The Flying Building of Libertatis lived up to its name. It did not rest upon stone nor did it cling to roots and neither did it float by illusion. It simply existed in the sky—suspended by nothing but pressure, mana, and authority.
Two colossal orbs hovered nearby, tethered to the structure through thick streams of radiant mana. One orb hovered beside the building itself, the other far across the city, forming a gateway system that bent space rather than crossing it.
From the streets below, Pegaluves often looked up in reverent silence. Some believed the orbs were a gift from the gods. Others believed it was a warning.
A single figure approached the nearest orb.
His face was completely wrapped in chains—layer upon layer of cold metal that hid every expression. His body was clad in heavy armor embedded with elemental stones of the highest grade:
water pulsed along his left arm, fire burned faintly along his right, thunder crackled at his left leg, earth weighed down his right. At the center of his chest, glowing steadily beneath reinforced plating, was a yellow stone.
A Time Stone.
Metallic wings unfolded from his back, catching the daylight like sharpened mirrors. Civilians instinctively stepped aside as he passed. Floating beside his chained arm was a long double-bladed staff—a Swallow. Etched into its surface were words that radiated quiet authority:
LIFE BINDER
The Pegaluve placed his hand upon the orb. The world folded.
"Dop dop sisi longet" He murmured as he stepped inside the huge floating structure.
.............................................................................
The interior was unremarkable. There was nothing, no golden thrones, no divine murals, no ornamentation. Just plain stone, clean floors, and long counters.
Yet it was crowded—Pegaluves of every wing color moved through the hall, talking, trading, and reporting. The space was alive with motion, even if its design was austere.
A sharp gasp echoed near the entrance.
"The chained one…!" a receptionist whispered. "He's back."
Heads turned in an instant. All the conversations died as if standing in awe and fear. Their wings stilled, not a single one of them moved an inch.
The chained Pegaluve stepped forward and raised his arm.
"Longet… longet… sisi… dop." He yelled. With a dull thud, a massive dragon corpse slammed onto the floor.
Gasps erupted. "He took out a whole dragon!?"
Before anyone could recover, he reached into his bag again.
Another dragon. Then another.
Three colossal corpses lay sprawled across the hall, their scales still warm.
"As expected…" someone murmured.
"He completed that quest alone…?"
The chained one lifted his hand again.
"Sisi."
The receptionist swallowed hard, nodded rapidly, and rushed to process his payment.
No praise was spoken aloud, just pure silence. No congratulations were offered; none could say it. Everyone stood there as he was paid in silence. When he turned to leave, the crowd parted instinctively. He left for his home.
On his way, outside, some footsteps approached— too quick and careless.
Thud.
Someone collided with him.
"I—I'm sorry!" a young man exclaimed. "Are you alright?"
The chained Pegaluve looked up. Long black hair and emerald-green eyes. A sword scabbard, but no sword, empty.
The young man offered a hand. The chained one hesitated, then accepted.
"Do—" he began.
"Oh—sorry, I'm in a hurry!" the young man said quickly, lifting his bag. "Really sorry!"
And then he was gone—like wind through an open window.
The chained Pegaluve noticed Pegaluves chasing after him. Without hesitation, he turned. In return for his kindness, a single energy slash erupted from his weapon.
One pursuer was cleaved cleanly in half.
"Dop… dop… sisi… longet."
Whispers followed.
The other realized the slash, noticing the perpetrator, he said, "That cursed thing is still alive?"
"Hope it dies somewhere in the human marshes."
"Yeah, at least we won't have to see that ugly face."
The chained Pegaluve walked on, unbothered.
.............................................................................
Cryo soared between buildings, wind ripping past his feathers.
"Ice Surge!" Pillars of ice erupted upward, blocking the Pegaluve's flight path.
"Try harder, Phoenix!" the Pegaluve mocked, narrowly dodging.
Cryo smirked.
"Ice… Spread." All of a sudden, the pillars exploded outward, spawning thousands of spikes in every direction. Some even forge inside the ground, penetrating outside.
The Pegaluve screamed as the spikes pierced his body mid-air.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" he howled.
"Try better next time." Cryo mocked him.
"Once I heal, I'll torture you—and that human—KEH! KEH! KEH!"
The last words snapped something in Cryo.
He flicked his fingers.
The ice detonated again—this time shredding flesh.
Spectators screamed. Some fled in fear, while others couldn't even move, freezing in place.
"Murderer!" a child cried, pointing a wooden stick.
Cryo looked at the child. "…"
Then turned away.
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Lecia sprinted through the streets.
"RETURN MY HUSBAND'S SWORD, BITCH!"
"Oh my, you are quite scary." Crevial fled, panic setting in. She turned sharply into an alley, flinging iron bars behind her. One struck Lecia's face, carving a red line across her nose.
"Now you have done it."
The alley went silent.
Lecia's eyes glowed ruby red.
"Sword… husband… love… LOVE…" She drooled all over the place.
Crevial turned for a second, to spot something not meant to be seen by any kind, an expression made by Lecia. She just shut her eyes and ran as fast as she could.
Then—
BONK.
"You should stop that, horny angel."
"You dare hit my head, mortal-!" Lecia turned, furious—then froze.
"…Achlys?"
She bowed instantly.
Crevial barely had time to react before Lecia smashed her head into the ground.
"BOW, IDIOT!"
Achlys sighed, took the sword, and smacked Lecia on the head.
"Ouch! My Beautiful face!"
Lecia hit her again. "I am sorry, master Achlys, for this unpleasant drama you saw!"
"I am not your master," he said calmly. "And stop hurting people."
"Yes…" Lecia muttered.
Lecia looked up and saw a young black-haired man in front of her with a firm expression.
"Who is this woman, Lecia?"
Lecia glanced at Crevial. "She is just a prisoner. I met her in prison while I was held captive."
"Anyways, let's go. We don't have much time." Achlys sheathed his sword and turned around.
Others followed.
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"Come in." A pink-haired man ordered from his throne
"Lord Qyioza, h-humans have entered Libertatis," the Pegaluve stammered.
"Don't be scared, one knows that death is to follow if one leaves this room."
The Pegaluve gulped, smiled while bawling through his eyes. "Dying is not scary, right?"
Qyioza nodded and vanished.
Appeared behind him, pulled him up by his throat. "You know I can make an exception for you."
The poor Pegaluve gulped again. "W-what e-e-excep-tion?"
"Be my servant," he whispered.
"W-what??"
"Just be my servant, and you'll be under my protection."
The Pegaluve, without a single bit of hesitation, nodded in agreement.
A glowing Q-shaped contract burned into flesh.
"Excellent." He released his grip on him. "Before leaving, state your name."
"Lopo ver Pius, at your service, My lord." He bowed and left.
"Things are turning out to be interesting now."
An evil and villainous smirk emerged on his face.
.............................................................................
Swords clashed and echoed through the demon forest. Blows exchanged without a single sweat breaking down between the two.
As the end of the battle drew near, Tiabishi created a giant icicle that spanned at least half of the Demon Forest. "Take this!" she yelled as that piece of ice charged towards the princess.
"Fragile, sloppy, and weak." She shattered the whole icicle with a single blow.
The shards spread across the battlefield, and some stabbed Tiabishi herself. She collapsed to one knee, bleeding. Her left hand was practically immobilized by the extensive use of ice magic.
"What…do you want to achieve by training me…?"
The princess stabbed the ground with her sword and approached Tiabishi. "It's really simple, I want to beat someone strong."
"Are you out of your mind, Bitch??"
"Oh my, such vulgar words." She said. "Well, I was just joking."
The Demon Princess watched calmly.
"You're the last brown-haired elf," she said. "That matters."
She sat beside Tiabishi.
"I am just curious about something."
"About what?"
"Well, it's going to be a long tale…you wanna hear it?"
"…"
"Actually...Since my birth, I have nothing but destroyed everything and killed countless beings. All I have known was this feeling of hatred towards everyone. I, the princess of the demon kind, was born for nothing more than killing people. That is what the ancient scripts talk about; I am nothing but a killing machine."
There was a time when everyone feared the demon princess for her ruthless and merciless killing. She was known for her undiscriminating slaughters, but that changed in recent years. The killing had gone to almost none. This all happened due to the sudden change in the Demon Princess's attitude towards her slaughtering.
"When I saw you in Loipetras, there was something that snapped in my heart...you defending his name changed something inside me." Her expressions turned sad. Turned her head up and gazed at the sky as if longing for something.
"In Loipetras?"
"Yes, you said you'd do anything to protect him."
"Exactly, I'll do anything for him…"
"I don't know why, but my jealousy towards you grew more and more. I was annoyed by it so much that to get rid of it was to beat people up. But nothing changed."
Tiabishi smiled weakly.
"You just wanted love."
Then she fainted.
The princess caught her.
"Father… brother… can I train her?"
The Demon King laughed.
"How could I refuse?"
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The world continued to shift.
Quietly.
Irreversibly.