replied, pulling Draxx in like he was her property.
She tucked him under her arm and squeezed.
Hard.
Draxx had that stupid smile on his face even while he was getting compressed.
Krazia looked down at me.
"I hope we can get along."
Draxx tried to talk through the squeeze.
"Well—we gotta go over the battle plan—see you, Sophia!"
"Draxx, wait!" I blurted. "Here—take this."
I grabbed two bottles each from the hospital reserve and shoved them into their hands.
"Please use this when you need to."
Krazia took them, then leaned in close enough that her shadow covered me.
"I'll make sure to bring Draxx back to you," she said, voice low and confident. "Alright?"
I hugged her without thinking.
"And you come back too," I said fast. "Please."
I let go.
Then we heard it—yelling from outside, loud enough to shake the hallway.
"HERO! THEY'RE CROSSING THE BORDER ON MOUNTS!"
Draxx and Krazia looked at each other.
Krazia moved first—turning and leaving like a blade being drawn.
Draxx started to follow—
I grabbed his sleeve.
"Wait."
A Demon Bane syringe went straight into his hand.
"Also… just in case."
Draxx frowned.
"Sophia… this is not a 'me' thing, though. You know that."
"Just please take it," I snapped.
My voice cracked a little, and I hated that it did.
"Whatever happens—if it comes down to needing it—use it. Just come back to me alive."
His face softened.
He tucked it away and smiled.
"Alright then."
Then he patted my head like I was still small.
And he left.
Riku and Syrin came to me right after Draxx was gone.
I didn't waste time.
Two bottles each.
Then Demon Bane—one for Syrin, one for Riku.
Syrin blinked at the syringes.
"Will I be here all day?"
"Nope," I told her.
Noxx brushed my leg, a steady presence that kept my spine from folding.
I glanced down at him and back up.
"Me and this boy will be behind you guys soon."
Riku didn't say much.
He just patted my head and headed out like a man on a mission.
Syrin laughed, then opened a suitcase.
Inside was a demonic microphone.
I stared.
"What the hell is that? You planning to sing them to death?"
Syrin laughed harder.
"When you see me out there, don't get starstruck, okay?"
I laughed too, still confused…
…and kind of concerned.
But something in my gut told me—
she would be fine.
Another shout hit the building like a punch.
"THEY CROSSED THE BORDER! THEY'RE ON OUR LAND—PREPARE TO FIGHT!"
I swallowed.
So it's not just a dragon coming to kill us.
My eyes flicked down the hall, then out toward the sky.
"…Where the hell is my dragon boy?"
"Scorin…"
FWHOOOM!
"Shit, shit, shit—where the hell is this weakness?!"
If I don't hurry and stop running away… Sophia is going to die.
Think.
Think.
Think.
I was flying for my life.
WHOOOM—WHOOOM—
My other side had been chasing me for a good while now.
[ WATCH: 10:45 AM ]
[ CALAMITY DRAGON — INBOUND: 00:15:00 ]
[ ETA: 11:00 AM ]
"Come on…!"
I found a safe place to land.
For a breath.
My other side—still in full dragon form—kept searching for me like it could smell fear.
How much longer?
[ WATCH: 10:50 AM ]
[ TIME LEFT: 00:10:00 ]
"Shit…"
WHOOOM—
The dragon saw me hiding.
I gave it away.
I took off—
FWHOOOM!
ROOOOOOAR!
WHOOOM—WHOOOM—
It was using the same skill set I had.
Uh oh…
"That—damn… I'm really strong, huh…"
A UI flashed in my vision:
[ DRAGON BUSTER — OUTPUT: 70% ]
"Shit… that's Dragon Buster—"
The dragon fired a laser—quiet and calm—like it didn't even care.
But I knew what that did.
And I had to get out—
FWHOOOM!
The blast split stone like paper.
Mountains below cracked and jumped, like the world tried to stand up and failed.
If this kept going, it would destroy the Neutral Kingdom.
I stopped mid-flight.
Raised my hand.
And called out to something I hadn't spoken to in my past life in a long time.
"To those that gave me this power… please."
"Give me more… to protect what I love."
Light poured down on me.
Dead dragons came from the sky.
They flowed around me like snakes.
So this is what my brother was talking about…
My evil dragon self stopped in the air, watching it all.
Then—
SHING—SHING—SHING—
An engraving sound.
Right on my chest.
"GUAH—!!!"
It felt like someone was carving something into me.
It was the symbol on my brother's seal.
Four letters.
So it's not just a seal…
…it's a symbol of family.
It hurt.
I was bleeding from the scar.
But when I stared into my evil self's eyes, something told me—
I got this.
The dragons around me vanished.
The scar stopped bleeding.
It wasn't new power. It was old power finally answering me.
And a word hit my mind like an order.
Raise your sword.
As if I were calling power down.
"…Okay," I whispered. "I guess I'll try it out."
I pointed my sword upward.
"[ DRAGON MODE ]!"
Smoke poured from my back—black and gold.
For a second, fear climbed up my throat…
…but it was resonating with me.
Then I saw it.
A vision.
My own dragon form.
Staring at me.
A voice spoke, ancient and heavy.
"You want more power to protect that demon girl?"
"We are your family from years ago."
"The blood that goes through your veins… is the blood of the old king."
In the vision, the dragon form was legendary—
gold and black like midnight.
Like a dragon deity.
A god with scales.
I swallowed.
"…And I guess that's my form?"
"Yes," the dragon said. "Now take it."
A beam of light poured into me like I was being filled.
My body started to grow.
And the towel ripped off my waist.
ROOOOOOOOOAR!!
"WOAH—this is it???"
I was massive.
Gold-black scales like molten metal cooled into armor.
A crown of horns that looked carved, not grown.
Wings so wide the air shook every time they moved.
My eyes… looked like suns trapped behind glass.
I flexed.
The air bent.
Then reality slapped me with something important.
"Hmmm… where is my greatsword?"
"How am I supposed to hold it?"
Another vision flashed—my ancestry fighting in dragon form…
with a huge greatsword.
Maybe I can do that.
"Come to me… please."
Gold particles formed around my mouth.
The shape of a blade.
A greatsword built from light and metal memory.
I grabbed it with my teeth.
So this is the power…
I flew, my huge body cutting through the sky, staring at my evil self.
It looked happy.
Then it charged.
I charged back—greatsword in my mouth—
and finished it.
As it broke apart, it called out—
"Go protect your hoard."
Vaelrick was watching me.
His face was blank.
Like he already knew.
I checked my watch.
And my eyes went wide.
[ WATCH: 11:02 AM ]
The countdown was past zero.
Not by much… but enough.
A new UI slammed into my vision:
[ CALAMITY DRAGON — ENGAGED ]
[ BATTLEFIELD STATUS: ACTIVE ]
[ DELAY: -00:02:00 ]
Then another line flickered—glitchy.
Wrong.
[ ANOMALY DETECTED: SKY TERRAIN DISPLACEMENT ]
[ RESULT: MOUNTAINS-IN-SKY / CLOUD HOVER LOCK ]
I turned toward the Neutral Kingdom—
and the sky looked wrong.
Not normal clouds.
Not normal land.
It looked like the battlefield itself climbed into the air.
Mountains in the sky.
Huge stone masses floating above the Neutral Kingdom like broken teeth.
Clouds hovered under them, trapped and swirling, like the sky was holding its breath.
Like something heavy was pressing down on the world.
It wasn't just a dragon coming.
It was a disaster dragging the whole sky with it.
My watch calculated the route—
[ ESTIMATED FLIGHT TIME: 00:45:00 ]
"Forty-five minutes…?"
My stomach dropped.
I dropped down, forced myself back into human form, and stared at the watch Sophia gave me like it was mocking me.
Vaelrick's voice came from behind me.
"Don't die, little brother."
"Mom and I put so much work into you…"
I grabbed my bag.
"Don't worry," I muttered. "Everything you all did for me… even the ancestors…"
Vaelrick finally smiled.
Because he knew I was blessed with the ancestors—unlike him.
"Go," he said.
"And make sure you meet your new deputies."
Two badges hit my hands.
One said Belzagus.
The other said Madina.
"From Malphas's offer," Vaelrick added. "You guide those two through the Neutral Kingdom when they come of age."
"So it's best you meet your coworkers."
"Coworkers?" I muttered.
Oh right…
I'm the enforcer now.
Vaelrick yelled like I was stupid.
"GO, YOU IDIOT!"
I turned—
FWHOOOM!
"I'm coming, Sophia…"
"Please don't die, Sophia…"
My eyes flared again.
[ DRAGON MODE ] — WHOOOM—WHOOOM!
"This form is faster!"
"My voice is deep, but we gotta go!"
FWHOOOM!
"That damn Ragalia," the king growled, pacing in front of his throne. "Going off on his own and making a contract with a damn Calamity-tier monster."
A woman hero stepped forward.
Her posture was perfect.
Armor clean.
Eyes calm like a blade that learned patience.
Hero Commander — Serenity.
"I'm sorry for my brother," Serenity said. "Ragalia wears his emotions on his sleeve… even in this world."
The king scoffed.
"Well, at least I sent out an army for him. Your brother is really a handful."
He waved a hand like Ragalia was paperwork.
"What is his reason for acting like this again? For his lover, right?"
He laughed once, sharp and ugly.
"Over a woman. That damn idiot. He could've found another lover here."
He leaned back like he was clever.
"Tsk… I'll even offer my daughter to him, and she is a total knockout—"
A kunai slammed into the king's seat.
Right beside his head.
THUNK.
The entire room froze.
The king went stiff.
"Wai—wait…" he stammered. "Forgive me. I misspoke…"
Serenity's voice stayed polite.
But her eyes didn't.
"Your Majesty, with all respect… the only reason I'm here is because of Ragalia."
"And if you speak ill of the woman who was killed by the Demon King's hands…"
Her tone sharpened.
"I shall show no mercy."
Silence.
Then Serenity continued, her voice controlled, like she'd repeated this truth to herself for years.
"Ragalia seeks revenge not because Malphas killed her."
"It's because he is ashamed of himself."
"Of the display."
"Of having his fallen lover die in battle while he lived."
She lifted her chin.
"After Ragalia killed the past Demon King… Malphas showed up and said, 'Thanks.'"
"Like he planned for that downfall."
"Like we helped him out."
Her eyes narrowed.
"With the previous Demon King, we could measure his power."
"But with Malphas…"
She exhaled.
"We didn't sense anything."
"As if he was hiding his full power the entire time."
Her hands tightened.
"That girl attacked him right there."
"And even then, Malphas said, 'I'm not here to fight.'"
Serenity's gaze went distant for a second—then hard again.
"But instead…"
"One strike of his hand."
"Over."
Her voice dipped.
"Ragalia was afraid… because that girl he loved was as strong as him."
"But her falling so fast to Malphas…"
She shook her head.
"…was something he couldn't believe."
"So he ran."
The king cleared his throat, trying to reclaim the room.
"Right," he said, forcing calm. "Well… let's hope by morning I'll have the Demonic Saint's head in my possession."
Serenity clasped her hands like she was praying, staring up like she could see the battlefield through the ceiling.
"He will," she said softly. "I know Ragalia better than anyone."
"This fuel from her death… has been growing for years."
"And yes…"
Her voice went colder.
"He even killed his own party members."
The king turned to leave the throne room, his cloak dragging like a bad omen.
"Right," he muttered. "But now he is banned from getting more hero party members from me."
Serenity didn't flinch.
She just kept her hands clasped.
Still looking up.
"I just know it," she whispered. "My big brother will come back."
Like she knew he wouldn't die that easily.
The Ledger flickered—then snapped open like it couldn't wait anymore.
Nira's eyes widened.
"Oh—there it is."
Then she looked at me with that annoying little grin.
"This is how much time we got until your boyfriend arrives," Nira said.
"It looks like the evil lady is helping out the best she can right now…"
I nearly slipped off Noxx's back.
I yelled while holding on tight—
"HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"
"STICK WITH THE PLAN!"
The Ledger shifted again.
A new line locked into place:
[ SCORIN — ETA: 12:00 PM ]
Nira stared at it like it offended her.
"That's what it says!"
Her voice spiked.
"We have to hold this thing off until then??"
My stomach dropped.
Noxx was huge—moving, dodging, taking heat like he was built for this.
I looked down at him.
"You gonna be okay until then, buddy?"
Noxx barked like he was insulted by the question.
"WOOF!"
Yeah.
Of course.
I kept pouring Umbral Grace onto Noxx's head, my hands glowing as I fed him recovery like an IV.
Nira hovered close, tone sharp.
"This will help with his fatigue," she warned, "but only for a short while."
"I know," I snapped, still healing.
My eyes stayed on the sky.
On the fireballs.
On the dragon.
On Ragalia's wings.
And the time.
I clenched my jaw and said it again—like the air could carry it to him.
"Scorin…"
"Hurry the hell up."