The last echoes of battle faded into the steam and stone of Mount Eldo. The hissing vents quieted to a low murmur, as if the mountain itself were holding its breath after the clash.
Kaison's heartbeat still pounded in his ears. His arm ached from the strain of chaining and reshaping the seal's power so quickly. He could feel the dull throb of exhaustion running down his shoulders, like someone had poured molten lead into his muscles.
Alice stood a few feet away, breathing hard but still steady on her feet. Her white dragon seal's glow was faint now, like embers cooling after a long burn. She wiped a trickle of blood from her cheek without breaking eye contact with the slope where the Void agent had disappeared.
Rias descended the ridge, boots striking the rock with the confidence of someone who'd been fighting since before either of them was born. The green-black glow of her Jade Black Dragon Emperor seal faded as she approached.
Her gaze swept over Kaison first, then Alice. "Neither of you are dead. That's a start."
Kaison smirked faintly, though it was more reflex than humor. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"You shouldn't need it," Rias replied, matter-of-fact. She came to a stop between them, her tone softening just enough to sound almost… familial. "I wasn't planning to tell you this so soon, but after what just happened—there's no choice and now even Alice is also dragged in this mess."
Alice straightened slightly, sensing the weight in her voice. "Tell us what?"
Rias turned her gaze to the horizon for a moment, as if measuring the right place to begin. The low, mechanical hum of the steam vents filled the pause.
"You two," she said finally, "were always meant to be partnered together."
Both Kaison and Alice blinked.
"…What?" they said in unison.
Rias folded her arms. "Every Seal Bearer is assigned a partner once they're strong enough. It's not just for teamwork—it's because certain seals can undergo *fusion*. When two compatible seals are linked, their power doesn't just add—it multiplies. The attacks become heavier, more destructive… or more defensive, depending on the combination. In your case, Benson's aptitude tests confirmed it."
Kaison frowned, recalling the day of the ceremony. Benson, the stoic old examiner with eyes like polished steel, had barely said a word afterward. Just a nod and a scribble in his logbook.
Rias continued, "Your Chain Seal is unique, Kaison. It's not just a weapon—it's a framework. It can bind, carry, and channel other powers through it. The White Dragon Emperor Seal Alice bears is all about concentrated bursts of elemental force. The two of you together…" Her eyes narrowed with a faint, approving gleam. "...would be devastating."
Alice tilted her head slightly toward Kaison. "So I'm supposed to feed my dragon's breath through your chains?"
"That's one way to put it," Rias said. "But seal fusion is dangerous. You're not just linking abilities—you're linking willpower. If either of you falters, the fusion collapses, and the feedback can cripple both of you. That's why I wanted to wait until you were both stronger before telling you. A weak Seal Bearer cannot handle the strain. They freeze up. They die."
Her voice sharpened on the last words.
Kaison folded his arms. "So you were just going to spring this on us later?"
"Yes," Rias said bluntly. "Because until now, you've both been focused on learning your own seals. If I'd told you sooner, you'd have been distracted by the idea of relying on each other instead of mastering yourselves. And with the Void targeting us…"
Her expression darkened. "…We can't afford to have either of you underperform."
Alice's eyes narrowed. "You're speaking like this isn't just about us."
Rias looked at her. "It isn't. You both know the name *Sea Dragon Manor*."
Kaison's brow furrowed. He'd heard it before in hushed tones—an old fortress built on the ocean's edge, locked by ancient magic, its gates sealed for centuries.
Rias' voice was low now, but every word carried the weight of stone. "In that manor lies something that must never be unsealed. A beast—born before our empires, before the seals themselves. A creature so fierce it took the Revolutionary Staks Haze and seven other Seal Bearers to bring it down. They fought for three days without pause. Entire coastal cities burned in the wake of its rage before they finally locked it away."
Kaison exhaled slowly. "And Void wants it."
"They believe if they can gather the right seals, they can open the manor and release it," Rias said. "They think they can *control* it. They're wrong."
Alice's tone was skeptical. "If it's so dangerous, why not destroy it?"
"It can't be destroyed," Rias said simply. "Its core is beyond the reach of death as we know it. The only thing that keeps it contained is the Sea Dragon Seal network—and my Jade Black Dragon Emperor seal is one of the keystones. That's why they're targeting me. And now, because you're my family, Kaison… and you, Alice, are his partner by compatibility… you're both targets too."
The air was still for a long moment.
Kaison glanced at Alice. She met his eyes, her expression unreadable—calculating, maybe, but not afraid.
Finally, she said, "So when do we start training for this fusion thing?"
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Rias' lips. "Tomorrow. But not here. You'll train in the Ironworks Arena. It was built for testing the limits of fusion—mechanized hazards, variable terrain, sealed combat zones. You'll learn how to control the strain before it controls you."
Kaison shook his head, half in disbelief. "So one day I'm delivering medicine, the next I'm getting partnered to fight ancient beasts."
"That's life under a seal," Rias said. "And you'd better get used to it. The Void agent you fought today—he's not the strongest they have. Not even close. His seal of Purgatory is destructive, yes, but there are others out there with powers you can't yet imagine."
Alice's voice was steady. "Good. I'd rather meet them head-on than wait to be hunted."
Rias studied her for a moment, then nodded. "You'll get your chance. The murders you were investigating, Alice—they were Void's doing. The victims were all descendants of old seal bloodlines. They're thinning the herd before they make their move on the manor."
Kaison's jaw tightened. "And we're next on the list."
"Exactly," Rias said. "But that's why I'm not letting you walk into this alone. The fusion will give you both the edge you need—if you're willing to trust each other enough to wield it."
Alice's gaze flicked to Kaison again. "Guess I don't have much of a choice. Just don't slow me down."
Kaison smirked faintly. "Right back at you."
Rias turned away, scanning the horizon once more. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, your real work begins."
---
**Later That Night**
The manor was quiet. The air smelled faintly of coal and oil from the city beyond the walls.
Kaison sat on the edge of his bunk, turning the chain seal on his hand over in the dim light. He could still feel the echo of Alice's power from their brief time fighting together on the mountain—a sharp, focused energy, nothing like the cold burn of the Purgatory seal.
He wondered what the fusion would feel like. Would the chains glow with her light? Would the force of it be enough to stop someone like the Void agent they'd faced?
Across the courtyard, he saw Alice in the moonlight, practicing slow, deliberate strikes with her sabers. The White Dragon's mark glimmered faintly on her arm. She didn't glance his way, but he could tell from the precision in her movements—she was thinking about it too.
---
Far from the manor, deep within the labyrinthine alleys of the industrial district, the Purgatory agent knelt before a figure cloaked in blackened steel. Steam hissed from the pipes embedded into the walls around them, casting the place in a haze of heat.
"I failed," the agent said, voice tight with frustration. "Rias herself intervened. The Jade Black Dragon Emperor."
The steel-cloaked figure tilted their head. "As expected. She protects her bloodline well."
"What now?" the agent asked.
The voice that answered was smooth as oil and just as dark. "Now, we change the hunt. If they wish to grow strong together… we will let them. The moment they fuse their seals for the first time—"
A gloved hand clenched into a fist, the air humming faintly with restrained magic.
"—we will be there to break them."
---