In the eastern sky, the gray-robed figure remained perched atop the head of the Dark Dragon, which coiled majestically in the air. A confident smile played on his lips as he observed the green-robed man clash with his earthen giant. A sharp, slicing noise filled the air as the green-robed man's sword drove into the giant's head. Despite the blow splitting the giant's head apart, it didn't collapse. Instead, its boulder-like fists hammered down on the green-robed man, causing him to cough up blood and his face to turn pale. Remarkably, the earthen giant's head began to reform as if the damage had never occurred.
"Dante, you should surrender now. The Guardian of the Realm I've summoned is beyond your power to defeat," the gray-robed man said with calm authority. The green-robed man's eyes flashed with determination as he replied fiercely, "Brent, if I can't have it, neither will you!" A brilliant green light began to emanate from the green-robed man's hands, causing the gray-robed man to tense with alarm. "Stop!"
In an instant, the green-robed man's arms blazed with light, followed by a powerful explosive sound that quickly faded. "Dante, you—" The gray-robed man began to reprimand, but words failed him as he saw the green-robed man's ashen face. "Now neither of us has it. Brent, even if I'm injured, killing me will be no easy feat!" With a cold laugh, the green-robed man transformed into a streak of green light and sped off into the northeastern sky. The gray-robed man watched his departure, frowning but not giving chase. The earthen giant beside him slowly vanished as well.
"The 'Ethereal Sword Saint' Dante? What a pity. I'm not yet able to kill him," the gray-robed man murmured to himself. The Dark Dragon beneath him, responding to his master's wishes, flapped its immense wings and flew off toward the southeast. In the blink of an eye, both Saint-level combatants had vanished, leaving Dragonspire Village in ruins.
Almost a thousand homes had collapsed, and the air was filled with cries of agony, anger, and despair. The once tranquil village had been transformed into a scene of utter devastation.
…
At the Reshin clan manor courtyard, Kazuki sat at a table, deeply troubled. As the leader of Dragonspire Village, he needed to carefully consider how to address the crisis. Footsteps approached as Uncle Haruto entered the room.
"Lord."
"How is Renji?" Kazuki asked urgently.
Haruto offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Lord. I've cleaned and rebandaged Young Master Renji's wounds, ensured he ate well, changed his clothes, and got some rest. He'll be much better by the time he wakes."
Kazuki nodded, feeling slightly relieved but still concerned. "Are you worried about the villagers?" Haruto asked.
Kazuki nodded again, a wry smile on his face. "Most of the villagers aren't warriors. The men might fare better, but the women and children wouldn't stand a chance against the rain of boulders."
Haruto agreed, noting that very few in Dragonspire Village could use 'battleqi'. With so many rocks falling from the sky, only those who had hidden in cellars or used thick shields had any chance of surviving unscathed. "We'll have to wait for Draven's report," Kazuki said, feeling restless.
Urgent footsteps echoed through the manor as Draven entered quickly.
"Draven, what's the situation in Dragonspire Village?" Kazuki asked.
Draven's face was grave. "We've calculated that over three hundred people have died, and a thousand are injured." With a population of around five thousand, this meant a casualty rate of about 20%. The town's workforce had been severely depleted, and the economic impact would be dire.
"So many casualties?" Kazuki's concern deepened. He had considered lowering taxes to help, but with his own clan's survival at stake, aiding the town's commoners was a significant challenge. "Lord Kazuki, the villagers greatly appreciate your efforts and kindness. They know how much you've done for them. Please try not to worry too much," Draven said.
Draven, a native of Dragonspire Village, had joined the Reshin clan's guard out of gratitude after retiring from a prestigious career. "Draven, lead the guard in further scouting the village. Uncle Haruto, please get some rest," Kazuki instructed.
"Yes, Lord," Draven and Haruto both responded.
Once they had departed, Kazuki was left alone, deeply immersed in thought.
…
In Renji's bedroom, Haruto had instructed everyone to allow Renji to rest due to his head injury. While the village was in turmoil, Renji's room remained calm. Deeply asleep, Renji was unaware of the Celestial Dragon Ring's subtle changes.
A soft chime sounded as light began to emanate from Renji's chest. The Celestial Dragon Ring, hidden beneath his pajamas, slowly floated out and hovered a few centimeters above him. The ring's glow intensified, unnoticed by Renji.
Suddenly, a ray of hazy light shot from the ring and materialized into the form of a kindly old man in moon-white robes with a long white beard. As the ring fell back onto Renji's chest, exhausted, Renji's eyes fluttered open to find the stranger at his bedside.
"Who…who are you?" Renji asked, shocked.
"Hello, young one. I'm Kaiya Tanaka, a Saint-level Grand Magus from the Plutia Empire!" the old man said with a warm smile.
Renji's eyes widened in surprise. "You're a Saint-level magus instructor?"
The old man nodded. "That's correct. But wait, the Plutia Empire was destroyed over five thousand years ago. How can you be from there?" Renji asked, puzzled. The Plutia Empire had fallen before his own clan even existed and was no longer one of the world's major powers.