The ritual circle burned beneath crimson light.
Ancient symbols carved from Kel's blood spread endlessly across the obsidian floor while elemental mana spiraled violently throughout the chamber like a storm imprisoned within walls. The Crimson Princess remained motionless upon the bed at the center of the ritual while seven layers of ancient curse markings writhed across her body like living serpents.
Dark.
Malicious.
Ancient.
The atmosphere inside the chamber had become unbearable.
The retainers could barely breathe.
Several had already collapsed against the walls from the pressure leaking from the ritual itself while volcanic winds screamed through shattered windows violently.
The very mansion trembled.
Velor remained standing near the ritual despite the crushing mana pressure surrounding the chamber.
His crimson eyes never once left his sister.
Or Kel.
Meanwhile—
Kel stood at the center of the magic circle beneath flickering crimson-black energy while blood continued dripping slowly from his wounded palm.
The elemental essence flowing through his veins had reached unstable levels now.
Fire.
Water.
Lightning.
Shadow.
Light.
Wind.
Earth.
All elemental forces spiraled around him simultaneously like divine punishment.
Sairen's voice echoed sharply through the soul-link now.
"…Kel, enough."
The black-haired man ignored her.
Because the problem was worse than expected.
The seven layered curses were connected together.
Destroying one triggered reactions in the others.
Whoever created this assassination method…
Was monstrously intelligent.
The curses had been designed not merely to kill the Crimson Princess—
But to prevent anyone from saving her.
Kel calmly formed another hand seal despite blood running down his arm.
Then—
The third curse shattered.
BOOM.
Black mana exploded violently throughout the chamber.
The walls cracked instantly.
Several lanterns shattered.
One elderly retainer coughed blood from the backlash alone.
Velor instinctively stepped forward.
"Vael!"
Kel's voice remained calm despite visible exhaustion.
"Stay back."
The volcanic winds howled louder.
The fourth curse activated immediately afterward.
Dark chains burst outward from the Crimson Princess's body like living shadows, wrapping around the chamber walls while freezing mana spread everywhere.
The room temperature dropped instantly.
CRACK.
One pillar shattered entirely.
The retainers looked horrified now.
Because this no longer resembled medicine.
It resembled war against death itself.
Kel's dark eyes narrowed slightly while more blood dripped from his lips unnoticed.
Then calmly—
He pressed both hands against the ritual circle.
And forcefully shattered the fourth curse too.
BOOOOOOM.
The explosion rocked the entire Crimson Mansion.
Outside—
Servants screamed.
Guards rushed through corridors.
Several ancient towers trembled visibly.
And above the chamber—
The ceiling finally cracked.
CRAAAAACK.
Stone exploded upward violently.
The entire upper portion of the chamber ceiling collapsed apart while volcanic night skies suddenly became visible overhead.
Burning crimson clouds churned endlessly above the mansion now while storm-like mana spread throughout the heavens.
The retainers stared upward in horror.
The ritual pressure had pierced the sky itself.
Meanwhile—
Kel remained standing at the center of the collapsing chamber while elemental mana spiraled around him uncontrollably.
The illusionary draconic disguise covering his body flickered slightly now.
Unstable.
Sairen sounded genuinely worried.
"…Your mana reserves are destabilizing."
Kel quietly answered internally.
"I know."
The fifth curse broke next.
Then the sixth.
Each destruction shook the mansion harder than before.
Walls cracked apart.
The floor fractured beneath the ritual circle.
The skies above darkened unnaturally while crimson lightning spread through the clouds.
And still—
Kel continued.
Because the final curse remained.
The deepest one.
The core curse hidden inside her dragon heart veins.
The true killing curse.
Velor silently watched the scene unfolding before him.
And for the first time in his life—
Fear consumed him completely.
Not fear of enemies.
Not fear of nobles.
Fear of losing someone again.
Because the black dragon standing beneath the shattered heavens…
Was destroying himself to save his sister.
The realization shook him deeply.
Why?
Why would someone go this far for strangers?
The future Dragon Emperor stared toward Kel's back while storm winds screamed above the destroyed ceiling.
And slowly—
Something inside Velor cracked slightly too.
Because all his life—
People approached him for fear.
Politics.
Power.
Yet this strange outsider…
Asked for nothing.
Meanwhile—
Kel slowly raised one trembling hand toward the Crimson Princess.
The final curse writhed violently beneath her skin now like a black dragon attempting escape.
Ancient runes spread across her body rapidly.
The chamber itself groaned.
Sairen's voice became sharp.
"…Kel! Stop forcing it!"
The black-haired man ignored her again.
Instead—
He calmly placed his blood-covered hand directly above the final curse seal.
Then softly whispered—
"Break."
For one brief moment—
Silence consumed everything.
Then—
The final curse exploded.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
The entire chamber shattered.
The obsidian floor collapsed apart.
Massive cracks spread across the mansion walls while crimson lightning illuminated the skies above violently.
Retainers were thrown backward.
Windows exploded outward.
Ancient dragon statues outside cracked from the pressure alone.
And at the center—
Kel remained standing beneath the burning storm.
Blood dripped endlessly from his body now.
The elemental energies around him spiraled chaotically while his illusionary draconic appearance flickered violently.
Then—
The disguise broke.
The black scales vanished.
The horns disappeared.
The slit draconic eyes faded.
And standing beneath the storm-covered heavens—
Was not a dragon.
A human.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The retainers froze completely.
Velor's crimson eyes widened slowly.
Because the one who saved the Crimson Princess…
The one who defeated succession candidates…
The one called the Demonic Black Dragon…
Was human.
Not draconic.
Not noble.
Not even from their species.
A human stood beneath the shattered skies while blood flowed down his body like crimson rivers.
And then—
The impossible happened.
The Crimson Princess opened her eyes.
Softly.
Slowly.
Crimson eyes filled with exhaustion blinked weakly beneath the storm-lit chamber while the curse markings across her body gradually faded away into nothingness.
Alive.
She was alive.
Several retainers visibly trembled.
One elderly dragon collapsed to his knees entirely.
"…A miracle…"
Velor remained motionless.
His breathing stopped briefly.
Because after years of hopelessness—
His sister finally opened her eyes again.
The Crimson Princess weakly turned her gaze slightly.
And the first thing she saw—
Was a blood-covered human standing beneath shattered heavens.
Then—
Kel smiled faintly.
A tired.
Gentle.
Almost peaceful smile.
As though finally confirming success.
And afterward—
His body collapsed.
The exhausted human fell unconscious directly beside the ritual circle while crimson stormlight illuminated the ruined chamber around him.
Silence consumed everything afterward.
Because beneath the shattered skies of the Dragon Realm—
A human had accomplished what dragons could not.