As the icy winds whispered across the shattered training grounds, Guy Crimson sat on a jagged throne of frozen rubble—silent, thoughtful. The castle would restore itself soon enough. His body, slowly mending, began to stir with crimson energy once more.
He exhaled.
"Varvatos..." he murmured.
"That wasn't just power. That was sovereignty. Control. As if the very laws bent before him."
Velzard stood by his side, arms crossed, but her usual composure was cracked ever so slightly.
"His magic… it was ancient," she said slowly. "Raw and refined at once. And that energy… now I'm sure. That's the same overwhelming pressure I sensed emanating from the Jura Forest days ago."
She narrowed her eyes.
"But where did he come from?"
Guy chuckled—his ego slightly bruised, but his excitement rekindled like a child who had found a new game.
"I don't know yet… but things are about to get a hell of a lot more interesting."
Meanwhile — Deep Within the Jura Forest
A golden ripple of space twisted in the secluded cave. The rocks shimmered faintly, and from the distortion, Varvatos stepped forth. His aura had dimmed to a calm, regal glow—no longer aggressive, but unmistakably dominant.
Veldora, who had been lounging and humming to himself, snapped up and turned with a huge grin.
"You're back!" he bellowed, flapping his coat like a cape. "So, how did it go? You're alive so that means either you won… or Guy let you live, hehe!"
Varvatos smirked, walking past Veldora and summoning a floating orb of water that showed a replay of the battle—Guy being flattened under the weight of Null Spiral, the look of awe on Velzard's face, the shock of Rain and Misery.
"Let me guess…" Veldora's eyes widened, flickering with excitement.
"You won, didn't you?! YOU BEAT GUY CRIMSON?! HAHAHA!"
He burst into one of his iconic three-stage maniacal laughs.
"KUHAHAHA! KUHAHAHAHA!! KUHUHUHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Varvatos allowed himself a small, confident smile.
"He fought with everything. I made sure of it. And I still overwhelmed him."
Veldora practically leapt up.
"Incredible! No one's ever made that smug demon bleed like that before! My sister's probably reevaluating her whole worldview right now!"
Varvatos raised a hand and sat on a smooth stone, his gaze distant.
"Guy is strong… very strong. But bound by this world's limitations. Pride is powerful, but it is still a concept. I have mastered what lies beyond concept."
He looked at Veldora, now serious.
"I told him I wouldn't kill him. But I needed to send a message—to the powers that be: I have arrived."
Veldora flopped onto the floor with a content sigh.
"This is great. With you around, things will get so much more fun. It's been centuries since I last felt this entertained."
Varvatos nodded.
"Good. Because next…" he closed his eyes, sensing far-reaching magical signatures across the world,
"I will meet the other Demon Lords. They must understand—this world is no longer just theirs."
Then Varvatos said Milim Nava....
Veldora's eyes bulged as soon as Varvatos spoke the name.
"W-Wait—Milim?!" he stammered, practically choking on his breath. "You're going there next?! You do realize she's not just a Demon Lord—she's a walking catastrophe! She's my niece, and even I keep my distance when she's in a bad mood!"
Varvatos smiled knowingly, his eyes glowing with ancient amusement.
"The Destroyer. Daughter of the Star King Dragon, right? That makes her your brother's child." He glanced sideways at Veldora. "So… niece or not, she's next."
Veldora scratched the back of his head, looking extremely uncomfortable.
"She's unpredictable, powerful beyond reason, and most importantly, she doesn't hold back. You're not just knocking on the gates of another Demon Lord's territory, you're inviting a fight with someone who might destroy a country just to make a point."
Varvatos chuckled, folding his arms behind his back as he began to walk toward the mouth of the cave.
"All the more reason to meet her. If she is to be a goddess of destruction, then I must see the depth of her fury. I have seen dominion, I have seen pride—now I wish to see chaos."
He stopped just before exiting, glancing back at Veldora, who was now both excited and terrified.
"Besides… if she's your niece, then I imagine she inherited a bit of your theatrical flair."
Veldora chuckled nervously.
"Yeah… and then multiplied it by a thousand."
Varvatos snapped his fingers. A portal of shimmering violet light bloomed before him.
"Let's see what the daughter of a True Dragon can do."
And with a calm, regal stride, he vanished into the light.
Inside the grand throne room of the Dragon Kingdom's crystal palace, the sun's rays shimmered through towering stained glass, casting rainbow reflections on polished marble floors. Milim Nava, the infamous Destroyer, sat slouched sideways on her throne, grumbling.
"Ughhh! More paperwork?! Midray, why do I have to do all this boring stuff?! I'm a Demon Lord, not a secretary!"
Behind her, the ever-stoic Midray, tall and muscular with crimson scales peeking through his armor, gave a small sigh.
"Because, Lady Milim, the kingdom doesn't run itself. You are the ruler, after all."
Milim huffed, her pink twin-tails bouncing as she slammed a stamp onto the parchment with exaggerated force.
"Fighting's way more fun… I wanna punch something!"
But just as she flung another document across the room like a paper shuriken, the atmosphere suddenly shifted. The warmth and lively energy of the palace grew still. The air became dense, heavy—like the world itself was holding its breath.
Midray instantly straightened.
"Milim… something's coming."
Milim narrowed her eyes. Her pupils sharpened, glowing faintly as her Milim Eye activated—a rare, terrifying ocular ability that allowed her to detect and analyze almost any kind of energy or threat.
And she saw him.
Not far from her throne—within the very space of her chamber—reality rippled. The floor didn't crack, nor did a portal tear open. Instead, the space bent like light around a black hole. A swirl of silver mist coiled around itself like an elegant dance, and from that spiral, a figure walked out, step by deliberate step.
He didn't teleport. He manifested.
Varvatos, clad in a coat that shimmered between nightshade and starlight, radiated overwhelming presence. His cloak swayed like it had a will of its own, eyes deep like twin galaxies, and a calm expression that teetered on curiosity and dominance.
He raised a single gloved hand and casually flicked his fingers. The pressure in the air lifted instantly, though the residual tension still gripped everyone like invisible chains.
Milim leapt from her throne, her wild grin splitting her face.
"Who the heck are you?! You just walked into my castle without even knocking!"
She floated down to the floor, her aura now flaring like a second sun.
Varvatos gave a short, polite bow.
"Varvatos. A visitor... and a seeker of strength."
His eyes rested on Milim, and for a moment, there was an odd silence. He could feel it—a chaos barely contained by a childlike body. Milim was a beast of pure instinct wrapped in a deceptively cheerful exterior.
"You're different," he added. "A dragon in the skin of a girl. You're what they call the Destroyer, yes?"
Milim puffed her chest with pride.
"You bet! Milim Nava! Strongest Demon Lord ever and daughter of Veldanava, the Star King Dragon!"
Midray stepped forward cautiously, hand on the hilt of his blade.
"Varvatos, was it? What is your purpose here? Do you come in peace?"
Varvatos glanced at him briefly, not with disrespect—but as one might glance at a stone in the road. His attention returned to Milim.
"Peace?" he echoed, smiling faintly. "No. Curiosity. I've already tested Pride. Now I wish to meet Chaos."
Milim's eyes flared with excitement.
"Are you saying… you came here to fight me?!"
She looked thrilled, bouncing on her heels like a child offered candy.
"Precisely." Varvatos stepped forward, each footfall sounding louder than it should, echoing with a strange resonance. "I want to see what destruction looks like when given form."
Midray instantly got in position ready to attack.
"Milim, let me handle—"
"Nope!" she grinned wide. "This one's mine!"
She turned to Varvatos, cracking her knuckles.
"Alright, Mr. Varvatos… let's play."
Varvatos' smile deepened. "Let's."
The throne room began to tremble under the sheer pressure of the two forces, reality itself groaning as two titanic beings prepared to clash—not just for dominance, but for understanding.