Chapter 151: A Dragon

Kaori’s expression darkened. She released Yuki and took a step back, running a hand through her disheveled hair.

“Actually,” she said slowly, “I don’t know. Not really.” She paused, seeming to gather her thoughts. “I was just talking to that Filch guy—you know him probably… He told me that Ishiki is missing. No one’s seen him since before…”

“Before what?” Yuki pressed.

“Before all this,” Kaori gestured at the destruction around them. “About ten minutes ago, maybe fifteen, there was this massive blast which came from the direction of the old cathedral and then…” She swallowed hard. “Then these stones started falling from the sky. They were moving so fast they punched through buildings like they were made of paper. It was all so sudden, we barely had time to—”

“Where did Ishiki go?” Yuki suddenly asked, gripping Kaori’s hands forearms. “Is Nina alright? And you said you talked to Filch… so that means he is awake. When did he wake up? How long have I been out?”

Kaori looked at her with a dumb look for a second, she was bombarded with so many questions out of nowhere. She sighed and started answering them in line.

’Why do i feel like a child caretaker all of a sudden?’

“Well, as i told you… we don’t know where Ishiki is? Filch met him yesterday and now he is not home… that dumbass is not even healed completely-”

“Healed? What happened to him?” Yuki asked, her brows furrowed.

Yuki shrugged and replied. “He fought and killed a tainted demon… all on his own. The demon was especially fierce and manipulated wind.”

Listening that Yuki’s eyes slightly widened. She was silent for a second and eventually whispered. “So, he actually killed him.”

“Yeah… he killed the demon.” Kaori confirmed. “Anyways back to the this girl named Nina… she is alright. And Filch woke up almost -”

She was cut off by another sound. The bestial snarl returned and it was louder this time, closer even.

It resonated through the air, through the ground and every living thing in the Secondary Ring. Yuki felt it in her bones and shuddered at the thought of such a Withering beast existing.

A tremor followed immediately and it was strong enough to make Yuki stumble. Kaori grabbed her arm to steady her, but the older woman’s face had gone pale.

“Has…” Yuki’s voice came out barely above a whisper. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Has the Secondary Ring been breached?”

She asked the question being fully aware that if such thing had happened… no one would be standing here right now if it was breached … no matter how big the secondary ring was.

The number of withering beasts in the Outer ring were devastating… that was not even considering that there were more than enough of them outside the confines of the island.

Kaori’s expression was grim. “I… I don’t know. There’s a chance, I suppose. But that sound…” She shook her head slowly. “I am certain a human could never make a sound like that. That’s something else.”

Another tremor shook the earth, stronger than the last. All three of the women almost dropped to their knees as the ground bucked beneath them. Somewhere nearby, a weakened building groaned and then collapsed with a thunderous crash that sent up a cloud of dust.

And then came a new sound of flapping.

Massive, thunderous flapping, like enormous sails catching wind. It was accompanied by a gale—a blast of air so powerful it blew through the alley with hurricane force, sending loose rubble skittering across the ground and whipping Yuki’s pink hair around her face.

It was not just where they were… the same kind of scene could be seen in all directions that were close to the cathedral.

The people who were on the opposite side of the cathedral and were separated by the Inner ring in between them had only experienced tremors… saving them from the devastation caused by the blasting rocks.

But because of the tremors and the noise of the initial blast… everyone was on alert and looking out for dangers.

Yuki and Kaori looked up in the sky, shielding their eyes against the wind and dust.

Not too far away… slowly and menacingly, a shadow rose into the sky.

It was rising from where the cathedral had stood, climbing higher and higher until it blocked out the crimson moon entirely. The shadow had mass, had substance and had a shape that defied belief even in this world of impossible things.

Yuki’s eyes widened as she felt fear grip her heart… besides her, Kaori was looking at the sky with her mouth hung open in disbelief.

The shadowed figure had four massive wings. Each one easily the length of a several buildings, they were spread wide against the crimson sky, their membranes catching the moonlight and glowing like stained glass windows.

Two long tails whipped behind the creature, they looked serpentine and powerful… Even looking as if they had sentience of their own.

And at the front, rising on a neck as thick as an ancient tree and as long as a snake, was a head.

A face that could probably eat anything.

It had two large horns adorning it, and the creature’s mouth was filled with fangs that glistered out of its mouth.

It looked down with its eyes that burned like molten gold even from this distance, their pupils were slitted like a cat’s but a thousand times more predatory.

The creature opened its mouth again and let out a snarl that could paralyze even the strongest of warriors.

“GROWLLLLL!”

Every single player in the confines of the Secondary Ring froze where they stood. The wounded stopped moaning. The survivors stopped searching for place to hide safely. Even the girl crying over the body in the alley fell silent, her tear-stained face turned upward in shock and terror.

Everyone stared at the impossible creature looming above them, blotting out the moon, its wings creating wind strong enough to knock over carts and blow out windows.

Kaori’s voice came out strangled, barely audible.

“It’s… it’s a dragon.”

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