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It had all happened too quickly. Mirai had been enjoying another peaceful day with her family. Friends from the Sinners Academy came to visit, bringing their children along. She had looked forward to her daughter finally making some friends—at that age, Elizabeth needed to learn how to socialize better.

However, the moment she finally decided to relax and stop watching Elizabeth every second, something terrible occurred—something she could have prevented if she had stayed vigilant. Her eyes widened as a large golden formation appeared out of nowhere.

Kaguya’s children had summoned a small formation to let Elizabeth call forth a Shikigami. It was meant to be minor and harmless, but when her daughter added a single drop of her own blood, the formation expanded dramatically, filling the entire room. A pillar of light erupted, and in an instant, everything went dark.

Elizabeth found herself trapped inside a black dome. Her eyes widened as she realized it was a Domain. Through her senses, she immediately understood that the entity behind it was a malicious being from another dimension.

"A Grievance?! But we’ve slain them all!" In a panic, Mirai rushed toward the dome with her husband. "Louis!"

"I know!" Louis nodded and began growing enormous. "Everyone, get out of the castle—now!"

The others had no choice but to flee, flying into the skies as Louis transformed into his full dragon form and demolished the Domain with a single devastating strike.

"ELIZABETH!!!"

BOOOMMM!!!

The entire dome shattered like glass. A massive explosion tore through half of Frostbane Castle in that instant. What had taken only seconds for the adults had been over twenty minutes of desperate struggle for little Elizabeth, who had nearly been devoured by an aberrant monstrosity from the depths of another dimension.

"Damn it! Just when I thought we could finally have a peaceful life—one thing after another, huh?!"

Louis blamed himself, not his daughter. He had grown too complacent, too relaxed. After facing countless threats, after enduring thousands of regressions where his mind and heart had been broken and rebuilt so many times he had lost count, he had believed he could finally enjoy a time of respite.

But he was wrong.

"Gungnir!"

From deep within his Fantasy Heart, a gleaming golden spear materialized. It pierced the Nightmare King’s chest and unleashed a blinding explosion of light. The monstrosity crashed downward as Louis’s claw dug into its metallic head, freeing his daughter from becoming its meal.

He swiftly caught Elizabeth with his tail and sent a telepathic message to his wife that she was safe. At the same moment, he noticed a Dimensional Rift tearing open in the center of the ruined castle.

"Mirai! A Dimensional Rift has opened! The girl’s safe!"

"Okay—I’ll protect the city. Go slay that thing!"

As they communicated through telepathy—something little Elizabeth still did not know about—Louis kicked off the ground and soared into the skies. The Nightmare King had merged with the heavens and was raining hundreds of crimson meteors down on the capital.

Panic spread through the city. The people realized the age of peace had ended. After more than a decade without the Dimensional Labyrinth, another absurd threat from beyond their world had arrived.

And yet...

This time, guardians existed who were more than capable of protecting them.

Mirai walked forward calmly. Using her powers, she stepped into the depths of Hell itself and reached her destination.

This was one of her mastered Spiralwalker Abilities from the Spiral of Entropy.

[Dimensional Step].

By stepping into another dimension, she bypassed the space between her current location and her target. It was faster than conventional teleportation magic and cost her nothing.

Moreover, every time she entered Hell—the Realm of Demons born from her Spiral after she ascended to Tier 0 Spiralwalker and became the Abyssal Demon Queen of Entropy—she absorbed enough Demonic Energy to unleash her True Power.

Her eyes opened, gleaming bright red. She raised her hands, and her entire aura expanded around the city in mere seconds.

No—not just the city. Her crimson aura spread outward, covering the beautiful green world she and her husband had built together, a world they had created so their daughter could grow up in safety and joy.

"Demonic Dimension Grand Dominion – Pandemonium."

A gigantic fortress of dark red flames surged into existence, shielding the entire capital and the surrounding lands. Countless meteors of hardened, burning Nightmare Energy crashed down, exploding relentlessly.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Yet the capital remained untouched. Even without her intervention, the special formation beneath the city would have activated regardless.

"Please take care of the girl. Are you sure it’s fine to bring her up there while you fight that Grievance thing?"

"I don’t think it’s a Grievance, but another type of lifeform from a different dimension. That summoning spell must have been amplified when Elizabeth dropped her blood. Who would have thought her own blood could open gates to other worlds?"

"It’s really unsettling... We’ll have to find countermeasures. Well, take care of her, alright?"

"I shall."

After enduring so many trials together, Mirai trusted her husband more than anything. She knew that if he promised no harm would come to Elizabeth, then no harm would come.

Louis was a man of incredible determination and willpower—someone who always cared about every detail to the point of obsession. He was far from foolish; he always thought several steps ahead.

He simply never imagined something this ridiculous could ever happen.

"Looks like he’s keeping it busy," Mirai nodded, surveying the area.

She disappeared once more and reappeared at the front of the half-destroyed castle. Dozens of knights clad in golden and white armor clashed against giant black knight-like Nightmares—creatures made of living black metal with red flesh beneath.

They had needle-like arms and legs with razor-sharp ends capable of piercing armor easily. Their presence alone induced mental instability and could even corrupt souls. They resembled Entities yet differed—they were not born from the Dimensional Labyrinth but were a true species, similar to Yggdrasil’s Magic Beasts or Spiritias’ Spirit Beasts.

"Don’t falter! Slay these damn things with everything you’ve got!" Gigantia led the charge, swinging her massive hammer and crushing the monsters flat with overwhelming force.

She was incredibly strong—likely the most powerful servant in the entire castle. Her hammer blows devastated the Nightmares one after another. Their defensive armor meant nothing against her might, and none of their other abilities worked either.

"Did you think you could mess with my head?! Hah! Those who have drunk our King’s blood suffer no such weakness! Hahaha!"

Laughing, Gigantia advanced. Each step made the castle rumble. When Nightmares surrounded her, she simply punched and kicked them away. She summoned giant boulders and sharp stone slabs with her magic but refrained from overusing it to avoid harming allies.

The other knights beside her also resisted the Nightmare Infection. Having drunk the King’s blood, they shifted into Dragonoid forms to boost their power and began pushing the Nightmares back toward the Dimensional Rift.

Among them stood someone equal to Gigantia in strength: a tall, slender, handsome vampire man who could walk in sunlight after drinking Louis’s blood. He had gained immense power and become a Dragonoid Vampire.

With patches of white scales on his skin, long red hair, and sharp crimson-gold eyes, Vlad—the Vampire Head Butler of Frostbane Castle—moved at lightning speed.

He melted into shadows, appearing and disappearing behind or in front of his enemies. His long claws tore them apart while he combined powerful Blood Magic and Ice Magic—freezing foes solid before making their own blood explode from within.

Unlike Entities or Grievances, these creatures possessed blood and organs, making them perfect targets for his deadly combination.

"Gigantia! How are things on your side?" he asked through telepathy.

"We’re holding here, but more Nightmares are pouring out toward the city!" Gigantia complained. "Damn it, I wish I could split myself!"

As they fought to drive the monsters back, the rift remained massive, allowing countless Nightmares to escape toward the capital.

To their frustration, however, three rulers, their families, and their knights waited on the other side—with Mirai overseeing everything from above.

"Are you sure you want to fight? You’re our guests—please step aside," she insisted.

"No, this is our children’s fault. Please let us take responsibility," Empress Kaguya sighed.

"Indeed. We should have taught them to be more careful. Yare yare," her Kitsune husband added, waving two magic fans. "Both of you stay behind and don’t interfere, alright?"

"W-We’re sorry!"

"I’m sorry... such a big mess..."

The twins were genuinely remorseful, tears streaming as they looked at the destruction they had unintentionally caused. The adults continued reassuring them, determined to keep them from feeling guilt or fear.

"Blazing Phoenix Swordsmanship."

"First Form – Burning Heavens!"

The graceful, unassuming Empress of Yamato revealed her true power. She swung her magical spiritual katana, channeling her Bonded Grievance—the Mythical Vermillion Bird, one of Zipangu’s Four Auspicious Beasts, at the level of Rank 9 Gods.

Her body transformed: blazing feathers and wings sprouted, and her kimono became a dress of living flames.

With one swing, a massive wave of fire surged forward—large enough to cleave through dozens of buildings—striking the Nightmares with explosive flames that reduced them to ash.

"Don’t worry, Mirai," Arthur said. "We may have had our differences back then... and yes, we once tried invading each other’s countries over a decade ago. But things have changed. We’re allies now. Be at ease—we’ll fight too."

Arthur stepped forward. His long blonde hair waved in the wind as he drew his sword, revealing a gleaming divine blade of immense power.

"Shine, Excalibur."

FLAAASH!

Radiant holy light burst from the blade. With a single swing, Arthur disintegrated dozens of Nightmares at once.

"Hah, how easy."

He smiled confidently. His wife, Dralma, crossed her arms and glared at him with a bored expression, shaking her head.

"You’re too flashy, my husband."

She stepped forward. Her aura surged as she transformed into a gigantic white-and-gold dragon overflowing with the elements of Nature and Light.

"A-Aren’t you even flashier though, my wife?!"

Arthur stared in awe at his massive dragon wife. She sneered and charged with a single leap.

"RAAAAH!"

With a mighty roar, Dralma unleashed a breath attack that vaporized over twenty Nightmares in an instant—though she accidentally demolished a nearby tower in the process.

BOOOM!

"Watch where you aim with your breath!" Arthur complained.

"S-Shut up!" his wife snapped back.

Their daughter, meanwhile, was eager to join the fight but was held back by Camelot’s knights for her own safety.

"Come on! Let me fight! I want to swing a sword like Daddy and fight like a dragon like Mommy!" Guinevere insisted, only to be gently pushed back.

"We’re sorry, Princess Guinevere."

"But we cannot allow you to come to harm. We would never forgive ourselves if something happened to you!"

"Please stay back and be patient..."

"Uugghhh!" she fumed. "Elizabeth got all the fun... that’s not fair."

Despite trying to act like a big sister, she still behaved very much like a child.

King Ashur remained silent, a calm smile on his face as he sat upon a golden throne floating in midair.

He waved a hand. Portals opened from his golden aura, summoning giant Golden Statues, Golden Weapons, and Golden Fists the size of cars. They crushed Nightmares with effortless precision.

He even yawned while fighting, watching the endless stream of enemies. "What a bore. Their numbers are finally thinning. Amekda, do you think we can close the Dimensional Rift now?"

"We should try, Dralma! Mirai!" Amekda called. "Let’s seal the Dimensional Rift before something larger emerges!"

"You’re right," Mirai nodded. She had been constantly monitoring everyone, ensuring their safety.

"Okay!" Dralma agreed.

Amekda shifted into her dragon form—a massive three-headed dragon goddess covered in glistening golden crystal scales. She spread her wings and flew toward the rift.

Dralma and Mirai followed. The three powerful women reached the unstable Dimensional Rift spreading through the castle ruins.

Beyond it lay an endless black abyss.

"This is really scary," Dralma muttered.

"You’re the most sheltered of us, so of course you’re scared, Dralma! Arthur spoils you too much," Amekda laughed.

"What does that even mean?!" Dralma snapped. "I am Camelot’s Guardian Dragon Goddess!"

"Ahem, girls, that’s enough," Mirai said. Her body began to grow rapidly and transform. "Let’s finish this quickly. Please focus."

"...!"

"...?!"

Both Divine Dragon Queens fell silent the moment they saw Mirai’s True Form. Their eyes widened in awe at the overwhelming power she radiated. It became clear why she was the strongest being on the planet alongside her husband.

And the daughter born of these two titans was destined to be a little monster herself—one whose single drop of blood had summoned an entire interdimensional invasion.

"Very well!"

"Leave it to us!"

Both dragons locked in and cooperated fully. They unleashed their Divine Auras—mantles of gold, red, and green energy that twisted and warped the elements to their will.

Using these auras, they covered the Dimensional Rift, halting the flow of threats and beginning to patch the wound in Reality.

Dimensional Rifts were literal tears in the Fabric of Space and Time. To close one, they first had to stop the hemorrhage by covering the breach.

Dralma and Amekda had mastered Domain Creation and infused that power into their Fantasium Auras, shaping a veil over the rift.

Mirai’s role came next. Capable of grasping and compressing space itself, she extended her giant hands—infused with Chaotic Energies—and forced the tear to shrink.

"Almost there...!"

The two dragon queens held the wound closed while Mirai compressed it further, preventing expansion.

With each passing second, the rift grew smaller and smaller.

"We’re almost done, let’s— Ah!"

However—

RUMBLE!

A powerful presence surged from within the black abyss. Mirai’s eyes widened as a pair of crimson-gold eyes—resembling those of an octopus—stared back from the darkness.

She had revived the Realm of Chaos Spirits and faced terrifying beings before, but this was something else entirely.

The gate to the Nightmare Dimension had been opened. A connection had been forged.

No matter how hard they tried to close it...

Countless hands would emerge to tear it open again.

"Next time, we’ll be prepared."

Resisting the intense mental assault from those crimson-gold eyes, Mirai clenched her teeth and sealed the Dimensional Rift completely.

FLUOSH!

Space snapped back to normal.

A faint blink of darkness lingered for a moment, but then everything returned to stillness.

"Haaa..." The two Dragon Queens sighed in relief and collapsed to the ground.

Mirai remained silent, staring at where the rift had been and at what she had glimpsed. That presence had not belonged to a being on the level of the Nightmare King her husband had fought.

"Could there be a greater realm than these so-called kings? I have to discuss this with honey later..."

She looked behind her and sighed in relief—no one had died. Those infected by the Nightmares’ soul corruption, however, remained unconscious.

"We have to treat these people quickly. Bring them to the Infirmary!" she ordered. "Call the Holy Dragon Mother’s Church priests if possible—we’ll need many healers."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The knights, maids, and butlers nodded and moved at once.

A few remained behind, including Vlad and Gigantia.

"Um, Your Majesty? How do we bring them to the Infirmary if the castle’s destroyed?" Gigantia asked.

"Oh, I forgot about that..." Mirai muttered, glancing around. "Let’s wait for my husband. He’s on his way."

The group waited calmly as the Dragon King descended. His radiant wings and majestic form drew gasps and awe from everyone present.

Slowly, Louis shifted back into his Dragonoid form, cradling his mischievous little daughter in his arms—Elizabeth, the one who had caused such an enormous mess.

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