At the City Lord's Mansion

High above the chaos, Alix stands on the balcony, cloak fluttering gently. The horizon is stained with dust and blood, yet his silver eyes pierce it all like he stands amidst the carnage.

Every beast.

Every soldier.

Every strike of Vordon's blade.

Nothing escapes his sight.

Below the balcony, the city is tense and silent, everyone watching the battle with held breath.

Zevran stands beside him, arms crossed, golden eyes narrowing as he observes the distant clash.

"Master," he rumbles, wings twitching, "do we help them?"

Alix does not answer immediately. His gaze remains fixed on the battlefield where the Dreadmaw Lizard finally collapses under Varon's lightning strike, charred and unmoving.

Then he speaks, calm and coldly certain.

"No need," he says. "Looks like they already won."

Zevran watches Alix's expression — relaxed, unbothered.

----

Back in the battlefield

"ROOOOOAAAAARRRR!!"

The Bonehide King thrashes wildly as Varon and the others arrive behind Vordon — elemental energies blazing around them like a collapsing star.

Vordon wipes blood from his cheek, grin sharp and feral.

"You're late."

Varon said, electricity crackling across his body.

"Apologies, my lord our enemy is pretty tough."

The other four land in a semi-circle around the massive beast, sealing its escape.

The Bonehide King stomps, cracking the earth, but there is no fear in their eyes anymore.

Vordon lifts his sword skyward.

"Everyone, together!"

Their mana surges at once,

Earth, Flame, Water, Wind, Lightning.

Like five natural disasters converging on one point.

The Bonehide King swings a monumental fist, but its strength means nothing against six Tier 6 elites acting as one.

Vordon charges first, earth erupting below his feet.

"Tier 6 Skill, Stonebreaker Charge!"

He slams into the beast's side, cracking bone plates.

Varon follows, lightning roaring.

"Tier 6 Skill, Thunder Execution!!"

He drives his halberd deep into the exposed flesh.

"Burn, tier 6 skill, Lava Burst Lance!!"

Explosive heat melts bone into slag.

Wind blades spiral up, shredding ligaments.

Water chains coil, locking the giant beast down.

The Bonehide King crashes to its knees, bellowing in pain and fury.

Vordon's eyes harden, this is the moment.

He leaps into the air, sword glowing brighter than ever, earth energy swirling like a raging storm.

"For Sona City!"

"Tier 6 Skill, Stone Ruination Blade!!"

The sword descends like a divine judgment.

SLAAAAAASH!!!

A deafening crack splits the sky,

and the Bonehide King's head separates from its body.

Silence.

Then...

"UOOOOOOHHHHHHH!!!"

Cheers erupt across the field.

Soldiers slam weapons against shields.

Adventurers roar in triumph.

Morale surges like a flood of fire.

"Sona City stands!"

"We won!"

"Killed the peak beast king!!"

But the cheering doesn't last long.

The beasts… did not run.

They keep attacking, mindlessly, relentlessly, claws tearing and fangs gnashing as if they feel no fear, no instinct to flee.

Vordon's triumphant expression hardens. His instincts scream.

"Something's not right," he growls, scanning the frenzied horde.

Varon, heavy breathing visible in the cold war-air, nods sharply. "Yes, my lord. The leaders are dead, but the beasts are still attacking."

Another soldier shouts from the line below:

"They're… going crazy!!"

The formation begins to buckle under pressure, beast corpses piling up, but more flooding in to replace them instantly.

Vordon's grip tightens around his sword. "Orders a retreat, now!! Pull back to the inner defenses!"

Varon inhales to shout the command—

—but the world stops.

A pressure falls.

A pressure so vast… so overbearing… it crushes the very air.

Every soldier collapses, screaming or choking as their bodies slam into the ground.

Even the Tier 6s.

Varon tries to fight it, lightning sparking around him, but his legs buckle violently.

THUD!

He is forced to his knees.

Vordon grits his teeth, veins bursting in his neck, but even he cannot resist.

He slams to the earth, sword vibrating uncontrollably in his grip.

"Wh—What is this…??"

The sky bleeds red.

Clouds twist and burn, changing into molten smoke as a massive shadow descends from above, blocking the sun.

A low growl rolls across the land.

Space trembles.

Soldiers cough blood from the sheer domination flooding their bodies.

Then, the monster emerges.

Ten meters tall.

Crimson obsidian armor, glowing veins of molten gold pulsing across its body.

Two massive horns curve backward, radiating lethal heat.

Molten smoke drips from its jaws with every breath, scorching the ground beneath.

Each step shakes the air.

The beast's voice echoes like a volcanic eruption.

"Mortals… how dare you struggle… how dare you resist…"

Its eyes blaze with molten hatred.

"Because of your defiance…"

The beast raises one claw, magma swirling into a sphere of annihilation.

"I will end you all personally."

Terror spreads like a plague.

Many soldiers begin sobbing, others faint on the spot.

Vordon's eyes widen in horror. His breath trembles.

"A… Tier 7…" he whispers, voice cracking. "An Emperor Beast…"

For those of Tier 6 and below…

Tier 7 is a god.

Varon forces his head up, neck shaking violently under the pressure.

"M-My lord…" he croaks, eyes filled with desperate hope. "We… we still have His Majesty…"

He looks toward the city.

"Let's just… hope he will help us…"

Vordon clenches his teeth, closing his eyes for a moment.

He silently prays.

The Emperor Beast lowers its blazing claw—

—but then.

It freezes.

Its eyes quiver.

Its entire gigantic body stiffens in sudden, overwhelming fear.

"…That presence…"

The magma sphere in its palm flickers… then dissipates entirely.

Above the city… wind howls.

The sky fractures into swirling storms of flame, frost, and slicing air.

A colossal sword forms, dozens of meters long,

crafted from Wind, Fire, and Ice intertwining like three laws rejecting harmony yet obeying one master.

The heavens shake.

Vordon forces his gaze upward, jaw slack in disbelief.

"Th-That's… His Majesty's power…?"

Varon is trembling violently, not from fear this time…

But awe.

The Emperor Beast stares at the forming sword, and its molten pupils shrink to pinpricks.

It knows that aura.

The freak of nature.

The nightmare it barely escaped alive.

The monster that left an eternal scar on its soul.

The beast drops into a bow, its huge body digging a crater into the earth.

"I–I plead forgiveness!" it roars, voice shaking the skies. "I did not know you were here, mighty one! Sp-spare me!"

Everyone, soldier and beast alike, is frozen stiff.

The one true voice of a god echoes from the City Lord's Mansion,

cold…

merciless…

inevitable.

"Beast…"

Alix's voice spreads across the world, resonating in every mind like a divine decree.

"…do not think I will let you leave so easily."

The Emperor Beast's eyes widen.

"W-Wait—!!"

FWOOOOM!!!

The massive elemental greatsword launches forward.

The air detonates.

The sky screams.

Wind carves the forest into ribbons beneath its path.

The Emperor Beast turns and flees, panic overriding pride, sprinting with Tier 7 speed, tearing through mountains.

A last desperate howl:

"NOOOOO!!!"

The sword catches up.

BOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!

A shockwave erupts in the far distance, trees uprooted, a mountain ridge split down the middle. A column of wind, frost, and flame spirals into the heavens.

Silence follows…

broken only by the echo of destruction ripping through the forest.

On the balcony

Alix lets his raised hand fall slowly.

His expression?

Completely calm.

"Hmph. It won't die," he mutters, voice low, almost bored. "But that should hurt enough to remind it never to step into my territory again."

Zevran stares up at him, spine shivering with reverence and excitement.

"Master… that was… fucking amazing!"

Mero suddenly bursts into laughter, loud, unrestrained, almost musical in its mockery.

"Ahahaha! Look at that fool! Running like a frightened dog!"

He wipes a tear from the corner of his eye as the shockwave settles across the horizon.

Zevran raises a brow, arms crossed. His tone is dry.

"Mero, master said that beast was your companion. Shouldn't you feel at least a little pity?"

Mero tilts his head, disbelief written all over his face.

"Companion? That thing?" He scoffs with a sharp flick of his tongue. "Don't mistake proximity for relationship."

Zevran narrows his eyes. "So what was it then?"

"A prisoner," Mero replies without hesitation. "My former master captured it."

He shrugs, tail lazily curling behind him.

Zevran clicks his tongue. "Cold."

Mero grins, eyes gleaming with a wicked light.

"Only fair. It once looked down on me too."

Alix dusts off his hands as if swatting away the last remnants of the battle.

"Alright," he says casually, as though he didn't just terrify a Tier 7 Emperor Beast, "the show is over."

He turns his eyes toward Zevran, sharp but calm.

"You, Zevran… continue with your dragon blood absorption."

Zevran blinks, taken aback. "…Right now?"

"Yes," Alix answers, tone flat but firm. "With your current pace, it will take you a year to fully absorb it. I'd prefer you don't get lazy."