The officer stared at the figure below.
"...What should we do?"
Silence filled the command deck.
The captain's expression remained grim.
"...Send out a report."
The officer immediately turned.
"Yes, sir."
He reached for the communication artifact.
The captain continued.
"Inform every unit."
"Tell them the Dark One—the son of the Demon King—has been spotted at the center of the incident."
"Tell them to exercise extreme caution."
The officer nodded.
"Understood."
The message was immediately transmitted.
Across the battlefield—
soldiers received the report.
Then—
the information quickly spread to the adventurers as well.
Several adventurers looked at one another.
"...The son of the Demon King?"
"That's the Dark One?"
"Wait..."
Another adventurer's eyes widened.
"Isn't there a bounty on him?"
A few immediately became interested.
"Two hundred thousand gold."
The mere mention of that amount was enough to change the atmosphere.
"Two hundred thousand..."
Someone swallowed.
"That's enough to make a man rich."
Another adventurer tightened his grip around his weapon.
"...If he's really here..."
Greed began creeping into their eyes.
Some of them exchanged glances.
Two hundred thousand gold.
For many of them—
that was a fortune beyond anything they could have imagined.
But before anyone could make a reckless move—
Draven slowly raised his gaze.
He wasn't looking toward the airships.
His eyes shifted higher.
Toward the figure who had just arrived.
A silver-haired man with pointed ears hovered above the distant battlefield.
Lunaria's golden eyes narrowed.
*...What is this?*
He could sense it.
*The branch of the princess.*
*And Illyria.*
*He came because of that.*
Lunaria continued staring at Draven.
*But to think I'd meet him here.*
His expression slowly changed.
Something about Draven was different from their previous encounter.
Lunaria could feel it clearly.
The darkness surrounding him.
The pressure.
It was overwhelming.
Far greater than before.
*...This is different from our last encounter.*
*This pressure...*
*How did he change this much in such a short period of time?*
Draven stared at Lunaria for another moment.
Then—
a faint smile appeared on his face.
"You sure are persistent, aren't you?"
Lunaria's golden eyes remained fixed on him.
Draven continued.
"After what you did last time..."
He tilted his head slightly.
"You see, the brat really wants to kill you."
"But you were too strong."
"So he chose to escape."
His smile widened.
"But to think you'd come delivering yourself to him like this."
Draven raised one hand.
"I'll do him a favor."
His eyes sharpened.
"...And kill you."
He raised a single finger.
**SHHK!**
Blood gathered in the air.
A crimson construct began forming.
Then another.
And another.
One after the other—
blood weapons materialized around Draven.
Swords.
Spears.
Blades.
Every weapon was formed entirely from condensed blood mana.
Aldric stared from above.
*...Blood magic.*
His expression remained grim.
*That's to be expected.*
Lunaria's gaze remained fixed on Draven.
His golden eyes narrowed.
Draven smiled.
"...Now the roles are reversed."
The blood constructs floated around him.
His smile became wider.
"You better not die too quickly."
Draven's smile remained.
"So you'd best summon that spirit of yours..."
His raised finger moved slightly.
The blood constructs surrounding him suddenly shot forward.
**SHRAAAK!**
Crimson weapons tore through the air from every direction.
Lunaria's expression sharpened.
"Sylph."
The moment her name was called—
**WHOOOOSH!**
A violent burst of wind erupted around Lunaria.
His body disappeared from his previous position.
The blood constructs tore through empty air.
**SHHK! SHHK! SHHK!**
Lunaria reappeared several meters away.
His appearance had changed.
A crown rested upon his silver hair.
A pair of radiant wings extended from his back.
A bow formed in his hand.
He immediately drew the string.
Wind gathered around the arrow.
The projectile began spinning rapidly.
**VMMMMM—!**
Lunaria released it.
**BOOOOM!**
The arrow shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
Draven's eyes narrowed slightly.
He swung his arm.
A wave of mana collided with the incoming arrow.
**BAAANG!**
The projectile was violently deflected.
The resulting explosion spread across the battlefield.
Draven stared through the dissipating smoke.
"...What was that supposed to accomplish?"
His expression became almost disappointed.
"If that's all you can do..."
"...you're going to die."
A presence suddenly appeared behind Lunaria.
Three translucent wings unfolded from one side of its body.
The spirit hovered silently behind him.
"Sylph."
Her voice became serious.
"Be careful, Luna."
Lunaria glanced slightly toward her.
Sylph continued.
"I can't explain it..."
"But he's different from our first encounter."
Her eyes remained fixed on Draven.
"The feeling I'm getting from that child..."
"...it's something I've never felt before."
She hesitated.
"It feels—"
Draven's voice suddenly cut through the battlefield.
"To think..."
His golden eyes turned toward Sylph.
"...I'd be spoken about like this by a mere Great Spirit."
The pressure surrounding him intensified.
His gaze became cold.
"What gives you the right?"
Sylph froze.
Her entire body instinctively stiffened.
*...What is this?*
The moment their eyes met—
Sylph felt an overwhelming pressure descend upon her.
Her expression changed.
*This feeling...*
Her pupils trembled.
*I recognize it.*
*The feeling of standing before a higher existence.*
For the first time—
Sylph felt something dangerously close to fear.
"Luna..."
Her voice became quieter.
Lunaria immediately noticed.
"Sylph."
His voice was firm.
"Stay focused."
"I need you right now."
Sylph slowly recovered.
She clenched her fist.
"...Yes."
"I'm here."
She raised her arm.
Wind rapidly gathered around her.
Dozens of arrows formed from compressed air.
They floated behind her like a storm of blades.
Lunaria's eyes remained fixed on Draven.
"Then let's see..."
"...what exactly changed about you."
He reached toward the bow again.
But then—
"Raijin."
A spark of lightning appeared beside him.
**CRACK—!**
The spark rapidly expanded.
Lightning twisted through the air.
A second spirit manifested.
Its presence was completely different from Sylph's.
Electricity danced across its body.
Thunder rumbled in the sky.
Lunaria glanced toward the newly arrived spirit.
"You're coming too."
The spirit smiled.
"Of course."
Lightning exploded outward.
**KRAAAAK!**
The battlefield was illuminated by a flash of white light.
Draven watched the two spirits.
Then—
a faint smile returned to his face.
"Two Great Spirits?"
He tilted his head.
"Interesting."
The blood constructs around him began floating higher.
His crimson eyes gleamed.
"Though even that won't be enough..."
He paused.
"...but I'll play along."
His smile widened.
"So show me what you're capable of."
The wind around Sylph intensified.
Lightning gathered around Raijin.
Lunaria slowly drew his bow.
The pressure between the three sides continued rising.
The battlefield fell silent for a brief moment.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Even the soldiers and adventurers watching from a distance instinctively held their breath.
Then—
Draven's crimson eyes gleamed.
The two Great Spirits released their power.
And Lunaria's fingers slowly tightened around the bowstring.
The next clash—
was about to begin.