The Dragon King roared.
The sound rolled across the capital like thunder breaking open the sky, pushing the other dragons aside as if the air itself had suddenly turned against them. Their massive wings faltered, their flight paths scattering as the invisible pressure of the roar forced them to retreat from the center of the battlefield.
Mana surged outward from the Dragon King's body.
It did not flow gently. It erupted.
The power spread across the sky like a violent tide, pressing down upon the ruined streets below until the very air seemed to grow heavy. The smoke that drifted above the burning city twisted and broke apart under the force, spiraling away from the enormous creature as though the world itself were bowing before it.
Across the plaza below, the crystals Toki had hidden earlier began to tremble.
At first the vibration was faint. Small fractures appeared across their glowing surfaces, thin lines spreading slowly through the enchanted stone.
Then the first crystal exploded.
A burst of mana shattered the silence of the street, sending shards of glowing fragments scattering across the ground. Another crystal cracked apart moments later, unable to withstand the overwhelming pressure flooding the battlefield. One after another they ruptured violently, the detonations rolling through the plaza until every crystal Toki had placed had burst apart under the Dragon King's presence.
The Dragon King lowered its head slightly.
Its golden eyes moved slowly across the dragons circling the city.
A low growl rumbled through its throat.
"These dragons are false."
The words were spoken quietly, yet the weight behind them was unmistakable.
"If they were true dragons, they would know better than to approach my domain."
Its wings shifted once, sending a powerful gust tearing across the sky.
"This insult enrages me!"
His gaze fixed upon the largest dragon circling the distant towers.
"I will deal with the larger impostor," it murmured.
"You handle the smaller scraps."
Before Toki could answer, the Dragon King surged forward.
The sudden movement sent the massive creature twisting through the air with terrifying speed. The scales beneath Toki's boots shifted violently, and his balance disappeared in an instant.
"Hey—!"
His body dropped through the air before crashing heavily onto the roof of the carriage below. The impact rattled the wooden structure beneath him, the boards groaning as he rolled across the surface before catching the edge with his hand.
For a moment he simply lay there, staring up at the sky where the Dragon King was already disappearing into the smoke.
Then he groaned and pushed himself upright.
"You could have dropped me a little more gently!"
There was no response.
The dragon was already gone, its enormous body plunging toward the other monster in the distance.
Toki exhaled and climbed down from the roof of the carriage.
He opened the door and looked inside.
Everyone was there.
Utsuki sat beside the window, her white hair shifting gently in the wind that slipped through the frame. Elizabeth and Melissa were beside her, their expressions tense but steady, while the children clung quietly to the benches. Despite the chaos outside, none of them appeared injured.
Toki let out a quiet breath.
"Good."
Ozvold, Bernard and Harold stepped down beside him. The three of them joined Toki in the middle of the street while the battle in the sky continued above.
Ozvold glanced upward and let out a long breath.
"…So you brought a dragon."
Toki shrugged slightly.
"It seemed like the right tool."
Bernard chuckled under his breath while Harold rubbed his face slowly, as if trying to convince himself he was still awake.
Before they could say anything else, the carriage door opened again.
Utsuki stepped forward.
Toki immediately placed his hand against the door, stopping her.
She frowned.
"What are you doing?"
"The area is saturated with the Dragon King's mana," Toki said calmly. "Magic will be ineffective."
He glanced briefly toward the sky before continuing.
"For now we can only rely on physical strength."
Utsuki's eyes narrowed.
"That doesn't mean we can't fight."
Elizabeth folded her arms behind her.
"She's right."
Melissa nodded.
"We can handle ourselves."
Bernard sighed quietly.
"Toki is right."
All three women turned toward him.
"Even if your abilities in close combat are impressive," Bernard continued, "the Star Collector sent to assassinate you has not appeared yet."
The air inside the carriage grew heavier.
Harold nodded slowly.
"Even if it looks like we've gained an advantage, the battle is not over."
Utsuki clenched her fists.
"So you expect us to sit here and do nothing?"
Toki shook his head.
"No."
He looked at the three of them carefully.
"There is something important you can do."
They waited.
Toki gestured toward the distant districts of the city.
"The civilians who were taken to the shelters are being protected by members of the other divisions," he said quietly. "But they are terrified."
His gaze settled on them.
"What I am asking is for you to go to them and stand beside them."
Elizabeth stared at him in disbelief.
"Do you think we will hide while the capital burns?"
Melissa's voice was just as firm.
"We are candidates of the royal selection. We cannot abandon our duty."
Bernard stepped forward.
"As potential queens, your duty is to give hope to the people," he said calmly. "Toki is asking you to do something none of us here can do."
Harold added quietly, "We are not sending you somewhere safe. We are sending you where you are needed most."
Utsuki remained silent for a moment.
Then she stepped closer to Toki and gently took his injured hand.
Her gaze softened when she saw the wounds across his palm.
"Why do you always do this?" she asked quietly.
Toki shook his head.
"No. Things will be different from now on."
He met her eyes.
"I am not asking you to run away this time. I am asking you to help me in the way only you can."
Utsuki stared at him for a moment longer before tearing a strip of fabric from her dress.
She wrapped the cloth carefully around his wounded hand, tying it firmly to stop the bleeding.
When she finished, she rested her forehead lightly against his chest.
"You know," she said softly, "I was really happy when you trusted me to bring the other candidates here."
A small smile appeared on her lips.
"We make a pretty good team."
Then she stepped back.
"We will take care of our part of the agreement. You just try not to die."
Toki smiled faintly.
"You do not trust us?"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes.
"Now you are starting to sound arrogant."
Toki turned toward Ozvold.
"Ozvold… can I ask one more favor?"
Ozvold sighed.
"I already know what you want. You want me to take the carriage to the bunker."
He shook his head with a small smile.
"Leave some fun for me too."
Everyone climbed back inside the carriage.
Just before the door closed, Utsuki leaned out the window.
"Oh, right."
She threw something toward him.
The blade spun through the air before striking the ground with a sharp metallic sound.
Toki blinked.
His sword stood embedded in the stone.
He pulled it free and held it in his hand.
"I do not know what I would do without you."
Utsuki's face flushed red immediately.
"Do not say things like that at a moment like this!"
The carriage rushed away through the ruined street.
Toki watched it disappear into the smoke before turning back toward the battlefield above.
He rested the sword against his shoulder and glanced toward Bernard and Harold.
"I think it is time we do our part."
Bernard smirked faintly.
"Elizabeth will be furious later."
Harold let out a slow breath.
"I never thought I would see a day like this."
Around them, the soldiers who had followed Toki raised their shields high into the air.
Steel struck steel as they slammed them together, the ringing sound echoing through the ruined plaza.
They were waiting for the next command.
The three remaining dragons circled above them.
Their massive bodies cut slow arcs through the smoke-filled sky, wings beating heavily as they moved into position. From the ground it looked almost deliberate, the creatures spreading apart just enough to form a loose ring around the ruined plaza where Toki and his men stood.
They were hunting.
Toki's eyes followed their movements carefully, his sword resting lightly against his shoulder while the soldiers around him tightened their grip on their shields.
"Stay sharp!" he shouted.
Bernard stepped closer to Toki, his eyes fixed on the sky.
"We need to prepare a trap," he said quietly. "Any ideas?"
For a moment, Toki said nothing
Instead, he kept watching the dragons as they flew above the smoke, studying the way they moved. For a moment he seemed to drift back to the conversation he had shared earlier in the sky.
The Dragon King's voice echoed faintly in his memory.
These dragons are false.
Toki exhaled slowly.
"The Dragon King said they're imitations," he murmured. "But during the short time I spent with him, I learned something else about dragons."
Harold glanced at him.
"And what would that be?"
Toki's eyes sharpened slightly.
"They're incredibly petty."
Harold frowned.
"And how exactly does that help us?"
Toki's lips curved into a faint smile.
"I think I have an idea."
He paused.
"But you're not going to like it."
Before either of them could ask what he meant, Toki bent down and grabbed one of the soldiers' shields.
The man blinked in confusion.
"Commander—?"
Toki didn't explain.
He simply spun once and hurled the shield upward with all his strength .
The metal disc cut through the air with a loud whistling sound as it shot toward the circling dragons.
For a moment it looked as though it might miss entirely.
Then the shield passed dangerously close to the head of one of the creatures.
The dragon recoiled violently.
Its formation broke instantly.
With an angry roar the creature folded its wings and plunged downward toward the group below.
"Positions!" Toki shouted.
The soldiers raised their shields but did not move.
The dragon was descending fast now, its enormous body cutting through the smoke like a falling mountain.
Bernard's eyes widened slightly.
"Toki…"
The creature was almost upon them.
"I think it's time we start running."
Toki didn't move.
"Not yet."
The dragon continued dropping toward them, its claws stretching forward as if ready to tear the entire formation apart.
"Toki!"
"Not yet."
The ground trembled beneath the impact of its wings.
"TOKI!"
"NOW!"
The soldiers scattered in perfect unison, the entire formation breaking apart as the men sprinted away from the center of the plaza.
A heartbeat later the dragon crashed into the ground exactly where they had been standing.
The impact shook the street violently as its enormous body slammed into the stone, claws digging deep grooves into the shattered pavement.
Before the creature could even raise its head—
Toki moved.
He grabbed Bernard and Harold by the backs of their cloaks and ran straight toward the monster.
"Wait—!" Bernard shouted.
Toki didn't slow down.
The dragon was still recovering from its landing when Toki leapt.
The three of them landed hard on the creature's back just as it began to lift its head again.
The dragon immediately reacted.
Its body twisted violently as it tried to throw them off.
Toki grabbed hold of a ridge of scales and shouted over the roaring wind.
"Hold on!"
The dragon roared and surged upward.
Its wings spread wide as it launched itself back into the sky, carrying the three men with it.
Far below them, the soldiers scattered across the plaza.
Toki glanced down briefly and raised his hand.
The gesture was simple.
The knights immediately understood.
They broke into smaller groups and ran toward the ruined houses surrounding the plaza, disappearing between collapsed walls and shattered streets.
Bernard clung desperately to the dragon's scales while the wind tore at his cloak.
"You're insane!" he shouted. "What if it had breathed fire?!"
Toki didn't look back.
"The Dragon King flooded the area with mana," he said calmly. "The air is too saturated. Even dragons can't ignite flames right now."
Bernard blinked.
"…That's why they were waiting."
Toki nodded.
"They wanted us to scatter first."
Harold shifted his grip slightly, trying to stabilize himself while the dragon continued climbing higher into the smoky sky.
"And what exactly are we supposed to do now?"
Toki hesitated.
"I'm not sure how to say this."
The dragon beat its wings harder, gaining altitude as the city shrank beneath them.
"But this dragon isn't big enough for all three of us."
Before Harold could react, Toki suddenly drove his sword downward.
The blade plunged between the creature's scales.
The dragon shrieked in pain.
Its wings flared wildly as it climbed even higher, trying desperately to shake the source of the pain from its back.
Toki ignored the violent shaking.
Instead, he grabbed Bernard by the collar.
Bernard's eyes widened.
"…Toki?"
Toki threw him.
Bernard flew through the air toward the second dragon circling nearby, crashing hard against its back as the creature roared in surprise.
"YOU TRAITOR!"
His furious shout vanished into the wind as he struggled to find his balance on the second creature.
Toki turned toward Harold.
Harold stared back at him for a moment.
Then he slowly raised both hands.
"…I think I understand."
Without waiting for further instructions, he jumped.
His body dropped through the air before landing hard on the third dragon circling below.
Toki watched both of them for a moment.
Then he tightened his grip on his sword and glanced down at the creature beneath him.
The dragon twisted violently, roaring as it tried to shake him loose.
Toki smiled.
"Looks like the hunt has changed."
He pulled the blade deeper between the creature's scales and leaned forward against the rushing wind.
"Now it's time for the predator to become the prey."