“Wh-wh-what’s th-that?”
“Huh?”
It was a normal day when the Outer District fell into panic mode. Although the news that Heaven Wing had returned raged everywhere, it was initially treated as nothing more than a passing distraction by the inhabitants of the land of dropouts. They had fun chatting about it, but the consequences and significance didn’t hit home until the floating castle Laputa tore through space and slowly appeared in the sky.
The daily activities of the players and inhabitants of the Outer District were interrupted, and they looked up in surprise as the shadow loomed over them. Although it had sustained damage from the Crawling Chaos, Laputa was still the lair of the last dragon king, Kalatus.
Its size was impressive and overwhelmed everyone who looked at it. At the same time, a message window popped up for the players and inhabitants of the Outer District. It was a decree from Laputa, and everyone was taken aback when they read it.
“A-Arthia has reappeared…!”
“Heaven Wing has declared war!”
A piece of news as shocking as Heaven Wing’s reappearance struck the world of the Tower.
* * *
“I hereby announce that Arthia has returned.”
The message dispatched to all players and inhabitants of the Outer District was only one sentence written in an arrogant tone as though it expected its audience to understand its significance. However, its assumption was not misplaced because everyone who read the decree trembled.
The rumors that Heaven Wing had returned and that three of the Nine Kings had died, most players felt concerned about the future but didn’t understand what it would mean. Although there was an atmosphere of war in the air, and it was clear a massive battle would soon take place, most players didn’t think they would be involved.
However, the decree frightened them as they grasped its meaning: Arthia hadn’t forgotten its struggles and grudges, and they were prepared to avenge themselves. They also wouldn’t have delivered such a message unless they had the power to stand against the rest of the Tower, ready to face all possible scenarios.
As if evidence of this, another piece of news shook the Tower: “Blood Land has fallen.”
It had been one of the Eight Clans that ruled at the top of the Tower. However, this impregnable fortress had been breached, and the massacre was so complete that not even a mouse was left.
Players who had believed that there was nothing left to achieve in the Tower grew panicked. Other people responded differently. For every person fearful of the coming war, there was another person who couldn’t contain their excitement. Some stayed quiet and decided to observe first.
Soon, other big incidents erupted one by one.
“The Elohim has been partially destroyed!”
“The Lion Alliance has chosen to disband.”
“The Fantasy Regiment has cleared the upper floors and taken over Green Dragon.”
“Black Dragon is going through internal strife.”
“White Dragon is closing off floors to get a chance to catch their breath.”
The Lion Alliance had split up without contributing much in the Dragon Labyrinth. Only painful outcomes awaited the different groups: the mercenary alliance was crushed, the Magic Tower dissolved, and other clans were annihilated. Arthia’s sudden attack had left the Elohim on the verge of destruction like Blood Land, but they had managed to just barely defend themselves. The Fantasy Regiment, only recently considered an emerging clan, turned their blades to the upper floors and nearly ruined Green Dragon, forcing them to give up their territory. The leaderless Black Dragon had fallen into different factions that fought for control. White Dragon had suspended their activities in the Tower and retreated to their Outer Space to recover indefinitely.
