Outside the medical tent...
Life within the Lumeris camp slowly returned to motion.
Healers carried fresh supplies between tents.
Engineers salvaged broken equipment from wagons.
Soldiers sat around small campfires, quietly eating whatever hot meals they could find after the battle.
The war had paused.
For tonight, at least.
Vinson stepped away from Leo's tent, quietly lowering the entrance flap behind him.
He had intended to spend the night beside his son.
Instead, a gentle smile lingered on his face.
As he walked toward another tent, a familiar voice called out.
"Count Vinson."
He turned.
Ebruhan, once again in his human form, approached slowly.
Although the healing mages had treated him, his body was still wrapped in fresh bandages beneath his cloak.
He stopped beside the count.
"Weren't you planning to sleep near Leo tonight?"
Vinson chuckled softly.
"I was."
His smile grew warmer.
"But..."
"Someone else claimed that spot first."
Ebruhan blinked.
Then, almost immediately, he understood.
A quiet smile spread across his own face.
"...I see."
Neither of them said another word.
They didn't need to.
Both already knew exactly who was curled up beside the sleeping boy.
Just then...
Another figure stepped out from one of the nearby healing tents.
Tai.
The wolf beastfolk stretched lazily as he walked, rolling one shoulder.
His face was still pale from blood loss, but the familiar grin had already returned.
The terrible wound in his shoulder had finally been closed by healing magic, leaving only fresh bandages beneath his jacket.
Ebruhan looked him over.
"Tai."
"How are you feeling?"
Tai rotated his right shoulder once.
Then twice.
Finally, he gave it an experimental spin.
"Hmm."
"Good enough."
A crooked grin spread across his muzzle.
"Gotta admit..."
"I was starting to worry I'd have to learn how to shoot with one arm."
Ebruhan let out an amused snort.
"I doubt that would've stopped you."
Tai laughed.
"Nah."
He patted shoulder with a grin,
"I'd just complain about it every day until someone fixed me."
For the first time since the battle...
The three men shared a quiet laugh beneath the night sky.
Far across the border...
The Norvoss camp was anything but quiet.
Wyverns rested beside their hitching posts, occasionally letting out low, uneasy whines as handlers checked their wounds and replaced damaged harnesses.
Nearby, long rows of injured soldiers filled the medical tents.
Some sat quietly while healers changed bandages.
Others rested around campfires with bowls of hot stew in their hands, grateful simply to have survived another day.
Black smoke still drifted from the distant battlefield where the destroyed mana-restraining cannons had once stood.
Inside the command tent...
Princess Selene sat alone before a large campaign table.
Reports were spread neatly across its surface.
Casualty lists.
Supply inventories.
Remaining artillery.
Food reserves.
Reinforcement schedules.
Every loss...
Every surviving soldier...
Every usable weapon...
Nothing escaped her attention.
The tent flap opened.
General Aerys stepped inside.
His wounds had been closed by healing magic, but his face remained noticeably pale.
Even walking seemed to require more effort than usual.
He stopped before the table and bowed his head.
"My Princess."
Selene looked up from the reports.
"General."
Her eyes briefly examined him.
"How are you feeling?"
Aerys straightened.
"Alive."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"And still fit for duty."
Selene gave a small nod before returning her attention to the map.
Her fingers rested lightly on the border between Norvoss and Lumeris.
"...Lumeris."
She spoke the kingdom's name almost thoughtfully.
"They've proven to be... expensive."
Her gaze lingered on the markers representing the destroyed mana-restraining cannons.
The shattered siege equipment.
The elite troops they had lost.
Even with victory slipping from their grasp, there was no frustration in her expression.
Only calculation.
"But..."
She quietly tapped the map.
"How much longer can they continue paying that price?"
Silence settled inside the tent.
At last, Selene lifted her eyes to Aerys.
"General."
"Gather every senior officer."
"We have much to discuss."
Aerys gave a firm nod.
"At once, Your Highness."
Without another word, he turned and left the command tent.
After a while, One by one, the senior officers entered the command tent.
Some still bore fresh bandages.
Others walked with visible limps.
The battle had spared no one.
General Aerys quietly took his place among them, his expression unreadable.
Once everyone had gathered...
Princess Selene rose from her chair.
Her gaze swept across every face in the room.
For a brief moment, silence filled the tent.
Then she inclined her head.
"First of all..."
"I owe each of you an apology for calling this meeting so soon after the battle."
Her voice was calm, carrying naturally through the tent.
"I know many of you have barely had the chance to rest."
Several officers looked at one another, but none spoke.
Selene continued.
"However..."
"We all understand the situation we face."
She walked toward the campaign map spread across the table.
"Lumeris has proven to be far more dangerous than our original projections."
Her finger rested on the border separating the two kingdoms.
"They possess a True Storm Dragon."
She moved her hand slightly.
"And now..."
"A newly awakened Abyss Dragon."
The atmosphere in the tent noticeably grew heavier.
Selene looked back at the assembled officers.
"Our losses have been significant."
"We've lost mana-restraining cannons, experienced soldiers, and valuable time."
She paused.
"But do not mistake today's outcome for failure."
Several officers lifted their heads.
"We have also learned."
"We now understand the capabilities of both dragons."
"We've measured the limits of Lumeris' defenses."
"And..."
Her eyes briefly shifted toward Aerys.
"...we've confirmed that even legends can bleed."
Silence lingered once more.
Then Selene folded her hands behind her back.
"The next battle cannot be fought the same way as the last."
The officers exchanged uneasy glances.
The silence didn't last long.
One veteran officer finally spoke.
"Lady Dark Flame will become our greatest obstacle."
He pointed toward the battlefield map.
"Our strongest advantage..."
"...our mana-restraining cannons and defensive barriers."
He slowly lowered his hand.
"They're practically useless against her."
"How are we supposed to fight something like that?"
Several officers nodded in agreement.
Another commander folded his arms.
"I agree."
"I've studied dragon records for years."
"Even the strongest True Dragons had to overwhelm magical defenses through sheer force."
"They couldn't simply ignore them."
He looked toward Selene.
"But Lady Dark Flame..."
"...she pierces them as though they don't exist."
The chief battle mage adjusted his spectacles.
"And there's something else."
Everyone turned toward him.
"I observed her barrier during the engagement."
"It didn't absorb the mana-restraining beams."
"It didn't disperse them."
His expression grew increasingly troubled.
"...It reflected them."
"The cannons were specifically designed to destabilize magical structures."
"Yet her barrier rejected them entirely."
He slowly shook his head.
"I... don't believe she's merely an Abyss Dragon."
A heavy silence settled over the tent.
The mage finally admitted what no one else wished to say.
"...She's something beyond our current understanding."
The Wyvern Squadron Leader stepped forward next
"And Our wyverns..."
He hesitated.
"...they were terrified."
Several officers frowned and one interrupted.
"Perhaps that's simply because they've only been trained for two months."
"They lack battlefield experience."
The squad leader immediately shook his head.
"No."
"I trained every one of them personally."
"I know how they react under pressure."
"If fear or inexperience were the cause..."
"They would've panicked the moment they encountered the Storm Dragon."
"They didn't."
His voice became quieter.
"They fought Ebruhan."
"But the instant Lady Dark Flame appeared..."
"They refused to obey."
"They chose to flee."
Even remembering it made him uneasy.
"I've never seen trained wyverns ignore direct commands before."
General Aerys, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
"And don't overlook another ability."
Everyone turned toward him.
"Those delayed detonations."
His hand instinctively rested over the wound beneath his armor.
"She can leave her attacks behind..."
"...and decide when they explode."
His expression darkened.
"That makes every battlefield she enters a potential trap."
Selene listened without interrupting.
Only after every report had been given did she rise from her seat.
"Indeed."
She looked around the command tent, meeting each officer's eyes.
"Our previous strategy accomplished its purpose."
"It revealed our enemy's strengths."
She rested one hand on the campaign map.
"But now we know something equally important."
"If we continue attacking with the same tactics..."
She paused.
"...we may still achieve victory."
Her gaze hardened.
"But we will bury far too many good soldiers before we do."
The tent fell silent once again.
"So..."
Selene looked across the assembled commanders.
"It is time to devise a new strategy."
"One that defeats Lumeris..."
"...without sacrificing an army to do it."
The discussion continued.
Officers proposed new formations.
Mages debated possible countermeasures against Lady Dark Flame's barrier.
Others argued over how to neutralize Ebruhan without sacrificing more mana-restraining cannons.
The command tent buzzed with strategy...
Until—
A crimson glow illuminated the table.
The communication crystal orb began flashing rhythmically.
Selene immediately fell silent and every officer turned toward it as she reached out and lightly touched the orb.
The crystal brightened.
A wavering image of a court communication mage appeared above it.
His face was pale.
"Your Highness..."
"I bring an urgent message."
Selene's expression remained composed.
"Speak."
The mage swallowed.
"...His Majesty..."
"King Idris is gravely ill."
A strange silence settled over the tent.
"He collapsed two days ago."
"The royal physicians have done everything they can..."
His voice faltered.
"...but..."
Selene's fingers slowly tightened against the edge of the table.
"Continue."
The mage lowered his head.
"They believe..."
"...he does not have much time remaining."
The words seemed to hang in the air.
The officers froze.
No one dared make a sound.
The mage continued quietly.
"His Majesty has only one request."
"He wishes to see you."
Selene stared silently at the floating image.
"...What?"
For the first time...
Her voice lacked its usual certainty.
"I strongly advise you to return immediately, Your Highness."
The mage's eyes lowered.
"...Or..."
He couldn't bring himself to finish.
"...there may not be another chance."
The crystal's light faded.
The image disappeared.
Silence consumed the command tent.
Selene remained standing exactly where she was.
She didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Only the slight rise and fall of her breathing betrayed the storm she was forcing herself to contain.
After several long moments...
She slowly turned toward the Wyvern Squadron Leader.
"How long..."
Her voice was quieter now.
"...would your fastest wyvern need to reach Norvoss?"
The rider answered without hesitation.
"Approximately five days, Your Highness."
Selene's eyes narrowed.
"...Five?"
He nodded.
"At best."
She took a step forward.
"Can it fly faster?"
The rider hesitated.
"...If we push it to its absolute limit..."
"...perhaps four days."
"But that would require flying almost without rest."
He shook his head.
"If we force a wyvern to do that..."
"...it may collapse before reaching the capital."
Selene slowly looked away.
Four days.
Even four...
Suddenly felt impossibly long.
The Wyvern Squadron Leader straightened.
"My Princess..."
"I'll prepare the fastest wyv—"
"No."
Selene's reply came quietly.
Yet it carried enough weight to silence the entire tent.
Her hand tightened around the back of a wooden chair.
The polished wood creaked beneath her grip.
She turned her gaze toward the distant Lumeris border.
For a long moment...
She simply stared.
The golden eyes that had remained unwavering throughout countless battles were now faintly red.
Moisture shimmered along their edges.
Still...
She refused to let the tears fall.
"...Aerys."
The general stepped forward immediately.
"Yes, Princess."
"Prepare a carriage."
Aerys blinked.
"A... carriage?"
Selene nodded.
"We're going to Lumeris."
Several officers looked at one another in disbelief.
One finally spoke.
"But, Your Highness..."
"A carriage would take even longer than a wyvern."
Selene closed her eyes for a brief moment.
"I know."
She looked back at them.
"The wyverns fought today."
"They're exhausted."
"If I force one to fly across the continent without proper rest..."
"...it could collapse before reaching home."
Her voice remained calm.
"I won't ask an animal that has already given everything it had... to die for my sake."
The tent fell silent.
Even the Wyvern Squadron Leader lowered his head in quiet respect.
Selene turned once more toward the direction of Lumeris.
Beyond that border...
Lived the one being capable of crossing hundreds of kilometers in only a few hours.
A dragon.
She slowly exhaled.
"...I'll have to ask someone for help."
No one needed to ask who she meant.
There was only one person she believed could get her home in time.
And that person...
Was on the other side of the battlefield.