Chapter 44 – The Dawn of Kingdoms
The silence that followed the explosion of light was surreal.
The red cube was gone. The sky, fractured by the golden remnants of Excalibur, slowly opened, letting the light of the real world pour once more over Britania.
Arthur, still on his knees, breathing heavily, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword, felt his strength fading. Sweat dripped from his forehead, his clothes torn, his armor cracked from the demon assaults. But he had held on. He had struck. He had triumphed.
A scream suddenly broke the stillness.
— Arthur!!!
Glann literally threw himself onto him, his arms still trembling with fear and emotion, tears rolling down his youthful cheeks. He clung to the king's chest, as if to make sure his body was real, that he wouldn't disappear again.
— You're back… you're back…!
Arthur, surprised, gave a faint smile and wrapped his arms around his friend. He felt Glann's fragility, his heart racing, and realized just how scared this comrade had been of losing him.
— Calm down, Glann… everything's fine now, Arthur said in a soothing voice.
— You… you disappeared with those guys, we thought you were… you were…
Glann couldn't even finish his sentences.
A few steps away, Gosh watched the scene. His tired eyes, reddened by battle and fear, softened. For the first time in a long while, a small but genuine smile appeared on his lips.
The battlefield, which minutes earlier had been nothing but a hell of blood, screams, and terror, was now calm. The bodies of the inhabitants… were gone. The Archangel's breath, released during the "Sentence," had swept away the demonic corruption and returned the stolen souls. The men, women, and children thought dead reappeared, catching their breath as if from a long nightmare. Tears flowed, families reunited, and a murmur arose, first timid, then louder and louder.
— Arthur… Arthur… Arthur…
The king's name echoed, carried by hundreds, then thousands of voices. A roar of gratitude, a cry of hope. Britania had found its savior.
Arthur held Glann a little tighter, then slowly stood. The sword, still gleaming in his hand, folded itself, disappearing like a fading star. He sheathed Excalibur.
Gosh stepped forward, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder.
— You didn't have to go that far… not to this extent.
Arthur closed his eyes.
— Yes. You can't imagine… how powerful they were. More than anything I had anticipated. Without Excalibur, we would already be dead.
Silence fell for a moment. Glann looked up at Arthur, his face still wet with tears.
— But… what about the meeting in Atlantis? How will you manage that?
Arthur suddenly widened his eyes. His face froze, then he looked astonished, as if struck by an obvious truth.
— The meeting…
He swore under his breath.
Glann, naïve but practical, turned to Gosh.
— You could teleport him, right?
But Gosh looked away, a troubled expression on his face.
— My teleportation magic… doesn't work toward Atlantis anymore.
— What?! Why?! Glann exclaimed.
Arthur frowned, understanding immediately.
— It makes sense. They activated an isolation spell. A ritual that blocks spatial and sensory techniques. No one can enter or leave Atlantis by magical means.
His gaze drifted into the distance, brows furrowed.
— Some things still escape me… Agnor owes me an explanation.
He turned to Britania. The sky brightened. The first rays of dawn colored the horizon in gold and pink. The entire kingdom awoke, but this time, it awoke in peace. The war cries had been replaced by shouts of victory, and one name rose to the heavens:
— Arthur! Arthur! Arthur!
The king of Britania, standing tall, eyes fixed on the horizon, took a deep breath.
A new day had begun.
---
Etheria Academy
The sun was also rising over Etheria, piercing the vast vaults sheltering the Academy. Light filtered through the suspended crystals, illuminating the corridors already bustling with dozens of students. Rumors of a new day ran through the halls, but in a corner of the main hall, two figures advanced with determined steps.
Seth and Damian.
Their Class B capes floated behind them. Their gazes were firm, undistracted. Yet, despite their apparent confidence, each of them felt the weight in their stomachs of what they were about to undertake. A rank S mission. Few students even dared to utter those words.
They arrived at the main counter of the internal Guild, where a portly, mustachioed man waited, seated behind a desk covered in registers. His small eyes widened as he saw them. Then, slowly, his lips curled into a booming laugh.
— You two? For a rank S mission?!
He slammed his fist on the counter, nearly tipping over the inkwell.
— This is a joke, I hope. Two Class B kids wanting to play heroes?!
Damian frowned.
— We're not here to joke.
— No doubt, you're serious, the clerk laughed. Listen carefully. For a rank S mission, you need at least three. Three! What do you think? That we send two amateurs to get slaughtered in the Dragon Kingdom?
Seth and Damian exchanged surprised glances.
— Three…? Seth repeated.
Damian growled.
— Damn. Now what do we do?
A female voice rang behind them.
— I knew you were planning something.
The two turned, eyes wide.
— Alma?!
The young girl approached calmly, a smile at the corner of her lips. Her long hair flowed, and her eyes shone with clear determination.
— What are you doing here?! Damian exclaimed.
— I spoke with Kael two days ago. He told me all about your mission idea. So I followed you since then, saw you were leaving today, and decided to join you, Alma replied calmly.
Seth blinked, still surprised.
— You really want to come with us?
(The truth was, Seth knew Alma had been following them, but he didn't know why.)
— Yes. I want to earn points too, and… I won't let you go alone.
Damian threw his arms up in exasperation.
— No way! You have no idea what a rank S mission is!
— Exactly. I want to learn. And… you need a third.
The argument erupted immediately between Damian and Alma. Seth, initially hesitant, finally exhaled:
— I think she's right.
— WHAT?! Damian shouted.
Alma took advantage of the argument, approaching the counter. Before Damian could react, she signed the official register. The clerk, laughing heartily, stamped the parchment.
— Done. She's officially your third teammate.
Damian stood speechless.
— You… you're kidding me…
Alma puffed her chest out.
— Pleased to team up with you.
Seth gave a faint smile.
The clerk, regaining his seriousness, pulled out another parchment. His eyes grew grave.
— Very well. But first, you must sign this. A waiver. In case of death.
Silence fell. Seth, Damian, and Alma froze. The weight of his words pressed down on the air.
— If you die, the Academy assumes no responsibility, he repeated.
They looked at each other. Slowly, each took the pen and signed.
The clerk then placed his hand on the map he had hastily rolled out and added, lowering his voice so only they could hear:
— And… be discreet. This mission was sent by the number one of Class S. It's sensitive: if the Academy gets a bad image, the rector won't hesitate to punish. Understood? No fanfare, no unnecessary gestures.
The atmosphere grew heavier. The three understood they weren't just chosen for adventure: they were entrusted with a task even the greatest avoided.
— Very well, the man concluded in a stern voice. Meet in the annex room. Change your clothes. Rank S missions aren't done in uniform.
They obeyed, entering a large room filled with lockers and ready weapons. Each swapped their cape and student uniform for combat attire: Seth donned a dark reinforced outfit, Damian chose light crimson armor, and Alma wore a blue battle dress embroidered with protective runes.
When they returned, the clerk awaited, the map of the Dragon Kingdom unrolled. He opened it, revealing a vast isolated continent.
— Here is the Dragon Kingdom. Unlike the others, it is not attached to the main kingdoms. It's a kingdom unto itself.
The three students leaned in, stunned.
— An… entire continent? Seth whispered.
— Exactly, confirmed the man. Don't take this lightly.
He then opened a teleportation circle on the ground. The bluish runes lit up, forming a magical seal of dizzying complexity.
— Be ready. Speak your destination clearly.
The three stepped into the circle. They looked at each other for a moment. Then, in unison, they shouted:
— Dragon Kingdom!
Light engulfed them.
In an instant, the ground vanished beneath their feet. The air compressed. The world warped.
When they opened their eyes, they were elsewhere.
Before them stretched a magnificent landscape. Colossal mountains, their peaks lost in the clouds. Gigantic forests, trees so high they seemed to hold up the sky. Endless plains, bathed in an almost unreal light.
Breathless, Alma stepped forward.
— It's… beautiful…
But beyond the beauty, an invisible pressure already weighed upon them. As if, in this kingdom, every stone, every gust of wind, was inhabited by an ancient force.
The Dragon Kingdom had just revealed its grandeur.
To be continued…