Loki felt difficulty breathing because of the mana's wrath, to the point where it began to reject him — as if anything that stayed near him would turn into a silent void that devoured existence itself.
The blood vessels in his eyes were red, and his skin had grown paler from suffocation.
He couldn't understand why this was happening, especially since dragon bloodlines naturally harmonize with mana — such a thing should be impossible. It would be like a fish drowning in water, absurd and impossible.
Suddenly, a thought struck him. He looked at Ares, who stood before him with a faint smile, a glimmer of light shining in his eyes.
He thought to himself:
"Could it be because of Ares? But why?"
He didn't understand the reason — until a ray of realization pierced his mind.
"The reason… is that I saw something that shouldn't be seen. That's why the mana is rejecting me, raging at me… But it's clear — he's someone who will bring chaos to this world."
Loki couldn't fully comprehend it. Meanwhile, everyone watching through their wrist screens waited excitedly for the battle, but confusion spread among them.
"What's wrong with him?"
"He looks like he's having trouble breathing."
"Is he okay? He won't die, right?"
"Ha! It's just fear."
"Yes, he's seen Ares' terror before, but his arrogance brought him to this state."
Whispers spread among the students, each drawing their own conclusion.
In the training arena, Hela could no longer bear it. She stepped forward and shouted with force,
"Loki! What's wrong with you?! Crush him already and show that arrogant fool his place!"
But no matter how loud she screamed, her voice didn't reach Loki — he was completely cut off from the world.
He was drowning in fear, confusion, and terror.
His gaze was fixed solely on Ares, who now seemed like a towering giant standing before him, capable of crushing him effortlessly.
He noticed Ares' lips move, but no sound reached him. No one else noticed it — only Loki did.
"Enough."
Just one word — and everything stopped.
Loki felt as if chains that had been dragging him into eternal silence were suddenly shattered. The mana's pressure eased, and it began to calm.
He gasped… gasped…
Finally, he could breathe again. His body loosened, but his eyes were filled with pure fear.
"This isn't human… No, this has surpassed the level of a catastrophe."
As he caught his breath, his mind raced. He understood the reason for the gray chains that bound him.
A being capable of commanding mana itself as though it were an army following his orders — and all that with only one uncovered eye.
He couldn't even imagine what Ares would be like once freed from those gray chains and allowed to reach his full potential.
Everything that had happened was merely a reaction — a consequence of witnessing a secret that should never have been seen.
The reason the mana stopped when Ares spoke was because of his Body of Chaos,
while the gray chains were what restrained Ares' power — preventing it from destroying and rewriting worlds at random.
At the same time, they served as a protective mechanism, since his body couldn't withstand such power.
Mi stepped forward, ready to announce the start of the match, but Loki raised his hand.
"I… surrender."
Just two words — but they came out with a tone of defeat as clear as the sun.
Everyone was stunned. They couldn't believe what they had just heard… Loki surrendered!
You must understand — dragonkind, of any type, never surrenders. Pride is etched into their very bones.
"Loki! What are you doing?!"
Hela shouted with fury and confusion written across her face.
Loki turned to her, his golden eyes saying everything.
"I admit he's stronger than me. No… all of you, following a leader like him — you're better."
His voice carried both defeat and acknowledgment.
Hela was shocked — she had known Loki since childhood.
He had always been stubborn, persevering, proud, intelligent, and arrogant.
Even when he met the Dragon Princess, he never knelt like a dog; he behaved with noble dignity.
But today… he admitted defeat — and even accepted the existence of a leader above him.
Mi, who was about to raise her hand to signal the start of the match, froze.
She looked carefully at Loki, then turned her gaze to Ares — who now seemed even more mysterious, surrounded by a fog that obscured truth itself.
As for Ares, who stood calmly, he had already expected things to end this way.
He murmured softly to himself, in a voice no one could hear:
"Sometimes, it's better not to approach things that shouldn't be seen."
Ares didn't know exactly what Loki had witnessed through the Eyes of Heaven, nor did he care much — but he did think about one of Loki's titles.
Time goes back a little…
When Loki had stepped forward and used his ability on Ares, he wasn't the only one analyzing.
The very first thing Ares did was activate his King's Eye.
A faint blue light shimmered in the air before him, like a transparent magical window, breathing softly with the sound of mana itself:
[Name: Loki
Titles: Guardian of the Hero (Main supporter and ally of the Hero) – The Mad Dragon (When entering a critical state, he falls into madness and his stats increase) – Eyes of Heaven (Possesses ancient dragon eyes that can see what eyes bound by seals cannot)
Class: Melee Battle Mage
Rank: One Star
Talent: SS
Fear: +100]
When Ares saw Loki's information, his eyes widened slightly, and a faint chill brushed his skin — like a whisper from the past.
He remembered him instantly, though the name had long been forgotten, for in the future he wasn't known by it anymore — but by the title Blood Dragon.
In Ares' memories, the Blood Dragon possessed unique eyes, and was once one of Rian's subordinates. But suddenly, he strayed into darkness — slaughtering countless true and lesser dragons, drinking their blood to become what was known as The Perfect Dragon.
Ares murmured to himself, his gaze following a faint wisp of smoke fading in the air:
"If I remember correctly… it was all because of a girl."
Then his eyes shifted slightly toward Hela, Loki's childhood friend, as a mysterious glint flickered in his gaze.
"Yes… because of that girl. He died at the hands of a dragon — and from that, the Blood Dragon was born."
Ares felt the information he had was incomplete. He looked at Loki again, his breath mingling with the scent of burnt mana lingering in the air.
In the end, he had only heard the story — never delving into it, since it didn't concern humans but rather dragons and their followers.
---
Back to the present — Loki stepped down from the training arena while Ares quietly folded his arm.
Mi approached Ares.
"Ares, do you want to rest? You've been fighting since morning."
Her voice was gentle, filled with concern and warmth.
Ares looked at her. Though he still felt he hadn't reached his limit, he didn't want to embarrass Professor Mi.
After all, she was worried about him — and since he had already provoked the nobles of the academy, maintaining a respectful relationship with her was important to avoid interference from other instructors.
Besides, she was an eight-ring sorceress from a great family — someone everyone respected.
"Alright, I think that's a good idea."
Mi smiled softly, pleased that Ares hadn't brushed her off and chose to take a short rest before continuing to defeat the remaining students.
"I think I'll rest for fifteen minutes, then return."
"Yes, that sounds good."
Mi felt that fifteen minutes was far too short, but she didn't argue.
As for the rest, except for Kira, they will be beaten, and this is clear, as Mei knows that Ares has not reached his limits yet.