The gates of the Storm Kingdom opened wide, and the evening light poured in as the mighty assembly arrived. Word of the celebration had spread quickly through the streets, and while none of the citizens knew exactly what had happened, they felt the weight of something grand. To see Demon Lords, Transcendent Demons, and True Dragons walking side-by-side into their kingdom was a sight beyond imagination. People stood at the edges of the road, whispering in awe, bowing deeply, and pointing at figures they had only heard about in legends.
Inside the grand palace, the dining hall was a world of warmth and celebration. Shuna, with the help of the other maids, had prepared a feast worthy of gods. The long banquet table was laden with roasted meats glistening with herbs, bowls of rich stews that released waves of savory aroma, golden loaves of bread, sweet pastries dusted with sugar, platters of exotic fruits, and mugs and goblets filled with sparkling drinks. The flicker of chandeliers made the silverware gleam, while the air buzzed with laughter, conversation, and the clinking of glasses.
Veldora, the Storm King, sat at the head of the table. To his right was Velgrynd, her usually sharp gaze softened with a quiet respect. On his left was Velzard, her expression proud yet faintly amused, as if she was seeing her younger brother in an entirely new light. No longer did they see him as the carefree fool they once knew—tonight, he was every inch a king.
Beside them sat the fearsome and famed: Guy Crimson, casually leaning back with his glass; Diablo, with his ever-perfect smile; Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera, each with their own dangerous charm; Milim, bouncing in her seat with anticipation; Draguel, composed and steady; Luminous, radiant as a jewel; Leon, calm and dignified; Carrion, laughing heartily; Dino, already halfway reclined in his chair; and Frey, elegance in every movement.
At the far end, Benimaru, Hakuro, Gobta, Shion, Geld, Rigurd, and Souei filled the seats, the generals and loyal warriors of the Storm Kingdom. Floating just above the table—completely invisible to most—Saiki lazily took a plate of ribs, deciding a change from coffee jelly might be nice for once.
Milim, unsurprisingly, was the first to break the order. Before the toast could even be made, she had already grabbed a turkey leg in one hand and a cream-filled pastry in the other. "Mmm! This is amazing! Shuna, you're the best cook in the whole world!" she mumbled through a mouthful.
Shuna, smiling politely, bowed slightly. "Thank you, Lady Milim, but please… perhaps wait for His Majesty's toast?"
Veldora chuckled, lifting his glass of deep red wine. His voice carried effortlessly across the hall, strong yet warm.
"My friends, my family—tonight we dine not just for victory, but for unity. Each of you here is a pillar of strength, wisdom, and spirit in your own right. Together, we faced what few could even comprehend… and prevailed. This feast is for all of us, for the bonds forged in fire and storm. So, eat, drink, and be reminded that as long as we stand together, there is no force in this world—or beyond—that can break us!"
A cheer rose from the table. Glasses clinked, plates were filled, and the banquet came alive.
Guy smirked and leaned toward Velzard. "I'll admit, your brother cleans up well. I was expecting another one of his… eccentric speeches."
Velzard gave a small, knowing smile. "He's grown. Perhaps we underestimated him."
Velgrynd added with a proud nod, "He's not the same dragon we once teased. Now, I see a king."
Meanwhile, Milim was challenging Diablo to a speed-eating contest, which Testarossa observed with a sigh of graceful disapproval. Carrion and Draguel exchanged tales of battle, their voices booming with laughter. Dino had already stolen an entire fruit tart and was eating it in secret while pretending to listen to Frey's elegant commentary on palace décor.
At the generals' end of the table, Gobta was explaining—rather exaggeratedly—how he had "almost" helped in the battle, making Shion laugh so hard she nearly knocked over a jug of wine. Hakuro simply ate in calm silence, though his eyes sparkled with amusement at the chaos.
Guy Crimson was the first to break the comfortable hum of eating.
"So," Guy began, setting down his glass of wine and leaning back. "That fight against Saphielle… I'll say it straight—it was brutal. I haven't had to push myself that hard in… centuries."
Milim immediately perked up, her mouth full. "Mmmfph—swallow—She was awesome! And by awesome, I mean, terrifying. Like, seriously, I thought I was about to get squashed like a bug."
Velzard chuckled softly. "That's because you went charging in without thinking, Milim. Saphielle wasn't just strong—she was… oppressive. That pressure she radiated… It was like every breath took more effort than the last."
Velgrynd nodded. "She made us fight copies of herself first. At first, I thought it was a trick to wear us down, but those copies were no joke. Some of us won, some… didn't." She shot a small glance at Luminous, Carrion, and Frey.
Carrion let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, yeah. We lost. Not my proudest moment. That copy of her—hell, it was almost as strong as the real thing. I couldn't keep up."
Frey frowned slightly but smiled with grace. "It wasn't just about power. She had this… way of reading every move before you even made it."
Luminous rested her chin on her hand. "And she was patient. She didn't rush anything. She dismantled me piece by piece, until I couldn't move."
Benimaru leaned forward, eyes sharp with curiosity. "So how strong was she? I mean, compared to… well, you guys?"
Guy exhaled through his nose, looking at the flame of the nearest candle. "Stronger than me. Even now, after becoming a Transcendent Demon, I realized I'm still far from the top. She proved it. We all struggled, and when she showed her true form…" He shook his head. "We couldn't even move."
Hakuro narrowed his eyes. "Couldn't move? You mean like… paralyzed?"
Draguel finally spoke, his deep voice carrying weight. "Not paralyzed in body—paralyzed in will. It was as if the entire world belonged to her, and any thought of resistance was meaningless."
Souei's eyes narrowed slightly. "That's… terrifying."
Shion, gripping a turkey leg, chimed in. "But you guys still won, right? I mean… you're all here."
Leon leaned back in his chair, giving a slow, deliberate nod toward Veldora. "We didn't win. Veldora did."
The table quieted for a moment. All eyes shifted toward the Storm King himself.
Milim grinned wide. "Yeah! Big bro dragon came in and boom!—she was gone! It was awesome!"
Diablo's smile was as smooth as his voice. "Indeed. In our moment of utter helplessness, Lord Veldora acted decisively and erased Saphielle entirely. No struggle. No hesitation.
Simply… gone."
Ultima tilted her head with a smirk. "It was like squashing a bug. A very, very dangerous bug."
Testarossa added softly, "We all witnessed it. When none of us could move, he ended it with one strike. That is the mark of a true king."
Veldora lifted his glass slightly, his grin wide but proud. "Well, I couldn't let my guests be embarrassed, could I?"
Velzard chuckled, shaking her head. "You've changed, little brother. For once, you didn't just talk big—you were big."
Velgrynd smirked. "The Storm King, indeed."
Up above, Saiki took another bite of his ribs, watching them all praise Veldora. "Yare yare…Now he's the hero."
Above them, unseen and unheard by anyone else, Saiki floated casually, still invisible, holding a plate stacked with ribs in one hand and a goblet of juice in the other. He chewed lazily, his expression calm but his mind anything but. Between bites, he finally sent his voice directly into Veldora's head.
Saiki (telepathically): "Enjoying the feast, King of Storms? Because I've got something that'll probably ruin your appetite."
Veldora (mentally, without moving his lips): "You've been hanging around for hours and now you choose to be dramatic? What is it?"
Saiki: "Stronger enemies are coming. Much stronger. And not 'oh this will be a fun challenge' stronger — I mean terrifying beyond what you just faced with Saphielle."
Veldora: "...Stronger than Saphielle? Are you certain?"
Saiki: "Certain enough. I don't have the exact date, but it'll be soon. Sooner than you'll like. You'd better get everyone ready."
Veldora's expression didn't change outwardly, but his fingers drummed on the table for just a moment before he picked up his glass of wine again. The conversation in the hall shifted — Guy was retelling one of the more dramatic moments of the fight against Saphielle, Milim was loudly arguing with Carrion over who had the better finishing move (despite neither of them being the one to finish her), and Diablo was quietly sipping wine, smiling smugly like he knew something no one else did.
Veldora (telepathically): "You couldn't give me a few more details? A hint? Anything?"
Saiki: "Oh, I could. But knowing too much would make you overthink it. Just trust me — prepare everyone. Because when they come, you won't get a warm-up fight."
Veldora set down his glass and let the chatter continue for another moment before he spoke, his voice cutting through the noise.
Veldora: "Everyone… I have something important to tell you."
The table quieted almost instantly. Velzard and Velgrynd exchanged a glance, reading the sudden seriousness in his tone. Guy leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
Guy: "What is it, Storm King? You've been looking rather thoughtful for someone who just hosted a feast."
Veldora: "I have… foresight of a kind. A vision."
Milim: "Ooooh, visions? Like, future-seeing stuff? That's cool!"
Luminous: narrowing her eyes "Go on."
Veldora: "Saphielle was not the last of our trials. In fact, she may have only been the beginning. There are opponents coming — beings more powerful, more terrifying than her. And they will arrive sooner than we expect."
The weight of his words settled over the table like a heavy cloak. Even the sound of clinking glasses stopped. Diablo raised an eyebrow but said nothing, instead studying Veldora's face.
Leon: "Stronger than Saphielle? That's… difficult to believe. Her power nearly paralyzed us all."
Velgrynd: calmly "If Veldora says so, then we must take it seriously. My brother doesn't speak lightly of such matters anymore."
Velzard: "Agreed. The way he handled Saphielle was proof enough of his growth — if he says worse is coming, I believe him."
Saiki, still floating above, smirked faintly and took another bite of ribs.
Saiki (quietly to himself): "Nice save, dragon boy. They're buying it."
Carrion: "If what you're saying is true, then we've all got some training to do. A lot of training."
Frey: sighing "And here I was hoping for a century of peace after this…"
Milim: grinning "Forget peace! This sounds awesome! Bring it on!"
Draguel: "Milim, this isn't a game. If these opponents are worse than Saphielle, then we'll need coordination, strategy, and discipline. Power alone won't cut it."
Guy: "Tch… I thought I'd reached a new height. But if I'm still not at the top, then I'll just have to keep climbing."
The conversation around the table grew more intense — talks of training regimens, sparring schedules, and what resources the Storm Kingdom could dedicate to preparing for war. Veldora finally raised his glass again.
Veldora: "Then it's settled. We enjoy tonight… but tomorrow, we prepare. The storm is coming."
And above, unseen, Saiki chuckled quietly and muttered,
Saiki: "Yare yare… let's hope they are ready when it hits."