Saroto was still soaring at breakneck speed toward the cursed Zalgrad Mountains, his dark wings cleaving the purple sky, the view ahead growing more terrifying with every passing moment.
In the distance, the mountains appeared like colossal pillars piercing the heavens, their height seemingly endless, their peaks engulfed in black storms that swirled ceaselessly as if guarding something unattainable.
Saroto narrowed his eyes, then changed course, heading straight upwards. But the ascent was no easy feat. Suddenly, gigantic black storms began to form around him, swirling with terrifying force and pulling him in.
Saroto increased his speed, trying to escape the pull, but the winds were fiercer than he had anticipated. In an instant, one of the storms swept him into its heart. He found himself trapped in the eye of a black cyclone, so dark that visibility was almost nonexistent.
Before he could react, a massive fireball erupted from the mountain's summit, plunging directly into the cyclone. Fire mingled with the wind, and the tornado transformed into a swirling inferno. A fiery whirlwind.
The heat rose terrifyingly, until even the air itself began to burn. Saruto was still at the eye of the storm, struggling to stay still, his body subjected to crushing pressure and heat.
But amidst the chaos, he noticed something. The scorching air was rising. He smiled faintly. "That's enough."
He gathered his strength and surged with the rising current, harnessing the very movement of the heat. In an instant, he had pierced the whirlwind from above, emerging like an arrow. He breathed deeply as the swirling flames dissipated behind him.
In the demon realm, the commentator's voice burst with excitement: "What incredible ingenuity! Saruto managed to use the heat currents to escape the fiery whirlwind!"
Saruto calmed down slightly and began his descent toward the base of the mountain. But Paimon voice interrupted his thoughts: "Saruto… listen carefully."
"The dragon Valzareth won't let you climb easily," he said in a serious tone. "If you try to climb directly, he'll bombard you with fire attacks, and the storms will impede your progress."
Then he continued, "The only way to climb... is to multiply your speed several times over."
He paused briefly, then added, "But the success rate... is no more than 0.0008%."
Saruto was silent for a moment, and Paimon continued. "The higher you climb... the stronger the winds become. And any mistake... will mean your fall."
Saruto began to think deeply, his eyes fixed on the summit hidden amidst the storms. Then he said suddenly, "How did Valzareth manage to climb?"
Paimon replied, "Because he's a dragon... their bodies are different from ours."
There was a few seconds of silence, then Saruto laughed. A quiet but confident laugh. "What a coincidence..."
He closed his eyes. "I, too... know a dragon who can help us."
In a dark inner world, Saruto opened his eyes. He stood in an infinite void, before a familiar being. Void. Saruto smiled. "Hello, brother… how are you?"
"Fine… I know why you came," Void replied in a deep voice.
"Then I'll leave it to you," Saruto said.
Void smiled mysteriously. "Well, it just so happens that… I have a new skill… it's time to try it out."
"I was waiting for this," Saruto laughed.
He snapped back to reality. Paimon voice echoed anxiously. "Saruto? Saruto! Can you hear me?"
Saruto opened his eyes. "Yes, I can hear you. I was just… checking on my brother."
Paimon was confused. "Your brother? Where is he?"
Saruto didn't answer. He closed his eyes again. He relinquished control. The next moment, his eyes opened again. But they were no longer human. They had become the glowing eyes of a dragon. A deep, completely different laugh escaped him. "Huh… I haven't moved in ages."
Paimon froze for a moment. "Who are you?!"
"Don't worry, Paimon… I'm Saruto ally," the voice replied confidently.
"And to be clearer… I'm his brother."
"I have a lot of questions… but no time," Paimon said quickly. "Do you have a plan for ascending?"
"Of course," Void smiled. "Keep an eye out."
Suddenly, a massive burst of dark energy erupted from Saruto body. The air trembled, the mountains shook, and the aura rose into the sky like a pillar of darkness. "What's happening?!" the commentator cried.
Saruto body began to change, to swell, to transform. Bones expanded, wings burst from his back, black scales covered his body, and his human form gradually disappeared until a huge, dark dragon appeared. It let out a deafening roar that shook the mountains and pierced the sky. "He… has turned into a dragon!" Paimon said, stunned.
Even the commentator exclaimed, "This is an unprecedented development! Racer Saruto… transforms into a dragon!"
Void lowered his head slightly, his eyes fixed on the summit. Then, in a voice brimming with power, he said, "And now…"
He unfurled his enormous wings. "Let's soar upwards."
And the black dragon sped forth, piercing through the storms, toward a confrontation that would shake the very mountains.