The murmuring between the Demon Lords grew louder, heavy with unease and urgent concern. But Guy raised his hand, and the room fell silent again under his quiet command.
His crimson gaze swept over the gathered Demon Lords, sharp and calculating.
"Before any of you start panicking," Guy began, his voice cool but firm, "let's think carefully."
He leaned back into his throne-like chair, a dangerous glint dancing in his eyes.
"Velzard... the White Ice Dragon... has spent most of her time inside Nyvaris," he reminded them. "And she is not someone easy to approach, let alone capture."
A small smirk curved Guy's lips.
"And more importantly..." he continued, "she's always been close to Varvatos."
The very name, spoken aloud, seemed to add extra weight to the atmosphere.
Even among Demon Lords, Varvatos was considered a force beyond reckoning — a being of terrifying mystery and strength, an ancient guardian of Nyvaris who rarely moved but whose presence alone deterred any threat.
"If Varvatos personally came to warn me," Guy went on, tapping a finger thoughtfully against his armrest, "then you can be damn sure he won't let anything happen to Velzard. Nor to Veldora, who's also living in Nyvaris under Varvatos' watch."
Guy's words brought a measure of relief.
Several of the Demon Lords visibly relaxed —even Dino, who had looked increasingly uncomfortable, let out a quiet breath.
"So it's safe to say," Guy concluded grimly, "that Velzard and Veldora are secure. Feldway would be a fool to try to snatch them out of Nyvaris... he'd have to go through Varvatos himself."
The mention of facing Varvatos directly caused even the most battle-hardened among them — like Carrion and Frey — to shudder slightly.
"Which means..." Luminous Valentine said softly, her voice cutting through the heavy silence, "only Milim and Velgrynd are truly vulnerable."
Milim stiffened, her usual carefree attitude replaced with a serious, almost... anxious demeanor.
Velgrynd, the Scarlet True Dragon, was known for her fiery temperament and raw power — but even she could be caught off guard if Feldway attacked with his full angelic host.
"And Milim..." Carrion muttered darkly, looking at the young Dragon Princess with concern, "is always flying off alone without telling anyone."
Milim puffed up indignantly. "Hey! I'm not a kid!" she protested, though her voice cracked slightly with the weight of the situation.
Guy chuckled softly — not unkindly.
"No one said you were," he said.
"But like it or not, you're exposed. And Feldway isn't going to fight fair."
The gravity of the situation pressed down on all of them once more.
Feldway wasn't just trying to overthrow a kingdom or seize some artifact.
He was attempting something far more dangerous: to rewrite the very nature of the world itself by bringing back the supreme existence, Veldanava.
And to do it, he was coming for their own.
"This changes everything," Dino muttered, his wings drooping. "Feldway's going all in."
Frey nodded firmly, her golden eyes hard. "Then we have to be faster. Stronger. Smarter."
Leon leaned forward, resting his chin on his clasped hands. "We must protect the Dragon Factors at all costs. And that means protecting Milim... and locating Velgrynd."
"We'll need a plan," Carrion growled, sharp canines bared. "A good one."
Guy's smile returned — fierce and full of fire.
"Oh, we'll have a plan," he said darkly.
"And this time, it's not just going to be defense. If Feldway wants to play god..."
He stood slowly, and for a moment, it was as if the entire dimension trembled under his presence.
"Then we'll remind him why we are called Demon Lords."
The icy stillness of Nyvaris stretched endlessly under the muted light of the eternal auroras.
In a grand, ancient manor tucked into the heart of the frosted world, Varvatos stood quietly by a tall, arched window.
The world outside shimmered under thick blankets of snow, a realm untouched by the chaos that brewed beyond its borders.
He watched — not with his eyes, but with a deeper sense, as if reading the flow of existence itself.
A faint sound stirred the air behind him.
Turning slightly, he sensed Velzard entering the spacious room.
The Ice Queen herself — radiant, proud, and powerful — yet as she entered now, she seemed more... human. Curious.
She stood by the entrance, arms crossed loosely, studying him.
"Varvatos," Velzard said softly, "what are you thinking about?"
Varvatos didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he slowly turned from the window, his black cloak rippling lightly with the movement.
His crimson eyes — deeper and older than the world itself — locked onto hers.
"Come here," he said simply.
Velzard blinked, momentarily stunned by the unexpected request.
It was rare for Varvatos to ask anything of anyone — rarer still to call someone closer.
Her mind raced.
Why?
Did something happen?
Was something wrong with her?
She hesitated only a second longer before stepping closer.
Each step echoed lightly across the polished stone floor, the coldness of the room intensifying as her presence drew nearer.
When she stood before him, Varvatos slowly raised his hand.
Velzard watched, breath caught in her throat, as he extended one finger toward her forehead.
Then, gently — almost reverently — he touched her.
Under his touch, Varvatos uttered a single word, a word that seemed to vibrate through the very fabric of her being:
"Enkhalis."
It was not a word of this world — or any world known.
It was a primordial invocation, older than creation itself.
The moment the word left his lips, Velzard gasped.
A surge of light and energy burst from within her, unseen but undeniable.
She staggered slightly, the power within her reshaping, reweaving.
Her very soul trembled as unseen threads unraveled and rewove themselves into something... sturdier. Sharper.
More complete.
Several long moments passed.
When the feeling subsided, Velzard opened her eyes, breathing heavily.
She stared at Varvatos, confusion and awe mingling in her usually calm gaze.
"What... what did you do to me?" she asked, voice raw with wonder.
Varvatos, his expression unreadable, finally lowered his hand.
He turned, walking toward one of the great carved chairs by the hearth, and seated himself with quiet grace.
"You," he said, "possess the Ultimate Skill Gabriel, Lord of Patience."
Velzard nodded slowly.
"It is powerful," Varvatos continued, "but flawed. Vulnerable in a way that few understand. A fatal weakness."
He leaned back, gazing into the dancing flames.
"I modified it. Strengthened its structure... fortified its core... so that what happened to Rudra does not happen to you."
Velzard stiffened.
Rudra, the once-proud Emperor of the Eastern Empire, had fallen — his soul shattered, his fate manipulated through the cracks in his own Ultimate Skill.
The reminder made Velzard shiver — not from cold, but from the realization of how vulnerable she had been without even knowing it.
"You... protected me," she whispered, astonished.
Varvatos said nothing, merely inclining his head slightly — as if what he did was nothing noteworthy.
Velzard stared at him, heart pounding.
He did not do this lightly. He rarely intervened, even for his own allies...
Yet here he was, weaving forbidden magic to safeguard her.
She moved slowly to sit across from him, folding her hands tightly in her lap.
Varvatos broke the silence first.
"I visited Guy Crimson," he said casually, as if he spoke of visiting a neighbor.
Velzard's eyes widened.
"You? You left Nyvaris?"
Her voice was thick with disbelief.
Varvatos rarely ever left Nyvaris.
If he had personally sought out Guy... it meant something dire was on the horizon.
"I told him to prepare," Varvatos said simply.
"Because something big is coming toward the Cardinal World."
Velzard's brows furrowed in concern.
Her mind, always sharp despite her calm demeanor, raced through possibilities.
"What is it?" she asked, voice tight.
Varvatos's eyes, ancient and heavy with the weight of foresight, looked directly into hers.
"Feldway."
The name struck like a thunderclap.
Velzard leaned back sharply, genuine shock crossing her flawless face.
She remembered Feldway all too well.
"Feldway...?" she breathed, almost disbelieving.
"The first angel... the one my brother, Veldanava, personally created... his most loyal servant?"
Varvatos nodded once.
Velzard shook her head in confusion.
"But... why would Feldway attack the Cardinal World? It's my brother's creation! Why would he seek to harm it?"
Varvatos's gaze shifted slightly, turning once more toward the frozen window.
"Time," he said cryptically, "changes everything."
He paused, then added, voice low and echoing with a foreboding that chilled even Velzard:
"Time will tell, Velzard. Time will tell."
The room lapsed into a heavy silence, broken only by the faint crackling of the fire.
Outside, the auroras danced wildly, as if mirroring the storms yet to come.