The sky darkened as he flew north, clouds thickening until the world below became a blur of white and gray. The wind roared past his ears, but his mind was calm. Too calm.
That was when the killing intent hit.
It wasn't wild or emotional. It was cold. Focused. Trained.
He twisted midair without thinking.
A massive blade of compressed mana tore through the space where his neck had been a heartbeat earlier. The shockwave split the clouds apart, sending thunder rippling across the sky.
He flipped backward and landed on a floating rock formation, wings folding in as his boots scraped stone.
"So you finally show yourselves," he said quietly.
The air distorted.
Three figures emerged, stepping out of nothingness as if reality itself had opened for them. All wore identical black armor etched with silver runes. No insignias. No flags.
System Enforcers.
[Warning]
[Entities Classified: System Executors]
His eyes narrowed.
"So the system still has teeth."
One of them spoke, voice flat and emotionless. "Target confirmed. Subject has exceeded correction threshold."
Another raised a weapon—half spear, half spell focus—mana building rapidly.
"Termination authorized."
They moved together.
Perfect coordination. No wasted motion. The first struck from above, blade crashing down with enough force to shatter mountains. The second attacked from behind, space folding as their weapon bypassed distance. The third remained still, chanting quietly, runes spreading across the sky like a net.
He didn't retreat.
The dragon core ignited.
Golden light burst from his body as scales flashed across his arms and spine. His eyes burned brighter, pupils narrowing into slits.
He caught the descending blade with one hand.
Stone beneath his feet exploded.
The enforcer froze, shock flickering across its masked face.
"That all?" he asked.
He crushed the blade.
The second attack arrived.
He twisted, letting the spear pass through his afterimage, then drove his elbow backward. The impact landed squarely in the enforcer's chest.
Armor cracked.
The body vanished, forcibly ejected by emergency teleportation.
The third finished its spell.
The sky collapsed inward.
Chains of light wrapped around his limbs, locking his movement, suppressing mana.
[SuppRESSION FIELD ACTIVE]
He exhaled slowly.
"…Still using this trick."
The dragon core pulsed once.
Then twice.
The chains shattered.
The backlash tore through the caster, ripping the enforcer apart in a silent explosion of light.
The last remaining enforcer stumbled back, damaged, armor flickering.
He stepped forward.
"No throne," he said calmly. "No obedience. No leash."
His clawed hand pierced the enforcer's chest.
"I warned you."
The body dissolved into particles of light, erased completely.
Silence returned to the sky.
He stood alone on the shattered stone, breathing steadily as the system interface flickered weakly—then stabilized.
Far away, something ancient shifted.
The Great White Dragon watched.
And for the first time—
The system did not respond.