"Harry, it's time for the shift change. Go get some rest..."
"Ah~~ Alright, I'll leave it to you, Paul. But honestly, why has it been nothing but gloomy drizzles these past few days? It's seriously hindering supply transportation..."
Standing before the Diamond Kingdom's outer wall, Harry looked up at the overcast sky and sighed.
It had been half a month since the war against the Clover Kingdom had begun.
Although he was merely a low-ranking soldier tasked with guarding the city walls, even he understood the saying: Before the troops move, supplies must be secured.
Military might was important, but logistics were even more vital.
War was a game of attrition—whoever had more resources, won.
But with this never-ending rainy weather turning the roads into thick, muddy swamps, transporting supplies had become a nightmare.
And as the attacking force, they were at a greater disadvantage than the Clover Kingdom, which only had to defend its doorstep.
"I wonder how long this war will drag on... sigh..."
Both men let out a breath of frustration.
When a country prospers, it's the people who suffer. When it falls, they suffer still.
But this was a hardship they had no choice but to endure.
The Diamond Kingdom no longer had the resources to keep its nation functioning properly.
There was only one path left—to wage war against neighboring countries, seize their land, and plunder their resources.
This war wasn't a choice. It was a necessity.
They had to fight.
They had to win.
BOOM!
A flash of lightning tore across the sky. The heavy clouds seemed to groan under their weight before releasing a downpour of thunderous rain.
Citizens rushed to shelter, dashing beneath roofs or hurrying back into their homes.
Only one figure moved calmly and slowly through the streets, indifferent to the storm drenching him.
He looked up into the sky, a subtle smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Looks like... today's the day."
He tossed off his black cloak, letting it fall to the ground. Then, his body surged upward, soaring into the stormy sky.
Ethan knew very well that with his current strength, it would be difficult to inflict serious damage on the Diamond Kingdom—especially once they began to retaliate.
One wrong move, and he'd be buried here forever.
He needed a chance—a divine opportunity delivered by the heavens themselves.
BOOM!
The dark sky was nearly pitch-black, but each bolt of lightning illuminated it for a brief second.
Some of the idle citizens back home, gazing out their windows, thought they glimpsed something—a figure dancing in the storm clouds.
"Paul, do you see that? Is there someone... up there?"
"Are you crazy? You need to get your eyes checked. No one can fly in this weather."
Paul laughed and looked up—
Just as another flash of lightning split the clouds, revealing a human silhouette hovering in the sky.
"There is someone?!"
Paul blinked in disbelief.
Flying into the storm in this kind of thunderstorm... did that person have no fear of getting struck?
But more than that—who was this person?
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!"
After a moment of hesitation, Paul triggered the intrusion alarm.
On any normal day, he might not have been so jumpy.
But this wasn't just any day—it was wartime.
Any suspicious figure could be an enemy saboteur.
"Oh? That was quick… but still too slow."
From above, Ethan looked down as smoke signals rose and sirens wailed throughout the city. He smiled faintly.
[Lightning Creation Magic – Kirin!]
Raising his left hand high, electric-blue lightning crackled at his fingertips.
The heavens shifted.
A mythical beast tore through the sky, revealing its savage claws and fearsome fangs—an ancient Kirin.
But this wasn't a lightning beast formed from his own mana—it was forged by nature itself, harnessing the raw, uncontrolled power of the storm.
Its might was far beyond what Ethan could produce on his own.
The Kirin's massive body stretched across more than half of the royal capital, its maw breathing thunder and lightning as it roared through the clouds.
Its sheer presence was enough to send weak-hearted citizens collapsing in terror.
"Divine punishment! It's divine punishment!"
"My god—what IS that thing?!"
Countless civilians stared blankly at the terrifying beast writhing in the thunderclouds above.
This wasn't magic... not something any ordinary mage could imagine.
This... was retribution from the gods.
Yes—divine punishment.
Perhaps it was heaven's judgment for the war they had unleashed.
"Kirin—descend!"
Expressionless, his heart was silent and still.
He swung his raised arm downward.
ROAAARRR!!!
The Kirin let out a primal roar.
From Paul's perspective, the beast's form grew clearer, larger, closer—until everything around him was consumed by a blinding blue light.
BOOOOM!!!
A catastrophic shockwave burst forth, shaking the kingdom to its core.
Buildings crumbled like sandcastles.
Screams and cries of terror rang across the city.
The devastation didn't stop there. Even the distant front lines of the battlefield trembled from the impact.
Many soldiers turned back, eyes widening as they spotted a distant flash of blue lightning.
"What's going on?!"
Both Clover and Diamond soldiers stared at each other in confusion, quickly dispatching scouts to investigate.
High above, Ethan looked down at the sea of ruins below—a sprawling landscape of shattered stone and smoldering wood.
His heart held no joy, no sorrow.
Logically, he should feel satisfaction. Revenge had been served.
But his heart felt like stone—cold, unmoved, not a flicker of delight.
Below, the survivors screamed in pain, some weeping beside the bodies of their loved ones.
He had brought them that pain and hatred.
"Tch… When did I become so sentimental? You kill me, I kill you. It's the natural law of the world. If there's anyone to blame, blame your own weakness. Right?"
He took a deep breath and turned around.
Behind him, someone had already arrived on the scene.
Only one person in the entire Diamond Kingdom could lock onto him so quickly—
Saint Grand Mage—Corin.
"What have you DONE?!"
Teeth clenched, Corin's voice was filled with fury.
At first, he had thought this was some natural disaster.
After all, there was no magical aura to be sensed.
But the moment the Kirin struck, he knew.
This was man-made.
The entire royal capital—gone in a single blow!
"Saint Mage, it was him! I saw someone in the clouds—it was him who destroyed the capital!"
"Kill him!"
"Kill!!"
Dozens of mages swarmed in from every direction, rage twisting their expressions just like Corin's.
In less than ten seconds, the entire sky was filled with silhouettes—hundreds, encircling Ethan like a pack of wolves.
"So… another gang-up?"
Raising an eyebrow, Ethan casually waved his hand.
From the cracks in space, one magic book after another flew out.
Light blue for water.
Golden brown for earth.
Crimson red for fire...
One after another, they orbited around him like stars.
The once dark and stormy sky was now ablaze with the radiant light of magic tomes.
"Am I seeing this right?!"
"This… this can't be!"
"There's gotta be over a hundred grimoire books! How is that even possible?!"
Everyone stared in disbelief.
Even Corin, the Saint Grand Mage, had his pupils contract in shock.
"Who the hell is this guy?!"
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