The reign of dragons shook the heavens and earth with their roars. Two monstrous beasts clashed in the sky above the people, purple and golden flames colliding in a display of brilliant brutality.
In contrast, the ground fell silent for a moment, as if the world itself was holding its breath. Two forces waited for the other to move first. From above, Max's side looked outnumbered at least four to one, ugly expressions hardening across their faces, while the invaders stood with smug smirks spread across theirs.
"Agnia, you look as pretty as ever." Henry bowed slightly, his right hand pressed to his left shoulder, yet the glance he gave the woman before him held a deep glint of killing intent he did not even bother to mask.
"To think you would hide so close, so recklessly close to my borders..." Her pupils glowed with golden light, each one split by a narrow slit like the eyes of a reptile. She did not return the bow of respect. Instead, her lips slowly curled into a faint, amused smile, as though she found the gesture beneath her notice.
"You have truly regressed if you cannot even carry your wings anymore. Disgusting~" She laughed softly, licking her finger before biting down on her fingernail. But the moment her gaze shifted past Henry and landed on Max standing behind him, a dangerous feeling crept over her, and a cold chill ran across her skin.
"Who says we have regressed to that point?" Henry smirked, his black pupils flaring with purple light. The clothes on his back tore apart as if something inside him had forced its way free. A pair of leathery wings, white as snow, burst from his back and spread wide like the wings of a bird about to take flight.
The rest of the clan followed, one after another, leaving Max standing frozen in shock. He had known their clan carried the Ice Dragon bloodline, but he had never imagined they were dragons in truth. A terrifying pressure erupted from all of them, so heavy it felt as though the sky itself were bowing before their presence.
And yet, fresh blood slipped from the corners of their lips, a quiet reminder that whatever strength they displayed came at a cost.
But Agnia's eyes remained fixed on Max.
"Kill all of them, and go after the leftovers later."
She gave a lazy wave of her hand, and the men behind her beat their wings and shot forward, golden flames blazing around their claws like burning talons descending from the sky.
The warriors on Max's side rushed out as well, purple flames bursting from their mouths. Unlike the enemy, their hands remained closer to human, with only slightly lengthened nails clawing at the air aggressively, as if sheer fury alone could make them fly faster.
Max's breath quickened. Everything was happening too fast, so fast that he no longer knew what he was supposed to do. For all the brave words he had spoken earlier, the reality of battle now came crashing down on him like a mountain.
His eyes found Agnia's, and the moment their gazes locked, a chill ran through his body. She felt dangerous in a way that went beyond reason. And when she stepped forward, he instinctively stepped back, his face tightening with fear.
"Shit," he muttered under his breath, desperately trying to reach for the power he had used before, to cast any kind of magic, to somehow blast her away, because his gut was screaming one brutal truth at him.
If he could not stop her, he would die for real this time.
Henry shot toward Agnia like a man possessed. The purple flame falcons leaving his hands had already begun to evolve, their shapes growing sharper, fiercer, more draconic as they crashed into the enemy ranks and turned warriors into frozen statues. The light in their eyes died the instant the purple flames touched them.
But Agnia did not spare him even a glance.
Another massive figure swept in and blocked his path.
The moment purple and gold collided, a violent shockwave exploded across the battlefield. The air split apart around them, throwing weaker warriors into the sky while frost and sparks rained in every direction.
"You have no right to fight my queen, you filthy Ice trash." The man's voice was deep and heavy, like thunder rolling through burning clouds.
His golden talons ripped toward Henry's neck with killing intent, but Henry met them head-on. His fist slammed into the strike, and purple icy flames erupted at the point of impact. The clash sent both of them flying back, one dragging frost through the earth, the other tearing heat through the air.
"Ra..." Henry straightened and wiped the blood from the corner of his lips. A dangerous smile lit up his face. "It's been a while, brother."
For the smallest moment, Ra's expression twisted, but then it vanished.
"Don't call me brother. We have nothing in common anymore." Golden flames coiled around his talons like living serpents. "No... that's not true. We do have something."
Above his head, a dragon of golden fire manifested, human-sized yet terrifying, its massive jaws opening wide in a silent roar. The air around it bent from the heat, and even the ground beneath Ra's feet began to blacken.
"A deep hatred for each other!"
With a roar from Ra, the golden flame dragon lunged out and slammed into Henry, drowning his entire body in blazing gold fire.
"Name yourself, stranger~" Agnia stepped closer and closer to Max while he kept retreating, nearly stumbling over his own feet more than once. She looked openly amused by his reaction, as though she were savoring the fear pouring off him like a fine meal.
But Max shook his head. "Piss off!" he shouted, and the answer only drew a sweet, delighted laugh from her. His eyes tracked her carefully, following every movement of her body, but then he froze. A flash of golden light suddenly burst across his vision, blinding him for a split second, and that brief moment was enough for him to lose sight of her completely.
Warm breath brushed against his right ear.
"Tell me, why are you here with these trashes?" Agnia's claws rested gently on his shoulders, pinning him in place as her lips hovered against his ear. A violent tremor ran through his body, and with it came the rush of power rising in his chest, surging higher and higher as if it were about to burst free.
"Fuck off!" The words tore out of him in a high-pitched scream. Violent winds exploded from his palms as black light twisted clockwise into two whirling vortexes, blasting Agnia backward and sending her body crashing through the nearby trees.
The sudden change in mana forced the entire battlefield to stop.
Max's breaths came out ragged. Fear still clung to him, but anger now twisted through his eyes, darkening them ever so slightly. Two black vortexes spun above his palms, and the sight drew laughter from within the golden flames surrounding Henry.
Ra turned in shock toward the place where the golden flame dragon had swallowed his opponent. Then purple flames exploded outward, blowing the gold apart in every direction.
Henry stood there, bloodied yet grinning widely.
"Fuck... I knew it. This kid is special indeed." He grinned to himself. "Go wild, Max. Kill all of them to atone for your sins!"