"Honkai Impact: The Magician's Descent"

A Rift in the Sky: The Dragon's Challenge

Chapter 5.1: The Dragon's Call

The skies above the Hyperion had been peaceful since the crew's return from their mission at the Abyss of Grief. Lyka, though still recovering from the exhausting fight with Cocolia's forces, walked along the ship's deck, gazing out at the horizon. A soft wind tugged at her cloak, and for the first time in days, she felt a moment of calm. But it was fleeting.

Kiana and the others were scattered around the deck, resting and sharing light conversation. Despite everything that had happened, the crew seemed hopeful—if only for a moment.

Kiana Kaslana (playfully, smiling):
"Maybe we can finally get a break, huh? I think we've earned it."

Mei Raiden (smiling gently):
"I wouldn't mind a quiet day for once..."

Bronya Zaychik (calmly):
"Hyperion systems show no Honkai disturbances for now. We should take advantage of the peace."

Lyka listened to their words but felt a strange unease she couldn't shake. The air felt heavier than usual, and her senses, finely tuned by years of practicing magic, prickled with the sensation of something... wrong.

Suddenly, a deep rumble echoed through the sky. The ship trembled slightly beneath their feet as the peaceful blue heavens above them began to crack. Dark fissures spread like veins through the sky, distorting the light as if the world itself was tearing open.

Kiana, Mei, and Bronya immediately tensed, their instincts kicking in. Lyka's hand tightened around her staff, her heart racing.

Kiana Kaslana (alarmed, standing up quickly):
"What the hell is that?!"

Mei Raiden (with a sharp edge of concern):
"That's... no Honkai disturbance I've ever seen."

Bronya Zaychik (analyzing):
"Impossible... the energy readings are off the charts, but it's not Honkai energy."

The crack in the sky widened, black tendrils of shadow seeping out like ink, darkening the clouds. From the heart of the rift, a voice—low and rumbling, filled with ancient malice—echoed across the sky, shaking the very air around them. It was a voice that chilled the blood.

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"GREAT MAGICIAN... I CAN SENSE YOU FROM THIS WORLD..."

Kiana's eyes widened as the voice washed over them, its sheer power making her legs wobble. Lyka's face paled as her worst fears began to materialize. She knew that voice. It was one she had hoped to never hear again.

Kiana Kaslana (panicked):
"Lyka... what is that?!"

Lyka's heart pounded in her chest as the dark fissures in the sky deepened. Her grip on her staff tightened until her knuckles turned white. She could feel the weight of that presence—familiar, terrifying, and ancient.

Lyka Ashwind (whispering, with fear and disbelief):
"It can't be... not here. Not in this world."

The voice boomed once more, its malevolence shaking the sky itself.

Black Dragon Invecta (roaring across the sky):
"I AM THE BLACK DRAGON INVICTA... AND I WILL DEVOUR YOU, GREAT MAGICIAN!"

The shadows coiled and twisted within the cracks of the sky, swirling as if the very heavens were being torn apart by Invecta's will. A shape, dark and massive, shifted beyond the rift—a glimpse of the monstrous form of the Black Dragon itself.