Demonic Dragon: Harem System

With one last look at his people, Strax spread his wings—long, black as a moonless night, marked with scarlet veins that pulsed as if carrying living blood. The wind blew stronger, as if the world itself held its breath as it watched him rise.

And then, with a powerful flap of his wings, he shot toward the sky.

The ground shook under the impact, dust and embers swirled around him as he disappeared into the clouds at high speed, leaving only a trail of heat and silence behind him.

The journey was quick, of course, Strax's current speed was almost sonic, he could travel very fast in his human form.

The sky above Vorah Manor was clear—too clear. No sign of smoke, no screams, no movement. The contrast with the chaos left behind was brutal, almost insulting.

Strax hovered for a moment above the property.

The Grand Duke's mansion stretched out like a luxurious wound, an imposing structure of light stone and well-designed glass domes, surrounded by immaculately manicured gardens — as if the war had not dared to touch that soil.

With a precise dive, he landed in the center of the front garden. The impact discreetly cracked the marble of the path, black rose petals flying around him. The bushes trembled.

He rose slowly, his wings folding fluidly until they disappeared into his human form.

Silence.

The wind whispered through the leaves. The water in the central fountain still flowed, crystal clear, as if nothing unusual had happened in the last few days.

Everything was... calm. Irritatingly calm.

"Hm," Strax muttered, looking around suspiciously.

No guards at the entrance. No servants. No magical presence in the vicinity. It was as if the mansion was on display, waiting for him—or any other fool who dared to set foot there.

He took a deep breath, smelling the place... Lavender, wrought iron, old paint. Nothing had changed. Nothing ever changed there. And that bothered him.

He took a few steps through the garden, observing the well-tended flowers, the perfectly pruned arches of climbing vines, the polished stone paths — everything symmetrically perfect. As always.

"Of course... while the world collapses, the old man still cares about keeping the damn geraniums in line."

His eyes narrowed.

He walked toward the main door, his footsteps echoing like thunder on the clean marble. He was prepared for anything: an ambush, a false welcome, or—worst of all—the absolute silence of an empty palace.

Stopping before the large black wooden door carved with symbols of the Vortagh Family, he raised his hand slowly... and placed it against the central carving—the Vorah family crest.

The wood pulsed beneath his fingers.

Strax frowned.

"So you're not home..." he muttered.

The door creaked, opening with a heavy crack—and there she was.

Diana Vorah.

The sight was as abrupt as it was absurd: the moment the door opened, she stumbled, apparently trying to peek through, and fell backward with a muffled thud onto the red velvet carpet in the entrance hall. An "Ouch!" escaped her lips as her pink hair spread around her head like petals in disarray.

"WHAT THE FUCK—?!"

She looked up and, recognizing Strax's dark silhouette against the light, her golden eyes widened in a mixture of panic and relief.

"STRAX?!"

Strax raised an eyebrow, staring at the scene with complete apathy.

Diana was still on the floor, trying to get up in a minimally dignified manner—which was difficult, considering her tight dress, generous neckline, and the fact that she probably didn't expect him to show up right at the front door.

"What the hell are you doing here?! I thought you were still up north, or dead! Or both!"

"Sorry to disappoint," Strax replied dryly. "I'm still breathing. And you... you're still as clumsy as ever."

She grimaced and stood up, brushing imaginary dust off the hem of her dress. Diana always had that theatrical way about her: exaggerated, dramatic, and sometimes dangerously affectionate. The kind of person who would hug you with a knife hidden up her sleeve — or a vial of poison in her bracelet.

"I was going to punch you, but... well, considering the state of the world, I guess seeing you is still a kind of miracle." She crossed her arms, staring at him with eyes that hid too many questions.

Strax took a step forward. His tone was firm, non-negotiable.

"Where is he?"

Diana didn't pretend not to understand. The mask of surprise fell in seconds, replaced by a seriousness she rarely used with him.

"The Grand Duke isn't here," she said with measured, almost rehearsed calm. "He left two days ago. He claimed he needed to 'negotiate' with the Queen of the Seas. He took two of the Royal Guardians with him."

Strax was silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing as if trying to pierce through reality itself.

"The Queen of the Seas? Fuck who that bitch is," his voice was cold, controlled. "He just abandoned the city, leaving no one competent to protect it? Has he gone stupid again?"

Diana raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.

"Protect it from what? What are you talking about? Nothing happened," she said, looking at Strax as if he had lost his mind.

Strax took a step forward, his eyes burning with fire.

"You... don't know?" he asked, incredulous.

"Don't know what? What happened?" she insisted, her tone beginning to rise.

"Wait a second..." Strax muttered, narrowing his eyes. He raised his mana concentration, expanding his magical perception like a wave—through corridors, walls, gardens... until he reached the city limits.

The air around him vibrated slightly. Then his eyes widened in anger.

"Shit," he hissed, clenching his fists. "Of course you didn't know... they put a barrier around the mansion. A very discreet one — the kind that completely isolates it from what's happening outside."

"What?!" Diana took a step forward, now pale. 'But what the hell happened?!'

"Vorah was attacked," Strax said, his voice heavy. "An army of dragons descended on the city."

'This idiot woman… has she forgotten that she is a warrior?…' Strax questioned himself mentally, 'how did she not feel a barrier isolating her from the world?'