In the skies of Keter sanctuary, the gleaming floating kingdom of Ketergia, the routine patrols of the Angel Knights continued undisturbed.
Fort and Rooks moved through the streets, their white armor glinting under the sun. Tranquilia walked beside them, more absorbed in his handheld mirror than the task at hand.
"Perfect as ever," Tranquilia muttered, admiring his reflection.
Soudios, hovering slightly above with his angelic wings outstretched, rolled his eyes.
"Can you take your vanity somewhere else?"
Before Tranquilia could retort, a deafening explosion shattered the calm.
The knights turned as a plume of black smoke rose into the sky, followed by the monstrous roar of a dragon. An enormous abyss dragon, its dark scales shimmering with malevolent energy, emerged from the horizon and descended upon the city.
Panic erupted as the citizens of Ketergia screamed and fled.
Rooks quickly took charge.
"Soudios! Distract the dragon. Fort and Tranquilia, escort the people to safety, evacuate them to gear 4!."
"Roger!" Fort and Tranquilia replied, moving to guide the panicked citizens away from the chaos.
Soudios soared into the sky, his bow materializing in his hands. He fired a volley of glowing arrows, each one streaking toward the dragon like a falling star.
"Grade 2…?" he muttered, his sharp eyes assessing the creature.
Rooks seized the opportunity created by Soudios's distraction, leaping into the air with his blade drawn. With a powerful strike, he drove his weapon through the dragon's head, ending its assault.
"A dark states dragon???" Rooks announced grimly as the creature fell.
But their relief was short-lived. A guttural roar shook the ground as six more abyss dragons appeared on the horizon, their massive forms blotting out the sun.
"Six more?!" Soudios exclaimed, his wings beating rapidly to reposition himself.
Rooks clenched his fists. "Crap… At this rate, a lot of people are going to die!"
As the knights prepared to fight, another roar—deeper and more menacing—pierced the air. A massive Grade 3 abyss dragon descended, its shadow engulfing the city.
Fort's voice trembled.
"A Grade 3…?"
The tension in the air thickened until two figures streaked through the sky, landing in front of the knights with practiced ease. The crowd gasped in unison.
"It's Alden and Razionel!" someone shouted.
Alden, the Grand Heavenly Sword, stood tall with his blade resting on his shoulder, his presence radiating authority. Beside him, Razionel, with her twin swords gleaming in the sunlight, exuded a calm, deadly precision.
Alden scanned the scene, his expression unyielding.
"Razionel, take the Grade 2s. I'll handle the big one."
Razionel nodded. "Got it."
With a single leap, Alden launched himself toward the Grade 3 abyss dragon. The beast roared and spewed purple flames, but Alden twisted in the air, evading the attack effortlessly.
Rolling across the dragon's wings, he delivered a swift strike that severed one of them. As the dragon screamed in agony, a smaller Grade 2 dragon intervened, lunging to protect its leader.
Alden spun, slicing the Grade 2 into pieces before driving his sword through the head of the Grade 3, silencing it for good.
Meanwhile, Razionel faced the remaining Grade 2 dragons. Raising her dual blades, she leapt into the fray with a fluid grace that left the crowd in awe. Her first strike decapitated one dragon, and with a mid-air twist, she dispatched another.
"There are two more," she said calmly, as if she weren't fighting monsters.
The final two dragons lunged at her simultaneously, their mouths glowing with deadly energy as they prepared to fire. Razionel threw both her swords, each one finding its mark and piercing through the dragons' heads.
The crowd erupted into cheers as the abyss dragons fell.
Watching the display, Fort couldn't hide his admiration.
"Amazing… Alden and Razionel are really strong."
But his awe faded as a dark memory surfaced—Sarevsael and the cruel actions he had witnessed against the surface dwellers. A pit formed in Fort's stomach as doubt clouded his mind.
What if Alden and Razionel are just like him?
As the battle concluded, Rooks gathered the group. They walked through the streets, processing the aftermath, but Fort's unease lingered.
While passing a group of knights, Fort overheard a troubling conversation.
"Didn't you hear? Bastion just ordered an attack against the surface," one knight said.
"What? Why?" another asked.
"They're saying the surface is building an army to invade Ketergia," the first knight replied, laughing.
Fort's eyes widened. He marched toward the knights, his tone sharp. "What do you mean Bastion ordered an attack?"
One of the knights sneered. "It hasn't started yet, but the rumors say they're preparing for a full-scale invasion. Hah! Serves those surface scum right. No wonder Lord Alfred created this place—to keep us away from those savages."
Fort's hands clenched into fists.
"You don't know what you're talking about! The people down there are the same as us—they're good people. And we're the ones taking their resources!"
The knight scoffed. "Huh? Are you siding with those dirt-eaters, kid?"
Before the argument could escalate, Rooks intervened. "Fort, you can't just barge into people's conversations like that."
Fort glared but fell silent, his irritation boiling beneath the surface.
Soudios approached, holding a newspaper. "It appears those guys were right," he said, showing the headline:
"Bastion Declares Attack on Surface Amid Conspiracy of Army Mobilization."
Rooks's mind raced as he read the article. Shit… I've got to tell Youth about this.
Fort's voice was filled with disbelief.
"They're going to slaughter them! The information is probably false there is no army down there!"
Rooks placed a hand on Fort's shoulder, his expression serious.
"Then we better do something about it."