Genuine joy.

  Those were the only words Leo could find to describe Zeke’s expression in that moment. A look of pure relief at seeing a family member alive and well.

  Leo rose. Before he even realized it, he was standing just an arm’s length from his brother. Then, as if drawn by a magnet, he buried his face into Zeke’s Shoulder.

  A silent sob shook his entire body.

  For everyone else, he had worn the mask: pretending to have answers when he had none, pretending to be brave when he was terrified. He had carried their hopes and their fears, failed them more often than not, and still forced himself to rise each time, unshaken in appearance if not in heart.

  No longer.

  Before he knew it, hot tears soaked his brother's robes. Zeke said nothing, one hand resting gently on the back of his head.

  Leo allowed himself that weakness only for a moment before pulling back. A quick, angry rub at his eyes cleared away the tears and snot, though it smeared his face with soot and ash. It didn’t matter. He was far more used to being dirty than clean.

  Zeke looked him over, a faint twinkle in his eye. “You look like shit.”

  Leo snorted, unable to fully suppress a smile. “...Believe it or not, they don’t allow regular bathing during a war.”

  Zeke’s face took on a look of horror. “Dreadful!”

  Leo grinned, but only for a heartbeat before reality pressed back in. “We should get moving, Zeke. The Legion came in force this time, and there are Flyers overhead. It’s only a matter of time before we’re found if we stay out in the open.”

  Zeke shook his head, completely ignoring the urgency of the situation. “Let them find us then.”

  “…Let them?” Leo repeated, glancing around at the members of the Ehrenlegion still standing like statues. Was this what gave his brother such confidence?

  “The ones you control are just regular soldiers, Zeke. They don't stand a chance against the Flyers or the Flamecallers.”

  Zeke looked momentarily puzzled before his gaze settled on the soldiers around them. “Oh,” he said after a pause. “Completely forgot about them.”

  He raised a hand and flicked his finger. The sound was sharp, echoing in the still air.

  Then, as if awaiting the command, the soldiers moved.

  It was a sight Leo knew he would never forget.

  Each soldier dropped their spear, drew their dagger, lifted it high—and, without hesitation or expression, slit their own throats.

  Dozens of crimson fountains erupted as jugulars were expertly severed. In that instant, they seemed to awaken from their trance, gasping and clawing at their wounds in a futile struggle to survive.

  Moments later, the forest fell silent once more.

  A thick, metallic stench filled the air—an overwhelming flood of iron and death. It was a bloodbath unlike anything Leo had ever witnessed.

  Zeke, on the other hand, took a deep, deliberate breath, as if inhaling the scent of roses. “Lovely.”

  Without waiting for a response, he went on. “It's about time our reinforcements arrive. Then we can clean up this mess.”

  Leo frowned. “I don’t know how much the house has grown since I left, but do you really think you can take on the Legion, Zeke? They’re not some band of bandits…”

  Zeke smiled. “…Neither are we.”

  “They brought hundreds of elite troops to this battlefield alone.”

  “…So did I.”

  Leo shook his head, frustration creeping into his voice. “Zeke! They brought a fucking Archmage!”

  Zeke’s grin only widened. “So did I.”

  Before Leo could even process the words, a deafening sound split the air.

  It was so loud that all other noise vanished. Deep and resonant, like a warhorn—yet not quite. It was as if the call of a horn had been fused with the cry of some ancient, nightmare creature.

  Even after it faded, a low, mournful wail lingered in its wake, echoing like the song of a whale.

  It was pure instinct that made Leo lower his posture and scan the skies, as if some voice in the back of his mind whispered that doing anything else meant certain death.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Finally,” he heard from the side.

  Zeke was still standing, hands folded behind his back, his gaze drifting lazily upward.

  “Zeke, what—what the fuck was that?”

  His brother looked at him, a faint smile curling his lips. “You'll see.”

  The evening sky, already dim from smoke and ash, suddenly darkened completely—as if a cloud had suddenly blotted out the sun.

  Leo’s gaze snapped upward, and his breath caught. A colossal shape filled the heavens, vast enough to eclipse the light. It looked like a mountain that had somehow learned to fly. No—closer now, he saw the truth. Not a mountain. A fortress. A city.

  And it was hovering directly above them.

  Before Leo could even process what he was seeing, an entrance yawned open on the fortress’s underside, and a figure stepped into view—close enough that Leo could make out the shape of a man.

  Without hesitation, the man leapt from the edge, plunging into a free fall. Leo felt an unprecedented amount of danger from this newcomer. His Mana was like a lake, making the Mind Mage from earlier seem like a child.

  Leo’s instincts took over. He dove aside, eyes scanning for the sword he’d lost earlier. Ripper appeared beside him, claws out, ready to strike.

  The man landed lightly. A small bend of the knees was all it took to absorb the fall. Instead of rising, he lowered himself into an elegant bow.

  “It’s been a while, young lord Leo.”

  “D-David?”

  “It is I indeed.”

  “Y-you’re… an Archmage?”

  “Thank you for noticing,” David said with a grin. “I’ve recently achieved that rank.”

  Leo’s eyes widened. How much had he missed?

  “Enough chatter,” Zeke cut in.

  David straightened instantly, all levity gone. “Your orders?”

  “There’s an Archmage with a Fire affinity headed this way—likely a Feuerkranz. Stall him.”

  “Stall? Not kill?”

  Zeke shook his head. “Kill him if you can, but don’t take unnecessary risks.”

  David nodded without hesitation. His body sank into the ground, merging with the shadows until he vanished completely.

  Before Leo could ask anything, another figure dropped from the sky—a striking woman with pale white hair and an oversized fur coat.

  She didn’t land on her feet. Instead, she fell to one knee, head bowed low.

  A heartbeat later, another shape touched down beside her—someone Leo recognized.

  “Ash?”

  The Chimeroi smiled faintly at him, nodding toward Ripper.

  “Zelkara,” Zeke said in a somber tone. “Scorched earth. Don’t leave a single soldier standing. Anything without pointed ears goes down. Understood?”

  The woman rose, a look of fierce determination on her face. “As you command, Progenitor.”

  With a wave of her hand, she called unseen forces to move, then sprinted off.

  An instant later came the impacts—one, then another, then dozens more. Not footsteps, but something heavier.

  When the ash settled, Leo saw them clearly: dozens—no, hundreds—of humanoid creatures with serpentine lower bodies racing after her. Their formation was tight, their movements disciplined, trained.

  “…Ash,” Zeke continued, turning to the Chimeroi. “You’re to rescue as many members of the resistance as possible.” He handed over a scroll. “That’s a map of every pocket I found on the way here. Make haste.”

  Ash nodded, and with a similar wave, summoned a few dozen figures from the flying fortress—wolf-like beings, each bearing the same fierce presence as Ash himself.

  “...Who are they?” Leo asked, his gaze following the two groups as they vanished deeper into the forest.

  “Shock troops,” Zeke said, as if that explained anything.

  Leo turned to ask for clarification—but the words died in his throat.

  From the flying fortress, another figure emerged. She didn’t fall so much as glide, the air itself seeming to cradle her descent.

  She landed softly, like a leaf kissing the surface of a still lake.

  The first thing Leo noticed were her long, elegant ears—far sharper than those of the half-elves he’d been fighting beside for months. The next thing was her beauty. It was the kind that defied words, so flawless it made every other woman seem imperfect by comparison.

  If this was how all elves looked, it was no wonder they carried such an unshakable sense of superiority.

  But her appearance wasn’t what stole his breath. It was the sheer magnitude of her mana. It poured from her like the tides from an endless ocean, each pulse stronger than anything Leo could summon with his most powerful spell.

  This woman was stronger than David. Stronger than almost anyone he had ever met.

  The instant her feet touched the ground, the earth itself seemed to stir. Withered grass lifted, color returning to faded leaves. Even the ragged breathing of the injured Chimeroi eased, as though the world itself had remembered how to live.

  Her gaze surveyed the forest without any emotion. Only when she saw the figures of Leo's comrades that had been preserved by Zeke's Magic did her brows furrow slightly.

  She closed her eyes and spread her arms. A moment later, Leo felt Mana pouring out from her like a ceaseless flood. It sank into the injured like rain into the desert. And, just like that desert, their bodies seemed to drink it eagerly.

  Leo witnessed the changes in real time.

  Pale, lifeless faces regained their color. cleffing wounds nit themselves together. Laboured breathing turned effortless.

  In no more than a few moments, all his comrades, balancing on the edge between life and death, had become whole again, seemingly enjoying a peaceful sleep.

  Not only Leo, but also Ripper behind him could barely keep their jaws from dropping. Who was this woman?

  “Raileh,” Zeke said in the same commanding tone he’d used with the others. “I’m making you personally responsible for everyone’s lives.”

  The woman opened her eyes, focusing on him.

  Leo expected her to frown, to argue, or at least to bristle at his tone—but she didn’t. She simply stood there, silent and attentive.

  “Without my permission, nobody in this forest dies. Not a single life. Do you understand?”

  “I understand,” the elf replied, her voice soft and ethereal.

  Zeke held her gaze a moment longer. “Elder Tiger and Elder Dragon will handle your protection, but you’re free to command them as you see fit.”

  “I understand.”

  “Good.” Zeke turned to Leo, his tone shifting. “Let’s go.”

  “…Where?” Out of the hundred questions crowding his mind, it was the only one Leo managed to voice.

  Zeke grinned, the hard edge fading from his face. “Where else? To the Alexandria. I’m going to show you around.”

  Leo glanced upward, searching for the familiar shape of the Hohenheim airship—but all he saw was the massive, floating mountain blotting out the sky.

  Zeke caught the look and chuckled. “Wondering where she is?”

  Leo nodded silently, and his brother’s grin widened.

  “You’re looking at her, little brother.” He gestured toward the colossal fortress overhead. “Alexandria—meet Leo. Leo—meet the new Alexandria.”

  Leo’s face went blank. This... this was too much.

  David being an Archmage? Plausible. Zeke commanding hundreds of elite troops? Conceivable. An elven healer working for him? Still within the realm of possibility.

  But this—this floating city that seemed to defy every known law of air travel—belonged to their household? Not a loan from the Alliance, not a strategic asset for a special mission, but theirs?

  And the fact that Zeke had called it the Alexandria… that likely meant he’d built it himself.

  “…Sure, let's go.”

  The words came out flat, voice devoid of emotion. Leo’s mind, overwhelmed by the avalanche of impossibilities, had apparently decided to stop questioning reality altogether and just go along with it.

  Zeke grinned and lifted his hand. A faint layer of mana wrapped around Leo’s body like a second skin. Then came a soft snap—and the world vanished from sight.