The sky above the dungeon was a strange, almost fragile thing.Kaito had not seen it since the day of his banishment. Its pale blue stretched endlessly, mocking him with a freedom he'd been denied. The baby dragon perched on his shoulder blinked at the light, scarlet eyes reflecting fire and curiosity.
The sun's warmth touched his skin… but could not thaw the frost of resentment in his chest.
Behind him, the dungeon gates groaned once—then crumbled to dust. It was as though the world itself was trying to erase what had happened inside. But no wind, no time, could strip away what he had gained. His blood thrummed with power—god-tier strength, god-tier magic—and the divine sword at his side pulsed faintly, drinking in the dungeon core's essence like a heart that refused to die.
The system's voice brushed against his ear:
[Dungeon Cleared. Access Granted to Custom Spell Grimoire. Title Obtained: The Ascendant One.]
He drew the ancient tome from his inventory. Its cover was blackened leather, warm to the touch, as if it remembered fire. The first page was blank, waiting.
[The Grimoire of Imagination allows the creation of any spell your mind can conceive. Caution: Greater imagination yields greater power.]
Kaito's lips curved—not in joy, but in promise.
He closed his eyes and pictured it: a fortress suspended high above the earth, carved from obsidian and lit by ethereal flame, with marble training grounds, endless feast halls, and rooms so lavish even gods might covet them. A chef whose hands could turn the flesh of monsters into delicacies worthy of kings. And a butler—tall, silver-haired, eyes aglow with infernal red—able to weave the deadliest dark arts without a whisper.
The air rippled. The ground rumbled. Shadows bent toward him.
When he opened his eyes, it stood before him—floating high above the cliffs.
Castle Umbra.
Inside, light from chandeliers of black crystal bathed the vast halls in a crimson glow. The butler stood at the end of the entranceway and bowed as though he had been waiting centuries for this moment.
"Welcome home… my lord."
Elsewhere — The Holy Empire of Solare
Golden light spilled across the chamber of the High Council. Nobles and bishops circled the chosen hero, Aurelius, showering him with praise. His armor gleamed like sunlight, his smile practiced and perfect.
"With Kaito gone," Aurelius said lightly, "nothing stands in our way. That otherworlder was a waste of a summoning ritual."
The council laughed, eager to agree.
Then—
The empire's mana detectors wailed. A surge of energy flooded their instruments, unlike anything recorded before.
"What in the gods' name…?" A bishop's face drained of color. "It isn't divine… it's beyond divine."
"It's coming from the Northern Ruins… near the Forbidden Dungeon," another stammered.
Aurelius' smirk faltered. For a moment, the mask slipped.
"No… it can't be him. We cast him out."
Back at Castle Umbra
Kaito moved through the gravity chamber, each motion dragging against unseen weight. Ryuu—the name he'd given the dragonling—danced in the air beside him, spitting arcs of flame that he cut through with precision strikes. The training ground smelled of ash and ozone.
"Let them come," Kaito murmured, his voice low, almost tender. But his eyes… were sharp enough to cut through steel. "I'll tear their false empire down. Brick by brick."
From the tallest tower, he stood with the wind in his hair, the empire's banners faint on the horizon.
He was not simply returning.
He was ascending.