The sky above the Obsidian Deadzone cracked.
Black lightning danced across the clouds as a crimson storm began to gather. The ground trembled beneath their feet. From the shadows, figures emerged—cloaked in black ash, faces hidden behind dragon-bone masks.
The Ashborn Cult had arrived.
Kaien drew his sword, now blazing brighter than ever. His awakened dragon aura shimmered around him like a coiled serpent of flame.
"They're not waiting for the final trial," he muttered. "They've come to end it now."
Beside him, Yuki stepped forward, her new Crystalline Frostblade gleaming with runes of protection and vengeance.
Reizo unsheathed his twin wind fans. "We've got ten cultists incoming—each one packed with corrupted spirit energy."
Baran cracked his knuckles, grinning. "I've been waiting all trial to punch a real enemy."
Akari's flames flared. "Let's see if they can handle phoenix fire."
The First Clash — Cult of Ashborn vs. Clan Heirs
The first wave struck.
Shadowfire bolts hissed through the air. Baran raised a stone wall just in time to deflect them.
Three cultists lunged toward Kaien. He spun, unleashing his signature attack:
"Dragon Fang Strike — Third Form: Spiral Blaze!"
He whirled into a vortex of fire, slashing in circles, flames coiling like a dragon tornado. The cultists screamed as their robes ignited, consumed by holy flame.
Meanwhile, Reizo danced through the battlefield, wind slicing enemies in half, his fans whistling like blades in a hurricane.
Akari and Yuki fought back-to-back, one fire, one ice—spinning, slashing, freezing, burning.
This wasn't a test anymore. It was war.
The Traitor Among Them
In the chaos, Kaien spotted a strange glow from behind their line. A cultivator—one of the other survivors—had stepped away from the group.
His aura pulsed black.
Yuki noticed too. "Wait—he's not one of ours…"
The boy turned slowly. He had silver hair and serpent-like eyes. The symbol of the Ashborn burned into his neck.
"You all played your parts beautifully," he said with a smirk. "But the prophecy only needs one heir. And I'm here to erase the rest."
He raised his hand.
The ground ruptured as an obsidian serpent, the size of a wagon, burst from the earth and lunged at Kaien.
Reizo shoved Kaien aside at the last second, taking the brunt of the blow. He hit the rock hard, groaning, blood trickling down his temple.
Kaien's eyes blazed with fury. "You betrayed us…!"
The traitor laughed. "I was never one of you. I was born of ash. My blood burns for our king."
Kaien Awakens the Second Seal
Kaien stood over Reizo, trembling with rage. Around him, his aura pulsed like a furnace losing control.
He dropped his sword.
And then—his eyes turned gold.
The golden scale on his chest expanded—crawling across his shoulder, etching glowing runes down his arm.
His voice deepened, echoing with a second layer—the Dragon King's spirit resonating through him.
"Seal Two… Released."
Golden wings burst from his back—translucent, spiritual, but wide and majestic. Fire wrapped around his arms, and his pupils became slitted.
The traitor hesitated for the first time.
Kaien launched forward like a comet.
"Dragon Fang Strike — Fourth Form: Skybreaker Talon!"
He slashed downward with both hands, golden fire exploding from his strike like a divine eruption. The obsidian serpent shattered into flaming shards. The traitor screamed, barely escaping with his life as his arm was torn off in the blast.
Kaien landed hard, smoke rising around him.
The Battle Ends — For Now
The remaining cultists retreated, dragging the traitor away through a portal of black flame.
Akari ran to Reizo, stabilizing him with healing fire. "Idiot—why'd you take that hit?"
Reizo smirked weakly. "Because I'm charming."
Baran sat on a broken boulder, breathing heavily. "We won. But that wasn't the final fight."
Yuki helped Kaien to his feet. She looked at him differently now—not with suspicion, but with… certainty.
"You didn't just fight like a dragon," she said softly. "You fought like a leader."
Kaien didn't answer. The fire was still burning in his veins, but not just from power.
From fear.
Because when he unlocked the second seal… he'd felt something else.
A whisper inside his mind.
"One more seal… and I awaken fully. You and I will become one, Kaien."
A Final Message from the Keeper
Above them, the Keeper's flame projection returned—this time fainter, flickering.
"Those who still stand… you are the final contenders.The Gate to the Sanctuary will open at dawn.There… your true destinies await."
The fire faded.
Yuki looked to the horizon. "The Final Trial… begins tomorrow."
Kaien nodded slowly.
They had survived betrayal, beasts, and the shadows of the past.
But what awaited beyond the gate… could reshape the world.