The Phenex estate courtyard crackled with anticipation.
Sparks flew as enchanted hammers struck glowing steel, the rhythmic clangs echoing through the mountain air. Servants stood at a distance, awed and wary. The courtyard had been converted into a makeshift forge days ago under Kaijin's stubborn insistence. Now, the wait was nearly over.
Kaijin, the dwarven master smith, emerged from the heart of the forge, soot clinging to his scarred arms and braided beard. A rare smirk tugged at his mouth, his eyes gleaming with pride beneath thick brows. Slung over his shoulder was a long, rune etched black case.
He halted at the center of the courtyard and raised his voice with the weight of a ceremony.
"Milim. Step forward."
A Pink blur shot up from where she had been lazing on a stone bench.
"Finally!" she squealed, skipping toward him with all the restraint of a child on a sugar high. Her twin pink pigtails bounced with each step, and her golden eyes were wide with wonder.
Kaijin grunted, placing the case down on a glowing obsidian table. "You've broken six prototypes. Damaged my forge. Stole half my ale stock. And nearly dropped a mountain on my apprentice."
Milim beamed. "You're welcome!"
A collective sigh came from the watching crowd.
Kaijin ignored it. He clicked open the latches and slowly raised the lid. A hush fell over the courtyard.
Inside, resting on velvet lined with phoenix feathers, were a pair of breathtaking gauntlets.
Onyx and silver interlaced like ancient rivers of fire and steel. Crimson runes pulsed along the knuckles in sync with the beat of Milim's heart. The bracers shimmered with infernal steel and ancient dragonbone each piece carved, molded, and blessed under volcanic flame and storm born magic.
"Forged to enhance your strength, ground your magic output, and keep the world intact while you play. You won't level a mountain unless you want to."
Milim let out a squeal that shook the windows of the estate.
"THEY'RE PERFECT!"
Before anyone could stop her, she snatched the gauntlets from the case and shoved her hands into them. They clicked into place like they had always belonged.
The air shimmered. Raw power flared from her like a dragon awakening.
A pulse rippled through the courtyard every plant bent away from her, and a servant fainted near the hedges.
Kaijin groaned, already massaging his temples. "We're doomed."
Milim raised her fists. "Wanna see how far I can punch the moon?!"
"No," Riser said quickly, stepping forward with a laugh. "The last time you got excited, we had to rebuild the eastern wing."
Milim pouted but spun in place with a grin. Then, she darted forward and pulled Kaijin into a bone crushing hug.
"Thank you, Little Dwarf!"
"Can't breathe" he wheezed.
The hug lingered, surprisingly tender despite the comedic violence. Then Kaijin grumbled and waddled off toward his forge, muttering, "Dragons with too much magic and no patience, bah"
Riser stood back, hands behind his back, a warm smile on his face as he watched the scene.
Then his eyes turned toward the horizon.
"I'll be away for a few days," he announced, turning to face his gathered peerage.
Artoria looked up from where she was oiling her sword. "Where are you going?"
"To find someone," Riser said.
"Who?" Thalia asked, leaning against a tree with her arms crossed.
"A warrior," Riser said quietly. "A man of loyalty, discipline, and unmatched skill. I've heard whispers. They call him the Bannerless Knight."
Merlin raised an eyebrow from where she lounged, a floating glass of wine twirling between her fingers.
"You're not adopting another stray, are you?"
Riser's smirk was soft. "Maybe I am."
France Verdant Fields, Edge of the Loire Valley
The air was fresh with the scent of pine and wildflowers.
Riser Phenex walked alone through the dense, twilight touched forest. His cloak fluttered with each step. He could have flown. He could have taken a portal. But this was a journey that needed patience. Humility.
The whispers had brought him to this place. Not rumors, but soft ripples in the fabric of magic and fate.
And then he felt it.
A stillness. Heavy. Powerful. Like standing before a silent storm.
Riser stepped through the last of the trees and saw him.
A lone man stood at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the valley below. Broad shouldered, tall, wrapped in layers of black steel armor that gleamed in the fading sun. His halberd rested on his back like a sleeping dragon.
His presence alone stilled the wind.
"You're far from home," Riser said softly.
The man turned his head. Long black hair moved in the breeze. His eyes were amber and far older than Riser had expected.
"And you are not of this world," the man replied.
Riser nodded. "Riser Phenex. Devil noble. From the Underworld."
The warrior studied him. "You're a child."
Riser let his power rise calm, focused like the morning sun.
Blue flame sparked around his form. The weight of it pressed against the trees, the rocks, the air. Not chaotic. But real.
"I'm no ordinary child," Riser said.
A silence.
"I know of you, Daryun," he continued. "The Bannerless Knight. Once a general. A shield to a fallen prince. A warrior without a war."
Daryun turned fully now, his eyes narrowed. "You know too much."
"I know you still carry his memory. That you've never stopped training. That you've waited for something. Someone."
"And you believe that's you?"
"I believe you need a cause. And I offer one. To become my mutated Knight. Not just a sword but a guardian of something greater. A world reborn."
Daryun was silent. Then, "You speak like a king."
"No," Riser said. "I speak like someone who will be one."
"Words are wind," Daryun replied, hand brushing the haft of his halberd. "Let me see your truth."
Riser smiled.
And moved.
In a flash, he was upon him fists ablaze with hell flames. Daryun reacted instantly, halberd whirling into a guard. Steel clashed with fire.
The first strike sent a quake through the ground.
Riser spun, his fists a blur of flame and solar energy, each strike precise. Daryun met him with controlled might, disciplined footwork, and devastating arcs of steel.
They danced.
Ten blows. Then twenty. Riser slid beneath a sweep, launched himself upward with the might of the sun being Release, and came down like a comet. Daryun tried blocking, grunting from the impact, sliding back 30 yards.
Another flurry. Then BOOM.
Riser unleashed a wave that exploded outward in a halo of white and blue.
Daryun staggered, halberd dug into the ground to keep him steady.
And he laughed. Quietly. Softly. A sound like distant thunder.
"You remind me of my prince," he said.
Riser extended a hand.
"Then fight for me. Not out of memory. But out of choice."
Daryun looked at the hand. Then knelt.
"I, Daryun, pledge myself to you. As your Knight. As your shield."
Phenex Estate Courtyard
When Riser returned with Daryun beside him, the estate seemed to still.
Artoria stood, eyes narrowing slightly.
Thalia blinked. "You found a war god."
Even Merlin sat up straighter, swirling her wine. "A knight piece who looks like a knight. I approve."
Daryun bowed low, his movement disciplined and elegant.
"This is Daryun," Riser said. "My new mutated Knight."
Kaijin scratched his head. "Another monster to forge for"
Milim immediately lunged forward. "You look STRONG! Wanna spar?!"
Daryun looked to Riser, who nodded.
He turned back. "As you wish."
As the two squared off, the rest of the peerage gathered to watch. Riser stood apart, arms folded, his eyes focused.
Piece by piece, the world around him was taking shape.
Witchs,Demigods, dragons, knights, and warriors.
He wasn't just gathering strength.
soon, the world would understand what it meant to challenge Riser Phenex.