"What do you mean, only Kaede can go?" Ketsumi's voice literally rang with indignation.
"Exactly that," Hirui, the copper dragon they had come to know, sighed wearily. "The elders have made themselves perfectly clear. Only one yokai may attend the elders' meeting, and it will be the youngest among them."
"But why?!" Katsuya glanced at Kaede, who was clearly frightened by such a prospect and obviously not ready to face it alone. "Why would they set such strange conditions?"
"How should I know?" Hirui's voice carried an obvious grumble. He tapped his thigh impatiently. "Do you think those ancient relics report to someone like me? Not at all, and for your information, I know no more than you do. Now, Kaede, get ready. I will personally take you to the Summit."
"O-okay," the yokai squeaked, starting to dart away before realizing she had nothing more to do. "Actually, I'm," she nervously giggled. "I'm ready."
"No, you're not," the spider woman sighed heavily, approaching the anxious girl and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Kaede, dear, calm down. Take a deep breath, and then exhale. Yes, just like that. Now listen to me. Are you listening?"
"Yes," the girl nodded quickly.
"Good. First, remember, just be polite, speak when asked, be honest, and everything will be fine. Understand?"
"Yes," Kaede nodded much more confidently this time.
"All that's required of you is simple. Just tell the dragons what you've seen. Honestly and without embellishment. I'm sure that will be enough. You won't let me down, will you?" the Kumo tried to smile gently. It wasn't in her nature, but for the sake of supporting this young girl, she was willing to make the effort.
"Don't worry, Katsuya, I won't let you down!" Kaede's familiar bright smile returned to her face.
"Your friend is right," Hirui shouted from afar, standing on the takeoff platform. In an instant, his body rippled and began to swell rapidly, changing form.
It was very difficult to make out any details, such as where his clothes went, but after a dozen seconds, a magnificent copper dragon stepped onto the stone floor. Small rocks caught under his claws crumbled into dust.
"Well, Kaede, let's fly. The elders, despite their age, have never been known for their patience," Hirui's voice sounded directly in the heads of both yokai.
"Let's fly," Kaede agreed decisively, heading towards the dragon, who was spreading his wings.
*****
"Yee-haw!"
The dragon sliced through the sky with a thunderous roar, but an attentive ear could make out genuine laughter in those intimidating sounds.
An even more attentive eye could spot a small female figure in his huge claws, who, at that very moment, arms outstretched, was joyfully squealing as the lizard performed another aerial pirouette.
The air buzzed, stretching the wings' membranes and flowing somewhere back, and the clumps of low-flying clouds left a gentle touch on the face.
Kaede was in absolute delight when Hirui lifted her into the sky.
The dragon himself also felt a surge of exhilaration, as he didn't know how the yokai he fancied would react to their first flight.
Yes, she had no wings, which created some difficulties, but Hirui was ready to fly for both of them. Though he was still worried about his grandfather's reaction, he hoped to come up with something.
Now, moving towards the Summit, he didn't deny himself the pleasure of playing a bit, showing the girl a couple of aerial tricks.
Nevertheless, as much as they both enjoyed it, all good things come to an end. So did their joint flight.
The Summit was the top of one of the mountains, at the base of which was a clearly artificial stone platform for landing, where a guard of several multicolored dragons had already gathered.
The platform itself ended with a huge opening in the mountain's body, leading deep inside.
Given the scale of their surroundings, everything here was constructed to accommodate the size of gigantic magical reptiles.
Hovering above the landing spot, Hirui released his claws, allowing Kaede to safely jump down and step aside, making room for the dragon himself to descend.
All the while, Kaede tried not to make any sudden movements, as she was closely watched by more than half a dozen dragons. Their heavy, assessing gazes made her tense involuntarily.
The girl was already afraid to imagine what the elders of this mighty race were like if ordinary dragons could be so oppressive.
"Let's go," Hirui gave Kaede a piercing look and moved in his dragon form towards the opening. The yokai followed him closely.
Had the girl been a little calmer, she could have fully appreciated the intricate carvings along the tunnels extending deep into the mountain. But due to her wildly pounding heart, she hardly noticed the surrounding beauty.
In stone bowls embedded in the walls, magical fires burned, casting eerie gleams on images of countless battles.
Most of the frescoes depicted dragons, humans, onmyoji, and yokai clashing in combat. Possessing one of the most impressive lifespans, dragons meticulously kept track of their history.
The only time Kaede came to her senses was when they finally reached their destination.
Compared to the tunnels encountered earlier, the spacious hall, hewn in the center of the mountain, was decorated surprisingly simply.
A plain, smooth, dome-shaped ceiling transitioned into bare walls. The space was illuminated by impressive stone bowls at the walls, where magical flame burned continuously, the same as in the tunnels, only more powerful.
There, along the walls, were heavy podiums on which, like sphinxes, lay four elder dragons.
Kaede and Hirui, not quite reaching the center of the hall, halted at a spot specially marked on the floor. Thus, those who came here could see all the dragons without turning too much.
Interestingly, the "marked spot" consisted of two circles; one fit for someone the size of a dragon, and the other, small, was clearly meant for a human or yokai.
And looking at the present reptiles now, Kaede could easily say that these were the largest dragons she had ever seen. Her friend, Hirui, looked like a youth compared to these relics of past epochs.
The red dragon, Yamato, was also among them, the very one whom she met with Stas. He looked at her with an expressionless gaze of golden eyes, but Kaede had no doubt that he recognized her. It was hard to judge, but she thought he seemed to be the largest dragon present.
"So, you yokai have finally decided to ask for our help?" the black dragon, medium-sized among those gathered, spoke first. His voice literally dripped with contempt and mockery. "I've always said it was foolish to make a treaty between us. If you had accepted our protection then, you would have lived safely in the shadow of our wings, yet you..."
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"Stop it, Higasius," a majestic female voice interrupted him. Kaede instinctively shifted her gaze to the white dragon, or rather dragoness. "Don't mock this child; the yokai and their great spirits have nothing to do with the matter at hand."
"Then why are we gathered here?" the black dragon snapped angrily. Kaede involuntarily swallowed. After the memorable encounter with Yamato, Shiro the Serpent had spent time learning about their race. And Kaede remembered very well which colors were deadly dangerous. Black was rightfully at the top of this list, competing only with the red color.
"To learn about the possible approach of another invasion of chaos," Yamato's heavy voice made both quarrelers abruptly fall silent.
Despite the conversation being conducted through magic, his words seemed to resonate in the real world.
"That's correct," the fourth, copper-colored dragon turned his head sternly toward Hirui, causing him to freeze. "My grandson brought a yokai who claimed that she and her friend found a large concentration of chaos forces."
"And what's so unusual about that?" the black dragon snorted contemptuously. "Lower races, unlike the lords of the sky, are too weak to resist succumbing to chaos. Hundreds and thousands of years have passed, yet nothing has changed. Cultists emerge time after time, only to be destroyed. Why should we interfere in the squabbles of inferior races?"
"For if we allow them to take root, a real invasion will come. Must I even mention that in such a case, it will pose a danger to us as well?" the dragoness's disapproving voice made the black dragon growl threateningly.
"Melissa, you always advocate helping these wretched mortals. When will you finally understand that the further we stay away from them, the better for everyone? Our races cannot live in peace, as evidenced by many examples. To think otherwise is sheer idiocy!"
"Isolationism is a dead end, Higasius," Hirui's grandfather intervened again. "The wingless need a firm hand that would rid our world of the threat of chaos, allowing them to stop fearing invasions. Only we, the lords of the sky, are capable of ensuring that the planes of change never find any support here. And I believe now is the time to seize control. The warmaster clans have weakened in their senseless war, and the daimyo families have lost many samurai."
With each word of the old dragon, Kaede grew paler. She might not have been very smart, but she knew such information couldn't be disclosed so easily. Judging by Hirui's twitch, he understood this, too.
Whatever his grandfather was plotting, it surely boded no good.
"We've already tried that," Melissa hissed acrimoniously. "And several times, we even succeeded. Dragons have already governed this world, but humans and yokai are willing to make peace to overthrow anyone who tries to rule them. Is it not you, Ogric, who should know this best?"
"Yes, we made a mistake then," the copper dragon narrowed his eyes irritably. Had he been human, he would have grimaced. "But this time, we will take into account the mistakes of the past and..."
"Enough," Yamato silenced the others once again, then looked directly at Kaede. "Yokai, we are listening to you. Tell us what you saw."
"Alright, master," Kaede bowed quickly. She could not even think of harboring arrogance. "It all started when we learned that some cultists had gathered near my mentor's home..."
The dragons listened in complete silence; considering that Kaede was the only one using physical speech, it was eerily quiet.
"And you believe that camp could be the harbinger of something more than just an ordinary cult?" Yamato asked thoughtfully. The other dragons respectfully kept silent, although the black one clearly had something to say.
"Yes, master," the girl nodded quickly. "When we rescued my mentor, she told us she saw their preparations. Considering that she fought in the last war against chaos, her observations carry a lot of weight."
"Your words have managed to interest me," the dragon finally said after a long silence, causing Kaede to first rejoice and then become cautious. "You may go to the guest chambers. We will tell you our decision."
"Um, Yamato-sama," the young yokai nervously spoke up, causing the surrounding dragons to look at her with indignation. "I'm grateful for your hospitality, but I wouldn't want to burden you further..."
"Nonsense," the ancient reptile dismissed her words. "We don't want to have to look for you so you can relay the message to your brethren. You will wait for our decision. And you'll do it here."
Kaede lowered her head. Obviously, it was pointless to argue.
However, just as Hirui was about to turn around, something unexpected happened.
In the distance, there was the sound of approaching claws, and someone's hurried stomping. After half a minute, a small dragon, about the size of Hirui, ran into the hall, looking extremely distressed.
"Who allowed you to burst into the Summit, scout?!" Higasius bellowed, flapping his black wings. "You're violating our most important traditions!"
"Crucial information, elders!" the scout cried out desperately, causing Kaede's head to ache.
"Speak then!" Ogric, Hirui's grandfather, exclaimed irritably. "And hope that your information is indeed so crucial."
"Half a day ago, we noticed strange energy disturbances in the direction of the Secret City. Following orders, we discreetly went to investigate the anomaly," the scout paused, even though such a form of speech didn't require inhaling - apparently, to gather his thoughts.
"We saw a countless army of humans storming the Secret City. And only when we looked closer did we realize that these were not just humans. It was a horde of chaos!" the messenger's statement was akin to a bomb exploding in the hall.
"Continue!" Yamato ordered immediately. A small wisp of black smoke escaped his mouth, drifting toward the ceiling. Likewise, the other dragons instantly turned more serious.
"When I flew away, the city was still holding on, but even then, the situation was dire. We saw the use of chaos magic. Among the chaos servants were warlocks."
"Unthinkable!" the white dragoness exhaled in disbelief. "We should have noticed something like this! Without the invasion of an entity of an archdemon rank into this world, they wouldn't have been able to create a breach that would allow them to use magic. And the advent of an archdemon is impossible to miss..."
"Now it doesn't matter," Hirui's grandfather surveyed the others with a stern look. "What matters is - will we uphold the treaty made with the yokai or not?"
The dragons fell silent, casting probing glances at each other; meanwhile, Kaede held her breath.
*****
The Secret City was burning.
The magnificent green gardens that had been tended for centuries were in flames. So were delicate flowers, gathered from every corner of the known world, and majestic trees cherished more than some humans.
All perished in the fire.
Exquisite statues and buildings collapsed and split apart. Due to the heat, the very stone cracked and burst.
Black smoke and crimson flames enveloped the dying city, trapping the last defenders fighting to protect their home.
Unlike humans, every yokai, especially those who lived in the Secret City, was dangerous. They could possess a variety of powers and elements, but one thing was common.
Each of their strikes, techniques, or blades took the lives of the cursed cultists. They were not defenseless and generously demonstrated this to the invading army.
But the problem was that they were facing not just a few groups of cultists but a full-fledged demonic horde.
More precisely, there were no demons among the attackers, which was already a notch easier, but instead, there were other problems.
A large part of the horde consisted of warmasters who had succumbed to chaos. And these were terrifying warriors. Chaos-altered prana gave their bodies even more strength, simultaneously granting complete fearlessness and disdain for death.
Without hesitation, they threw themselves on swords and traded their lives for defenders' lives. And such math was not in favor of the not-so-numerous yokai.
The bulk of the attackers were mad peasant hordes, generously enveloped in the miasmas of decay. Due to the concentration of deadly energy, many of them already bore "blessings of chaos," gruesome mutations.
But again, it wasn't all that chaos had prepared.
Twisted, gnarled figures, around which the air itself cracked from passing energies. Each of them was surrounded by numerous swollen, mutated favorites of the plane of rot. Champions of chaos dutifully protected the warlocks of change from the yokai trying to break through to them.
Oh yes, warlocks of chaos. A kind of heavy artillery of any demonic invasion.
Along with higher demons, they sowed fear and death everywhere their feet, tentacles, or hooves tread.
Yet in all of this, there was a certain oddity that troubled the great spirit known as the Imperial Turtle.
A lunge forward, and her armored shell took the putrid-green clumps, protecting her own kin. The chaos servants hit by her blow were smeared across the ground. A multi-ton predatory turtle is not something you can just survive against.
However, the chaos warlock who had fired the spell managed to retreat deep into the cultists' ranks in time, leaving Teruko no choice but to retreat.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the scorchingly bright tails of the nine-tailed fox slicing through the opposing flank, but she understood that they were at an impasse.
Right now, the only factor preventing the forces of chaos from trampling the defenders was the two great spirits desperately protecting their people.
The problem was that they could not retreat anywhere, as the chaos servants had completely surrounded them.
And as strong as the great spirits were, the constant blows of chaos magic did not improve their health.
The turtle was literally shaking from the realization of how they had blundered, allowing the puppets of chaos to come so close. Unfortunately, now they could only deal with the consequences.
Teruko's shell was already marred with many deep dents and gouges. It wouldn't be long before they could finally pierce it.
The nine-tailed fox had managed to avoid injuries so far, but only because of spending even more energy.
They were being methodically exhausted, and there was nothing they could do about it. If they tried to attack the warlocks, the yokai behind them would be destroyed within minutes.