Finally, I can Retire, Or so I Thought

The mountain orcs closed in, bracing to strike, while Sheila, Mei, Cleo, Luna, and Aria drew their weapons, taking combat stances. Dion brought up his recall menu, his eyes widening at the prompt shimmering on his holographic display:

[Unseal Calamity Supreme Monarch?] [Yes] [No]

”Huh... a seal? Where?” Dion muttered to himself.

He turned toward the distant pyramid. Looking closely, he realized the pyramid wasn’t just a structure, it was a massive, rotating seal ground right into the floor. The ambient light washing over the chamber was actually the glow of a titanic magic circle beneath the pyramid, reflecting off its crystalline facets. Dion glanced back at Sheila, Luna, Mei, Cleo, Aria, and Gina, who were all braced to face the pack of hulking, muscle-bound mountain orcs bearing down on them.

”Tch... whatever, no time to overthink this,” Dion said.

He hit ”Yes.” The hologram dissolved into a streak of blinding light that shot straight past the two obelisks, sinking into the pyramid. BOOM! A massive explosion rocked the area around the structure as the earth began to quake. The blast and tremor sent the mountain orcs scattering in a panic, abandoning their assault to dive back into the surrounding city ruins.

”Whoaaaah!”

Luna, Cleo, Mei, Aria, and Sheila latched onto one another to keep their footing, while Gina fluttered up to Dion’s shoulder, clutching her head in agony.

”Kyuuu... kyuuu!”

”Hey... are you alright?” Dion asked, shielding Gina in his arms.

”Kyuuuu... GROAAAAAR!”

Suddenly, crimson lightning arced out from the pyramid, striking Dion and Gina with full force. ”Aaaaaah!” Dion screamed as the electrical surge hoisted his body into the air. Gina slipped from his grasp, expanding into a colossal dragon, far bigger than she had ever been before.

”Dion!” Luna, Cleo, Mei, Aria, and Sheila screamed as they watched him float into the sky.

The vicious red lightning kept them completely at bay, forcing them to watch helplessly from below. The entire cavern lit up, exposing the hiding mountain orcs, who scrambled even deeper into the rubble. The entire ruined cityscape stood revealed: a modern metropolis complete with avenues and parks, though reduced to shattered remnants.

”Yaaaaaaaah!”

”GROAAAAAR!”

Dion and Gina roared together, their bodies encased in a dazzling cocoon of dark crimson light. Cleo stared at the scene, then glanced back toward the pyramid.

”A seal... a seal opened... oh no... Dion!” Cleo shrieked as the reality clicked.

The others snapped their eyes toward Cleo, then turned back to Dion with sheer panic written across their faces. But a moment later, a voice thundered through the cavern:

[”This world belongs to me... Anyone who dares to threaten the world will face my wrath.”]

The voice echoed off the walls. Cleo, Luna, Mei, Sheila, and Aria flinched in shock, their eyes pinned to Dion.

CRASH!

The cocoons wrapping Dion and Gina shattered, and both drifted back down toward the ground. But Dion was now clad in a majestic suit of gold and black steel armor, wearing a crowned helm that obscured his face, leaving only his glowing red eyes visible, with a long black cape fluttering behind him. Gina was draped in terrifying, fully spiked black armor that covered her massive frame, giving her the menacing presence of a true dark dragon, complete with a riding saddle on her back. Her eyes glowed a deep red.

Tap.

Dion and Gina touched down. Dion glanced at the five girls, then surveyed the surrounding ruins. Drawing an ornate longsword from his hip, he raised it high. A vortex of black and red energy spiraled around him from the ground up like a tornado, channeling every drop of energy into the blade until it radiated a deep, terrifying black light.

”My legion... answer my call... Summon Eidolon Legion.”

”GROOOOO!”

From the tip of his blade, hundreds of black shadow eidolon troops materialized. Draped in armor, mounted on phantom steeds, wielding bows, and hauling heavy artillery engines, they swarmed out into the ruins.

”GRAAAAAH!”

Screams echoed throughout the crumbling buildings. Luna, Cleo, Sheila, Mei, and Aria felt a chill run down their spines at the sight before them. The terrifying army of armored phantoms swept through the ruins, obliterating hundreds of mountain orcs in seconds without leaving a single trace behind. With their task complete, the phantom army dissolved back into Dion’s blade. The girls slowly turned to look at Dion, whose presence was now far more imposing and massive than before.

”Di... Dion?” Luna asked, taking a hesitant step forward.

”Don’t, you dumb princess. Fall back,” Aria warned, pulling Luna back.

”W-what just happened... w-why does Dion look like that?” Sheila asked, keeping her guard up.

”This is... absolute nightmare material... he... he wiped out every single mountain orc here,” Mei muttered, staying alert.

”Dion... who are you really... and Gina... why do you look like Gemmeth from the legends, the true calamity dragon?” Cleo gasped, thoroughly stunned.

As the cavern settled back into silence and darkness with the faded light, Luna cast her spell again. ”Light.” Her staff illuminated the area, revealing Dion standing still as a statue before his body gradually shrank back to its normal size. Dion glanced down at the holographic panel floating in front of him:

***************************************

Name : Dion von Oswald.

Persona Class : Calamity Supreme Monarch. [change]

Rank : SSSS

Time limit : 2 hours (00:59:40 counting down)

Weapon : Long Sword of Calamity King.

Armor : Royal orichalcum armor set.

Passive : Analyze eye, strategic mind, telekinesis, absolute defense, monarch hierarchy aura.

Active : Summon eidolon legion (max 1000), arena illusion prison, enhance calamity dragon, king’s judgement.

Mount : Armored Calamity Dragon.

Armor : Black Calamity Dragon Spike Armor

Special : Absorb soul, Shared vision with Calamity Dragon, Astral projection.

Given : Goddess Hestalia Blessing.

***************************************

After reviewing his new persona stats, Dion looked up at the girls, who were standing guard, terrified, yet clearly worried for him. Dion sheathed his longsword, faced them, and unclasped his helm. Deactivating his persona, a brief flash of light wrapped around him and Gina. When it cleared, he was back in his original clothes, and with a soft ”kyuuu,” Gina shrank back down to her mini form, landing softly on his shoulder.

”Hey... all clear, right? We’re safe now,” Dion said with a warm smile.

Luna, Aria, Sheila, Cleo, and Mei stood rooted to the spot, completely frozen. Dion stepped forward and waved his hand in front of their faces.

”Hey... what’s with you guys?” Dion asked.

That snapped them out of it. Staring at Dion standing right in front of them, their expressions instantly shifted to pure relief, borders on tears. ”Dioooon!” Luna, Aria, Sheila, Cleo, and Mei shrieked in unison, charging straight at him. Thump! Oof! Dion slammed flat onto his back on the ground, while Gina took off into the air to dodge the dogpile.

”Waaaaah... I was so scared something happened to you!” Luna sobbed, bursting into tears.

”Me too... I was terrified... sob... sob,” Aria added, crying hard.

”You really had your gorgeous big sister worried sick... you idiot... you absolute idiot... sob... sob,” Cleo cried out.

”Don’t you ever pull something like that again... I hated every second of it... and if you can help it... don’t ever use that power again,” Sheila added, choking back tears.

”Seriously... you complete dummy... idiot... sob... sob,” Mei wept, burying her face.

Dion, who was initially struggling to breathe under the sheer weight of everyone, suddenly stopped feeling the pressure. He looked down at the tear-stained faces of Luna, Aria, Sheila, Cleo, and Mei resting on his chest, holding him tight. A soft smile broke across his face as warmth filled his heart. Raising his hands, he gently patted each of their heads one by one. The five of them froze in surprise, Dion had never stroked their heads with such affectionate care before. Smiling back, they squeezed him even tighter.

”Oof... okay... alright... can’t breathe... I’m gonna dieeeee... Gina... help!” Dion yelled, his eyes bugging out as he got completely smothered.

”Kyuuu,” Gina chirped back nonchalantly.

”You... traitor...” Dion gasped out, completely pinned down.

***

Meanwhile, back in the tomb, Johan sat reading a book when he felt a tremor ripple through the ground beneath him. He closed his book, adjusted his glasses, and looked over toward the kitchen entrance.

”Felt like an underground quake... hope Cleo and the others are doing fine,” Johan thought to himself.

***

Far away in the royal palace of Minatheras, high up in the tower chamber, an unclothed Minerva sat up abruptly in bed. Rene, who was also unclothed and lying beside her, turned to watch Minerva staring intently out the window.

”What is it, my wife?” Rene asked.

”Something has awakened in the south... something sealed away long ago,” Minerva answered quietly.

Rene sat up, pulling the blanket around Minerva’s shoulders, and wrapped his arms around her. Minerva turned, meeting Rene’s lips with a kiss. Breaking away, Rene looked at her.

”What woke up? Is it dangerous? Could it mess up our plans?” Rene asked.

”Nothing to worry about... whatever woke up won’t be able to interfere with our plans. But it’s time we speed up taking over this kingdom and turn everyone into our army, just like him,” Minerva said with a sly smile, stroking Rene’s cheek before gesturing off to the side.

Rene turned to see the gray-skinned, undead corpse of Frederick standing motionless beside their bed. He smiled and turned back to Minerva.

”As you wish, my queen. This world will be ours,” Rene said.

They shared another kiss and sank back down into the bed together.