In the alchemical nation of the Heat Nation, powerful forces tend to be wealthy, but surprisingly, the Lord of Heat and Explosions, one of the most formidable powers, isn’t particularly affluent.

His ability is related to heat and explosions, all highly volatile products. If there were a high demand, he’d be making a fortune, but unfortunately, bombs aren’t a popular commodity in the Heat Nation. They’re hard to aim, difficult to store, and, above all, are single-use weapons that lose effectiveness against stronger opponents, making scavengers hesitant to buy them.

Yet, despite the meager pay, many still follow the Lord of Heat and Explosions. And there’s one reason for that.

“Hahaha! This is exhilarating! Just thrilling!”

It’s all for that primal thrill.

Flying through the sky, propulsion units strapped to their backs, freely soaring through the wind, looking down on others from above, hunting the creatures crawling on the ground and filling their bellies.

On the ground, he might be just another creature, but as a “Feather” of the Wyvern Corps, he can enjoy this pleasure whenever he wishes.

“This freedom! This liberation! You creatures crawling on the ground wouldn’t understand at all!”

How blessed birds are, with freedom ingrained in their very beings from birth.

Victor, the Feather of the Fourth Wing, thought this as he drew his blade, searching for his next prey.

Just then, he spotted a good target: a young woman speeding along in a two-wheeled cart. Her hat had fallen off, and her long hair fluttered behind her as she fled, clearly visible to his eyes even in the darkness of night.

He made his decision, licking his lips as he shouted.

“Alright. One woman should be fine!”

Tilting his wings, he swooped down straight at her.

“Kyaaaa!”

The woman screamed loudly, but to Victor, her scream was nothing more than an accessory that embellished the hunt. He landed lightly on the cart and laughed.

“Heh heh heh. Stay still, will you?”

“W-who are you people?! I’m on my way to the Military Nation! Don’t touch me!”

“Whoa, whoa. Calm down. Not everyone needs to go to the Military Nation, you know? Some can stay here.”

“Stay away! Get lost!”

She twisted the handle left and right to shake him off, but for a member of the Wyvern Corps, such swaying was as insignificant as a gentle breeze. Victor easily moved behind her.

“Feisty, huh? Well, I like that.”

If he could just grab her shoulder and take off into the sky, that would be the end. Dangling in the empty air, she wouldn’t be able to resist...

As Victor, grinning widely, reached to grab her shoulder, he sensed something strange.

She wouldn’t budge. She was solid.

When he tried to lift her, she felt as firm as a rock.

“...Hair? This?”

“I’m pretty sure I told you not to come here~.”

Something was wrong. No, it was beyond strange—it was almost eerie.

Moments ago, she’d looked like a woman with long hair. Even in the dark, it had been unmistakable, but... she was different now. Or rather, she was changing. From a cheerful-looking woman… to someone else, a familiar face he didn’t often see but recognized.

Victor, clueless as to what was happening, called out the name of the face he saw.

“...Me?”

“Victor” grinned widely and answered.

“Nice to see you, ‘me’.”

A moment later, a body rolled to the ground.

Yet somehow, the number of Wyvern Corps members remained the same.

A pitch-black shadow sprinted across the ground, cloaked in darkness and barely visible to the naked eye. The Wyvern Corps, however, moved with lights attached to their tails, allowing the light from the lead wyvern to guide those behind.

One member of the Wyvern Corps caught sight of the shadow illuminated by the light and scoffed.

“Ha! Did you think wearing black would make you invisible?”

As if blending into the darkness, it was pitch-black. Still, with his eyes wide open, he could make out the figure. A “Feather” folded his wings and descended rapidly.

“Smart move! But this is as far as you go!”

He shouted boldly, extending the blade attached to his foot. With the added speed, his blade grew sharper as it pierced the black figure…

But no sound came.

No splash of blood. No human scream. No sound of life slipping away or moans… nothing. Instead, the black figure moved its arm, gripping his leg tightly. Darkness wrapped around his claws and spread up his leg.

“W-what is this?!”

All members of the Wyvern Corps had mastered ki techniques. He used his ki to shake off the darkness and freed himself. Barely catching his breath, something suddenly mounted his back, throwing him off balance.

He tried to pull the propulsion unit harder, but it was no use when he couldn’t tell up from down. After crashing into the ground and sliding across the dirt, he finally came to a stop, only to find the black shadows swarming around him, trapping him.

He cried out in desperation.

“You crazy bastards! Are you throwing yourselves at me just to stop me?! Are you trying to die with me?!”

It didn’t make sense. Sure, in desperation, humans might resort to mutual destruction, but only if they felt strongly enough to disregard their own lives. Most humans struggle to survive until the bitter end before finally dying.

But for dozens to throw themselves at him just to catch him? Such inhuman behavior was plainly abnormal.

Inhuman. That was when he realized something.

“Wait… you guys… aren’t human?!”

Those surrounding him, pressing him down, and even the one impaled on his foot—they all wore pitch-black armor, resembling vengeful spirits.

They weren’t simply dressed in black. They were shadows, beings of darkness, which made them hard to see.

“Darkness…?! Vampires?! But, how could there be so many familiars?!”

He had heard the rumors.

Beyond the Misty Mountains, in lands untouched by sunlight, vampires dwelled. They raised humans as livestock for their blood, defying all gods. Though they never crossed the mountains due to their aversion to sunlight, it was said that they occasionally appeared in the perpetually cloudy lands of Claudia.

As he quivered in terror, someone with color approached him.

“Phew. Finally caught one. Those little pests were quick, gave me some trouble.”

Under the moonlight, her pale skin glowed. Her eyes, red as blood even in the darkness, and her strikingly beautiful features—she could only be a vampire, a member of the blood-drinking race known to rule over humans beyond the Misty Mountains.

“I have one question for you.”

The vampire forced the black knight to kneel and asked.

“Who fired this at me?”

As his head was forcibly tilted up, he saw what the vampire was holding: a long, burnt-out tube, slightly dented but unmistakably one of the Lord of Heat and Explosions’ rockets. It must have struck the vampire directly.

While he trembled in fear, the vampire continued in an unhurried tone, as if it was he who should feel pressed.

“You’ll find it beneficial to answer quickly. If you don’t, I’ll have to ask someone else.”

Behind the vampire, dozens of flames fell from the sky like meteors.

See? I knew it.

There was no need for me to intervene. The Wyvern Corps were plummeting to the ground from every direction. Each member was actively engaging on their own initiative.

Hilde and Tir were also hunting from their positions… but in this kind of battle, they couldn’t match up to the Regressor.

The Regressor stood above the clouds. Standing on a summoned cloud, he held his stance and swung his sword, Cheonaeng.

“Heavenly Sword Technique. Severing Space.”

Whooosh. The wind stopped.

Even with Cheonaeng, there was no way to slice such a vast area. The longer the blade reached, the heavier it became, even with only air in its path.

So, the Regressor altered the wind’s nature instead of cutting it.

The wind ceased. The air solidified. In this fixed, stable air, fire could not ignite, nor could scent spread.

As the Wyvern Corps unknowingly passed through the severed space, their propulsion units all suddenly went out.

“What… what the hell?! The propulsion units!” “Relight them!”

Those who could spread their wings and glide, reigniting their propulsion units quickly, survived. However, those who failed crashed to the ground. They managed to survive with the help of their wings, but it wouldn’t be for long.

Birds that fall to the ground become prey for beasts. Several scavengers’ eyes widened, focusing on the grounded Wyvern Corps. Hooks, blades, spears, or even modified front wheels were aimed at them.

The Wyvern Corps, who had dominated with speed and altitude, now became easy targets for the scavengers without their advantages.

I didn’t even need to step in. The Wyvern Corps was dropping like flies. I’m glad to have allies this strong on my side.

I rode on the cart, feeling a bit more relaxed. Someone running alongside me saw the scene and shouted in shock.

“W-what the hell are those things?! What’s going on?!”

Though he seemed to be talking to himself, I decided to answer him this time. Running beside him, I helpfully explained.

“Just a passing ambassador of peace.”

Startled by my words, he looked over at me.

“And who the hell are you?! How are you keeping up with me?!”

“Can’t you tell? It’s a dog sled. This dog is super fast.”

“Woof woof!”

Azi barked, seemingly taking it as a compliment. But the explanation didn’t seem to satisfy the man, who suddenly shouted angrily.

“Stop spouting nonsense! How could a mere beast-man dog keep up with my speed?! It’s absurd!”

“Stop spouting nonsense yourself. Just because you’re carrying a few rockets doesn’t mean you can outrun Azi. Get a grip, Lord of Heat and Explosions.”

Azi is the king of dogs. There’s no way a dog sled led by him would be slower than those toys. Whether he had common sense or not…

Seeing I was being serious, his face turned bright red, like he was about to explode, as he screamed.

“Don’t call me the Lord of Heat and Explosions!”