Chapter Title: Rise of the Roar - The Dragon Knight Descends
"When calamity meets fury… the heavens split open."
A thunderous ROAR split the heavens.
The sky, moments ago clear and golden from Isundra's passing, was now consumed by swirling storm clouds. Arcs of violet lightning rippled across the sky like cracks in a divine mirror. Thunder bellowed like a wrathful god's war cry.
From the churning storm descended a figure in obsidian armor, etched with silver dragon sigils—
Raiken Vayr, the Dragon Knight.
Karlous, still beneath the great skybirch tree with Frey, looked up in disbelief. His pendant pulsed violently. Frey's expression tightened.
"No... it can't be... already?"
Behind Raiken loomed Drakhaal, the Dragon of the Forbidden Grave—its massive form coiling like a shadow cast by the end of time.
Meanwhile — Phoenix Estate, Outer Courtyard
Explosions echoed like the drums of war.
The shockwaves reached the Phoenix territory. Nox Phoenix, the eldest son and famed swordmaster, felt the pressure before anyone else.
He stepped out from his training chamber. "That mana signature…"
At his side appeared Knight Commander Roselyn, the renowned King's Rose and Vice-Captain of the 3rd Quadrant. "Should I assemble the shield bearers, my lord?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he leapt from the terrace with Roselyn close behind.
From across the mansion, Sera Phoenix, flanked by her personal knights, also emerged. Her eyes locked toward the storm. "Karlous… don't tell me you're there…"
Back at the skybirch tree:
Raiken landed with a boom that cracked the ground.
"Frey Del Ahoya," Raiken growled, voice colder than steel. "Still mentoring lost causes?"
Karlous blinked. "Who the hell are you?"
Raiken ignored him. "You're interfering with fate again, Frey."
Frey stepped forward. "You still sound like a bad prophecy."
A low growl came from Drakhaal. The forest trembled.
Raiken raised his hand—
Drakhaal vanished.
And in the blink of an eye, Raiken struck.
BOOM!
Frey met the blow midair. Their clash lit up the sky, the storm above roaring, winds howling, lightning shrieking like a chorus of dragons. The shockwave sent Karlous tumbling.
"This... this is not human...!" Karlous gasped, forming a mana shield around himself.
His pendant pulsed.
"Observe... and remember. This is the path of those who defy the heavens."
Frey's sword was a blur of flame. Raiken's movements carved the air like thunder incarnate.
The forest shattered. Earth lifted. Wind turned to cyclone.
Karlous struggled to stand, overwhelmed.
But then, a wave of noble mana pressure slammed into the area.
Nox Phoenix had arrived. Sword unsheathed. Aura crackling.
Sera Phoenix descended next, glowing with frostfire magic. Her expression shifted to panic the moment she saw Karlous. "What is he doing here?!"
Behind them, Commander Roselyn deployed a golden barrier, protecting onlookers.
And just above, a flying ship approached—its flags bearing the Blue Magic Tower. The Vice Master aboard, cloaked in azure, scanned the battlefield with awe.
"Drakhaal... and Raiken... it's real," she whispered, trembling.
Back in the battlefield:
Raiken suddenly paused, breathing heavily. "The White Tower moves. The Demon Houses whisper. Aryavratra will burn."
He looked at Frey. "Next time, you won't have an audience."
With a final roar from above, Drakhaal descended. Raiken leapt onto his back. Together, they soared into the clouds, vanishing in a bolt of lightning.
Silence returned.
Karlous fell to his knees, breathless. Frey stood nearby, bleeding, but grinning.
"Welcome to the real world, Karlous. That was just the first shadow."
Karlous looked up, fire in his eyes.
"Then teach me. I won't run from it."
Frey's smile widened. "Then rise, Phoenix. Because the storm is only beginning."
World Notes:
Raiken Vayr: A Dragon Knight from another realm. Fused with an abyssal dragon after a divine betrayal.
Drakhaal: Dragon of Calamity. Its roar silences mana, its flight warps skies.
Knight Commander Roselyn: "The King's Rose." Guardian of Nox and Vice Captain of the 3rd Quadrant.
Blue Magic Tower: One of the elite mage factions. Interested in divine beasts and relics.
Aryavratra: A continent teetering on the edge of war.
The divine and the doomed… are waking up.