*BOOM*
The explosion shook the surrounding area, tearing through the ceiling and leaving a massive crater in the center of the library—erasing nearly 80% of it.
The rest of the structure was either barely standing or blackened beyond recognition. Or both.
As the smoke cleared, the devastation looked even worse. But there was something else.
"Huff… huff…" Leon's breaths came in ragged bursts, the taste of ash thick in his mouth. His ears rang, his vision flickered—but he was alive.
He blinked through the haze, arms still wrapped tightly around the sleeping beauties. He had barely made it out of the library in time—and by sheer luck, managed to grab the mana core too.
"Damn it," he muttered, forcing himself to stand.
The mana core glowed faintly in his hand, casting a soft blue light through the smoke and dust.
"Al. Any idea what that is?" Leon asked, glaring at the massive cloud hovering above the library's remains.
As he stared, his blood ran cold. The strange cloud seemed to look back at him. Fear surged—but it was quickly drowned by anger.
The feeling of being looked down on was… infuriating.
«Hmm…» Al thought for a moment before replying. «That's probably a Thunderbird,» he said without hesitation.
"Thunderbird? Don't you mean thunder cloud?" Leon retorted with disbelief. No matter how he looked at it, that thing was definitely just a cloud.
Al sighed audibly. «The bird is inside the storm, you idiot. Look closer.»
Following Al's instruction—and ignoring the insult—Leon focused his eyes. His irises glowed gold, zooming in like a pair of supernatural binoculars.
And then, he saw it.
Flapping its wings at the storm's center was a creature resembling an eagle—only larger, darker, and far more terrifying. Its body was pitch black, arcs of lightning constantly crawling across its feathers.
"Wow… there's actually a bird in there," Leon said in disbelief.
Then the bird's glowing eyes turned toward him. It glared—and Leon did not take kindly to that.
"Al, how do I kill that thing?" he asked, a vein popping on his forehead.
«The bird itself isn't that strong,» Al explained. «The real problem is the storm surrounding it.»
«That thing's probably a high-rank zero. And you? You're a rank one. If one of those lightning strikes hits you directly, you'll be out of commission—permanently.»
Leon grimaced, understanding the danger—but also the challenge.
There was just one problem: how was he supposed to get up there?
---
"Leon…?" Lara's voice stirred him from his thoughts as she and Livia began to wake.
After a minute of taking in their surroundings, the drowsiness vanished from their eyes.
"Leon?! Why are we outside? And where's the library?" Lara asked, wiggling around in his arms.
But Livia's voice was calmer. "Leon… is it a monster?" she asked, causing Lara to fall silent and follow her gaze.
Leon nodded, setting them down. All three turned their attention to the roiling cloud above.
After a quick explanation, both girls were caught up to speed.
Livia studied the sky for a moment before speaking.
"Up," she said simply.
"Up?" Lara repeated, confused.
Livia looked at Leon, hesitating briefly before continuing. "If you can get above the cloud and drop down through the middle, you won't get electrocuted," she said, gesturing with her hands.
"How do you know that?" Lara asked, skeptical.
"I can see it," Livia said flatly.
Before Lara could argue again, Leon stepped forward, rolling his shoulder and winding up his arm.
"Leon, are you really going?" Lara asked, her tone uncertain. "If you are… then I'm coming with you."
Livia frowned, crossing her arms. "That's fine and all, but how exactly do you plan to get up there?"
«Why don't you just fly?» Al remarked, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Huh?!" Leon exclaimed
---
Meanwhile, far above them, the Thunderbird prepared its next attack.
Its first strike had failed—a fact that deeply unsettled the beast. Leon was stronger than expected, and the Thunderbird knew it.
In truth, that was why it had come.
When Leon awakened earlier, the burst of energy he released had acted like a beacon—drawing every nearby monster. Those that weren't terrified had been intrigued. The Thunderbird was one of the latter.
Following its instincts, it had easily found the source: a massive building radiating power. Multiple life signatures inside made it assume they were all prey huddling together. So it unleashed its strongest attack—to wipe them all out in one blow.
But the prey escaped.
Now, its body pulsed faintly with electricity as it struggled to recharge. Most of its mana had been consumed by that first strike, leaving it temporarily weakened—but not for long.
The humans below hadn't moved.
A low rumble rolled through the clouds as the Thunderbird gathered power again. Tendrils of lightning crawled across its wings and chest. The storm darkened, arcs of blue-white energy converging in front of its beak.
It tilted its head downward, eyes scanning the ground—and froze.
Its prey… was flying straight toward it.
---
Ten minutes earlier…
"What? I can fly?" Leon asked, disbelief thick in his voice.
«You're basically a dragon and a vampire. Of course you can fly,» Al replied dryly.
"Well then, how do I do it?" Leon asked after a pause.
(A/N: Leon and Al are communicating mentally, in case you were wondering.)
«Simple. Focus. Think about what you want to do—and your body will respond.»
Following Al's instructions, Leon closed his eyes and imagined soaring into the sky—high above the clouds, weightless and free.
"Leon…" Lara's voice broke his concentration.
[You have understood 2% of your powers.]
When he opened his eyes, he was hovering a few inches off the ground. Blood-red, scaly wings had unfurled from his back, their motion smooth and powerful as they beat the air.
Lara's eyes widened, her lips parting in awe. "Leon… your back…"
He turned his head slightly and caught the shimmer of the crimson dragon wings in his peripheral vision—majestic, almost ethereal. Each beat of those wings sent pulses through the air, stirring dust and loose gravel around his feet.
He looked down at Lara and Livia—both staring up at him as if he'd just defied the laws of nature.
"Catch," he said, tossing the mana core toward Livia, who barely managed to grab it.
He tested the wings, realizing he could control them as naturally as his own arms.
Just as he was about to take off, he felt a tug. He turned—and saw Lara clutching his torn shirt, refusing to let go.
"Lara?" Leon asked, confused, as she tightened the straps on her roller skates.
"I'm coming with you," she said firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Leon just stared at her—wings half-spread, expression blank. "Eh?"
She folded her arms, trapping one of his hands between her breasts as she glared up at him. "Yes. I'm not letting you go up there alone."
For a moment, he said nothing—just looked at her. The determination in her eyes, the stubborn tilt of her chin… yeah, she was serious. Or at least, trying to be.
He chuckled softly.
And before Lara could process it, Leon leaned in—and kissed her.
It wasn't long, but it was enough to completely scramble every thought in her head. Her mind blanked, her body froze, and for a second, all she could do was stare—wide-eyed and blushing furiously.
When Leon pulled away, he gave her a half-smile.
"Stay here. I'll be right back," he said quietly.
Lara blinked, still processing. "Huh?"
But Leon had already turned away. His wings flared open, a burst of crimson light surrounding him as he launched into the sky.
The wind hit Lara's face, snapping her out of her trance. Realization dawned.
"Huh—" she started, then her expression twisted into outrage. "Leon!! Ugh, you idiot!" she shouted, stomping her feet and shaking the ground with tiny tremors.
"Give it up, sis," Livia said, patting her head. "Unless you suddenly sprout wings like our husband, there's no way you can help him." Her tone was calm, almost teasing.
But that only made things worse.
Because a few seconds later, Lara's expression shifted—from irritation to realization.
She turned, grabbed Livia by the shoulders, and beamed.
"You're right! I can count on you!" she said, hugging her tightly before letting go.
Leaving Livia standing there—blinking in confusion.
"Huh?!"
--------------------------------------
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