Chapter 561: Law of the Dragon Faithful

Renard’s earlier words, his sharp, even blasphemous remarks about the Dragon Lord, were not born from ignorance but from conviction. To him, there was no greater crime than a mortal daring to cloak themselves in the mantle of divinity.

The Dragon Faithful had only one creed: dragons stood above gods. They were not to be imitated, not to be mocked, not to be diminished by pretenders. For Renard, the thought of a man calling himself the heir of dragonkind was not merely arrogance, it was sacrilege.

Had it not been for one detail, he would have already abandoned his post, forsaken his guild, and flown to Megacity I with fire in his veins. He would have hunted the impostor himself and carved judgment into the pretender’s flesh for daring to profane the Radiant One’s name.

But there, in that same city, was Lord Yu’Keto. Or, as he preferred to be known in human society, Master Yuuto. The Timeless One himself.

That was the only leash strong enough to restrain Renard’s zeal. If Yuuto had not chosen silence, if Yuuto had not permitted this so-called Dragon Lord to stand, Renard would never have stayed his hand.

To defy Yuuto’s inaction would have been the true blasphemy.

And so, though his heart burned with the fury of his Faith, Renard bowed to Yuuto’s will and forced himself to remain still.

Now, hearing the truth from Yuuto’s own lips, awe consumed him. What he had once condemned as arrogance was revealed to be revelation. The Dragon Lord was no impostor. He was the Grand Progenitor returned.

Yuuto’s holographic form pulsed faintly, his voice carrying the weight of eternity.

"The Radiant One is merciful, Renard. You will not be punished for making remarks born of ignorance. But that is not the most pressing matter at hand. Oboros stands in our way once again, Renard. And he has spoken. Humanity will either stand by his side this time or in his way."

The air inside the transport thickened, the melody of the white cube fading into silence. Even the hum of the engines seemed muted under the gravity of those words.

Yuuto’s gaze sharpened, cold and timeless. "I am sure you understand what that means."

Renard bowed his head, crimson eyes lowered. Yet a mild smile touched his lips, not of amusement but of certainty.

"I understand, Master," he said smoothly. "The Dragon Faithful have brought down nations under our Lord’s decree before." His voice dropped, reverent and absolute. "This will be no different."

Yuuto then added,

"I will be coming to expedite the process," he said. "But if things fail to go as planned..."

Renard’s crimson eyes glimmered faintly, and he inclined his head ever so slightly, finishing the thought without hesitation.

"...the city will burn."

Aelira’s breath caught, her hands trembling against her datapad. She dared not speak, dared not move, as she watched her Guildmaster, so calculating, so poised, speak with the zeal of a believer ready to burn the world at a single command.

...

...

The guild transport eased to a halt before the White Comets’ guild hall in sector III of Megacity IV, its engines humming down to silence.

The building loomed over the district like a shard of night driven into the earth.

Obsidian-black walls climbed ten stories high, veined with glowing white lines that pulsed faintly like constellations stitched into stone. Above the grand entrance, the guild’s insignia—a silver comet streaking across a black starfield—burned with steady light.

The doors of the transport hissed open. Renard stepped out first, his coat catching the glow of the neon-lit streets, the stitched stars shifting faintly as he moved. His boots struck the polished marble steps leading up to the guild hall.

The obsidian doors parted with a low rumble, opening into the grand foyer of the White Comets’ guild hall. The air inside was cooler than the neon-lit streets outside.

Guild operatives in black and white uniforms bustled about the foyer, their voices clipped and efficient as they exchanged reports. The moment Renard entered, their movements slowed, and a ripple of silence spread outward like water disturbed by a stone. Heads bowed, eyes lowered, and the space filled with the weight of unspoken reverence.

Aelira scrambled out behind him, heels clattering as she clutched her datapad close. The night air was cool, but sweat traced her brow from nerves more than heat. She quickened her pace to keep stride with her Guildmaster.

"Guildmaster," she said quickly, her voice tight, almost desperate. "What will be our course of action now?"

Renard didn’t slow his stride as he crossed the foyer, the polished marble reflecting the faint shimmer of the constellation-stitched coat flowing behind him. His crimson gaze remained fixed ahead, his voice calm but edged like steel drawn from its sheath.

"Isn’t it obvious, Aelira? We’re going to prepare for war."

Aelira almost stumbled at his words. She tightened her grip on her datapad, her brows furrowing as she hurried to match his pace.

"War?" she repeated, her voice rising slightly before she caught herself and lowered it. "But... didn’t Master Yuuto imply force was to be a last resort?"

Renard finally turned his head, his crimson eyes narrowing as they caught the glow of the floating crystal orbs that lit the hall. His expression was unreadable, but the faint curve of his lips carried no mirth.

"Do you really think those fools will respond to anything else?"

Aelira faltered, her mouth parting, but no words came. Images of the council chamber flashed through her mind: Garruk pounding the table for blood, Lian demanding control, Marrec’s mocking laughter, Varrow’s thinly veiled threats, the senators splitting hairs over containment and fear. None of it had sounded like unity.

Renard’s gaze lingered on her for a breath longer, then slid away as he continued forward.

"Words are wasted on guildmasters who measure every syllable in coin, pride, or blood," he said, his tone low and deliberate. "They will not be swayed by diplomacy. They will not march in lockstep unless forced to. The only language they understand is strength. And as a member of the Dragon Faithful it is my sworn responsibility to ensure those fools understand how naive they would be to challenge the will of the Radiant One himself."