Rain crashed against the rooftop endlessly.
Thunder growled across the sky while Vincent struggled to stand after Ren slammed him against the wall. Cracks spread across the concrete behind him from the force alone.
"You people…" Ren said quietly, his voice shaking with anger, "…never know when to stop."
Vincent wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and laughed weakly.
"There it is… the rage of Kaelvar's bloodline."
Wrong thing to say.
The air exploded.
BOOM.
A violent pressure burst from Ren so suddenly that everyone staggered backward. Rainwater around his feet rippled outward like shockwaves.
His eyes began glowing.
Bright blue.
Cold.
Predatory.
The rooftop lights flickered violently.
Lilia's breath caught instantly.
"…Ren?"
The shadow behind him stretched unnaturally across the rooftop floor.
At first—
It was the wolf.
Massive jaws.
Glowing eyes.
A terrifying beast towering behind its prince.
Kaito physically stumbled backward. "WHY DOES HIS SHADOW HAVE PHASES?!"
Even Sayaka looked shaken now.
Leo lowered his head slightly.
"…Young master…"
But then—
The wolf shadow changed.
The darkness twisted violently.
The wolf's body expanded larger… and larger… until its shape no longer resembled any ordinary creature.
Massive wings unfolded from the shadows.
Ancient horns curved toward the storm-filled sky.
Scales formed from pure darkness itself.
And then—
Two enormous glowing blue eyes opened behind Ren.
Everyone froze.
The rooftop trembled.
A gigantic dragon silhouette towered over the entire structure, its body stretching into the storm clouds themselves.
The pressure became overwhelming.
Ancient.
Divine.
The Dragon God Kelvar.
Even the rain seemed to hesitate beneath its presence.
Kaito's voice cracked completely.
"…Nope. Nope. I officially quit this anime."
Sayaka couldn't even speak.
Leo…
Leo was visibly trembling.
Actually trembling.
Vincent too.
For the first time since appearing—
Fear crossed his face.
"…Impossible…" Vincent whispered.
The dragon shadow slowly lowered its massive head behind Ren like a guardian beast protecting its ruler.
Then it roared.
The sound shook the entire rooftop.
Windows shattered across nearby buildings.
The storm clouds above split apart briefly from the pressure alone.
Lilia instinctively covered her ears.
Kaito nearly collapsed. "THAT'S NOT A SHADOW ANYMORE THAT'S A NATURAL DISASTER!"
The glowing blue eyes of the dragon locked onto Vincent.
And suddenly—
Even breathing became difficult.
Vincent took an actual step backward.
"The Dragon God…" he whispered shakily. "It chose him…"
Leo slowly lowered himself onto one knee.
Not out of fear alone.
Out of instinct.
Like a servant standing before a king chosen by something beyond human understanding.
"The legends were true…" Leo muttered.
Ren stood motionless in the center of it all.
Rain poured down his blood-stained clothes while the glowing blue eyes reflected the dragon behind him.
For a moment—
He didn't even look human anymore.
More like a ruler born from myth itself.
Vincent stared at him in disbelief.
"The kingdom feared this power for generations…" he whispered. "A ruler chosen by Kelvar himself…"
Ren slowly stepped forward.
CRACK.
The rooftop floor split beneath him.
The dragon shadow moved with him, massive glowing eyes watching everything like a god awakened from ancient sleep.
"You hunted me," Ren said coldly.
Another step.
"You threatened the people near me."
Another crack split the rooftop.
"And now…"
The dragon behind him opened its jaws slowly.
Blue light glowed deep within the shadow's throat.
Vincent's face finally lost all confidence.
Because for the first time—
He realized Ren could actually destroy him.
Then—
"Ren!"
Lilia's voice echoed through the storm.
Silence.
The dragon shadow paused instantly.
Everyone looked toward her.
Despite trembling…
Despite the terrifying pressure crushing the rooftop…
She still walked toward him.
Toward the prince.
Toward the dragon.
Leo immediately panicked.
"Princess, don't go near him right now!"
But she ignored him.
Step by step, she approached Ren until she stood directly before him.
The glowing blue eyes slowly turned toward her.
Lilia swallowed nervously.
Even she was scared.
Not of him hurting her.
But of how alone he looked standing there beneath that monstrous shadow.
So softly—
She reached out.
And grabbed his hand.
The moment she touched him—
The dragon froze.
The violent pressure around the rooftop cracked apart slowly.
The glowing eyes of Kelvar dimmed slightly.
Lilia looked directly at Ren.
"…You're not alone anymore," she whispered.
Silence.
Then slowly…
Very slowly…
The dragon shadow faded into the rain.
The glowing blue in Ren's eyes disappeared.
The storm-like pressure vanished.
And suddenly—
Ren looked exhausted.
Human again.
He stared silently at his own shaking hands while rain dripped from his face.
Meanwhile everyone else remained frozen.
Because nothing—
Absolutely nothing—
Could erase what they had just seen.
The Dragon God Kelvar had chosen Ren as its master.