"Ring ring."
The phone on Angat's body began to chime.
"Mind if I take this?" Angat asked.
"I wouldn't dare grant you freedom until we've actually departed-not even to lift a finger," the Waterman shrugged. "Allow me to connect it for you."
"Be my guest," Angat said calmly. "I thought we were becoming friends."
"We could be. Just not right now."
The Waterman smiled.
A mass of water peeled away from his body, forming a translucent hand. It slipped into Angat's pocket, took out the ringing phone, and answered it.
"Headmaster, all students and faculty have been fully evacuated," Schneider's voice came through. "However, Caesar, Chu Zijian, and Lu Mingfei disobeyed orders. They're waiting at Valhalla Hall-the Ice Cellar exit you're heading toward. With their Spirits active, no one can stop them."
"Perhaps our students have never seen a Dragon King before," Angat replied, glancing at the Waterman. "Curiosity, you know."
"Understandable," the Waterman nodded. "From the outside, there really isn't much difference."
"No matter. I've heard of them. Cassell's finest, right?"
He counted casually.
"Chu Zijian of Lionheart, Super A-rank. Caesar Gattuso of the Student Council, A-rank. And the S-rank freshman... Lu Mingfei."
"Meeting them should be quite interesting."
Lu Mingfei.
Norton's expression shifted.
That name rang strangely familiar. Something from before his awakening. Something buried deep.
Impossible.
That loser couldn't be here.
He suppressed the thought.
Soon after, the group-one man, one dragon, and one water entity-passed through the maze-like corridors, entered the elevator, and began ascending.
"They entered through the Library. Why didn't Norma issue a warning?" Caesar asked, resting his chin on his hand.
"No idea." Chu Zijian sat straight-backed, like he was still in class. "Norma, explanation?"
"Insufficient authorization. Unable to answer," Norma replied.
Lu Mingfei, who had been deliberately quiet, suddenly felt two gazes land on him.
"Wh-what?" He blinked.
"Your clearance is higher than ours," Chu Zijian said. "On the same level as the Headmaster."
"So if you ask," Caesar added, "we might get an answer."
"Oh... right."
Lu Mingfei scratched his head.
"Norma, how did they enter the Ice Cellar?"
"The opposing party possesses an unregistered Black Card with extremely high clearance," Norma replied instantly. "I was unable to block their access via the Library."
Logically, even S-rank clearance shouldn't have been enough. Black Cards were equal. Only higher authority could override them.
But there was such a person.
Lu Mingfei.
Norma's core command structure was centered around him. Directives akin to robotic laws all prioritized Lu Mingfei. Naturally, his authority exceeded even a Black Card.
None of the three realized this.
Black Card conflicts had never occurred before. Everyone assumed Black Card meant absolute.
Besides, two Dragon Kings and a kidnapped Headmaster were far more pressing.
"Elevator ascending," Norma reminded them.
"Let's go." Caesar stood, smiling faintly. "Let's welcome the King of Bronze and Fire... and the King of Oceans and Water."
"Or should we say," he added lightly, "grant them an audience?"
"Wait." Lu Mingfei raised a hand. "Aren't Dragon Kings supposed to be huge? How do they fit in an elevator?"
"They can take human form," Chu Zijian explained. "Their strength and defense are reduced, but the transformation is under their control. You'll learn this in Dragon Genetics and Physiology."
"The word 'future' might disappear the moment I follow you two," Lu Mingfei muttered.
Still, he walked on.
Strangely, he wasn't that scared.
Maybe because he'd never seen one before. It felt more like following two older brothers to see some legendary beast.
The elevator display jumped rapidly.
"1."
Ding.
The doors slid open.
The man, the dragon, and the water faced the three students.
Silence.
Then-
"Old Tang?!"
Lu Mingfei blurted it out.
"Lu Mingfei?!" Norton froze.
His consciousness had been stirred by Morin, but not fully awakened. What was awake knew only this:
I am Norton, King of Bronze and Fire. My brother Constantine has been captured.
The old Tang persona still clashed with Norton's will-and was even slightly dominant.
That was one reason Norton had agreed to Morin's "cooperation."
The other was simpler.
He couldn't win.
Eyes darted back and forth between Lu Mingfei and Norton.
A human.
A dragon.
They knew each other?
"He... he's the King of Bronze and Fire?" Lu Mingfei finally processed it.
"I'm guessing the Waterman isn't," Caesar said dryly.
"We all recognize Headmaster Angat," Chu Zijian added.
"Reuniting with an old friend abroad is usually celebratory," the Waterman said. "But now isn't the time."
"It's time for us to leave."
Angat said nothing.
Being held hostage in front of students wasn't pleasant. His priority was regaining mobility. Even if they didn't intend to kill him, being controlled felt awful.
As they moved, Caesar leaned close to Lu Mingfei.
"You knew him before?"
"Yeah." Lu Mingfei spilled everything.
"StarCraft. All the time. He was basically my only friend in America. Lived in Brooklyn. Said he'd take me on a Greyhound bus to tour the States..."
"Greyhound?" Caesar frowned. "Some new vehicle?"
"Long-distance bus," Chu Zijian explained. "Common for ordinary families."
"That doesn't sound very First-Generation King," Caesar noted.
"Shut up, humans!" Norton snapped. "The me before awakening wasn't me. Don't lump him in with me! And you're being loud!"
...
"What's the situation?" Su Enxi asked.
"A Waterman," Jiu De Maiyi replied from a hilltop, binoculars trained on Cassell. "Probably from Kui Gate. Angat's subdued. And next to them is Number 13."
"That mercenary's holding the bone jar. He's insane."
"Damn it..." Su closed her eyes briefly. "Shoot Number 13. Long-range. Heart."
Maiyi didn't question it.
She opened a case.
A Barrett M82A1.
Anti-materiel.
Overkill for a human.
Enough for a hybrid.
She aimed.
"Boom."
The shot rang out.
The next second, Maiyi's face went white.
She spun, leapt onto her Harley, and gunned it-leaving the rifle behind.
"Report!" Su demanded.
"He caught it!" Maiyi screamed. "The bullet is floating in front of him! This thing punches through tanks!"
"King of Bronze and Fire," Su muttered. "Before awakening he was just a bounty hunter... but he's regaining control?"
"That shouldn't be possible. If he'd fully awakened, he'd already be at war with Angat."
"And that Waterman..."
Her brows knit.
"Ægir? Itzamna? They shouldn't be awake yet."
"You're telling me I hired a Dragon King?" Maiyi shouted. "When I get back, I'm eating all your chips!"
"Hey! Minor oversight!" Su protested. "You escaped, didn't you?"
"They won't chase you."
"And what if someone is driving a Bugatti Veyron straight at me?" Maiyi said.
"...A Bugatti?"
Su's eyes widened.
"The super-hunk? Can you run?"
"I'll try. Worst case, I'm bedridden for three days." Maiyi lowered her body. "Helmet's on. He won't recognize me."
Distance collapsed.
Fifty meters.
Straight road.
Morin at full speed.
Maiyi saw his face.
He looked at her.
Their eyes met.
He made a swatting motion.
Time stretched.
They passed.
"...With that figure and tight suit, it's hard to hide who you are," Su said quietly.
"Yeah. I'm getting beaten later." Maiyi hissed. "He didn't stop. He's heading back to the school."
"If no one warned him-run," Su said. "This is going to explode."
...
"That wasn't us!" Angat declared instantly. "I swear!"
Norton glanced at the bullet floating before him. He'd sensed it and passively activated his domain.
Only then had he heard the gunshot.
He looked at Morin.
"What do you say?"
"I doubt the Headmaster would attack you with metal," the Waterman replied calmly. "Probably an accident."
"Fine." Norton pocketed the bullet.
Nothing would get done today.
"I trust you understand we only want to prevent innocent slaughter," the Waterman said. "Dragons differ."
"I understand." Angat nodded solemnly. "Perhaps next time, we can talk at length."
"Heh."
The Waterman waved Norton away.
The water needles stayed.
Then-
An engine roared.
A beast tearing through the night.
Everyone froze.
"Bugatti Veyron," Caesar said sharply. "It's Morin!"
"Boss... does he even know?" Lu Mingfei whispered.
"Prepare." Chu Zijian's hand closed on his hilt.
The Veyron appeared, charging straight toward them.
"...Another intruder?" the Waterman hesitated.
"A misunderstanding," Angat said stiffly.
The car didn't slow.
Three hundred kilometers per hour.
Straight at them.
"Hmph."
Norton expanded his domain.
The Veyron froze.
Metal stopped.
But the man inside didn't.
Glass shattered.
Morin flew out.
Golden pupils blazing.
Time stopped.
Angat, also within Time Zero, watched.
Art.
In near-stasis, Morin moved with impossible grace. A phone shattered water needles. He punched through the Waterman's head. Dashed to Chu Zijian. Drew Murasame. Slashed away the restraints. Freed Angat.
All in one instant.
"Well done," Angat stretched. Power surged. "Leave the rest to me."
Morin nodded. His pupils dimmed.
He carried Chu Zijian, Caesar, and Lu Mingfei away.
Angat unsheathed a pocket knife.
Sparks flew.
The world's greatest dragon slayer awakened.
Time Zero-full throttle.