At a certain moment, three valiant figures danced in the sky above the Verdant Sea Cavern, tracing arcs of brilliance.
One, a stag beetle emperor, dyed in emerald deeper and quieter than the forest's green, radiant with serene beauty.
One, a Caucasus beetle emperor, darker than the forest's shadows, gleaming with gold brighter than dappled sunlight.
One, a small human of the Second Plan, born in ancient times, inheriting the answer to soar the azure sky, boldly forging a path through the world.
Their three lights clashed at the Imperial Trees, the two emperors testing if the human was worthy of the dream, burning their lives to confirm it, until every fragment was consumed and scattered.
This human, still small, would become one to move the world…
Their name—
"Tyranid Giraffe! Kaiserion Caucasus!"
Pierced by the Exceed Charge: Overdrive rider kick, the Insect Emperors crashed to the battlefield of the Imperial Trees. Pepper rushed to their side.
"Splendid… hero. We've witnessed… the brilliance… of your answer to soar the azure sky," Tyranid Giraffe rasped.
"Oh… well done… reaching this point. Now… we can entrust it… to you," Kaiserion Caucasus added.
Despite their shattered halves, the emperors controlled their broken bodies, rising. Polygons spilled from their wounds, their lustrous exoskeletons dulling, losing color.
"Hey, don't push yourselves!" Pepper urged.
Ignoring him, they staggered toward the Imperial Amber between the Imperial Trees.
"Our lives… ended long ago. But…"
"We resolved… not to fall… until the hero soared and showed their brilliance."
With crumbling forms, they flanked the Imperial Amber, using their remaining limbs to unearth the massive crystal from the ground.
"Hero… here we end… the cycle turns…"
"But our kin… will come to these trees… as guardians…"
With their final strength, they uprooted the Imperial Amber, toppling it to the ground.
"Hero… who wove the dream and wish of the azure sky… from ancient times…"
"May your path… be filled with fortune… and countless encounters…"
Leaving these words to Pepper, the Insect Emperors fully collapsed. Around the unearthed Imperial Amber, their drop items appeared in abundance. Their scattering polygons drifted in the wind, seemingly ascending to the azure sky visible between the Imperial Trees.
"Tyranid Giraffe. Kaiserion Caucasus. Your might and valor, worthy of wind and thunder gods, taught me how to wield Radiant Solreia—the Legacy Weapon. Thank you… truly!"
Great Insect Emperors, may your spirits find peace.
Like a medieval knight bowing to royalty, Pepper offered deep, fervent prayers to the mighty emperors who fought and taught them Radiant Solreia's mastery.
The wind-and-thunder fence vanished. Pepper collected every drop item, leaving none behind.
"Pepper-han!"
"Pepper-san!"
"Aitoir! And… why are you here, Laser Marlin!?"
Aitoir and Laser Marlin rushed over, the former expected, the latter a surprise. Pepper's obvious question prompted the boy's explanation.
"Yeah… save-forgetting's a gamer classic… it happens," Pepper shrugged.
"If I'm a bother… I'll leave and pretend I saw nothing…" Laser Marlin offered, uneasy.
He'd seen Radiant Solreia, the Imperial Trees' location, the emperors' attack patterns, and the drops. Though unlikely, leaking this could spread. Better to keep him close than risk it, Pepper decided—a brilliantly correct choice.
"No, since you saw the fight, stick around to the end."
"Really? It's okay?"
"Yeah, hop on the treasure ship! Better to ride and enjoy than regret passing it up."
"Pepper-han's right. Life's for enjoying!" Aitoir chimed.
With Laser Marlin in tow, Pepper searched beneath the massive Imperial Amber unearthed by the emperors' dying act.
Digging through softened soil, Pepper found a rectangular box, unmarred by rust, like a time capsule. Made of the same material as the Radiant series and Rising Volks Gear, it held a single palm-sized circular item, its core glowing faintly azure.
"It's beautiful…" Laser Marlin said.
"Truly…" Aitoir agreed.
"Yeah…" Pepper nodded.
Storing it in the item inventory, Pepper checked its details.
Big Bang Piece: Apex Star Furnace Core
A Radiant series component, the energy core for Radiant Arsenal, unlocking full-body functions.
Once activated, it generates immense energy in any environment, a pinnacle engine of ancient times. Its overflowing life force affects other beings, rewriting geological and botanical growth at a staggering pace.
Embedded in Radiant Arsenal and controlled by Rising Volks Gear, the Radiant series becomes its true name: Radiant Dragonius, the Golden Dragon King Armor ascending to brilliance.
Yet, this is the 'soul' of the answer. Without the 'vessel' (Radiant series) and 'mechanism' (Rising Volks Gear), it cannot awaken.
(A top-tier ancient engine? That's insane. It affects plants and geology, so it's why the Imperial Trees and this giant crystal exist? Radiant series, you had a true name? So cool! Why a Golden Dragon King? Connected to the unique monster Ziegwurm the Sky Tyrant from the library?)
"Hmm… I'll need to ask Sensei or Birak-san how to use this. But we've come this far."
The vessel: Radiant series gear.
The mechanism: Rising Volks Gear.
The soul: Big Bang Piece.
Pepper had gathered all three elements of the ancient answer to soar the azure sky.
But suddenly, the sky darkened—stained by shadow.
"What… is this!?"
"P-Pepper-han…!"
"What's… happening…"
Between the Imperial Trees, a figure descended, blocking the sky's light, shocking the two humans and one rabbit.
Its golden four wings beat, unleashing storm-like winds.
Five horns on its head gleamed like a crown of ancient authority.
Its golden scales, dazzlingly opulent, were undeniably magnificent.
Blocking their escape, it landed from the heavens onto the Verdant Sea Cavern's earth. A dragon among dragons—the Dragon King.
"Now… which is the hero who wove the dream to soar the azure sky?"
Unique Monster Encountered: Ziegwurm the Sky Tyrant
The hero soaring the azure sky meets the Golden Dragon King this day.
The Final Piece of the Answer to Soar and the Dragon King's Descent
Big Bang Piece: Apex Star Furnace Core
A key item for reviving the Radiant series, the power source for the answer to soar the azure sky in ancient times. Also called the 'Harmony Bringer.'
A byproduct of Ziegwurm's creation, this compact yet ultra-efficient engine boasts top-tier performance from ancient times.
Modeled after the Arc Reactor, the power source of Iron Man's suit.
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