THREE DAYS AFTER THE NEWS.
[WIZARD COUNCIL]
Titan Slayers (National Maiju Suppression Unit – N-MSU)
🗡️ Grand Sorcerer: Varian "Titanbreaker" Drakonis
In the vast, dimly-lit chamber, arcane braziers float above carved obsidian, pulsing faintly with mana. The scent of ash and age fills the air. Twelve hooded figures sit above on elevated thrones—faceless, unknowable.
The Speaker (coldly):
"Grand Sorcerer Drakonis. Your petition to prioritize MMG development for Arcane battalions has been reviewed. The ruling is final: Request denied."
Drakonis (jaw clenched, voice sharp):
"Denied? Again? Maiju are evolving faster than we are. My battalions are dying—every week. I refuse to accept that we can't afford to protect them."
...
The Elder Mage (stoic, dismissive):
"Mana is the breath of the gods. Machines are crude. Replacing the sacred with steel is not survival. It is sacrilege."
Drakonis (cutting):
"Tell that to the mother who buried her son in pieces last month because our sacred breath couldn't stop a Maiju the size of a fortress."
A murmur among the silent generals. The Speaker's fingers tap lightly on his throne's edge.
...
Drakonis (quieter now, pain in his voice):
"A month ago, we engaged a Manatude 5.3 class Maiju on the Western Ridge. My sorcerers were prepared. Seventy-two of them. Formation-ready. Enchanted gear. Runes aligned."
Pause.
"And it crushed us.
Not figuratively—literally. It stepped on them.
Like they were nothing."
The silence deepens. Even the elder mages do not interrupt.
Drakonis:
"I watched my lieutenant scream as she was swallowed. She cast six spells as she died. None of them mattered."
...
Drakonis (glaring at the veiled figures):
"So what is this really about? Mana purity? Or is it control? You're keeping us weak."
No one replies. The council sits unmoving.
Drakonis (stepping forward):
"I've seen what you hide. Resource gates rerouted. Reinforcements blocked. The strongest units kept close to the capital—why?"
A sharp intake of breath from one of the younger mages below.
...
A younger voice from the shadows of the chamber speaks up—another commander.
Young Commander (hesitant):
"…He's right. My unit fought on the Wastes. We had standard loadout. Half of us died in the first two minutes. MMG would've made a difference."
Another voice joins. Then another. Whispering winds of rebellion.
The Elder Mage (booming):
"Silence. You speak of heresy and dissent. Magic is the order of this world. You dare place gears above gods?"
Drakonis (eyes fierce):
"Then your gods are killing us."
...
The Speaker (standing):
"This council will not bend. Your proposal is rejected. No machines. No MMGs. This discussion ends here."
The mana-gavel slams like thunder. But Drakonis stays still.
Drakonis (coldly):
"You may not care what happens to us out there…
…but when the Maiju come for you,
don't expect the Titan Slayers to answer."
He turns. Cape torn. Armor dented. But his will unbroken.
...
As Drakonis exits, whispers echo across the upper thrones. Barely audible.
Unknown Congress Member 1 (in shadow):
"He's beginning to see it."
Unknown Congress Member 2 (dark chuckle):
"Let him dig. The more he uncovers, the more alone he becomes."
Unknown Congress Member 3:
"If he becomes a problem… we bury him like we did the others."
...
A hour past
[Scene: Southern Seaside of Limana Capitol – Mid-Afternoon]
[ALERT SIRENS BLARE]
[EMERGENCY ALERT] [EMERGENCY ALERT]
[MAIJU DETECTED – SOUTHERN SEASIDE OF LIMANA CAPITOL]
[MANATUDE LEVEL: 7.5]
[MAIJU DESIGNATION: ALFROSTO]
[THREAT LEVEL: CATACLYSMIC]
[CLASS: NATION-FROST TITAN]
[DESCRIPTION: ALFROSTO — A GLACIAL BEHEMOTH CAPABLE OF FREEZING ENTIRE TERRITORIES. COMPANION SUMMONER — ICE GOLEMS OF SKYSCRAPER HEIGHT.]
The sea trembles. A mountainous figure rises from the abyss, dripping frost and fog.
Alfrosto emerges. A walking glacier, its body a mass of jagged, living ice. Its very presence drops the temperature across miles. Frost creeps over trees, homes, even clouds.
---
[Drakonis' Division – Near the Seaside]
Soldiers rush to erect evacuation corridors. Magical barriers flicker into place.
Lieutenant (shouting): "Civilians are still stuck on the third southern block! We need a portal evac now!"
Squad Mage: "Where's the Commander?! He's not at base—"
Right-Hand Man – Kokorogi (calm, focused): "He's already moving. Focus on the evac! That's his order."
Another soldier (nervous): "Is... is our Captain gonna be alright? That's a Manatude 7.5..."
Kokorogi: "He's Varian Drakonis. The Titanbreaker. Worry about the civilians. Not him."
VARIAN "TITANBREAKER" DRAKONIS
ARCANE: REXMARCH ("King's Stride") — A Mana-Enhanced Close Combat Arcane amplifying every strike, step, and breath with explosive force.
Drakonis (quietly, to himself): "This is what they denied me the right to prepare for... Then I'll carve the preparation with my own hands."
He lifts his blade.
Drakonis (roaring): "VARIAN DRAKONIS. N-MSU. TITAN SLAYERS. ENGAGING TARGET: ALFROSTO!"
...
Alfrosto roars—a shockwave of ice ripples across the ground. Giant glacier golems slam into the coast.
Drakonis' eyes glow faint gold. His foot hits the ground—
SKILL: "King's Momentum" – Each step builds explosive kinetic force.
He dashes forward, moving faster than a bullet. A building-sized golem swings—
SKILL: "Rex Rend" – Drakonis cleaves it in two with a burst-slash from his greatsword.
Kokorogi (opening a warp gate mid-air): "Commander! Left flank! Two more golems incoming!"
Drakonis (grinning): "Thanks, Koko. Right on cue."
SKILL: "Crownstep Portal" (Kokorogi) – Creates an aerial gate. Drakonis bursts through.
SKILL: "Throne Breaker" – A falling strike imbued with compressed momentum. He CRASHES into a golem's head, shattering it into icy rubble.
[On the ground – soldiers evacuate civilians as frost seeps into the streets.]
Medic Sorcerer: "Too many golems! We can't hold them back!"
Soldier: "KEEP MOVING! Focus on the mission! Our commander is giving everything—SO MUST WE!"
...
Alfrosto charges its breath—frost winds that freeze mana particles themselves.
Kokorogi: "That's not regular frost. That'll kill anything it touches, even through Arcane shielding!"
Drakonis (to himself): "So you're not just brawn... Alright. Time to end this."
SKILL: "Imperial Circuit" – Channels stored kinetic energy through his body in radiant arcs.
He blitzes upward along Alfrosto's leg—blow after blow exploding with sonic booms.
SKILL: "Crescent Execution" – A horizontal mana slash that shatters the Maiju's shoulder armor.
Kokorogi (watching from afar, sweat dripping): "He's burning all his Rexmarch circuits… if he overloads—"
Drakonis (roaring): "I'D RATHER DIE THAN SEE ANOTHER CITY FROZEN!"
FINAL SKILL: "Thronefall Collapse" – All stored power unleashed in a direct overhead drop.
He brings his greatsword down on Alfrosto's core chest, energy bursting like a second sun.
The explosion is seen from the edge of the city.
---
[Silence]
Frost melts. Golems shatter. Alfrosto's core disintegrates.
---
[Later – in the smoking crater]
Kokorogi (running to him): "Commander! You good?!"
Drakonis (panting, bloodied): "Still breathing... Tell them... next time they deny us gear..."
He stands. His sword planted in the ground.
Drakonis: "Tell them to come and fight beside me. I'll show them what real war tastes like."
Lightning flickers across the clouds above as the storm breaks.
...
Just after the Alfrosto Battle, Kokorogi is tending to wounded civilians and organizing the division's evacuation. The icy winds still howl in the background. Kokorogi's communicator beeps and flickers to life, revealing a shimmering hologram of a cloaked figure – Light Sabre.
---
[Hologram Transmission Begins]
Light Sabre: "Koko, five minutes. Hold the line. I'm coming."
Kokorogi (smiling faintly): "You sure? I can open a warp portal now. You don't have to run the whole continent—"
[Hologram flickers violently and cuts off]
Kokorogi (chuckles): "Tch... Light will be Light."
---
[Six Minutes Later – Seaside Ruins, Battle Aftermath]
[The winds shift. A golden flare bursts from the distance, arcing like a falling star before crashing to the ground, sending a shockwave of light mana outward. Light Sabre lands, clad in a white battle cloak and glowing armor, eyes dimmer than usual.]
Drakonis (panting, sword sheathed in ice): "Took your time. Almost thought the light had faded."
Kokorogi (grinning): "Seriously, Light. You've never been this slow, not even during the Valkal Siege."
Light Sabre (smiles solemnly): "Yeah… I've become what I feared most. Slower. Dimmer. But there's a reason. I gave up my flame."
Drakonis: "...What do you mean?"
Light (sits on a broken slab, looking toward the frozen sea): "I gave it all—to the next generation. To a boy. He reminds me of us. When we were reckless, driven, stupid enough to take on the world…"
Kokorogi: "You're talking about that student of yours… Shinji?"
Light: "Yeah. He's got my fire now. The spark I lost after the Arcline Massacre. He doesn't just want to fight Maiju. He wants to change the world."
Drakonis (clenching his fists): "The world... huh? A world where the High Congress lets its people die over coin. Where getting MMGs for sorcerers is seen as an expense, not a necessity."
Light (quietly): "I heard about the 150th… Darius Vael's division. And the others who never got to evacuate. I was too late. Again."
Kokorogi: "Their blood is on the hands of men in suits. How many more brave souls have to fall before they stop playing god with budgets and borderlines?"
Drakonis (rises, voice like thunder): "We gave everything for this kingdom. And what did we get in return? Silence. Delays. Rejected requests. My men died requesting MMGs three months ago. They were denied. Said the sorcerers didn't need them. 'Arcane is enough,' they said."
Light (bitterly): "Arcane is enough… until a Maiju crushes your body beneath a glacier fist. Until you're pinned against a wall and can't move fast enough to save the child screaming your name."
Kokorogi: "They don't see the frontline. They only see ledgers. They don't see Alfrosto reducing entire blocks to ice statues. They don't see us hauling corpses out of frozen rubble."
Light: "I'm tired of pretending they care. This isn't politics anymore. It's betrayal."
Drakonis (to the sky, jaw clenched): "I stood before the Council. They called our request excessive. Said it would disrupt balance."
Kokorogi (scowling): "Balance? There's no balance when families are crushed and frozen mid-prayer."
Light (placing a hand on Drakonis' shoulder): "I came running because I still believe in one thing—us. The three of us. The sword. The mind. The light."
Drakonis (growling): "Then we fight. Not just the Maiju. We fight the rot within. If they won't protect our people… we will."
Light (nodding): "Shinji's generation deserves better than ours. No more silence. No more waiting."
Kokorogi: "We forge our own command. Our own truth. Screw the Congress."
Drakonis (drawing his sword and pointing it east): "Then it begins. With the three of us. This time, the light will burn everything in its way."
[To be Continued.]