The group sprinted through the winding alleys, weaving between startled pedestrians and overturned carts, until they finally arrived at St. Durkheir Square. But the sight that greeted them was chaos incarnate.
The square—usually lively with chatter and music—was frozen in unnatural silence. Locals and tourists alike stood paralyzed, their eyes wide with disbelief, rooted in place as if bewitched.
Even though danger loomed right in front of them, no one moved. They all stared.
"W-What is that thing!?" Zack's voice cracked as he pushed through the crowd, finally seeing the monstrosity that had descended upon the square.
A grotesque beast loomed in the center. Towering and hunched, its body was covered in matted fur, giving it a twisted resemblance to a Vaestro dragon. But unlike the elegant companions Zack knew, this one reeked of death and rot.
Its fur was a sickly, oily gray. Patches of exposed muscle twitched beneath peeling skin, and a foul, fetid stench wafted in every direction.
"Its body… it's rotting…" Zack muttered, horrified.
The creature was massive—so enormous that it consumed nearly a quarter of the vast square. When it lifted its head, it was level with the surrounding towers, as if it had crawled straight out of some dark myth.
Then, a deafening roar erupted from its maw. The sound was unnatural, like a chorus of broken flutes shrieking in dissonance. It sent chills down every spine and toppled the towering St. Durkheir statue.
A sudden gust followed, scattering dust and debris. Then came the smell—putrid and overwhelming, like a thousand corpses left under the sun.
The crowd finally snapped out of their trance, breaking into a frenzied stampede. Screams echoed through the square. Roshar's guards tried to manage the chaos, but it was clear they were vastly outnumbered and unprepared.
People trampled over one another. Shops emptied in seconds. The city square turned into a living nightmare.
"Ico!" Zack's heart nearly stopped when he spotted her.
Near the rubble of the shattered statue, Ico stood defiantly, her petite form framed by dust and chaos. She faced the undead dragon without flinching.
"What the hell is she doing?!" Zack cursed, struggling to get closer—but panicked bodies shoved him back.
Then, Ico slowly reached up and pulled off her beret, letting her wild pink hair flow freely and exposing the delicate, curved horns atop her head.
She was revealing her true nature.
"You foul beast!" she cried, voice sharp and commanding. "Do you know who I am? This street is full of wonderful shops—how dare you defile it with your stench!"
Her voice cut through the chaos like a whip.
For a heartbeat, the square fell into an eerie silence again. Even the dragon paused, as if it recognized something. Zack stood frozen, awed by her courage and fire. There was something noble—even regal—about her presence in that moment. A dragon, confronting another of her own kind.
The beast's glowing, dead eyes locked onto Ico.
They stared at each other. Then, without warning, thick, slime-slicked tentacles burst from the dragon's side and lashed toward her.
"Kyaaaah!"
"Ico!" Zack shouted, panic seizing his chest.
The tentacles coiled around her limbs and waist with obscene eagerness, hoisting her into the air. Her dress fluttered and the fabric strained against the inhuman grip—until with a harsh rip, fabric tore away, revealing pale, supple skin and lace-trimmed undergarments now damp with sweat and tension.
"You bastard! Let her go!"
Ico thrashed wildly, her flushed face a mixture of rage and shame. But the more she struggled, the tighter the vile appendages squeezed, binding her like a prize caught in a spider's web.
The dragon let out another roar—its breath foul, its maw gaping wide. Several of its rotting teeth fell out as it opened its mouth further, and now Zack could see clearly: even its fangs were decomposing.
"Shit… What do I do?" he muttered, fists clenched.
Then came a surge of energy.
A ball of purple lightning swirled in the dragon's throat. Magic—raw and destructive—pulsated with terrifying power. The light burst forward with another roar.
—BOOM!
A nearby building exploded in a flash of violet fire. The structure crumbled, showering the square with smoke and debris.
"Attack magic…!?" Zack gaped. "That's high-tier… That's something only Vaestros should be able to do!"
The building had been four stories tall. The ground floor housed Café L'essaroys—one of the most popular spots in town. Above it, people lived. Zack stared, his stomach sinking. How many innocent people had just been killed?
But then… the smoke cleared.
And standing tall amidst the rubble—untouched and radiant—was Roderika, astride her majestic Vaestro Lainn, clad in her shining Ark.
"Roderika-san!" Zack gasped in relief.
She had arrived just in time. Her defense magic had neutralized the entire blast.
"L'essaroys is a place filled with the dreams of girls," she declared, voice ringing with righteous fury. "As the student council president of Roshar, I will defend it with my life!"
Her words were met with resounding cheers from the onlookers. But she didn't bask in the praise. Without missing a beat, she raised her hand to the heavens and began chanting.
"Appear—the certain-hit magic spear!" From the air above her, a brilliant spear materialized—glowing, crackling with raw energy. "Vashi Rann!"
With a cry, she launched the spear like a streak of divine judgment. It hurled toward the rotting dragon—but then, a spherical barrier appeared around the beast. Seven translucent layers shimmered into existence, each like a magical veil.
"It knows… defense magic too?!"
Vashi Rann collided with the first barrier—and tore through it. The second shattered with a blast of force. But the deeper it went, the slower it became. Each shield absorbed some of the spear's power, and magical energy bled away like water from a wound.
The fourth… then fifth… then sixth layer cracked apart.
Zack held his breath, eyes glued to the final shield. He whispered a silent prayer.
The seventh layer trembled… then split wide.
"Yes!"
The Vashi Rann exploded directly against the dragon's skull. A blinding flash swallowed the square. A deafening shockwave tore through the air. Thick, black smoke enveloped the beast—obscuring all.
And for a moment, everyone waited in silence.