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The air felt… still. Frozen.
"…Forget it."
Tor lowered her head back to the ground, her golden eyes dim as she muttered,"Didn't think the last thing I'd see before dying would be a human. Kind of ironic, huh?"
Her tone carried quiet resignation — the helplessness of someone who knew their end was close.
"I'm
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Max and Miko Yotsuya went up to the second floor.
The two of them sat close together, chatting quietly.
Miko started telling him about what had happened over the past few days—like how she'd gone out to exorcise some evil spirits.
Just yesterday, Hana Yurikawa had been targeted by another one.
Because using her spiritual energy causes a visible "heat haze" effect, Miko didn't dare act recklessly. Instead, she made sure to send Hana safely home first.
Thankfully, evil spirits can't enter homes that are inhabited, so the thing had to stop at the door.
When Miko saw it pacing outside, she drew it away and found an open place to finish it off.
Basically, she ambushed it.
While the spirit was drawn toward her life energy, she gathered all her spiritual power into her body—especially her fists.
Then, with everything she had, she threw one punch.
The spirit exploded instantly.
After chatting, the two got a bit playful and started a clapping game, laughing and teasing each other.
An hour later, they finally stopped to rest.
"Hey, Miko," Max said, turning to look at her. "Are you going home tonight?"
"Huh?"
Miko, still dazed from losing the game, blinked, not catching what he said.
Seeing her blank look, Max chuckled and repeated, "I asked if you're going home tonight."
Her eyes slowly refocused, and in a slightly hoarse voice, she replied, "I told my mom I'd be staying over at Hana's place."
"I see."
Max raised a brow slightly.
If he remembered right, that was the same excuse she used last time.
Poor Hana Yurikawa had unknowingly "hosted" Miko twice already—both times for sleepovers that never happened.
"Well then," Max said, smiling faintly, "why don't we go again?"
He rolled over and pinned her down.
"N-no, not now—let's take a break first," Miko said quickly, her expression changing.
Even though a part of her wanted to, she still shook her head. She was completely exhausted.
Max wasn't human—at least not in that department.
If they went again, she felt she might actually break.
"It's fine. Watch this."
Max grinned, and a faint light shimmered around his hand as he cast his Sky Magic.
A warm, healing force spread through Miko's body in an instant, washing away her fatigue.
Her strength returned, and the soreness faded.
Just as she gasped in surprise, Max cut the spell and moved again—
And soon, the melody of their "duet" filled the room once more.
When it was all over, the clock had passed 3 a.m.
Max looked at Miko's flushed face, the way her brows had softened in sleep, and smiled tenderly.
He cast Sky Magic again—gently this time, so he wouldn't wake her.
The soothing power seeped quietly into her body.
Her frown relaxed completely, and a small, happy smile appeared on her lips, like she was dreaming something sweet.
Max got up quietly, grabbed some clean clothes, and went into the bathroom.
He was halfway through his shower when—
"Hm?"
A strange sensation rippled through him.
Something… powerful was approaching fast.
His sixth sense—sharpened by countless abilities—flared in warning.
It was rare for his instincts to sound the alarm, which meant whatever it was… wasn't ordinary.
Maybe something on his level—or even stronger.
That thought flashed through his mind as he strode to the window and peered out.
Up in the night sky, a massive shadow streaked past, cutting across the stars.
Its whole body shimmered with a mysterious energy that seemed to cloak it from sight.
In just a blink, it had flown more than a kilometer away.
"That direction… Saitama."
Narrowing his eyes, Max summoned the Encyclopedia of All Things.
A new entry appeared inside—still unlit, showing only a dark silhouette.
The shape was unmistakable.
A dragon.
A full-blown Western dragon.
"A dragon…" Max murmured, his expression growing thoughtful.
A Western dragon suddenly appearing in a modern, crossover world like this… only one anime came to mind—
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid.
And if he wasn't mistaken, the one he'd just seen was Tohru.
He thought he'd even glimpsed a sword stuck in her back.
If he wanted to confirm it, he just had to follow.
Without hesitation, he shut off the shower.
With a pulse of power, the lingering water on his skin evaporated instantly.
He went back to the bedroom, grabbed some clothes from the wardrobe—a white T-shirt under a black hoodie, khaki pants—and slipped them on.
Phone and keys in hand, he stepped out into the courtyard and rose silently into the air.
A concealment barrier wrapped around him as he accelerated, flying toward Saitama at half the speed of sound.
Thanks to the barrier and the Sanctuary's power, there wasn't a single sound as he moved.
Before long, he reached his destination—an old, familiar place.
A city next to Tokyo, in Saitama Prefecture: Oborozuka City.
The last time he'd been here, he'd lured a horde of evil spirits into this area as part of his "fishing operation."
"Oborozuka City…" he murmured, eyes flickering with recognition.
Then it hit him.
That was the same city name from Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid.
He hadn't realized it before. If not for seeing Tohru just now—and coming back here—he might never have remembered.
A short while later, on the city's outskirts—
Max found her.
In the same forest where he'd once purged spirits, a huge figure lay sprawled on the ground.
A massive emerald-green dragon, her scales gleaming like carved gemstones, perfectly fitted together.
Even lying down, she stood nearly three meters tall.
On her back were two dark, leathery wings like a bat's, and from her head sprouted a pair of deer-like brown horns branching in two.
A few sharp, white teeth glinted faintly at the edge of her mouth.
And on her back—
A long sword was buried deep, the wound still faintly pulsing as blood dissolved into the night air.
"So it is Tohru," Max thought.
As he stepped closer, the dragon's golden eyes suddenly opened, the slit pupils glowing crimson.
An invisible pressure filled the air.
If it had been anyone else, they'd probably have collapsed from fear.
"Human," a cold, regal voice rumbled. "Leave this place—"
"Or die."
Her massive jaws opened slightly, flashing her fangs.
But there was no killing intent in her tone.
Max only smiled, lips curving faintly.
Their eyes met—man and dragon, face-to-face.
The evening breeze stirred his hair as they stared at each other.
Then Tohru blinked, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes.
This human… wasn't afraid of her at all.
In fact, she sensed no hostility from him—only something gentle, maybe even a hint of… fondness?
What a strange human.
"....."
Bai. What about you?"
Max smiled casually, stepping closer without a hint of fear.
Tor blinked. "…?"
She was stunned for a second, not expecting a dying dragon to be asked her name like they were meeting at a café. The two locked eyes for a few silent moments.
Maybe it was because she was already close to death.Maybe it was because she couldn't sense a shred of malice from him.
"…Tor."
After a pause, she finally answered quietly.
"Tor, huh? Nice name."
Max grinned, pointing at the divine sword buried deep in her back. "So, what's the deal with that sword? You want me to pull it out for you? Looks like it hurts."
Tor stared at him, a little thrown off by the offer. "Help me…?"
Then she snorted, pride flashing through her pain."Human, do you even know what this sword is?"
"That's the Sword of the Gods — forged from divine power itself. It holds the will of a god. Even touching it would shatter your mind and kill you instantly."
Max smirked. "Guess I'll take that risk."
A flash of confidence curved his lips as silver light rippled around him — the Holy Domain of Silver expanding faintly. He floated up and landed lightly on Tor's massive back.
"…Huh?"
Tor's eyes widened.She'd taken him for an ordinary human — apparently, she'd been wrong.
A mage? A warrior? Either way, not normal.
"Human, don't throw your life away," she warned.
Even she, a dragon, couldn't resist the suppression of the divine sword. It had pierced her with divine will — there was no healing from that. She could only wait for death.
If a dragon couldn't handle it, what chance did a human have?
"Trust me," Max said with an easy smile.
Tor fell silent again.
He floated higher, reaching the level of the sword's hilt, and extended his right hand toward it.
Tor's eyes widened.She could already imagine his mind shattering, his body dropping lifeless to the ground.
But Max's hand wrapped firmly around the hilt.
A blinding white light burst forth.
In that instant, a surge of invisible divine will invaded Max's consciousness — manifesting as a towering figure made of pure white radiance, surrounded by a faint red halo.
Majestic. Sacred. Absolute.A being no mortal should ever dare to gaze upon.
The will of a god.
In the center of his spiritual domain, Max's soul sat cross-legged in the void.Seven miniature Swords of Damocles stood before him, while behind his soul, a radiant golden wheel turned slowly, its edge glowing faint violet. Streams of purple-gold light danced like mischievous sprites, tracing luminous trails around him — faintly forming an infinity symbol.
Holy. Eternal. Noble. Mysterious. Timeless.
Every divine quality was etched into his very essence.
Max's soul slowly opened its eyes.
The seven Swords of Authority vanished — and in the next instant, they reappeared above the manifestation of divine will.
They merged into one.
A single long sword of Colorless Authority took shape, sealing the space around the god's will completely.
Then it fell.
The strike met no resistance. The divine will was pierced clean through.
As the Sword of Damocles returned to its place, the god's will shattered — dissolving into specks of starlight and fading into nothing.
The whole exchange took less than three seconds.
Back in reality.
Max froze for a moment after gripping the sword — then the divine blade disintegrated into dust and light, vanishing completely.
Tor's eyes went wide. "Impossible!"
The Sword of the Gods… gone? Just like that?What about the divine will inside it?
That sword had carried enough power to make her — a dragon — wait quietly for death. And yet this human had erased it in seconds?
Somewhere else — in a higher realm tied to the main universe.
The god who had once wounded Tor frowned slightly, sensing something amiss.
"How odd," he murmured. "One of my wills has vanished."
"No feedback, no trace… Interesting."
"That sword was forged from my will to slay dragons. There's no way that little dragon could've removed it herself."
"Nor could the other dragons have helped — I'd at least feel the ripple."
"So… who did it?"
He thought for a moment, imagining a few beings who might rival him — then chuckled and dismissed the thought.
Tor was a mere side note in his grand design.
Main world — Oboro City.
As the Sword of the Gods vanished, Max received a message from his Universal Archive: a new entry had been unlocked.
He blinked, returning from a momentary daze, and turned to the dumbfounded Tor.
Smiling lightly, he asked, "Tor, you good?"
The wound on her back had completely vanished, as if it never existed.
"I… I'm fine," she stammered, blinking rapidly as she came back to her senses.
Her gaze toward Max had changed — something new flickering in her golden-red eyes.
"Good."
Max hopped down from her back.
As soon as his feet hit the ground, Tor's body glowed red. Her form shrank rapidly under a swirl of light until she stood before him in human shape — wrapped in a brown-gray cloak, long golden hair flowing down her back with crimson-tinted tips.
A pair of dragon horns still curved from her head, and a short, plump teal tail peeked from behind the cloak.
Her face was delicate and fair, soft with a hint of baby fat — a perfect blend of beauty and cuteness.Her eyes shone like twin gems of molten gold, the pupils sharp crimson slits that gave her a striking, almost predatory charm.
"She's actually pretty tall…" Max thought aloud, a bit impressed.
In her human form, Tor stood around 1.75 meters — nearly 1.8 counting the horns.Their eyes met again.
Tor's expression was cool, distant.
Max smiled. "Wanna talk?"
At that, a faint thought flickered in his mind — and a translucent, mosaic-patterned blue barrier shaped itself into a long-backed bench behind him.
He sat down and gestured toward the seat beside him. "Come on, Tor."
Tor hesitated, then quietly sat next to him. Her cloak shifted slightly, revealing hints of the graceful form beneath.
Max turned his head, smiling knowingly. "So, Tor — how'd you end up with a god's sword stuck in your back?"
Tor's pupils narrowed slightly. Her gaze flickered with hesitation before she finally answered.
"…Because I challenged a god," she said softly. "And I overestimated myself."
After a short pause, she added almost absently,"Not my brightest idea."
Her voice trailed off as she lifted her eyes toward the rain-washed night sky, her expression distant.
"I see," Max said with an understanding smile. He didn't push further.
Tor blinked, glancing at him again — this strange human who didn't judge, didn't pity, didn't fear her.
For the first time in a long while, she didn't quite know what to make of someone.
"....."