The Snake God with SSS Rank Evolution System

Selena stood by the large window of her residence, her gaze fixed on the night sky above Myrta. Flashes of orange and red lit up the darkness as volleys of fire magic rained down, only to be swallowed by the void barrier outside. The glass trembled with each impact, but her expression remained cold, controlled.

Her fingers curled against the windowsill. Her voice came out low and steady.

”They’re not even trying to hide it anymore. They’ve finally thrown away their masks.”

Behind her, the shadows moved. A line of her most trusted people stood ready near the center of the room, armed and waiting. One of them, a woman with short silver hair and two curved daggers strapped to her thighs, stepped forward and bowed her head slightly.

”We are ready, Lady Selena. We only await your orders.”

Selena turned away from the window. She took a slow breath, then spoke, her voice sharp and clear.

”Then move. Neutralize their forces. And if you can, cut them down.” Her gaze hardened, reflecting the fire outside. ”I don’t want people like them in my city.”

In unison, her people bowed their heads.

”Yes, Lady Selena.”

Selena turned back toward the window. Outside, the void barrier flickered as another wave of fireballs burst against it.

”They think they can set foot in my city and do whatever they want?”

Selena watched the flames rise again and slam against the barrier, and the sight only made her resolve burn brighter.

”Whoever dares to lay a hand on my city... I will make them regret it.”

Meanwhile, on the other side of Myrta...

Wincent stood at the edge of a hidden plaza, half-shrouded in shadow. Before him, a circle of mages knelt in formation, their staves planted into the cracked stone. In the center of the circle, an object pulsed with dark red light, a strange orb covered in glowing script. The symbols shifted and writhed across its surface like living things.

His mechanical arm gleamed under the firelight. He crossed it over his chest, his eyes locked on the sky above Selena’s residence. Even from here, he could see the shape of the void barrier, dark and immovable, like a giant black cat’s head staring down at them.

He let out a dry chuckle.

”I knew it. The dragon woman is guarding her. Selena’s not alone.”

A few paces behind him, Duke Giorno stood with his arms crossed, his expression twisted with impatience. He shifted his weight and glanced at the orb, then toward the distant barrier.

”So what? We already expected resistance.” His voice was sharp, frustrated. ”Stop wasting time and order the mages to keep firing. Hit them with everything until they break. I don’t care if it burns half the city.”

Wincent turned his head slightly, a faint, cold smile on his lips.

”As expected of a noble. You’re willing to sacrifice anything, aren’t you?”

Giorno’s eyes narrowed.

”I want this city. Whatever it takes.”

Wincent let out another low chuckle, then raised his mechanical hand. The golden fingers clicked as they clenched into a fist.

”Right, right. If you want it that badly...”

He raised his arm high. The runes on the orb flared, responding to his command.

”All mages, continue the assault. Don’t stop until that barrier falls. Burn the sky until there’s nothing left but ash.”

The mages began to chant once more. The orb burned brighter. And another wave of fireballs rose into the night sky, streaking toward Selena’s residence like a storm of falling suns.

A lazy footstep echoed behind them, unhurried and out of place among the chaos. Gill emerged from the shadows of a collapsed archway, his green hair slightly messy, one hand adjusting the glasses resting on his nose. He walked toward Wincent and Giorno with an easy gait, as if the burning sky above didn’t concern him at all.

”Uwah... you’re really doing it,” he said, eyes sweeping over the circle of mages and the pulsing orb at its center. ”I thought you were just bluffing, but look at this. A full-scale attack.”

Wincent tilted his head slightly, his eyes sliding toward Gill without fully turning. His tone remained calm, almost casual.

”Oh. How’s your business? Is it done?”

Gill let out a short sigh and reached up to rub the back of his head, his gaze drifting off to the side.

”It’s handled. I already cleaned up.” He paused, then looked toward the burning horizon where another wave of fireballs streaked across the sky. ”But are you sure about this? The city just started to recover. If you go all out, it’ll fall apart again. People will leave. And once they leave, this place won’t come back so easily.”

The words hung in the air for a moment.

Then, Duke Giorno let out a low scoff. He didn’t even bother looking at Gill, his arms still crossed as he stared toward the distant battle.

”Heh! I’ve already taken care of that.”

Gill blinked, then turned to him with a curious look.

”Taken care of? How?”

Giorno finally met his gaze, a cold, self-satisfied smile forming on his lips.

”The people won’t leave. Because I’ll give them something to stay for.” His eyes narrowed. ”After tonight, Myrta will belong to me. And the ones who survive will have no choice but to accept it.”

Wincent let out a soft chuckle, his mechanical fingers tapping against his arm.

”There you have it. The Duke’s thought that far ahead.”

Gill stared at them for a long moment, then sighed again, his hand falling back to his side.

”Man... you two really are the worst kind of people.”

He shook his head, but made no move to stop them.

Wincent took a slow step toward Gill. His voice dropped, still calm but with a sharper edge beneath it.

”What was that?” He stopped just close enough for Gill to feel his presence. ”You’re the same kind of person. Don’t act like you’re above this when you went along with my plan.”

Gill raised both hands in a gesture of surrender, his expression tired, almost resigned.

”Yeah, yeah. I couldn’t exactly say no.” He let out a long sigh and adjusted his glasses. ”Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Duke Giorno, who had been listening quietly, turned his gaze toward the two of them.

”This is unexpected, Wincent. So all your information came from him?” He glanced at Gill with new interest. ”You’re more competent than you look.”

Wincent immediately shook his head, waving a hand as if brushing the compliment away.

”No, no. The information is purely mine.” He tapped a metal finger against his temple. ”Gill only helped confirm a few things. Cross-checking. That sort of work.”

Gill shrugged, glancing off to the side again.

”I just made sure he wasn’t chasing rumors. That’s all.”

Giorno let out a low hum, clearly still impressed.

”Regardless. A useful combination.” He turned back toward the burning sky. ”Let’s hope the results match the effort.”

Wincent’s lips curled into a thin smile.

”They will. I’ve prepared too much for this to fail now.”

A sudden explosion tore through the sky above Myrta, cutting through the rain of fire before it could reach its target. The fireballs burst apart midair, scattering like dying fireworks. Smoke curled across the clouds, and for a moment, the entire battlefield fell into stunned silence.

One of the mages near the orb faltered, his chant breaking as he looked up.

”What was that? Something stopped the attack just before it hit the target!”

Another mage, eyes wide and hands trembling, pointed toward the source of the disturbance.

”There! Something’s blocking the path... a woman!” He squinted through the smoke. ”She has red hair... and wings like a dragon! She’s heading this way!”

The group stirred uneasily. Murmurs spread through the circle like a ripple.

Duke Giorno, however, remained still. His lips slowly curled into a smile.

”So she’s finally shown herself.” He turned his head slightly, his voice calm but laced with excitement. ”It’s time for my Javelin Squad to take the stage.”

With a single gesture, a line of armored figures stepped forward from the shadows behind him. Their armor gleamed silver under the firelit sky, each helmet bearing the carved motif of spread wings. They moved in perfect formation, disciplined and silent.

At their head stood a knight whose armor was different from the rest, dark colour with crimson trim along the pauldrons and a tattered banner tied to one shoulder. He unsheathed a long, jagged blade and rested it against his shoulder, his gaze fixed on the approaching figure in the sky.

”Tell me the target,” he said, voice low and rough, like grinding stone.

The Duke’s smile widened.

”The flying lizard with red hair. The one charging toward us. Cut her down.”

Wincent raised a hand, stopping the knight before he could take another step.

”Don’t be hasty.”

Duke Giorno’s expression twisted with irritation. He turned sharply toward Wincent, eyes narrowing.

”Huh?! What are you saying, Wincent?”

Wincent kept his gaze fixed on the approaching figure in the sky.

”That one is dangerous. Let me handle her myself.”

Giorno scoffed, stepping closer.

”What? Are you underestimating my squad? They’ve never fought a dragon before, but they’re highly experienced warriors.” His voice sharpened. ”They’ve slain monsters far worse than some winged beast.”

Wincent finally looked at him, his eyes steady.

”I know. But we can’t underestimate her.” He turned back toward the sky, watching as the silhouette grew closer. ”That’s not just a flying lizard. That’s a true dragon.”

He flexed his mechanical fingers, the joints clicking softly.

”So let me deal with the dragon. You and your squad focus on the rest. Take the city while I keep her busy.”