Volume 12 : Chapter 5 – ALL A CIRCLE (1)

Behind a giant boulder, a hand slowly crept into view—cautious… and slightly trembling. The rest of the body followed, wobbling as if reconsidering every life choice she had made that had brought her to this moment.

With uncertain steps, the figure leaned out just enough to peek around the rock.

Left. Right. Up. Down.

No one.

Or so she thought.

She took one bold step forward.

A second head suddenly popped out from the opposite side of the same rock.

Neither had noticed the other.

Bonk.

Their foreheads collided with a sharp crack that echoed far louder than either of them would have liked.

“Ugh—!”

“Agh—!”

Both stumbled back, clutching their heads dramatically.

“Fear me! I’ll have you know I have drowned people with my fearsome water magic!” one voice snapped indignantly.

“Back off! I’ll have you know I’ve killed dozens with a single shot!” the other retorted just as fiercely.

Both froze.

“Huh…?”

“Huh…?”

Slowly—very slowly—they opened one eye each. Then the other.

“Ingrid…” Regis whispered, blinking in disbelief.

“…Regis?!” Ingrid half-shouted.

Regis’s eyes widened in horror.

Realizing the volume of that reaction, Regis immediately clamped a hand over Ingrid’s mouth and pushed her against the rock, glaring intensely.

“Mmgh?!” Ingrid’s protest came out muffled.

Regis leaned in close, her voice barely audible. “Shhhh! Do you want to alert the entire mountain?!”

“Wait—what are you doing—this is not appropriate—!” Ingrid tried to say, though most of it came out as unintelligible humming beneath Regis’s palm.

“For once, just be quiet!”

For a brief second, Ingrid stopped struggling.

Her face warmed. Unreasonably so.

‘Why is she this close—?!’ Ingrid thought.

Then—

A massive shadow swallowed them whole.

Wind roared overhead as something enormous passed above, its wings beating with enough force to send dust spiraling into the air. Pebbles rattled. The ground trembled faintly beneath them.

Both girls instinctively pressed closer to the rock.

They didn’t dare look up. Nor move until the air had settled down.

Regis slowly removed her hand. “I guess… we’re safe for now.”

Both of them stood still.

Slowly… very slowly… their heads tilted upward.

What they had assumed they were hiding behind was just a large rock scattered across the terrain—

—was actually a toe.

A single, colossal stone toe.

Their eyes traveled upward.

Past a cracked stone foot large enough to crush a house.

Up the weathered ankle wrapped in burned moss.

Up the towering legs, thicker than fortress towers.

They kept looking up.

The torso vanished into drifting ash and mist, its neck obscured by the broken sky above.

It didn’t take long for them to realize they weren’t hiding behind a rock.

They were standing at the foot of an ancient ruin site.

Regis and Ingrid swallowed.

The opposite side of Scarlet Peak was nothing like the wasteland slopes they were told about.

Jagged, blackened earth stretched across the land with the skeletal remains of an ancient castle long reduced to ruin. Walls had melted and fused with the ground like wax under immense heat.

Beyond that, the mountain’s rear face was riddled with cavernous holes — dozens of them.

No.

Maybe… Hundreds.

Each one large enough to house something enormous.

A low, distant rumble echoed from within one of them.

Ingrid’s fingers tightened.

“…Those do not just look like normal caves. What do you think?” Ingrid uttered her thoughts in the wind.

“They’re nests,” Regis muttered after observing the place with her sharp eyes and deducing from the clues she found.

A dry wind swept through the ruins, carrying the scent of sulfur and something metallic. Blood.

“If what you and I think is true. Then we need to leave. Now,” Regis said quietly but with a focus on the urgency of the matter. “And tell the others.”

But Ingrid had questions of her own which she couldn’t let go of. “And how exactly did you end up here? Where are your club members and Miss Xu? If they are nearby, they can help us, right?”

Regis hesitated.

“…After the mountain exploded, I heard something. Like a voice that called to me.”

Ingrid’s expression twisted in disbelief. “Does this really look like a time for a joke? You followed a voice?”

“But once I reached here…” Regis continued quietly, “I can’t seem to find it. It’s everywhere now. Like, I am hearing it from all directions. I don’t know what to make of it.”

“Are you stupid?” Ingrid snapped in a hushed voice. “Who walks toward a mysterious voice in the middle of a volcanic eruption?”

Regis shot her a look. “I could ask you the same thing. How did you end up here?”

Ingrid’s expression dimmed.

“When the volcano erupted, Miss Alice and I were escaping the lava flow. We got separated in the chaos. And while trying to run away, I somehow landed here until I reached this side.”

“And where is Miss Alice now,” Ingrid asked, worried, realizing that Athena was also somewhere on the mountains and could be all by herself.

Her fists tightened. “I tried my best to push her away from the lava. But I don’t know where she is now.”

“I see.” Regis’ voice softened. “Don’t worry. Miss Alice will be fine. She’s strong. First, we need to escape from here. And then we report what we found.”

“Yes,” Ingrid muttered. “Something’s very wrong here. That explosion didn’t look natural. And that roar we heard… it definitely belonged to a dragon.”

The situation itself was absurd—a monster’s roar, a volcanic explosion, a hidden ruin, dragon nests, a voice that called across the mountain.

Both of them silently agreed.

They needed to leave. Immediately too.

But the moment that resolution formed—

A scorching gust of wind slammed into them from above.

A chill crawled down their spines.

Slowly…

They looked up.

Sitting casually atop the statue’s raised leg—

Was a dragon. Its scales were deep crimson. Massive wings folded at its sides. Smoke curled lazily from its nostrils.

But its eyes—

They felt wrong.

Instead of the usual burning gold or crimson, they were drowned in swirling purple haze, like mist trapped inside glass.

As if they were possessed.

“Run!” Regis shouted.

They bolted.

Regis twisted mid-sprint, drawing her bow in one fluid motion. A compressed wind arrow formed and shot toward the dragon.

[Scattershot Gale]

The dragon roared.

With a single sweep of its wing, the wind arrow shattered like glass against an invisible pressure wave.

It launched into the air, and the hunt began.

Regis and Ingrid sprinted across the cracked ruins, leaping over shattered walls. Regis sent wind blades behind them, turning debris into falling traps. At the same time, Ingrid fired a water jet upward, trying to disrupt the dragon’s dive.

Unconsciously, an arrow shot went past the dragon, hitting its eye.

As if bored by this game of chase, the dragon roared, its cry echoing across the barren mountain.

And someone answered.

From the nest-filled cliffs, more dragons emerged.

One.

Three.

Five.

All with the same purple, smoke-filled eyes.

They circled overhead, closing in.

“Did you really have to shoot it and make it angry to call its dragon friends?!” Ingrid shouted.

“I was only trying to buy us more time to escape!” Regis snapped back.

Until suddenly—

The sky darkened.

A massive shadow swallowed everything.

Something far larger than the entire horde of dragons descended.

The smaller dragons instantly stopped their pursuit mid-air.

One by one, they retreated, circling backward as if forced away by an invisible command.

And then that colossal being landed.

The impact alone cracked the stone beneath it.

A giant crimson dragon.

Its scales shimmered like flowing magma. Smoke and purple mist seeped from between its armored plates. Its eyes burned with the same unnatural violet haze—but thicker. Deeper.

It lowered its massive head.

Until its gaze locked directly onto Ingrid and Regis.

Even among the most ferocious monsters, hierarchy existed.

The dragons that had been chasing the girls suddenly stopped growling. Mid-flight, they lowered their heads, their aggression dissolving into something closer to submission. As if even they feared the monster now standing before them.

One by one, the dragons retreated into the sky, as though the presence of the crimson dragon before them demanded obedience.

“Do you think they’ve left us?” Ingrid whispered.

Regis didn’t take her eyes off the towering beast. “Not unless you’d prefer being swallowed whole by the bigger predator.”

The dragon’s massive form radiated heat. Each breath it exhaled scorched the air. Stone beneath its claws cracked under its weight.

Regis narrowed her eyes.

And then—

She heard it again.

The voice.

Not distant this time.

Not echoing through the mountain.

It was close.

Words she did not understand the meaning of, but she could tell they were asking for help.

It was coming from the dragon.

It was calling her.

Regis’s grip on her bow loosened.

Instead of searching for an escape route, she took a step forward.

“Regis… what are you doing?” Ingrid asked, alarm rising in her voice.

“It’s fine. Wait for me here…” Regis murmured. “I think I finally know where the voice is coming from. I can feel it.”

The purple haze in the dragon’s eyes churned violently.

Regis stepped closer.

Closer.

Close enough to feel the furnace-like heat of the crimson dragon’s breath.

Her hand slowly lifted, almost reaching the dragon’s snout.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t do that.”

The voice came from above.

Ingrid’s instincts screamed.

Without hesitation, she summoned a whip-like stream of water that wrapped around Regis’s waist and yanked her backward.

In that exact instant—

The crimson dragon’s jaws snapped shut where Regis had been standing.

The ground exploded under the force of the crimson dragon’s bite.

Regis hit the ground hard but rolled to her feet quickly.

“…Thanks,” she muttered, eyes widening at how close she had come.

“That makes us equal,” Ingrid said, reminding her of the time Regis saved her.

Regis didn’t reply. She was staring upward.

A figure dropped from atop the dragon’s massive back, descending effortlessly as though gravity barely applied to him. He landed lightly on the dragon’s snout, boots barely making a sound against its scales.

His clothes were dark, almost swallowing the light around him. A long coat fluttered behind him, shadows clinging unnaturally to its edges. His face was partially obscured, hidden beneath a hood and the shifting veil of darkness.

“Don’t you owe me thanks as well for that warning?” the man asked calmly, his voice almost amused.

Regis and Ingrid stared ahead in disbelief. A man cloaked in darkness, casually controlling a dragon of such enormous size—something they had never even seen before.

“That dragon…” Regis muttered under her breath. “Its size… It’s almost as big as the Black Dragon.”

Her voice trembled despite her attempt to stay calm.

Ingrid glanced sideways at her, raising a brow.

“You say that like you’ve actually seen the Legendary Black Dragon before,” Ingrid said dryly.

Regis didn’t respond but focused on the man’s action.

However, Ingrid’s expression brightened slightly. “Maybe this is our chance to get out of here.”

Before Regis could stop her, Ingrid stepped forward and cupped her hands around her mouth.

“Sir!” she called out. “Are you a dragon rider by any chance? We’re students from the Grindelwald Magic Academy. We… seem to have lost our way in these mountains. Could you help us find our way back?”

Even as she spoke, Ingrid felt an uneasy chill crawling up her spine. The man’s form was strangely distorted, like smoke clinging to his body. It was unnatural that magic would envelop someone so unnaturally to this extent.

For a moment, the rider said nothing. Then a low voice drifted down from above.

“Oh? So you’re the runts from the Grindelwald Magic Academy.”

Ingrid blinked.

“Runts?”

“Ingrid!” Regis suddenly shouted, panic cutting through her voice. “Get back here right now!”

Ingrid frowned and looked over her shoulder.

“Why? Maybe he’s just a little rough with his words. If he’s riding that dragon, he might still help us if we ask nicely.”

“That’s exactly what I’m worried about!” Regis snapped. “If he really controls that dragon… then why did it try to kill us earlier?”

“You mean…” Ingrid’s expression stiffened.

“And look at that dragon properly!” Regis continued, her voice tight.

Ingrid slowly lifted her gaze toward the creature again.

Only now did she notice it.

The dragon’s enormous eyes were clouded—swirling with a strange purple haze. Wisps of violet smoke leaked from its pupils like poison escaping a wound.

And along its scales…

Small, grotesque purple growths were spreading across its body. They pulsed faintly, like living tumors clinging to its flesh.

Ingrid’s stomach dropped.

That… definitely wasn’t natural.

Without realizing it, she took a step back.

Then another.

A long sigh echoed from above.

“Haaa… what a shame. And here I thought I could get rid of you painlessly. A simple fall from the sky would have done the trick nicely.”

Regis’s eyes widened as her suspicions were confirmed.

“So that dragon girl could only bring a few of her school friends along…” the man continued lazily with a slight irritation in his voice. “Just so you could all die together.”

A cold silence fell.

Ingrid forced herself to look up again, her hands trembling slightly.

“Who… are you?” she asked cautiously. “Explain yourself.”

The man tilted his head slightly.

“Who am I, you ask?”

For a moment, he seemed to consider the question.

“I’m not quite sure how to answer that.”

Then—

The shadows around his face parted.

“But I can show you what I am.”

Two eyes opened in the darkness, glowing with a sinister violet light. The moment Regis and Ingrid met that gaze, their bodies stiffened.

Their vision blurred. Their thoughts scattered like sand in a storm.

“…Re… gis…” Ingrid murmured weakly.

The last thing they saw was the rider’s faint smile.

Then their consciousness slipped quietly into darkness.

Just when the man thought his job was done—

A moment later, Regis’s eyes snapped open.

“What…?” she murmured, rubbing her temple. “What happened? I blanked out for a second…”

Her head still throbbed as if someone had struck her mind with a hammer.

She turned toward Ingrid.

“Ingrid—” The words caught in her throat.

Ingrid was standing a few steps away. But something was wrong.

Her posture was stiff. Her eyes were open, yet empty—glazed over as if her soul had stepped out of her body.

“Ingrid…?”

Regis walked over quickly and grabbed her shoulders.

“What happened to you?”

She shook her.

The moment she did, Ingrid’s body suddenly went limp.

“Hey—!”

Regis barely managed to catch her before she collapsed completely.

A voice drifted down from above.

“So, my magic failed to fully take effect on you.”

Regis looked up sharply.

The man cloaked in darkness was watching her with mild curiosity as if inspecting an object.

“I see…” he continued slowly. “Elf girl, you appear to have a rather unique magical constitution.”

For a brief moment, genuine surprise flickered in his tone. But it vanished just as quickly.

“What a shame,” he sighed. “I gave you a second chance to die painlessly. But now… I can’t promise you’ll be as fortunate as your friend here.”

Regis tightened her grip around Ingrid.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice unsteady from the lingering dizziness. “What have we done to you?”

The man chuckled softly.

“You may call it simple misfortune,” the man replied coldly. “But the moment you decided to climb this mountain your fate...”

“Khoff—! Khoff—!” A sudden voice interrupted the man’s voice.

“Ingrid!” Regis immediately looked down.

Ingrid suddenly convulsed, coughing violently. A stream of water burst from her mouth as her body lurched forward.

“Ingrid, are you alright?!”

The man in darkness let out a small laugh.

“What an unusual method.” He sounded almost impressed. “To break free from my hallucination, you forced your body into shock by reversing the fluid in your stomach to wake yourself.”

He slowly clapped once.

“I applaud you. Grindelwald Magic Academy truly lives up to its reputation.”

Then his voice dropped.

“But your brilliance ends here.”

Dark magic gathered around his hand.

Dozens of black spheres formed in the air. And with a flick of his wrist, they shot toward the girls.

“As if we’ll let you!” Regis shouted.

She drew an arrow in a flash, wind magic spiraling violently around the tip as she pulled the bowstring to its limit.

[Gale Shift]

The moment Regis released her arrow, a massive blast of wind magic tore through the incoming spheres, shredding them apart midair in a single devastating wave.

The impact filled the mountainside with dust and smoke.

Regis immediately turned to Ingrid.

“Can you stand?”

“I’m… okay…” Ingrid said weakly.

Using the lingering smoke as cover, the two girls quickly retreated and hid behind a jagged ridge of rock.

A few seconds later, the dust cleared.

The man in darkness looked down.

The girls were gone.

“So, you have resorted to hiding?” he muttered with mild amusement. “How futile. You couldn’t have gotten far.”

He raised one hand. Behind him, the massive dragon opened its jaws.

Flames gathered deep within its throat.

“Burn everything.” The man in darkness gave out the order.

The dragon roared.

A massive firestorm erupted outward, sweeping across the mountain like a tidal wave of flames. Rocks melted, and the ground burned black under the dragon’s fire breath.

Hidden behind a broken cliff, Ingrid trembled.

“What should we do?” she whispered anxiously. “They’ll find us soon.”

Regis tightened her grip on her bow.

“We will just have to fight and defeat him. There’s no way he’ll let us just go.”

Ingrid swallowed.

“But… can we really defeat him? Just looking at him… I can tell he’s strong.”

Her eyes flickered toward the massive dragon.

“And that dragon… it’s enormous… Does it really need to have teeth that big? And I’m pretty sure those claws are bigger than my entire leg.” Ingrid couldn’t help but lose focus and blabber in her frightened state.

“It’ll be fine.” Regis clenched her fist, forcing confidence into her voice. “I just need one shot.”

Regis’s eyes hardened as she looked straight at Ingrid. “One clean shot at that man… and I know I can take him down.”

Ingrid studied her face carefully.

She could tell Regis was confident in her ability. But she was afraid, too.

“So…” Ingrid said slowly. “You need me to keep the dragon busy while you focus on him?”

“You don’t have to,” Regis replied quickly. “If it’s too dangerous, I’ll find another—”

“I’ll do it.” Ingrid stood up.

Before Regis could stop her, she stepped out from their hiding place.

The man in darkness immediately noticed.

“Finally decided to give up?” He smiled faintly. “Unfortunately for you, begging won’t save your lives.”

He gestured lazily to the giant dragon.

“Burn her.”

The dragon inhaled deeply.

Fire gathered in its jaws once again, unleashing another devastating inferno.

Ingrid pushed both her hands forward. Water exploded from her palms, forming a massive whirlpool that spiraled upward like a raging cyclone.

The water jet collided with the firestorm.

Steam exploded into the sky as the two elements clashed violently.

Ingrid smirked slightly.

“What did you think?” she shouted back. “That I’d just sit in a corner and let you play the hero while protecting me?”

“Ingrid…” Regis stared at her.

“Besides,” Ingrid added, her voice softening just a little, “I’m sure the teachers will come to save us.”

Regis nodded slowly. “Yes… I’m sure they will.”

But the image that flashed through Regis’s mind wasn’t a teacher.

It was someone else entirely.

And for some reason…

That thought alone brought relief to her face.

Seeing its flames being resisted, the dragon growled deeply. The firestorm pouring from its jaws suddenly intensified as the flames grew hotter and brighter.

Ingrid gritted her teeth as the spell drained her magic. Her arms trembled, but the roaring torrent of water kept growing stronger as she forced more magic into it.

“You think you can fight a dragon’s fire breath?” the man cloaked in darkness laughed from above. “How foolish.”

“Maybe…” Ingrid shouted back. “But I’ll give it everything I’ve got!”

She poured every last drop of magical energy into the spell.

The spinning jet of water thickened, swirling faster as it clashed violently against the flames.

“Haaaaaa—!” Ingrid shut her eyes tightly, focusing only on maintaining the spell.

“Is it working?” she shouted, needing a slight confirmation.

Regis squinted at the clash between water and fire.

“I think I saw the fire breath getting pushed back!”

“Really?! It’s working?!” Ingrid said excitedly, her confidence suddenly soaring, believing now her magic rivalled even that of a dragon’s flames.

Regis tilted her head slightly, observing more carefully.

“Hmm… wait a second.” She scratched her cheek. “Oh… never mind. I think that was just my imagination,” Regis said casually.

“You idiot!” Ingrid snapped as she opened her eyes. “Are we even fighting on the same side?!”

“Damn you! I’ll show you what I can really do!” She growled in frustration. Her face flushed red with fury.

Ingrid raised her hand high.

“Bubbles… time for you to shine!”

A magical circle shimmered beneath her feet, and a moment later, a spirit emerged from the swirling water—a graceful seahorse spirit made of shimmering blue energy.

The spirit drifted to Ingrid’s side, and at once the unstable jet of water transformed, growing sharper and denser.

With a sudden surge of power, the concentrated stream blasted forward—

—and finally pushed the dragon’s fire breath back in a single overwhelming wave.

“You did it!” Regis shouted happily.

Ingrid smirked proudly, sweat running down her forehead.

“What are you waiting for?” she said quickly. “I said I’d handle the dragon!”

She glanced up at the massive beast.

“The dragon looks like it’s in some kind of trance. Probably under the same spell he tried on us.”

The dragon roared again, but its movements were strangely stiff.

“His fighting pattern will be simple,” Ingrid continued. “I’ll hold the dragon off and try to wake it up.”

She pointed her thumb toward the dark rider. “You go give that bastard a proper beating.”

“Sure.” Regis nodded with a grin. “I was planning to do just that even without you telling me.”

Regis stepped out from hiding, rolling her shoulders as she lifted her bow.

After seeing Regis leave for her own battle, Ingrid focused on maintaining her standoff with the dragon.

“This whole day has been a damn mess. But I am not letting some stupid dragon get in my way of finding the treasure.”

Ingrid muttered under her breath, “Wow… I’m really saying some cursed words today. Hope I don’t make a habit out of it.”

Ingrid let out a breath as she refocused on the dragon.

“Ready, Bubbles?”

The sea-horse spirit gave a cheerful chirp as it glided through the sky.

Dozens of glowing bubbles formed around it, floating gracefully through the air.

The dragon unleashed another wave of fire—

But the bubbles drifted forward.

Each one wrapped around the incoming flames.

One by one—

Pop.

Pop.

Pop.

The fire attacks were sealed inside the bubbles and extinguished instantly.

The battlefield filled with drifting steam as the small spirit calmly neutralized the dragon’s blazing assault.

…

“So… you’re the one who plans to fight me?”

The man cloaked in darkness looked down at Regis approaching him.

He had not returned to the ground. Instead, he stood calmly in midair, a thin purple-black aura still emitting from his body.

“I must say,” he continued lazily, “choosing to face me instead of the dragon was a rational decision.” His violet eyes gleamed. “Unfortunately for you… It will soon become the worst decision you ever made in your life.”

Regis stopped a few steps away. She raised her bow.

“Why don’t you keep your wisdom to yourself. All I need is just one perfect shot to finish this.”

The man chuckled.

“For someone from such a fragile and cowardly race, you sound awfully confident.” His voice turned mocking. “Let’s see how long that confidence lasts.”

“Just watch me. I will make you eat your words.” Those words ignited something inside Regis.

She dashed forward, drawing an arrow in one smooth motion and firing instantly. The wind-charged arrow screamed through the air straight toward the man’s chest.

“How reckless.” The man didn’t even move.

Instead—

A black whirlpool suddenly opened in front of him, swallowing the arrow before it could even hit the man.

Regis’s eyes widened.

“My arrow—?!”

Regis recovered her focus quickly and reached for another arrow, gathering wind magic around the arrow’s tip. She was at a perfect distance from where she could magically charge and shoot her arrows while also looking out for any attacks from the man and evade them.

But the man suddenly smirked.

A sharp whistle sliced through the air.

Whoosh……

An arrow suddenly shot out from behind her.

Regis immediately leapt to the side. The moment she turned back, she saw it.

The same hollow black portal had appeared behind her… and had just spat out her own arrow.

She had barely reacted in time, jumping to the side as the projectile scraped her neck.

The arrow struck the ground—

BOOM.

The explosion blasted apart the rock where she had been standing.

Regis’s expression stiffened from this odd experience.

“Are you sure you can handle this?” the man said with amusement. “And don’t flatter yourself—I didn’t miss.” His voice grew colder. “I’ve simply been bored here for weeks. So, I’ve decided to play with you for a while.”

He smiled faintly, spreading his arms slightly.

“So do your best to stay alive… until I am satisfied.”

Regis gritted her teeth as she refused to back down.

Arrow after arrow flew from her bow as she tried different angles, feints, and trajectories.

But every time—

A black warp portal swallowed the projectile.

No matter how many arrows she fired or from what direction, the man effortlessly created warp holes that swallowed her shots and returned them with perfect timing.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Regis twisted, rolled, and jumped desperately to dodge them—but several still managed to graze her arms and shoulders. The battlefield had turned into a deadly game for her.

But Regis knew one thing for certain—Ingrid wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer. That meant she didn’t have much time either.

She needed to find a way out of this quickly.

A memory suddenly surfaced in her mind.

Once, during a magic lesson, she had asked Alicia how one could defeat magic that has no weaknesses.

“There is no such thing as perfect magic. Every spell has a weakness. You just need to analyze it faster than your opponent.”

Later, she paused, then casually added, “Well… except for my magic. But that’s because I’m a magical genius.”

At least that’s what she remembered Alicia saying.

Regis exhaled slowly.

Her eyes sharpened as she reviewed everything she had observed so far.

The portals could redirect arrows—but they didn’t change the arrow’s velocity or trajectory.

And since every arrow was returned almost immediately, it meant the man couldn’t hold objects inside the warp for long.

Her eyes flicked to the man again.

He still hadn’t moved from the same spot.

Just hovering there. Watching her struggle.

‘If my guess is right…’ Trailing on her thoughts, Regis slowly drew another arrow.

“Still not learned your lesson?” the man mocked.

Regis said nothing. Instead, she began pouring magic into the arrow.

More. And more.

The energy around the arrow’s tip took a blue form as it crackled violently.

The moment she released it—

A black portal opened instantly as soon as the arrow was about to hit the man.

The arrow vanished.

Just as before. The portal disappeared.

Then another portal opened behind Regis.

The arrow shot out toward her back.

She didn't move.

“So, you have finally accepted your fate.” The man smirked.

But then—

Regis smiled. The magic arrow that was about to hit Regis somehow lost all energy and dispersed into the air.

“I got you.”

The man’s expression froze.

A second arrow slammed into his chest.

His eyes widened.

“What—”

Regis had cleverly fired two arrows while making a show of firing only one arrow.

The first arrow triggered the portal.

But while the portal swallowed it—

The second arrow slipped through the air and struck its target.

Regis lowered her bow.

“When I had shot more than one arrow, you always created portals to swallow them up…” she said calmly, “and then you created another set of portals to throw them back at me.”

“Ahhhh….” The man groaned in pain.

“That means you can create only one set of portals at a time. I just needed to get my timing right.”

The arrow inside the man’s chest began to glow brighter.

“So, while you were busy redirecting that shot…” Her eyes sharpened. “…my real attack already passed through.”

The man tried to grab the arrow and pull it out of his body—

But it was too late.

The magic inside it surged violently.

“I told you,” Regis said. “I only needed one shot.”

The arrow detonated.

A massive explosion of wind magic burst outward from his chest, tearing through the air like a raging storm. The shockwave blasted across the sky.

Regis stared at the fading explosion, breathing heavily.

“Even if you could send my arrows back with magic… You could never aim them like I can.”

Just as Regis thought the battle was over and turned to help Ingrid—

Something grabbed her.

A thick tendril of black smoke wrapped around her waist and yanked her into the air, flipping her upside down.

“You think this is over?!”

The man’s voice roared through the smoke.

Regis stared in shock.

His body had been blown apart moments ago. But now the torn flesh was knitting itself back together. Bone reformed. Muscle twisted and put back in place.

The regeneration was far beyond anything healing magic could accomplish.

Regis’s eyes widened.

The dark aura around the man suddenly disappeared.

And for a brief moment, she saw it.

On the man’s chest was a massive symbol. A black radiating sun.

Its jagged rays spread across his torso like cracks of darkness.

From his body, thick tendrils of shadow extended outward like monstrous tentacles.

Regis reacted instantly. She grabbed an arrow from her quiver and, charging it with her magic, she used it to pierce the tendril holding her.

Her destructive wind magic shredded the shadow limb.

The tendril dissolved instantly, letting Regis drop to the ground.

The man laughed.

“Even if you escape…” His voice twisted with amusement. “…it’s already over for your friend.”

Regis’s heart skipped.

“Ingrid!”

She spun around.

In the distance, Ingrid lay on the ground. Her body trembled from exhaustion.

The dragon hovered above her. Its jaws opened as flames began gathering in its throat.

Bubbles, the water spirit, struggled to form a small barrier—but the magic was weak.

Ingrid had no strength left.

“Ingrid! Run!”

But Ingrid couldn’t stand.

Regis didn’t hesitate.

She slammed her foot into the ground.

Wind magic exploded beneath her feet. The blast launched her forward like a cannon.

She grabbed Ingrid and sprinted away—

Just as the dragon’s inferno slammed into the ground. Flames engulfed the area.

Regis landed several meters away, clutching Ingrid.

She exhaled deeply.

A few strands of her hair were singed from the heat.

But they were alive.

“I’m… sorry…” Ingrid whispered weakly. Her voice still trembling, she continued. “I ran out of magic… I should have bought more time…”

Regis shook her head.

“It’s alright. You did your best.” She looked down at her friend. “I should have been faster.”

Ingrid tried to push herself up.

“Leave me… you can still escape… find the teachers… I will stop them here.”

But Regis could see the truth.

Burn marks covered Ingrid’s arms. Her body shook from exhaustion.

She was in no state to continue fighting anymore.

Regis silently drew her bow again and fired at the man.

The arrow flew straight toward him.

But this time—

There was no portal.

The arrow passed through his body and vanished into the darkness surrounding him.

“Playtime’s over,” the man said coldly. Then he looked up.

“Finish them.”

High above, the giant crimson dragon climbed into the sky.

Its massive wings spread wide, blotting out the vast sky.

Streams of magic from the atmosphere flowed toward the dragon’s mouth.

A glowing red sphere began forming.

It grew larger.

And larger.

Until it was nearly half the size of the dragon itself.

The sky dimmed around it.

“If you think your teachers or friends or someone is going to come and save you, then you are wrong. Why do you think the mountains are all silent? Why has no one come to find you? They would all be dead by now. Anyone who comes in the way of Black Torch vanishes from this world. No matter. I guess that was all you amounted to…”

The man’s voice echoed coldly.

“This… is the end for you.”

◇◇◇

The giant warrior swung his dual-headed hammer and axe downward like a falling mountain.

The weapon roared through the air toward the woman standing before him.

Then—

It stopped.

A violent shockwave burst outward, kicking up dust and rattling the ground beneath their feet.

The giant warrior frowned and looked down.

His enormous weapon had been stopped by a single hand.

A palm no larger than his pinky finger.

Miss Xu stood calmly beneath the weapon; her hand pressed lightly against the hammerhead.

She looked up at him.

With a small push—

The massive weapon was knocked aside.

The giant warrior was forced to step back.

“You are strong,” he admitted.

Miss Xu brushed the dust from her sleeve.

“So,” she said gently, “if I asked nicely… would you consider backing off?”

She gestured behind her.

“I have students I must protect.”

The warrior shook his head.

“Unfortunately, that will not be possible.” His voice hardened. “Our orders are clear. Kill everyone. There will be no exceptions.”

Miss Xu sighed softly as she knew the enemy in front of her was dead serious about killing them.

“Then give me a moment.”

The warrior planted his weapon into the ground with a heavy boom.

“You may.”

Miss Xu turned to the students behind her.

“Everyone, take a step back,” she said with a cheerful smile. “Protect yourselves. I will tell you when it is safe.”

The students moved instantly.

They had practiced this situation countless times.

Within seconds, they formed a circular group formation, channeling their magic together.

A glowing barrier slowly rose around them.

Miss Xu nodded with satisfaction.

Then suddenly—

A new voice echoed across the battlefield.

“Well, well… looks like the fun already started.”

A tall, thin man appeared nearby. A massive scythe blade rested across his back.

His eyes were wild with excitement.

The giant warrior frowned.

“Why are you here, Ricky?”

The thin man grinned.

“Boss sent me as backup.” He shrugged lazily. “Just in case you failed. Don’t worry. I won’t interfere with your fight.”

Miss Xu smiled faintly. “That’s fine.”

She stepped forward.

“My name is Garak, practitioner of the Mountain-Crushing Art… the one they call The Living Avalanche.”

“I am Xu Shulian. The successor of the Shulian Martial Technique.”

For a brief moment—

The battlefield fell silent.

Then the two moved at the same time.

Garak’s weapon crashed forward with devastating power, each swing capable of shattering stone.

But Miss Xu stepped lightly between the attacks. Her movements were effortless.

Where Garak’s technique was overwhelming force—

Her style flowed like water.

She deflected his strikes with open palms, redirected the power of his blows, and turned his own momentum back against him.

“I have never fought a fighter like you,” Garak said as their blows clashed again.

“Your fundamentals are strong.”

Miss Xu smiled faintly.

“I appreciate the compliment. But perhaps you could tell me something first. Who are you people… and why are you attacking us?”

Garak shook his head. “It’s useless to ask me. I only follow orders.”

Miss Xu sighed softly.

“That’s unfortunate.” Her expression turned calm again. “But I cannot allow danger to reach my students.”

She stepped forward.

“So I will end this match with my next move.”

Garak grinned.

“It won’t be easy.”

“I never said it would be.” Miss Xu tilted her head slightly. “But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.”

Garak roared and lunged forward, swinging his massive hammer in a wide arc.

The weapon came down like a collapsing mountain.

Miss Xu stepped forward instead of retreating, unlike the techniques she had displayed till now by neutralizing Garak’s destructive power.

Her palm brushed the hammerhead lightly.

“Flow Reversal Palm.”

The enormous force vanished instantly—

Then exploded back through Garak’s arms.

The giant warrior staggered.

Before he could react—

Miss Xu seized the hammer’s shaft and pulled it toward her.

Her elbow struck the weapon with precision.

Crack.

The metal shaft shattered.

In the next instant—

Her hand formed a blade. A vertical chop flashed downward.

Garak’s arm fell to the ground.

The massive warrior dropped to his knees.

Miss Xu stood calmly before him.

A slow clap echoed nearby.

“Look at you,” a voice said lazily. “For all that big talk of doing the fighting alone… You lost.”

Ricky stepped forward, the massive scythe resting on his shoulder.

“I guess I’ll have to jump in.”

Miss Xu had not forgotten about him.

She turned toward him, calmly ready to face her second opponent.

But suddenly—

Ricky’s gaze shifted past her. Toward the students.

“Actually…” He grinned. “Let’s get rid of the little rats first.”

He leapt toward them.

The students tightened their formation as the magical barrier glowed brighter.

If it had been a normal strike, the shield would have held.

“Stop.” Garak’s voice suddenly echoed. “Don’t do it. I am not finished yet.”

Miss Xu’s eyes narrowed.

Something felt wrong.

“Aural Art—” Ricky raised his scythe high. “Death Scythe.”

The world changed.

The moment Ricky spoke, the sky darkened, being pulled into his domain.

The surrounding space warped as if the entire battlefield had been dragged beneath a giant shadow. A massive pressure crushed the air.

The scythe grew larger.

Ten times larger.

The blade fell toward the students like a descending crescent moon.

The students shut their eyes, bracing for the impact.

CRACK.

They heard their barrier shattering.

But strangely…

They felt no pain.

When they opened their eyes—

Miss Xu was standing in front of them.

The gigantic scythe had cut deep across her shoulder, the blade nearly passing through her right side.

She had taken the full force of the attack alone.

The shockwave from the strike had completely blown away the students’ magical barrier.

“Students… are you alright?” Miss Xu asked quietly, her voice strained.

Her voice carried an unnatural strain.

“Miss Xu! You are hurt!” the students cried out in panic.

“Ah… I missed,” Ricky said with a twisted grin as blood slowly dripped from Miss Xu’s shoulder.

The students cried seeing their teacher get hurt while trying to protect them, and not being able to do anything.

“Well… it seems things aren’t looking too well for your teacher.”

◇◇◇

“There’s no point wasting time. I should just finish the job and move.” The man holding the strange magic gun looked toward the reinforced cage where Athena and Karin sat imprisoned.

Athena looked tense, unsure what she could do while trapped inside the cage.

Karin, however, simply watched quietly.

“Wait,” Athena suddenly said. “We are teachers from the Grindelwald Magic Academy. You have no reason to harm us.”

“Don’t blame me,” the man replied coldly. “We have our orders. It's work, you know. Yours is to teach, and mine to kill.”

He raised the gun and aimed directly at the cage. His finger moved toward the trigger.

Athena’s heart pounded. She had only seconds before he fired.

“But are you really fine shooting an innocent girl? Where’s the justice in that?” A voice came.

“Who cares about justice—” The man shrugged casually.

He suddenly stopped, realizing something important.

“…Huh?”

This time, the voice he heard had come from behind him.

The problem was—

There was no one there except for him and the two prisoners in the cage.

He instantly jumped several steps back, spinning around and raising his gun.

Standing calmly behind him—

Was Karin.

“What…?” The man yelled in shock.

Athena stared in shock. “Miss Karin?!”

Both Athena and the man turned toward the cage.

The cage bars had been twisted open as if someone had peeled apart soft clay.

The cage was designed to release immense pain if someone tried to break it using magic.

Which meant—

Karin must have broken it with pure physical strength.

And she had done it silently, at that.

“This doesn’t make any damn sense,” the man holding the gun muttered. “That cage is made of reinforced magnetite ore. One of the strongest minerals in the world. You can’t just break it like that.”

Karin shrugged lightly.

“Right, right. I’ve heard similar things before.” She tilted her head slightly. “But do you really need to do this? You could just put your gun down and walk away.”

The man’s expression darkened.

“Who do you think you are, making demands. I told you before—you’re going to die.”

He suddenly leapt into his shadow, disappearing behind a tree before reappearing behind a rock to Karin’s left.

He moved rapidly from cover to cover, circling around her. Moving at high speed, trying to confuse Karin’s sense of direction.

Yet Karin didn’t even turn her head.

The man stopped, emerged from his shadow, crouched behind a rock, and aimed through his scope.

“I’ll take you out before you become a problem.” He steadied his breathing and looked through the scope on his gun.

Then he froze.

Through the scope—

Karin was pointing a finger gun directly at him.

“What?! How did she find me?!”

He immediately jumped back and hid again in his shadow. Moving faster than ever before, he increased his movement.

Above the tree.

Behind a rock.

Camouflaging with the terrain.

But every time he moved—

Karin pointed directly at his new position.

Again.

And again.

Realization slowly dawned on him.

“That wasn’t luck…” He whispered. “She can see me no matter where I hide.”

Karin sighed lightly.

“It seems we should end this little game of hide and seek.”

She raised her hand again, forming a finger gun. A small swirling sphere of colorful magic condensed at her fingertip.

“Bang.”

A high-speed beam shot forward like a laser bullet.

The man instantly fired his weapon in response.

His gun released a massive sonic blast of compressed energy.

The two attacks collided midair—

And canceled each other out in a violent shockwave.

“You’ve got quite an amazing weapon,” Karin said calmly, looking at her fingertip. “I suppose I should use a little more power.”

The man stared in disbelief.

“But how…? What kind of monster are you? That shot alone has enough power to blow an entire dragon into smithereens.”

Boom.

Another gunshot rang out.

But this one had not come from Karin.

Nor from the man she was fighting.

Karin’s eyes sharpened as she turned.

“Alice…?”

Athena stood frozen.

Behind her stood another woman, silently pressing a small gun against Athena’s head.

“I’m sorry, Karin…” Athena cried.

The woman behind her smirked slightly, tightening her grip on the weapon.

“Move even an inch,” she said coldly, “and the girl dies.”

◇◇◇

“Let’s do just that,” one of the bandits said with a crooked grin.

“Let’s sell them off.” Another laughed.

“But before that… we can have some fun, right?”

The bandits looked at Noelle and Ione with disgusting expressions as they approached, long swords in hand.

Noelle quietly glanced at Ione.

Ione nodded slightly and whispered, “Alright… I guess we don’t have a choice if we want to survive.”

The moment the men stepped close enough—

Ione opened her eyes.

Her eyes were crystal clear, almost like polished glass. There were no visible pupils or irises.

Ione had been blind since birth. But not because she lacked sight.

She possessed powerful Mystic Eyes.

The chains around their wrists suppressed their magical power, but Ione’s ability did not rely on magic. It relied on soul power.

The bandits froze in confusion but it was already too late.

“Mystic Eyes: Soul Lock.”

“What the—”

“Hey… why can’t I move?”

“My legs— I can’t move!”

“What did you do to us, girl?!”

Ione closed her eyes calmly.

“I’ve done my part.” She turned her head slightly toward Noelle. “It’s your turn.”

Noelle smiled faintly.

“Leave it to me.”

She raised her hand.

“Yuki… freeze them.”

A sudden wave of cold air swept through the room.

Frost crept across the ground before exploding upward.

In the blink of an eye, the five bandits were completely sealed inside solid ice.

After that, Yuki, the ice maiden spirit, turned toward the chains binding the girls.

The ice spirit froze the metal restraints.

Crack.

With a small push, the brittle chains shattered.

“We’re finally free,” Ione said with relief, rubbing her wrists.

“Let’s head back,” Noelle said. “We need to find Miss Karin and Alicia.”

But suddenly, Ione sniffed the air.

“…Wait.”

A strange smell spread through the room.

Burning.

When they turned around, the frozen bodies inside the ice were releasing a purple, hazy smoke.

Moments later, the ice began to thaw.

The bodies stepped out.

Their skin had turned dark purple, swollen with grotesque bulging veins.

“But… they should have died from that ice spell,” Noelle said nervously. “How are they still alive?”

“Let me check.”

Ione focused her Mystic Eyes.

What she saw confused her even more.

Their bodies were technically dead.

All normal biological activity had already shut down from Noelle’s attack.

But around their brains—where magical aura normally flowed—there was now a purple haze replacing the soul core’s energy.

As if something else was controlling their bodies.

Following the haze, Ione traced the source and found out it originated from their abdomen.

“They’re like… undead now,” Ione said slowly. “I don’t know what turned them like this, but something strange is inside their stomachs.”

“Fine,” Noelle said, raising her hand again. “Then let’s destroy them completely.”

“Icicle Barrage.”

Five massive icicles formed behind her like floating lances.

With a sharp gesture, they shot forward.

SHHHK.

The frozen spears pierced through the bodies, tearing them apart. The corpses collapsed to the ground.

But even after being split apart—their limbs still twitched and crawled.

The blood flowing out of them had turned purple.

“That’s disgusting…” Noelle muttered.

Ione searched again with her Mystic Eyes.

Inside the severed abdomen of one corpse—

A square mechanical orb fell to the ground, dripping with purple liquid.

“What’s that?” Noelle asked.

“It looks like some kind of magical device,” Ione said.

They stepped closer to examine it.

Then suddenly—

Ione froze.

The orb was filled with magical energy. Energy that had been drained from the human body.

Then the device made a sound.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Another ticking sound echoed nearby.

Then another.

Tick…

Tick…

Tick…

The same sound came from the other corpses.

“Noelle…” Ione said quietly.

“What’s happening?” Noelle asked.

Ione’s face had completely drained of color.

“They’re bombs, and from the looks of it, they’re about to explode.”

“Then we need to run!” Noelle said immediately.

Ione shook her head.

“It’s useless.” Ione calculated quickly. “From my calculation, everything within a radius of one kilometer will be wiped out.”

“Seriously. Who would be dumb enough to install bombs in their bodies?”

With no other choice, Noelle slammed her hand onto the ground.

Ice rapidly spread outward, forming a thick defensive dome around them.

“Ice Barrier!”

The girls braced themselves as the ticking sound grew faster.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

◇◇◇

Rhea had just completed the first semester of her first year at Grindelwald Magic Academy.

Like many other students, she was heading home for the semester break.

But her home was not a village, a city, or even a kingdom.

Her home was Scarlet Peak.

The nest of the Crimson Monarch Dragon.

Long ago, Rhea had been abandoned as an orphan on the Scarlet Mountain. The crimson dragon had found the crying child and, instead of killing her like any other predator would have, decided to raise her.

Rhea still remembered the story her mother loved to tell.

“That day I came down the mountain because I smelled something delicious.” The crimson dragon said.

Rhea would cross her arms. “You always say that part first.”

“Of course,” the crimson dragon replied proudly. “You still smell nice.”

“And then?” young Rhea would ask, even though she had heard it a hundred times.

“And then,” the dragon continued, lowering her massive head, “I searched the forest expecting prey… but all I found was a tiny human baby wrapped in leaves.”

“If I was so little, how did you even see me?” Rhea muttered.

“How could I not when you were being so noisy?” the dragon said. “You kept crying.”

“But you didn’t eat me.”

The dragon snorted a puff of smoke.

“That’s because when I leaned closer…” she said, voice softer, “the little human baby stopped crying and started laughing.”

Rhea remembered grinning. “I am sure because you looked so beautiful. That must have made me happy.”

“Are you sure. I have giant teeth and claws. Any normal person would run at first sight seeing me.” The crimson dragon said.

“I don’t know about the others. But for me, you are the most beautiful,” Rhea said. “If you hadn’t found me that day, I would have died. I love you, Mother.”

“That’s a first a human has said to me,” the dragon growled.

“…And that is how,” she concluded, “you came to be my daughter and I your mother.”

Rhea grew up among dragons and the beasts that lived across the mountain.

She remembered running across volcanic rocks with young dragons, sharing food with them, and playing among the lava caverns.

And because she lived under the protection of the Crimson Monarch, the strongest predator of Scarlet Peak, no creature dared to harm her.

One day, Rhea’s mother laid an egg.

It was the first time Rhea would have a sibling.

The massive crimson dragon gently nudged the egg toward her.

“Rhea,” her mother said softly. “This will be your younger sibling.”

“Promise me you will take care of it.”

Rhea nodded immediately.

“Yes, Mother.”

But not long after that, something unusual happened.

An old man in a hooded robe arrived at Scarlet Mountain.

The Crimson Monarch rarely allowed anyone near her territory, yet this man was different.

She spoke with him.

Rhea didn’t know what they discussed.

But once that old man left, her mother called her over.

“You must go to the outside world,” the Crimson Monarch said. “You should attend a human academy and learn about human society.”

“Do I really have to go to school?” Rhea frowned at her suggestion because it meant she had to be away from her home and her mother.

“Think about it. What will your younger sibling think if it learns that its older sister is uneducated?”

Rhea’s eyes widened.

“What?! I can’t let that happen!”

Rhea again gave it a deep thought and quickly replied. “Fine! I’ll go to school.”

“That’s my good daughter.”

“But you must promise to eat properly, Mother. And take care of my sibling.”

“You don’t need to worry,” the Crimson Monarch replied calmly.

And so, Rhea enrolled in Grindelwald Magic Academy.

Strangely enough, all of her tuition and expenses were already taken care of by the academy.

Rhea didn’t question it.

Instead, she focused on adapting to human society.

Life among humans was very different from life on the mountain.

But she slowly adjusted.

When the semester break arrived, she excitedly ran back toward Scarlet Peak.

Along the way, she greeted many of the creatures she had grown up with.

That night, she sat beside her mother again after months apart.

She excitedly told stories about her school adventures while sitting beside the dragon egg.

But suddenly—

BOOM.

A massive explosion shook the mountain.

It came from the wasteland on the other side of Scarlet Peak.

That wasteland was the territory of the lava-red dragons.

Under the Crimson Monarch’s rule, those dragons lived peacefully there, feeding only on monsters within the mountain and never venturing into human lands.

But now—

Explosions echoed across the wasteland.

Suddenly, a few red dragons flew in, bringing terrible news.

“Humans have invaded our territory and are hunting us. Please, Crimson Monarch, you must help us.”

“How dare they?” the Crimson Monarch growled.

She spread her enormous wings.

“Must be those dragon hunters. How can you not take care of those weaklings?” The crimson dragon roared.

“No, Crimson Monarch. They are not like the usual dragon hunters. These humans are strong and wield strange magic and weapons.” One of the red dragons explained.

“Fine. I will deal with this myself.”

She looked at Rhea. “Take care of the egg. I will be back soon.”

“Yes, Mother,” Rhea said confidently.

Rhea wasn’t worried. She had seen her mother’s power many times before.

The Crimson Monarch’s strongest fire breath could reduce the entire Scarlet Mountain to ashes.

But only minutes later—

The sounds of battle intensified.

Rhea climbed higher up the mountain to observe from a distance.

From there, she saw the battlefield clearly.

Her mother was unleashing a storm of crimson flames.

But standing against her was a man cloaked in purple darkness.

He endured the full force of the Crimson Monarch’s attack.

Some strange power surrounded him, nullifying her flames.

Around him were several subordinates carrying powerful magical artifacts.

They used them to weaken the Crimson Monarch.

It was a trap. Rhea’s heart sank at the scene, and she decided to jump in and save her mother.

But then a magical transmission reached her mind.

Her mother’s voice echoed inside her head.

“Rhea… take the egg and run.”

“No, mother. I am coming to save you.”

“It’s not safe here anymore. Go back to your academy. You have to protect your sibling.”

“But… but what about you?” Tears welled up in Rhea’s eyes as the gravity of those words sank in.

“When you return… it will be safe again.” The Crimson Monarch assured her.

“But Mother—”

“If you are here, I will be hesitant to use my full power in case I hurt you and the egg. So, you must go. It will be fine.”

Tears now completely filled Rhea’s eyes.

She looked once more at the battlefield. Her mother was bound in magical chains.

Several crimson dragons she had grown up with were already dead.

Scarlet Peak—

Her home—

Was now burning.

With a final cry, Rhea took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her face.

With no choice, she grabbed the egg and decided to go back to the academy, which was the only other safe place she knew.

“Rhea… you and your sibling must survive.”

The Crimson Monarch watched as the small figure of Rhea disappeared from up the Scarlet Peak.

“Protect your family… and be strong.”

For a moment, the ancient dragon’s burning eyes softened.

Only after she was certain that Rhea had safely escaped Scarlet Peak did the Crimson Monarch turn her attention back to the battlefield.

Massive enchanted chains still bound her wings and limbs, digging deep into her crimson scales.

But slowly—

The dragon rose.

The chains rattled violently as she forced her immense body upward.

The humans below looked up in shock.

The Crimson Monarch inhaled deeply. The air around her trembled.

A sphere of blazing fire began to gather before her jaws.

It grew larger.

And larger.

Until the burning orb was as massive as the dragon herself.

The sky turned red, and the ground below cracked from the heat.

With a deafening roar that shook the entire mountain, the Crimson Monarch prepared to unleash the attack.

One final flame—

Strong enough to burn every enemy before her to ash.

…

“Family… Mother, you are my family too. You were the one who taught me that dragons do not abandon their blood.” Rhea’s voice trembled. “So, how could I leave you? I am back here, so come back to me too.”

Drops of tears fell onto the cold stone floor beneath the iron cage where she was imprisoned inside her own home.

Nearby, a man lazily inspected the large dragon egg in his hands.

“So this is the so-called special dragon egg,” he muttered.

He turned it over curiously.

“But it’s just an egg. What’s so special about it?”

He tapped on the shell lightly.

“Should I just crack it open and eat it?”

He paused.

“Hmm… but if I do that, the master might kill me. No, I am sure he will definitely kill me. Orders are orders.”

He scratched his chin thoughtfully.

“So, what should I do? Eat it… or not?”

Bang. Bang.

The cage rattled violently.

“How dare you!” Rhea slammed her fists against the bars. “Don’t touch that egg with your filthy hands! Give it back to me!”

The man looked at her with amusement.

“Haa… you’re quite fierce.” He grinned madly. “Are dragon eggs tasty? Maybe you want it because you want to eat it too.”

“No. I have never eaten a dragon egg. That is my sibling.”

The man burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! You’re human, yet you call an egg your family? How stupid. That dragon must have brainwashed you.”

“How dare you talk about my brother like that!” Rhea raised her voice.

At her outburst, the man shot her a cold glare. Then he lifted the egg high into the air and pretended to drop it.

“No—stop!” Rhea shouted desperately. “Don’t hurt it!”

The man smirked.

“Now you understand who is in power here. Tell you what. I’ll let you out of that cage.” Tapping the egg with his fingernail, he continued. “If you crack this egg open for me.”

Rhea froze.

The man laughed again.

“So, are you going to kill your sibling to save your own skin or not. What’s wrong? Did I hurt your familial dragon bonds? Or are you planning to go and tattle to those teachers you brought so graciously from your academy, only to die?” He snorted.

“They’re probably already dead. Poor fools. And it’s all because they followed such a troublesome brat into this death hole.”

Rhea’s words died in her throat.

For a moment—

Guilt filled her heart. She had brought her teachers and friends here.

She had failed to protect her mother.

Her fingers slowly tightened around the iron bars.

The man continued tossing the egg lightly in his hands.

“That’s my sibling… You stupid bastard.” Rhea’s voice trembled with rage. “Give it back.”

The man smirked.

“Oh? You’ve got quite a temper. If you want it so badly. Why don’t you come and take it yourself?”

But while he was laughing—

He didn’t notice the crimson aura beginning to swirl around Rhea.

Her eyes slowly glowed red.

The air inside the cage began to heat up.

Then—

BOOM.

The cage exploded outward.

Before the man could react—

The egg vanished from his hands.

When he looked up—

Rhea was standing in front of him. The cage behind her was completely destroyed. She then gently placed the egg in a safe corner.

“You’ll be safe here,” she whispered softly.

Then she turned back, and the man’s eyes widened.

Flames covered Rhea’s body completely. Her hair burned like flowing crimson fire.

Scarlet scales appeared across parts of her skin. Two faint horn-like ridges emerged from her forehead.

Her pupils narrowed into dragon slits.

The ground beneath her feet began to crack from the heat radiating off her body. Her presence alone felt like standing before a newborn dragon.

The man stepped back in shock.

“What… what kind of power is that?”

Rhea looked at him coldly.

“This is my spirit dragon form. Crimson Wing Manifestation.” Rhea said as she looked down at a symbol around her chest, close to her heart, glowing faintly.

“Mother forbade me from using this power because it puts a heavy strain on my body.”

Her fists clenched as flames surged higher.

“But I don’t think that matters now. I’m going to take you down.”

The man sneered.

“Take me down? Let’s see you try. Don’t forget. I’m one of the people who took your mother down.”

Rhea’s eyes burned brighter.

“Yes. I know that very well. And I won’t act like a child anymore. That’s exactly why I will defeat you and save my family.”

Then she spoke with unwavering confidence.

“And you said my teachers would die. Let me tell you something.”

“What?” The man raised his eye in scorn.

Rhea smiled faintly.

“My teachers are some of the strongest people in this world. And I have complete faith that they will all survive.”

◇◇◇

On the other side of the mountain, the infected crimson dragon spread its massive wings and drew in a deep breath.

A storm of fire was about to be unleashed upon Regis and Ingrid.

Regis gritted her teeth, raising her bow again even though she knew it was useless.

Ingrid’s spirit familiar forced the last remnants of her magic into her defensive spell.

Then—

A streak of light shot across the sky.

“…What’s that?” Regis muttered, narrowing her eyes.

Ingrid looked up as well.

Far above the peak of Scarlet Mountain, a blazing light was rising like a newborn star.

At first, it looked small.

Then it grew brighter.

Faster.

And appeared to come closer.

The light tore through the clouds like a falling comet.

The ground began to shake as the crimson dragon opened its jaws to release its devastating breath.

And just before the flames erupted—

A voice rang out from within the blazing streak in the sky.

“I’M HERE!”

The voice was loud. It sounded bright, too.

And very familiar.

The shooting star slammed straight into the dragon’s head.

BOOM.

The impact exploded across the battlefield.

The giant dragon was knocked violently sideways as both the dragon and the glowing projectile crashed into the ground.

The dragon’s fire breath discharged wildly, blasting across the wasteland and turning the land into scorched ruin, and missing the actual target.

Dust and debris shot into the air like a volcanic eruption.

Even the man shrouded in darkness staggered slightly.

“…What was that?” he muttered.

Regis and Ingrid shielded their eyes as the dust storm spread across the battlefield.

“What just happened?” Ingrid whispered.

They waited.

Slowly, the dust began to settle.

From inside the smoke—

A voice groaned.

“Ouch…”

A small figure rubbed the top of her head as bits of debris fell from her hair.

“How can my head hurt this much…?”

Then the figure suddenly stood up and waved energetically.

The dust cleared.

And the two girls froze.

Standing triumphantly on top of the fallen dragon’s head—

Was a tiny girl.

“Hana…?” Regis said in disbelief. “How did you get here?!”

Hana grinned brightly.

“Regis! Ingrid! I’m here!”

◇◇◇

̄\_(ツ)_/ ̄ SUPPORT ME IN MY WRITING ̄\_(ツ)_/ ̄

To everyone who is reading my novel and loves Alicia on her exciting adventures in this new fantasy world.

Thanks a lot for all your support! It really means a lot to me.

Till now I have published from volume one to volume eleven for free and I hope to continue to do so even today. I have put a lot of time and effort into creating a story that I always hope you will enjoy reading and have something to think about.

Keeping the text error free takes a lot of revisions and consumes time, but no work is ever perfect. With your support and reviews I know that I have improved a lot in my writing. I know the initial volumes sometimes could be a mess in my disastrous writing and the current writing still leaves a lot to be desired as the story proceeds and new characters keeps popping up. And I intend to take this challenge head on and improve everyday in this year as well.

You can support my writing by leaving a good review on my book on the platform you are reading.

And even now I am asking for a bit more that if you want to voluntarily support my writing then you can do it now.

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Patreon page Link - https://www.patreon.com/noelelitia

Join discord community - https://discord.com/invite/WUGFUxbpbd

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I hope that you keep enjoying my work and the next chapter too proves to be to your liking!

Happy Reading Everyone!!!