The universe is vast. Within its ever-expanding depths, there exist seven realms. Leagard, the realm of humans and magical beasts. Dwargo, the realm of dwarves. Gigante, the realm of giants, ogres, and the like. Aerlogard, the realm of elves and spirits. Netherworld, the realm of demons. Nirvana, the realm of the gods. And Ragnarok, the realm of dragons. For many millennia, these realms have lived in peace, until the demons led an attack on the humans. The humans, who were weaker than the demons, were slaughtered like pigs. The gods, who loved the humans, could not watch the one-sided slaughter for much longer, and only after allying with the Elves, did the gods fight back against the demons. Their leader, who felt the pressure of the alliance, partnered with the dwarves - who, with their expertly crafted weapons and armour, equalled the battlefield. The war between the five realms lasted many decades. That was when the gods pleaded with the dragons and the giants to assist them in the fight. The dragons remained firm in their exclusion from the war, while the giants joined the side of the gods. The addition of the giants turned the tides of war in favour of the gods. After finally driving the demons into a corner, the gods used a seal, crafted by a dwarven man who defected from his race to assist the gods and sealed the demon race and the dwarven race in their respective realms. The aftermath of the battle left trillions of casualties in each realm; however, the war that lasted over 1000 years finally ended. The key to the seal was split into three pieces, one given to the most powerful being in Nirvana, Gigante, and Aerlogard. The war was dubbed the Ancient Magic War because, after many centuries, the flames of war disappeared from the minds of humans, and they lived their lives out in peace.
“Blech!!”Grandpa’s foot digs into my stomach. My body flies into a nearby mountain. *Cough*, *cough*, *cough*—I cough blood into the dust filled air.“Get up,” says Grandpa, standing next to me.I jump up, but he kicks my legs, and before I hit the ground, he kicks me in the same spot, sending me flying through the forest. “Grandpa!!” I scream. Before his kick landed, I focussed my mana around my stomach. *Cough*,*cough*—my coughs persist. I wipe the blood teeming from the side of my mouth. “I thought I blocked that kick perfectly.”“You still have quite a long way to go before you can defend yourself from one of my kicks, Haruki.”“Grandpa!! How could you kick me down after telling me to get up!!” This hulk of a man in front of me is my Grandfather, Emygdius. He is one of the oldest dragons in Ragnarök – his exact age is unknown to me, but from what I’ve heard, he has existed for aeons. He looks down at me with his signature stern expression—one he’s worn since he received the scar r
He appeared before me—a ray of hope. Or rather, a being of chaos impersonating hope. But before his appearance, a story needs to be told. For that, the clock rewinds to yesterday. It was a day like any other. In the courtyard of the Royal Palace, I stood face-to-face with him—my father, Judge Borneheimer. He stood idle, with his gaze fixed on me, and the tip of his sword pointed diagonally to the concrete. He held the grip of the longsword in such a gentle manner that a woman would become jealous just watching. His mannequin stance left no weak spots to exploit—it was a perfect defence. On the other hand, I stood with a stance full of holes. My form was rough to look at, like a paraplegic attempting to climb onto a wheelchair. With the blade stretching past my head, and the grip, held with both hands, seated behind my ear, I pointed the tip of my sword to Father. A small gust of wind signalled the start of a fierce clash of metal on metal. In an instant, I leapt forward to close the
After blacking out, I jump up—my entire body writhing in pain. “What happened?” I ask myself. I look around. Next to me, the golden-haired boy is resting peacefully. He, like me, is covered in bandages from head to toe. “Were we nursed by someone while I was unconscious? If so, who would…” I feel the presence of someone powerful approaching. I leave the tent we lay in. A bright light flashes in my eyes and I squint. When my eyes adjust, I look around surprised. “A forest? Was I not in a building with columns?” “The building in question was my father’s secret basement.” I look to my side. A small girl, half my size to be exact, is staring at me with beautiful reddish-purple eyes – like the hue of an amethyst. I am awestruck at her beauty that all I can say is, “I… see…” I don’t ‘see’ anything. Who is your father? Where am I? Who are you? So many questions I could ask, but I said, ‘I see’. She giggles. I feel my chest tighten. My body heats up, and my throat becomes parched. What is
“So, where exactly are we going?” After departing from the forest, we started walking on a road for the past few days, only resting during the night. “Hmmm? What did you say, Darling?” “Look here,” I say, glancing at Louisa, who is resting on my back, “I’m not a ride, especially not in my human form.” Without looking at him, I can feel the icy glare from Niklaus. “But you are a ride though. You are a dragon.” “Being a dragon doesn’t automatically make me a ride.” “If you weren’t a ride, then why did you allow me to ride you?” “I…” I can’t say that I couldn’t fight back against it. She was so cute begging me to be her ride. “I… didn’t want to…” “What is it? You’re muttering to yourself.” “I… It’s nothing.” “Nothing, you say. Well, if you say so…” Her victory smile fails to hide its sadism. She knows exactly why I chose to give in to her demand. This girl is dangerous. “So,” interrupts Niklaus, “this organisation you are a part of…” “What of it?” “You say you were on a mis
Ten months of sitting in a cell makes you appreciate the little things in life, such as the dazzling sunlight in Mico Square. The glimmering water in the fountain makes me awestruck. I have not seen such beauty in ten months. The morning air that brushes against my skin is a refreshing bath, washing away the self of yesterday who’d been rotting away in cell 2509. It’s all so unbelievable that it brings a tear to the eye. “Why are you tearing up, Haruki?” asks Louisa. “Nothing,” I say, wiping the tears welling up in my eyes. Yes, I am a free man once again. Well, partially free. Because of this collar around my neck, I can only stray a town’s diameter away from Louisa, or any of the Five Crosses. “Don’t tell me you’re crying because you’re a free man?” she asks jokingly. “How did you know?” I reply, surprised. “Can you read my mind?” “You’re… joking, right?” She tilts her head and lets out a cute giggle. “You seriously cried because you’re free. That’s hilarious.” “Well, I apologi
“So, they were in the sewers after all.” I started my search after a Grand Order member informed me of the Soul Eaters. I found several running amok on the surface, but most are in the sewers. “What’s weird is that they are all flocking towards Haruki and Louisa. Should I help them out? Or do you want me to keep you company?” In the alleyway beside me, a presence appears. A man dressed in a dark cloak camouflaged well with the alley’s shadows. “Hello there, Callisto of Grand Order. I’m not surprised that you spotted me this—” “Get to the point. Who are you?” “Oh my, I never introduced myself. My apologies. You may call me Joker. I came here with members of my organisation to collect our pet.” “Your pet?” “Yes. You see, we lost our precious pet. He means the world to us, and we are so utterly devastated. Would you be so kind as to return him?” “Sorry, but I don’t know what you’re talking—” “Oh dear! I forgot to mention this. You see, Necromancer has a horrific personality. He kee
“Melody, what do you think about this attack?” “The Soul Eaters? I think it’s… strange. Why would a horde appear without our knowing of it?” “I had that exact thought. There must be a mastermind behind this attack if these creatures appeared without our knowing. Soul Eaters would not just ‘appear’ out of nowhere, no matter how intelligent they are.” “But what does the mastermind want?” That’s the question I’d like answered. “What if I told you, Raizo, leader of Grand Order?” A cloaked man appears like a ghost floating through the ground into the room. His emergence into this room takes Melody and me by surprise. And the aura he’s emitting is threateningly spread out. “Who are you?” “There’s no need for any tension to exist between us, Raizo. I come here in peace.” “So you say, but here you are, an uninvited guest, threatening my aid and me with your menacing aura. Are you the mastermind behind this attack?” “Maybe I am. Maybe I am not. Who can say?” I slam my hands on the de
I am powerful—this is the dragons’ creed. We are powerful. We excel in physical strength. We excel in magic. Overall, we excel. If someone fights a dragon, they are one of two things: Overconfident or Powerful. The former makes up the large majority of challenges dragons receive. The latter comes in various shapes and sizes, though in a smaller quantity. Take Louisa’s and my current predicament as an example. The Soul Eaters, though physically weaker, they outnumber us—which is where the problem lies. “Haruki… I think… we may have a problem.” “You think? Well, I can tell you now that we have one.” The Soul Eaters crawl around on the walls and ceiling. The faint screeching sounds like an angry clowder. “They’re not moving. Do you think they are communicating with each other?” “It’s possible. Should we attack them?” “No, they may be waiting for us to attack. There’s more of them than us, so we’re disadvantaged.” “Do you have any area of effect spells?” “Many. But if I fire them of
After Haruki walked through the black door, we go back to Ragnarök, a year and ten months ago. "HARUKKII!!" Emygdius' voice roars throughout the forest, sending dragons and phoenixes flying in terror as Haruki disappears from Ragnarök. After getting blown away, he wastes no time returning to the spot where Haruki disappeared. He glares up to the sky, "Alvis!! Why did you stop me!?"Alvis Ragnarök appears from the bright evening sky, hovering. He raises his wooden staff and says, "Emygdius, you will stand down."Although frustrated, Emygdius has pledged his loyalty to Alvis, so he dares not disobey his orders. However, when Haruki is involved... "With all due respect, Alvis. Haruki is my only grandson, so I will not allow even you to stop me from rescuing him.""Emygdius, you already know, don't you? That boy is no one's child.""Shut up, Alvis. Don't say another word.""That boy is...""Alvis...""He is a false dragon.""SHUT UP!!!""Step down, Emygdius." Despite Alvis' warning, Emygdi
Brother? Who is—"Ah, I never introduced myself, did I? My name is Lucifer Morningstar. The second-born True God and your elder brother.""Elder... brother?""Yes. You were born from a portion of the True Gods' bodies. That makes you our youngest brother." He smiles at me and before I can say anything, he continues, "I would love to get to speak to this version of you longer but we have no time for chatter. You have been in Netherworld for about an hour, no?""I... I think so... yes.""Well, that's a problem.""How so?"Lucifer glares at Satan, "Did you not tell him?" Satan shudders as Lucifer's mana grows colder. He shakes his head. "Sigh, well, what's done is done.""What is it? Why do you have that grim look on your face?""Haruki, I don't want you to freak out.""What's going on?" My mana spikes as I lose control of my emotions. "What is it that you're not telling me?"Lucifer looks at me with a cautious stare. "Haruki, time runs differently in here than it does in Leagard. You ma
As I lie on the ground, exhausted, someone claps their hands. I lift my head to find someone dressed from head to toe in diamond knight's armour. He continues to clap his hands as I lift myself from the ground."What a wonderful spectacle," he says. "You outperformed Satan in quite a unique way." Deep inside the abyss of his mask, red eyes glare at Satan. "Do you yield, Satan?"The ice around Satan starts melting. After a few seconds, cracks appear in various spots around him and he breaks free from the spell. He looks at me and smiles, "Yes, I yield.""Good. Then, we can start making our way to the castle.""I'm sorry," I say, confused. "Who are you?"His eyes move to me. "I am The Greedy Mammon—one of the seven mortal sins.""I see..." I scan his body. From head to toe, he's covered in diamond. "Why—""Why am I covered head to toe in diamond armour, you ask?""Well, yes but—""No need to concern yourself with such measly worries. I wear this armour because it is the most expensive a
"His name is Lucifer Morningstar—the second-born True God. Mother crafted him from the darkness of the empty universe. The greatest evil, that was his purpose. But he defied this prophetic fate and became the kindest of the six True Gods—even kinder than his twin brother, Venus Nirvana, who was born from the universe's light. Mother was at a loss for words. She'd created him for the sole purpose of balancing the universe's good and evil, yet here he was, the most distinguished good. Though elder brother was the first True God to create a realm, it was none other than Lucifer who proposed the idea. He wanted the honour of the first realm created to be his elder brothers, thus Ragnarök was born. Following this creation, the other realms were created: Nirvana, Aerlogard, Dwargo, Gigante, and finally, Netherworld. Lucifer marvelled at his siblings' creations because the realms they created were abundant in mana and life, something he could not create. He, the presider of all darkness in t
"How about we test it out here, then?""What? Are you serious?"He laughs. "Your mana is flaring again. Are you that excited?"Ever since I became an Acceelos, I had this gnawing feeling... "Are you sure you want to do this?" I ask him."Are you getting cold feet now, Haruki?""Cold feet? Are you joking?"... of wanting to fight someone powerful. "I'm hyped."Satan walks a long distance from me. "Well then, I think it's only appropriate that I take a proper form when I face you, don't you think?""A proper form?"Satan's mana leaks from his body like smoke. Red streaks? Red streaks of smoke rise from his pale, raisin skin."This pruned form is what the picture books in Leagard paint me as. It was also easier to move around in Leagard in this form. But that is far from what my true form is."His... true form...His body suddenly exudes smoke in excess. The smoke swirls around his body in a vicious storm—masking his body and presence. After a few seconds, a hole in the smoke storm hisse
His name is Saint Lucifer Morningstar—the second born True God. ALL crafted him from the darkness of the empty universe. The greatest evil, that was his purpose. But he defied this prophetic fate and became the kindest of the six True Gods—even kinder than his twin brother, Saint Venus Nirvana, who was born from the universe's light. ALL was at a loss for words. She'd created him for the sole purpose of balancing the universe's good and evil, yet here he was, the most distinguished good.Though Saint Alvis Ragnarök was the first True God to create a realm, it was none other than Saint Lucifer who proposed the idea. He wanted the honour of the first realm created to be his elder brothers, thus Ragnarök was born. Following this creation, the other realms were created: Nirvana, Aerlogard, Dwargo, Gigante, and finally, Netherworld. Saint Lucifer marvelled at his siblings creations because the realms they created were abundant in mana and life, something he could not create. He, the preside
'This feeling of bliss… It’s nostalgic.''This is the Path—a bridge between the realms. It induces serenity within your mind to distract you from your body being ripped to shreds and formed anew.''R-ripped to shreds?'‘Yes. It’s a gruesome process but the Path was designed to put your mind at ease through the transportation.’‘Wait? Won’t I be rejected from Netherworld like I was in Leagard? Am I going to disappear?’'Calm down, Haruki. You won’t disappear. There are two types of Paths: Legal and Illegal. You were forcefully sent to Leagard through an Illegal Path, which didn’t allow your body’s genetic code to integrate into the realm's network. This is a Legal Path. This gory process is a means for the realm to identify and integrate our genetic code.''I-I see.'Despite being ripped to shreds and restructured, Satan was right, I didn’t feel any pain or discomfort. The process went by in a flash. One second all I saw was an array of purple hues streaming before my eyes, the next I
This is Leviathan? She’s huge. “Haruki Ryu?” she repeats. “Hmm, rolls off the tongue much better than Code Name: Ryu, wouldn’t you say, Satan?” Satan? Her eyes fall on the demon. “So, you’re Satan?” He does not answer me. Instead, he says, “Leviathan, we want to enter Netherworld. Let us through.” “Of course, I’d be delighted to assist you. But are you here for that?” She looks at me. “Is that the only reason you came to meet me?” I shake my head, “No, I came to ask for your help.” “My help?” “There’s a man… Or, something that has taken over the Borneheimer Kingdom. We want your help in exterminating him.” “You want my help? You do know the power you possess right now is near-unrivalled. Whoever this mysterious being is, I doubt they could defeat you.” “So, that’s a no?” Leviathan remains silent. She thinks for a moment, then says, “I will help you. This man… No, this God is not someone you want to fight alone. Not when you’re still getting used to your newfound powers.” “G
After my fight with Behemoth, the demon and I took off to where he says Leviathan is. “You say that was a spur-of-the-moment spell?” he asks, surprised. “Yes,” I reply, thinking back on my studies in Ragnarök, “I did as you said and hit Behemoth with a spell more powerful than Judgement.” But then again, Judgement may have worked just as well. I definitely powered up. “You’re more of a monster than Lucifer said,” he whispers. “Lucifer? Come to think of it, who are you to Lucifer anyway? For him to send you must mean he trusts you quite a bit.” “Trust?” The demon snickers, “Trust, you say. Lucifer does not trust me. And I don’t trust him either. We’re at odds, you see.” “Then why would you take orders from him?” The demon remains silent. We fly for another minute before he responds, “Lucifer is the King. And as King, he has the final say.” I can’t feel any emotion in his words. His expression is tame. And I just noticed this, I can’t see his mana. My eyes sharpened with this new