Yes.
A phoenix.
An unbelievably enormous phoenix.
Ian stood atop the ruins of the clock tower.
The morning breeze brushed through his slightly tousled hair.
The wind blew in from the sea, carrying a salty, damp scent.
His legendary gaze pierced the morning mist, clearly catching an unusual glimmer at the skyline—at first, it was merely a small dot upon the horizon.
However.
That tiny dot rapidly expanded within a few breaths, until Ian could see it more and more clearly—it was a colossal creature beyond all common measure.
Its wingspan was several times wider than the largest aircraft in the city. Its entire body seemed to burn with undying crimson-gold flames, yet there was not the slightest heat. Instead, it radiated a soft, warm glow.
Its tail feathers trailed long ribbons of flame, drawing brilliant arcs of light across the sky.
Every time it flapped its wings.
Ripple-like waves spread through the air.
As though space itself were trembling.
And with every beat of its wings, it raised Giant Waves dozens of meters high upon the sea.
As if it stirred the rhythm of the wind itself.
Even more wondrously, countless specks of starlight scattered from its feathers along its path, paving a dazzling road of light across the sea, where pearl-like glimmers danced atop the waves.
"That is..."
Ian's pupils contracted slightly.
As the enormous phoenix drew nearer, he was not the only one to notice something unusual.
The first to detect it were the Glimmering Sparrows foraging among the ruins. They suddenly took flight as one, crying out sharply. Immediately afterward, several herbs in the apothecary's backyard burst into dazzling light.
Swaying in the wind.
As though responding to something.
At the same time, the town's residents raised their heads toward the sky.
"Look! What's that at