A colossal purple beam erupted into the skies.
BOOOOOOM.
The skies above Valorheim shattered apart as violent waves of mana spread throughout the Astryx Empire.
Citizens across the city froze in fear.
Some collapsed instantly from the pressure alone.
Others stared upward in horror as the clouds twisted unnaturally around the pillar of purple light.
Even from cities far beyond Valorheim—
the beam could still be seen piercing the sky.
And inside the royal palace of Noctara—
a man quietly stood before the massive windows overlooking the empire.
Long blonde hair.
Crimson eyes colder than steel.
Lucivar Valen.
The Sword of Astryx
His gaze remained fixed upon the distant purple light staining the skies.
Meanwhile—
from the shadows behind him—
a man with sharp green eyes chuckled softly.
"It seems something interesting is happening inside Valorheim."
Lucivar remained silent.
The shadowed man grinned wider afterward.
"Are you thinking of heading there, Lucivar?"
Still—
no response.
Then lazily—
the man spoke again.
"I also heard rumors…"
"That a Verilian spy infiltrated Valorheim recently."
His green eyes gleamed with amusement.
"You think he could be related to this?"
Silence.
Then—
Lucivar slowly raised his hand.
SHING.
A gigantic crimson sword materialized beside him instantly.
The pressure released from it alone distorted the air throughout the palace halls.
The shadowed man's grin widened further.
"Oh?"
Without another word—
Lucivar stepped forward.
BOOM.
The palace balcony exploded apart as he launched into the sky at terrifying speed.
Within seconds—
his figure vanished completely into the horizon.
His destination?
Unknown.
The man within the shadows quietly laughed afterward.
"My…"
"How lucky am I…"
"…to possess a weapon like you."
...
"COUGH—!"
Dust and smoke filled the air.
What remained of House Veritas had collapsed into ruin.
A massive crater now stretched through the estate while flames spread across the shattered remains of the mansion.
The luxurious noble house no longer existed.
Only destruction remained.
I threw chunks of debris aside before slowly forcing myself up.
Pain surged through my body.
Blood dripped down my arm.
The artifact that took care of my disguise was already broken.
"…Fuck…"
My golden eyes quickly searched the area.
Jasmine lay unconscious nearby beneath broken rubble.
Relief barely escaped me after sensing she was still breathing.
But then—
my eyes widened slightly.
"…Where the hell did Azrith go?"
There was no trace of him anywhere.
Not a single presence.
Almost as if he had vanished before the explosion even occurred.
Then—
the pressure in the air shifted.
My body instinctively froze.
Slowly—
I looked upward.
Lumine still floated above the crater.
Suspended within the sky itself.
Purple energy surrounded her small figure while black cables still drifted behind her like torn wings.
The clouds above Valorheim twisted unnaturally around her presence.
And the moment her violet eyes slowly opened—
the entire area became silent.
She quietly looked down at her own hands.
Almost confused.
Then softly—
she spoke.
"…What…"
"…am I?"
Her voice echoed strangely.
Not loud.
Yet it felt as though the entire sky itself had whispered those words.
Then—
her eyes slowly fell toward me.
For a moment—
the terrifying pressure around the crater intensified.
The air cracked.
The ground trembled.
And despite standing there before a child—
every instinct inside me screamed danger.
Because those eyes looking at me now—
did not belong to a little girl anymore.
I slowly forced my breathing to calm down.
The girl before me—
was not a god.
I knew that for a fact.
Because if that truly was the Lady of Velvet Sin standing before me—
then neither I nor this entire kingdom would still exist.
No.
Whatever the doctor had created—
it was incomplete.
Unstable.
Something between a human and divinity.
My golden eyes narrowed at Lumine floating above the burning ruins.
"…What did that bastard do to you…"
Purple energy continued surging violently around her small body.
The sky above Valorheim twisted unnaturally while cracks of violet light spread through the clouds.
Then suddenly—
Lumine grabbed her head.
"…Ah…"
Her body trembled violently.
The pressure around the crater instantly became unstable.
Buildings in the distance began collapsing from the waves of mana alone.
My eyes widened slightly.
"She's losing control."
Lumine's breathing became uneven.
Whispers began echoing around the ruins.
Hundreds of voices overlapping each other simultaneously.
Some crying.
Some laughing.
Some whispering words I couldn't understand.
"No…"
"…Stop…"
Her violet eyes flickered uncontrollably.
For brief moments—
they almost looked human again.
Then the pressure exploded once more.
BOOOOM.
The ground beneath me shattered further.
Dark purple cracks spread throughout the crater while shadows began moving unnaturally around her.
Lumine screamed.
And the moment she did—
the sound itself felt wrong.
It wasn't just a child screaming.
It sounded like countless voices screaming together at once.
The entire kingdom heard it.
Citizens across Valorheim collapsed to their knees covering their ears.
Windows shattered.
The skies trembled.
Meanwhile—
above the ruins—
Lumine continued clutching her head desperately.
Like something inside her was trying to force its way out.
"…It hurts…"
"…MAKE IT STOP—!"
BOOOOOOM.
A massive wave of purple mana erupted outward from her body.
I instantly drew Nocturne and planted it into the ground.
Mana surged around me trying to resist the pressure.
Even then—
my body was still forced backward.
This thing…
Whatever Lumine had become—
it was no longer human.
...
The pressure radiating from Lumine alone—
was enough to make my instincts scream.
This wasn't a battle I could win.
Not now.
Not against that.
Above the ruined remains of House Veritas—
Lumine floated silently while violent purple mana spiraled uncontrollably around her body.
The sky itself distorted around her existence.
Then—
BOOOOOOM.
Another beam of destruction descended from the heavens and obliterated part of the city.
The shockwave shattered the streets beneath me.
"Tch—!"
I immediately turned.
There was no point fighting.
The only thing that mattered right now—
was surviving.
Darkness surged around my body as I sped through the collapsing ruins at full speed.
Yet the moment I moved—
Lumine's eyes locked onto me.
The pressure around the battlefield intensified instantly.
Shit.
The air cracked unnaturally.
Then—
BOOOOM.
A massive blast exploded directly beside me.
I barely twisted away in time.
The impact still sent me crashing through shattered buildings.
"COUGH—!"
Blood spilled from my mouth.
I forced myself back up immediately.
Run.
That was the only option.
Light mana gathered beneath my feet enhancing my speed while darkness concealed my presence through the smoke and debris.
But it didn't matter.
Every time I moved—
another explosion followed.
Like the world itself was trying to crush me.
My eyes narrowed.
Then instinctively—
I stretched my hand outward.
Space around my fingers distorted slightly.
For a brief second—
a tiny crack formed in the air.
A spatial opening.
My eyes widened slightly.
It worked—
No.
CRACK.
The distortion instantly shattered apart violently.
Pain shot through my arm.
"Ghk—!"
The unstable space collapsed immediately before fully forming.
Not enough.
I still hadn't unlocked it completely.
And trying to force it now nearly tore my mana circuits apart.
Another terrifying pressure descended from above.
I looked upward instantly.
Dozens of purple circles had formed throughout the sky.
My pupils shrank.
There was no escaping normally anymore.
Lumine floated above the battlefield silently—
her expression blank.
Almost doll-like.
Then—
her body suddenly trembled violently.
"…Ah…"
Purple mana exploded uncontrollably around her.
The skies darkened further.
The pressure became heavier.
And then—
Lumine screamed.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH—!"
The sound shook the entire kingdom.
BOOOOOOOOOOM.
The earth split apart beneath House Veritas.
The storm of mana surrounding Lumine expanded violently outward as something massive began forming behind her.
My eyes widened.
Dark flesh twisted within the purple storm.
Gigantic serpent-like necks slowly emerged from the abyss of mana one after another.
Then—
a monstrous head opened its glowing eyes.
Then another.
And another.
The storm finally exploded apart completely.
And towering above the burning ruins—
was a colossal Hydra-like abomination.
Its gigantic body was covered in black scales streaked with glowing purple veins.
Each massive head radiated horrifying mana while purple mist leaked endlessly from their mouths.
The creature's mere existence distorted the atmosphere around it.
Meanwhile—
at the very center of the monster—
Lumine remained suspended motionlessly.
Like the core holding the nightmare together.
Then slowly—
every single head turned toward me simultaneously.
And for the first time since arriving in Astryx—
I truly felt death staring directly at me.
What… was I looking at?
I stared at the three colossal heads looming above the burning ruins of Valorheim.
Each one radiated enough pressure to crush the city beneath it.
My breathing became uneven.
Then—
clang.
Nocturne Veil slipped from my hands.
The black blade crashed against the ruined ground beside me.
My knees gave out shortly after.
THUD.
Pain surged throughout my entire body.
My mana circuits were already destroyed from forcing too much power out repeatedly.
If I tried using mana again—
they would collapse completely.
"…Haah…"
Blood dripped from my lips.
Above me—
the Hydra slowly raised its three heads toward the heavens.
The skies darkened further.
Purple mana condensed endlessly within their mouths.
Three enormous beams began forming simultaneously.
And the moment I felt the amount of mana gathering—
despair finally crept into me.
This wasn't a disaster anymore.
It was annihilation.
Those attacks would erase the entire city.
No.
Perhaps even more than that.
The people screaming below.
The collapsing kingdom.
The skies themselves trembling—
it all felt distant now.
So this is truly it…?
My vision slowly blurred as I stared upward helplessly.
Then suddenly—
THUMP.
My eyes widened slightly.
A heartbeat echoed inside me.
But…
…it wasn't mine.
THUMP.
THUMP.
Something ancient stirred deep within my soul.
A terrifying warmth spread throughout my chest.
Like a sleeping existence had finally opened its eyes.
My gaze slowly lowered toward my body.
Golden light was leaking from beneath my skin.
The ruins around me began trembling violently.
The Hydra itself paused.
Then—
a voice echoed within my consciousness.
Ancient.
Proud.
Monstrous.
[Finally…]
My pupils shrank.
The bond inside my soul exploded outward.
BOOOOOOOOOOM.
Golden and black mana erupted into the heavens.
The pressure alone shattered the surrounding ruins apart.
The skies of Valorheim split between purple and gold.
And then—
words appeared before my eyes.
[BOND SYNCHRONIZATION The Dragon of Eternal Stars — 35%]