The skies over Japan had not been this clear in weeks.
For once, the clouds were not twisted by mana storms or dimensional scars. Blue stretched endlessly above the ruined plains, and for the first time since the war began, sunlight touched the broken earth without being swallowed by darkness.
Hiko stood on the edge of a shattered overpass, staring up.
"…There," he whispered.
The air far away shimmered, bending as if something massive was moving inside it.
Goru narrowed his eyes. "You feel it too?"
"Yeah," Hiko said, grinning. "That's not a beast. That's something else."
Jaze Azenzo crossed his arms, his density magic subtly anchoring the ground beneath his feet. "That presence… it's not hostile. It's wild, but not evil."
Rougen's eyes widened slightly. "Don't tell me…"
A massive shadow passed across the ground.
Then the clouds parted.
Wings.
Gigantic, radiant wings of shifting colors spread across the sky. Scales like prismatic crystal reflected sunlight in every shade imaginable. Its body was long and powerful, coiling through the air with effortless grace.
The Diverse Dragon had revealed itself.
It descended slowly, every beat of its wings sending gentle but overwhelming pressure across the land. Mana flowed off it in waves, not violent, but alive, like a newborn god testing its breath.
Hiko's eyes sparkled.
"So that's it… The Diverse Dragon."
It landed a few hundred meters away, its massive claws touching the ground softly, despite its size. Its eyes, bright and intelligent, locked onto Hiko.
The dragon was not fully grown.
But it was far from weak.
At fifty percent growth, its aura was already comparable to a Semi-Calamity.
Jaze let out a slow breath. "Incredible… At this stage, it could already rival elite sorcerers."
Rougen stepped closer. "It's not attacking."
Hiko suddenly burst into laughter.
"This is awesome!"
Everyone turned to him.
"You don't get it," Hiko said, running forward. "It's beautiful! Look at it!"
He stopped a few meters from the dragon. The creature lowered its massive head slightly, studying him.
"You're real, right?" Hiko said, reaching out carefully.
The dragon didn't move away.
It let out a low, gentle rumble.
Hiko blinked. "Oh… Wait…"
He scratched his head.
"I forgot something important."
Everyone stared.
"…What?" Goru asked.
"I never named you."
The dragon tilted its head slightly.
Hiko grinned. "You can't be a legendary dragon without a name."
He thought for a moment.
Then snapped his fingers.
"Gato."
The dragon blinked.
"Yeah," Hiko said happily. "You look like a Gato."
The dragon let out a strange sound that almost sounded like a laugh.
Rougen sighed. "You named a world-class dragon… Gato?"
"Yep."
Jaze shook his head. "You're unbelievable."
But Gato lifted its wings slightly, as if accepting the name.
Then suddenly—
A violent aura surged from the distance.
A Rank 0 beast.
The ground cracked as a towering monstrosity emerged from the ruined city. Its body was covered in jagged black armor, its eyes glowing red with madness.
It roared, sensing the overwhelming mana of the Diverse Dragon.
Gato lifted its head.
Its wings spread wide.
The air trembled.
Hiko's grin widened. "Show them, Gato."
The Rank 0 beast charged, smashing through buildings as it ran.
Gato took off.
The force of its wings created a shockwave that knocked everyone back. It flew high, its body cutting through the sky like a living comet.
Then it dove.
The beast tried to raise its claws.
Too slow.
Gato struck with a blast of multi-colored energy, slamming into the monster with overwhelming force. The ground exploded as the Rank 0 beast was driven into a crater.
It tried to rise.
Gato didn't let it.
The dragon unleashed a roaring beam of pure diverse mana, burning straight through the beast's core.
With a final scream, the Rank 0 beast disintegrated into dust.
Silence fell.
Hiko stared in awe.
"…That was insane."
Gato landed again, looking proud.
Jaze laughed. "A Semi-Calamity dragon just erased a Rank 0 beast like it was nothing."
Rougen looked at Hiko. "You really found something incredible."
Hiko walked up and patted Gato's massive snout.
"Yeah," he said softly. "You're coming with us."
Gato lowered its body.
As if inviting them.
Goru's eyes widened. "It wants us to ride it."
Hiko jumped up first. "Called it!"
One by one, the group climbed onto Gato's back.
The dragon lifted its wings.
The war-torn world stretched beneath them.
And for the first time in a long while, Hiko felt something he hadn't felt since the war began.
Hope.