The Royal Starship, Silver Wing, tore through the clouds like a silver bullet, leaving a sonic boom that shattered the glass windows of the capital city below.
Behind it, the Imperial Palace was in chaos. Smoke billowed from the throne room, signaling the end of a dynasty and the erasure of a short-lived history.
Inside the cockpit, Ceres sat in the pilot's seat. Her fingers danced across the holographic control panel with terrifying speed.
[Command: ERASE.] [Target: Database / Royal Archives / Saintess Ceres.] [Progress: 100%. Deletion Complete.]
"Goodbye," she whispered.
She didn't just escape; she wiped her existence from their servers. By tomorrow, under the Law of Oblivion, the people of the Silver Empire wouldn't even remember who blew up their Emperor. They would just stare at the ruins in confusion.
That was the mercy she granted them: Ignorance.
As soon as the ship entered the silent vacuum of space, Ceres slumped forward. She coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood that glowed with a faint, golden hue.
Her hands trembled as she wiped her lips.
"This body... is too weak," she muttered, looking at her pale reflection in the black screen.
She was the Administrator of the Old World, a being who once defined reality. But right now, she was trapped in a mortal shell that was cracking under the weight of her own soul. It was like trying to contain a supernova inside a glass bottle.
She needed a stabilizer. She needed an anchor. She needed a source of infinite vitality.
"Computer," Ceres ordered, her voice raspy. "Display target profile: Metis."
A massive hologram materialized in the center of the cockpit. It showed a man.
He was undeniably magnificent. He had sharp, predatory features, with messy black hair that seemed to absorb the light around him. Even in the static image, his vertical dragon pupils radiated a terrifying, primitive pressure. He wore heavy, battle-worn armor, and a jagged scar ran down his neck—a mark of honor in the violent Dragon's Domain.
Name: Metis. Title: The Dragon King. Lord of the Asteroid Belt. Threat Level: Catastrophic. Note: Known for extreme aggression and... severe memory instability.
Ceres stared at his image, her golden eyes analyzing him not as a man, but as a resource.
"The Dragon Race," she mused. "Ancient biological weapons created by Mother. Their hearts contain the 'Inverse Scale'—a crystallization of pure life force."
If she could get Metis's Inverse Scale and fuse it with her heart, her body would stabilize. She would regain enough power to challenge the False God.
"He is strong," Ceres said, tracing the man's jawline on the hologram. "And because he is strong, he forgets quickly. He is a beast ruled by instinct."
A cold, calculating smile curved her bloodstained lips. "A beast is easier to tame than a man."
[WARNING. WARNING.] [Entering Restricted Airspace: The Dragon's Domain.] [Lock-on detected. High-energy plasma missiles incoming.]
The ship's alarm blared red. Through the viewport, Ceres could see the Dragon's Domain—a chaotic cluster of floating islands and broken planets held together by massive chains and magic.
A squadron of wyverns, mounted by armored knights, was swooping down towards her ship.
"Shields up?" the computer queried.
"No," Ceres commanded calmly. "Shields down. Engines off."
[...Confirm?]
"Confirm."
She stood up and walked to the mirror in the corner of the cabin. She wiped the blood from her chin. She messed up her perfect hair just enough to look distressed. She adjusted her black dress, tearing the hem slightly to expose a vulnerable stretch of pale leg.
Then, she softened her eyes. The ancient, cold indifference vanished. In its place was fear, fragility, and a desperate plea for help.
Within seconds, she transformed from a Ruthless Queen into a Damsel in Distress.
BOOM!
A missile struck the ship's left wing. The Silver Wing groaned and spiraled out of control, trailing smoke and fire as it plummeted toward the largest floating island.
Gravity seized her. The world spun.
Ceres grabbed the safety rail, not to save herself, but to ensure she landed in the right spot. According to her data, he was down there.
Catch me, Metis, she thought as the darkness of unconsciousness took her. Your nightmare has arrived.