Chapter 17

The captains remain still as the masked figure slowly rises from the altar. Despite the quiet of the world around them, his steps echo faintly—like whispers from another realm. The dragon skull shifts slightly as the figure turns, revealing the faint glint of golden eyes beneath the sockets.

Kifo spreads his arms.

Kifo:
Welcome, travelers! The Universal Guard, in the flesh! It's not every century I get guests with such bright energy in my dim little backyard.

He grins, the skull-helmet moving with him as if alive. He steps closer with a strange, almost boyish bounce in his gait.

Kifo (cheerful):
Let me guess—you’re here for the Sigil Fragment. The one humming in my little keepsake vault? Or… did you just miss me?

Shizuku (arms crossed, voice calm):
We’re here for the sigil fragment. You already knew that. So... what’s the task?

Kifo pauses. His posture straightens just slightly, his playful energy slipping into something sharper.

Kifo (tilting his head):
Straight to the point. You’re really his descendant. Good. Because we’ve got a problem.

He points toward the jagged mountain range in the distance—fractured towers of darkness, their peaks floating weightlessly in the night air.

Kifo:
There’s a Dragon of Darkness. One I didn’t create. Something older, perhaps. Or… maybe something that broke through. It’s been tormenting the outskirts, tearing through my sentinels and draining whole regions of their spirit-flow. Even I don’t know what it wants.

The captains exchange glances. Shizuku’s eyes narrow, but he remains calm.

Shizuku:
So it’s a threat even to you?

Kifo (with a shrug):
I’m more of a philosopher than a fighter these days. I keep the laws of shadow intact. But this thing, It’s a stubborn son of a bitch who doesn’t follow rules.

He gestures behind him. With a casual wave, a portal of swirling black blossoms in the air, revealing a towering palace made of bone, glass, and living vines of shadow. Despite the grim exterior, lights flicker warmly from within, and the scent of incense and roasted meats drifts out.

Kifo (grinning):
But you look tired. Hungry. Confused, probably. Come—rest in my palace. Sleep. Eat. Pretend it’s a vacation, if only for a night. The dragon won’t go anywhere.

He spins dramatically and walks through the portal without looking back.

Kifo (calling out):
The rooms rearrange based on your nightmares. Make yourselves at home!

Shizuku sighs and gestures for the others to follow. The captains file in, each with varying degrees of unease and curiosity.

The portal closes behind them as the palace of shadows welcomes its new guests.