Charles felt completely renewed.
If, before, his flames had been mere soldiers under his command, now they were his limbs—his hands and feet.
Even his magic seemed to have undergone a metamorphosis, becoming more active and alive.
Despite his current condition being far from ideal, Charles launched a direct attack on Ignia.
Naturally, Ignia didn't back down and met him head-on.
The stunning orange-and-white flames abruptly shrank, concentrating entirely in Charles's palm.
"Flame Dragon's Wing Blade!"
This wasn't a move passed down by Igneel—it was a technique Charles had developed himself after mastering the power of flame.
His knife-hand slashed at incredible speed in an arc, landing squarely on Ignia's chest.
Ignia's pupils widened for a split second—he hadn't expected such a powerful blow.
The moment the strike landed, the flames exploded outward, blasting through Ignia's back.
Wrapped in those flames, Charles's palm truly became a blade—this was the first time since the start of the battle that Ignia's defenses were utterly destroyed.
The flame imbued with the concept of incandescence carried extreme temperatures—hot enough to pierce even Ignia's dragonscale-forged skin.
Ignia staggered back two steps, thick, molten dragon blood gushing to the ground, burning through even the real lava below.
Despite the injury, Ignia was thrilled. Mimicking Charles, he swung his own knife-hand.
Charles's defenses couldn't withstand the all-consuming fire either—a deep gash split across his chest and abdomen.
Charles had grown stronger, and precisely because of that, the battle had become all the more brutal. That exchange of blows was only the beginning. They clashed again.
As the fight escalated, both the man and the dragon accumulated wounds rapidly, blood splattering around them like it cost nothing.
Blood from Ignia's forehead ran into his eye, but he didn't seem to notice as he hammered a punch into Charles's gut.
Charles retaliated with a kick to Ignia's body, knocking them both back.
Wiping the blood from his chin, Ignia grinned. "Haven't asked yet—this little visit isn't just to pick a fight, is it? Go on, what do you want?"
Charles wiped the blood from his own mouth and replied, "You haven't won yet. Bit early for that, don't you think?"
Ignia laughed. "Fair enough. In that case, let's pause the fun for now. Don't worry—I won't kill you this time. You've still got room to grow.
Next time, let's fight for real, at full power."
Charles smirked. "You talk like you've already won."
Ignia spread his arms wide. "Obviously. I'm surprised you made it this far, but right now, the gap between us is one you still can't cross."
Charles stood tall. "Is that so? I don't think so."
Flames of two colors reignited. Choosing [Warrior] as his development ability had been the right call—no matter how injured, no matter how near exhaustion, Charles's fire still burned hot, fueled by unyielding will.
His flames took the shape of a massive dragon, wings spread in a sky-shaking roar, before converging into his hands.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Crimson Lotus Exploding Flame Blade!"
"A Secret Art, huh?" Ignia gathered deep crimson fire around his arms and said coldly, "Just a human imitation of our power."
Charles said nothing. He hurled his completed fire spiral at Ignia.
Ignia likewise unleashed a compressed fire blast. The two forces collided with a deafening roar.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The clash of flames triggered a massive chain reaction. Beneath the volcanic range, vast amounts of magma flowed—and their power ignited it all.
Lava erupted, hurling both man and dragon into the sky.
Charles landed on a shattered chunk of ground, eyes locked on Ignia, who had also been thrown into the air.
"Passed down from Igneel—Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Shiranui Form: Crimson Lotus Phoenix Blade!"
Fire wrapped around Charles's body, forming blazing wings. He soared through the sky, body like the tip of a longsword, shooting straight at Ignia.
Ignia had barely adjusted his posture mid-air before Charles slammed directly into his chest.
A mouthful of blood sprayed from Ignia's mouth. Before he could be launched any higher, he countered with an elbow to Charles's back, smashing him down to the earth.
Charles crashed into the ground, sending lava flying—but he immediately steadied himself as flames surged around him again.
Truly worthy of being the Flame Dragon God—even after taking two of Charles's Secret Arts, he wasn't down. He still had the strength to fight.
Gritting his teeth, Charles squeezed out the last of his magic. He hadn't had such a tough battle in a long time. The sensation of magical exhaustion was rare for him.
But Ignia stood right there. Charles wasn't ready to lose yet.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Modified—Purgatory Flame Dragon Spear!"
Flames compressed into his palm, forming a blazing spear.
Gripping it tightly, Charles's arm bulged with effort. He hurled the spear skyward at Ignia.
Legend told of the Norse God Odin's divine spear, Gungnir, forged from a branch of the World Tree. Once thrown, it would always strike its mark.
Its name meant "Spear of the Meteor," as it streaked through the sky like a falling star.
And Charles's fire spear, thrown now, mirrored that legend.
Even Ignia sensed the threat—but he had no time to react. The flame spear pierced straight through his body.
This was a Secret Art Charles had developed himself—an expression of his complete understanding of Flame Dragon Slayer magic.
Even Ignia, struck by it, plummeted from the sky into the lava below.
But Charles, having used it, dropped to one knee, completely spent.
The lava erupted. A dragon wing burst from within—and the massive crimson dragon crawled out of the molten sea.
Clearly, Charles's attack had worked—Ignia had been forced back into his dragon form.
One claw slammed into the ground in front of Charles as Ignia lowered his head. "Didn't think you'd push me this far."
Charles, trembling, stood up—and smiled. "We're not done. In fact, this is the part that matters most."
Ignia looked confused—then sensed something.
He looked down and quickly found the source of the magical fluctuation: six silver-white metal rods embedded around him, each engraved with intricate patterns.
A complex magic circle formed beneath him, using the rods as anchor points. Crimson magic chains extended from it, wrapping around Ignia's body.
"Damn it! What are you doing?!"
Ignia struggled. He broke one chain—only for several more to replace it.
This magic circle used the entire volcanic region as a foundation. In other words, the power binding Ignia came from the volcano's natural magic itself.
Under normal circumstances, not even the power of an entire mountain range could bind Ignia. But he was heavily wounded—breaking free would take time.
Charles downed several potions, then limped up to Ignia and said, "Sorry, but I need to borrow a bit of your power."
From his ring, he took out a magic device shaped like an octahedron.
He twisted the center slightly—and the device floated into the air, hovering in front of Ignia.
The eight triangular plates split open, revealing a transparent crystal at the center.
Red gas-like energy began seeping from Ignia's wounds—especially the one that had been pierced—and was drawn through the metal plates into the central crystal.
Ignia gave up struggling. Instead, he looked at Charles with interest. "You're extracting my power? I don't know what you're planning, but… you'll get stronger from this, won't you?"
Charles smiled. "That's right. You asked me what my goal was—this is it."
Ignia's voice turned cold. "You've got guts for a mere human. Fine—take it. Grow stronger, and next time we meet, fight like hell to stay alive.
Because next time… I will kill you."
Charles showed no fear at the threat. "I'll get stronger, but I won't die. Next time, I'll defeat you—the real you, at full power."
Ignia grinned wickedly but didn't reply. He simply closed his eyes.
As they spoke, the transparent crystal gradually turned crimson. Once it was fully saturated, the eight metal plates dissolved into powder and vanished.
Charles grabbed the crystal, then summoned his shikigami, Zhongming.
Climbing onto its back, he glanced down at Ignia one last time and said, "Farewell. We will meet again."
Zhongming spread its wings and soared into the sky.
Ignia opened his eyes, watching Charles shrink into a black dot on the horizon.
Then, extending one of his massive wings, he shattered a wide swath of the binding magic chains.
(End of Chapter)
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