đźź Chapter 70:
🟧 Narrator's POV:
From within the fog, Number Two emerged alive from the explosion that should have killed him. Prince Elnar had failed to fully master his skill.
The Fifth Layer—or as Elnar called it, the Center—was incomplete. When Number Two reached the Center, he had already realized the mana flow had returned to normal.
Seizing that brief moment, he activated Shock Absorption, saving himself from the blast while simultaneously healing his burns.
His body still bore charred scars; his healing technique had consumed a large portion of his mana.
He didn't want to waste what little mana he had left on further healing—he would need it to continue the fight.
On the other side, Elnar was completely drained because of his skill.
Ryo had lost an eye in the battle.
Despite everything, Number Two was smiling.
He still saw himself as superior.
He said confidently to Ryo and Elnar:
"You were close to defeating me, but you didn't. Do you know what that means? It means you still haven't surpassed me."
He raised his arm toward the prince and pointed his finger, firing the same red energy pulse he had shot earlier, this time at the prince's leg:
"Red."
The pulse pierced Elnar's knee, dropping him to the ground.
Ryo turned to check his condition:
"Your Highness!"
The prince tried to stand despite the pain:
"It's fine, Ryo. I can stand."
But he couldn't.
His previous injuries combined with this one left him in a state of extreme weakness.
He barely had time to react before another red pulse pierced the left side of his chest.
Elnar couldn't endure any further—he collapsed. Blood pooled around him.
He looked at Ryo with apologetic eyes before closing them:
"Ryo… tell everyone I'm sorry."
Those simple words left a deep mark in Ryo's heart.
A young prince who was meant to live as an ordinary citizen carried a burden far greater than himself.
Meanwhile, Ryo saw himself as useless in this fight—when he was supposed to be the shield that protected the prince, he was nothing more than a weak support.
Behind him, Number Two approached with a mocking laugh:
"Heyyy, did the poor little prince finally die? Good, that's one less problem. Now it's your turn, lizard."
A violent rage overtook Ryo upon hearing those words.
He turned as fast as he could, slashing at Number Two with his claws, but Number Two dodged easily.
Not only that—he fired a pulse that pierced Ryo's stomach.
Then he kicked Ryo's face, sending him flying.
He walked to Elnar's body and kicked it while laughing:
"I can't believe his death shook you this much—how touching. But do you really think his death will make you stronger? Kahahahaha!"
Ryo leapt, swinging his tail at Number Two, only for his tail to be cut off by the red pulse.
Number Two grew bored of Ryo's desperate attacks:
"Tch… Is that all? Are you really a dragon? What a disgrace. You were supposed to be the dangerous one, but you turned out the opposite."
He slammed Ryo's head into the ground.
When Ryo opened his remaining eye from the pain, he saw the red pulse aimed directly at it—Number Two ready to fire at any moment.
"I almost forgot to pierce your other eye, you worthless lizard."
Despite his loyalty to the kingdom, Ryo had always avoided showing his full power—it endangered his life.
But he also wasn't willing to die as a useless dragon of the kingdom.
He still wanted to live longer…
To spend more moments with Prince Elithius and Prince Elnar.
But now, he saw that for the kingdom to survive… he might need to disappear.
His race possessed a terrifying form they could transform into, but it was lethal to weaker dragons—the transformation weakened the original body to the brink of death.
For someone like Ryo, it was a form used only in dire emergencies.
To transform, dragons had to scream with everything they had—a scream audible from hundreds of kilometers away.
Not all dragons reacted to it, but some—if they heard it—would immediately fly to aid the dragon who called.
Some even called it "the Last Call."
A colossal roar shook the entire capital—and far beyond.
It would have ruptured eardrums had people not covered their ears well.
The roar came from Ryo's throat.
It was powerful enough to blast Number Two and Elnar away.
Windows shattered, birds fled, and everyone—from children to elders—covered their ears, but it still wasn't enough.
The roar continued for several seconds before finally stopping.
Number Two crawled out of the rubble of a destroyed building, only to see a completely different form of Ryo in the distance.
A massive form—a hybrid between human and dragon.
Stronger scales, a lighter body.
Ryo held Elnar carefully and placed him gently on the ground.
Seeing Ryo's new form, Number Two scoffed, as if the transformation changed nothing:
"How pathetic. You think that form will defeat me? Nothing will change."
Ryo replied:
"Enough, brat. You've underestimated me long enough. Before I leave this world, I'll be taking you and your gang with me."
"Haaah? You think—"
He couldn't finish.
A punch smashed his face, sending him flying through multiple buildings.
He tried to stabilize himself, but the attack was too fast—he didn't use Shock Absorption in time.
He looked around to find the place silent and empty.
Then—
A kick from above smashed his face into the ground.
He quickly used Shock Absorption to avoid further damage.
Ryo kicked him upward, flew ahead using his wings, then slammed him back down.
Number Two now looked completely helpless.
Ryo grabbed him and crushed him upward with his fist, squeezing his body—
But he didn't realize he had fallen into a trap.
The explosion from the Flame Layers skill that Number Two had largely absorbed—
He released it at point-blank range against Ryo, causing a massive blast.
Number Two fell to the ground while part of Rio's arm was blown off.
Number Two mocked him:
"Look at you… even in that form you're still useless. Anyway, the prince is dead, and nothing will change that."
"Who are you saying is dead?"
Suddenly—
In the middle of Ryo and Number Two's battle—
Elnar appeared standing, his torn clothes tied tightly around the bleeding area.
Number Two stared in shock.
"How!? Red pierced your heart! How are you alive? You don't have healing technique!"
"My heart? You may not believe this… but my heart is on the right side."
Number Two and Ryo were both stunned.
Even Ryo didn't know the prince's heart was on the right.
Number Two tried to fire a red pulse again—
But Ryo's claws pierced his stomach completely, bypassing Shock Absorption.
Number Two spat blood, not expecting his weakness to be discovered.
Ryo said coldly:
"Your skill redistributes waves.
But I'm not sending waves for you to redistribute…
I'm focusing all my force on a single point—
just like a blade that cuts through stone."
He pushed his claws deeper as Number Two's blood poured onto the ground.
"Now you finally feel the pain you couldn't swallow.
Even your healing technique can't save you—you already spent the last of your mana."
Despite losing, Number Two gave a faint smile:
"Seems you really are strong… dragon.
Dying by your hand is better than dying by a human's."
As he closed his eyes for the last time,
Elnar approached Ryo to check on him—his tail was cut off, his eye damaged, and part of his arm gone.
He ignored his curiosity about the new form.
"Ryo… your arm and tail. I'm sorry, I couldn't…"
"Nothing to apologize for, Your Highness. You gave everything you had.
What about you—are you still bleeding?"
"I'm better now. Since you defeated Number Two, let's head to the palace."
"Yes… you're right."
Rio opened his massive wings, lifted into the sky with the prince on his back, heading toward the palace.
In that moment, a swarm of dragons began appearing above the capital.