Lilithia was not running. She was being granted time—without ever asking for it.
The forest around her was not silent; it was complicit.
Blood streamed from her shoulder, dissolving into the darkness.
Then a whisper pierced the night. Not human… Not demon.
"Lilithia… isn't it time?"
She froze. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword as she turned— No one.
At the roots of a dead tree, a small black stone gleamed, as though the darkness itself had collapsed inward.
She reached out and touched it. A warm, living pulse—alien to every world she knew.
"Don't let it go."
She pulled her hand back… then stopped.
Wrapped the stone in cloth.
Hid it.
Footsteps approached behind her.
"Villiam."
He brushed the blood from her cheek, his voice calm.
"You're late."
"I've grown used to pain."
He studied her for a long moment.
"One day, I'll pull you out of this hell."
She didn't answer. She smiled.
The ground trembled.
The earth split open. Black skeletons clawed their way out from below.
Voices rose from between the trees, chanting a single word:
"…Dragon…"
"This isn't normal!" Lilithia shouted.
Villiam fought like a madman.
Faster.
Harsher.
As if he were someone else entirely. Then he stopped.
"Lilithia—watch out!!"
She turned.
A shadow was forming behind her, shaping itself into a human figure.
It raised its hand. A black mass—like blood stripped of life—shot forward.
Villiam lunged.
The attack tore through his body.
He collapsed before her, his blood soaking into the soil.
He looked at her one last time… Then went still.
Miles away, within the same forest, the Drakhaens advanced.
Human in form—yet luminous veins pulsed beneath their skin, exposing their power before a single word was spoken.
Kai leapt forward. His strike cleaved the air.
A lower-rank demon split apart.
"Don't boast," Skyler said coldly. "It's just a puppet."
Kai smiled.
"I haven't even used Stone Art yet."
The air shifted.
A crushing pressure slammed into their chests.
A dark wave swept through the soldiers, flinging them aside as though the shadows themselves had stolen their souls.
"Fall back!" Kai shouted. "This isn't an ordinary demon!"
From between the trees emerged a twisted creature.
Its face looked as though fire had melted it—leaving behind a living mass of pure malice.
Kai drew a red stone etched with intersecting white lines and murmured:
"Stone Art… Moonwolf Stone."
The stone ignited. A howl ripped through the forest.
Energy surged through his body. His senses sharpened.
His fingers stretched into silver claws.
The demon lunged at a soldier—
Kai vanished.
In a blink, he reappeared before it, severing its hands with a single strike.
"Level One: Moon Sense."
His body blurred again, reappearing behind the creature.
Claws tore through the air like streaks of moonlight.
"Level Two: Moon Claws."
The demon fell… and dissolved into nothing.
The stone's glow faded.
"Where's the healing squad?" Kai gasped.
Before anyone could answer, a metallic voice rang out from the surveillance device:
"Points recorded for Warrior Kai."
Skyler checked his own device. The notification was different.
"The heir of the Black Stone has been chosen."
Silence.
"Who chose…?" Skyler whispered.
"The chosen heir: Lilithia.
Race: Demon."
"Impossible!" Kai snapped. "The Black Stone doesn't choose demons!"
"Heir status: In danger.
Location: Eastern Bank of the Forest."
The device went dark. Skyler looked at Kai.
"Stay with the soldiers."
He drew his sword. Blue light ignited along his veins.
"As for her… I'll go myself."
He vanished into the trees like lightning.
When Skyler arrived, Villiam lay motionless on the ground.
Thick black blood seeped from his body. Not ordinary blood.
Skyler trembled.
"Villiam…"
No response.
Inside Villiam's body, another voice whispered:
Your body is mine now.
Villiam's eyes snapped open—black, empty. His lips moved without his will.
"Lilithia… she attacked me…"
Then—stillness.
Lilithia froze.
"No… I didn't do anything! Villiam!"
Skyler gripped his sword. Rage clouded his vision.
"Demon—"
He raised the blade—
"Stop."
The word fell like an absolute command.
Skyler froze. Then bowed instantly.
"Commander Daemon…"
Daemon stepped forward. He knelt, touching the black blood.
His expression changed.
"…Blood of Domination."
"A sorcerer?" Skyler asked, tense.
"A high-ranking one," Daemon replied.
"One of the highest orders."
He straightened.
"He planted something inside him. He was trying to reach the Black Stone."
Lilithia trembled. She pulled the stone from her pocket.
It pulsed—as if listening.
"This stone? But it doesn't even—"
"Silence!" Skyler shouted. "You understand nothing!"
Daemon's gaze settled on her.
"You're coming with us."
"Who… are you?" she whispered.
"We are the Drakhaens."
A pause.
"Neither human nor demon.
Ancient beings—descendants of dragons… though not complete dragons."
He glanced at Villiam.
"And he… was one of us."
Skyler stepped forward.
"We are humanity's guardians—against heart-devouring sorcerers."
"Hearts…?" Lilithia murmured.
"They consume them to gain power," Skyler said grimly.
"In this world, some humans are born with coins embedded in their hearts.
Those coins don't just bring misfortune—they attract sorcerers."
Daemon interrupted, pulling a square green coin from his pocket.
"Every sorcerer seeks these coins. All colors. All shapes.
They feed on them—to gain power… and endless energy."
Lilithia knelt beside Villiam.
"I'll bring you back," she whispered. "I swear."
Skyler looked down at her, eyes cold.
"If we don't find him…You'll pay the price."
In a distant place… inside an isolated hut, the bodies of a man and a woman lay drowned in blood.
In the corner sat a massive man.
His features were human. His aura—human.
He extended his hand and tore out a heart, still warm.
With a black claw, he split it open and pulled free a circular orange coin, slick with blood.
He lifted it to his mouth.
He swallowed it.
The next instant—his eyes ignited, glowing red.
"The blood…It's starting to move."
His voice was calm. Terrifyingly calm.
Behind him, a faint scratch.
He didn't turn.
"I know you're there, Kaguchi."
The shadow stepped forward, stretching, reshaping— becoming a towering man with crimson hair.
"Draven. Everything is done," Kaguchi said.
"Lilithia has fallen into the trap… and William's body is under control."
Draven smiled.
Cold. Merciless.
"A single strike was enough to tear the rift open."
Then, quietly—
"Now… we wait."
Back in the forest, Kai stood among his wounded soldiers. One question gnawed at him.
"Why… did the Black Stone choose a demon?"
The air trembled.
A black flash tore across the sky, its shockwaves racing toward the Drakhaens Kingdom.
Magical seals rang out everywhere, chiming like alarms across the land.
And in that exact moment, a message reached them all:
The Black Stone has chosen a new bearer.
Lilithia… accused of killing William Darkwell.>
The kingdom awakened at once.
At the forest's edge, Lilithia froze.
The stone trembled violently in her pocket. A metallic voice echoed inside her mind:
"Notification: You have been classified as a threat."
She heard nothing but her own heartbeat.
"Am I… the accused?"
The stone did not respond.
Then—the ground shook.
The sky cracked open.
Living smoke poured downward, searching— as if hunting the one who had awakened it from a slumber that should never have been broken.
Everything happened in a single instant.
An instant in which unseen conditions were fulfilled… and that which was meant to remain sealed forever was opened.
Kai lifted his gaze, heart pounding like war drums.
This wasn't a threat.
It was an invasion.
From the smoke poured the Ravagers of the Vein.
Small, shadowy entities— their bodies dissolving and reforming without pause.
Incomplete beings, as if trying to finish themselves through destruction.
A sharp whistle cut the air—
And suddenly, they were among them.
One pounced on a soldier.
His armor melted on contact.
Metal and flesh fused together as his scream collapsed into a soundless tremor.
Kai watched his men dragged into darkness.
Their bodies liquefied— merging with molten steel.
With every wave of smoke, the creatures multiplied.
Kai clenched his stone.
A halo ignited around his eyes.
"Stone Art—Moonwolf Stone. Level Three: Shadow Step."
He vanished—
Reappearing behind one of the entities, claws descending—
But another intercepted him.
A weapon unfolded from its form.
"The Strings of the Void."
Transparent threads sliced through his energy, freezing him mid-motion.
Kai slammed into the ground, breath ragged, pain rippling through his limbs.
Even this… had not been accounted for.
Inside the Watch Hall, Drakhaens soldiers prepared for a black emergency.
Sirens screamed.
Energy rings spun, tearing reality to form a subspace portal.
The commander raised his hand.
"Prepare yourselves.
Target: Eastern Forest.
Suspect: Lilithia."
At the signal—they plunged through.
Pressure crushed her chest. Cold ground into bone.
Then—the forest.
Among them was Yun, a soldier bearing a seal designed to close part of the black rift.
His steps were steady.
Then—everything stopped.
The signal vanished. The device failed. The forest swallowed him.
And with the first wrong move—Someone stood before him.
Draven.
A fiery spear formed in his hand.
"Coincraft—Red Coin."
Yun dodged and fell, but the ground ignited beneath him.
Draven approached, smiling.
"Hand over the seal bound to the Black Stone…Or you won't leave here alive."
Yun refused.
Draven exhaled slowly.
"Coincraft—Lattice Overdrive."
Yun's body locked. Shock froze his eyes.
Draven kicked him, shattering his chest, raised his blade—
The shadows split.
A pink flash severed the sword in half.
Time halted for a heartbeat.
Then she appeared.
Kailena.
Pink aura surging, eyes razor-sharp.
"Stone Art—Ruby Stone. Level Seven: Ruby Veil."
Draven laughed softly.
"It seems I've angered Commander Kailena. Perhaps I'll return later."
On the eastern bank, Skyler and Daemon stared at their devices.
The Black Stone has chosen a new bearer.
Subject: Suspected murder of Villiam Darkwell.
Proceed immediately to the eastern shore.>
Blue lights erupted.
Drakhaen soldiers surrounded the area.
Commander Ragen shouted:
"Lilithia! You are accused of murdering Villiam Darkwell. Surrender immediately!"
Her sword was drawn.
At the sight of the blood—
Everyone froze.
It was soft.
A soldier whispered, shaking:
"A perfect match… Villiam Darkwell's blood."
Ragen's voice was cold.
"Under the law… Skyler and Commander Daemon are charged with concealment and treason."
"Murderer."
Lilithia screamed:
"I didn't kill him! A sorcerer attacked us! Damn it… I hate sorcerers!"
Silence answered her.
Then—the stone in her pocket convulsed violently.
The device screamed:
< Missing power source detected…
Third Seal: Broken>>
Ragen read the alert.
His expression hardened.
"…The Arkam Pact no longer exists."
He recited the words slowly— not prophecy, but judgment reborn.
"If the blood of one without sin is spilled
before an heir of power
and beside a servant of battle,
my shadows shall be summoned,
and the path to destruction's return shall open."
(The condition for breaking the Arkam Covenant and opening its Third Seal.)
Daemon's eyes widened.
"You mean the Seal of Existence—"
Ragen cut him off.
"We execute the demoness before dawn. Otherwise… no one will stand against what comes."
Fear trembled beneath his authority— the same fear born the night half his face was burned by this very energy.
Lilithia shook, fury blazing.
"I didn't kill him! His blood was black! His heart is still beating—he's alive!"
Ragen laughed coldly.
"Black blood? Look again."
She did. And wished reality would shatter.
The blood was normal.
Daemon and Skyler knelt. No energy. No trace.
Skyler whispered:
"Impossible… it was—"
"Enough," Ragen snapped. You are both charged with treason. The test is complete."
Lilithia's body darkened.
A presence stirred—unnoticed until now. Soldiers stepped back instinctively.
Something ancient… was waking.
The magical circles closed.
Then—the light vanished.
Not darkness.
A moving shadow.
Daemon turned, shouting:
"This energy… hasn't appeared since the fall of the Arcum Era!"
Meanwhile, deep within the forest—
Kaelina stood firm, her grip tight around her sword.
Her pink aura surged upward, violent and unstable, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
Draven appeared before her.
She stepped back without meaning to.
A memory—sharp and old—stabbed through her chest.
He knew that anger well. After all… he was the one who had created it.
He smiled, dark with mockery.
"It's been a long time," he said softly.
"Did you miss me?"
She shouted back, her voice shaking with rage:
"It seems you've forgotten what you did a thousand years ago!"
He approached slowly, each step deliberate.
"How could I forget? That night… is the reason I hold this power now. And the best part?"
His eyes gleamed.
"It still stirs your emotions."
Then, calmly—
"Don't worry. I won't waste my energy killing you. That honor… I'll leave to a friend."
And he vanished into the shadows.
Silence fell.
Then—a small black hole opened behind her.
Dark spikes surged forward—
Kaelina spun in an instant.
"Stone Art—Ruby Stone.Level Six: Gem Mirror."
The spikes rebounded, shooting back toward the rift.
One struck her foot.
Pain flashed.
Her blood thickened.
"…Paralysis," she hissed.
"These spikes immobilize movement."
From the void, a shadow condensed— shaping itself into a red-haired man.
Kaguchi.
He smiled.
"A fine deflection."
His shadow warped, twisting into a boneless, blood-soaked entity.
"Coincraft—Shadowblood Weave."
The membrane stretched outward, wrapping around her, tightening, choking.
Kaelina resisted—but her paralyzed foot failed her.
She clenched her sword.
"Stone Art—Ruby Stone. Level Two: Facets Edge."
Luminous edges formed along the blade.
She struck with everything she had—The membrane did not break.
From Kaguchi's palm, a blade of black blood formed.
"Coincraft—Blood Seed."
It launched.
It pierced Yun.
A scream tore through the forest.
He collapsed, unable to move. Pain devoured him.
Kaguchi spoke calmly—terrifyingly so.
"I am not here to kill you.I am here for the Black Stone's seal."
Yun's blood darkened, thickening into shadow.
"Your body is mine now," Kaguchi whispered.
"Hand it over."
Yun moved.
Not by will.
His hand reached toward the seal.
Closer—
And at the final instant—
Kaelina struck.
Her blade split Kaguchi's shadow-formed hand apart.
He didn't retreat.
The shadow reformed.
He smiled.
"You survived the membrane.That earns my respect."
A blood sword formed between his palms.
Kaelina bled.
Her foot dragged.
Her chest burned.
Then—Everything went quiet inside her. Her sword moved before thought.
Steel clashed.
A crimson spark erupted.
Her arm shook. The ruby pulsed violently in her grip.
"Stone Art… Ruby. The First Resonance."
She felt danger before it existed.
She shifted—
A bloody claw burst from the ground behind her.
"Coincraft—Shadowblood Weave."
Kaguchi swallowed a red coin.
"Let's accelerate."
He charged.
She raised her sword—ruby edges igniting.
"Level Two: Ruby Edges."
The second clash didn't cut metal.It cut shadow.
Kaguchi staggered back.
"You're touching the thread…"
But the shadow behind him moved again. It expanded, suffocating.
"Coincraft—Shadowblood Weave: Cocoon Form."
Her ribs compressed.
The ruby flared violently.
"Level Four—Crimson Chains."
Chains erupted, binding his arm and blade.
She pulled.
The ground cracked.
"Level Five—Echo Strike."
One strike.
Two.
Three.
The impact detonated inside him.
He bled.
He laughed.
He opened his arms.
"Coincraft—Crimson Void Pact."
His shadow tore free, forming a hollow replica— blood frozen, eyes empty.
Kaelina struck it once. It smashed into a tree. Blood filled her mouth.
Kaguchi approached.
"It's over."
—
"Level Six—Stone Mirror."
The strike rebounded. A red gash opened across his chest.
For the first time—His eyes widened.
Kaelina rose.
Her body screamed. Her will did not.
Their blades met again.
The next strike—Would have ended him.
Then she saw it.
Yun.
Being pulled.
Kaguchi smiled.
"Too late."
Yun moved.
The blade pierced her.
Time froze.
Blood stained the ruby.
She looked at the sword. Then at Yun. His eyes were empty.
"…Kaelina…"
Kaguchi drew the shadow from him.
He leaned close, whispering:
"Betrayal tastes sweetest… at the moment of victory."
He withdrew his blade.
Kaelina collapsed.
He smiled.
On the eastern edge of the forest— Darkness did not merely surround Lilithia.
It rose from the depths.
Like an ancient entity that knew her by name— as if she had been born from its will.
The Ravagers of the Vein crept closer, their cries echoing like souls torn from nothingness.
They multiplied.
Their fury poisoned the air.
Lilithia stood still.
Beside her—Ragen, Daemon, Skyler, and the soldiers stared at the sky in silence.
Lilithia clenched her fist unconsciously.As if the summons answered her call.
Only Ragen and Daemon understood. The others… did not yet grasp what had awakened.
The Ravagers surrounded them.
Skyler struck—splitting one in two.
The halves crawled.
They multiplied.
Daemon shouted, fear piercing his voice:
"Normal attacks won't work! The more we divide them—the more they multiply!"
The Ravagers screamed as one:
"Why have you awakened us…?"
They surged.
They attacked everyone— Except Lilithia.
But far away, within the Drakhaen Kingdom— Something opened its eyes. Not a shadow.
The Lord of Shadows.
Wings spread, devouring the horizon.
When he descended upon the palace roof, darkness receded— revealing a handsome man with crimson eyes.
He entered the forbidden library. As he reached for a tome— A knock sounded.
"Come in."
Two men bowed deeply.
"My lord… the first seal of the Arkam Pact has been broken."
"I know."
"The Ravagers of the Vein have been unleashed."
He replied softly:
"Inform Commander Kisho. For ice alone… remembers where the Vein is buried."
Back in the forest, the Ravagers halted.
No advance.
No retreat.
The ground trembled— as if something deeper had begun to breathe.
Skyler pressed his wound.
Daemon struggled for air.
Ragen lifted his sword—Then lowered it.
A single thought suffocated them all:
"We are not in the right place."
Lilithia stood unmoving.
The Ravagers did not attack her. As if unseen threads bound her existence.
Ragen shouted—He never finished.
A black blade surged from behind him—
The air froze. An arrow tore through the void. Crimson ice exploded.
The Ravager shattered under merciless frost.
Silence.
From afar, atop a frozen ridge, a man stood.
Cloak flowing like frozen night. Eyes glowing blue with absolute cold.
He lowered his bow. The Qi around him did not surge— It made the ground retreat.
Ragen whispered:
"…Commander Kisho."
He stepped forward.
"Lilithia," he said coldly. You are accused of murdering Villiam Darkwell. The case will be referred to the Drakhaen High Court."
The forest held its breath.
He turned.
"Commander Daemon. Deputy Skyler. You are charged with concealment and treason.
You will be arrested."
Silence—sharp as a blade.
"The Healing Squad is en route," Kisho continued.
"We will return to the kingdom.,And we will take Lilithia… Skyler… Daemon…
And Villiam's body."
Skyler froze.
And in the instant his balance broke—
Lilithia moved.
The ground answered first.
Ice erupted, sealing her legs.
A cage.
Kisho lowered his hand.
The ice obeyed.
She was led away.
Before the gate closed, Lilithia looked back. Not longing.
But the gaze of someone leaving behind something unfinished.
"Villiam!"
The light swallowed them. The gate closed.
Lilithia left the forest. But the world did not leave with her.
And unseen by all— Villiam's hand twitched.
Once.
In the Drakhaen Kingdom… one day after the incident.
On that same day, the Human Kingdom announced three royal marriages.
On that same day, seven missing-persons cases were quietly closed.
As for the Drakaien Kingdom—
Lilithia lay deep within the prison, bound in restraints no one approached.
Daemon and Skyler were imprisoned on charges of treason and concealment, awaiting judgment.
And Kai—bedridden, his survival unexplained, his condition unspoken.
At the High Court, the judges convened.
None of them looked at the accused. They were looking at the danger.
Six of the kingdom's highest judges sat in silence, Kagetsu Ryozin presiding at the head of the table.
He stood with decisive calm.
"In the name of the Dracian Kingdom," he said,
"this session is now open. The case is before us—and time does not wait."
The first judge spoke:
"The Black Stone has chosen Lilithia. Her name alone is enough to ignite a war."
The second judge followed:
"And the blood that was shed does not permit delay."
The third judge hesitated:
"The facts are incomplete… yet all evidence points toward her involvement in Villiam Darkwell's death."
Ryozin cut him off instantly.
"Facts are completed after the verdict. Not before it."
Silence fell.
One judge asked quietly:
"Then… shall we issue the judgment?"
Ryozin replied without emotion:
"We must end the existence of this witch before the case reaches higher authorities."
He continued, his tone calculated and cold:
"The first seal of the Arkam Pact has been broken.
The Black Stone's seal was compromised.
Commander Kaelina has suffered critical injury.
The White Dragon has fallen.
And over a thousand soldiers were buried—without announcement."
He paused.
"And the missing fragment of the Dragon Stone… remains unrecovered."
"If this spreads," he concluded,
"our enemies will believe our army weakened.
And a war that cannot be extinguished will follow."
Ryozin stood.
The judges stood with him.
"In the name of the Dracian Kingdom," he declared,
"the accused Lilithia is condemned. She shall be executed at dawn tomorrow, in the public square."
He added:
"Villiam Darkwell's body will be burned in the same place.
As for Daemon and Skyler—their case will be addressed after the execution."
Lilithia's name was never recorded.
Only one word appeared in the ledger:
Danger.
A new file was placed upon the table.
One judge muttered:
"The Human Kingdom continues to bury the crimes of its witches under the guise of protection."
Another added:
"Over a hundred disappearances. Demons unleashed in villages. Victims erased from records."
Ryozin raised his gaze.
"Transgressions left unanswered," he said,
"become a declaration of war."
Elsewhere—the verdict had already reached the condemned.
The prison was silent.
Not because it was safe—but because screams had long been exhausted within its walls.
Skyler sat against the stone floor. Daemon stood, waiting.
Ragin entered.
"The verdict has been issued."
Daemon asked calmly:
"When?"
"At dawn."
Skyler lifted his head.
"…Lilithia?"
"Execution."
Silence struck like a falling stone.
Daemon smiled faintly.
"I told you."
Then, with deadly certainty:
"She is not guilty."
Ragin clenched his fist.
"Daemon—"
"Planted," Daemon interrupted.
He stepped closer to the bars.
"Those who understand how lies are constructed… know when one has been planted."
Skyler whispered, stunned:
"Who are you talking about?"
Daemon answered with a single name:
"Kaguchi."
Ragin staggered back half a step.
Daemon continued:
"Villiam did not die because he was weak.
He died because he saw what was never meant to be seen."
Then, slowly:
"If you seek the truth… do not waste your time here."
Ragin hesitated.
"…The Black Dragon. It has disappeared."
Daemon smiled again.
"Disappearance," he said softly,
"is not always escape."
Far away—beyond seals, verdicts, and law—
In the heart of the Human Kingdom, in a land untouched by justice, a palace rose toward the clouds.
At its center lay a basin of black water. A woman and two men were bound beside it.
No weapons. No escape.
The surface of the black water split—without a ripple.
A pale hand emerged. In its palm rested an eye.
Open. Alive.
Staring directly at Draven.
She stepped forward once, then knelt before the basin.
"The third seal of the Arkam Pact has been broken," she said steadily.
"Just as planned."
From the basin emerged a woman without features.
"Izanami no Mikoto."
She had no eyes—yet she saw.
Her thirst-filled awareness fixed upon the bound prisoners.
She approached the first man and placed a finger between his eyes.
From that point, she drew forth a thin, glowing thread—Invisible… until the end.
The thread of fate.
The body collapsed into ash.
And as the thread was consumed—her face was born.
The remaining two did not scream at once.
She turned toward them coldly.
Their bodies split apart. Blood painted the floor… and the walls.
She faced Draven, smiling softly.
"Well done, Draven," she said.
"Now come closer… and receive your gift."
He stepped forward.
She cupped his face.
Darkness poured into his eyes.
He fell into the basin—not to die… but to be reshaped.
When he emerged, the void pulsed within him.
She spoke calmly:
"What enters your heart is not power… but heart."
She tilted her head, her smile widening.
"A heart that endures… shall have its path opened."
She whispered:
"When the second seal of the Arkam Pact is broken…
we shall see if it withstands the power of the Silver Coin."
She leaned closer.
"Soon, we will restore our glory… and reclaim what was taken."
Then, softly:
"But not before we bring Kai back to our side."
At the moment that promise was sealed—Chains tightened around Lilithia's wrists.
They were not merely iron. They were alive.
They strangled the will before the body.
Dark, electric restraints crawled over her limbs, stripping her of every command.
She was marched between two lines of soldiers.
Their eyes did not see truth. Only a danger to be erased.
The public square overflowed with Dracians.
Children sat on shoulders—learning what was called "justice."
At the center lay William Darkwell's body, prepared for burning— as though death itself had been insufficient.
Lilithia did not raise her head.
Yet she saw him.
The hand that once promised salvation was cold.
Above, in a suspended chamber, commanders and judges watched.
Lilithia was not sentenced for murder.
The world had judged her potential—and found it intolerable.
The platform rose.
Black wood soaked with screams.
She was forced to kneel—not by fear, but by stripped will.
Ryozin stepped forward.
"Lilithia," he declared,
"is accused of killing William Darkwell."
Then:
"Execution… by beheading."
Fire was lit beneath the second body.
The blade descended—slow, deliberate.
Lilithia closed her eyes. Not in fear. As if listening.
Then—
A roar tore through the sky. Light was swallowed. The people looked up.
The sky split open beneath a colossal shadow.Wings devoured the horizon.
Some fell to their knees. Others collapsed unconscious.
A cry spread through the square:
"Impossible… the Black Dragon!"
Even the leaders could not move.
The shadow descended—then condensed. A man stood where it landed.
Red eyes. Long black hair.
Commander Ragin emerged behind him.
He raised his voice so all could hear:
"Lower the blade. The Black Dragon… commands this."
The execution halted.
The flames dimmed.
While the judgment was being suspended, in another kingdom…
magic in the land of humans was being refined,,as if the world were not on the brink of collapse.
A stone table. Seven chairs. Only five were occupied.
At the center rested a small vial, filled with a strange liquid.
A hoarse voice broke the stillness.
"Are we certain?"
No name was spoken.
Slender fingers reached toward the center of the table— then stopped.
Another voice followed:
"This is the Black Stone Seal—"
A third cut in sharply:
"Do not continue."
Silence fell.
Heavier than stone.
Heavier than the walls themselves.
"The moment that she-devil is executed… the second seal of the Arkam Pact will break."
"And Draven is now on our side."
An unapproved whisper slid between the chairs.
"Then we must produce larger quantities of this liquid… for the nobles. For the government."
A fist struck the table.
"This liquid is not easily made."
"Then we need more coins. Otherwise, we will never stand as equals. The Hell Cube will not wait."
One of the empty chairs moved.
From the shadows, Kaguchi emerged.
His voice was cold.
"Stop the execution."
Then, without pause:
"We move to the alternative."
Something shattered.
A new silence followed— not the silence of planning, but the silence of those who had realized that time was no longer theirs.
At the execution ground… she was catching her breath, preparing for one final attempt to enforce justice.
One of the commanders spoke, his voice stretched tight, like a string about to snap:
"This intervention… is beyond the scope of judgment."
He did not lift his head toward the dragon. He did not dare.
The Black Dragon replied with deadly calm:
"Remove the Black Stone before the execution."
It did not say: Hand it over.
It did not say: Secure it.
It did not say: Stop.
A procedural command. As if referring to a tool— not a fate.
Eyes exchanged glances.
Ryozen raised his hand slowly, as though lifting it against a raging current.
"…Carry it out."
Hands reached for the Black Stone.
Lilithia did not move.
She did not scream.
She did not beg.
The moment their fingers touched the stone— the symbol trembled.
Nothing happened.
At least… that was what everyone believed.
Then—
Distance ceased to exist.
No step.
No motion.
No surge of energy.
Only— the void shifted.
Chief Judge Ryozen— the embodiment of justice— had neither advanced nor retreated.
And yet… he was there.
Right beside Lilithia.
The Black Dragon flexed its claws.
For the first time in centuries… it had not sensed the act before it occurred.
Not because it was fast.
But because it was not movement.
—
The blade emerged.
Not from a sheath.
Not from a hand.
But from the space between breaths.
A single strike.
Then—
Blood.
It did not spray.
It did not erupt.
A single drop slid down Lilithia's skin and fell upon the Black Stone.
In that instant— something broke.
The symbol did not glow.
It awakened.
The Black Dragon moved at last— too late.
Its eyes widened. Not in rage.
In realization.
"…Impossible. The second seal… has been broken."
The words were heavier than a roar.
How?
How had this being crossed its domain?
How had it touched fate ?
without leaving a trace?
Ryozen turned slowly.
No blood stained his hand. No triumph marked his face.
Only calm.
"I have not betrayed you… now."
His gaze fell upon the stone.
"I merely arrived ahead of your expectations."
The Black Stone released a single pulse.
It did not fade.
It was followed by an unnatural silence.
Then—
The shadow split apart.
From within it, a man stepped forward.
The ground did not tremble— yet the commanders stepped back instinctively.
A whisper escaped one of them, as if confessing an ancient sin:
"…Kaguchi."
The name weighed more than any verdict.
Kaguchi—
the shadow erased from all records— was alive.
His eyes sought no one.
He seized Riozen— not by flesh, but by fate itself.
With a single force, the chief judge vanished.
Then—laughter.
The laughter of a woman who knew the ending before the story had begun.
The air twisted.
Threads appeared.
Invisible— yet everyone felt them pull at their thoughts, their breaths, their choices.
A woman stepped into the arena.
Golden eyes. Within them—shattered possibilities.
No one needed her name spoken.
Legends do not require introduction.
"Izanami no Mikoto."
Silence collapsed.
A high-ranking demon. Mistress of the threads of fate.
Izanami inclined her head slightly, regarding the Black Dragon.
She smiled.
Not with fear— but with the certainty of early victory.
"Oh…"
Her tone was playful.
"For the first time… I see you delayed."
The threads quivered.
The Black Dragon did not roar.
Yet it felt it.
Cold crept into its core.
Kagichi stood beside her.
Her shadow devoured his.
His voice was empty of emotion:
"The betrayal is complete."
Then, turning to the Black Stone:
"And the alternative… has begun."
Izanami laughed again— short, sharp, as though applauding fate itself.
"Now, dragon…"
"Let us see how you act when the ending is no longer your choice."
The threads tightened.
The Black Stone trembled.
And Lilithia— still standing.
Bleeding.
And the chapter… had spiraled beyond control.
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