As Mirton vanished, all of Akito's Guardians rushed to his side.
"Young master…" Elian whispered, kneeling beside him.
"Jarl, where's the enemy?!" Targus shouted, fists clenched.
"Lord Akito!" gasped Kasumi, while Aurelia wasted no time and activated her passive healing skill. A gentle golden light began to mend the wounds across Akito's body.
"How do you feel, Akito?" asked Arden, crouching next to him.
"Everyone, calm down," Akito said firmly, raising his hand. "I'm fine. I'll explain… later."
Meanwhile…
The Marble Hall of the Guardians was full. Every seat around the massive round table was taken. A quiet tension hung in the air—until the heavy creak of doors broke the silence.
A figure clad in white, radiating golden light, stepped into the room.
Even the most arrogant Guardians fell silent.
"W-what? The Creator…?" someone whispered.
"He came in person…?" murmurs and uneasy glances followed.
The Creator slowly walked to the center of the table. Without looking at anyone, he declared:
"I do not come without reason. Karmas… is dead."
Instant silence.
"A new Commander of the Guardians will be announced in two days."
Without another word—or a glance—he vanished in a beam of white light.
"Hey, Mirton…" said one of the Guardians with a crazed grin. "You're the one who killed him, huh?"
Mirton smirked faintly.
"Yes. And I intend to take his place."
"You bastard! How dare you?!" shouted Ontas, a young Guardian with short blue hair, eyes blazing with rage.
"Ontas…" Mirton narrowed his eyes. "You're still too young to understand. You're just the Guardian of Honor. Gain some experience—then we'll talk."
Ontas clenched his fists. His teeth ground with suppressed fury.
Suddenly—echoing laughter.
"HA-HA-HA-HA! I love this!" came the voice of a Guardian with a twisted grin and insane eyes glowing bright blue.
Back in the desert, Akito sat breathing heavily, hand pressed to the warm sand. The healing light from Aurelia still washed over him. Then—a message blinked before his eyes:
[Guardian #7 Activated]
The system paused for a full second… as if it needed time to process what it had just awakened.
Above, a portal tore open in the sky—a swirling vortex of violet and black, crackling with magical sparks. A figure stepped through. With each step, it grew more defined.
Half-dragon, half-human—standing over two meters tall. His body was clad in gleaming violet-black scales like obsidian. His eyes blazed with amber fire. His head was fully draconic, complete with sharp horns sweeping back and long fangs jutting outward.
In that instant, every Guardian froze on instinct.
Even Targus, a veteran of hundreds of battles, visibly tensed.
Arden clenched his fists.
Elian lowered his eyes.
The aura of this being weighed on them all, like death itself had walked among them.
Even Akito felt his heart clench.
"What kind of monster is this…?" he thought.
The dragon-like Guardian approached, his heavy footsteps thudding through the sand. He stopped in front of Akito, knelt on one knee, and looked him straight in the eyes.
"So… you are my Master," he growled, his voice metallic and ancient. "Funny. You look so young. But if the system has chosen you… then I obey. I would be honored to receive a worthy name from your lips."
Akito blinked and opened the system menu.
[Guardian #7]
Name: ???
Level: 300
Rank: X
Role: Destroyer
[View Details]
He tapped it. The info unfolded:
Height: 210 cm
Weight: 98 kg
Age: 78,000+
Skills:
Infinity Scale — Max Level World Breaker — Max Level Timeless Void — Max Level
"All skills maxed? And Rank X? This… this is on a whole different level. He's the strongest Guardian so far. Stronger than even Targus or Aurelia… This is unreal."
Akito clenched his fist and smiled slightly.
"Then… your name will be Drakzir."
"Hmph…" the dragon raised an eyebrow. "It sounds proud."
"That was the name of my favorite dragon from an old movie…"
"A fine name. I accept it with pride," Drakzir nodded solemnly. "From this moment on… I am your blade of destruction."
And the earth itself trembled in response to his vow.
"Young Master," Elian said softly, "perhaps it's best we return home now?"
Akito looked around. Aurelia's healing magic was nearly finished.
"Aurelia, can you get us back?" he asked.
"I believe so," she nodded and began opening a portal. Her hands glowed green as the space before her rippled.
Kenshi stood quietly, observing the scene with cold focus. One thought echoed in his mind:
"I must defeat that lizard. I will… eventually."
The portal opened, pulsing with soft light. One by one, the Guardians began stepping through. Akito still moved slowly, his body sore.
"Jarl, let me carry you," Targus offered, stepping forward.
But before anyone could say a word, Drakzir scooped Akito up effortlessly and placed him on his shoulder like a king on his throne.
"Let's go, Young Master," he rumbled, voice filled with natural strength.
The next moment—they were back in the apartment.
And if it had felt small before, it now felt completely packed. Drakzir alone filled half the room just by standing there, ducking his head so as not to hit the ceiling lamp.
"It's getting real cramped in here…" Arden muttered, squeezing past Targus and Elian. "At least let me reach the console—my records won't break themselves."
Akito slumped onto the couch. His shoulders still bore the weight of battle, but his eyes were sharp. The other Guardians gathered around him as he began to tell them what happened with Karmas.
"Jarl… I could've taken him down!" Targus shouted, clenching his fists. "Why did it all end up like this?!"
He slammed his fist into the floor. A heavy thud shook the room. Cracks appeared in the ceiling of the apartment below. Somewhere, plaster rained down… and a neighbor's scream was silenced by the sound of a falling lamp.
"No one could've done anything," Elian said calmly. "According to the Young Master, Karmas's ability disabled all skills. We would've all been powerless. Though… perhaps your monstrous strength might have made a dent."
Targus growled but said nothing.
"My Lord, next time I won't leave your side for even a second!" Kasumi suddenly declared. She stepped forward, and in a flash of light transformed into a small glowing blue bird—like a radiant sapphire wren—then back into her human form.
"This is my true form. I am a Syrin… of the ancient race."
"Whoa… I didn't expect that from you," Akito smiled, surprised.
Aurelia opened her mouth to speak—
But never got the chance.
Suddenly, everything froze.
The world turned grey.
Time stopped.
The air stilled.
Not a single Guardian moved.
Only Akito remained conscious… and he felt something approaching—
…something impossible to explain.
[Noxveil]
Hey there, reader!
If you've made it this far, thank you so much. I'm writing this story in Russian and translating it into English — so I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Even one small comment gives me huge motivation 💬💙
Let me know who your favorite character is so far!