"... How's the situation with the Red Dragon"
"They're getting batter... Not all Red Dragons are cooperative but at least the Successor of Rakshasa isn't that bad... Enough about the past... I wanted to hear your story too... How is the situation in the central universe, I an your World... Not long ago... The surge of Pure energy was felt all the way here... Does it have sothing to do with your World?"
Taufik leaned back, his expression unreadable as Dagraha's ntion of Earth brought back a flood of recent mories within him.
The firelight from the nearby lanterns flickered across his face, casting a shadow that mirrored the heaviness of what he was about to say.
"...Yes, it's definitely coming from Earth... That surge of Pure energy, it happened right after I forged the new core of the planet-"
"What? You forged a new planetary core, Big Brother? As in... An entirely new core?!"
Taufik nodded slowly.
"Yeah... I had to. If I didn't, sothing terrible would've happened. Sothing far worse than anyone could imagine"
"What happens?"
Asked Dagraha.
Taufik's eyes narrowed slightly, the weight of responsibility pressing visibly on his shoulders as the mories surfaced.
"The old core was... Destroyed, I did it"
Taufik began, his voice low and steady.
"It was corrupted by Demon... Not just any demon, but one of the highest-ranking among them. Their goal was nothing less than the annihilation of Earth… The heart of the universe. It was their first move in a plan to claim everything"
He paused, his eyes settling on Aksara.
"...But we stopped them. My son and I stood against them… And we won... That's why I know, those demons now carry a deep, burning hatred for ... And I know they will co back"
With that sentence, Everyone at the table with Taufik fell silent.
Not just them but everyone who overheard his words, whether near or far, also froze in silence.
Anything involving demons always begins in ruin and ends in worse. The Red Dragons are a clear example; although not the biggest cause, their downfall from the strongest began the mont they forged a pact with a demon.
There's a silence for a mont before Taufik begins to speak again.
"... Actually I have another reason for coming here, Dagraha"
Dagraha leaned forward, his gaze sharp and steady. The flickering light of the lanterns reflected in his eyes like slow-burning embers.
"I already guessed it... You wouldn't have co this far if it wasn't important"
Dagraha said calmly, the air around him thick with tension. Then Continued.
"...Tell "
Taufik paused, gathering his thoughts before finally speaking.
"It's not just about Demon… Not just Earth... Sothing's stirring across the universes. The energy released from the core when I reforged it... It wasn't just stabilizing. Just like how you felt it... It was a signal. A beacon..."
Dagraha's brows furrowed.
"A beacon… To what?"
Taufik's voice dropped to a whisper, heavy with aning.
"To sothing unknown… Sothing far beyond Earth. Now, Earth is like sugar tossed into an ant's nest: irresistible, chaotic, and exposed. And soon… Sooner than anyone realizes... They will co. One by one, they will arrive. When that mont cos, Earth will return to its origin... Back to what it once was, long before humanity ever set foot upon it"
A hushed gasp escaped from soone nearby. Even Arman, who had been silently listening, looked shaken.
Dagraha's eyes darkened.
"You an... The Primordials… The Forgotten Beings... All of them will co to Earth?"
Taufik nodded.
"I don't know if they were already on their way to Earth or just silently watching and waiting for the right ti to strike... But it's real, I know they'll co... I've seen the signs. I can feel it"
"…So what do you want from ? From us, green dragon?"
Taufik looked at him with grim resolve.
"I need allies; The Earth needs allies...We'll need every force, not just from The Green Dragon, but from all Dragon Races... I ca to ask you... To stand with , with humanity when the ti cos"
Dagraha sat in silence for a mont before slowly rising to his feet, the weight of his presence unmistakable.
"You're asking us to stand against them... Against the entire universe?"
"No, my friends... I'm asking you to stand for everything that still has a future... This is not about Earth, it's about all of us"
Taufik replied.
Silence lingered once more until Dagraha raised his hand and placed it firmly on Taufik's shoulder.
And with a wide grin appeared on his face, Dagraha said.
"... Then you have the Green Dragons. We fought beside you once and We will do it again"
From across the hall, Arman slamd his fist to his chest in salute.
"For Draco. For Earth. For you, Big Brother!!"
One by one, others rose. Warriors, nobles, and even servants who heard those words, many of whom owed their lives or freedom to the man before them.
The feast no longer felt like a celebration.
It felt like the beginning of a war council.
And far above, the great trees shuddered not from wind, but from sothing ancient... Sothing watching.
--------
With the welcoming feast concluded, the grand hall gradually emptied. One by one, the Green Dragons departed, returning to their respective residences nestled within the ancient forested peaks surrounding the citadel. Their voices faded, replaced by the soft rustling of leaves and the distant hum of the forest at night.
Yet within the heart of the castle, warmth still lingered.
Taufik's family remained in quiet conversation with Dagraha's, their laughter now softer, their words more intimate, less about politics and more about shared mories and futures yet to co.
But Taufik himself had slipped away.
Silently, he made his way through the stone corridors, his steps echoing faintly against the marble floor until he reached the open balcony.
The air was crisp, laced with the scent of old trees and fresh earth. He stepped forward, resting his hands on the carved stone rail, eyes scanning the moonlit horizon.
There was nothing out of place.
But he felt it.
A subtle weight in the air. A presence.
His gaze slowly lifted, not to the stars above, but to the tallest tower of the castle. A solitary spire of ancient greenstone and silver, reaching like a finger toward the sky. At its peak.
Soone was up there and Taufik knew who it was.
He took a deep breath, ford his Mana wings, and flew up toward the figure.
Even when he got close, the figure didn't look at him.
Taufik sighed, sat down beside him, and without saying hello or anything else, he spoke.
"...What's wrong? Reminiscing about old mories... Lembu?"
"*Sigh* Just leave alone"
"Co on, don't be like that. It's not like you. What's bothering you? Is sothing weighing on your mind?"
Lembuswana didn't answer right away. He remained silent, his gaze fixed on the moon, staring as if searching for sothing distant, sothing beyond reach.
"...I rember now"
Lembuswana said at last, his voice barely above a whisper. Then continued.
"... I never did tell you what I wanted, did I?"
Taufik nodded.
"...Your wish, right? You're right... You never did tell . So... do you want to ask for it now? What is your wish, Lembu?"
Lembuswana's expression remained unreadable, still bathed in the cold light of the moon. He didn't look at Taufik, but his words ca slowly, heavy with years that no one else had carried.
"...It's simple, really. And yet... So far out of reach"
He finally turned his head slightly, just enough to et Taufik's eyes.
"... Can you bring back Basukhi... Bring him back to the world"
"..."
Taufik didn't respond imdiately.
The na Basukhi echoed in his mind like a distant bell ringing through layers of ti and mory.
He hadn't heard that na in years. That na carried weight. Legacy. Grief.
"...Basukhi"
Taufik repeated quietly as if tasting the na for the first ti in centuries.
"... Isn't he your enemy?"
"He is... But he is also my friend... My brothers... It is Impossible?"
Taufik's gaze drifted downward, his brows furrowed in thought. The wind tugged at his coat, rustling the fabric like a whisper from the past.
"...Impossible?"
Taufik's words echoed softly, then looked back at Lembuswana.
"No. But it's not sothing I can do lightly"
Lembuswana stayed quiet, his eyes returning to the moon.
"... Why? Are you afraid of those angels?"
Taufik chuckled softly, though there was no humor in it.
"…Afraid of angels? ? Are you looking down on , Lembu?"
Hearing that, Lembuswana just snorted but offered no response to Taufik's question.
He had been by Taufik's side for a long ti, he had witnessed every battle, every impossible victory.
Fear? No. The power Taufik wielded was so overwhelming, so unreasonable, that even Fear itself seed hesitant to draw near.
That is how Lembuswana views Taufik.
Taufik let out a soft hum, his gaze lifting skyward, eyes narrowing as if trying to pierce the very heavens.
"...Brother, huh? Alright then... Let's see what I can do about that"
....
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..
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