Marius turned slowly, his icy gaze locking onto Azel.
His voice was low — yet beneath that calm surface, suppressed fury simmered.
"What have you done, Azel?"
Azel paused for a moment, then glanced at him from the corner of his eye. Indifference lingered in his gaze.
"You're asking what I've done?"
"You teleported them. Where did you send the boy?" Marius replied.
A lifeless smile appeared on Azel's lips.
"Far from here. They won't survive on their own.
If they're lucky, they will die slowly in agony."
Marius took several steps forward. His footsteps were quiet, echoing like mirrors.
"Noa… he is completely broken — body and soul.
But we must not forget Rion D. Dragon of the D clan.
Even if he is only a half-high dragon, he is one of the strongest of his generation."
Azel turned sharply, his voice slicing through the air.
"What can a boy at the Fifth Stage of the Beginner Rank do to us, old man?
Can he even deceive us?"
Marius took a deep breath. His expression remained calm — yet a flicker of unease sparked within him.
"Hmm… perhaps you're right.
Even so, I have never seen an aura like Noa's — it possessed a power capable of altering the air itself."
Azel spoke in a nonchalant tone. "Perhaps it was nothing more than a fake aura."
Marius shook his head slowly.
"But that aura radiated pure hatred and the desire to kill… yet I also sensed warmth within it."
Azel did not even look at him. "How insignificant."
Marius stared at Azel's fingers, which were digging into his own palm, too stunned to speak.
They walked along the marble corridor, their footsteps receding, gradually fading into the distance.
Behind them, Varzak stood silently, his eyes gleaming in the shadows — an unusual blend of rage and respect burning within them.
"Noa S. Dragon… Even if no one else acknowledges you as the son of the S clan — I acknowledge you," he thought to himself.
"That aura… that spirit pleased me. If you had been stronger, I would have made you my disciple," he said to himself.
Varzak stepped forward and bowed.
"My lord, do you have any further orders?"
Marius did not turn around. He continued walking as he spoke.
"Not for now. Return to base. Rest."
Varzak raised his head.
"As you command, my lord."
Varzak and his shadow-born assassins melted into the darkness — leaving only a cold, empty silence behind.
Riza Forest
The earth trembled.
Suddenly, a blinding light burst from the sky — spreading like a dome and swallowing the trees below.
For a moment, everything fell silent. Then the light faded.
In the center of the clearing, two silhouettes appeared — Noa and Rion.
Rion dropped to one knee, his eyes wide with shock. His breathing was heavy, his heart pounding wildly.
Beside him, Noa stood motionless, head bowed — blood dripping from his eyes onto the ground.
Rion looked at him, panic rising within.
"This place… where are we?
Teleportation…?"
He drew a shaky breath, forcing himself to stay calm.
"No — there's something more important right now."
He rose carefully to his feet.
The air was cold, and a black mist-like mana rose from the soil beneath his feet.
Rion took a few steps toward Noa, knelt beside him, and placed a trembling hand on his shoulder.
"Noa… can you hear me?
Noa, wake up!"
There was no response.
Noa's lips did not move — his breathing was shallow, almost imperceptible.
Rion tore a piece from his sleeve and carefully bandaged Noa's bleeding eyes.
"At least the bleeding will stop…"
Rion scanned the surroundings, clenching his knees.
He listened intently — faint, distant screams echoed from the darkness.
"If this is truly a forest, there should be low-level creatures — goblins, draconoids, fox-beasts…
If I'm lucky, I might find one of their villages.
Even if I don't… at least I can use them for food or shelter."
He carefully lifted Noa onto his shoulders.
Noa's body was cold, but his heart still beat weakly.
Leaves rustled beneath Rion's feet.
The forest felt alive — whispering, watching.
Invisible eyes followed him through the mist, as if the forest itself were breathing.
Rion pressed forward, whispering softly — a spark of hope still burning inside him.
"Noa… I won't abandon you.
You still have to live… you must live…"
His voice dissolved into the night.
Only the wind answered.
Rion looked at Noa's pale face. He sighed slowly and shook his head.
"In this condition… I can't carry you far."
He gently laid Noa down on a soft patch of moss. Mist drifted between the trees.
Rion stepped back — one, two, three… ten paces away.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"There's only one way left… Transformation — the last resort."
Steam began to rise from his body — first thin, then thick and radiant.
This was no ordinary steam — it gleamed golden, its power so intense that the air trembled.
Leaves quivered as waves of energy spread outward.
Rion gritted his teeth, his muscles tensing, his bones shifting and growing.
Burning energy roared through his veins — his back arched as two massive wings burst forth.
Each beat of the wings sent fiery shockwaves across the clearing.
His body expanded, his legs hardened, his fingers turned into claws.
Crimson lines blazed across his face, his jaw elongated, and his eyes burned with red fire.
From the mist emerged a magnificent yet terrifying silhouette:
The Crimson Fire Dragon.
His body shimmered with molten scales, radiating waves of heat.
The air howled with every movement.
He stood nearly three meters tall, his wings spanning dozens of meters.
Rion whispered,
"Transformation… complete."
He remained motionless for a moment, then carefully lifted Noa with his massive claws.
Noa's hair fluttered in the wind — he was still unconscious.
Rion looked at him, and the fire in his eyes softened.
"Rest easy now, Noa.
I won't stop until I find you a safe place."
He spread his wings wide, the mana shaking the air and pushing the mist aside.
Then, with one powerful beat of his wings, he soared into the sky.
The ground below vanished in a whirlwind of dust and flames.
Rion ascended into the night sky, Ruya and Siamond gleaming on his crimson scales — burning like living fire.
Below, the Riza Forest stirred as if awakening, its quiet canopy trembling in awe.
The wind howled beside him; the distant screams of unseen creatures rose from below.
But Rion did not stop.