A sharp voice cut through the air without warning.
Everyone turned at once.
"That won't be happening."
The words had barely settled when,
Boom.
Two figures crashed down from above, landing a short distance away with enough force to shake the ground beneath them. The impact sent a violent shockwave across the battlefield, kicking up dust and debris in a wide circle that swallowed their forms completely.
For a brief moment, nothing could be seen.
But something else could be felt.
A presence.
Heavy.
Predatory.
It spread outward like an invisible tide, pressing down on everyone within range. Several students instinctively stiffened, their breathing turning shallow as an unfamiliar fear crawled up their spines.
Ashan's eyes narrowed slightly.
'Now what?'
The dust didn't last long.
A sudden burst of wind erupted from within the cloud, powerful enough to sweep everything aside in an instant. The haze cleared just as quickly as it had formed, revealing the two figures standing at its center.
A man and a woman.
They stood side by side on the cracked earth, completely steady despite the destruction around them.
The man drew attention first.
He was tall, well over six feet with a broad frame that carried both weight and control. His brown hair was messy, pulled back carelessly, and his sharp facial features gave him a naturally imposing look. His eyes were darker than normal, the pupils subtly shifting with the light, giving them an unnatural edge.
But what truly made him stand out were the wings.
Four of them.
They extended from his back, large and layered, partially wrapped around his body like a cloak. Instead of feathers, they carried a strange, hardened texture, almost like scaled extensions. In places where his skin was visible, faint cracks ran across it, rough and uneven, resembling dried, fractured hide.
He didn't look fully human.
Beside him stood a woman who contrasted him in almost every way.
She appeared younger, her presence calm and composed, yet far from weak. Her long white hair was tied neatly into a bun, with a few loose strands falling over her shoulder, softening her otherwise refined appearance. Her clothing resembled something from the elven race, fitted, elegant, and covering most of her body while leaving her waist slightly exposed.
She stood just slightly shorter than the man, her posture straight, her gaze steady.
Where the man radiated pressure, she radiated awareness.
Both of them were looking directly at Ashan.
The man's expression made it clear, he didn't like what he saw.
The woman, however, watched differently. Her eyes lingered, studying him carefully, as if trying to peel away layers that weren't visible on the surface.
Ashan frowned slightly.
'These two…'
Something about them felt familiar.
'I've seen them before… somewhere…'
'System records…?'
He tried to recall more.
'Who were they..'
Before he could finish the thought, Lia suddenly stepped forward, her expression lighting up with clear recognition.
"Einar! Celestia!" she called out, a rare trace of excitement in her voice. "You're here?"
Without hesitation, she moved straight toward the woman and wrapped her arms around her in a careful but genuine embrace.
Celestia smiled softly and returned it, her expression warming instantly as she hugged her back.
—-----------------------------------
Name - Celestia Briarwood
Age - 35
Gender - Female
[Power rank - A]
[specialty - Healer / Half-dragon]
[Strength - 180]
[Stamina - 200]
[Endurance - 150]
[Agility - 110]
[Other powers and skills]
<> Organic Healing – A
Her blood and saliva carry regenerative properties capable of accelerating cellular repair when applied or consumed.
<> Shapeshifting – A
Can transform into any humanoid form she remembers clearly. Transformation breaks under fatal damage. Limitations apply.
<> Weather Control – A
Capable of influencing atmospheric conditions with sufficient mana and focus.
<> Spiritual Awareness – ?
Perceives the structure, weight, and potential of souls.
—-----------------------------------
—-----------------------------------
Name - Einar Briarwood
Age - 61
Gender - Male
[Power rank - S]
[specialty - Battle Mage / Half-dragon]
[Strength - 520
[Stamina - 450
[Endurance - 400
[Agility - 350
[Other powers and skills]
<> Draconic Transformation – S
Partial or full manifestation of draconic traits. Prolonged use leads to permanent mutation.
<> Blood Regeneration – S
Rapid blood recovery during extreme loss.
<> Weapon Forging – S
Can shape any contacted material into a weapon based on intent. Quality depends on mana output.
<> Telekinesis – A
High-level control over objects and elements with precise manipulation.
<> Draconic Fear – A
Emits a natural aura that induces fear in weaker beings.
—-----------------------------------
The moment that name was spoken, Ashan's memory clicked into place.
'Ah… right.'
His eyes sharpened slightly.
'Einar Briarwood… and Celestia.
'The half-dragon S-ranker… and his niece. Important figures.'
More pieces fell into place as he observed them.
'They were supposed to appear later… much later.'
'In the original timeline, they join the others during the apocalypse incident… the gate event.'
His gaze lingered on them.
'So why are they here now?'
A quiet thought crossed his mind.
'Did I cause this…? If this is a butterfly effect… I don't know if it's a good one.'
Around him, the students had already begun whispering among themselves.
"Wait… isn't that.."
"No way… that's Einar Briarwood!"
"It has to be! I've seen him before!"
"But what are those things on his back…?"
"Are those… wings?"
Even the teachers looked unsettled.
Maren stepped forward, clearly surprised, though she regained her composure quickly.
"Einar," she said, her voice carrying both relief and disbelief. "You finally decided to show up. It's been a long time."
Einar shifted his attention away from Ashan for the moment and looked at her, a faint grin forming on his face.
"Maren," he replied. "Yeah… it has."
"When did you arrive?" she asked.
Einar let out a slow breath, the air around him stirring slightly from the force of it alone.
"An hour or two ago," he said. "We headed straight to Bloodmoon and met the president. That's where we heard about the dragon and where it was headed. After that, we came here as fast as possible."
Maren nodded slowly. "That explains it. But I was told you'd remain in the elf realm for at least another year. Your treatment wasn't supposed to be finished yet."
At that, Einar glanced sideways at Celestia and placed a hand on her head, his expression softening slightly.
"We're mostly fine now," he said. "The elder cleared us to leave."
Lia, however, wasn't fully convinced. Her eyes moved over the cracks along his skin and the scaled texture that still lingered in places.
"But your scales…" she said. "They're still there."
Einar shrugged lightly. "Yeah. Looks like those aren't going anywhere. At least it's not covering my entire body anymore."
"And her?" Lia asked, turning to Celestia. "Her core?"
Einar's expression turned a bit more serious.
"It's stable," he said. "Not perfect, but stable enough. As long as she doesn't push herself too far, it won't break again."
Maren seemed ready to continue the conversation,
But Einar raised a hand, cutting her off.
"Let's pause the catching up," he said calmly. "We've got a more important issue right now."
His gaze shifted back to Ashan.
The atmosphere tightened immediately.
"You see…" he continued, his tone lowering slightly, "I need to have a word with that guy."
He began walking forward.
Each step was slow, deliberate, carrying a natural weight that made the cracked ground beneath him creak faintly. His wings shifted behind him, folding slightly as the pressure around him intensified, like heat radiating from a furnace.
Lia, Maren, and Celestia followed behind him, though none of them interrupted.
Einar stopped a few steps away from Ashan.
The two faced each other directly.
For a brief moment, neither spoke.
Then Einar tilted his head slightly, studying him.
"So…" he said, his voice deep, steady, and edged with authority, "masked buddy… who exactly are you supposed to be?"