The Veil of Ashen Dawn infiltrates the academy.
High Priest Malvyr activates a summoning circle in the courtyard.
A mid-tier Demon General manifests:
Zarvok the Ash Tyrant
Flames. Black armor. 30 feet tall.
Students panic.
Professors rush in.
Kael stands still.
Zarvok scans the area
Locks onto Kael.
You. You are the suppression.
Kael sighs.
That's annoying.
Zarvok attacks.
One punch nearly flattens the courtyard.
Kael blocks barely.
His seal strains.
Cracks slightly.Deep underground
Eryndor breaks part of his seal.
A massive fiery eye appears beneath Kael through fractured stone.
Mortal shell I know what you are.
Kael glances down midfight.
Not now.
Eryndor rumbles:
If you fall, this kingdom burns.
I will not allow a Sovereign to die quietly.
Kael smirks faintly.
Good dragon.Princess Seraphina arrives with royal guards.
Instead of retreating
She steps forward and casts a hightier light barrier around civilians.
Then she looks at Kael.
You're holding back.
Even in chaos, she sees it.
He dodges another blow.
You're very observant.
She steps closer despite the danger.
If you survive this… you're coming to the palace.
Officially.
Political tension.
Royal attention.
No hiding now.
Kael actually laughs midbattle.
You're bold.
I don't like mysteries in my kingdom."Zarvok lands a direct hit.
Kael is driven into the stone courtyard.
Blood at his lip.
For a split second
He almost feels mortal.
The demon raises a finishing strike.
Something inside Kael pulses.
Cracks widen.Sovereign Reflex Instinct (Partial Release)
Automatically counters fatal intent
Scales reaction beyond opponent temporarily
Time slows.
Kael stands.
Catches Zarvok's arm.
Crushes it.
One clean strike
The demon disintegrates.
Not explosively.
Effortlessly.
Silence falls.
Malvyr tries to flee.
Kael glances at him once.
The cult leader collapses unconscious from pure pressure.
Seal stabilizes again.
Barely.
Academy destroyed partially.
Students shaken.
Dragon fully awake beneath campus.
Princess staring at Kael.
You're not normal.
Kael wipes the blood from his lip.
I've heard that.
She steps closer.
Lower voice.
You're coming to the palace.
He looks at her.
Then smirks.
Is that an order or an invitation
She doesn't look away.
Both.
Above the world
Lyra exhales.
He almost broke the seal.
Virelya smiles faintly.
Good.
And Kael
For the first time in ages
He felt the edge of real danger.
And he liked it.