The violent emergence of the Black Dragon was not a victimless event. As it tore through the crust of the earth to reach the surface, a colossal, jagged chasm opened in the heart of Orario.
The structural integrity of the surrounding district collapsed instantly, and despite the frantic, high-speed evacuation efforts led by Shakti and the Ganesha Familia, the sheer suddenness of the breach made casualties unavoidable.
Screams of terror and pain echoed through the dust-choked streets near the epicenter as buildings crumbled into the abyss.
In the silence of the underground altar, the gods emerged from the inner sanctum, their gazes fixed upon the sky where two figures—one a mountain of obsidian scales and the other a speck of brilliant gold—held the world in the balance.
Asfi descended from the air and landed amidst the gathered deities. She moved quickly to Hermes' side, her expression grim.
"What is the situation up there, Asfi?" Hermes asked immediately, his usual playful tone replaced by a sharp, calculating edge.
"I have no idea. The Black Dragon rushed out of the depths, and two seconds later, that golden figure erupted from the same hole. It flew straight into the dragon's path to confront it head-on. They've been locked in a stalemate ever since." Asfi replied, shaking her head as she tried to catch her breath.
Upon hearing this, the gods ceased their questioning. They turned their eyes upward once more, joined by nearly every living soul in Orario. Those residents who had been far enough from the breach to remain unharmed stood paralyzed, their necks craned toward the skies.
The terrifying, oppressive aura that had blanketed the city during the dragon's ascent had made one thing clear: this was a monster of mythic proportions. The people knew instinctively that if this behemoth decided to attack, Orario would likely cease to exist.
All eyes remained fixed on Julie, the radiant warrior standing as the city's lone sentinel.
To the common person, the choice of who to support was obvious. Julie was humanoid, radiant, and stood in a protective posture. To face such a behemoth, one had to possess power that bordered on the divine.
In the silence of the city, many began to pray—some to their own gods, and some to the golden stranger in the sky—hoping desperately that the light would prevail over the darkness.
Even seasoned adventurers like Asfi and Shakti, who had begun to guess the true identity of the golden figure, felt a surge of anticipation.
The gods shared this tension. They knew that currently, only Julie possessed the raw Level 10 output required to rival such a Black Dragon.
The only other option was for the gods themselves to unleash their Arcanum. However, they had all signed the ancient contracts of the lower world. To use divine power would mean an immediate forfeiture of their earthly lives and a forced return to the divine realm. It was a card they would loath to play unless the destruction of the world was truly imminent.
The atmosphere in Orario became unnervingly quiet. Aside from the distant moans of the injured, the city held its collective breath.
Then, the unthinkable happened.
After several long minutes of silent confrontation, the Black Dragon did not roar, nor did it unleash a torrent of flame. Instead, it flapped its gargantuan wings, creating a hurricane, and simply turned away. It began to fly toward the horizon, its massive form shrinking as it moved with incredible speed into the distance.
The spectators were stunned. The tension that had been wound to the breaking point snapped into a state of total bewilderment.
"It... it just left? Just like that?"
Voices began to rise in a confused murmur as people stared at the black dot fading into the clouds.
Julie did not pursue. They were bound by their primary directive: protect the city and report to Leon.
Deep on the 77th floor, Leon was still submerged in a sea of monsters. When the mental report from Julie reached him, the news was so unexpected that his concentration slipped for a fraction of a second. A Level 7 monster caught him with a heavy blow, sending him sliding back across the cavern floor.
Leon quickly recovered, his blade flashing as he cleaved through the next wave of attackers, but his mind was racing.
It escaped? Why leave immediately after emerging? Why go through all that effort to reach the surface just to fly away without a single strike against the city?
Leon pondered the mystery while maintaining the rhythm of the slaughter. He knew, via Julie's connection to Hestia, that the dragon had not been driven off by force, it had made a choice.
...
Back on the surface, Julie descended from the clouds, their golden radiance fading as they landed softly beside Hestia.
In a shimmer of light, the fusion dissolved. Ellie vanished back into Hestia's hair ornament to rest. June followed suit, teleporting back to the 50th floor to resume their duties there.
"Oh, they're leaving already? I didn't even get to give them a hug." Loki wailed, her eyes wide with disappointment.
She had been enchanted by the cuteness of the two fairies and was desperate for more time with them.
"Hestia, come on. Let Ellie out for just a minute. And where did the dark one go? I need to meet that guy as well."
"Absolutely not. They've just fought a Level 10 monster to a standstill. Let them rest." Hestia snapped, rolling her eyes at Loki's antics.
The other gods began to gather, their faces reflecting a mix of relief and lingering shock.
"We owe a great debt to them this time." Miach said, his voice still shaking from the residual adrenaline.
"Yes. If those two hadn't been there to block the initial path, Orario might not have survived the dragon's first instinctual rampage." Takemikazuchi agreed, nodding solemnly.
"If it weren't for their presence, that dragon wouldn't have flown away so easily. It sensed a predator of its own caliber. It realized that Orario was not an easy meal." Hephaestus added.
The conversation continued as the gods expressed their gratitude. They were relieved to still be in the mortal realm, spared from the forced return to the divine realm.
However, amidst the celebration, a few remained silent.
"Hermes, what's wrong?" One god asked, noticing his somber expression.
"The dragon ran away. Isn't that cause for a drink?"
"And Freya, you're looking quite gloomy as well." Another remarked.
Hermes didn't look up, his eyes were fixed on the horizon where the dragon had disappeared. "That dragon... it didn't just fly away randomly. It's headed toward the end of the world."
The chatter among the gods died down instantly. The "end of the world" was a term that carried a heavy, historical weight—it was the domain of the One-Eyed Black Dragon.
"Why do you think it went there? Why seek out the territory of the One-Eyed Black Dragon?" Freya asked, her eyes cold and focused.
As the question hung in the air, a collective shiver seemed to pass through the divine assembly.
The gods, beings of intuition and cosmic awareness, felt a sudden, sharp pang of unease.
"I have a bad feeling about this." One deity whispered, clutching their chest. "A sense of foreboding... like something much worse is about to begin."
"You feel it too?" Another asked, eyes wide with surprise.
One by one, the gods chimed in, each confessing to the same rising dread. The relief of the dragon's departure was quickly being replaced by a terrifying realization.
The gods looked at each other, their expressions turning deathly solemn.