The sound of beating wings tore through the clouds like thunder. A colossal shadow passed overhead, blocking the sun. The Wyvern's scales shimmered dark green under the daylight as it let out a deafening roar that shook the ground.
"Oh dear, that Wyvern is flying up again. It'll be hard for us to shoot it down because of how fast it's flying," Shizuoka said, her crimson eyes narrowing. She looked calm, though her tail flicked with tension.
Gabriel grinned, flexing his hand. "Alright then. If we can't reach it—then I'll just make it come down. FIRE BLAST!"
A red sphere of burning flame shot from his palm, trailing smoke as it streaked toward the sky. The Wyvern tried to dodge, but the spell curved midair, chasing its target relentlessly. A moment later, the explosion painted the sky crimson.
"Woah—it hit!" Gabriel gasped, surprised by his own power.
"Not done yet," he growled, his hands crackling with blue lightning. "ELECTRIC DRAGON!"
Bolts of lightning coiled into the form of a serpentine dragon and roared upward. The spell struck the Wyvern squarely in the chest. The massive creature convulsed, shrieking as its wings burned away in a storm of lightning. Smoke and blood rained down as it crashed into the forest below.
Gabriel and Shizuoka sprinted through the trees, their feet crushing leaves and soil until they reached the fallen beast. It was still twitching, eyes wide with terror, when Shizuoka's blade gleamed.
"Don't waste time." Her voice was cold. "We need its heart before it burns away."
In a swift motion, she sliced through the Wyvern's neck. Blood spilled across the ground like molten metal. The creature let out one last shriek before collapsing. Its soul faded into the air like mist.
"Oh hey, I got level five now!" Gabriel said, pulling up his glowing status screen. "I'm at 820 out of 5001 experience… that's a lot to go for level six."
"That Wyvern was Legendary-ranked," Shizuoka replied. "We should collect its heart and horns. They'll serve as proof."
Gabriel nodded, and the two set to work. The Wyvern's heart pulsed faintly, radiating faint heat, while its horns gleamed with faint golden veins. When they finally dragged the spoils into town, even the guards at the gates froze.
---
The Aracnav Capital buzzed with noise—merchants, nobles, knights—but all fell silent when Gabriel and Shizuoka stepped through the Adventurers Guild doors, dragging a Wyvern's head behind them.
"...Is that—"
"A Wyvern?" a guild member stammered.
"Two people took down an S-rank monster?!"
The receptionist nearly fainted as they placed the heart and head on the counter. "H-How—how did you two—?!"
Gabriel scratched his cheek modestly. "Teamwork, I guess."
The receptionist blinked, still dazed, before handing over two shining Royal Coins—far more than what was promised. "This… this is double the usual reward, s-sir! You both have earned royal recognition!"
"Royal coins, huh? Looks like we're moving up, Shizuoka," Gabriel smirked.
"Hmm," Shizuoka murmured, though her eyes were scanning the guild hall, sensing the shift in attention. Too many eyes on them. Too much interest.
And then a familiar voice broke through the crowd.
"Hello, Sir Prince."
Gabriel froze. That voice—
"Lady Sasha!" he said, turning to see the pink-haired princess in her lavish white-and-gold dress, surrounded by armored guards. Her emerald-and-rose eyes sparkled as she approached him.
"So it was truly you, my hero," she said, clasping her hands together dramatically. "You saved my knights weeks ago from the Minotaur. I owe you my life."
Gabriel gave a polite bow. "It was nothing, Princess Sasha."
She smiled sweetly. "Oh, but it was everything to me. And now, I have a proposal for you." Her tone softened. "Join the Royal Order as my personal knight. I will grant you anything you desire—riches, land… even women."
Shizuoka's tail flicked sharply. "Why him only?" she asked coldly, stepping forward. "He didn't fight alone."
The princess's smile faltered for a second, but quickly returned. "Ah… of course. You may join as well," Sasha said, her tone suddenly strained. "Drink this potion, both of you—an initiation elixir to bind your loyalty."
The liquid glowed pink inside crystal vials. Shizuoka narrowed her eyes but accepted it. Gabriel sniffed it discreetly before swallowing.
They both knew something was wrong—but neither showed it.
Unbeknownst to Sasha, the potion's hypnosis magic slid off them harmlessly. Shizuoka's dragon blood rejected all control magic—and Gabriel, without realizing it, had unlocked Magic and Poison Immunity. But they pretended otherwise.
"Follow me, my loyal knights," Sasha commanded proudly, leading them to the castle.
The Aracnav Castle was massive—towers of silver stone, banners of gold fluttering in the wind. But once inside, the air turned heavy. Dozens of guards lined the halls. The Princess walked ahead and suddenly stopped on a crimson carpet before the throne.
She turned—and smiled.
But this time, it wasn't sweet.
"Here it is," she said softly. "The Great Castle of Aracnav, my slaves."
Gabriel blinked. "...What?"
"Knights!" Sasha shouted. "Kill the one in full armor! Protect my beloved Gabriel!"
For a moment, silence. Then chaos.
Every knight in the hall drew their blades and charged toward Shizuoka.
Gabriel shouted, "What are you doing?!"
But Shizuoka was already moving. Her sword sang through the air, cutting through armor, cleaving steel and bone. Her movements were a blur—inhuman speed, monstrous grace. Blood sprayed across marble floors as she fought off dozens alone.
"Shizuoka!" Gabriel yelled, lightning sparking around his arms. "What's happening?!"
"The princess…" Shizuoka hissed, deflecting three blades at once. "She's trying to—control—you!"
Arrows rained from above. Magic flared. She was surrounded.
"Now! Archers!" Sasha screamed.
A dozen arrows pierced through Shizuoka's back. Her body jolted, her blade fell to the floor. Yet she didn't collapse.
She turned her gaze toward Gabriel, eyes filled with pain but still burning with defiance. "Don't—let her—win."
"Shizuoka!" Gabriel cried. But Sasha's command cut through the chaos.
"Gabriel Satome! I command you—kill her!"
His body froze. The hypnosis tried to invade—but it failed. His golden eyes turned cold. He looked at Sasha… and smiled.
"Command me?" he said softly. "You shouldn't have done that."
The ground trembled.
Lightning burst from Gabriel's body, shaking the walls. Sasha stumbled back, horrified. "W-What are you—?!"
"You killed my only friend."
His voice dropped an octave, thick with grief and fury. Shizuoka's blood pooled at his feet. Around him, knights hesitated. That was their mistake.
The storm exploded.
Gabriel's magic flared so violently that half the hall vaporized in an instant. Knights screamed as thunder swallowed them. He moved like a phantom, cutting through soldiers, archers, and mages—each strike filled with unfiltered rage.
"3838…" he muttered, panting amid the corpses. "Three thousand eight hundred thirty-eight lives…"
His blade dripped blood. His eyes burned gold.
And Sasha—terrified—crawled backward toward the throne.
"You… you were supposed to serve me!"
"I don't serve anyone," Gabriel said. Lightning surged again—and he struck. The throne exploded as Sasha's scream vanished in blinding light.
But then—something snapped.
A sound, deep and hollow, echoed from the sky. The earth began to shake violently. The air grew thick with static. The castle crumbled, the capital split apart.
Magic energy spiraled from Gabriel's body like a hurricane, rising past the atmosphere. The sky itself split open as raw power tore through reality.
"Shizuoka…" he whispered, staring at her body. "I couldn't protect you…"
A tear slid down his cheek as the entire planet began to glow. The explosion that followed was beyond sound or sight—a white void swallowing everything, until nothing remained but silence.
---
Gabriel's eyes opened to darkness.
His coat—burned, tattered—glowed faintly. He floated in a void of stars.
And then—light.
A blinding flash surrounded him, and suddenly he was falling through a new sky—a new world. Forests, mountains, unknown lands stretched below.
He landed hard, coughing, looking around. "Another world again…" he muttered, clutching his chest.
He stood up slowly, eyes still burning faint gold. "Then… I'll find you again, Shizuoka."
The wind blew gently. The sky was blue again.
A new beginning—born from the ashes of the old world.
End of Chapter 7