CHAPTER 27: THE GUARDIAN DEITY

In that mysterious space, beyond the floating platform, there was nothing but endless darkness and endless silence, boundless and empty.

But then, light appeared.

At first it was only a faint glimmer, like a single candle in the void. Yet it grew, spreading outward in ripples.

One after another, stars began to bloom. Thousands of them flared to life, bursting forth like flowers of fire, until the whole expanse shimmered with a living cosmos. Their glow wove together into rivers of light, swirling galaxies painting the darkness with brilliance.

Draco, Ariana, Emilia, and even Mimi, all of them raised their arms, shielding their eyes from the searing glow.

A sound followed.

It was a deep, resonant ringing that rolled through the void like the toll of a divine bell. The vibration sank into their very bones, rattling their hearts with awe and dread alike.

And when the sound stopped and the light dimmed a little, they finally dared to look again...

And in the sky, she was there.

Before them was a colossal being. A dragon, a primordial, a divine one.

She was so majestic and overwhelming, her presence alone eclipsed everything else in existence.

_________________

Draco stood frozen, his eyes wide, his mouth opening and closing before he swallowed hard, unable to form a single word.

Meanwhile—

"My heavens..." Lady Ariana gasped, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"So this is... Lord Siamelumis?!" Emilia’s words trembled out of her.

Before them loomed a giant dragon, its body stretched vast beyond comprehension, its form woven from the pure light of the star itself. Four wings spread wide, feathers glimmering with starlight, each beat stirring the cosmos around it. A great halo of radiance circled behind its head, like a wheel of burning constellations.

Siamelumis gazed down upon them.

Her eyes were twin suns of silver fire, piercing and ancient. And with that gaze came a weight, an invisible pressure that sank deep into their souls. Mortal hearts quivered, bodies trembled, and the will to stand crumbled before her majesty.

The Clan Head and the First Lady collapsed to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground in reverence.

Emilia too fell, bowing low, her chest tight, her breath caught painfully in her throat. For a moment, she even forgot how to breathe at all, as though the act itself required the dragon’s permission.

Then, the great dragon stirred. Slowly, gracefully, she descended from her place among the stars. With each wing beat, her boundless form folded inward, her body shrinking, radiance condensing. From a size beyond comprehension, she diminished—hundreds, thousands of times smaller.

Yet even then...

When Lord Siamelumis at last set foot upon the floating platform, her presence still towered above them. Though she had shrunk, her form was still as vast as a castle, her wings folding like walls of light around her.

....

"Rise, my people, for I permit you to stand before me."

Her voice rang out once again, vast and resonant.

Draco, Ariana, and Emilia slowly straightened, though their spines felt as though made of stone. Even standing upright, they dared not look for long at the divine dragon before them, for her radiance pressed upon them like an endless tide.

Meanwhile... Mimi remained frozen stiff.

Holy shit... so this is Siamelumis... her true form...

The little Noctifelis somehow managed to cling stubbornly to Emilia’s shoulder. Her small claws dug into the cloak, her fluffy tail puffed stiff, but her wide, glowing eyes never once left the deity.

Then, Draco took a step forward. His boots scraped against the platform as he bowed deeply, his crimson hair falling across his face.

"I, Draco Silvervein, the Fourteenth Clan Head of the Silvervein Clan, greet our divine Guardian Deity. May your light ever shield our clan, may your wisdom ever guide our bloodline, and may our bond never falter across the ages."

His wife and daughter followed his example, lowering their heads in reverence.

"It is such an honor to meet you in person, Lord Siamelumis," Ariana said softly.

And to that, Siamelumis answered.

"Yes... I, too, wished to meet you all. But forgive me. The wounds I suffered long ago still bind me to this sanctuary. Even now, my body cannot leave this place."

"But even so," Draco said, his voice steady despite the tremor in his chest, "it is our greatest blessing to receive your protection, my Lord."

Hearing that, Siamelumis’s immense eyes softened, their glow dimming to a gentle radiance. For a fleeting heartbeat, her gaze held warmth.

"Your words flatter me, Draco."

But then, in the next breath, that warmth vanished. The light in her eyes sharpened, as her voice rolled out again.

"Now... let us cut to the matter at hand. Draco Silvervein, you already know why I summoned you, do you not?"

Draco stiffened as though struck.

"Y-Yes, my Lord!"

He stammered, his lips trembling.

"Good."

The dragon’s head lowered slightly, and the entire platform shook beneath the sheer weight of her gaze.

"Then speak. Tell me why."

In an instant, Draco’s face drained of all color. Sweat trickled down his temple as he swallowed hard.

"Is it... because of what I did during my daughter’s first summoning ritual?"

"Indeed." Siamelumis narrowed her luminous eyes. "As a beast tamer, one chosen and blessed by the Goddess of Magical Beasts, you dared to harm one of her sacred creations? You dared to use a vile artifact to defile the bond between tamer and companion? You have disappointed me greatly, Child of Arzarenia."

Her words slammed into him like rolling thunder, reverberating through the endless darkness.

Draco flinched at every syllable. He bowed his head lower, unable to endure that divine glare.

"Well then, since you already know your wrongdoings," she continued, her voice as sharp and cold as frost, "will you accept punishment now? Or do you still wish to speak in your defense?"

Draco opened his mouth. For a fleeting moment, it seemed he might protest, might beg for forgiveness. But no words came. His shoulders sagged, his pride and strength collapsing under the weight of guilt.

"No... it was my fault. I have nothing else to say."

Siamelumis’s gaze deepened.

"Then if I strip away ten of your levels, will you accept it?"

"What?! T-ten levels?" Ariana gasped, her composure breaking as she rushed forward. Her eyes widened with alarm. "Please, Lord Siamelumis, this punishment is too much—"

However—

"It’s fine, Ariana." Draco raised his hand, stopping her firmly. "Only ten levels... that is already a great mercy."