In a lush garden nestled in the heart of the city, Lady Mirielle, daughter of Viscount Eremud, enjoyed her afternoon tea alongside three companions, fellow young nobles. The garden was adorned with vibrant blooms in full bloom, exuding an elegance only found within aristocratic circles.
While giggling at one of her companions' jokes, Mirielle's eyes inadvertently drifted skyward. Something streaked across the heavens—a small, dark, and unfamiliar object, moving soundlessly and flying higher than any bird she had ever seen. A wyvern? No, it wasn't flapping its wings.
"What is that flying up there?" she asked suddenly, pointing toward the sky.
Her friends lazily turned their gazes upward. One of them, Lady Celestine, furrowed her brow. "I'm not sure. Maybe a stray wyvern. It's dangerous to have them flying over our skies."
Lady Anne, seated beside her, nodded in agreement. "Indeed, stray wyverns often appear near the forest. My father once captured one that approached our village."
Mirielle kept her gaze fixed on the object, suspicion clouding her thoughts. That's no wyvern. Wyverns don't fly without flapping their wings... Am I hallucinating? However, she dismissed the thought, allowing herself to be swayed by her friends' cheerful chatter.
Above the ground, Kira remained focused on her mission. She had no idea her presence had caught the attention of a noblewoman below. However, her navigation system began beeping, signaling the mission's time limit. She swiftly redirected her aircraft back on course.
"All systems are stable," she muttered while checking the instruments. "Recon mission proceeding smoothly. Time to return." Her aircraft banked gracefully, disappearing behind the clouds en route to the base.
As the Recon Raven glided effortlessly through the skies, Lieutenant Kira prepared for her return. The mission had gone well—data had been collected, and there was enough fuel for the journey back. Yet, something unusual on her GPS screen caught her attention.
"What's this?" she murmured, staring at an anomaly on her GPS, a fast-moving signal unlike anything she had encountered during this mission. She redirected her sensors toward the signal.
Suddenly, a panicked voice crackled through the communication channel. Captain Adler's urgent tone broke through the static. "Kira! You're not alone in the skies! Something big is heading toward you from the southwest!"
A chill ran down Kira's spine. She glanced out of the cockpit, scanning the horizon for the threat Adler mentioned. In the distance, she spotted a massive crimson silhouette cutting through the sky with alarming speed, its enormous wings slicing through the air.
"Oh my God..." Kira whispered, her voice almost drowned out by the drone of her aircraft's engine. "Captain, that's... a dragon."
The red dragon roared, its bellow echoing across the skies, a terrifying proclamation of its presence. Flames erupted from its mouth, casting an orange glow against the blue expanse. Kira felt a surge of tension. Her aircraft, the Recon Raven, wasn't built for combat. No heavy weapons, no missiles—only advanced surveillance systems ill-suited for such an encounter.
"That damned dragon is chasing me!" Kira shouted into the comms, her voice a mix of panic and determination. "I need backup! Now!"
"Kira, avoid direct contact!" Adler ordered. "Fly in a zig-zag pattern and use your speed to evade. Help is on the way!"
Gritting her teeth, Kira yanked the control stick, forcing the aircraft into a sharp turn. The dragon drew closer, its fiery breath seemingly capable of scorching the air itself. The aircraft swerved sharply, evading an attack, but the dragon persisted, matching her maneuvers with surprising agility for its size.
"Come on, come on..." Kira muttered, pushing the throttle to its limit. She scanned her instruments frantically, searching for a way to outmaneuver the beast. However, the dragon's speed and aerial prowess presented a relentless threat.
The dragon attacked again, spewing flames that narrowly missed the aircraft's tail. Alarms blared in the cockpit.
"Adler! It's too fast! I can't maintain the distance much longer!" Kira cried.
"Hold on, Kira!" Adler barked. "We're deploying two fighter jets to assist, but they'll need a few minutes to reach you."
"A few minutes?!" Kira gritted her teeth, struggling to stay calm. She lowered her aircraft closer to the mountain peaks, hoping the dragon would lose track of her amidst the narrow cliffs. Yet, the beast remained hot on her trail, closing the gap with each passing moment.
Kira realized her only chance of survival lay in using the environment. She spotted a large rock formation ahead—a sheer cliff with a narrow gap between mountain peaks.
"All right, you want to play? Let's play," Kira muttered, tilting her aircraft and guiding the Recon Raven into the narrow passage. The aircraft twisted and turned, barely avoiding the rocky walls.
The dragon pursued, its massive wings barely fitting through the tight space. It growled in frustration, flapping its wings powerfully to keep up with its prey.
Inside the cockpit, Kira remained laser-focused, sweat dripping down her face. Every movement of the controls had to be perfect—one small mistake, and her aircraft would crash against the cliffs.
"He's still on me!" Kira reported. "Captain, I can't keep this up much longer!"
"Kira, stay sharp! Help is almost there!" Adler replied.
Just as Kira was about to run out of options, two fighter jets from the Air Force squadron arrived, led by Lieutenant Graves. The jets were armed with air-to-air missiles, giving them the upper hand against the dragon.
"Recon Raven, this is Lieutenant Graves. We've got your back. Stay safe and exit the conflict zone," Graves commanded over the comms.
Relief flooded Kira's voice. "Thank you, Graves. It's right behind me. Be careful—this thing is fast."
Graves and his wingman sprang into action. One jet deployed flares to divert the dragon's attention, while Graves locked onto the target with a missile. The dragon momentarily turned toward the flares, giving Kira time to escape.
"Target locked," Graves murmured. He pressed the launch button, sending a missile hurtling toward the dragon.
A massive explosion lit up the sky, the bright flash momentarily blinding. The dragon roared in anger, but it appeared only slightly injured. It turned, glaring at the fighter jets with evident fury, before retreating toward the mountains.
"It's disengaging," Graves reported. "Recon Raven, your path is clear. Return to base."
Kira exhaled deeply, the tension finally releasing. "Thanks, Graves. I owe you my life."
"Just doing our job, Raven," Graves replied with a chuckle. "Let's head back together."
When Kira landed at the base, Adler and Director Cero were waiting in the hangar. Cero regarded her with a serious expression.
"You're safe, Lieutenant. That's what matters," Cero said.
Kira climbed out of the cockpit, her face still pale. "Director, that creature... it's more than just an ordinary dragon. It's smart—like it knew exactly how to attack and defend."
Cero nodded, his expression thoughtful. "We'll investigate this further. For now, debrief with your team and ensure your report is submitted before sundown."
"Yes, sir," Kira replied, saluting.
As Kira walked away, Cero gazed at the sky. "A dragon like that... This is just the beginning of what we'll face in this world."
---
The encounter with the red dragon quickly spread throughout Cero's military divisions. In the hangars, technicians buzzed with stories of how Lieutenant Kira narrowly escaped a deadly chase. Meanwhile, soldiers at the main headquarters debated the likelihood of similar threats in the future.
In the main tactical room, Captain Adler presented a comprehensive report to the military commanders. "Director Cero had warned us that this world contains creatures like dragons, but this was our first direct encounter," he said. "We need to enhance our aerial preparedness and strategy. This isn't just about technology—creatures like these are intelligent and unpredictable."
A technician raised his hand. "Do we even have enough firepower to fight off such a creature if it shows up again?"
Adler nodded. "We've already submitted a request to develop new aerial weaponry. Charles in the research department is working on modifying missiles to be more effective against creatures like dragons."
Meanwhile, the small town of Dralven began to feel the ripple effects of the incident. Although most locals hadn't seen the dragon firsthand, rumors spread quickly through merchants and townsfolk gathering at the central market.
"I heard the dragon attacked their flying machines in the sky," a farmer told his friend at the marketplace.
"Flying machines? What's that?" his friend replied, puzzled.
"It's like a giant iron bird. They say it can fly without flapping its wings," the farmer said enthusiastically.
At the town hall, local leaders collaborating with Cero's administration read the first newspaper hot off the press. The paper was printed in two languages: one in Altheran script and grammar for the locals, and the other in Earth's language. The bold headline on the front page read: "Threat in the Skies: The Red Dragon Encounter!"
Thanks to the education programs developed by Cero's group, local citizens were beginning to grasp basic reading skills. In the town square, a group of children gathered around a teacher, trying to sound out the words on the front page.
"Children, this is the word dragon," the teacher said, pointing to the illustration of a dragon on the front page. "This creature was the threat our forces faced yesterday."
A small boy raised his hand. "Did our soldiers defeat it?"
The teacher smiled. "They survived, and that's what matters most. But Director Cero is working hard to ensure everyone stays safe."
In a nearby tavern, merchants and farmers who had recently learned to read were also poring over the newspaper. Many discussed how Cero's group had brought profound changes to their region.
"Look at this," a merchant said, pointing to an article written in the local language. "They even print news in our script. Who would've thought we villagers could finally read about the world?"
At headquarters, Cero convened a meeting with Sarah, Charles, and Adler. In a conference room equipped with data projections, they discussed their next steps.
"Rumors about the dragon are spreading like wildfire," Sarah said, handing over a report. "While the newspaper helps control the narrative, we must be cautious not to incite unnecessary fear."
Cero nodded, studying a chart showing newspaper distribution across Dralven. "The newspaper is an excellent first step. Through it, we can disseminate controlled information while also advancing literacy among the locals. But I agree with you, Sarah—we can't let panic take root."
Charles, who had just received the dragon report, added, "Director, if another dragon like that appears, we'll need specialized weaponry. My team has already begun developing energy-based missiles using the Core we discovered. These will be far more effective than conventional weapons."
Adler nodded in agreement. "We also need to enhance pilot training. Not everyone has Kira's skillset."
Within the military, the incident spurred both heightened vigilance and renewed determination. Soldiers trained harder, while technicians worked tirelessly to improve aircraft and equipment readiness.
On the other hand, some individuals began to doubt their readiness. A young soldier voiced his concerns to a friend in the mess hall. "Are we truly prepared to fight creatures like that? This isn't like any war we've fought before."
His friend patted him on the shoulder. "Director Cero knows what he's doing. As long as we follow his lead, we'll be fine."
In the education department, teachers began using the dragon story as a teaching tool. They connected Altheran myths about dragons to the modern knowledge brought by Cero's group, sparking curiosity and discussion among their students.
After the meeting, Cero stood at the head of the conference table, addressing everyone in the room. "This red dragon is a reminder that this world is full of the unknown. But we won't back down. We will learn, adapt, and ultimately control the situation."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Sarah added, "And with education and technology, we can also uplift the local communities. They're starting to trust us. This newspaper is a small step, but its impact is enormous."
Cero offered a faint smile. "Good. Let's make sure we stay one step ahead—against dragons and ignorance alike."