Xia palace, Primus Domain. Miko and the others were visiting an unconscious Kimiko Dragna. Her state wasn’t as bad as Sasha's but it wasn’t far off. Bandaged, unconscious, and bedridden. The world's greatest assassin was reduced to such a state.

“……..”

Miko watched her in silence. There was nothing that could make others know what he was thinking. His face was deadpan, his posture and body language weren’t out of the ordinary, and his breathing was steady. It was as if he wasn’t looking at anything of significance.

“nana…”

beside him, his siblings wore sad expressions and watery eyes. His father, who stood behind them comforted them.

“miko, are you okay?”

ace and sora silently approached him.

“….yeah. It’s just a bit strange seeing a woman who was the personification of terror in such a state….Joesph flameheart isn’t a joke.”

“do you want revenge?”

sora slapped the back of ace’s head for his question.

“it’s okay, sora. I won’t do something stupid like seeking vengeance against the flameheart clan. We’re family after all.”

a small smile appeared on his face.

“yeah, the three clans must become one big family if we’re to survive.”

he turned away from Kimiko.

“This was just spat between family members, that’s all.”

he walked towards the exit with ishma and Regis behind him.

“….i think Hina and Luka chose the wrong time to leave.”

ace nodded to sora’s words. He lifted the back of his right hand to his face. His apostle crest was a burning red.

“I can feel the rage he’s bottling up.”

sora did the same.

“I kinda feel sorry for whoever ends up on the other end of such rage.”

“………”

miko’s siblings, father, and momo watched miko walk away while the crests on their hands burned them.

“I have an appointment that I must go to I’ll be back later. Oh…”

he stopped and looked back at them.

“ace, sora, Tessa, and Kristen. I’ll need you pretty soon, so I hope you’re ready when it’s time to fight.”

“we’re always ready!”

Tessa answered with a loud voice. Miko nodded and exited the room.

“momo, I’m sorry to ask this while you’re barely able to walk but—”

“don’t worry, uncle Leon. I’ll watch over miko.”

Leon smiled and nodded his head. Meanwhile, miko was making his way through the halls of the palace.

“Joesph has gramps’ body, right?”

tia nodded.

“he placed gamiko in a state between life and death to prevent him from lashing out. The branch leaders objected at first but they allowed him to take him away because they realized that he’ll only make the situation worse.”

“so they temporarily pulled him from the equation…that was a logical decision.”

“It pains me but I have to agree.”

they left the palace and released wings from their backs and took to the skies.

“as I thought, you’re going to meet the guardian beasts here.”

“the primus domain is the safest place for me in the clan. The guardian beasts know this so they had no problem coming to a different branch…also, I believe they all wished to see you.”

“I'm dying to meet them again. It’s been 10,000 years since I assigned them the duty of guarding the clan…I think I placed a curse on them back then, I want to make it up to them and return their freedom.”

after nearly an hour of flying, miko and the girls reached raven’s castle on the outskirts of the primus domain.

“Welcome, everyone.”

in his usual dark suit, raven greeted them at the entrance.

“Thanks again for your help with this meeting.”

“it’s no problem, miko. I’m always overjoyed to help you out.”

they entered the castle together.

“did you have any problem gathering them all together?”

tia asked Raven.

“not at all. They all were interested in miko for a long time. Although, I have to admit that their interest grew after his recent achievements.”

“if that’s the case then their impression of me must be quite twisted.”

“I think that it’s accurate.”

ishma smirked.

“Miko is a twisted person.”

miko smirked back. After a few minutes, they arrived at a large black and gold door.

“wow, the divine power seeping out of that room is making my skin tingly. So this is what happens when so many divine beings gather.”

miko chuckled a bit before pushing open the door.

“?!”

a strong gust of wind hit him and nearly caused him to stumble back.

(was I just hit by the pressure of their presence?)

a smile crawled onto his face.

“I can’t wait to reach the stage where even this power is child’s play.”

he boldly entered the room overflowing with confidence. In the center of the room was a huge round table with Tiamat's crest on it. Around it was four persons. Two women and two men. Their eyes were locked on miko, who stood before them with a commanding posture.

“thank you all for coming on such short notice. Even though the gods are keeping themselves hidden, I’m glad that the guardians of each branch answered my call.”

“Nah, they’re being disrespectful.”

tia walked into the room and caused everyone at the table to flinch.

“How can they not greet the person who represents me?”

“your grace!”

everyone flew to their feet. They quickly kneeled before her. Tia looked around with a frown.

“well, aren’t you going to greet your mother?”

a light flashed and five figures appeared kneeling in front of tia.

“our sincerest apologists, mother. We meant no disrespect to you or your proxy. We just wished to observe miko a little.”

the primus branch guardian beast and the eldest dragon after Tiamat, ušumgallu was the first to speak.

“well, I found it disrespectful but whatever. It’s our first meeting in thousands of years. Rise so that I can see the faces of my beautiful children.”

“yes, mother.”

the five of them stood in front of tia. She looked at their faces and a huge smile appeared on her’s. Her tail came from behind her and wrapped around her and them as she tried her best to hug them all at once.

“my beautiful children, I’ve missed you all dearly…I’m sorry for shackling you to this world for so long.”

she released them and smiled.

“I need you all to know that if you want, you can resign from your duties at any time.”

the guardians looked at each other before smiling.

“I think I speak for all of us here when I say that protecting the Dragna clan all these years is our pride. I doubt any of us regrets one moment of it.”

“gallu…”

tiamat’s eyes became watery.

(hmm…despite not being the eldest or strongest of the five, ušumgallu seems to be the leader among the guardians. This explains why Raven is so highly-rated as her son and proxy.)

miko observed them from the side. A smile crawled on his face as he approached them.

“I’m glad you all feel that way. The Dragna clan can’t afford to lose its protectors in a time like this.”

the guardians turned to face him. Miko gave them a gentlemen’s bow.

“greetings, guardian beasts of Dragna. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me despite that I’ve never met most of you before.”

“oh, oh. If it isn’t the don king himself. I’ve always wanted to meet you.”

a woman dressed in a beige suit stepped out. Her azure and gold hair was tied in a bun. Golden eyes hid behind the stylish glasses resting on her nose. She stretched her hand out towards him.

“I’m the tertitus branch’s guardian beast, mušḫuššu. You can call me sirrush if you like.”

(mušḫuššu aka sirrush, her true form is a scaly dragon with hind legs resembling the talons of an eagle, feline forelegs, a long neck and tail, a horned head, a snake-like tongue, and a crest. I heard that she became interested in alchemy some millennia ago and helped alexus turn the tertitus branch into the alchemic powerhouse it is today.)

miko shook her hand.

“I’ve heard a lot about you from alec and kirika.”

“I was about to say the same thing.”

“yes, stories of the young master’s achievements have reached all of us.”

a man wearing a white and black tuxedo approached miko and returned the bow he gave earlier. His snow-white hair was swept back, and his red eyes were stern. With the black gloves on his hands, he gave off the impression of a servant rather than a god.

“it’s a great honor to finally meet you. I am bašmu, the Secundus branch’s guardian beast.”

(bašmu, one of the three great dragons along with ušumgallu. I heard that he serves the clan with more dedication than anyone else. Having him as an ally has great merits.)

“I heard that you’re rouge’s sparring partner. Is that true?”

“yes, master rouge and I thrive to better ourselves every day, so we get along perfectly.”

“to be able to keep up with the best swordsman in the clan, I wish to test your skills myself one day.”

“it would be an honor.”

“if it’s an exchange of skills, I’m quite interested myself.”

a hulk of a man approached miko. He was dressed in an azure and black uniform with gold buttons on it and was wearing black gloves with eyes on the back. This uniform was identical to the one Andreas would wear.

“general mušmaḫḫū.”

(the last of the three great dragons. Not only is he the Quintus branch’s guardian beast he’s also the vice commander of their underworld snakes militia…a war junkie.)

miko smiled.

“to be honest, I’ve always wanted to fight you. If the chance comes up in the future I’m taking it.”

a huge grin appeared on mušmaḫḫū’s face.

“I knew it. You’re my type of person. The future of the clan will be fun as long as people like you are in it.”

(of all the branches, the Quintus branch has to be the most violent.)

miko chuckled to himself. He turned to the last of the guardian beast. He had a muscular build, well-groomed red curly hair, and beard, a gentle face, and was dressed in a suit with a luminous aura around him.

“it’s been some time, Lord Lahmu.”

Lahmu was the firstborn son of Tiamat and her first husband, Abzu, making him the third-oldest existence in the world. He and his sister laḫamu are the parents of Anshar and Kishar, the sky father and earth mother, who birthed the gods of the Mesopotamian pantheon. He was the god that represented the stars, constellations, and zodiacs. He was also the guardian beast of the Quartus branch.

“Hello, miko. From what I hear you’ve grown into quite an interesting young man. I’m glad that my son has someone like you in his generation to help push him to improve.”

“You’re joking. Someone like Krul would naturally become stronger even without my presence. I’m sure you’re proud as his father.”

Lahmu only laughed in response.

“that’s enough of the introductions.”

Tia got between miko and the guardian beasts.

“miko, I think it’s time for you to explain to everyone here why you called them.”

miko smirked.

“well, I don’t think that’s necessary.”

he looked around the room at all of their faces.

“after all, I’m certain they all have an idea of what I want.”

he showed a fanged grin.

“I want you all to help me become the next clan leader. Not later, but now.”