Battlefield of Lumeris
The battlefield had descended into complete chaos.
Steel clashed against steel.
War cries mixed with screams.
Dust and blood filled the air.
At the center of the fighting,Aerys advanced relentlessly.
Unlike most commanders, he wasn't hiding behind his troops.
He was inside the battle itself.
A Lumeris soldier lunged toward him.
Aerys slammed his shield forward.
The man was thrown to the ground.
Another attacked from the side.
The general stepped aside and drove a kick into the soldier's chest.
The impact sent him tumbling backward.
A third rushed him.
Aerys' sword flashed.
The soldier collapsed.
A fourth.
A fifth.
A sixth.
Every movement was efficient.
No wasted motion.
No unnecessary strikes.
Years of warfare had turned the man into a machine.
Around him, Norvoss soldiers pushed forward.
Inspired by their commander's presence.
Then Aerys felt it.
A familiar pressure in the air.
The battlefield darkened for a moment.
He looked upward.
Ebruhan.
The massive blue dragon folded his wings and dived.
Like a living meteor.
"INCOMING!!"
BOOOOOOM!
The impact shook the battlefield.
Dozens of Norvoss soldiers were launched through the air.
Men and shields scattered in every direction.
Before anyone could recover, Ebruhan moved again.
His tail swept across the battlefield.
A devastating arc of force.
More soldiers were thrown backward.
Arrows filled the sky.
Mage attacks followed.
Fire.
Lightning.
Mana bolts.
All of them crashed harmlessly against the dragon's shield.
Blue mana surrounded him.
Then dozens of magical constructs appeared.
Mana spikes.
Mana bombs.
Floating around him like deadly stars.
Aerys narrowed his eyes.
The dragon unleashed them.
Blue streaks crossed the battlefield.
Explosions erupted among Norvoss ranks.
Mana spikes pierced shields.
Mana bombs detonated with terrifying force.
Entire formations staggered.
The battlefield trembled beneath Ebruhan's assault.
Aerys clenched his sword.
"So this is why everyone fears dragons."
Even he had to admit it.
Watching Ebruhan fight felt less like facing a soldier...
And more like facing a natural disaster.
--
Far behind the lines...
-
Princess Selene watched everything.
eyes tracked every movement.
Every attack.
Every dive.
Every turn.
Unlike the soldiers around her, she wasn't watching with fear.
She was studying.
Calculating.
Learning.
Then she turned toward the artillery crews.
"Adjust the cannons."
The operators blinked.
"My Princess?"
Selene pointed toward a distant section of the battlefield.
Far away from Ebruhan.
"Aim there."
The operator hesitated.
"But..."
He glanced toward the dragon.
"That's the wrong direction."
Several nearby officers looked equally confused.
Ebruhan was clearly the biggest threat.
Yet Selene wasn't aiming at him.
The princess didn't even look at them.
"Did I stutter?"
The operator immediately straightened.
"No, my Princess."
"Then aim where I instructed."
The crews quickly adjusted the massive cannons.
Aerys glanced back from the battlefield.
Seeing the change.
Seeing the unusual target area.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Because he knew Selene.
And whenever she appeared to be making a mistake...
It usually meant someone else was about to make one.
The cannons finished turning.
Mana began gathering inside the barrels.
The operators waited.
Selene continued watching the battlefield.
Watching Ebruhan.
Watching the defenders.
Watching the chaos.
Then a faint smile appeared on her face.
"Not yet."
The artillery crews remained frozen.
Waiting.
"Wait for my signal."
And somewhere amidst the chaos of battle...
A trap was beginning to take shape
The war raged on.
High above the battlefield, Ebruhan swept across the sky like a living storm.
His eyes constantly searched for threats.
Then he saw them.
A group of Norvoss soldiers had broken through part of the formation.
Their target was obvious.
King Cedric.
Ebruhan's eyes narrowed.
Without hesitation, he folded his wings.
Blue mana erupted beneath him.
The dragon shot forward.
Fast.
Far too fast.
The charging soldiers barely had time to react.
BOOM!
Ebruhan struck them head-on.
The impact scattered the formation like leaves caught in a hurricane.
Shields flew.
Weapons tumbled away.
Soldiers were thrown from their feet.
The king looked up.
Not surprised.
Just relieved.
"You're getting overprotective."
Cedric muttered.
Ebruhan released an annoyed growl.
Around them, soldiers stared in amazement.
For many of them, this was the first time seeing a true dragon fight.
Not hearing stories.
Not reading records.
Actually witnessing it.
The blue dragon roared.
A sound that rolled across the plains.
Then fire erupted from his jaws.
A blazing stream crossing the battlefield.
Norvoss mages immediately reacted.
"DRAGON BREATH!!"
"SHIELDS!"
Barriers rose.
Layers of magical shields formed in front of their soldiers.
The flames crashed against them.
The battlefield flashed orange and blue.
Even protected behind their barriers, many soldiers couldn't help staring.
A dragon.
A real dragon.
Fighting for a kingdom.
And Ebruhan showed no signs of slowing down.
Vinson estate
Far from the battlefield...
The estate felt strangely quiet.
Too quiet.
Mia sat near the fountain.
Her tail flicking anxiously.
"I keep worrying about Ebruhan and Vinson..."
Leo sat nearby.
His expression wasn't any better.
"My father too."
He looked toward the distant horizon.
"What if something happens?"
Miss Korbi folded her arms.
Trying to maintain order.
As always.
"Children."
Her voice was firm.
"You must stop thinking like that."
"They will be fine."
Leo shook his head.
"No."
His hands clenched.
"I know they're strong."
"But I still worry."
Miss Korbi opened her mouth to respond.
Then froze.
Because Mia suddenly stood.
The dragon girl's expression changed.
"..."
A strange feeling.
A familiar feeling.
The same feeling she had experienced in the Abyss.
That uncomfortable pull in her chest.
As if something somewhere wasn't right.
Slowly, she turned toward the south.
Toward the border.
Toward the war.
Miss Korbi immediately noticed.
"Lady Mia."
The head maid's eyes widened.
"Don't even think about it."
Mia remained silent.
The feeling wouldn't go away.
"Lady Mia."
"...I'm sorry, Miss Korbi."
The maid immediately knew.
"No."
Mia looked back.
Guilt flashed across her face.
"But I need to check."
"Lady Mia!"
Blue-black wings unfolded.
Miss Korbi nearly had a heart attack.
"You will get all of us in trouble!"
Unfortunately...
She was arguing with a dragon.
A dragon who had already made up her mind.
Nearby, Leo suddenly ran forward.
Before Mia could react, he climbed onto her back.
Mia blinked.
"Leo?"
"If you're going..."
He tightened his grip.
"I'm coming too."
"Absolutely not."
"Too late."
"I said no."
"I need to check on my father."
Mia groaned.
"Leo."
"Nope."
"Leo."
"Nope."
The dragon stared at him.
The human stared back.
"..."
"..."
Neither moved.
Finally, Mia sighed.
Defeated.
Miss Korbi looked ready to collapse.
"KIDS!"
Mia looked genuinely apologetic.
"Sorry."
Then she launched into the sky.
"COME BACK!"
Miss Korbi's voice echoed across the estate.
The dragon was already gone.
High above the estate, Mia beat her wings.
The wind rushed past them.
Leo pointed toward the horizon.
"The border is that way."
Mia adjusted course immediately.
The dragon accelerated.
Below them, hidden within a tree...
A white fox watched the entire disaster unfold.
Iyas blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"..."
Then panic arrived.
"Oh no."
The fox immediately dug through his bag.
Pulling out the communication orb.
"Sir."
Nothing.
"Sir?!"
Still nothing.
The battlefield was likely interfering with communication.
Or Ebruhan was too busy fighting.
Iyas looked toward the rapidly shrinking silhouette of the dragon.
Then toward Miss Korbi.
Who was currently pacing beneath the tree in complete frustration.
The maid stopped.
Looked toward the sky.
Looked toward the empty estate.
Then buried her face in her hands.
"What am I supposed to tell Count Vinson?"
The fox honestly felt bad for her.
Because she was right.
How exactly was anyone supposed to stop a dragon?
Especially a worried dragon.
And far away at the border...
Neither Ebruhan nor Vinson knew that two very stubborn children were already flying directly toward the battlefield.