Peace had returned… for now.
In the sprawling halls of the Dragon King's vast emerald castle, the air was warm with laughter and the smell of freshly cooked bread from Lina's kitchen. Crystal's giggles echoed off the stone walls as Amethyst tried — and failed — to keep up with her in a game of chase. Lyra sat by the sunlit window, humming softly, her delicate fingers weaving a garland of flowers for Mikaela's hair. Aizen, for the first time in what felt like centuries, simply watched them.
Yet peace was a fragile thing. Beyond the horizon, the world had begun to stir.
The Dragon King's fall had sent shockwaves across the continents. His death was more than just the end of a tyrant — it was a disturbance in the balance of power.
---
The Continents React
Far to the north, in the endless white expanse of the Snow Continent, the Snow Elf Race gathered within their crystalline citadel. Snowflakes danced through the open arches of the throne room, where High Elf King Elmirion sat upon a seat of sculpted ice. His silver hair shimmered like moonlight as he addressed his council.
> "The Dragon King's greed blinded him… but never underestimate the hunger for power," Elmirion said, his voice calm yet heavy with warning. "When one ruler falls, others will rise to fill the void. Be cautious of new alliances. Trust slowly, if at all."
The snow elves nodded, their luminous eyes reflecting both wisdom and unease. They understood better than most — winter could be beautiful, but also deadly.
---
Above the clouds, in the Sky Continent, a city of gold and marble floated among the heavens. The Seraphim, divine-winged beings, knelt before their ruler: the Archangel Seraviel. Sunlight spilled through the cathedral windows, bathing the hall in divine brilliance.
> "The Dragon King was my comrade," Seraviel said gravely. "His greed was a flaw, but he was a ruler nonetheless. His death… may draw our enemies closer."
Behind him, a colossal mural depicted their God (???), an unseen force whose name was whispered only in prayers. Seraviel clenched his fist. Whether for vengeance or for order, the Sky Continent would not remain still.
---
In the Dark Continent, where crimson skies bled into black mountains, the Demon King — the new one — stood on the obsidian balcony of his fortress. His amber eyes glinted in the dim light. The Dragon King had once sought his alliance to destroy a single beastman, Aizen Arcime. But now…
> "Foolish dragon," the Demon King muttered. "He underestimated the lion. I will not."
He was a rival to the Green Continent, close enough to strike, patient enough to wait.
---
Beneath the golden dunes of the Sand Continent, the Serpent King Zha'Ren, the calmest and wisest of the snake rulers, slithered through the shade of his marble palace. His voice was low, measured, as he addressed his advisors.
> "War is not my desire," Zha'Ren said. "I tried to still the Dragon King's thirst for conflict. He would not listen. Now the fire he lit may spread beyond his grave."
His emerald scales glimmered faintly as he gazed toward the west. His hope was to prevent the sparks from igniting another world war.
---
And in the Red Continent, the whispers grew loudest.
The Vampire Queen.
Her castle of black marble and blood-red glass sat atop a cliff, overlooking a sea that roared like a living beast. Moonlight bathed her figure as she sat upon her throne — and she was every bit the legend the world spoke of.
She was beautiful, but it was a beauty that carried danger, a beauty so overwhelming it could stop a man's breath. Her hair flowed like ink in water, her crimson eyes glowed with both warmth and power, and every movement she made was a dance between elegance and lethality.
She was elegant, intelligent, charming, kind, thoughtful, strong, courageous, creative, brilliant, gentle, humble, generous, passionate, wise, funny, loyal, dependable, graceful, radiant, calm, confident, warm, compassionate, witty, adventurous, respectful, sincere, magnetic, bold, articulate, empathetic, inspiring, honest, patient, powerful, attentive, uplifting, classy, friendly, reliable, ambitious, intuitive, talented, supportive, grounded, determined, charismatic, extraordinary, trustworthy, noble, dignified, perceptive, innovative, refined, considerate, balanced, open-minded, composed, imaginative, mindful, optimistic, virtuous, noble-hearted, well-spoken, quick-witted, deep, philosophical, fearless, affectionate, expressive, emotionally intelligent, resourceful, delightful, fascinating, sharp, selfless, driven, assertive, authentic, vibrant, playful, observant, skillful, generous-spirited, practical, comforting, brave, wise-hearted, enthusiastic, dependable, tactful, enduring, discreet, well-mannered, composed, mature, tasteful, joyful, understanding, genuine, brilliant-minded, encouraging, well-rounded, magnetic, dynamic, radiant-spirited, soulful, radiant-hearted, insightful, creative-souled, justice-minded, reliable-hearted, tender, persevering, devoted, angelic, down-to-earth, golden-hearted, gentle-spirited, clever, courageous-hearted, harmonious, loyal-minded, beautiful-souled, easygoing, sincere-hearted, respectful-minded, confident-minded, emotionally strong, imaginative-hearted, noble-minded, confident-souled, wise-eyed, loving, serene, expressive-eyed, inspiring-minded… and absolutely terrifying to stand against.
And she… didn't care about greed. Not in the slightest.
To her, the Dragon King's death was neither victory nor loss — merely another chapter in the endless game of power.
---
The Divine Beings
Above even these rulers, there were four beings beyond mortal or immortal comprehension: the Divine Beings.
The first: (???), the shadowed figure who had spoken to Aizen, awakening the power buried deep within him.
The second: (?), a woman who wielded Reality Magic and warped existence itself to spy on her chosen vassals.
The third: (??), a colossal serpent-like being, ancestor of all snakes, guardian of the laws of nature.
And the fourth… the only one known to all races. The Dragon God.
She looked like a child, acted like one, and cared for little beyond her own amusement. She had no interest in the fate of her race — not even in the extinction of the dragons. She was lazy, whimsical, and yet her power had once nearly surpassed reality itself.
---
Life in the Castle
In the Dragon King's former castle, Aizen found himself… restless. The battles were over, but something still gnawed at him. He couldn't forget the voice of (???), the woman with no visible form, only a haunting, powerful voice.
Still, life had to go on.
Amethyst's sword training was… disastrous. His swings were sloppy, his stance unbalanced, his breathing erratic.
> "You'll never land a strike if you can't even keep your feet steady," Aizen said, crossing his arms.
Instead of pressing him on sword techniques, Aizen switched focus.
> "We train your stamina first. A strong sword arm means nothing if you're winded in five minutes."
So Amethyst ran laps around the courtyard until sweat soaked through his tunic.
---
And then there was Lyra.
She was… indescribable.
Beautiful, elegant, intelligent, charming, kind, thoughtful, strong, courageous, creative, brilliant, gentle, humble, generous, passionate, wise, funny, loyal, dependable, graceful, radiant, calm, confident, warm, compassionate, witty, adventurous, respectful, sincere, magnetic, bold, articulate, empathetic, inspiring, honest, patient, powerful, attentive, uplifting, classy, friendly, reliable, ambitious, intuitive, talented, supportive, grounded, determined, charismatic, extraordinary, trustworthy, noble, dignified, perceptive, innovative, refined, considerate, balanced, open-minded, composed, imaginative, mindful, optimistic, virtuous, noble-hearted, well-spoken, quick-witted, deep, philosophical, fearless, affectionate, expressive, emotionally intelligent, resourceful, delightful, fascinating, sharp, selfless, driven, assertive, authentic, vibrant, playful, observant, skillful, generous-spirited, practical, comforting, brave, wise-hearted, enthusiastic, dependable, tactful, enduring, discreet, well-mannered, composed, mature, tasteful, joyful, understanding, genuine, brilliant-minded, encouraging, well-rounded, magnetic, dynamic, radiant-spirited, soulful, radiant-hearted, insightful, creative-souled, justice-minded, reliable-hearted, tender, persevering, devoted, angelic, down-to-earth, golden-hearted, gentle-spirited, clever, courageous-hearted, harmonious, loyal-minded, beautiful-souled, easygoing, sincere-hearted, respectful-minded, confident-minded, emotionally strong, imaginative-hearted, noble-minded, confident-souled, wise-eyed, loving, serene, expressive-eyed, inspiring-minded… and the beating heart of Aizen's new life.
---
Under the Night Sky
That night, after dinner, the family gathered on the castle's highest balcony.
The sky stretched endlessly above them, painted in strokes of deep indigo and silver. Stars shimmered like scattered diamonds, and a crescent moon hung low, bathing the world in gentle light.
Crystal leaned against Aizen's arm. "It's so pretty…"
Lyra smiled softly. "The night sky never changes, no matter how much the world below does."
Aizen looked up, his eyes tracing the constellations. For all the battles fought, for all the blood spilled… moments like this reminded him why he fought at all.
"Yeah," he murmured. "It's beautiful."
And for that night, the world was at peace.
(END of chapter 35)