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Part I: The Guild's Commission

Stepping into the Guild Hall, the noisy clamor of hunters was instantly swallowed by the towering vaulted ceiling. Heavy records of subjugation and the massive skeletal remains of monsters hung on the mottled stone walls on both sides, silently recounting the hall's history of blood and tears.

Deep within the hall, behind a carved dark-wood desk, sat a towering, heavily built man with graying temples. He was looking down, reviewing a scroll in his hands. Hearing footsteps, he slowly raised his head—his weathered eyes resembled a dormant ancient volcano, exuding the calm yet commanding pressure of someone in high authority.

"Guild Master, I brought them." Senbonzakura dialed back her usual wild arrogance. She sheathed her blade with respect and bowed deeply in greeting.

Sigurd closed the scroll. His sharp, falcon-like gaze swept across the group before locking precisely onto their leader, Corvus. He stood up, his imposing form casting a giant shadow under the lamplight. His voice boomed low like a great bell:

"I am Sigurd, Guild Master of the Monster Hunter Guild. To think someone could tame that wild bitch Senbonzakura into leading the way—you must truly have some talent."

Sensing the vast, fathomless aura radiating from the man, Corvus subtly stepped forward half a pace, shielding his companions behind him. He offered a concise, professional nod:

"A pleasure, Guild Master Sigurd. I am Corvus, head of the Monster Detective Agency."

He turned slightly to point at the purple-dressed woman behind him. "This is our agency's investigator, Amber Panthera."

Amber stepped forward with easy grace, lifting her skirt in an elegant curtsy. A dangerous yet captivating spark gleamed in her eyes, accompanied by a playfully irreverent smile.

Corvus then looked toward the cold, quiet girl who had been standing closely by his side. "And this... is my sister, Long Qianqian."

Sigurd’s gaze lingered on the three of them before his lips curled into a meaningful smile. He turned to face a massive tactical map that occupied nearly an entire wall behind him.

"Now that introductions are out of the way, everyone—let us discuss the subjugation plan for the 'Mad Dragon King'."

He turned around abruptly and slammed his broad, shovel-like hand heavily onto the map, his eyes blazing like torches.

"It seems the Mad Dragon King is even more cunning than we anticipated." Sigurd’s voice suddenly turned chilling. "Although the 'Mad Dragon Apostles' on the Japanese mainland have been fully suppressed by the Guild, they were merely pawns he threw out to distract us. Now that we've confirmed his main body has slunk back to the Dragon Island, we must not give him a single moment to breathe or recover."

He turned to Corvus, his eyes filled with recognition and expectation for this legendary warrior who had once slain the Red Wyvern:

"Detective Corvus, since your agency already possesses the most crucial intelligence, our Guild is willing to go all out to assist you in this hunt."

Corvus faintly felt the metal joint of his left arm vibrating slightly, as if sensing a faint, resonant energy from across the distant seas. He raised his head, meeting Sigurd's gaze with steady resolve:

"I accept this commission." His voice was calm to the point of cruelty, accompanied by the faint whirring of gears within his prosthetic. "Not just for the Guild's goals, but to bring a final end to the destiny tied to my parents' murder. Since the Mad Dragon King is there—then Dragon Island shall be his graveyard."

Sigurd nodded with gratification. He picked up an ancient nautical command token carved with dragon motifs—a symbol of the Guild's highest authority—and handed it over:

"Very well. Go prepare. All supplies will be fully covered by the Guild. At dawn tomorrow, we set sail against the waves."

Part II: Eve of the Expedition · Legend of Dragon Valley

The expedition vessel plowed through the waves. On the night-shrouded deck, the biting wind cut like a blade, filling the air with the salty, bitter stench of seawater.

Senbonzakura stood alone beneath the towering mainmast. The golden dragon-scale katana at her hip, Blade of the Sovereign , reflected a cold, noble golden sheen under the moonlight—a divine weapon forged from the severed tail left behind by the True Dragon King, Arthur, before his disappearance years ago. She gazed into the churning black waves and spoke slowly, her low voice sounding like an echo echoing from ancient times:

"That battle... was a tale of Dragon Island, written in blood and betrayal."

"In that decisive battle known as the 'Battle of Dragon Valley,' the True Dragon King Arthur and the Mad Dragon King Mordred fought a apocalyptic duel. In the end, Mordred fell, while Arthur vanished without a trace, his fate unknown. Deprived of the True Dragon King's suppression, the Seven-Colored Guardian Wyverns of Dragon Island descended into chaotic leaderlessness."

Senbonzakura gently caressed the hilt guard of her sword, her eyes dark and uneasy:

"But no one expected that Mordred hadn't truly died."

"Back then, the Exorcism Public Security was secretly developing a forbidden technology that used magic cores to sustain life. It so happened that a pair of deformed conjoined twins was born—they shared a single body, possessed two left arms, and strangely had six fingers on their right hand. This dying, mutated creature achieved a terrifyingly perfect resonance with the magic core Mordred had left behind."

"The Exorcism Public Security implanted the magic core into their body."

"A miracle occurred. The monster survived and was given the names 'Ryugu Yusuke' and 'Ryugu Sasuke.' But this experiment released the deepest evil into the world—the conjoined twins inherited all of Mordred's memories and bloodthirsty violence. In their eyes, they were supreme gods, and human lives were mere trash. They were not human, but ultimate monsters possessing human intelligence."

Senbonzakura turned around, her gaze as sharp as a blade:

"To reclaim the throne, this pair of monsters slaughtered their way back to Dragon Island."

"That battle shook the heavens and the earth. Powered by the Mad Dragon's strength, the two-headed monster slaughtered the remaining Guardian Wyverns and Exorcism Public Security forces until rivers of blood flowed. Even... the elite forces of the Exorcism Public Security were wiped out, leaving only a single elite operative codenamed 'Ouroboros' barely alive. At the most desperate moment, one of the monster's left arms pinned him down in the pool of blood. Driven by pure survival instinct, Ouroboros used the last of his strength to hack off that left arm, carving a path out of the pile of corpses to narrowly escape."

"After the battle, the two-headed monster ground down the bone of that severed left arm to forge an indestructible 'Dragon-Bone Greatsword'."

Senbonzakura gripped her sword hilt tightly, her tone bearing a near-pious hostility: "In this world, only my Blade of the Sovereign can stand against that Dragon-Bone Greatsword."

"Relying on absolute terror, the Ryugu brothers forcefully broke the remaining Guardian Wyverns to their knees and ascended as the new 'Mad Dragon King.' They fed their own demon blood to their fanatical followers, creating the dread-inducing 'Mad Dragon Apostles'."

"And so, the former pride of the Seven-Colored Guardian Wyverns marched toward ruin—"

"The 'Iron Wyvern - Agravain,' invincible in defense and capable of stirring up tornadoes with its steel wings, bowed its head to the new king; the 'Azure Wyvern - Tristan,' able to dive into the deep sea and freeze everything in absolute cold, became the monster's thrall; even the 'Golden Wyvern - Gawain,' covered in golden scales that could focus sunlight to melt solid rock, submitted before the Mad Dragon's throne."

"As for the 'Red Wyvern - Gallehaut,' who possessed immense regenerative powers and dragon blood capable of revitalizing living cells... it had already fallen in the Battle of Dragon Valley, fighting to protect the True Dragon King Arthur. After its death, its magic core was secretly extracted and eventually... implanted into Long Qianqian's body."

Hearing her name, Long Qianqian's spine stiffened slightly. Her fingers unconsciously pressed against her chest. She had never met that Red Wyvern, yet with every beat of her heart, she could clearly feel an indescribable, agonizing echo of its bloodline.

"When all power succumbed to the darkness, only one person—and one dragon—stood firm in the pool of blood." Senbonzakura's voice dropped low.

"That was the priestess of Dragon Island—Guinevere. Born with divine powers to communicate with the dragon race, she secretly passed intelligence to our Guild behind the Mad Dragon King's back to protect her homeland."

"When the Mad Dragon King discovered her betrayal, he ordered all the subjugated Guardian Wyverns to swarm her in a rage, intending to tear her to pieces..."

"Only one dragon stood up for her."

"The 'Silver Wyvern' Lancelot."

A hint of respect flashed in Senbonzakura's eyes: "He was the fastest king among the seven dragons. Day after day, Lancelot single-handedly fought off Agravain, Tristan, and Gawain with his own flesh and blood, stubbornly guarding Guinevere."

Part III: A Debt of Blood

"Senbonzakura, you are right."

Amber, who had remained silent all this time, took a deep breath of the freezing air. Her voice carried a trace of chill and trembling: "But behind that piece of history lies another horrific page written in blood..."

"When the Red Wyvern 'Gallehaut' fell, its body was sent to the secret research facility of the Exorcism Public Security. The ones in charge of this project were none other than Mr. and Mrs. Cloud. Working day and night, they finally refined and concentrated the remaining wild power of the wyvern, successfully sealing it into that red magic core."

"However, when the Clouds witnessed the higher-ups implanting Mordred's core into those deformed conjoined twins to create inhuman monsters like the 'Ryugu Brothers,' they completely broke down. They realized that their passionate research had been turned into a tool for forging hellish demons for the leadership."

"'We cannot let this forbidden power fall into the hands of these lunatics.'"

Amber whispered, "The Clouds made the most dangerous decision. On a stormy night, they stole the red magic core along with all the core research data and defected without hesitation."

"But they underestimated the greed of the higher-ups."

"Enraged but bound by public reputation, the Public Security leadership dared not issue an open warrant. Thus, a filthy underground deal was struck—the high-ranking officials of the Exorcism Public Security allied themselves with the 'Mad Dragon Syndicate,' which controlled the underworld."

"The leadership offered the Ryugu brothers a deal: if the syndicate could help recover the research data and eliminate the witnesses, the Public Security would hand over full control authority of the red magic core with both hands."

"For the two-headed monster craving absolute power, this was an irresistible temptation. The execution order was issued instantly, and countless 'Mad Dragon Apostles' empowered by demon blood swarmed out like a plague of locusts to carry out the hunt."

"But at that time, there was another person who discovered this plot."

Amber looked toward Corvus, her gaze complex: "The former Commander-in-Chief of the Exorcism Public Security—Raven. After his tragic defeat on Dragon Island and witnessing countless subordinates slaughtered, Raven resigned in fury. He hid his identity, investigating the Mad Dragon King's every move alone in the shadows."

"When Raven intercepted the intelligence and learned that the Mad Dragon Syndicate was moving against his most trusted lifelong comrade, Cloud, he rushed to their aid at all costs."

"However... by the time Raven carved his way through the heavy siege to reach the scene, it was already too late."

The sea wind howled as if re-enacting the tragic brutality of that day.

"The battle was horrifying beyond imagination. True to their standing as top-tier researchers and warriors, the Cloud couple cut down dozens of Mad Dragon Apostles in their final moments, turning the field into a sea of blood. But outnumbered and overwhelmed, the noble couple fought to total exhaustion and perished just to protect their infant child..."

"The red magic core and the confidential data were ultimately stolen by the Mad Dragon Apostles."

"Just as an apostle raised his blood-stained steel blade to cut down the crying infant in the crib and wipe them out completely—Raven descended from the sky! In a split second, he impaled the apostle's chest, tearing the child from the blood and corpses with his bare hands."

"The child who survived in that pool of blood... was named Corvus."

As Amber's voice faded, a dead silence settled over the vast deck, leaving only the cold sea waves slamming repeatedly against the hard wooden hull.

Corvus did not shed a single tear from start to finish. His expression remained cold as iron, yet deep within his eyes, dark flames burned wildly. He did not waver; he merely stared fixedly into the distance at the pitch-black sea swallowed by thick fog and dark clouds.

Upon his sturdy metallic shoulder, the ever-silent demon crow "Cloud" gave a low, quiet cry, its rough feathers fanning out slightly—as if answering the silent flame of vengeance that had burned inside its master's soul for nearly twenty years, consuming it to ash. 17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk11tExTrTM

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