Shiran floated high above the city, motionless against the midnight sky.
His translucent blue hair drifted like water suspended in air, shimmering faintly beneath the twin moons overhead. Thunderclouds rolled lazily around him, naturally drawn toward his presence as though the heavens themselves recognized their master.
Far below sprawled a massive settlement hidden deep within mountain ranges and concealed beneath layers of illusion magic.
To ordinary eyes, nothing existed there.
But Shiran's third eye pierced through deception effortlessly.
The city revealed itself in full.
Massive towers of silver metal stretched into the clouds while glowing highways floated through the air like rivers of light. Hovering vehicles darted between skyscrapers while magical advertisements illuminated the streets below in shifting colors.
Beastmen.
Everywhere.
Wolfkin.
Tigerfolk.
Fox spirits.
Avian shapeshifters.
Over the years, Shiran had crossed countless worlds overflowing with demi-human civilizations. Entire dimensions populated by races humanity would call monsters.
At this point, another hidden city barely surprised him anymore.
Still…
This one was advanced.
Dangerously advanced.
His spirit bloodline had made traveling between worlds difficult when he was younger. Different laws. Different mana systems. Different physics.
Survival demanded adaptation.
But those struggles belonged to the past now.
Shiran wasn't merely a traveler anymore.
He was a calamity wearing human skin.
The moment he fully awakened the Storm God's factor and absorbed the divine essence of a fallen dependent of Destruction, everything changed.
Even gods now referred to him carefully.
His Storm God had personally declared him undefeated beneath the heavens of his domain.
Storms.
Wind.
Lightning.
Natural catastrophes themselves bent instinctively around his existence.
And honestly?
Shiran believed it.
Especially here.
On this planet, almost nothing could threaten him.
Almost.
A small grin crossed his face at the thought of Shiro.
The recluse.
The monster hidden in shadows.
Shiran still wasn't sure if he genuinely wanted to fight him… or avoid him entirely.
Either way, fate would decide eventually.
Slowly, Shiran descended from the sky as though invisible stairs carried him downward.
The guards below were already waiting.
Ten armored knights stood near the gate entrance while roughly fifty soldiers formed ranks behind them. Their weapons trembled faintly despite their efforts to appear disciplined.
They felt his aura.
Good.
Shiran folded his arms casually.
"So," he said lazily, "I'm guessing I'm not exactly welcome."
The head knight stepped forward immediately.
"State your name and purpose."
Shiran's eyes drifted around the city walls dismissively.
"Relax," he replied smoothly. "I'm just passing through."
His voice carried subtle magic.
Not domination.
Not mind control.
Just enough hypnotic influence to soften suspicion and blur hostility.
The soldiers' expressions relaxed almost instantly.
"I noticed something crashed here a few days ago," Shiran continued casually. "Thought I'd investigate."
Before anyone could stop him, he casually reached toward the gate controls.
A translucent magical screen appeared instantly.
[NAME: SHIRAN TAISEN]
[RANK: LEGENDARY]
[RACE: UNKNOWN]
[STATUS: DEMIGOD]
Silence.
Then immediate panic.
Every soldier dropped to one knee almost instantly.
The knights bowed deeply.
Shiran blinked once.
"…Seriously?"
His eyebrow twitched in annoyance.
His goddess never mentioned his status had officially updated already.
Normally records labeled him as demi-human because of his half-spirit origins.
But Demigod?
That changed everything politically.
Now entire civilizations would either worship him… or try assassinating him.
Neither sounded fun.
Clicking his tongue softly, Shiran walked past the kneeling guards and entered the city.
The magical veil surrounding the settlement shimmered faintly around him before recognizing his authority and allowing passage.
Inside, the city was absurdly futuristic.
Teleportation capsules launched civilians between buildings.
Floating trains moved through glowing rails suspended in the air.
Massive holograms advertised magical weapons, spirit enhancements, and dimensional travel services.
Shiran looked around unimpressed.
Technology never interested him much.
Power did.
His current armor suddenly felt outdated.
A light-blue cape draped over modest chest armor alongside reinforced gauntlets and greaves. Functional.
But beneath a fully awakened divine factor?
It felt beneath him now.
Then his eyes caught a nearby shop.
Weapons.
Armor.
Relics.
Now that was interesting.
The bell chimed softly as he entered.
The shopkeeper looked up—
—and immediately froze.
Fear exploded across the man's face the moment he recognized who had entered his store.
Honestly?
Shiran barely noticed.
He wandered casually between displays while faint sparks of lightning crackled unconsciously around his fingertips.
Swords forged from dragon bone.
Spirit rifles.
Dimensional-thread cloaks.
Nothing truly impressed him…
Until he saw it.
A dark-blue armored coat reinforced with storm crystals and layered spirit-thread metal.
Now that looked worthy.
Shiran lifted it slowly, running his fingers across the craftsmanship.
The armor hummed softly in response to his aura.
Compatible.
Good.
A small grin crossed his face.
The gods called him unbeatable.
But complacency was how monsters died.
Somewhere out there, stronger enemies existed.
Other dependents.
Other gods.
Other worlds.
And Shiran intended to be ready when they arrived.
Because storms never stopped coming.
And Shiran Taisen intended to remain at the center of every single one.