The sky above the city of Ivanhart was overcast with thick gray clouds, where burning sparks of mana danced like the remnants of a battle between gods.
Yukon Ivanhart stood in the air, surrounded by dozens of awakened members of his family, a deadly calm covering his face.
He said nothing—just gazed down at what remained of the city… or rather, at the void where the family's greatest palace once stood.
One of the awakened spoke in a trembling voice:
— "Sir Yukon… what happened here?!"
Other voices followed, broken, confused, and fearful:
— "The palace was supposed to be right here…"
— "Did it vanish?!"
— "No… it's completely destroyed…"
For a moment, silence fell. Then someone lifted his head and said with a shudder:
— "Impossible… is this a war against the Ivanhart family?!"
Another laughed nervously:
— "Who in their right mind would dare declare war on a house ruled by the King of the Fist?!"
But a third spoke with clear anxiety:
— "What really worries me… the palace was protected by a first-class defense matrix, wasn't it?!"
At that, every face turned grim.
Their eyes met, and each of them realized the true scale of the disaster.
One of the awakened said quickly:
— "That matrix can withstand at least a hundred consecutive strikes from SSS-ranked awakeners!"
Another replied seriously:
— "True… and even worse, it automatically triggers teleportation at the first sign of danger. If the palace had been attacked, it should've transferred instantly!"
A third murmured quietly:
— "Unless… the first attack itself destroyed both the matrix and the palace in a single blow…"
A silence heavier than iron filled the air, until one whispered:
— "That's impossible… unless the attacker was one of the Eleven Catastrophes."
But Yukon cut them off with a voice calm enough to kill:
— "No… not one of the Catastrophes. I didn't sense any of their auras. It's clear this wasn't meant for destruction… but as a warning."
One of the awakened expanded his magic-sensing field, then spoke after a few moments:
— "You're right, sir. Almost no civilians were killed. The explosion was precisely controlled to avoid casualties."
Yukon nodded, his voice steady as a blade:
— "Divide yourselves into three groups. The first will aid the civilians and prevent panic. The second will seal off the city and search for any intruder. The third… comes with me to the palace."
Before anyone could move, Yukon vanished in a flash of golden light.
The air exploded behind him with a thunderous boom, forcing everyone to cover their ears.
Someone whispered in disbelief:
— "By the gods… I've never seen the master move this fast before!"
Another smiled bitterly:
— "They say when he's angry, he moves faster than light itself…"
A third chuckled dryly:
— "Sir seems oddly calm today."
— "Calm?" said the fourth, staring toward the distant ruins. "You don't know anything. This silence means he's thinking only of how to kill whoever did this. The last time he was this calm… five entire cities burned after Elder Ivanhart was killed."
Their expressions hardened. One of them finally said:
— "Enough talking. Carry out his orders immediately."
---
Moments later, Yukon stood among the ruins.
Smoke filled the horizon, and the massive stones that once made up the sacred walls were scattered like burning leaves.
The groans of the wounded pierced the eerie stillness.
Yet no one was dead—only injured and bruised by the blast.
Yukon stepped slowly across the rubble, his glowing eyes scanning the scene until they stopped on a particular spot—where Leon and Elise lay unconscious.
He knelt beside them, while Smith and a healer worked frantically to revive them with restoration magic.
Yukon's voice was low, but sharp as steel:
— "Smith… what happened here?"
Smith lifted his head, sweat and dust covering his face.
— "A fourth-tier illusion matrix, sir. Lord Leon and Lady Elise were trapped inside. We believe its creator was… a true Rune King."
The moment he said the word "King," silence fell.
Yukon's eyes froze as he raised his head slowly.
— "…Continue."
— "I contacted the Head of the Rune Division—Marugen. He should be on his way now."
— "He's already here."
The voice came from behind the wreckage—deep, weary, yet majestic.
Everyone turned to see an old man standing atop the debris.
He was tall, nearly two meters, with silver hair gleaming under the dim light, and eyes completely white, without pupils—radiating ancient knowledge.
His robes were ornate, embroidered with rune sigils, each thread pulsing with pure mana.
This was Marugen, Head of the Rune Division, the last surviving Great Elder of this era, and one of humanity's Eleven Cataclysms.
Behind him stood ten senior runemasters, each radiating a dense aura of power—like ten suns of mana burning in silence.
Marugen descended slowly and spoke in a dry, teasing tone:
— "Oh, Yukon… don't tell me you tried to brute-force the matrix again?"
Yukon smiled coldly.
— "I grew tired of waiting for you, old fool."
The runemasters behind Marugen bristled, anger flashing in their eyes, but none moved.
Even they, for all their power, knew that facing Yukon Ivanhart—one of the five strongest beings in the world—would be suicide.
Marugen chuckled lightly.
— "Still the same as ever. Your tongue moves faster than your sword. How about we talk in private?"
He raised his hand, drawing dozens of glowing symbols in the air.
Within seconds, a translucent rune barrier formed around them, enclosing them in a silent dome.
— "This barrier prevents anyone from hearing us."
Yukon smirked.
— "Do you think I don't know that? You're still as foolish as ever, Marugen."
The old man smiled faintly.
— "I've been called worse."
Yukon stepped closer, eyes glowing fiercely.
— "Tell me, what do you want?"
Marugen reached into his robe and produced a glowing orb of light.
Images appeared inside—moments from the explosion, the matrix, the devastation.
— "As you can see, this wasn't a random attack. It was a message. The Ivanhart family is the only elite house that hasn't joined any political alliance yet. Whoever did this wanted to push you—to make you choose a side."
Yukon stared at the images in silence, then spoke slowly:
— "I know exactly who you're hinting at… and I also know that the Rune Division has already formed a secret alliance with one of the elite families, hasn't it?"
Marugen said nothing, but a faint smile creased his wrinkled face.
Yukon continued:
— "Not just you… even the Magic Tower has sided with the Northern factions, and the Alchemy Division with the South. What a shame… those meant to preserve the balance of power have become the fuel of a new war. And no one knows who will win—or how much this world will burn before it ends."
Marugen's expression didn't change. He
only looked at Yukon for a long, quiet moment before speaking softly:
— "Perhaps… this time, the war won't be between humans alone."