A few seconds earlierâŠ
BEEP
âCharge completeâŠâ
âFiring now.â She squeezed the trigger, causing the bullet to spring forward with a massive shockwave and burst of wind, tearing through the air and heading directly for Alister.
Draven, with the fastest perception among all the dragon generals, instantly noticed a single object moving far faster than everything else around them, heading straight for his lord.
In those split seconds, his purple eyes flared with lightning visible through the visor of his helmet. Purple lightning began to arc around his body, as though he were charging up to move with his lightning-fast reflexes.
He reached out with his left hand, calling in his thoughts, âCome forth, Storm Cleaver.â
In that instant, a black rift materialized before him, with the hilt of his greatsword emerging slightly.
He reached for it and grasped it in his palm, pulling it out with a burst of motion as lightning crackled all around. The runes on the weapon flared to life, and his speed seemed to increase slightly.
âTo attempt to harm my lord in such a wayâŠâ He thought as he directed his gaze towards the speeding bullet.
He placed his right leg before him, holding his sword with both hands below as he crouched slightly, preparing to swing.
âIs a sin of unfathomable consequence!â
As the bullet broke through the glass and approached, Draven finally swung his blade in a powerful vertical arc. In those split moments, the bullet was split in half, followed immediately by a massiveâŠ
BOOM
A thunderous explosion rocked the hall, sending plumes of thick smoke billowing across the room. Voices rose in shock, mingling with gasps and coughs as guests scrambled to regain their senses.
âCoughâwhat⊠what just happened?â
âI canât see anything! Whatâs going on?â
âMy arm! Ah-someone, please help!â
âWhat was that? Are we under attack?â
As the smoke from the explosion began to clear, the guild members and Union representatives quickly sprang into action, organizing the crowd and tending to those who had been injured.
âEveryone, stay calm!â Klaus called out, his voice firm as he yelled. He glanced at Anya, who had snapped out of her daze, and nodded to her. âGuildmaster, letâs start moving people out of here.â
Klaus called out but found Anya standing still, her expression distant and unfocused. He moved closer, concern in his voice. âGuildmaster, are you alright?â
When she didnât respond, he repeated, âGuildmaster-are you okay?â
Anya blinked, seeming to come out of her daze, she then smiled then muttered, âWell wasnât that fascinating.â
âWhat?â Klaus asked, confusion deepening in his gaze. fĐłeeđ€ebÉłoveÉ.cm
Her voice was barely a whisper, filled with disbelief. âAlisterâs summon⊠it just prevented some kind of attack.â
âIt seems someone wants our little Summoner dead.â
âWait what!?â
âForget about it, letâs focus on the evacuation.â
Anya then yelled. âAll Berserkers, prioritize the evacuation! Help anyone whoâs injured and get them to safety!â she commanded, motioning for her guild members to take action. Grimm, stepped forward to assist. âLetâs keep this organized,â he said seriously. âWe donât want a stampede.â He directed people toward the exits, his calm demeanor helping to steady the crowd.
Nyra guided small groups of civilians and reporters toward safety with assertive gestures. âFollow my lead! Letâs keep moving, people!â she urged, waving them through the smoke.
Meanwhile, Maila swiftly began helping injured individuals to their feet. âStay close and lean on me if you need help,â she said, ushering them away from the thickest of the smoke. Over by the other guilds, the Blue Sealsâ Aria kept her stern expression as she coordinated with her guild members, making sure the injured were assisted first. âWeâre not weaklings here, Blue Seals-letâs prove it,â she said as she led her group through the chaos.
Eryx, flashed a playful grin, nudging Arden of the Red Phoenix guild as they helped the crowd disperse. âDidnât expect things to get this lively, huh?â he quipped, trying to ease the tension. Arden let out a smirk, though his competitive spirit shone through. âChaos or not, weâll handle it better than you, Eryx,â he teased, before guiding more people toward the exit.
Aethel, the Union Branch Director, stood off to the side, analyzing the scene with a cautious eye. âUnion members, assist the injured first and prioritize getting civilians out,â he ordered.
âYes sir.â
Over by the White Comets, Kaidaâs striking red hair made her easy to spot as she moved quickly. âHealer here! come forward! Anyone hurt that needs immediate attention,â she called, as she walked around helping those with broken bones and deep cuts caused by shards caused by the explosion.
Ren, calm and charismatic, helped reassure the crowd, âEverything is under control. Please stay calm and follow our instructions,â he repeated, guiding civilians away from the smoky
area.
Aiko, always elegant and critical, surveyed the scene with a sharp gaze, making mental notes. âRazorgrin, Hiroshi, Goro-search the perimeter and find out if anyone looks⊠suspicious.â
She directed, her attention to detail ensuring the situation remained orderly.
In the organized chaos, some of the more daring reporters lingered, curiosity overcoming their caution as they searched the crowd, clearly wondering where Alister was. Their whispered questions grew louder as they dared to ask, âWhereâs Alister?â
A sudden, powerful gust of wind surged from the podium, sweeping through the entire hall. Everyone instinctively raised their arms to shield their faces as the wind cut through the last of the smoke, clearing the air in an instant. The intense pressure that had filled the room finally faded, and Alister emerged in full view, calm and unharmed.
Aethel, taking a deep breath, immediately began to approach Alister. He opened his mouth, intending to ask if he was unharmed, but before he could speak, MarâGaret stepped forward, her spear pointed directly at him. Her eyes blazed with fury. âYou humans have a lot of
explaining to do,â she declared coldly as she shot him a death glare.
Beside her, Cinderâs face twisted with anger. Her horns extended slightly, and her tail lashed behind her, her red eyes burning with the same intensity as MarâGaretâs. âItâs always the
humans,â she spat. âTheyâre always up to no good.â
Aethel, visibly shocked, raised his hands in a placating gesture. âWait! I think thereâs been a
misunderstanding-â
Before he could finish, Alisterâs calm voice cut through the tension. âStand down,â he commanded, glancing at MarâGaret and Cinder. âBoth of you.â
Reluctantly, Marâ Garet lowered her spear, though her eyes didnât lose their intensity. Cinderâs
horns and tail retracted slightly, but her gaze remained fixed on the crowd, searching for any
signs of further threats.
Just then, Draven spoke. âI know whoâs responsible,â he announced, causing the others to
look his way.
âA human shot a projectile at our lord from a building a few hundred meters away.â Aethelâs eyes widened in shock as the realization struck him. âAn assassination attempt?â
He thought, piecing together the scene in his mind. âThat must have been what he swung his sword at⊠that projectile must have been a bullet.â
Like Anya, Aethel had caught a glimpse of Dravenâs swift movement, though it was only a blur. The dragon had moved with such speed that everyone else seemed frozen in place. âThese creatures are powerful beyond belief,â he thought warily, âand yet they follow Alister without question⊠Why is that? Is he somehow stronger than them?â
âIs that even possible?â
Draven spoke to Alister without turning to face him, a fierce look in his gaze. âMy lordâŠâ he said, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword.
âMay I have your permission to retrieve the perpetrator?â As he spoke, he slowly turned to
face Alister, his eyes crackling with black and purple lightning, a sign of his intense, raging
emotions.
âI promise to bring their head.â
Alisterâs expression remained calm but firm. âGranted. But donât kill them-we need to find
out who hired them. Do not let your emotions make you disobey my orders,â Alister said as he narrowed his eyes, causing them to glow slightly.
âUnderstood⊠My lord.â
VOOM!
In the next instant, Draven seemed to vanish, moving so fast none could keep up with his movements, moving that fast so the one responsible wouldnât be able to escape. Alzuring stepped forward, his eyes sharp as he too spoke in an intense tone. âI demand to be
part of the hunt, young lord,â he said.
Alister nodded. âVery well, Alzuring. Go with Draven.â
In that instant, the sky dragonâs wings sprouted from his back, and he instantly took to the sky, bursting out through the shattered glass.
Seeing all this happen, the Union branch Director Aethel spoke, âMr. Hazenworth, how can you send those creatures out there? What if they endanger citize-â
âYou need not worry, sir. Like I said earlier, my dragonsâŠâ
He turned to face him as he then finally said, âAre loyal.â
Just then, Terraâs gaze swept over the crowd. Suddenly, her eyes fixed on a figure in the crowd
â a woman who seemed out of place due to some equipment she wore under her union uniform, moving hurriedly toward the exit.
Terraâs eyes narrowed, and in a flash, she sprinted forward, her voice ringing through the hall.
âYou with the black hair and blue eyes, halt!â she commanded.
The woman glanced back, a look of fear crossing her face, then quickened her pace, clearly
trying to escape. Terraâs face tightened with frustration as she called out, âI command you to
stand still.â
In that instant, the womanâs legs turned to solid stone. She stumbled forward but was forced
to stop, frozen in place.














