--Night Before the Blood Sky Phenomenon--
Under the bright, shining light of the moon, Seraphion, the King of Valhalla, walks down the prisoners' corridor to meet the former warlord of the Evil King. He is accompanied by two of his right-hand men and the captain of the elite knights, the Seven Pillars of Light. The corridor would have been dark if not for the moon and the guards watching from every unexpected direction.
The two right hands of Seraphion are twins from the Sky Resident race. One is named Vian Pollux de Geminos, and the other is Anda Castor de Geminos. Although Anda is the older sister, Vian shines brighter in terms of military achievements. However, Anda holds no grudge against her; instead, she supports her younger sister in becoming the brightest and is content to follow as the second.
Vian has bright golden hair with dark orange gradients. She wears the Sky Residents' military outfit, featuring short trousers and black stockings. Her agile personality requires a more flexible outfit to match her combat style.
Anda has bright white hair with dark blue gradients. She wears the same Sky Residents' military outfit, but with a long skirt due to her shyness and her supportive combat style, assisting her younger twin sister. Her elegant personality makes her a role model for her twin sister.
Thus, the twin sisters guard Seraphion from the front, while Lysander covers his back. No one else in the Kingdom of Valhalla is trusted to guard Seraphion's back besides Lysander. His loyalty to the king and his dependable personality have earned him this trust.
"Lysander, can you tell me once again what kind of person Malakar is?" Seraphion ask.
"Malakar is a man with rational thoughts, calm and aware of his surroundings. He's more mature than he looks, he also has no worldly wants in his eyes." Lysander explain.
"No worldly wants... eh? I'm sorry but that doesn't answer my question."
"Pardon me, your highness. If I were able to ask, what kind of answer did you want to hear?" Lysander confused.
Seraphion then turn his head and look at Lysander face, "Quite simple actually, I just want to know whether he's an easygoing person or stubborn ones."
The King's question left Lysander deep in thought. He keeps hearing Malakar's words about wanting to stop fighting by "ending the story," as he claimed. Deep in his heart, Lysander cannot accept Malakar's justification for killing the person he admired most. But when he recalls the past events, the pain inflicted by Malakar's subordinates has already been avenged, and the reign of the Evil King has ended. Yet, when he met Malakar face to face, he still couldn't accept his return.
"Lysander... Earth to Lysander... Were you just daydreaming right now? I told you to watch my back how can you let your guard down?" Seraphion, The King of Valhalla, wakes Lysander from his thoughts.
Shocked, Lysander had let his guard down by getting lost in his thoughts. He forgot why he was there, all because of a simple question from his king. Lysander immediately began apologizing for his carelessness, but the king had no interest in his apology. Instead, the king remained focused on the question he had asked earlier.
"So that kind of person Malakar is, huh? Well, at least I'm quite get the gist of it." said Seraphion.
As they approached the chamber where one of the warlords was imprisoned, the melody of a piano echoed through the corridor. The prisoner inside the cage was playing Moon Sonata No. 26, composed by William Chapel, while humming a beautiful tune that mirrored the melody she played.
As the King and his subordinate entered the chamber, a giant birdcage became visible—this was the prison for the warlord. Although the bars were wide open, the warlord could not escape due to sealing magic that prevented the use of magic and blocked any way out. Inside the cage, a giant tree stood at the center, surrounded by a staircase leading to the top. At the very top of the tree sat the warlord, playing the piano provided by the King.
Hexelina presses each note one by one, playing the music at a slow tempo. As the moon shines brightly above, it feels as if the moon itself is spotlighting her performance on a stage. The king and his subordinates become the audience of her solitary performance under the moonlight.
The soothing sound of Hexelina's playing causes the king and his subordinates to pause for a moment and enjoy the performance. No one dares to interrupt or break the silence as Hexelina touches each note. The king smiles, savoring her play, while the others close their eyes, listening intently to her piano performance without revealing their enjoyment.
And after the piano melody played by Hexelina ended, the moon was covered by clouds, signalling that her performance was over. Hexelina suddenly appeared behind the bars, looking at the King with a look of pity. She touched the invisible barrier between the bars, aware of how long she has been trapped inside the cage.
"Goodnight, Hexelina. Are you having fun this month?"
On the other side of the kingdom, Veronica and the other five elite knights were having a toast inside a bar in the capital. They had no orders at the time and were on their weekly break, enjoying a moment to unwind after a full day of training. The moon also provided a pleasant backdrop for their evening, adding to their enjoyment of the night.
However, not every member of the Seven Pillars of Light agrees with indulging in luxury and abandoning their primary purpose for uniting. One member who does not agree is Helios Ursa de Polaris, the man responsible for mana flux detection within the team, which enhances their vision to fight their enemies. He is also an advisor to the Earth Observation Security Manager, a role with significant responsibility for maintaining world peace.
Another member who cannot join the toast is Viridescent Ascella Borealis, the most enigmatic figure among the elite knights. No one knows what she does, and no one is close enough to ask; all they can do is watch her fade into the shadows, powerless to intervene. Veronica and the others hope to understand her better, but as time passes, she becomes increasingly gloomy.
Veronica and the other three are the only members who choose to join the toast on this beautiful night. Alastra, Alrescha, Veronica, and Sargas, all with similar tastes in drinks, order the same: Carbonated Tea. They raise their glasses to another peaceful day and express their hopes for the future of humanity.
"Cheers!" shout everyone.
"Man, nothing beats drinks after work."
"What are you saying, we're just working half day today."
"Oh come on... no fighting you two."
"THAT'S RIGHT, WE MUST SAVOR OUR REWARD FROM HARDWORKING!!!"
"Alastra, you're too loud."
"NOW YOU KNOW ME HAHAHAHAHA..."
Despite being the youngest of the elite members, Veronica blends seamlessly with the senior members of the Seven Pillars of Light. She converses and interacts with them as if she has known them for years, thanks to her easygoing nature. Sometimes, her traits make her a trusted confidante for her seniors, who rely on her to hold their secrets or express their feelings. Her kindness knows no bounds.
Yes... knows no bounds even the slightest.
Inside the shop where she and her friends were having a toast, a little girl passed by carrying a torn pink bear doll. The girl struggled to reach a sewing kit she had left on the counter. Unfortunately, the cashier was on a short break and had left the sewing kit on the counter, assuming that someone would come back for their forgotten item.
Unable to ignore the sight of the cute little girl struggling, Veronica stepped over, took the sewing kit, and handed it to her. The little girl was overjoyed and thanked Veronica with a beaming smile.
"Thank you, sis. For lending me a hand."
"No problem, cutie. By the way, can you tell me what's your name? And that's a beautiful bear, what do you call her?"
"He... Sa... uh... Saya. My name is Saya, and this is Mrs. Mika. The greatest bear in the street."
"Nice to meet you, Saya and Mrs. Mika. What a lovely friend-"
Before Veronica could finish her sentence, the sound of emergency bells began ringing from outside.
Shocked, Veronica immediately grabbed the little girl's hand and rushed her to the shelter. The other elite knights also took to the air, evacuating the residents to the shelter, which was heavily guarded by the Sky Residents' Knights Association. Veronica flew, holding the little girl in her arms, while keeping an eye on the unfolding situation in the city.
A voice could be heard in her ear, coming through the technology provided by the humans for distant communication. The report indicated that Hexelina, one of the Evil King's warlords who had been imprisoned by the King, had escaped, and the whereabouts of the King and his companions were unknown. However, as Veronica observed, chaos had yet to fully erupt; the only sign of disturbance was the panic among the residents, who were alarmed by the ringing of the emergency bells.
After Veronica and the little girl arrived at the shelter, Veronica gave the girl one last kiss on the forehead before leaving her in safety. The little girl ran inside, and Veronica immediately took to the air, flying at high speed to rendezvous with the other elite knights. Without Helios's assistance, Veronica and the others struggled to locate Hexelina, codenamed "Doll."
Just as Veronica was about to rendezvous with the other elite knights, she suddenly recalled the name given to Hexelina. Panicking, she flew back to the shelter at high speed, disregarding the orders from the other elite knights to rendezvous first. Veronica feared that her actions might put everyone in the shelter in danger.
"I must go! She probably must be there."
"Don't be ridiculous, we should scout the area for potential threat!"
"Then I'll look out around that area."
"Wait listen! We need to--" Veronica cut her channel and no longer hear what the vice-captain, Sargas, voices.
Veronica requested the guards at the shelter gate to open it so she could enter and search for the little girl. However, she couldn't find her anywhere, and the shelter appeared to be intact. As she looked out the window, she felt the ground begin to shake.
Chaos erupted as a black and red explosion was visible from the other side of the shelter, where the knights were engaged in battle. Realizing she had wasted precious time, Veronica quickly prepared to leave and rendezvous with the other elite knights. However, just as she was about to take off, the same pink bear doll that the little girl had been holding appeared in front of her eyes.
"Don't tell me..."
The doll then began to grow, expanding to thousands of times its original size. Eventually, it became a towering threat to anyone who dared to stand in its way.
Thus, an inevitable war erupted between the Sky Residents' knights and the cursed dolls that appeared around the capital. Though tragedy from the past seemed to repeat, this time no residents or innocent people were harmed. The Sky Residents' knights and the elite knights were far better prepared than they had been two thousand years ago.
That said, the Blood Sky phenomenon still occurred as the throne room was captured by Hexelina in the middle of the day.
The little cursed girl emerged from the throne room, slowly walking toward the entrance to join her cute cursed dolls, all while clutching her precious pink bear doll. She hummed the Sonata of the Moon as she stepped out, taking in the magnificent red-hued world her lord had desired. She smiled, laughed, and felt a deep sense of happiness, knowing her mission was complete.
The Kingdom of Valhalla was engulfed in a sea of fire and destruction as far as the eye could see. Veronica, having defended the shelter to the last drop of blood, fell unconscious from exhaustion and the fierce battle.
But that was not the end for the Kingdom of Valhalla. Lysander descended from the sky, confronting Hexelina to put an end to her madness. The remaining members of the Seven Pillars of Light, excluding Veronica, were also present, ready to join the fight against Hexelina. With their determination, they were prepared to take her down with their own hands. Meanwhile, the cursed doll army was being dealt with by reinforcements from neighboring sky resident cities.
"Now, it's just we and you, no five heroes came to rescue. And we finally, can avenge our hatred after all these years." said Lysander with confident.
"HAHAHAHAHA!!! Good good, I'd like to see you try."
Eight more cursed dolls spawned around Hexelina to defend her high ground. Among them were agile, giant cursed pink bear dolls, empowered by the Blood Sky. Six of the elite knights faced the daunting battle against Hexelina's cursed spawns. Putting aside their fear, Lysander and the other members fought with confidence, knowing they had prepared for this day for two thousand years.