Karem leaned forward, curiosity burning in his eyes.
"So… what happened next?"
Light exhaled deeply, his voice steady but shadowed with the weight of memory.
"We stayed with the rescue teams. They tried their best to protect us. Above us, the sky was lit with Voltra beams and missiles, the heavens themselves seemed to burn. Citizens screamed and huddled together, fear written across every face. Soldiers raised their shields, covering us from falling debris. All I could think about was my father… and my grandfather. They were inside the royal palace. I wanted to run to them, but my mother refused to let me go. Even the soldiers held me back—after all, I was only five years old."
Karem gave a small chuckle, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
"So you were always like this, huh?"
Light gave a faint smile but didn't respond, his mind already drifting back.
---
---
Thirteen years ago — inside the Royal Palace.
King Leo stood tall, unshaken, with Jugram at his side, surrounded by loyal soldiers.
Jugram's voice was urgent.
"Your Majesty, we must evacuate you from the palace at once! The enemy's army is heading straight here."
Leo's eyes hardened, his tone defiant.
"And you expect me to run and hide? To cower while my people suffer? Do you forget who I am, Jugram? I am Draekor Leo, King of the Central Kingdom."
Jugram lowered his head, his words stumbling.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I only worry for your safety. You are more than just our king… you are my closest friend."
Leo's expression softened for a brief moment.
"I know. That is why I trust you. But a king must never hide. We do not retreat—we strike back. Still, answer me this: how did they breach our defenses?"
Darius, Jugram's younger brother, stepped forward.
"They came from above… through the sky."
Leo's gaze sharpened.
"I already know that. What I want to know is what the border soldiers were doing! They should have seen the invaders long before they entered our lands. And more importantly—how did they pass through the barriers?"
At this, Darius fell silent, his lips pressed tightly shut.
Jugram finally answered in his place.
"The barriers… they were deactivated."
Before the king could reply, a soldier ran into the chamber, his armor scorched, panic in his voice.
"Your Majesty! They are not only advancing toward the palace—they are striking at the homes of Voltra beings. Explosions are tearing through the capital, entire Draekor families are being slaughtered!"
Jugram's face twisted in disbelief.
"What…? Instead of focusing on soldiers and the palace, they're hunting down Voltra beings? Even Draekors who have no part in the military?"
Jugram's voice was tense.
"This is bad… two entire kingdoms' armies are here, and we don't even have enough soldiers stationed at the palace."
King Leo raised his hand, calm but firm.
"Relax, Jugram. They may be many, but they stand against the mighty Draekors. Darius—go. Call back every soldier from the borders. We need them here at once."
He turned back to Jugram, a faint fire burning in his eyes.
"And you, my friend—breathe. Come with me to the battlefield. Numbers don't matter. They flew all the way here from their lands—most of their Voltra must have been consumed in the flight. Right now, they are weaker than they realize."
The king's voice deepened, carrying both pride and defiance.
"For a thousand years, the other kingdoms have tried to erase the Draekors from existence. Yet they have failed every single time. And today… they will fail again."
The battlefield was drenched in smoke and blood. When King Leo and Jugram finally arrived, what met their eyes was devastating—most of the Draekors already lay slain, their bodies scattered across the torn ground.
"Protect the king!" Jugram roared, his blade flashing as he blitzed forward. In a blur of speed, he cut down three, then four enemy soldiers, carving a path through the chaos.
But as the dust parted, two towering figures emerged—commanders leading the invading armies, one from the Western kingdom and the other from the Eastern Kingdom. Their presence alone seemed to split the battlefield in half.
The commander of the Eastern Kingdom sneered, raising his weapon. "So here he is—the king of the cruel Draekors."
The West's commander stepped forward, grinning. "I never thought I'd be given the honor of facing a Draekor king myself. To slay you here… our names will be etched in history as the ones who ended the reign of the dreakors."
King Leo stood firm, his sword glinting with cold light. His eyes burned with fury, but his lips curved into a mocking smirk.
"Don't get cocky, you insects," he spat. "Sneaking in like rats, attacking with two kingdoms at once—even hating each other yet crawling together like worms. And still, your so-called kings don't even dare to face me themselves? Pathetic cowards, hiding behind their commanders."
King Leo's voice thundered across the battlefield, his smirk never fading.
"I don't understand… when did the hatred between your kingdoms end? Since when have the East and West worked together? How long has this 'alliance' been in place?"
The commander of the East scoffed.
"Alliance? Don't fool yourself, King of Draekors. We have never been allies. We march together only because our target is the same—you. Our kingdoms may hate each other, but nothing unites us more than the desire to wipe out the Draekors once and for all."
Leo chuckled, his smirk sharper than ever.
"Whatever the reason, it almost makes me proud… proud that it takes two entire kingdoms, sworn enemies of each other, to set aside their hatred just to challenge the might of the Draekors. If nothing else, that only proves how terrifying we truly are."
Back to the present
"So, Light," Karem leaned forward, "how did you end up at the battlefield?"
Light let out a small, guilty laugh. "I was just a kid… but even then, I was reckless. While the soldiers were busy guiding the citizens, I slipped away—crawling right between their legs. My mother noticed almost instantly, but by then I was already gone."
He paused, his eyes clouding at the memory.
"My mother's voice rose in panic as she begged the soldiers, 'My son is missing! Please, find him! He's too brave for his own good—he might head toward the battlefield!' But the streets were filled with terrified screams, too many people shouting at once. The soldiers ignored her cries, too overwhelmed to listen. And in that chaos… I was already running toward the sounds of war."