Demonic Dragon: Harem System

Strax sighed, rubbing his face as he tried to process everything.

"Now we have the real scenario," he muttered to himself, attempting to clear his mind and piece together this colossal puzzle.

He raised his sword in front of his eyes, watching the black blade pulse with an almost living energy. "The sword... it's the key to everything. Nyx's primordial power is sealed within it. This means that the absolute darkness enveloped the Spiritual Realm to prevent any spirit from escaping."

He then looked at Ouroboros. "Did you know about this?"

The dragoness crossed her arms, frowning. "No. We were defeated before this plan even existed. When we were sealed, we were already unconscious. We never knew the details of what happened afterward."

"But, thinking about it..." She paused, narrowing her eyes at the blade. "It makes sense."

"How so?" Strax raised an eyebrow.

It was Tiamat who responded, her gaze sharp and her tone casually dangerous. "Husband, we are Dragon Goddesses. The top of the top in this world, or at least, we should be. For something to seal us, it means there's a much greater force at play. Nyx isn't just any Primordial. She is Night itself. Absolute Darkness."

She uncrossed her legs slowly, watching the sword with a renewed interest.

Strax took in the words, reflecting for a moment before speaking. "So she was handpicked for this..."

He shifted his gaze to Xenovia, who was still peacefully sleeping in the bed. The silence in the room lasted for a few seconds before he turned his attention back to the group.

"How long do you think we have until the Empire comes after us?" he asked, but the answer came unexpectedly.

"They're not even after us," Ouroboros said casually.

Strax immediately lifted his gaze to her, intrigued. "What do you mean? I clearly felt mana heading toward us."

"Oh, yes. That." She smiled slyly. "While you were talking to Nyx... I killed everyone."

Strax remained silent, just staring at her.

"What?" Ouroboros asked, confused by his reaction.

"I told you to be discreet."

"I was discreet." She retorted, raising a finger. "I killed everyone stealthily, stole their money, and burned the bodies."

She then pointed to a huge sack of coins in the corner of the room. "It was a caravan of twenty soldiers."

Strax massaged his temples, letting out a heavy sigh.

Ouroboros shrugged. "Hey, at least now we're rich."

Strax was silent for a moment, analyzing the situation. The pressure was mounting, and now was no longer the time to wait. They had spent too much time in this place, and the Empire wouldn't stay idle for much longer. He needed to leave this place and take everyone to a safe location, where they could plan what to do next.

He looked at Xenovia, still in a deep sleep. The concern on her face was still there, but the expression of suffering she had before seemed to have eased. She needed more time to rest, but Strax knew that luxury was no longer an option.

"It's time to go," Strax murmured, his voice deep and determined. He approached the bed where Xenovia rested, gently touching her shoulder. "Xenovia," he called softly, but firmly. "Wake up."

She stirred slowly, the sound of her deep breathing starting to shift as the world around her became clearer. Her eyes opened, faintly at first, as if she were emerging from a long nightmare. Xenovia took a few seconds to focus, and when she saw Strax, a sigh escaped her lips.

"We're leaving," Strax said. "Are you well enough to travel?"

Xenovia took a moment to sit up, still looking a little disoriented. She touched her head, the pain of recovery still bothering her, but she nodded with determination. "Yes... I'm ready."

Strax glanced at Ouroboros and Tiamat, both still alert but awaiting his orders. They knew what was coming next.

"We're leaving. Stay sharp, we don't know what's ahead, but we need to be ready for anything," Strax said, his posture becoming more rigid. He extended his hand to Xenovia, helping her up as the others prepared to depart.

...

[Empire... Command Room]

Kryssia sat in an improvised command room, surrounded by maps and reports. The tension in the air was palpable, and her gaze fixed on the old wooden blades and paper felt heavier than usual. She knew she was at a critical point in the mission. Her mind was absorbed in her responsibilities and concerns about the escaping dragons, but nothing could prepare her for the news that followed.

The door opened abruptly, interrupting her thoughts. A soldier entered, running, his breath heavy, clearly shaken by the gravity of the information he was carrying. Kryssia lifted her gaze, already knowing what he was about to say.

"Commander, the patrols you ordered... they... were completely wiped out." He spoke, almost breathless, as he knelt before her.

The room fell silent for a moment, the only interruption being the sound of heavy breathing. Kryssia felt a chill run down her spine, her expression hardening. She had feared this would happen, but hearing the words confirmed completely shattered her tension.

"Who did this?" Kryssia asked calmly, but her voice was laced with controlled anger.

"The dragons, ma'am... Strax and the other two... They... destroyed the patrols in minutes. No soldier was left to report exactly what happened. Just traces of destruction. They... They left no one alive." The soldier was visibly nervous, unsure of how she would react.

Kryssia felt the rage build inside her, an overwhelming pressure tightening her chest, but she kept her composure. This was the nature of war, but what worried her more was the reason behind this destruction. Strax, despite his fierce nature, wasn't just a mindless destroyer. This was more than mere retaliation.

"So they're heading somewhere... and they're not trying to hide it," Kryssia murmured to herself, her mind working quickly. "I should have predicted this. What else?"

"They have an advantage in terms of strength, but so far, we haven't seen any other movement, ma'am. No new patrols have been sent, and it seems like they have the advantage of moving unnoticed, as if... they know exactly what they're doing," the soldier said, trying to capture any useful information.

Kryssia closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. This was spiraling out of control. Strax clearly had a goal, and now the question was how he thought he could achieve it without anyone stopping him.

She looked at the soldier, her expression a mask of control. "Prepare a new patrol, more discreet. We can't let them slip away again. And... if there are more attacks like this, we need to know who is behind all of it."

The soldier, still looking apprehensive, stood and left the room. Kryssia was left alone for a moment, allowing the pressure to build on her shoulders. The Empire, the laws, the power structure she served, all of it was being challenged. And Strax, with his strength and the mysterious power he carried, seemed to be at the center of this shift.

But the real problem... the thing that really gnawed at her mind, was that it wasn't just Strax's attack on the high-security prison. The real issue was that the Empire had imprisoned Xenovia without reason. For no reason at all. And that simple act of authoritarianism was now unraveling the very foundations of what she believed to be justice and order.

Xenovia, a prisoner without crimes, without guilt. She could understand the complexities of war and the hard decisions that needed to be made in times of conflict. But this... this was personal. And what troubled her more was the fact that no one, except Strax, seemed to see it as a mistake. The Empire was so focused on maintaining its power that it had destroyed any sense of humanity.

Kryssia paced back and forth, her steps firm and determined, but her mind was elsewhere. If there was anything she hated more than betrayal, it was the hypocrisy of those who claimed to uphold order when, in truth, all they wanted was absolute control.

"I can't let this go unpunished," she murmured to herself. Strax's gaze, fierce and determined, was still etched in her mind. He was right to want to take Xenovia back, but what disturbed her the most was the idea that now, all of them were caught up in a dangerous game.

Kryssia stopped in front of the window, looking out at the distant horizon where the first light of morning was beginning to show. The Empire was about to enter a conflict it didn't even know it was being dragged into, all because of one simple and foolish decision to imprison someone without cause.

She knew that soon, Strax and his allies would attack again, and if she didn't take a clear stance, if she didn't take action, she would lose everything. The Empire, the laws, the order... all of it would be crushed under the weight of a wrong decision.

"I need answers," she said, more to herself than anyone else.