Grimgar, for the first time in its short, hard-fought history, held a celebration that was not merely a sigh of relief after a battle, but a genuine festival of new beginnings. The great central cavern, now dubbed the Grand Concourse, was filled with music, laughter, and the mingling scents of roasted game, Elf-baked bread, and Dwarven ale. It was a party to welcome a new pillar of strength, Taidosen Tsurugi, and a new tribe, the ethereal Harpies led by Queen Seraphina.
The Harpies, once terrified, now tentatively shared their enchanting songs, their melodies weaving through the raucous Beastmen chants and the deep-throated Dwarven drinking songs, creating a strange and beautiful symphony of the outcast. Tsurugi was at the center of it all, his silver hair and red eyes making him a figure of intense curiosity. He wore a confident, if slightly awkward, smile, accepting toasts from Logan and Ganz with a nod, his gaze frequently drifting towards Seraphina, who watched him from her seat with an unreadable, golden-eyed intensity.
Seiji watched it all from a raised dais, Riveria seated gracefully beside him. He felt a profound sense of rightness. His brother was here. Their family, fractured for so long, was whole in this impossible world. As the night wore on and the festivities began to wind down, he decided to seek out Tsurugi for a private talk, to speak of their parents, of their old life, of anything that wasn't war and power.
He found his way to the chamber assigned to his brother. But as he approached the heavy stone door, he heard them. Muffled, passionate sounds—soft, melodic cries that could only be Seraphina's, mingled with his brother's low, fervent murmurs. Seiji froze, a slow, understanding smile spreading across his face. He remembered his own first night with Riveria, a similar collision of gratitude, desperation, and a burgeoning, deeper connection. He didn't knock. He simply turned and walked away, leaving the new couple to their privacy.
The next morning, as the first light-orbs began to brighten in the cavern ceilings, Seiji was in his usual training ground, practicing his martial arts forms. To his surprise, Tsurugi joined him, his movements sharp and precise, a blend of Sentai martial arts that was different from Seiji's Rider-inspired style, yet complementary. They sparred for an hour, a silent, respectful duel that was more communication than combat, relearning each other's rhythms.
As they finished, both breathing heavily, Seiji looked at his brother with a knowing glint in his eye. "You should marry her."
Tsurugi, who had been taking a drink of water, choked, a deep blush spreading across his cheeks. "W-what? It's not like that… I mean…" He sputtered, then regained his composure, a sly look returning. "Aren't you the same? The whole fortress knows Queen Riveria is your woman. I heard the story from a chatty Hobgoblin."
Seiji waved a hand, deftly avoiding the topic. "Let's talk about that later. There's still plenty of time anyway." His expression then hardened, the warmth of the morning vanishing. "I just received a scout report. There are signs of Goronda knight patrols intensifying in the western forest. They're getting bolder. After all, their count targeted our women." He met Tsurugi's gaze, the same cold fire reflected in both their eyes. "Let's settle this. Personal grudges and common hatred, all at once."
Tsurugi cracked his knuckles, a predatory smile on his face. "Alright. I've been holding back for a long time."
The plan was swift and brutal. Seiji and Tsurugi would ride Hardion, providing aerial assault and a direct, decapitating strike. A cadre of the most elite Lizardmen assassins and Beastman hunters, led by Gabura and one of Logan's lieutenants, would move silently through the forest to eliminate the knight patrols. It was not a battle for territory; it was a punitive raid, a message written in fire and blood.
They set off at noon. The flight on Hardion's back was a silent, grim journey. Below, the elite ground forces melted into the shadows of the trees. Soon, the opulent, sprawling estate of Count Goronda came into view—a testament to the wealth built on exploitation and suffering.
"Now," Seiji said.
Hardion roared, a sound that shattered the pastoral calm. He dove, unleashing a torrent of dragon fire upon the outer barracks and stables. Panic erupted instantly. Soldiers scrambled, their formations dissolving into chaos before they could even form.
As Hardion wreaked havoc from above, the Lizardmen and Beastmen struck from the forest's edge, their attacks silent and efficient, cutting down the panicked soldiers who fled the flames. The sound of clashing steel and screams filled the air.
Seiji and Tsurugi leaped from Hardion's back, their armors—Vanguard and Strizier—materializing around them as they fell. They landed in the central courtyard of the main mansion like twin avatars of wrath, cracking the ornate cobblestones.
They marched through the grand doors, which splintered under a single kick from Seiji. Servants and minor nobles fled screaming. They found their target in the great hall, desperately buckling on a beautifully crafted, if ostentatious, suit of armor.
Count Edward Goronda was a bull of a man, with a thick, well-groomed beard and a face flushed with rage and fear. "What is the meaning of this?" he bellowed, drawing a heavy broadsword. "Demons! Monsters! Why do you invade my home?"
Vanguard and Strizier answered in unison, their voices a chilling, mechanical harmony. "You took our women. We came to see how big your guts are to do that."
Edward's eyes widened in recognition, then contempt. "My women? You mean those two sluts? The elf whore and the harpy songbird? They are property! Spoils of war!"
The air in the hall grew cold. The twin auras of the brothers intensified, a pressure that made the very stone groan.
"You shouldn't have said that," Tsurugi whispered, the sound like the drawing of a blade.
They attacked as one. Edward was a seasoned warrior, his strength considerable. He met Seiji's powerful, straightforward blows and parried Tsurugi's swift, flaming katana slashes. For a few minutes, the hall echoed with the clash of their conflict. A massive tapestry depicting the Goronda lion was shredded. A marble statue was pulverized.
But he was fighting two forces of nature. Seiji's Kuuga-powered punches cracked his ornate breastplate. Tsurugi's Sentai-blended swordsmanship left deep, burning gashes on his arms and legs. He was overwhelmed, driven back, his defense crumbling under the synchronized assault. A kick from Seiji shattered his knee. A slash from Tsurugi severed the tendons in his sword arm. He collapsed, his armor now a prison of dented metal, his body a map of pain.
He looked up, his face a mask of horror, as the two brothers stood over him.
"This is for Riveria," Seiji intoned, energy flaring around his fist.
"And this is for Seraphina," Tsurugi declared, his katana blazing with crimson light.
[Executing Kuuga Finisher: Ultimate Descrate.]
[Executing Swordmanship Power's Finisher: Rising Break.]
Seiji's punch was a lance of pure, righteous power, piercing clean through Edward's chest, exploding out his back in a shower of gore and shattered armor. In the same instant, Tsurugi's katana swept horizontally in a rising arc, a crescent of fire that passed through Edward's neck without resistance. The Count's head, its expression forever frozen in terminal shock, tumbled from his shoulders.
The battle was over.
They left the hall without a backward glance, ordering Hardion to finish the job. The great dragon unleashed his fury, bathing the entire Goronda estate in a sea of incinerating flame. Wood, stone, and flesh were reduced to ash. The symbol of the grasping hand was wiped from the world.
Long after the brothers had departed and the flames had died to embers, a group of three figures approached the smoldering ruins. They were clad in the simple, yet impeccably clean, white and gold robes of the Holy Temple. Their leader, a man with a severe, ascetic face, knelt, touching a finger to the blackened earth. It came away tinged with a unique, magical residue.
He looked at his companions, his face pale with a fear that was both professional and deeply personal.
"There is no mistake," he whispered, his voice trembling. "This is Dragon's Fire. The signature is unmistakable." He stood, gazing at the utter devastation. "The Dragons… they have returned to the continent."
He looked towards the north, in the direction of the royal capital. "We must report this to the Holy Maiden immediately. The world is about to change."