The armored dragon nded with a heavy thud, the impact sending vibrations through the stone walkway.

  Hiiro narrowed his eyes as the rider dismounted, followed by anure he hadn’t noticed at first.

  His breath caught as he got a closer look at the ogre’s face. Reition flickered in his golden eyes.

  "It's you," Hiiro murmured. "You're… from back then. The takeover."

  Shifu’s expression twisted into a snarl. "Good. You remember me."

  Behind him, Kaori opened a metal fan, partially c her mouth as she observed the se in silence.

  Mobuji stepped forward, his voice sharp. "Who are you? How dare you trespass upon these nds?"

  "Calm down, Shifu," Kaori murmured, her tone measured.

  But her words did little to quell the rising tension.

  The air grew thick as Shifu’s killing i seeped out, an oppressive force pressing down on everyone present. The sky darkeo a crimson hue, and a fierce purple wind howled through the walkway.

  Before the queen and her ente, a massive shadow took form, a t specter with curled horns and bzing red eyes.

  Mobuji’s face drained of color. His knees buckled, and he colpsed onto the ground with a strangled gasp. The demi-human advisor stumbled back, brag himself against the wall, his breath ing in ragged pants.

  Hiiro instinctively moved, stepping forward to shield the queen. His grip tightened around his sword as he pnted his feet, gritting his teeth against the suffog pressure.

  Yet behind him, Queen Towa remaiill.

  Her posture did not waver, her gaze unwavering as she met the monstrous presence before her. If she felt the weight of Shifu’s killing i, she showed no sign of it.

  "Shifu." Kaori’s voice rang out again, this time firmer.

  The suffog aura vanished in an instant.

  The sky cleared, the eerie wind dissipated, and the heavy pressure lifted, allowing the air to flow freely once more.

  Everyone exhaled as if they had been holding their breath.

  Shifu took a deep breath, allowing the st remnants of his aura to dissipate before turning to Hiiro. His gaze was sharp, but his tone was steady.

  "What happeo the ogre vilge?"

  Hiiro’s eyes widened, his body tensing. A heartbeat ter, his expression hardened, golden eyes bzing with barely tained fury.

  "It was… those accursed Orcs!" he spat, his voice dripping with venom.

  Shifu recoiled in shock, but it was Kaori who voiced their shared disbelief.

  "Orcs?" she repeated, her brows furrowing. "That’s not eveely possible. An orc couldn’t possibly best an ogre."

  "I don’t know how," Hiiro admitted, his fists g at his sides. "But it was them. I know what I saw."

  Shifu exhaled, finally regaining full trol over himself. He regarded the younger ogre carefully before speaking.

  "Alright, kid. Take a deep breath and tell us everything, start from the beginning."

  Before Hiiro could respond, Queen Towa’s voice cut ione warm yet authoritative.

  "Perhaps we should tihis versation inside?" She offered a gentle smile.

  "Your Majesty!" Mobuji nearly shrieked in protest. "Surely you don’t io allow this… this person into our nation?" His voice trembled, both from lingering fear and disbelief.

  Shifu turned his head slowly, pinning the prime minister with a cold, pierg stare.

  Then, without looking away, he addressed Towa. "Thank you, Yhness. I apologize for my earlier as."

  Towa shook her head, dismissing the with a graceful wave of her hand.

  "It’s not a problem," she assured him. "I uand that your homend has been attacked. Please accept my deepest dolences."

  With that, she turned ahe way toward the ference hall, her ministers falling into step behind her.

  Shifu exged a brief gh Kaori before walking beside Hiiro, both of them following in the queen’s wake.

  The feren was far simpler pared to the grand chambers designed for Kaede in Maple Tree. Modest yet dignified, it carried an air of formality suited for serious discussions.

  Once everyone was seated, Queen Towa took the lead.

  "So, Hiiro," she begaole but firm, "would you like to expin what really happened?"

  Before Hiiro could respond, Shifu interjected, his brow furrowing as he turo the red-haired ogre.

  "Wait, Hiiro?" His voice carried a note of surprise. "You have a name."

  Hiiro nodded, his expression softening for a moment. "Yes. Queen Towa was kind enough to grant me o the expense of her own life force."

  Kaori's gaze shifted toward the queen, her eyes glinting with newfound respect, while Shifu offered a small, knowing smile.

  "I see," Shifu murmured. "Well, you may call me Shifu. It seems we both found masters worthy of our loyalty."

  He gestured toward the woman beside him. "This here is my rade, Kaori. From Maple Tree."

  Kaori offered a polite nod, her lips curving into a warm smile. The simple gesture was enough to make the two ministers seated nearby flush momentarily before quickly regaining their posure. Then, turning back to Towa, she spoke with measured .

  "I hope your health is well, Yhness. Naming another is no small matter, it carries the risk of shortening one's own lifespan, after all."

  Towa shook her head, a wistful smile crossing her lips. "If it meant I could save a life, then it was worth it," she said softly. "My only regret is that I couldn't save his rades."

  Shifu's expression darkened. "rades?"

  Hiiro inhaled sharply before nodding. "Yes. A lot happened after your banishment," he said grimly. Then, after a brief pause, he began his story.

  "I became a merary to earn money for the vilge. Ten others from the chose to follow me. At first, I thought I had found good employers, Lord ruled over the nd we worked in. But then, I received word that Orcs were rallying to attack the vilge. I pleaded with my employers to send aid, but they refused."

  His fists ched, voice tightening with bitterness. "So we deserted ’s army. Of course, he didn’t take kindly to that. He sent his elite forces after us."

  Hiiro exhaled slowly, the weight of his words settling over the room. "All of my rades fell that day."

  A tense silence followed.

  "Apparently, Queen Towa barely mao save me. She even granted me a name, hoping the evolution would aid in my recovery. It brought me back from the brink of death," he finished, gesturing to the baill ed around his body.

  Shifu nodded. "Do you knourred the Orcs?"

  "Unfortunately, I do not," Hiiro admitted holy. "But I do know ohing, they'll pay for everything they did." His voice was ced with quiet fury.

  "And they will," Shifu assured him. Then, with a brief nod to Kaori, he reached into his belongings and tossed a sealed bottle toward Hiiro. The red-haired ogre caught it easily.

  "Drink. It's a health potion," Shifu instructed.

  Hiiro's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but he nodded in gratitude before taking a rge gulp of the shimmering green liquid.

  Almost instantly, his body was enveloped in a faint glow. The remaining wounds on his body closed in mere seds, leaving behind only smooth, unblemished skin.

  "Incredible," Hiiro murmured, flexing his hand. "My wounds… they're all gone."

  The effect did not go unnoticed. Towa’s eyes twitched slightly, though she kept her rea trolled, unlike her ministers, who gasped audibly.

  "A potion that grants full recovery… Such a thing would cost a fortune," one of them muttered in disbelief.

  Towa, however, remained posed as she leaned forward slightly. "If I may, I'd like to ask a question."

  Kaori and Shifu exged a brief gnce before Shifu nodded. "Go on."

  "You mentioned something called Maple Tree earlier. Do you mind expining what that is?"

  Shifu’s expression remained ral as he answered. "Not something, Yhness. The nation of Maple Tree is our home, a try established in the eastern part of Jura."

  "A try?" Mobuji gasped. "In the Forest of Jura? But that's… that’s the Storm Dragon’s domain! That’s madness!"

  Shifu met his shock with a steady gaze. "Regardless of what you think, our master, Lady Kaede, now rules over the ey of Eastern Jura." His voice was calm, yet firm. "And besides, Lord Veldora vanished without a trace months ago."

  "What?" Mobuji shouted in shock. "How could that be? Was he defeated? I thought he was sealed within the forest!"

  "No one knows what happened," Shifu replied calmly. "A few months ago, his presence simply vanished. However, that doesn’t me at the moment."

  "I see…" Towa closed her eyes for a brief moment, deep in thought. When she opehem again, her gaze was steady.

  "Sir Shifu," she addressed him formally. "I would like to make a request."

  Shifu observed her carefully as she spoke, waiting for her to tinue.

  "I would like to send a message to your master, Lady Kaede, the ruler of Maple Tree," Towa stated with a resolute expression.

  SaberGlory