Astravax finally came to a stop.
The Dragon of Eternal Stars stood amidst absolute destruction.
The entire area had vanished.
There was no longer any sign of the orphanage.
No walls.
No bodies.
No traces.
Only a massive crater remained beneath the shattered night sky while remnants of chaotic energy distorted the air itself.
Astravax grumbled irritably.
"How am I this weak… tch."
Even though the Beam of Chaos had erased everything in its path—
Astravax knew the truth.
It was pitifully weak compared to his prime.
The true Beam of Chaos could erase worlds.
Could devour stars.
Could reduce entire civilizations into nothingness.
Yet this weakened vessel could barely annihilate a single region completely.
His golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"That girl…"
Before unleashing the beam—
he had felt Reina's presence disappear.
Vanish completely.
"Tch."
"Did that Goddess save her?"
For a brief moment—
the Dragon of Eternal Stars looked genuinely irritated.
Then his massive body slowly dissolved into darkness.
Returning back into Rio.
…
A few moments later—
Elena and Ogram arrived instantly at the ruined battlefield.
Their expressions froze.
The land itself had been erased.
Ogram's eyes widened slightly.
"…What the hell happened here?"
Even Elena remained silent briefly.
Then her gaze sharpened.
"That dragon…"
"…it disappeared."
She gripped her sword tightly.
The lingering pressure still remained in the atmosphere.
Ancient.
Monstrous.
Elena vanished immediately.
Searching.
Looking for survivors.
For Rio.
For anything.
Then—
far away beneath a large tree—
She finally found them.
Silver and Tristan lay unconscious on the ground covered in injuries and dried blood.
And beside them—
a woman with long dark hair quietly held Rio in her arms while gently patting his hair.
Elena's eyes narrowed instantly.
"…Aurelia."
The Headmistress slowly looked toward Elena.
"He is fine."
Her hand gently rested over Rio's forehead as faint healing mana flowed through his body.
"I managed to heal most of his wounds."
Her expression softened slightly.
"But when he wakes up…"
Aurelia's eyes lowered briefly.
"…there may still be trauma left from before."
Elena glanced at the destroyed surroundings once more.
"…What exactly happened here?"
Aurelia remained silent for a moment.
Then—
"They encountered an S-Rank Demon."
Elena's eyes widened instantly.
"…An S-Rank?"
Even Ogram's expression changed completely.
A monster of that caliber was capable of wiping out entire cities.
And these were merely first year cadets.
Then—
Elena frowned slightly.
"…And they survived it?"
Aurelia smiled faintly as she gazed down at Rio's peaceful face resting against her lap.
"No."
Cold wind brushed past them softly.
"They beat it."
Silence fell instantly.
Even Elena struggled to process those words.
An S-Rank Demon.
Defeated.
By first year students.
Aurelia slowly brushed several strands of hair away from Rio's face.
Her smile deepened slightly.
"He beat it."
As Rio slept—
he would never know that this single achievement had already begun shaking the entire empire.
…
As Rio drifted amidst unconsciousness, he remained oblivious to a singular truth—
the feat he had accomplished within Solmere had already begun sending tremors throughout the Empire itself.
Darkness.
Boundless.
Soundless.
Rio slowly opened his eyes only to find himself submerged once more within that endless abyss, a realm devoid of stars, devoid of direction, devoid even of the notion of time itself.
The void stretched infinitely around him like an ocean abandoned by creation.
Then—
a pale screen emerged before him once more.
Another memory.
Yet unlike the fragmented visions prior, this one appeared clearer.
Sharper.
More tangible.
A man stood amidst a grassy field beneath a dim silver sky. Blonde hair swayed gently against the wind while crimson eyes curved with faint amusement.
His physique was refined, disciplined through countless years beneath the sword.
Before him stood a child.
Little Rio.
The boy tightly gripped a wooden blade before charging forward recklessly.
"Haah!"
Clang.
The strike was effortlessly parried.
Little Rio immediately stumbled onto the grass.
The man burst into laughter.
"Rio, did you truly believe rushing forward without thought would work against me?"
The child puffed his cheeks angrily.
"S-Shut up!"
He charged once more.
Again.
And again.
Yet every strike was evaded gracefully.
The man laughed warmly throughout it all.
For a brief fleeting instant—
the memory almost resembled happiness.
Then—
the world shattered apart once more.
A grand ballroom materialized.
Golden chandeliers illuminated the hall while nobles adorned in extravagant garments conversed beneath orchestral melodies.
At the center stood little Rio.
Beside him were two figures.
The first—
a woman possessing silver hair arranged flawlessly into an elegant bun. Her amethyst eyes carried an aristocratic frigidity capable of freezing lesser souls where they stood.
Helena Evermont.
The second—
a man clad in regal military attire whose mere posture radiated overwhelming authority.
Blonde hair.
Crimson eyes.
Lucivar Valen.
The Sword of the Astryx Empire.
Rio instinctively felt his breathing halt.
Then—
children began stepping onto a crystalline podium one after another. Atop it rested two artifacts.
A mana sphere.
And an affinity crystal.
Each child placed their hand upon them while talents were announced proudly throughout the hall.
"A-Rank."
"Lightning Affinity."
"S-Rank Potential."
Praises echoed endlessly.
Pride adorned every noble's face.
Then—
Rio's name was called.
Little Rio visibly trembled.
Helena's voice descended coldly.
"Rio. Step forward."
Lucivar followed immediately.
"Do not shame the Valen name."
"…Y-Yes."
The child slowly ascended the podium.
The surrounding nobles whispered amongst themselves.
"The son of Lucivar Valen?"
"He should possess monstrous talent."
"At minimum an S-Rank aptitude."
Little Rio placed his trembling hand upon the mana sphere.
Silence followed.
Several seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
Then—
the examiner finally spoke awkwardly.
"…D-Rank Talent."
The ballroom froze.
Little Rio's pupils quivered violently.
"A-Ah…"
Slowly—
he turned toward his parents.
Lucivar's gaze held naked fury.
Yet Helena's expression proved far worse.
For within those amethyst eyes—
there remained not even anger.
Only disappointment.
Only disgust.
Then came the affinity crystal.
Little Rio touched it.
Nothing.
No element answered his call.
No affinity resonated.
The examiner himself appeared shaken.
"…Affinityless."
Silence swallowed the ballroom whole.
The heir of Duke Lucivar Valen—
had been born inferior even to commoners.
The memory fractured violently.
Another vision surfaced.
This time—
a girl stood before Rio.
Silver hair cascaded softly against her shoulders while crimson eyes trembled with grief.
Lucinda Valen.
His elder sister.
"Rio…"
Her voice shook weakly.
"Y-You could still become a scholar…"
"You always loved studying mana theory, right…?"
Little Rio walked past her silently.
Those crimson eyes no longer carried life within them.
Lucinda lowered her head.
Tears dripped endlessly upon the floor.
"I-I'm sorry…"
"S-So sorry, Rio…"
Confusion surfaced within Rio's mind.
Sorry?
Why was she apologizing?
Then—
the scene shifted once more.
Little Rio entered his room alone.
And immediately—
an overwhelming suffocating pressure crushed against Rio's chest.
Fear.
An instinctive primordial fear.
Little Rio slowly approached a drawer before retrieving a knife.
His hands trembled violently.
Yet—
he smiled.
A broken smile.
One entirely devoid of hope.
Then—
he raised the blade toward his own face.
And slashed downward.
Blood splattered across the room instantly.
Rio's pupils constricted violently.
T-That was…
That was when he destroyed his own eyes.
The abyss trembled.
Then—
the memories shifted once more.
An endless dark world unfolded before him.
Countless pairs of crimson eyes floated throughout the void.
Watching.
Observing.
Judging.
At the center of that darkness stood an immense staircase ascending endlessly upward.
And atop it—
rested an onyx throne.
Ancient.
Absolute.
Merely gazing upon it caused Rio's soul to tremble instinctively.
Before the staircase knelt a lone figure.
Rio slowly approached.
Then froze.
It was himself.
No—
an older version of Rio.
His physique had matured.
Scars stretched grotesquely across both eyes where they had once been slashed apart.
Yet despite the blindness—
he knelt perfectly still.
Then suddenly—
BOOOOOOM.
An overwhelming pressure descended upon Rio instantly.
His knees crashed against the ground.
He could not breathe.
Could not resist.
Slowly—
he raised his head upward.
And saw them.
Two crimson eyes.
Staring directly at him from atop the throne.
Cold.
Ancient.
Absolute.
Rio's entire body trembled.
H-He can see me…?
Then—
those crimson eyes shifted away from him.
Toward the older Rio kneeling below.
Finally—
a voice echoed throughout the endless abyss.
"I suppose everyone has reached an agreement."
Every syllable carried indescribable authority.
"Rio Valen."
"As of today…"
"You no longer belong to the Astryx Empire."
"You no longer belong to the Valen Family."
The countless crimson eyes throughout the darkness slowly widened.
The pressure intensified further.
"You shall henceforth be declared…"
"…the First Retainer."
Silence consumed the abyss.
Then—
"Retainer Rio."
"Stand."
The older Rio slowly rose to his feet.
His scarred blind eyes remained devoid of all emotion.
Then his cold voice reverberated throughout the void.
"Yes…"
"…Sovereign."