The shattered arena remained silent beneath the burning crimson heavens.
Volcanic winds swept through cracked stone pillars while dust drifted slowly across the ruined training grounds. Several noble dragon heirs groaned painfully across the arena floor, their bodies twisted unnaturally after Kel dismantled them with terrifying precision.
Broken pride filled the air thicker than blood.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
Because what they had just witnessed…
Did not resemble ordinary combat.
It resembled humiliation.
Four noble heirs.
Four draconic candidates tied to powerful bloodlines connected to the Dragon King succession.
And every single one of them—
Had been defeated effortlessly by an unknown black dragon outsider.
Not through overwhelming brute force.
Not through flashy mana.
Through control.
That terrified the surrounding spectators far more.
Whispers slowly spread throughout the arena.
"…Who is he?"
"That black dragon…"
"He defeated noble heirs alone…"
"No…"
One draconic spectator swallowed heavily.
"…he toyed with them."
The fear spread rapidly afterward.
Because dragons respected power above all else.
And what Kel displayed here—
Was power hidden beneath calmness.
One wounded noble dragon struggled to stand while clutching his shattered arm.
His slit pupils trembled visibly as he stared toward Kel.
"You…"
Blood dripped from his mouth.
"…what kind of monster are you?"
Kel calmly ignored him entirely.
Meanwhile—
The crowd surrounding the training grounds continued growing larger.
More draconic citizens arrived after hearing rumors of a violent confrontation between noble heirs and an outsider black dragon.
And every new arrival froze after seeing the destroyed arena.
Cracked pillars.
Collapsed stone flooring.
Bleeding noble candidates.
And at the center—
A calm black dragon standing beside the fallen Crimson heir.
The image itself looked surreal.
Sairen softly whispered through the soul-link.
"…You just announced your existence to the entire Dragon Realm."
Kel quietly looked toward the burning skies above.
"That was inevitable eventually."
The guardian sighed deeply.
"…You really don't understand the meaning of subtlety."
Meanwhile—
The whispers throughout the crowd evolved rapidly.
"The Demonic Black Dragon…"
"That outsider crippled noble heirs…"
"He even defeated succession candidates…"
"One against four…"
Fear naturally distorted the story further with every retelling.
Because draconic society admired dominance deeply.
And fear always exaggerated monsters.
Soon—
The title spread through the arena fully.
The Demonic Black Dragon.
The black dragon who humiliated noble heirs beneath the crimson heavens.
Kel remained entirely indifferent to it.
Because his attention now rested elsewhere.
Velor.
The future Crimson Dragon Emperor still stood near the shattered stone wall, though barely. Blood continued dripping slowly from his injuries while his body trembled faintly from accumulated exhaustion.
Yet those crimson eyes…
Still remained locked upon Kel.
Watching silently.
Analyzing.
Trying to understand.
Kel slowly approached him beneath the volcanic winds.
The surrounding spectators instinctively stepped aside.
No one dared obstruct him now.
The black-haired man calmly stopped before the battered crimson heir.
Then quietly spoke.
"You're injured badly."
Velor's expression remained cold despite exhaustion.
"…Why?"
Again—
That same question.
Why help him?
Why interfere?
Why stand beside someone abandoned by draconic society itself?
Kel quietly looked toward the crimson-haired youth.
Because unlike everyone else—
Kel already knew what Velor would eventually become.
A king feared across worlds.
A ruler stained by endless blood.
A dragon so lonely that even victory could not fill the emptiness inside him.
And strangely—
Kel did not fear that future version of him.
He pitied him slightly perhaps.
Not weak pity.
The pity one monster feels when recognizing another monster's origin.
Meanwhile—
The surrounding spectators continued whispering endlessly.
"That's the Crimson heir…"
"The cursed bloodline…"
"Why is the Demonic Black Dragon helping him?"
"Did the Crimson Bloodline recruit some hidden protector?"
Political speculation spread instantly.
Because within draconic society—
Nothing happened without meaning.
A powerful outsider openly protecting the Crimson heir?
That alone carried terrifying implications.
Several spectators had already begun leaving quickly to report the incident to their clans.
The Dragon Realm would hear about this before nightfall.
Kel calmly ignored all of it.
Instead—
He reached one hand toward Velor.
"Come."
The crimson-haired youth looked at the offered hand silently.
No one had offered him a hand in years.
Usually—
They offered commands.
Mockery.
Violence.
Not help.
The future Dragon Emperor stared toward the black dragon standing before him.
Then slowly—
He accepted.
The moment their hands connected—
The surrounding arena fell even quieter somehow.
Because the image looked wrong.
A black dragon outsider.
And the hated Crimson heir.
Standing together beneath the burning sky.
Like two omens meeting.
Kel calmly pulled Velor upright afterward.
The crimson-haired youth visibly winced from pain yet forced himself steady immediately.
"…Where are we going?"
Kel answered simply.
"To treat your wounds."
Velor narrowed his crimson eyes slightly.
"You know medicine?"
A faint smile appeared beneath Kel's illusionary draconic features.
"I know enough."
Sairen quietly muttered through the soul-link.
"…That's a terrifying understatement considering you inherited ancient medicinal knowledge from Velthor."
Kel ignored her.
The black-haired man calmly began walking away from the shattered arena afterward while supporting Velor slightly.
And strangely—
The future Dragon Emperor allowed it.
No resistance.
No hostility.
Only silence.
The draconic crowd instinctively parted before them.
None dared obstruct the Demonic Black Dragon now.
Not after what they witnessed.
The volcanic city stretched endlessly around them beneath the crimson skies while distant dragons crossed the heavens above ancient towers and suspended bridges.
Yet amidst that grand draconic civilization—
Two isolated figures walked quietly together.
One feared already.
One hated already.
And somewhere deep within the Dragon Realm—
Fate itself shifted slightly.
Because for the first time in his life—
The future Crimson Dragon Emperor was not walking alone.