"D-Destroyed?!" gasped Rena, her eyes shivering in horror at the words of the soldier. The most minuscule of tears appeared in the corner of her eyes, but the S-rank tried drastically to control herself.

"What about the population?!" roared Lio as he approached the soldier, his eyes fuming with rage.

"We have not heard anything. We... believe they were all killed," said the soldier, looking down in shame.

"!!"

"I can't believe this..." muttered the twins, both of them retreating slightly from the shock of the information. I guessed that their family lived in that village, meaning that their close ones had just been slaughtered by Jay in one fell swoop.

Jean watched the spectacle unfold before her calmly. She glanced at me, realizing that she had to take the lead. If I were to give out an order, the sorrow that the twins were feeling could easily be converted into rage - a burning hatred directed towards the Dragonkin, and towards me.

"We're moving out," she announced suddenly, snapping the twins out of their mental paralysis. "The longer we wait, the more people will die. Remember our goal. We are to intercept... and kill Jay Cadmium."

Everyone in the room nodded, following the blond warrior out of the room. This would be the clash that would determine the future of Auroria.

This was the final piece in Jay's plan.

The first step had been to manipulate a 'final stand' situation where he was seemingly forced to accept the Elder Wyvern's powers to guarantee the survival of his people. After the initial threat to Lares, as well as the entire Western front, had been neutralized with the elimination of a single individual, Jay began his assault on the Eastern side of Auroria.

He knew that innocent lives would have to be sacrificed if he was to be hated by the world, and out of the two remaining superpowers, he chose the Fei kingdom. The annihilation of Oran had alerted the world of his presence, and news of a terrifying monster was now spreading across the land.

To the naked eye, the Dragonkin had been fooled by Jay just as much as the other civilizations and were now valiantly defending the races that hated them so much.

Jay's next target was evident: the Vye twins.

Imania would be unable to destroy the Dragons due to the members that occupied power. As long as Amelia and Jean, who were both friends of the Dragonkin, remained that way, an attack from Imania was impossible.The only variable that remained uncertain for the future of the Dragonkin was the Fei. If they were to be incapacitated, then the Dragons would rule over Auroria, not only as its savior but a dominant power as well.

"Asthia," said Amelia, pulling me out of my thoughts, "is that army of yours already near Jay's position?"

"Yes. They've been following his aura."

And then there was the Faros. Typhon had enough power to rival Lio, who was ranked lowest of the S-ranks, and he would be more than enough to guarantee his people's safety for the time being.

We reached the outer gates of Feyfey, everyone dispersing as they mounted the deer that had been assigned to them for faster movement. Jean took the lead as the most powerful in the group, and nobody disputed her authority. She checked in on me one final time, turning to face the horizon ahead as I gave her a small nod.

"Let's go," she ordered, "we have only one target: Jay Cadmium."

Everyone remained silent as Jean shot off on the mount. The group of S-ranks followed, sticking to her trajectory to make sure they didn't create any unnecessary distance.

I ordered my steed to advance, gripping onto the fur as it sped off behind its brothers and sisters.

JAY CADMIUM'S POV:

A small glint of energy appeared to my right. My eyes glanced toward the source, seeing a small goblin peering over a hill before disappearing once again.

A monster?

No, it's the Faros. You ordered this, Jay. They're here to kill you.

Then I'll just kill them first.

I stopped myself from obliterating all forms of life that lay behind the hill, turning to face the giant black wyvern that stood behind me. I reached out and placed my hand in between the beast's eyes, closing my own eyelids as I felt his breath.

"Tell your siblings," I said, feeling my voice trembling with the added boom of the Elder, "your goal is to distract the humans and prevent them from reaching me. Ignore the costs."It let out a violent breath, retreating from my touch and soaring off into the sky to notify its brethren of the order. Dealing with all four S-ranks simultaneously was sure to be a challenge, even for me.

As long as Amelia and Jean remained occupied, I'd be able to eliminate the Vye twins, and then redirect my attention to the other three combatants. I instinctively grabbed the necklace that was hanging from my neck, looking down at the red jewel.

The stone had once carried a deep emotional meaning, but I could no longer recall what it was. Why had I felt so attached to this piece of jewelry? I delicately let go of the amulet, facing the horizon ahead once again as the sun began to set.

"Hey," I said, addressing myself to the second presence inside my head. The world around me darkened immediately as a thunderous boom revealed the giant monstrosity standing within my mind.

"What is it, half-breed? I don't enjoy being forcefully summoned," roared the Elder Wyvern. Even if this was only taking place inside my head, the overwhelming presence of the god never ceased to amaze me.

I looked around. Small glimmers of light began to fade around me, consumed by the ever-growing darkness. Was I witnessing my own mind being consumed right before my eyes?

"I've come to make a deal," I announced, struggling to maintain control over my own thoughts.

"I'm listening."

"I'll make the Dragonkin the most powerful race in all of Auroria, but I want something in exchange."

"You're bound to do that regardless, boy. Your mind will soon be lost in hatred."

I summoned midnight into my hand, putting the sharp blade to my throat. Blood trickled forth as I pushed the weapon deeper, stopping as soon as I felt a small change in the atmosphere.

"Are you willing to kill yourself? To abandon everything, trivialize the lives you killed, and run away from the relationships you've broken, for a selfish request?" asked the Wyvern, amused by my determination.magic

"I am. If I die, everything you've strived to achieve by lending me your power will have been for nothing. The Dragonkin will be blamed for the atrocities of the war, and this time, there won't be any escape."

"Hm, interesting. Well then, boy, what is it you want from me?"

A smile appeared on the face of the giant as I voiced my desire.

"Do you believe that to be in the realm of my power?" asked the monster, his purple eyes narrowing in on my own.

"Who knows."

"Fulfill your end of the bargain and we will see. These requests are not things I can so easily accept."