Lyra couldn't understand what had just happened. She was as shocked as everyone else… but at least it worked in their favor. Using her new power, she restored the air the dragon had stolen.
Raym rose on his own...
His body rose… but his spirit lagged behind, as if a part of him was still kneeling before a truth he refused to accept...
The chaos still lingered in his mind. He clenched his fist, then looked at Araki, who seemed to be enjoying everything. After that, he turned to the dragon and whispered:
"Sir Lonz… I'm sorry for what I'm about to do."
His fingers trembled around the hilt—not out of fear of battle, but fear of the answer waiting at the end of that strike...
He launched his new attack.For a moment, he hesitated… but for the first time, he did not give in to his emotions.
The attack struck the dragon hard.It roared again—this time in pain.Lonz's voice could clearly be heard within the scream.
Raym froze, then dropped to his knees...
That voice… wasn't a monster's cry...It was the voice of a man he knew well—the man who once gave him hope when everyone else saw him as a burden... as a nothing...
The upper head looked exactly like Sir Lonz's… and the sight only deepened his fear and sorrow....
The dragon grabbed him...
Vail rushed forward, but the dragon knocked him away with its remaining arms.Raym stood face to face with the creature… yet it did not harm him.
Instead, it screamed wildly—then released him. Raym noticed the Lonz-like face… crying.
He wasn't ready for this....
If this were a normal battle, he would have raised his sword without hesitation...But what stood before him now wasn't an enemy… it was a memory that breathed and screamed...
Vail seized the moment....
and leapt into the air, shouting:
"Nine Flame Arts… Fourth Form: Dragon Blaze!!!"
Flames spiraled around him like a burning storm, then took the shape of a massive fire dragon that crashed into the grotesque creature.
Fire exploded in every direction, engulfing the monster's body.A terrible scream echoed through the chamber—half beast, half human… as if Lonz's own soul was crying from within...
But through the smoke—
The dragon's jaw suddenly split open.
Its massive, uneven fangs lunged toward Vail.
There was no time to escape.
The jaws snapped shut around him like an iron trap.Huge, crooked teeth dug into his armor and flesh.
But Vail did not scream...
His body ignited like a burning coal in the darkness.Heat surged outward, and the flesh inside the dragon's mouth began to char.
The monster trembled violently...
It released a deafening roar—this time, pure agony.Blackened chunks of flesh fell away, and the stench of burning meat filled the air.
The dragon tried to open its mouth—but Vail pushed back with all his strength.
His flames burned hotter… and hotter…until even his own body began to suffer.
Cracks spread across his skin, and red steam rose from his flesh.Yet his eyes remained calm...
Then suddenly—the yellow eye inside the jaw opened and stared directly at him.
It wasn't just a gaze.
It was pressure.A crushing, invisible weight.
The flames around his body began to weaken, as if something was draining their heat.
Vail's eyes trembled for a moment—but he clenched his teeth...
At that instant, Raym dashed forward and severed the dragon's tail.
The monster recoiled and released its jaws.Vail fell to the ground, breathing heavily.
Smoke rose from his back—his skin nearly burned away.
He forced himself to stand, barely able to stay upright.
But his eyes weren't on the dragon…They were only on Raym.
He said nothing.
Yet his gaze spoke louder than words.
The dragon staggered back, as if something inside it had regained control over its twisted body.
Its erratic movements stopped.The yellow eye locked onto Raym.
The human limbs on its body began to tremble… then slowly pulled inward, sinking into the grotesque flesh.Pink, unnatural spirals of energy began to form around it.
It wasn't fire.It wasn't air.
It was something else.
Distorted energy… pulsing… like a mixture of pain and rage.
The dragon lifted slightly off the ground, but its body was unstable.It twisted in midair like a living meteor that didn't know its own direction.
Its jaws opened wide—so wide it looked as if its body might split apart.
The yellow eye inside its mouth expanded, and pink light gathered in its throat, spinning like a miniature storm.
From afar, Araki smirked."Oh… this looks interesting."
Suddenly—
The spirals wrapped around the dragon's entire body.It spun faster and faster.
It no longer looked like a living creature…
But like a twisted meteor—a writhing mass of flesh, teeth, and pink energy.
It shot toward Raym at terrifying speed.
It wasn't just an attack...
It was like the final scream of a body that couldn't endure its own existence.
It crashed down before him—
And a violent explosion erupted.
The ground shook...The ceiling cracked...Chunks of stone rained down everywhere...
Araki glanced around and muttered,"Hm… trapping it in a small place wasn't the best idea. This whole area is about to collapse… but I won't leave until I get what I want."
As the dust slowly cleared—
The scene became visible.
It wasn't Raym who had taken the blow...
It was Vail...
He stood in front of him, his back completely torn and burned,having absorbed the impact...
He dropped to his knees, breathing heavily,blood dripping from his scorched body.
It was the first time he had ever seen his master's back… look this fragile...And he hated that feeling—because it meant no one would save him this time...
Lyra rushed toward them, her hands trembling. She closed her eyes for a second… then slowly raised her palm...Gentle currents of air began to swirl around Vail, easing the heat of his body and clearing the smoke from his face...She spoke in a fragile voice, trying to stay strong:"I… won't just stand and watch anymore… even if all I can give you is one more breath."
Raym stood before him and Lyra, placing a hand on Vail and easing his pain with light...
Then he stepped forward like a shield...
Lyra whispered as she looked at Raym's glowing back:"Raym… don't disappear too…"
"Sir Vail… you've protected me enough...Now it's my turn to protect you..."
these are the words Raym spoke after his patience had reached its limit...
His eyes burned with painful determination...He raised his sword toward Araki, wrapped in radiant light...
Then he faced the dragon once more...
"Sir Lonz… you helped me become who I am...Just wait… I will save you..."
The strange thing was that it limited his decisions...which made his emotions the controlling factor... was gone...In its place stood something heavier—something born from pain, not hope...