At Drelvan and Aize's side…
Drelvan and Aize were locked in a relentless exchange of clashes. Steel met steel again and again—each strike answered by a block, each opening instantly closed.
"I'll give it to you," Aize said, breathing steadily. "You're strong."
"I hate to admit it," Drelvan replied with a grin, "but you're fun to fight."
Suddenly—
A deafening dragon's scream tore through the air.
Both of them froze.
"What was that scream?" Drelvan asked, his expression tightening.
"Why is that thing screaming like that?" Aize muttered.
Thick smoke rose from the distance. Broken building fragments and uprooted trees were being hurled into the air.
Then—
A body came flying out of the smoke.
Arcane was thrown toward them, crashing into the ground and rolling across the dirt before finally stopping.
"What happened to you?" Drelvan asked sharply.
"Don't ask," Arcane groaned.
From the smoke, the purple dragon emerged.
It was bleeding. Its roar was filled with pain—and rage. Its burning eyes were locked onto Arcane as it slowly advanced.
"What did you do to him?" Aize asked.
Earlier…
Arcane was running through the middle of the town. In the distance, he spotted Zorayel and Dareth locked in combat.
"There they are," Arcane muttered, increasing his speed.
"Where do you think you're going?" several Black Troops members blocked his path.
"I don't have time for you," Arcane said coldly.
"Demon Art: Blade of Ragnarok."
His sword materialized in his hand—and in a flash, he cut through them all. Bodies fell before they even realized what had happened.
Arcane continued forward.
On his way, he noticed something that made him stop.
A group of children stood trembling, gripping sticks with shaking hands. In front of them stood the dragon, looming, its body lowering as it prepared to attack.
At first, Arcane turned away.
Then he paused.
"Hey, big guy."
Arcane hurled stones at the dragon's back.
The dragon turned, its eyes locking onto him.
"Come and get me."
Arcane threw a Demon Art blade. It pierced into the dragon's body.
The dragon roared in agony—and charged after him.
"You kids—run!" Arcane shouted as he sprinted away.
After gaining some distance…
"Now let's finish this."
Arcane turned and charged, slashing deep across the dragon's body.
"Your body's tough, I see," Arcane said, landing lightly.
"But how much can you really handle?"
The dragon swung its claw.
Arcane dodged and sliced into its arm.
The other claw came down—
Arcane dodged again and struck back.
The dragon staggered, stepping back.
Arcane rushed forward.
"Demon Art: Ragnarok's Carnage."
In a split second, it looked as if Arcane struck the dragon hundreds of times—his blade flashing like lightning.
"I held back," Arcane muttered, lowering his sword. "Didn't want to make too much mess."
He looked up—
The cuts were shallow.
The dragon was still standing, blood dripping from its wounds.
"…That wasn't supposed to happen," Arcane said quietly. "I weakened the strike—but not that much."
The dragon screamed.
The roar was deafening, echoing across the town.
Flames erupted from its mouth, tearing through the surroundings—buildings shattered, trees were thrown aside.
"There, there… easy, big guy," Arcane said.
Then—
Before he could react, the dragon grabbed him.
And threw him.
Present time…
Arcane pushed himself up from the ground, brushing dust off his cloth.
"That was a nasty throw," he muttered.
The dragon roared again, its scream shaking the air.
"What did you do to it?" Aize asked sharply.
"We have to stop it before it causes any more destruction," Arcane replied, eyes fixed on the raging beast.
The dragon suddenly charged—
But to everyone's surprise, it lunged at Aize.
"Why is it attacking him?" Drelvan shouted. "Isn't he on the same side?"
"Tch." Aize leapt back, narrowly dodging the dragon's claws. "This dragon was insane to begin with. It only listens to that crazy little girl."
"At least now we don't have to worry about you," Arcane said calmly.
"I don't want to waste my time with that thing," Aize snapped.
"Unless we let you go," Arcane replied.
"Stone Bullets."
Arcane hurled compressed stones toward Aize.
Aize sliced them apart effortlessly. "You thought you could stop me with that?"
"I have other tricks up my sleeve," Arcane said.
"I'll see them—if you survive this," Aize said coldly, then turned and walked away.
"Where do you think you're going?" Drelvan demanded.
"Let him go," Arcane said.
Drelvan looked at him, surprised.
"We have a bigger problem in front of us," Arcane added.
"…Yeah. You're right," Drelvan agreed.
The dragon remained furious, spewing fire in every direction and tearing the surroundings apart.
"I managed to drive him away," Arcane thought. "Now we only have the dragon to worry about."
The dragon swung its massive paw at Arcane.
Arcane dodged.
"Looking at it closely… this dragon is smaller than the last one," Arcane muttered. "And weaker too."
"But I'm having ominous feelings from it?" Arcane thought.
Then he noticed something.
The wound on the dragon's claw… It was gone.
"…Don't tell me it can heal itself?" Arcane said aloud.
"Now that I think about it," Drelvan thought while dodging another attack, "its injuries are fewer than when it first arrived."
"Damn it. Regeneration?" Arcane growled, narrowly avoiding the dragon's flames.
"If that's the case… I have to kill it in a single strike." Arcane thought.
Then Arcane glanced at Drelvan.
"I can't use Demon Arts at full power with him here." Arcane thought.
For a split second, a darker thought crossed his mind. "I could kill both of them at once."
Arcane clenched his jaw and shook his head.
"No," he whispered. "I won't kill people that recklessly."
"Think. There has to be another way." Arcane looked around him
"Die!" Drelvan shouted, charging forward.
His movements were precise, dodging claws, slipping through fire, landing clean strikes. The dragon bled again and again.
But the wounds closed.
"He's a skilled swordsman," Arcane thought. "But this won't be enough."
Another thought surfaced, "What if he dies to the dragon instead…"
Arcane exhaled sharply.
"Hold it for a moment," Arcane called out. "I have a plan."
"I'll hold it as long as I can," Drelvan replied without hesitation.
Arcane moved back, leaving Drelvan alone against the dragon.
"I need the perfect moment." He watched every movement, every opening.
When the dragon swung both claws, trying to seize Drelvan.
Drelvan attempted to leap back,
"Demon Art: Demon's Gravity." Arcane cast the spell at Drelvan's legs.
An immense pressure slammed down.
Drelvan's feet wouldn't move.
"What—?!" Drelvan tried to block, but the dragon grabbed him and hurled him away.
Drelvan crashed into a tree with a sickening sound and fell unconscious.
"…Now's the chance." Arcane rushed forward.
"Demon Art: Blade of Ragnarok." "Demon Art: Hell's Execution."
In a single instant, the dragon was sliced apart.
Arcane turned back immediately. "Before he dies…"
"Demon Art: Hell's Blessing." mana flowed as Arcane tried to heal Drelvan.
"…Good thing I reduced the impact earlier," Arcane muttered.
But then, He froze.
"The mana… it's still increasing." Arcane turned toward the direction where Zorayel and Dareth were fighting.
Suddenly, a far more intense dark presence surged from the opposite direction.
Arcane's expression darkened. "…Whose presence is this?"