As the sun cast its golden light over the forest, Sion emerged from the battleground where he had faced the demonic beast. His body ached, and his robes bore signs of battle, but his eyes were steady. With a silent chant, he raised his hand and invoked a sacred spell.
"Sanctus Terra Purificare."
Holy magic radiated from his palm, spreading in waves across the scorched land. The remnants of dark mana reacted violently at first—crackling and writhing like shadows exposed to light—but soon they began to dissolve. The grass returned, the air cleared, and even the forest creatures cautiously returned to their homes. Trees that had been splintered by the battle slowly regrew, their bark knit by divine light.
Sion took a deep breath. "No one must know of what happened here," he said to Raphael, who stood silently nearby. "The people are not ready. Not for this… not yet."
Raphael nodded, her usually teasing expression now shadowed by seriousness. "That thing was just the beginning, wasn't it?"
Sion sat on a rock, his divine aura fading, his shoulders heavy with thought. "Yes. I don't have proof, but I can feel it. That wasn't the only one. Worse is coming."
Back at his estate office in the Leaf Dukedom, Sion pored over maps and surveillance data. His fingers moved quickly, activating the magic-infused screens connected to his secret network of Magitech Surveillance Drones—hovering, nearly invisible constructs powered by mana cores developed using his knowledge of his past world, refined in secret collaboration with the dwarves.
Tiny magical glyphs shimmered as he reviewed movements at the border.
"There they are…" Sion murmured, a sly grin forming on his lips. "The Bethel Empire's cavalry battalion. Just as predicted."
Without delay, he activated Project Phantom Echo—a magical offensive system hidden within the terrain, capable of launching concentrated magical blasts from the surveillance drones. With one mental command, the system locked onto the coordinates.
From the skies, silent beams of energy—unseen to the naked eye—rained down with pinpoint accuracy. A roar echoed across the plains. Smoke, screams, and chaos erupted among the unsuspecting soldiers. Their formation collapsed in minutes.
The survivors stumbled away, terrified. "The ghosts are real!" one of them cried. "The Leaf Dukedom… it's protected by vengeful spirits!"
By morning, rumors had spread like wildfire across Bethel and even reached the ears of the Clover Kingdom. Whispers of the invisible "guardian ghosts" and Sion's unmatched warfare echoed in taverns and courts alike.
But for Sion, this was only the beginning.
Meanwhile, far from the war room and ruins of conflict, joy returned in the most unexpected form.
At the gates of the Leaf Dukedom, a carriage pulled in, and from it stepped Sara, her golden hair flowing, a bright smile lighting her face. Beside her stood a girl with crossed arms, fiery eyes, and a deeply furrowed brow—Sion's younger sister.
As they made their way through the estate, Raphael spotted them from afar and chuckled to herself. "Looks like the real battle is about to begin," she mused. "Time for a romantic showdown."
Inside, Sion sighed, unaware of the approaching storm of affection and fury heading straight for him.