The Ten Paladins, an exclusive group that is called the current Era’s peacemaker. Chosen by the very founder of the group, Meld Valker, who is called and granted the title Quintet Lord for the reason he, who is the one who can utilize Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Light magic altogether.

In the first place, the ranking within the Ten Paladins is just what the citizens perceived by themselves. The reality within the Ten Paladins are none are weak, none are strong, each and everyone is equally strong.

Being called the Tenth and the weakest of the Ten Paladins was not an issue for Meld, even now. Each and every one of the Ten Paladins has a peculiar personality or one could describe as odd. It was the rule of thumb across the world that strong and talented people are either naturally curious, twisted or had experienced something far worse that one could never imagine, bending their personalities to such.

And before their ascension to great power, they possessed the indomitable will and unmovable conviction that neither shook nor falter. They learned how to fall down and then pick themselves up.

One particular example would be Emeralda.

Hailing from the race of Oreals, Emeralda Hearnt, the one titled Primordial Lord and recognized as the third most powerful within the ranks of the Ten Paladins. She is one of the initial members of the Ten Paladins since its founding fifty years ago together with Meld Valker and Seyren Aern.

With Meld Valker’s pragmatic and charismatic leadership, they were able to achieve feats that the world recognized as a huge contribution. The revolutionized movement of technology, incorporating magic with machines, and most of all, from the initial three discovered Tomb Ruins to eight.

Slowly, their numbers increased and the Ten Paladins is formed as the official Peacemakers.

But, even among them, Emeralda stands out.

Her Draconic power with unknown origin, with her powers blooming at a place she refuses to talk about, and with her nature of addressing the essence of magic from others, her background is smeared with mystery.

She is known to be a well-natured figure and shows intellectual judgment and foresight that sets a good example for people.

Her story started at the Sacred Mountain and finally, she returned to the origins of her strength.

Thirty-seven hours has elapsed.

“Bad…this is really bad. I shouldn’t have pushed them to their limits like this! But we don’t have any other choices.” Emeralda agonizes inside her mind.

In front of Emeralda, Alisa in Reed’s embrace breathes raggedly with flushed face with her eyes closed. Reed on the other hand still has his focus as he kept his eyes open. Unlike Alisa, Reed is still full of vigor and although not optimal, he is still healthy.

“It’s careless of me not to tell it about them, especially to the lass. Bloom stingers that cause paralysis and slight fever…on top of that, the oxygen level here is thinner.” Emeralda directed her sight on Alisa’s left thigh ridden with a shallow cut.

It was not Alisa’s carelessness. The fatigued took too much of her mental alertness, reduced her focus to a grain, and diminished her awareness to a degree of inattentiveness. In the end, the plant that Emeralda named Bloom stinger, scratches Alisa and she fell into such state.

It’s been an hour and their movement considerably dropped.

“I’m sorry…Reed and Alisa…” Emeralda grits her teeth.

“However, a little more, just a few more and we will arrive there.We can’t stop now. The magical beasts will catch whiff of Alisa’s blood sooner or later.” Emeralda resolute herself once more as she looks up to the path ahead.

Hundred of meters away, trees are young as they were cut down from the past. Sigrun uses woods and other forest commodities for his house and so, most of the trees are new or left as a stump. It’s not close to the top but it is at least close to the summit where a little push and they’ll arrive at Sigrun’s territory where magical beast doesn’t stray.

“On that note, Alisa has reached her limitations in accordance with a normal Vaster but…Reed Chelle…he is still brimming with energy even though he is ridden with fatigue.” Emeralda mulled over the fact that Reed is still active.

Scratch the fact that he is a human, Reed is still unbelievably attentive to the point that he is the one sometimes warn them of incoming dangers.

“Lady Emeralda.” Reed spoke.

“…You!” Emeralda widens her eyes as Reed uttered words which he shouldn’t.

“It’s…awfully quiet now…” Reed said with an anxious face as he caresses Alisa’s head to at least give her as much comfort as he can.

“Ah…” Emeralda gapes her mouth. She tried to expand her senses to catch any presence.

“Well…this is just great…” Emeralda grimace as she frowns. “Lad, it is as you said, it is awfully quiet. Do you know that cause?” she added while throwing a question to Reed.

“I don’t know…” Reed readily gave his answer with puzzled countenance.

“There’s something stronger lurking around. No, it is even possible that it is aware of our existence at this point. That’s why lad, I want you to listen closely.” Emeralda cocks her head closer to Reed.

“What is it?” Reed returned a query.

“I want you to carry this lass and run with all your might towards the summit, if possible, to Sigrun's house. Ignore everything. Keep running.” Emeralda sternly conveyed those words as if she is commanding him.

“What about you, Lady Emeralda?!” Reed burst out the question.

“Ha! I’m just going to greet an old friend I haven’t seen for eighty years. It’s more accurate to say I am here for a rematch. I am Emeralda of the Ten Paladins, I ought to show you something cool, right?” Emeralda showed a fearless grin.

Reed gapes his mouth from Emeralda’s declaration but immediately collected his calm and firmly nodded.

“I will prioritize Alisa. I’ll make sure I’m going to get her to safety. After that, I’ll come back to help!” Reed stated as he started picking up Alisa in his arms.

“You are quite full of yourself despite trembling with fear earlier. Anyway, I’ll make sure you’ll see nothing but my victorious figure when you get back!” Emeralda declared so as she stood up from her place.

“What should I do now then?” Reed asked as he readies his self.

“…Run! That’s what I told you, right?! Run will all your might! I have your back!” Emeralda shouted to pump not only herself but also Reed.

“Fine! Whirlwind Sprint!” Reed shouted.

From the thicket comes out Reed bursting with his stormy speed. Not caring for the uneven footing, not caring for his feet that hit several rocks, he ran.

However, in the midst of his sprint, the air violently shook. The ground behind him suddenly erupted not because there was an earthquake but rather, a huge ball of flame landed behind him.

He didn’t mind it. Even the heat started burning his back, he grits his teeth and kept running while wishing for Alisa’s good sake.

The lone instinct of survival didn’t kick in. The instinct to prioritize himself didn’t take over but rather, his drive, his affection for Alisa, and his conviction to meet Sigrun again overpowered everything.

“Reed…” Alisa’s frail and weak voice comes to Reed’s ears.

“Alisa! Are you hurt?! Don’t worry! I’ll save you!” Reed desperately said as he still focuses on escaping.

“…Reed…FROM BEHIND!” Alisa shouted, however, her body immediately reacted before Reed could do anything.

A huge fireball, a size of a house, is once again fired at them. Alisa twisted her body and escape from Reed’s grasps. As she landed on the ground with weak knees, she directed her hand towards the incoming fireball.

“You won’t reach us!” Alisa shouted as she also cast her own fireball. In one go, she drained herself of magical energy, she also created a fire with the same size of the one coming to them.

As Alisa fired her magic, two fireball clashes with each other and made a huge explosion.

“Alisa!” Reed screamed as he embraces Alisa again and uses his body to shield her from the impact. He tightly hugged Alisa who fainted again from excessive use of her magical energy.

Crashing on a slab of stone, Reed could only grunt from the pain. At that moment, Reed saw their assailant.

Scales as dark as the night with a lustrous shine, majestic horns rooted on its head that exudes its authority, slitted irises which are red in color, and it’s quadrupedal figure with frightening proud wings and stands for more than thirty meters. The one who stands before Sigrun in the Sacred Mountain, Fafnir.

“So…that’s what Lady Emerald is talking about…” Reed muttered as he tried to stand up with shaking gait.

The large demonic dragon once again opens its mouth. Dense magical energy gathers from its throat and a crimson fiery color started spilling from its body. Spell runes and magical circles appeared in front of its mouth.

“Of course…it’s magic too…” Reed said as bit his lip and started struggling to run away again.

“SURPRISE!” Emeralda shouted with her fist raised overhead. Sprouting scaly wings and tails together with arms morphed into a dragon claw, Emeralda landed an attack on Fafnir’s face.

BAM!

From Emeralda’s surprise attack, Fafnir mouth was forced to close and spell he was about to release was dispelled. His whole snout then landed on the ground.

“Run!” Emeralda shouted to Reed.

She jumps away from Fafnir but the black dragon twisted its body free and hits Emeralda with its large robust wing.

“Guh! You are still as fast as ever even with your size.” Emeralda roared as she blocks the wing with her shoulder.

Seeing that Emeralda could somehow hold on her own, Reed burst again in a sprint to leave the battlefield. He knew that he’ll just be a deadweight as what Emeralda initially said.

“Hey, do you remember me? I used to play with you.” Emeralda uttered those towards Fafnir who started struggling to fly again.

“I won’t let you!” Emeralda followed suit and threw another punch at Fafnir.

Fafnir shielded itself with a barrier while multicasting spells again. Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light, and Dark are all cast that barrages Emeralda.

“I’ve seen that before!” Emeralda twists her body and brought his claw forward with a rabid and big swing. Concentrating an absurdly huge amount of magical energy, she swung her claws.

As the claws and the magic clashes, Emeralda reverses the cause and effect and returned all the spell towards Fafnir.

“COUNTER!” She shouted.

All of the spells, however, bounce back to another direction as it hits Fafninr’s barrier. In retaliation, Fafnir swiftly shifted its body weight and whips its tail to Emeralda. The thick tail met with Emeralda that cuts through the wind and blew her downwards.

BAM!

A magnificent curtain of dust rises and a huge crater embeds itself on the earth as Emeralda landed.

“Urk…this is too much. I feel like if I tried to fight him the way I used to, I’ll just drag it in futility. Geez, I really don’t like doing this but…for the past eighty years. The only retribution I could think of for my fallen comrades back then…is to defeat you…Fafnir.” Emeralda’s words tinged with remorse resounded. She once again got back on her feet.

“Ahahaha…I’ll show you the pride of the Ten Paladin’s Primordial Lord. I don’t like winning with is since it doesn’t literally conform to norm and its power is nothing but a failure of my past but…” Emeralda pauses as she gazes back to Fafnir.

You know…I really want to kick your ass so badly I have to return eighty years after!” Emeralda once again regained her vigor as she showed her fearless grin.

Gathering magical energy in her very core, filling her very existence which is the extension of her root, the draconic power that sleeps dormant in every Oreals, she awakens the root of their power.

“Primeval Ascension.” Emeralda only muttered.

Reed runs desperately, knowing that he should get back as quickly as possible to assist Emeralda. He kept running until a sight of a large wooden fence appeared before him.

Immediately, his sight landed on the on the person waiting at the gate of the intricate land. One where it is devoided of wilderness, at the very top of the Sacred Mountain. The boy he wished to see, wearing traditional eastern clothes, his black beautiful hair sways and his eyes gaze at him with eyes on the verge of tears.

“Yo, Sig…we’ve come for a sleepover…” Reed jokingly said.

“You guys…why…?” Sigrun’s lips trembles and his hand clenches on the end of his sleeves.

“Why? Cause we are friends, right?” Reed replied as he falls to his knees.

Sigrun walks towards Reed and Alisa and without asking any questions, hugged them. Though Alisa is unconscious right now, Sigrun also embraces her. In response, Reed hugs Sigrun’s trembling shoulders.

“Sig…could you take care of Alisa for now? I need to help Lady Emeralda…” Reed muttered close to Sigrun’s ear.

“No…please come inside. I don’t think Emeralda needs any help at all.” Sigrun returned a smile to the worried Reed. “Look.” Sigrun pointed towards the direction where Emeralda and Fafnir are supposedly fighting.

As Reed turn his heads towards where Sigrun pointed, he widens his eyes in awe.

Fafnir was one thing, however, in front of Fafnir is like a dragon out of legends. Donning bright emerald scales and a body that glows in jade color like how its slitted eyes are, flapping its monstrous wings and height three times larger than Fafnir. To its back, a huge crest of proof that it has transcended the norms of what a dragon is.

“That’s…Lady Emeralda?!” Reed shouted.