Aizen roared.
It wasn't just a shout — it was a soul-tearing, sky-splitting roar that made the entire kingdom tremble. Mountains cracked. The ground buckled beneath his feet. Trees were ripped from their roots as shockwaves burst from his chest.
The battlefield froze.
The skies darkened with clouds forming spirals around him.
The Black Lion had fully awakened.
But just as his power surged — Lyra and the others tried to escape. Holding hands, they took flight toward the outer edge of the kingdom.
BOOM!
A golden blur intercepted them.
The Dragon King appeared, arms crossed, towering over them with wings spread wide.
"I'm not done with any of you," he growled.
Lyra stepped forward. Her violet eyes narrowed. "Then you'll fight me."
Without waiting for his response, she summoned her staff — a lance of arcane wind wrapped in violet flames.
The Dragon King didn't hesitate. He struck.
Sparks and smoke flew as their battle raged. But it was clear Lyra was at a disadvantage. She blocked dozens of attacks, but her breathing grew shallow. Every impact pushed her closer to the edge.
Aizen's golden eyes locked on them. Seeing Lyra struggle…
Made his rage burn hotter.
He released eighteen consecutive advanced magic spells, causing the clouds to part into rings, and light to rain down like spears from the heavens.
The Demon King, watching nearby, chuckled.
"He's wasting all that magic..." he muttered.
But then he paused — eyes widening.
Aizen still had 93% of his mana left.
The Demon King took a step back, shocked. "Impossible…"
Meanwhile, Mikaela and Theodore had rushed closer to the edge of the battlefield. They held hands, chanting in sync.
"Lion's Pulse! Flame Core! Father's Spirit! Mother's Grace!"
Golden and violet energy burst out — wrapping around Aizen and Lyra.
Their powers increased by 1.3×.
The tides began to shift.
Even the Dragon King faltered for a moment, noticing Lyra's sudden increase in speed and power. But he adapted — toying with her again, laughing as he predicted every move.
That was the last straw.
Aizen clenched his fists, eyes locked on the Dragon King. His rage ignited a new magic:
"Chrono Domain: Temporal Lock."
A ripple spread from him.
Everything slowed.
The wind. The ash. The light.
Time froze.
Aizen stepped through the suspended raindrops like a god walking through crystal air. In that frozen second, he grabbed Lyra from the Dragon King's grasp, pulled her close, and vanished.
Time resumed.
The Dragon King's eyes widened. His target was gone.
Meanwhile, the Demon King lay on the broken ground nearby, pretending to be unconscious.
Aizen floated above the ruined capital, Lyra in his arms. He gently placed her on the edge of the mountain where the rest of the family waited. Lina, Crystal, Mikaela, Theodore, and Amethyst ran to their mother's side.
From below, the Dragon King shouted with glee, mistaking Aizen's pause for fatigue.
"Finally! A one-on-one battle, Chosen One."
He rose into the air, breathing fire into the sky.
The storm clouds raged. Aizen lifted a hand.
"Weather Manipulation: Cyclonic Rain."
Darkness fell. Thunder cracked.
Rain poured, drenching the battlefield. Fire hissed and steamed… but instead of dying, it flared higher.
The Dragon King grinned, licking the flames off his claws.
"Did you forget? Heat expands with water."
His fire became more intense.
Aizen narrowed his eyes. He was beginning to feel it — the weight of the battle. His stamina dropping, magic energy falling with every strike. Still, he pressed on.
"Beast Fang: Void Rend."
He unleashed a devastating claw strike that cracked space itself — rending the battlefield apart. The Dragon King staggered, flesh torn, bones exposed.
But then…
He healed. Instantly.
The Dragon King soared into the sky and laughed. "I am a god! You think you can win, little lion?!"
Aizen didn't respond. He was too busy fighting for every breath.
His magic energy had dropped to 32%.
The Dragon King smiled cruelly. "This is the one destined to kill me? Disappointing."
Aizen's thoughts became hazy. He stumbled backward. Blood poured from his chest. A beam of golden energy pierced through his ribs — a direct hit.
He dropped to his knees.
The world darkened.
---
In the abyss of unconsciousness, a voice echoed:
"Hello, mortal."
Aizen blinked, standing in a vast dark space filled with stars and golden lines swirling like ink in water.
Before him was a being—faceless, but cloaked in swirling black and gold light.
"My name is (???). You are on the brink of death. But I can change that."
Aizen gasped. "Where… am I?"
"Your imaginary space. This is where dying souls pass before they ascend or fall. But you're different."
Aizen held his bleeding chest. "My father… he said if I awaken my full power, I'll die."
The being responded calmly, "No. You won't die. But you will lose something: your mortality."
"…Immortality?"
"Yes. You'll become one of us — a celestial. You'll live forever. You'll grow stronger. But… you'll leave behind your humanity."
Aizen hesitated.
"What about my family? Can I still be with them?"
(???) paused. "They'll age. You won't. You'll live long after they're gone. Unless you find a way to preserve them, too."
Aizen's fists clenched. "Then I'll find a way. I don't care if I lose my mortality. I love them. I will protect them — as long as I draw breath."
He shouted to the stars, "For Lyra. For Mikaela. For Theodore. For Crystal, Lina, Amethyst… I will not die here!"
The being nodded.
"Then rise, Black Lion. Transcend."
A beam of pure black and gold crashed down onto Aizen's spirit.
His body twisted. Roared. Grew.
---
Back in reality…
The skies split.
A massive explosion of gold and black energy erupted where Aizen once lay.
Even the Dragon King stumbled.
From within the storm, a figure stepped out.
He was taller. His hair, longer and glowing. His body was covered in obsidian armor with glowing lion patterns. His tail shimmered with golden flame. His eyes… weren't mortal anymore.
They burned like stars.
The Legendary Being: The Ascended Black Lion.
The Dragon King's smirk vanished. "No… That form… That's impossible!"
The Demon King sat up from the rubble, chuckling darkly. "I warned you, didn't I?"
Aizen raised a single finger. With a whisper, he summoned a tidal wave of starfire that swallowed the battlefield.
The Dragon King blocked it — barely. But now, he was breathing hard.
"You… you were supposed to die!"
Aizen's voice echoed like a bell.
"You burned my home. You threatened my family. You made me remember what it was like to be weak. Now I'll show you what it means to challenge a father, a protector… a god."
He blasted forward, every punch cracking the sky. The Dragon King screamed, unleashing forbidden magic. He flew higher to gain the advantage — but it was no use.
Aizen matched him.
Struck him down.
Tore through every barrier.
The Dragon King coughed blood.
Then—
"WAIT!" shouted the Demon King. "Don't give him an easy death."
He floated toward Aizen, eyes gleaming. "This worm ruled the world for 3,000 years. He bathed in blood and enslaved nations. Let him suffer."
The Dragon King screamed. "I am the ruler of all dragons—!"
Aizen silenced him with a punch that shattered mountains.
The Demon King bowed slightly. "You are more than a mortal now. You are the symbol of fear to tyrants, the hope of the weak. I, Pablo the Demon King, support you. Rule the new world as its guardian, Black Lion."
---
And then...
Darkness.
Aizen collapsed.
---
In a dream…
"Raizen, don't go too far!" his mother called from the park.
"Okay Mama!" young Raizen laughed, running through the fields.
"Look! An airplane!"
He pointed at the sky with wide eyes.
Later, he trained every day. Martial arts. Endurance. Balance. He was strong. Not for glory — but to protect.
His baby sister. Sarah.
When she was born, he swore to protect her forever. He held her in his tiny arms and whispered, "I'm your big brother."
Years passed.
Then tragedy.
His mom — the kindest woman he ever knew — gone. A car crash. A bus crushed on the highway.
Sarah didn't understand. She was too little.
But Raizen understood.
And he never cried — because he had to be strong for her.
He remembered those long nights when she asked for "Mama" in her sleep. When he held her hand. When he promised he'd never let anything bad happen to her again.
Everything faded…
---
"Aizen!"
A voice pierced the dream.
"Wake up!!"
---
END OF CHAPTER 32