The Silent Deity: Saiki Kusuo in Tensura

Inside the grand throne room of the Storm Kingdom, the atmosphere was relaxed but humming with tension. Candles flickered gently in the crystal chandeliers above, casting dancing shadows on the marble floor below. Magical torches lined the high black pillars, illuminating the colossal figure seated confidently upon a throne made of ancient storm-forged stone—Veldora, the Dragon King of the Storm.

He sat with a wide grin, swirling a teacup lazily in his hand. On a smaller throne beside him, Shuna served tea and sweets with her usual grace, while Benimaru and Shion stood nearby, casually discussing training drills and troop deployments.

The great doors creaked open.

A wave of cool, powerful pressure entered the room.

Four figures stepped in, cloaked in elegance, charisma, and dangerous presence: Testarossa, Diablo, Ultima, and Carrera—the Transcendent Demons.

They knelt in perfect unison before their king, cloaks fluttering behind them like the wings of fallen angels.

"We return, Lord Veldora," Testarossa said, her voice calm but proud. "All went as planned."

Veldora grinned even wider, setting down his teacup with a gentle clink.

"Excellent! Excellent! Now, come—no need to kneel. Sit and tell me everything!" he said, his tone excited like a child waiting for story time. "Spare no detail!"

They stood and took seats around a long blackstone table that Shuna had prepared.

Diablo spoke first, his voice smooth as silk.

"We began by carefully preparing the demon to replace Edmaris. The one you selected Elric from my own sub-lineage—polished, proud, but humble enough to listen."

"He had potential," Ultima added, crossing her legs. "So I eliminated a local hero in Falmuth—a man beloved by the people—and placed Elric in his image. With his face, voice, and memories copied perfectly, he stepped into the role and immediately started gaining influence."

Veldora leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand, clearly amused.

"Fascinating. And the people never noticed?"

"Not at all," Carrera said with a smirk. "In fact, they embraced him. Especially after we fueled the citizens' frustrations. Rumors spread that Edmaris started the war out of pride. Mothers cried for lost sons. Merchants complained about lost income. It all pointed back to Edmaris."

"The people wanted change," Diablo concluded. "We gave them a reason to demand it."

Ultima tapped her nails against the table.

"We handled the nobles swiftly. My demons infiltrated every noble estate loyal to Edmaris. Within a week, we eliminated and replaced fifteen of them with perfect doppelgängers. They now work from the inside, quietly shifting influence and funds."

"And the army?" Veldora asked.

Shion smirked in the background.

"Let me guess," she said. "Benimaru's methods?"

Carrera nodded.

"We had a list of generals still loyal to the old regime. Some were brave… others foolish. When Elric announced that Benimaru, Shion, and Hakuro would train the army, a few objected even though not publicly."

"I let them speak," Diablo had said. "Then I let them disappear."

Veldora laughed heartily.

"You've done well," he said, genuinely impressed. "Falmuth was reborn under shadow and storm. Now... tell me about the visitors."

Testarossa took the lead this time.

"The first to arrive was King Gazel of Dwargon. As expected, wise and careful. He immediately sensed our hand in the affairs, though he was too diplomatic to say so."

"He agreed to new terms," Diablo added. "Trade and diplomatic channels remain strong. He wants peace—"

"Sarion and Blumund sent emissaries," Carrera said. "They were impressed by the reforms. Taxes were fair, merchants profitable. We arranged deals with their trade guilds."

"What about the Eastern Empire?" Veldora asked, sitting up slightly.

Now it was Ultima's turn to grin.

"Rudra came to show off. He brought Velgrynd, a full entourage of flying carriages, gold-plated everything. Expected us to be overwhelmed."

"And?" Veldora raised a brow.

"We were ready," Testarossa said with a spark in her eyes. "Souei's network made sure we knew their plans. Our guards stood in formation like an army of kings. The throne room was redesigned to display authority and peace, power without violence."

"Elric met him as an equal," Diablo said. "Not as a subordinate."

"And did it work?" Shuna asked softly.

"Perfectly," Ultima said. "Elric kept control of the conversation. Rudra never got the upper hand. Velgrynd was surprised by Elric's poise. He didn't speak too much—just enough to show he was in command.…"

"He sounded like a ruler born from prophecy," Diablo finished.

Veldora chuckled, glancing up to the floating boy above the room, legs crossed, eating coffee jelly.

He then sent Saiki a telepathic message.

"Saiki, I must say… you've been quite the tutor."

"Hmm," Saiki said, not looking away from his jelly. "I just inserted the behavior of an emperor into his subconscious. Elric just needed to follow the script."

"And he played it perfectly," Veldora added.

"Every nation left with new respect for Falmuth," Diablo said. "Some now fear it. Others see it as a valuable ally. But none suspect that it's a vassal of the Storm Kingdom."

Veldora leaned back, satisfied.

"Well done, all of you. Falmuth has risen from ruin into a beacon. But more importantly—it's ours now. And no one even realized when we took it."

The four demons smiled, proud of the success of their hidden operation.

"So what's next, Lord Veldora?" Carrera asked.

"Hmm… let the world watch," Veldora said. "Let them wonder how Falmuth became so strong, so fast. And when they come asking… we'll be waiting."

Back at the ice continent....

The stars shimmered above the icy skies, and the moonlight reflected off the white snow like glitter on velvet. A cold wind blew softly across the tall spires of the Ice Continent's capital, but the balcony where Guy Crimson and Velzard sat was enchanted, keeping them perfectly warm as they sipped their wine.

The table between them was carved from deep blue ice, perfectly smooth and elegant, and two crystal goblets sat filled with crimson liquid—a rare vintage from Eurazania.

Guy, with his long legs crossed and one arm resting on the edge of his chair, swirled his wine lazily. His red eyes, glowing faintly, glanced toward Velzard as he raised an eyebrow.

"So," he started, his voice smooth and playful, "our good friend Falmuth seems to have recovered nicely from a humiliating defeat. New king, new army, shiny economy... Almost too clean. What do you think, Velzard?"

Velzard took a sip, her snowy white hair flowing like a frozen waterfall over her shoulder. Her sharp ice-blue eyes didn't even blink.

"It reeks of Veldora," she replied flatly. "Only he would win a war, pretend he didn't, then rebuild the enemy kingdom better than it ever was."

Guy chuckled, leaning back.

"Your brother is getting impressive by the day. A few centuries ago he couldn't hold a proper conversation without accidentally destroying the room. Now he's making diplomatic power moves like a seasoned king."

Velzard smirked.

"Of course. He may have been a complete idiot for the longest time… but he's still a True Dragon."

She sipped again, but her tone softened just a little.

"It's been ages since I last spent time with him… Maybe it's time I visited and saw this 'new' Veldora myself. Spent some time with him, catch up…"

Guy raised his wineglass to his lips, hiding a mischievous smile.

"You mean those times when you used to 'educate' him?" he teased.

Velzard stopped mid-sip, eyes twitching. Her face turned just slightly pink. She looked away.

"Tch… That was a long time ago. He was wild and reckless. Someone had to teach him restraint."

Guy couldn't help himself. He laughed.

"Sure, sure. Educate. I still remember when you sealed him in ice because he wouldn't stop crashing through your walls during flight practice."

"That was one time!" she snapped, crossing her arms. "He deserved it."

Guy took another sip, amusement still in his voice.

"Well, I doubt you could 'educate' him now, even if you wanted to. You saw what he did. He beat me."

That made Velzard pause.

"...So?"

"So," Guy said, eyes narrowing slightly, "you're strong. But even you have to admit, he might be stronger than you now."

Velzard's expression hardened.

"Oh, you think just because he beat you, he's stronger than me? Don't make me laugh."

Guy leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand, lips curled into a smirk.

"I'm just saying… maybe don't go picking a fight unless you're prepared to lose your pride."

Velzard stood up slowly, brushing imaginary dust off her dress.

"Hmph. You'll see. I'll go visit him. And I'll remind him that I'm still the eldest, still the mightiest of the dragons."

Guy raised his glass.

"Try not to start a war."

Velzard took a step toward the balcony edge, the cold wind whipping around her. Her long, ice-blue cape fluttered behind her like wings.

"Don't wait up, Guy. This might take a while."

With a mighty leap, she soared into the air. Frost swirled in her wake as she shot toward the horizon, toward the Storm Kingdom.

Guy watched her go, chuckling to himself.

"Heh… This will be fun to watch."

He leaned back, finished his wine, and called over one of his demon aides.

"Prepare the scrying mirror. I want front-row seats to the reunion of the century."

Far across the lands, lightning danced in the sky above the Storm Kingdom.

And in the distance, an ancient force of winter approached—full of pride, curiosity… and maybe just a bit of sibling love.