Great Fire Kingdom – Training Grounds
Suddenly, Infernos grabbed his sword, stopping the two in their tracks. His eyes blazed with anger.
"You idiots! If you want to fight with all your power, go somewhere else! You've destroyed the training ground!"
Ryu and Azo looked around. Dust and debris filled the once-pristine arena—it was completely ruined.
Ryu laughed nervously.
"Sorry, Infernos… we didn't realize."
Infernos turned toward the palace, giving them his back, then slowly glanced over his shoulder, eyes sharp with lethal intent.
"Be careful. Otherwise… you will witness true hell."
Ryu shivered, a chill crawling down his spine. Fear gripped him.
Azo, on the other hand, stared back at Infernos coldly, unafraid of anything.
Infernos smirked slightly, then departed.
Azo muttered, "What was that all about? We were just training."
Ryu shook his head.
"Don't worry about it. I think I should find Rin."
---
High above on the palace roof, Rin was lying down, casually eating popcorn. He raised a hand.
"I'm here!"
Ryu's eyes widened.
"Rin! How long have you been here?"
Rin sat up, confident.
"Since the beginning of your fight with… uh… what's his name again?"
"His name is Azo."
"Right… since the beginning of your fight with him."
Ryu frowned.
"But I didn't sense you. Even Infernos didn't notice anything."
Rin ignored him and turned toward Azo.
"Tell me. Where did you come from? Who are you?"
Azo's crimson eyes gleamed.
"My name is Azo. 'Azo, the Dimensional Destroyer.' I come from the kingdom of Eldora."
Rin blinked.
"Eldora? I've never heard of that kingdom!"
Azo smirked.
"Eldora is a prosperous kingdom, beyond imagination. I was created there by a man. Initially, I was considered the weakest weapon in that kingdom, so I left to grow stronger. But in truth… I was still the weakest."
Ryu stared, shocked.
"What?? Weakest weapon? Created by a man? Wait… how do you have consciousness? And how can the 'weakest' weapon destroy an entire solar system?"
Azo's expression darkened slightly.
"Eldora is a kingdom of unimaginable advancement, the pinnacle of human evolution. There are many weapons like me that evolved so far they nearly became human! They create artificial life! Humans there are closer to absolute beings than ordinary mortals. Their understanding of the universe is beyond comprehension—they have grasped the universe itself. That is where I was made."
Rin's brow furrowed.
"Sounds like a truly advanced kingdom… So, where is it located?"
Azo opened his mouth to speak.
"It's located in—"
Before he could finish, his body collapsed to the ground, returning to his original form.
Ryu panicked.
"Azo! What happened? Are you alright?"
"System, scan him!"
System: "It appears he was disabled for a fixed duration."
Ryu's eyes widened.
"What? Disabled? What do you mean?"
System: "When he tried to reveal the location of that kingdom, he was forcibly suppressed. Someone doesn't want us to know where it is."
A moment later, Azo regained his human form.
"What happened?"
Rin's voice was cold as he turned to leave.
"Don't remember anything?"
Azo blinked.
"Remember what?"
Rin replied calmly, walking away.
"Nothing… never mind."
---
Ten days later, Ryu had evolved significantly. Under Infernos' training, he had gained numerous new abilities.
One day, Ryu and Infernos were on a hunting mission in the snow-covered forest. On their way back, a massive dragon appeared—a colossal beast nearly 4 kilometers in length, pure white with wings encrusted in blue ice crystals.
The dragon slammed its massive foot down, sending a destructive shockwave toward Ryu.
Ryu bent his body just in time, narrowly avoiding the attack. Behind them, the forest had been obliterated, trees shattered in a display of raw power.
The dragon gave him no time to prepare an attack. As it reared its head back, another strike came hurtling toward him—a beam of blinding energy from its mouth.
"Damn!" Ryu shouted.
He couldn't dodge in time.
Suddenly, Infernos appeared, stepping directly in the path of the attack. His sword slowly emerged from its sheath, glowing with a menacing light.
With a single sweeping strike, Infernos cut the dragon—and its attack—in half. His slash didn't just sever the dragon, it split the sky itself.
---
To be continued…