The basilisk's final scream tore through the mountain air.
It wasn't a simple cry of death as it was primal, ragged, soaked in agony so deep it made the wind itself hesitate.
Klaus's head snapped toward the echo. His hand brushed the hilt of his weapon, eyes narrowing like a predator scenting wounded prey.
Sofie slowed beside him."That… wasn't normal."
Klaus didn't answer. His boots crunched over loose gravel, pace quickening with every step. The killing intent rolling off him made the very air heavier, pressing against Sofie's chest.
She followed, her breathing shallow.
They rounded a bend, and the smell hit them thick, metallic, and scorching. Blood. Not just fresh… but burning.
Sofie covered her mouth as her eyes watered."What… is that smell?"
The trail ahead was littered with carnage. Splintered trees, boulders cleaved in half, and streaks of black-green ichor still sizzling where they had splashed.
Klaus's gaze swept the destruction like a blade as every detail sinking into him without a word.
Then they saw him.
Ryouma stood in the clearing, framed by the corpse of the basilisk.
The monster's skull was caved in, its massive jaw split clean in two. Steam rose from its carcass, blood pooling so thick it turned the ground into a crimson-black swamp.
Ryouma was drenched in gore, head to toe. His blade dripped lazily, like it had no idea the fight was over. His breathing was steady… almost calm.
Sofie froze, unable to look away from the sheer brutality.
Klaus didn't stop. He closed the distance, boots sinking slightly into the blood-soaked earth.
"...You enjoyed that," he said, voice low and cold.
Ryouma said nothing.
His silence pressed heavier than steel. Sofie shifted, glancing between them, feeling something unspoken coil tightly in the air.
The basilisk's corpse steamed behind them, its last traces of life fading into nothing.
Ryouma wiped the blade clean with a flick, the basilisk's blood spraying in a wide arc before spattering the rocks.
He glanced at Klaus and Sofie, his expression shifting from predatory to something almost casual.
"Well…" he said, rolling his shoulders as though the fight hadn't taken anything from him, "that was easier than I expected. The so-called second trial?" He let out a short laugh. "I'd call it a warm-up."
Sofie frowned. "Easy? That thing almost—"
"—Almost nothing," Ryouma interrupted, grin widening. "If this mountain's got more of those, I'll clear the path for you two."
Klaus didn't react. Not to the arrogance. Not to the mockery. His gaze stayed locked on Ryouma like a hunter weighing the range to his prey.
Ryouma noticed. Of course he noticed. And it only made his smile sharpen."Well then…" He turned away, starting up the path. "Shall we head for the finale?"
The air grew thinner as they ascended, wind cutting colder. The slope steepened, forcing their steps into a rhythm of crunching gravel and the occasional clink of gear.
No one spoke.
The mountain ahead loomed darker, the clouds curling around its peak like coiled serpents. Somewhere beyond that mist… the final trial awaited.
Sofie glanced at Klaus. His body language tight, every muscle ready. She realized then he wasn't just wary of the trials.
He was still watching Ryouma.
And Ryouma… was whistling.
The wind howled against the mountain cliffs, carrying the scent of stone, dust, and something far older.
Through the thinning mist, the silhouette of an ancient structure emerged a temple, its timbers rotted, its roof sagging under centuries of neglect.
Ryouma stepped forward first, brushing away decades of dust from the warped wooden sign.Faded characters revealed themselves: Ryugakuji Temple.
Klaus's eyes narrowed. "Ryugakuji…" He studied the temple, every instinct telling him something was wrong.Without a word, he stepped inside.
The air within was still, oppressive, as if time itself had been sealed away. Broken idols lined the walls, their once-sacred forms crumbling.And then Klaus felt it.
This was it.
He turned sharply, stepping back outside, startling Ryouma and Sofie.
"What's wrong?" Ryouma asked, feigning concern.
"This is it," Klaus said coldly. "There's no dragon here."
Ryouma's lips curled into a grin. "Well, that's where you're wrong, buddy."
He strode into the temple like a man coming home, his boots crunching on old wood, until he reached a weathered altar. From beneath its base, he pulled a small, lacquered box and revealed a single iron key blackened, ancient.
"The key to the Divine Dragon," he said with satisfaction.
Turning to them, his tone shifted—commanding, sharp. "Kneel. Follow my instructions."
Klaus's eyes narrowed further, every muscle tensed. Ryouma noticed and gave a low chuckle."Don't worry. I'm not gonna do anything…" His voice dropped to a whisper.
"Not yet."
Reluctantly, Klaus knelt. Sofie followed his lead, though her gaze flicked between the two men.
"Alright," Ryouma continued, pointing at the central idol a towering, half-shattered carving of a dragon, its features worn smooth by time. "This was made by the villagers long ago and..."
"And?" Klaus asked flatly.
"And," Ryouma said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "we pray. And then we see the Divine Dragon."
Klaus didn't like it, but he went along, motioning for Sofie to do the same.
"We hold hands," Ryouma instructed. "Close your eyes. Breathe in… and out. Clear your mind. Let everything go."
The world shifted.
A sensation like falling and floating all at once gripped them. Their skin prickled with static, and the sound of the wind vanished.
When they opened their eyes, the mountain temple was gone.
They stood upon a vast, endless sea of clouds. Pale light bathed the expanse, and twisted, skeletal trees rose from the mist, their limbs reaching like frozen lightning toward the heavens.
No movement. No sound. Only the weight of something watching.
Ryouma smirked. "Well, what did I say, Klaus? Myths can be busted… can't they?" He gave a slow wink.
Klaus didn't answer. Sofie didn't breathe.
Because whatever this place was… it was real.
And the Dragon Heritage… could be obtained.
The clouded expanse seemed endless until it wasn't.
They climbed further, passing through twisted trees and columns of light, until a shadow loomed ahead.
And then they saw it.
The Divine Dragon.
It stood upon a shattered plateau of clouds and light, wings of crystal feathers unfurled, its head lifted toward the heavens. Even in stillness, its presence crushed the air, a weight upon the soul itself.
Ryouma stepped forward, his hand sliding to the hilt strapped across his back.With
deliberate calm, he drew it not a blade, but a crystal-encased hilt.
Crack.
Fractures spiderwebbed across the gem, white light leaking through.
Klaus's voice was low, warning. "Is that a good idea?"
Ryouma's grin was near-manic. "We're about to find out."
The last shard of crystal broke away
The air changed instantly.
It thickened, heavy and electric, carrying a chill that bit into bone. Each breath clawed at their lungs, the taste of ozone and ancient frost lacing the air. The sound was gone, replaced by a deep, resonant hum that wasn't heard so much as felt in the marrow.
And then… it moved.
From the veil of light and frost, the true form emerged.
Feathers like frozen blades cascaded down its back, each shimmering with veins of pale lightning. Its eyes, vast and ancient, burned with a cold fire as they swept over the intruders.
Finally, it stepped forward, talons sinking into the clouded ground with the weight of a mountain.
The Divine Dragon had awakened.
---
The Divine Dragon's shadow swallowed them whole. Every movement of its wings stirred cyclones, each breath a rolling wave of frost and lightning.
Ryouma's eyes never left the beast as he spoke, voice steady despite the monstrous presence before them."Alright, you two target its legs. Bring it down."
Klaus narrowed his eyes. "What about you?"
That grin spread across Ryouma's face again, sharp and wild."Well…" he tilted his head toward the dragon's massive head, "…I'll fight it head on."
Before Klaus could reply, Ryouma's figure blurred—and vanished—his presence evaporating into the storm.
Sofie glanced at Klaus, tension in her voice. "What do we do?"
Klaus's jaw tightened, his gaze locked on the towering legs of the beast."Right now, we focus on one thing at a time. We get the legs. We weaken it somehow."
The Divine Dragon's talons cracked the ground like thunder as it shifted. The air burned with the scent of ozone.
"But…" Klaus's voice dropped lower, sharper. "As soon as we do kill it, I want you to go and get the tears."
Sofie blinked. "What about Ryouma?"
Klaus's eyes were cold steel now, his voice leaving no room for doubt."I'll handle him. Now—GO!"
Without another word, Sofie's palms ignited, streaks of molten fire curling into the sky as she sprinted for the nearest leg. Klaus followed, lightning sparking across his arms, his blade humming with barely-contained voltage.
Above them, a roar split the heavens. The fight had begun.