The shattered arena fell silent beneath the crimson heavens.
Volcanic winds swept through broken stone pillars while distant dragon cries echoed across the draconic capital beyond the mountain cliffs. Above them, rivers of magma illuminated the burning clouds like veins of molten blood flowing through the sky itself.
And within that broken training ground—
Tension thickened heavily.
Several noble dragons stood surrounding the arena with hostile expressions while mana pressure flickered sharply around their bodies. The earlier mockery had vanished completely now.
Because the black dragon outsider standing before them no longer sounded amusing.
He sounded dangerous.
Meanwhile—
The crimson-haired youth remained leaning against cracked stone nearby, blood dripping slowly from his battered body while those burning crimson eyes stayed fixed upon Kel.
Watching.
Carefully.
The future Dragon Emperor still did not fully understand what kind of person stood before him.
Yet instinctively—
He knew something.
This man feared nothing here.
Not noble bloodlines.
Not status.
Not consequences.
And strangely—
That calmness unsettled the arena more than violence would have.
One gold-scaled noble finally snarled coldly.
"You talk too much for an outsider."
Mana surged violently around his claws.
"Do you truly believe you can stand against noble heirs alone?"
Kel quietly looked toward him.
Then softly sighed beneath the volcanic winds.
"You're still misunderstanding."
The black-haired man slowly stepped forward across the shattered arena floor.
"I never said I'd fight you."
Silence.
Then—
A faint smile appeared beneath his illusionary draconic features.
"I said I'd knock you down."
The insult landed instantly.
Several noble dragons erupted with anger immediately.
"Arrogant trash!"
"Crush him!"
"Teach this outsider his place!"
Mana exploded throughout the arena.
One silver-scaled noble lunged first.
Fast.
Violent.
His clawed hand cut through the air toward Kel's throat while draconic mana surged around the strike like sharpened silver flame.
The surrounding nobles smirked instantly.
Because that attack alone could cripple ordinary dragons.
Yet—
Kel did not move backward.
Instead—
He simply shifted one step sideways.
Smooth.
Effortless.
The silver dragon's claws missed entirely.
And before momentum could stabilize—
Kel's fingers lightly pressed against the noble's wrist.
A small movement.
Barely visible.
Then—
CRACK.
The silver-scaled noble suddenly lost balance completely.
His arm twisted unnaturally while his own forward momentum collapsed beneath him.
BOOM.
His body slammed violently against the stone arena floor face-first.
Silence.
The surrounding nobles froze.
Kel calmly stepped away from the fallen dragon as though nothing happened.
No heavy attack.
No flashy mana burst.
Just movement.
The silver dragon groaned painfully while struggling to rise.
His right arm trembled uncontrollably now.
Meanwhile—
Kel finally turned toward the crimson-haired youth nearby.
And for the first time—
He spoke the future Dragon Emperor's name directly.
"…Velor."
Silence spread again.
The crimson-haired youth visibly stiffened slightly.
Because almost no one spoke his name anymore.
Usually—
They called him failure.
Bastard.
Cursed bloodline.
Not Velor.
Kel calmly looked toward him beneath the burning skies.
"Watch carefully."
The volcanic winds swept through the shattered arena softly.
"People who attack recklessly…"
A faint pause followed.
"…are easy to break."
Another noble dragon roared angrily afterward and rushed forward with brute force.
This one larger.
Heavier.
Black-scaled claws swung directly toward Kel's chest.
Again—
Kel barely moved.
A single shift.
One precise step.
Then his palm lightly struck the dragon's shoulder joint.
Not hard.
Not violently.
Precisely.
CRACK.
The dragon's entire arm instantly lost strength while his body tilted off balance from his own charging momentum.
Kel calmly hooked one foot behind the dragon's ankle.
And the noble collapsed heavily against the arena floor.
BOOM.
Dust exploded across shattered stone.
The entire arena fell quieter afterward.
Because everyone noticed something terrifying now.
Kel barely used force.
No overwhelming strength.
No visible draconic mana.
Only precision.
Meanwhile—
Velor silently watched everything.
Those burning crimson eyes narrowed carefully now.
Observing.
Learning.
Kel calmly looked toward another approaching noble dragon.
Then softly continued speaking—not to the nobles.
To Velor.
"Strength matters."
The approaching dragon attacked furiously.
"But momentum matters more."
Kel sidestepped again.
His fingers lightly struck the dragon's elbow pressure point.
CRACK.
The noble screamed briefly as his arm locked completely.
Kel grabbed the back of his neck calmly and redirected his own charging force downward.
BOOM.
Another body crashed against the arena floor.
The volcanic winds moved softly through the stunned silence afterward.
Kel slowly turned slightly toward Velor again.
"Most fighters waste energy."
Another faint smile appeared.
"They mistake aggression for skill."
The surrounding noble dragons looked visibly shaken now.
Because what stood before them no longer resembled ordinary combat.
It resembled control.
Perfect control.
No wasted movements.
No panic.
No hesitation.
Like watching someone who already understood the outcome before the fight even began.
Sairen quietly whispered through the soul-link.
"…You're teaching him intentionally."
Kel internally answered calmly.
"Yes."
Because Kel understood something crucial about the future Dragon Emperor.
Velor grew up surrounded by overwhelming force.
Cruelty.
Power.
Suppression.
So naturally—
He learned hatred.
Violence.
Domination.
But no one ever taught him finesse.
No one taught him how to dismantle enemies calmly instead of destroying everything through rage.
And perhaps—
If even one person taught him differently early enough…
The future might shift slightly.
Meanwhile—
Another noble dragon hesitated visibly now before attacking.
Fear had begun appearing beneath their anger.
Kel noticed instantly.
Then softly laughed.
"There."
His eyes shifted briefly toward Rhaegor.
"The moment someone hesitates…"
A faint pause followed.
"…they've already lost."
The final noble dragon roared angrily and charged desperately afterward.
Mana exploded violently across the arena.
This time—
Kel moved first.
His figure blurred forward beneath the burning crimson sky.
One hand struck the dragon's throat pressure point lightly.
Another redirected the shoulder.
A foot swept behind the knee.
Three movements.
And instantly—
The noble dragon collapsed unconscious against the shattered stone.
Silence consumed the arena completely afterward.
The volcanic winds echoed softly across broken pillars while several defeated noble dragons groaned painfully across the arena floor.
And at the center—
Kel calmly stood untouched.
Not even breathing heavily.
Meanwhile—
Velor silently stared at him.
And for the first time in many years—
Something beyond hatred flickered faintly inside those crimson eyes.
A possibility.
Because the black dragon standing beneath the burning heavens had just shown him something terrifying.
Power did not always need rage.
Sometimes—
True strength looked effortless.