Aurora Scroll

Ciel, Croix, and Leth. These three extraordinary young Pathseekers were fighting one man together. The opponent was a Level 4 but Ciel was the same . Croix had his dragon and Leth had his mad dragon's armor, these elevated their power, equivalent to Level 3 peak.

Their battle was awe-inspiring. The Artes they used made the elites of both sides feel inadequate. The rest of the 100-man strong Red Dragon Unit were fighting the surrounding Harkelan soldiers so they wouldn't be interrupted. Their numbers had dwindled from 100 but they were still at sufficient strength.

Croix's men thought that whoever their enemy was would be defeated swiftly. As time went on, their confidence turned to disbelief.

"Hahaha! Is that all you've got? Come on, I'm expecting more from the three of you!"

Despite suffering hideous wounds, the cultist known only as Red Eyes was fighting as fiercely as ever. His aura and ferociousness had not decreased because of the wounds, if anything, he had become more lively instead.

Even though it was a three on one, Croix felt victory wasn't anywhere near.

"Red Eyes... I'll sacrifice anything to kill you!"

"Leth, wait! Tch!"

Ciel's plea fell on deaf ears. She moved to support Leth who was fighting recklessly. Alone, Leth would be butchered by Red Eyes so she had to step in.

"Falmerion, we're charging in once more!" Croix said to the dragon next to him. He received a spirited roar as a reply.

Without Ciel, Leth and I would have been dead a hundred times. How is Red Eyes so strong? His true age isn't that different from ours either, no way he's actually Level 4 high or anything like that. What terrifying battle strength! Ciel is not weak by any means, but even she felt short compared to him. Is this what the demon cults are truly capable of? How many monsters such as this are in their ranks?

Alas, the battlefield didn't belong to them alone. The sudden appearance of a bull projection as big as a mountain above them and the accompanying gut-crushing pressure affected the entire battlefield. Croix couldn't stop himself from shaking. Even the proud Falmerion who was too proud to admit defeat against something stronger, involuntarily whimpered.

"It comes from the castle," Red Eyes said with twinkling eyes as pure as a child's. "Seems like something amazing has happened. You guys aren't bad but my interest is there now. See ya. I'll kill you if you don't get stronger the next time we meet."

"Kugh... Wait!" Leth tried to chase after Red Eyes even as he coughed up blood.

"No!" Ciel grabbed his shoulder.

"If you get in my way-" Leth replied aggressively.

"You're too weak to fight him," Croix said straight up without any sugar-coating. Leth twitched hearing the truth he didn't want to recognize.

"We both are," Croix stood in front of Leth, eyes straight at the Grandia Castle. Its imposing visage now looked less grand from the many battle wounds. "But it's not the end. We'll catch up to him."

Before Croix came back, Red Eyes had already killed a dozen or so of the Red Dragon Unit members. Their dead faces were behind Croix's eyelids when he closed them. Leth wasn't the only one who had beef with Red Eyes.

"...Tsk." Leth grudgingly stand down.

Ciel and the others relaxed after seeing the situation de-escalate.

"Commander," one of Croix's men called. "What should we do now?"

A good question, Croix thought. Because of the bull's presence, brief though it may be, the pressure of a Divinity carried a heavy impact. Many were paralyzed and confused. What was that? Why did it appear? Was it over? Would it happen again? So many questions but there was no answer.

That came from the Grandia Castle and Latias wanted to conquer it but now there was a Divinity there? That was above Level 5. People like them couldn't even handle the pressure from Level 5s battling, let alone a Divinity. Nobody wanted to die uselessly.

Croix surveyed the battlefield. For better or worse, the Harkelans and Latiasi around them stopped fighting because of the unexpected happenings. Croix forced the panic from the divine pressure out of his system to make a decision with a calm head.

"...The Harkelan army is paralyzed. The closer they are to the castle, the greater the impact," Croix's eyes sharpened. "If we strike now, we can turn the tide so decisively that victory is assured."

"I concur... Viers..."

Ciel muttered the name so softly that Croix almost missed it. Then he realized that the captured Avel should be inside the castle! Was he okay? Damn it. How could he forget? He was a failure as a leader!

"Oh, you're all here."

Croix heard a familiar voice and snapped his head. There were two people, a woman wearing a white mask and a wounded man with a hand around her shoulders to walk.

"Avel! You're safe!"

"Yo. Sorry for being captured," Avel said with a light tone and smile, as if the capture was something minor. His wretched condition told Croix that it was anything but.

Avel's face was different. It was his true face without a disguise. Croix had seen it a few times. But it didn't matter. Avel or whatever, fake face or not, he was still the same guy. The man who was both his vassal and mentor figure.

Before Croix could grasp his hand in greeting, Ciel passed him by like a flash of light and embraced Avel without hesitation.

"You're alive! You're okay... I was so worried. Uuuuu..."

At Ciel, who looked like she had let go of all the stress she held inside, Avel hugged back. "There, there. Don't cry. You won't get rid of me that easily."

Since the two confronted Duke Valentine, Croix felt something had changed between those two. Technically they were a couple, perhaps even engaged? Croix doubted the Duke simply gave his blessing though. After that night they were kind of maintaining distance but there was a stronger feeling of attraction to each other. He didn't pry because it wasn't his place.

Because of the Grand Prix and then the war, every plan became messed up but Croix was sure, what he was seeing right now, was Ciel's and Avel's true feelings.

Of course, he wasn't the only one seeing it.

"Hyuu-hyuu! What beautiful lovebirds."

"Guess the rumors are true. Adjutant is so damn lucky!"

"Ah, to be young..."

"We're still on a battlefield, you know. Get a room at least."

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

From the egging of the men of the Red Dragon Unit, Ciel was brought back to earth. She pushed Avel's away with a red face.

"Ehem. Let's get you treated," Ciel said. "White Bloom, you rescued him, right? I'm truly grateful."

"I only helped a bit in the end," White Bloom modestly replied.

"She really saved my hide," Avel cut in. "Don't sell yourself short. More importantly, we need to get out of here... And where's Boram?"

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Boram's also trying to save you. He's pushing hard into the castle. We got separated."

"Damn! Must have missed each other on the way," Avel cursed.

That reminded Croix. "Avel, what was that bull? Do you know anything about the Divinity's emergence?"

"Actually-"

***

They were all interrupted by a violent shaking. An earthquake rocked the battlefield. The castle's walls were violently shaking, dropping debris and rubbles. The one still fighting tumbled to the ground. Chasms opened up in the field. Entire companies of men were swallowed by the earth.

And no one paid attention to them because a gigantic arm emerged from the Grandia Castle, destroying the roof in the process. The enchanted stones spread everywhere like a volcanic eruption.

The hand had reddish skin and sharp nails. It looked like it had grabbed something because it was clenched in a fist. Or perhaps it was just to punch through the castle's roof.

Like everyone else, Viers saw the hand with the widest possible eyes. What the Hell was happening?

Viers thought he felt the aftershock of the earthquake but it turned out to be a burst of laughter. It sounded coarse and rough.

And big.

"HU HA HA HA HA! I AM FREE! BOW BEFORE ME, MORTALS! TREMBLE, FOR I, THE GREAT SAL MARAG HAS BEEN REVIVED!"

A head emerged next, a goat head with two horns. He had black fur and red skin. As if uprooting the main keep of Grandia Castle, he pushed upward until his torso also emerged. Needlessly to say, Grandia Castle was in a dismal state. Half of the complex, including the main keep, had been destroyed by the entity.

His aura spread like an infectious disease. It was oppressive and foul. Unlike the divinity aura from before that felt grand, this one felt... disgustingly wrong. Like a coarse wind or a wriggling soil. Nevertheless, the effect on mortals was quite similar. Most people were too overwhelmed to move. Their mind was paralyzed and were unable to utilize any Victa.

Viers had no more doubt in his mind.

A demon.

And a powerful one at that.

Why now? How? More importantly, was this his fault?

Viers felt it was.

Thankfully, Viers was already a distance away from the castle. He recovered faster than most, even when the slave seal was shackling most of his strength.

"Prince, first question: I don't know, second question: no. Now we run!"

Viers slapped the stunned Sakuya on the back like a jockey hitting his horse to go faster. "Sakuya, wake up! Run, run, run!" and in his current state, Sakuya was kinda one.

"Eh, ahh. Yes!"

Sakuya was brought back to earth by Viers' stimulus and carried him in the opposite direction from the castle. The next ones to recover were Ciel and Croix.

"Retreat! Retreat! Move your asses this instant! Run like hell!"

After one moved, it triggered a domino effect. As if a spell had been broken, each man of the Empire and the Kingdom alike was running for dear life.

***

Prince Lutz Diamond Latias, the 11th Prince of the Latias Kingdom and the Commander of the Yellow Dragon Unit, thought the Goddess must be laughing at his expense.

Because of the invasion, all his strategies for the Grand Prix went down the drain.

Since he was less impressive than his siblings and thus needed to do more to prove himself, Lutz joined the war against the Harkelan Empire.

Following Pulamela's guidance, he had gathered his small victories but not enough. He needed to gild his name with something significant, like playing a vital role in a crucial battlefield. The Battle of Grandia Castle was precisely that.

Prince Lutz sacrificed nights of sleep to refine his strategies, studied his enemies, and even called in his favors. He went all in for this.

He was thankful his character was trusted by many, chief among those supporters was one Davis Yeteron. His Majesty King Davis Yeteron from the Kingdom of Yeteron.

The Kingdom of Yeteron might be a small kingdom, one of many satellite kingdoms around Latias but the man was a true Level 5. The only Level 5 in the whole kingdom.

Such a man threw his lot with Lutz, because he believed in the prince's character, believing he would become a great ruler who would bring prosperity not only to both kingdoms, but to many more.

During the battle, Pulamela positioned the Yellow Dragon Unit in an awkward place, not too close or too far from the castle. They didn't storm the walls like other armies even though there were no obstacles in their way.

Simply because this place had the most fortuitous luck.

Lutz trusted his dear friend's judgement and followed her suggestions. There was a period where the unit simply waited and did nothing as the battle raged around them. Many questioned his decisions but Lutz didn't doubt Pulamela.

After the fire, many left his side, including those whom he thought loyal. Turned out they were disloyal and betrayers. They all said he was cursed with bad luck. An ill-fated prince.

Only Pulamela stayed on his side. Only the prince knew how much Pulamela sacrificed to become a Fortune Pathseeker.

You have me, Lulu. I'll become your luck. You're a good man. I believe you'll become a great king. You can rely on me.

Then, like thunder out of the blue, a bull's visage showed up in the sky.

Lutz, like everyone else, was surprised. After the shock waned off, he and his unit were in a perfect position to storm the castle whose defenders were staggering.

This was it. This was his chance!

"Yellow Dragon Unit! Forward! We'll take the castle!"

His Day and Diamond affinity made his aura lit up like a gem chandelier in the dark snowy skies and empowered his men.

Things were going well. Extremely well.

"Prince, I'll open a path for you. Good luck."

"You too, King Yeteron. May fortune be with you."

With a firm Level 5 supporter, Lutz's unit wasn't afraid of interference from the enemy's Level 5. They would take the castle and end the battle with the highest merit.

Then the crown would finally be in sight.

As he saw King Yeteron fly above the main keep like a herald of victory, a gigantic hand emerged and clutched the Level 5 monarch inside like a tiny insect.

Then a giant demon emerged and said his declaration.

Lutz was almost too distracted to realize that Pulamela was screaming in pain.

"Paula, what's wrong?"

"Weal turned into woe in an instant... H-how? What was I- Nonono! Lulu, you must go! Run!"

Before the prince responded, the giant demon had now his upper torso emerge from the ground. He was even bigger than the Grandia main keep he replaced. The demon actually had four arms.

"Long imprisonment has made me hungry."

He tossed King Yeteron into his mouth and gnashed his shark-like teeth.

"Not that delicious, but I'm too hungry to care."

This was the moment that Lutz questioned the point of his efforts and his life. All that suffering... and what did he have to show for it?

"Lulu, snap out of it! Aaah!!"

The giant demon was attacked by other Level 5s. Lutz and Pulamela might be distant but they were still pretty close from the destructive Level 5 Arte.

"Perfect, other meal. I'm pleased by your offerings, mortals! Come into my stomach!" The demon didn't seem injured in any way.

The demon moved, destroying the keep that hid his lower half. The destruction showed that the goat demon's lower body was covered with black fur, had two hooves, and a two-headed serpent as his tail. However, there were still flaming chains around his lower body.

A being as big as the demon moved.

And Lutz and Pulamela were right under his foot. They were like ants to the demon. He didn't even realize their existence.

In his moment of impending death, Lutz had perfect mind clarity. Using all of his cultivation, he pushed Pulamela away.

"No, LULU!"

Pulamela tried to resist but only managed to grab Lutz's pendant.

"You don't need to live for me anymore. Live for yourself," Lutz smiled as he welcomed death.

Pulamela screamed as she watched her beloved prince and childhood friend crushed by a giant hoof.

***

"Hm?"

One blink Stratos had the weird guy under him, then he was gone. His familiar lion looked puzzled too.

Stratos sought out where he went immediately, thinking the enemy used an unusual Arte to escape. Instead of finding the man who killed his friend, he saw the visage of a demon as big as a mountain.

There were perks of having a Silver Legion Paladin as a brother. Such as stories.

Sal Marag!? He's said to have been captured during the Ninth Hellwar nearly 700 years ago. Was Grandia Castle the place where he was sealed? How did he break the seal? Was it because of the war? The blood spilled on this land? Impossible! How could petty mortal struggles chink the prison that kept a Level 6 sealed? Hells and Damnations! The how doesn't matter now. If he really breaks out and recovers his strength, this continent is finished!

Stratos praised the Radiant Lady that the demon had not regained his full power. Despite not being injured, the Level 5s Artes seemed to be affecting the demon somewhat. With the demon's appearance, it seemed the Level 5s of both sides had a truce.

Eight Level 5s in total... Can we hold until the Silver Legion comes?

Stratos was pessimistic.

"Hmm, something smells good," the goat-head demon sniffed and looked down near his hoof, at Stratos with his bloody red eyes. The attention of a Divine-tier demon made the young man sweat bullets.

"You smell delectable. You possess something I desire, little human."

A gigantic hand reached out towards Stratos and he ran like hell. He never panicked more in his life or in greater danger.

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