The sky above Magnolia burned with a mix of crimson and black light. A massive anti-magic warship hovered overhead, surrounded by shadowy sigils and pulsing runes that blinked like a living heartbeat. Guild members stood on rooftops, watching in tense silence—the air itself felt heavy.
Suddenly, Ashanti collapsed, fainting on the spot. Shock froze everyone in place.
On a nearby rooftop, Thorn stood calm and unreadable. His wings were folded, his aura subtly swirling. Reffile / Essence Flow was partially active—instinctively prepared for whatever came next.
From the guild hall, Mavis Vermillion spoke in a soft but worried tone,
"Thorn… be careful. Don't let them control you."
Her golden eyes held both worry and sadness, glowing with composed resolve. A magical tracker shimmered gently, locked onto Thorn's position and movements.
"Relax… I've got this," Thorn replied calmly, hands in his pockets, eyes scanning the warship.
A sudden flash split the sky.
With a violent surge of energy, Zephyros and his enemy faction appeared. Before Thorn could react, an anti-magic barrier snapped into place, trapping him completely. Red and black energy crackled along its surface as gravity distortions and magical feedback rippled through the air.
Zephyros smirked.
"We want control over your power… and we'll make it serve us."
Thorn maintained his composure—but then, without warning, he lost consciousness.
Inside him, Reffile / Essence Flow activated on its own. His body coordinated internally, releasing controlled bursts of power. Enemy soldiers inside the barrier froze in shock as panic spread across the entire ship.
Mavis floated onto the rooftop, her voice firm with determination and emotion.
"Thorn… hold on. I'm coming."
Gravity pulses and shadow energy began to swirl around Thorn. Reffile stabilized and healed him automatically. Cracks spread through the barrier's energy core as Thorn slowly began to regain control.
"Impossible… what is this?" Zephyros whispered in disbelief.
The barrier destabilized under Thorn's gravity field.
Thorn's wings unfolded slowly. In one smooth motion, he lifted Mavis into his arms—holding her securely in a front-carry—and seized total gravitational control of the ship.
Across Magnolia, magical trackers flared. Everyone knew something unbelievable was happening.
One overly loud observer shouted from below,
"Woooah! Thorn is actually insane!"
Thorn fully expanded his wings and rose into the air, teleporting the rest of the guild members to safe locations. Ashanti began to regain consciousness as the tension around the guild hall finally started to ease.
"Stay in control," Mavis said softly, calm yet firm, her golden aura shimmering faintly.
"Relax… I am in control," Thorn replied lightly, a hint of humor in his voice as black aura and gravity pulses danced around him.
Then his presence changed.
Thorn's aura surged into an intense glow. God-level black lightning wrapped in shadow erupted from him. With a single strike, the enemy warship was erased from existence, leaving only glittering energy residue scattered across the sky.
Thorn hovered above the remnants, still holding Mavis gently. Their shadows and auras merged—gold and black spiraling together as if stars and darkness were dancing in harmony.
Mavis's tracker pulsed softly.
"Thorn… please stay calm," she said, her voice trembling slightly but filled with trust.
Thorn extended one hand. His gravity field expanded, pulling enemy debris and unstable magic under complete control. His wings spread wide, his overwhelming aura fully visible.
Shock spread through the guild. Zephyros stared in pure horror.
Someone yelled dramatically,
"Gravity-king level?! Is this even legal?!"
Thorn smiled faintly.
"Don't worry… I'm in control."
Mavis laughed softly, relief and admiration replacing her fear.
"I knew it… my Thorn."
As everyone regrouped, one of the guild members blushed and teased,
"Thorn… what exactly were you doing up there with Master Mavis?"
Thorn's cheeks turned slightly red as he folded his wings.
"N-no— it's not like that."
A loud voice immediately followed,
"I swear—every mission turns into drama plus romance!"
Another member quietly facepalmed.
Thorn adjusted his grip gently to make sure Mavis was comfortable.
"Relax. Everyone's safe now."
For a final time, his aura flared—one last controlled release of god-level shadow lightning—cleansing the remaining energy residue from the sky.
Mavis held onto him lightly.
"You always make everything… predictable."
"Predictable?" Thorn replied casually. "Maybe. Or maybe it's just SSS+ speed and gravity doing their thing."
Laughter rippled through the guild. Relief, warmth, and soft romantic tension filled the air.
Thorn landed smoothly, wings folding as he exhaled.
"Alright… I'm going to sleep."
Mavis smiled warmly.
"Good… my Thorn."
Someone teased again,
"Still not telling us what happened up there, huh?"
Thorn sighed, hands back in his pockets.
"Nothing happened."
He tilted his head slightly, relaxed completely, and let the night settle.
Above Magnolia, light and shadow swirled peacefully once more—
calm restored…
but the legend of Thorn had only grown stronger.