POV: Reina and Raphtael
The wind in Velhara always carried a chill, but today it stung less.
Raphtael stood at the edge of the courtyard, eyes locked on the horizon. A soft breeze rustled his silver-blonde hair, and his hand tightened on the hilt of the ceremonial dagger at his belt—not out of fear, but anticipation. Behind him, Reina leaned against the curved stone wall, her golden eyes distant and unreadable, like they always were when her mind wandered back to the past.
"He's really coming," Raphtael said quietly, voice laced with disbelief.
Reina didn't answer immediately. She brushed a strand of white hair behind one feline ear and looked up toward the mountain path. "Took him long enough."
There was no bite in her words. Just restrained emotion.
Raphtael smiled. "You're shaking."
"I am not."
"You're shaking."
She narrowed her eyes, then turned away. "Only because it's cold."
Raphtael laughed softly, heart clenching in his chest. They'd waited so long for this. Years of hiding. Of watching over their shoulders. Of fighting not just enemies, but the weight of their memories. And now—finally—they weren't alone.
The gates groaned.
Bootsteps echoed.
And then, the man they'd believed lost to the world stepped through the arch.
Ryuuji.
Older, perhaps. His face bore lines earned not from battle, but from peace. He wore no armor, no crown. Only the quiet confidence of a man who had once saved the world—and now lived simply. But his eyes… those hadn't changed. That same deep gaze that once faced the Demon Lord without blinking met theirs, and something in Raphtael cracked.
"Ryuuji," he whispered.
Reina stepped forward first.
She didn't run. She didn't cry. She simply looked him over, nodded, and said, "You look alive."
Ryuuji's grin was quiet and honest. "You too."
Then, before anyone could react, she walked straight into his chest and hugged him.
Ryuuji chuckled, resting a hand lightly on her back. "Good to see you, too, Reina."
Raphtael, standing awkwardly behind them, cleared his throat. "Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?"
Ryuuji reached out and pulled him into the hug, and the three of them stood there, arms tangled in old familiarity.
"You haven't changed," Ryuuji murmured. "Well, you did. You're taller. Stronger."
"Still bad with haircuts," Reina added, smirking.
Raphtael laughed, blinking away the dampness in his eyes. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again. After the war, we thought you just... vanished."
Ryuuji nodded solemnly. "I did. Needed to disappear. To heal."
"And now?" Reina asked, stepping back.
Ryuuji turned toward the others who had followed him into the courtyard—Elysia, Duncan, Sierra. They looked just like they did in her memories, but older, weathered by time and life.
"We're back together," Ryuuji said, softly but firmly. "Because we're not done yet."
Reina crossed her arms, tail flicking thoughtfully. "The Council."
"Yes."
Elysia stepped forward, regal and calm. "Their corruption runs deeper than we feared. And now they're targeting you two."
"They sent assassins," Raphtael confirmed grimly. "We've been dodging them for weeks."
"They're scared," Duncan rumbled, his dwarven voice gravelly but steady. "Good. That makes 'em sloppy."
Reina tilted her head. "You came all this way just for us?"
Ryuuji looked directly at her, no hesitation in his voice. "You're family. I swore we'd protect each other. I won't let that promise die."
Reina felt her throat tighten, but she didn't let it show. She only nodded once.
"And Kiko?" Raphtael asked. "We heard about her."
"She stayed behind," Ryuuji said, smiling. "She's safe. The island is well-guarded. Elysia's kin watch the skies. And the villagers… they're strong in their own way."
Reina glanced at Elysia, giving a small nod of respect. "She's lucky, having a mother like you."
Elysia gave a warm smile. "She's a light in our lives. She doesn't remember either of you, but... I think you'll like her."
Raphtael's hand drifted to his chest. "I'd like to meet her. I'd like to know the world you built, Ryuuji."
"You will," Ryuuji promised. "Once we clean out the rot."
Reina's golden eyes narrowed. "Then let's begin."
They spent the rest of the day in the hidden keep near Velhara, pouring over maps and intelligence reports. Sierra brought forward the Council's names—those still in power, those who manipulated from the shadows. One of them, a sorcerer named Velmarin, was the one who had tried to enslave Duncan's mind. Another, Lady Thessa, had orchestrated the assassination attempts on Raphtael and Reina.
"We'll strike at their base of power," Ryuuji said, fingers tapping the edge of the map. "But we'll do it smart. With precision. Not like the Demon Lord war. This isn't a battle—it's a purge."
"Public opinion matters this time," Sierra added. "If we strike too violently, they'll brand us as traitors."
"We're not," Ryuuji said. "We're reclaiming what they poisoned."
Duncan grunted. "Count me in. I owe them a dwarven grudge."
Elysia nodded. "The dragons will watch the skies and seas. None shall interrupt our campaign."
Reina leaned over the map, tracing a path with her clawed finger. "Then we begin here. Velmarin's tower is heavily warded, but he doesn't expect all five of us. Especially not Ryuuji."
Raphtael smirked. "Guess we're doing this old-school."
Ryuuji smiled. "The world once feared us when we were together."
"They're about to remember why," Reina said.
As dusk settled, the old companions sat in a circle beside the fire. The war hadn't started yet, but the tension in the air felt heavier than any battle. It was the calm before the storm. A storm they would bring with justice, not destruction.
"Do you regret it?" Raphtael asked suddenly, breaking the silence.
Ryuuji looked at him. "What?"
"Everything. The fight. The years away. What we gave up."
Ryuuji stared into the fire. "No. Because it gave me peace. It gave me Kiko. It gave us the time to be human again."
"And now?" Reina asked.
"Now," Ryuuji said, standing, "we make sure the next generation gets the same chance."
He held out a hand.
Raphtael took it.
Then Duncan.
Sierra.
Elysia, her dragon's strength tempered by human resolve.
And finally Reina, her hand firm in his.
One by one, the old heroes stood—not as wanderers or fugitives, but as a unit reborn.
The storm was coming.
But this time, it would sweep away corruption—not peace.