The flight toward the East was a spectacle of terror. Five ancient dragons, led by the golden brilliance of Aurelia, cut through the clouds like living meteors. On the back of the largest dragon sat Valerius, his black cloak whipping in the wind, his hand resting on the hilt of the Void Eater.
Below them, the fertile lands of the Aethelgard Republic stretched out—a nation built on the pursuit of magic and forbidden knowledge. At its heart lay the Arcane Academy of Oros, a city-sized spire that housed the greatest collection of magical grimoires in the world.
"Panginoon," Ignis shouted over the rushing wind, his blue flames flickering with excitement. "The Academy's barrier is activating! They've sensed our approach."
A shimmering dome of iridescent energy began to pulse around the Great Spire. This was the Aegis of Sophia, a shield maintained by a thousand mages, designed to neutralize any elemental attack.
"Aurelia," Valerius commanded, his voice cutting through the gale. "Break the outer shell. Vorgath, drop into the courtyard. Clear a path to the Forbidden Archives."
Aurelia let out a roar that shattered the glass of the lower towers. She folded her wings and dove, her golden scales friction-heating until she looked like a falling star. "Dragon's Wrath: Gilded Impact!"
She slammed into the barrier. The sky turned white as gold fire clashed with the iridescent shield. The shockwave leveled the surrounding forests, but the barrier held—barely.
"It's stronger than I remember," Aurelia hissed, her claws digging into the energy field.
"Because it is not powered by mana alone," Valerius noted, standing up on the dragon's back. "It is powered by the life force of the students within. Elara always was efficient with her resources."
Valerius stepped off the dragon's head. He didn't fall; he walked down the air as if descending a staircase. He reached the surface of the barrier and placed his palm against it.
"15% Release: Void Pulse."
A small, concentrated ripple of black energy emanated from his hand. Where it touched the shield, the iridescent light didn't break—it rotted. The colors turned gray and crumbled like burnt paper. Valerius stepped through the hole as if walking through an open door.
Inside the Academy, chaos reigned. Battle-mages in silver robes scrambled to form ranks, but they were met by a falling mountain. Vorgath hit the marble courtyard like a meteor, his stone body expanding until he was ten meters tall.
"GET BACK!" Vorgath bellowed, his fists pulverizing the ground. "THE KING HAS ARRIVED!"
Valerius ignored the fighting. He walked toward the Great Library, his eyes locked on the highest balcony. There, standing amidst a swirling vortex of floating scrolls, was a woman who looked no older than twenty-five, despite being over a thousand years old.
Elara, the Sage of Whispers.
She wore robes of deep violet, and her eyes were not eyes at all—they were two glowing pits of pure starlight. In her hand, she held a quill made from a phoenix feather, writing frantically in the air.
"Valerius," she whispered. Even at a distance, her voice sounded as if she were speaking directly into his ear. "The stars said you would come. But the stars also said you were dead."
"The stars are merely reflections of the past, Elara," Valerius replied, his boots clicking on the marble floor as he entered the library. "And you always were too fond of looking backward."
Elara stopped writing. The floating scrolls around her froze. "You came for the Chronos Scroll, didn't you? You want to rewrite the night of your betrayal."
Valerius drew the Void Eater. The black blade hummed, hungry for the dense mana of the library. "I don't need to rewrite history, Elara. I am here to finish it. Give me the location of the other Sages, and I might leave one of your towers standing."
Elara smiled, a sad, knowing expression. "You haven't changed. Still the tyrant who thinks power is the only truth. But you are at 30%, Valerius. My library is a T10 Magic Zone. Here, I am the law."
She snapped her fingers. "Grand Magic: Script of the Damned!"
The thousands of books on the shelves flew open simultaneously. Words—physical, glowing letters—poured out of the pages like a swarm of angry hornets. Each letter was a sharpened blade of pure concept, capable of cutting through soul and flesh alike.
Valerius didn't dodge. He swung his sword in a slow, circular motion. "Void Domain: Silence."
A wave of absolute nothingness expanded from him. As the glowing letters entered his range, they simply ceased to exist. The "Spells" were erased before they could even manifest their effects.
"Your 'Law' is written on paper, Elara," Valerius said, closing the distance in a blur. "My 'Law' is written in the Void."
He appeared in front of her, his blade at her throat. But Elara didn't flinch. Instead, she reached out and touched the mark on Valerius's chest—the scar where he had been stabbed a millennium ago.
"Did you know, Valerius?" she whispered, her starlight eyes flickering. "I wasn't the one who stabbed you. I was the one who hid the blade so they could find it."
Valerius's eyes narrowed. "I know. That's why you're the first one I'm going to break."
Just as his blade was about to swing, a massive explosion rocked the library. A spear of pure light pierced through the ceiling, separating the two.
Standing in the crater was a man in golden armor, his face hidden by a lion-shaped helm.
"Ironheart?" Elara gasped.
"No," the man growled, his voice vibrating with holy power. "The Duke is busy at the Pass. I am Leofric, the First Paladin of the Union. And I am not here to talk."
Valerius looked at the newcomer, then back at Elara. A cold realization dawned on him. Elara wasn't fighting him to win—she was stalling him.
"A trap within a trap," Valerius muttered, a dark thrill running through his veins. "Finally, a challenge worth 50%."