Riko's Tale: A.D. 1990 In the desolate land of Hokkaido, a string of murders rocks the population as dragons suddenly make their appearance in the sky. Responding to the crisis, the Japanese SDF begins to shoot the beasts down, holding them accountable for the killings. Amidst this chaos, a troubled young woman named Riko is tasked with caring for a newly hatched dragon whom she names Carmine, due to his striking red scales. The plan is for Carmine to be raised to destroy the city and all of its inhabitants to avenge his mother's death, but as she spends more time with him, Riko starts to understand that there is more to these creatures than she ever imagined. Rullishia's Journey: R.C. 297 Centuries have passed since Riko's time, and Carmine has grown into a massive dragon. He lives in a tower, and his life revolves around battling in the dragon tournament known as the Ryuto. Rullishia, a young girl of fifteen, comes to challenge Carmine for his horn. Despite her initial attempts to steal it, they end up forming a deep bond, and she becomes his master. Together, they participate in the Ryuto and become champions, with Rullishia renaming Carmine "Vermillion." However, their peace is short-lived, as Carmine has a premonition of demons returning. An actual attack by the demonic Beetles occurs on the human and dragon settlements, as well as the region they are in, and Carmine becomes the leader of the dragon warriors in their fight against them.