It was a bright, sunny day in the Cardinal World.
The kind of day you'd expect peace. Tranquility. Stability.
Not the day an ancient calamity came back to life.
In a floating psychic projection hovering above his cabin porch, Saiki was multitasking.
Jelly in one hand, floating holographic continents in front of him.
"Okay, Step One: location."
He looked across the Cardinal World map, zooming in and out with a flick of his fingers.
"Somewhere big, dramatic, open sky… ah. Got it."
He tapped the air.
"Central plains. Wide field. Visible for miles. Boring enough for a grand entrance."
"OH! Is this it?! My debut scene?! Lemme practice my lines!!" Veldora shouted, bursting through the door in a cape made from someone's curtains.
"Please don't."
Later that day, in the clear blue skies above the Central Plains, a sudden tear opened in the clouds. Purple lightning danced around the hole like cracking energy veins.
And then…
BOOM.
A massive pulse of raw power—artificially boosted by Saiki's psychic enhancements—swept across the land.
Mountains trembled. Forests hushed. Animals fled.
Even the sky darkened slightly.
At the center of it all… floated a lone figure.
Tall. Caped. Blonde hair whipping in the wind.
"BEHOLD, MORTALS!!" Veldora shouted dramatically, arms spread wide.
"I, THE MIGHTY STORM DRAGON VELDORA, HAVE RETURNED!!"
His voice echoed for miles, magically enhanced by Saiki to sound more ominous and… well, competent.
"FROM THIS MOMENT FORWARD… TREMBLE AT MY NAME!!"
Saiki, sitting miles away in his lawn chair with noise-canceling psychic fields around him, sighed.
"Yare yare… he's enjoying this too much."
Across the world, the reaction was immediate.
🏰 Dwargon, the Dwarven Kingdom
"S-Sire!! Reports say Veldora has returned!!"
King Gazel dropped his mug of ale.
"WHAT?! I just reinforced our dragon-proof walls!!"
📚 Blumund Adventurers' Guild
"C-Cancel all expeditions!!"
"All of them?!"
"YES!! EVEN THE ONES TO THE FARM!"
👑 Sarion, Elven Empire
Queen Elmesia dropped her tea cup.
"Wait, wasn't he sealed for hundreds of years?! WHO LET HIM OUT?!"
Her guards just looked at each other, confused and panicking.
❄️ The Ice Continent
Velzard was floating mid-air, her arms crossed.
"That idiot brother of mine… He's BACK?!"
Beside her, Guy Crimson raised an eyebrow.
"I felt his aura. But it's… bigger, stronger. Something's off."
"Let's kill him again."
"Let's observe first."
Rudra and Velgrynd stood on a balcony, staring into the skies.
"...He's still alive."
"Or someone wants us to think he is," Velgrynd muttered.
"Either way, he's become a threat again."
Saiki watched all of this through mental surveillance windows.
Every leader. Every city. Every army.
Panic Mode: Activated.
"Perfect," he muttered, taking another spoonful of jelly.
Veldora dropped back into the cabin afterward, laughing and striking poses.
"HAHAHA! DID YOU SEE THEIR FACES?! Did you hear me?! I was so COOL!"
"You screamed 'Tremble at my name' twice and almost tripped on a cloud."
"But it WORKED!"
Saiki shrugged.
"True."
He opened a new floating window and scanned the world again.
"Now they'll be too busy preparing countermeasures to bother me."
"I feel so important right now," Veldora grinned. "Like an anime final boss!"
"Don't get used to it."
Before the day ended, Saiki set up Phase 2.
A massive illusion over the sky, one that showed a glowing dragon-shaped symbol visible across multiple nations—a reminder.
"THE STORM HAS RETURNED."
Saiki floated a few inches above the cabin porch, eyes half-closed, quietly enjoying his sixth cup of coffee jelly for the day. Veldora, on the other hand, was pacing.
"Sooo... what now? That entrance was EPIC! I'm basically a living legend now! Right?"
Saiki sipped. "Yare yare... don't get ahead of yourself."
Veldora stopped pacing. "Huh? What do you mean? Didn't you see the panic?! Blumund, Sarion, Velzard probably passed out from shock."
Saiki turned his head slowly. "No, they didn't. And that's the problem."
"Wait... what?"
"People like Velgrynd, Guy Crimson, Rudra... they won't just take your return at face value. They'll come to see if it's true. Some of them might even want to fight."
Veldora froze. "L-Like an actual fight? Against... them?"
Saiki nodded. "Yes. They want proof. And we need to give it to them."
Veldora gulped. "Okay, okay. B-But listen, man, there's a reason I got sealed. I mean, I WAS strong but my sisters... they... they're kinda scary."
Saiki raised an eyebrow, reading his mind. "So Guy beat you. Velzard sat on your face. Velgrynd threw you into a volcano."
"HEY! That was ONE time! ...Okay, three. BUT, still!"
Saiki crossed his arms. "Doesn't matter. You're going to fight one of them. Publicly."
Veldora's eyes widened like dinner plates. "WHAAAT?! Wait, wait! Are you trying to get me KILLED?!"
"No."
"Then why are you smiling like that!?"
"Because I'm going to help you. You'll win."
Veldora paused. "...Really?"
Saiki nodded. "I'll be behind the scenes. Reading their thoughts. Manipulating the battlefield. If things go south, I can even bend reality."
"You can do that?"
Saiki blinked. "I erased the world's memory of your seal."
"...Fair point."
The Storm Dragon sat down, rubbing his temples. "Alright, alright. Who are we picking for this beatdown then?"
Saiki looked up at the darkening sky. "We need someone with enough reputation that when they lose to you, the world believes you're invincible."
Veldora leaned in, nervously. "You mean... like... Guy? Or my sisters?"
"Yes. And I think Guy is the perfect candidate."
Veldora choked on air. "YOU WANT ME TO FIGHT GUY CRIMSON?! THE GUY WHO BROKE MY JAW WITH ONE FINGER?!"
"You broke a tree trying to dance yesterday. You've grown."
"THAT WAS DIFFERENT!"
Saiki smirked. "Don't worry. With me helping, Guy won't know what hit him."
He stood and floated upward, eyes glowing faintly pink. "I'll set the stage. Send out the challenge. Amplify it so the whole world hears it."
Veldora flopped on the ground. "I'm gonna die."
Saiki turned his head. "No. You're going to win. And then, no one's ever going to step foot in Jura Forest again."
He snapped his fingers.
Across the world, a psychic ripple echoed.
"To all those who doubt... the Storm has returned. A duel will be held in seven days. The location: The Barren lands. The challenger: Veldora The storm dragon. The opponent: The Demon Lord Guy Crimson. Let the world witness true power."
Luminous stood frozen, mid-sip of blood wine.
"Did I just read… what I think I read?"
Hinata blinked beside her.
"Yes… Veldora challenged Guy Crimson."
"That fool," Luminous muttered, eyebrows twitching. "He once flattened my cathedral garden just by sneezing. Now he wants to duel Guy?"
Velgrynd, eyes wide, dropped the enchanted book she was reading.
"Since when is Veldora this bold? He used to hide from me behind clouds!"
Rudra, sitting comfortably on a golden couch, laughed softly.
"Hah… Now this is very interesting. I wonder if that dragon brain finally grew a second thought."
"Or someone is helping him," Velgrynd said, narrowing her eyes.
A small tremor ran through the crystalline floor.
Guy Crimson stood silently, crimson eyes glowing as he reread the sky's message.
He smirked.
"The idiot actually has guts now. Didn't expect this today."
Velzard stormed into the room, arms crossed.
"What is wrong with your brainless challenger? Veldora used to run from slimes and pinecones, now he's challenging you?"
Guy chuckled, cracking his neck slowly.
"Then I'll accept. I've been bored anyway."
Velzard's gaze sharpened.
"Be careful. Something is off. When he reappeared, his aura felt… polished. Controlled. Like it wasn't even his."
Guy paused.
Then smirked wider.
"Heh… if someone is behind him, then this will be even more fun."
A magic transmission buzzed between the demon lords.
Milim practically jumped out of her throne.
"VELDORA'S BACK! AND HE'S FIGHTING GUY?! I WANNA FIGHT TOO!!"
Leon Cromwell, adjusting his gloves, raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting. I underestimated that dragon. To challenge Guy takes either power… or stupidity."
Clayman, pale and trembling:
"W-W-What if he wins…?"
Carrion folded his arms, brow furrowed.
"This isn't just a fight. It's a message."
Frey looked up at the sky.
"...A war of monsters."
Saiki floated above his cabin, watching all of this from psychic projections.
Dozens of world leaders. Countless warriors. Panic. Preparation. Paranoia.
He took another bite of coffee jelly.
"Exactly as planned."
Veldora ran up behind him, dressed in a new flowing black cloak with purple trim. Clearly trying to look intimidating.
"They're all freaking out! It's AMAZING! I've never felt this famous before!"
"You're not famous," Saiki said. "You're bait."
"...Wait what?"
"You wanted people to fear you. Now they do."
"Yeah! But Guy?! You sure I can win?!"
Saiki turned and stared.
"You hesitated."
"Uhh… well I mean, he has kicked my tail before—like literally."
"You won't lose. I'll be helping you."
"Helping how?!"
Saiki raised a hand lazily, and a small mountain nearby suddenly turned inside out—without a sound, ripple, or trace of magic.
Veldora stared at the crater in pure horror.
"...Yare yare. You're not even TRYING to hide how overpowered you are…"
Saiki floated back toward his cabin.
"You're going to win. You're going to humiliate Guy Crimson. And the world will never question your dominance again."
"So I really am the puppet emperor?"
"More like a thunder mascot."
King Gazel began reinforcing Dwargon's borders.
Blumund activated all anti-dragon wards.
The Empire began deploying spies to observe the duel.
Sarion set up emergency barriers to protect forest lines.
Even monsters fled deeper into caves, sensing something big was coming.
The skies had declared it:
The Storm and the Crimson Calamity would clash.
Saiki floated on his porch chair, hands behind his head, jelly floating lazily beside him.
"Soon... no one will ever come near Jura Forest again."
"No solicitors. No fighters. No guild scouts. No demon lords."
"Just me… and silence."
"Yare yare daze…"