The mighty wings lazily swept through the air, propelling the immense body through the ice and snow-filled blizzard. Chunks of ice that began to build upon the spikes and scales snapped off with a crackle whenever the mighty beast made a sudden movement, shaking itself off.

Despite the appalling weather and poor visibility, the dragon had a clear view of everything happening below. His elongated pupils caught every little detail, as if not noticing the distance spanning several kilometers.

Dragons could rightfully be considered the most powerful beings, the pinnacle of evolution, which other races still had a long way to reach.

However, physical superiority did not imply an equally advanced mind. Being the strongest physically, the dragons became complacent in their own exceptionality and refused to consider the paths that less fortunate races had been forced to take.

On the other hand, when you have power in your hands, it's hard not to use it.

These were the thoughts flashing through the mind of a warmaster from the Garashi clan. Lying in the icy, wind-swept claws of the dragon, the relatively young man cursed the leadership of the Mizuno, Sumada, and his own clan for agreeing to their proposal.

Wrapped in thick clothes and trying to preserve whatever warmth he could in his freezing body in this icy hell, the man also had to control the light-dispersing technique.

In a normal battle, it would be utterly useless, as the enemy would immediately notice the strange flickering. But from a distance, it was the perfect way to conceal one's location.

Anyone looking up at the sky would notice nothing but the snow and heavy clouds.

But the pair of scouts themselves saw much.

Every few hours, the dragon took a break, allowing the warmaster to recover from the flight, eat, and restore his prana, but even despite these stops, the scale of the disaster unfolded before them in all its horror.

Unlike his imposed companion, the dragon was quite old. In his lifetime, he had already survived four chaos invasions. This was the fifth.

And he could confidently say that what was happening now was the worst of them all.

The first two invasions passed almost unnoticed, having been quickly suppressed. In the third, the dragons had to intervene, but it all ended quickly again. The fourth, the previous invasion, was tough. The world was severely wounded but, as always before, it recovered.

Nevertheless, right now, the dragon couldn't help but think that the end times were coming. He asked other dragons if they remembered anything similar, and everywhere he heard the same: "No. What's happening now is unique in its nightmarishness."

The dragon's mighty wings carried him and his "cargo" further and further, while below, many sights passed that would be better left unseen.

Ravaged villages, burnt fields, crucified people, destroyed cities and bridges. Everywhere one looked, one saw scenes of total devastation and decay. Worse yet, the rot of chaos had already begun to seize some lands, growing disgusting plants and altering animals. Now these lands were deadly perilous for anyone daring to tread there.

In a few places, usually in particularly large cities, life still lingered, but the inhabitants' fate was grim, at the very least because of the horde of chaos rolling on across this barren icy wasteland.

Their disfigured, plague-ridden bodies felt neither cold nor other discomforts. Swollen, disease-covered faces twisted in pleasure and happiness.

But all these monstrous sights did not touch the heart of the old dragon. He was searching for something else.

To his right and left flew his companions, hidden by the warmasters' techniques, who scoured the towns and villages, seeking the location of the Serpent King.

They did not know why, but Yamato-sama's order was explicitly clear.

Suddenly, the dragon's eyes narrowed, and he struggled to suppress the urge to roar with joy.

He was happy that he was the one to find the target of their search.

Now, he would inform the other dragons about the mission's completion and then fly back to deliver the joyful news: "The Great Serpent has been found."

*****

Despite all the plans put together by the leaders of the warmasters, dragons, and others, there were many troublesome spots that still needed to be addressed.

For example, the remnants of the allied army were supposed to unexpectedly attack the chaos troops, forcing the warlocks and champions to rush into battle, leaving the Serpent King with minimal protection.

However, one had to understand that the horde of chaos was many times stronger, so if the defenders of the world struck too early, by the time the Serpent King was killed, there would be no one left to fight the chaos infection.

At the same time, the assassination squad needed time to actually reach their target.

According to the returning dragons, the Great Serpent, or rather, the warlocks controlling him, chose the ruins of one of the capitals of the many independent countries located between Rashta and Higatsudo for their stronghold.

This meant they needed to deliver a strike of such magnitude that it would require the enemy to mobilize all its forces.

The journey to the said city would take only a few days under normal circumstances, but due to the need to maintain secrecy, the time significantly increased.

On the other hand, gathering and preparing the troops could take even more time. Again, everything happening had to be kept secret from the chaos agents roaming around.

The whole avalanche of problems mentioned above needed solving and delegating, and Stas was definitely glad to have nothing to do with it.

His task was to reach the target and kill it. Everything was very simple and straightforward.

However, even he had some problems that he could not ignore.

'I'm coming with you,' Leviathan stated decisively, not asking but affirming, 'You're not leaving me behind again!'

Stas grimaced irritably. He had a headache from the bender with Jun, and trying to cure it had brought little relief so far. Warmasters had done a great job of creating a non-lethal poison that was very difficult to remove from the body.

'You know I can't,' he finally spoke, 'This is an extremely dangerous mission. Only a few people can go, and the total number is very limited. So…'

'I don't care!' Leviathan's mental "shout" nearly stunned the earthling, who recoiled instinctively, looking at the nervously swaying snake: 'You always leave me and go where you might get killed!'

'Wait a minute, I don't do this because I like it,' Ordyntsev frowned, 'If I could, I wouldn't go. And if I can't protect myself from this, I'll at least protect you.'

'Stop protecting me!' Levi, in anger, lashed her tail against stone, leaving a jagged trail: 'I've grown up and battled all sorts of enemies. I have experience, and I want to fight!'

'Fight?!' Ordyntsev roared, finally losing his temper. Objects around them began to tremble, and Leviathan recoiled under the onslaught of his instinctive bloodlust: 'We're going to fight something that considers supreme warmasters mere fodder! Your pitiful skills would only provoke this creature's scornful laughter. What battle are you even talking about?! I didn't care for you all this time just for you to die for nothing…'

Suddenly, Levi dove into stone under the man's outraged gaze.

'Hey, wait! I'm not done talking to you!' But Leviathan wasn't listening and continued to run away.

Stas, in a rage, kicked a heavy table, shattering it into tiny splinters against the ceiling. Levi's mental cry thundered in his mind, and he struggled with all his might to suppress it.

'She's grown up, huh,' he muttered, pacing the room nervously and not calming down at all: 'If you're so grown up, it's time to stop living in illusions. It's time to realize that you're just as mortal, and if you don't assess the risks, you might die. Although I care about you, you also have to think with your own head.'

Only silence was the response.

Stas sighed heavily and collapsed onto a futon, trying to detach himself from all the difficulties swamping him.

In a couple of days, they would have to set off, and he had to be fully prepared. He would address his issues with Leviathan upon his return.

'Eventually, she'll understand. Oh Kami, I'm starting to understand my parents. Where has it come to? And yet, I'm not that old... Though, if you think about it, I'm already thirty-eight? Two more years and it'll be forty... Curse it, what am I wasting my life on?'

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

*****

"Kaede, I have an important request," Stas decided to prepare for the worst-case scenario in the last few days.

"What is it?" Kaede asked worriedly.

After the last encounter with chaos, Hirui, the copper dragon, had survived, albeit with wing and eye injuries. If not for the dragons' abnormal resistance to the taint of chaos, the consequences would have been very sad. But he was recovering, albeit slowly.

Kaede had almost always been with him since then, trying to cheer him up. As it turned out, the loss of the ability to fly hit dragons very hard. Some of them might even turn to suicide.

All this made the young yokai extremely worried for her beloved, so she kept a close watch on him. Fortunately, the chances of full recovery were very high.

"I want to ask you to take care of Leviathan in my absence," Shiro's words caused Kaede to freeze. "We clashed recently. And I don't know how everything will end. If something happens to me, I want..."

Stas staggered as he was suddenly hugged tightly.

"Please don't die, Shiro," Kaede whispered. "First Mari, now you talk about this. Why does everything have to end like this?"

"I'm not saying it will end like this," Stas awkwardly patted Kaede on the head, causing her to blush and pull away. "Just a precaution. You understand, bad things happen even to good people."

"You mean, you're a good person?" the yokai couldn't resist, smiling through the tears welling up. "Are you really talking about yourself?"

"Hey, hey," Stas genuinely smiled at the corners of his mouth. "Compared to most of those present in this place, I'm a saintly monk!"

"I'll make sure nothing happens to Levi until you return," Kaede promised seriously. "Just come back alive. Promise?"

"I promise."

"You're not lying," Kaede smiled. "Remember how we first met? You should have seen your face when you saw me!"

"Pf-f-f," Stas snorted, unwilling to fall for her tease. "Imagine yourself in my shoes. You wake up, and a carnivorous yokai is looking you in the face. And you actually promised to eat me!"

"Very beautiful carnivorous yokai, I might add." Kaede girlishly dismissed the last part.

"Get out of here, you flirt. Or I'll tell Hirui that you lay with me in the same bed." Ordyntsev smirked with his most devious smile.

"You wouldn't dare." Kaede gasped at such betrayal, taking a step back.

"Now, you'll keep thinking about whether I would or not," added Stas, quickly walking away.

"Wait! I'm not done talking to you! Shiro, say you were joking, Shiro-o-o!"

*****

"You know, he always brought you up as an example," Kizashi warmly smiled, recalling something. "He told me about your successes and advised me to do the same."

Stas listened attentively, sipping tea. Although Kizashi was busy organizing a workshop for creating pills and potions, he still found time to just sit together for a while.

"And that's amazing," Kizashi continued. "Did you know that my grandfather couldn't stand clanless or other clans? In his eyes, only the Sumada existed. All others lived in this world only because the Kami endured their presence. So I could never understand what about you caught his eye."

"Probably you," Kizashi's surprised look prompted Stas to elaborate. "The fact that I decided to help you was the best recommendation in his eyes. Before that, there were few who wanted to."

"I remember those times like a dream," Kizashi stretched. "They feel so distant now, almost unreal. If not for you, Shiro, I would still be an outcast."

"Not true," the earthling shook his head. "You just lacked a bit of confidence, that's all. I'm sure you would have been able to show the clan your worth sooner or later."

"Don't try to save my self-esteem." Kizashi smiled knowingly.

"As for Hideo-sama, I don't remember a single conversation where he didn't mention you," Stas chuckled. "He was proud of you, Kizashi. You were his ray of light in this world. The only grandson."

"As he was mine," Kizashi resolutely finished his tea and poured more. "May Hideo Sumada feel good wherever he is."

"Agreed." Their cups lightly clinked.

*****

"What a fine day to embark on a final journey, eh, student?" Jun inhaled the cold morning air with pleasure. His exhale spread into a wide cloud of steam.

"Don't tempt the Kami, Jun," Sora, who had come up beside him, looked annoyed at the supreme. After that drinking session, they had left together, which clearly meant something. "Unlike you, not everyone wants to die here and now."

"Really? Well, let's ask someone who has definitely lived longer than anyone else?" Stas's teacher turned and looked directly at the leader of the dragons standing a little apart. "Yamato-san, in your opinion, is it better to live fast and bright, or long and boring?"

Stas and Sora froze, warily glancing at Yamato and irritably at Jun. Ordyntsev's teacher loved to stir up trouble.

"Fast and bright," the dragon's unexpected answer came. "I've tried both paths, and the second one makes me regret that we dragons are almost immortal."

"See what I mean!"

"That means nothing!" Sora retorted in the same tone, and another argument ensued between them. Both participants genuinely enjoyed the process.

Meanwhile, Stas felt the approach of the last member of their team, the Nine-Tails. It was even stranger that she came straight to him.

"Hello, Izanami-san." Stas allowed himself some liberty in addressing her, but the yokai didn't even blink.

"And I greet you, Shiro-san," the Kitsune twitched her cheek and looked at the ongoing squabble of the supremes. "I want to ask you for a small favor, Serpent. Are you ready to hear me out?"

"Of course." Stas nodded curtly. He saw that now was not the time for ceremonies.

"If you meet our mutual acquaintance Minoru... I want you to ensure that she never causes trouble for anyone again. She has been a nuisance to this world for too long. Are you willing to do that?"

Stas thought for a few seconds about the request.

"Yes, but I'll do it not because of your request, but out of mercy for Minoru herself, as the sensei of my subordinate. I doubt she would be happy living in the state she is in now."

"You are either very honest or very cunning... Serpent," a slight smile curled on the Nine-Tails' lips. "But don't refuse a reward. I don't offer it that often."

"We can discuss this after the mission is completed." The earthling diplomatically drew a line.

"As you say," Izanami noted the last member of their six. "We're ready to set off. I'll put my spell on you from this very moment. Don't stray more than twenty steps from me. It will be inconvenient, but it guarantees secrecy. Does everyone understand?"

Five serious nods answered. The six figures blurred in the air and rushed eastward at great speed.

The mission to save the world of warmasters and samurai had begun.

*****

"Have you seen a huge white snake?" Kaede asked yet another warmaster, but he just shook his head, displeased, and ran off on his business.

At this moment, the entire camp was in an agitated state. The preparation for the battle was nearing its final stage.

All the more frustrating was that Kaede had been unable to find a certain overly independent young snake for hours.

'I'll give her a piece of my mind when I find her,' Kaede fumed. 'What's the point of sulking at me? Where are you hiding?'

*****

Leviathan checked her sense of inner connection and moved on after Stas's group. Any other would not have been able to track them, but Leviathan was not "any other."

Her bond with her master allowed her to follow them unerringly underground, even if she couldn't see them.

The only problem was hiding her presence from him, but the snake had long learned how to do that when she still played jokes on the alchemist.

'I'll show him. Decided to leave me behind again. Not going to happen. If you won't call me yourself, I'll go of my own accord.'

Leviathan was confident in her abilities and had thoroughly prepared for the long journey, taking not only equipment but also a food supply.

She would show him that she was grown-up enough to make her own decisions.