One month ago.
Marie Jois.
The Holy Land was burning.
Smoke rolled across the white city like a living thing. Entire avenues were lit by fire from the destroyed food reserves, the glow reflecting off marble towers and gilded statues. The sacred symbol of the World Government lay in ruins, shattered and defaced, and the Celestial Dragons—gods of a rotten world—were in complete turmoil.
They screamed.
They raged.
They ordered executions that couldn't be carried out fast enough.
Just as Dragon had predicted.
With their comfort stripped away, with their illusion of untouchability cracked, they lashed out at everything and everyone around them.
Servants.
Slaves.
Soldiers.
Each other.
High above the chaos, a figure moved across the rooftops.
Kaito.
His white hair whipped behind him, his long red jacket snapping in the wind as he leapt from roof to roof. Below him, streets were choked with fleeing nobles, panicked guards, and revolutionary units clashing with government forces. Explosions echoed in the distance. Somewhere far away, two admirals were already fighting.
But Kaito wasn't here for glory.
He was here to free slaves.
He landed silently on the edge of a roof and froze.
Below him, in a small plaza between buildings, a Celestial Dragon stood trembling with fury. His bulbous suit was smeared with soot, his face red and contorted. In front of him knelt several girls, thin, shaking, collars still around their necks.
He was pointing a gun at them.
Celestial dragon: I hired you all to assist me with everything! That includes getting me to safety! So I expect you all to carry me out of here! I spent good money on all of you!
The girls couldn't even look up.
Girl 1: we're sorry master!, but we're not strong enough to lift you
The Celestial Dragon's hand shook as he raised the gun higher.
Celestial dragon: excuses! Excuses! That's all I ever hear from you! You're nothing but a waste of money! So just-
The ground trembled.
A presence pressed down on the air.
He turned.
Kaito was standing a few meters away.
Blood-red eyes.
Cold.
Unblinking.
Kaito slowly straightened.
Kaito: Don't you know you should treat women with kindness and respect, what kind of a man are you
The Celestial Dragon recoiled in outrage.
Celestial dragon: shut up! They're my property! So I'll do what I want with them!
He fired.
The bullet never touched Kaito.
Kaito tilted his head, the round whistling past his cheek. Then he vanished.
A rush of wind.
The Celestial Dragon gasped.
The gun was gone.
He turned stiffly.
Kaito was standing behind him, casually holding it.
Celestial dragon: How did you-
Kaito: I worked, something you wouldn't know much about
He crushed the gun in his bare hand. Metal folded. The chamber collapsed. The remains dropped to the floor.
