CHANGED

Dreagon unleashed a barrage of blinding beams of light, tearing through the battlefield with devastating force.

The Elementiels barely managed to evade, their movements swift as Anna retaliated, summoning a storm of howling wind and crackling lightning.

The strikes slammed into Dreagon's body—but he walked through them effortlessly, unfazed, his glowing red eyes locked onto her.

Before she could react, his clawed hand lashed out, seizing her wrist. With a powerful swing, he hurled her straight into Connor, sending them both crashing into the volcanic rock.

As he advanced, massive roses erupted from the ground, their petals unfurling to reveal glowing cores. In an instant, they fired blinding beams of energy at him.

A thick cloud of smoke and dust engulfed the battlefield.

Then, through the swirling haze—

A deafening snarl.

From the smoke, one of Dreagon's dragon-like appendages lunged forward, its jaws clamping onto Jack, dragging him violently across the scorched earth.

With a mere wave of his hand, Dreagon dispersed the smoke completely.

Anna and Connor exchanged a glance. Their bodies surged with power, transforming into their elementiel forms. Their auras burned brightly as they launched themselves at him.

Dreagon blocked their rapid blows, his mind processing every attack with eerie precision.

"This body… it's fascinating," he thought, a dark thrill coursing through him. "I am twice as strong as I was, just as I predicted."

He moved with inhuman speed, dodging, countering.

"And her voice… I can't hear her anymore. That means I am truly one with the Queen."

A wicked grin crossed his lips.

With a sudden burst of strength, he grabbed both Anna and Connor, slamming their heads together with a sickening crack before blasting them backward with a torrent of fire.

Anna staggered to her feet and stretched out her hand. The air shifted—a swirling barrier of compressed wind forming around Dreagon.

"The barrier he's in has no air," she thought. "He won't be able to breathe. I'll suffocate him till he weakens, then we'll use the potion."

Dreagon's glowing eyes flickered with amusement. Then, with a single casual wave, the barrier deformed.

"What?!"

Before she could react, Dreagon appeared in front of her, his fist slamming into her stomach, sending her soaring through the air like a ragdoll.

He chuckled darkly, stepping forward. "Not a bad technique," he mused. "If I were still in my old form, I might have actually died."

He reached for her but suddenly, a massive lavender flower bloomed behind him. Its petals peeled back to reveal many glowing eyes.

The moment its gaze landed on Dreagon, he was knocked out cold immediately.

From the settling dust, Jack emerged in his elementiel form, his body radiating raw power.

Jack's fist collided with his face, sending him hurtling backward.

Dreagon's eyes snapped open. "What was that just now?"

Dreagon swung a devastating punch at Jack, but Jack sidestepped effortlessly and landed brutal strike to Dreagon's gut.

Dreagon's body lurched forward, but he quickly retaliated, aiming a swift kick at Jack's ribs.

Jack evaded again.

With incredible speed, he twisted mid-air and delivered a crushing kick to Dreagon's neck, sending him staggering backward.

Dreagon's eyes widened. "How… is he doing this?"

He clenched his fists, his mind racing. "I am much stronger than he is and yet… he can inflict damage on me?"

Fury surged within Dreagon. He roared, launching another powerful punch—

Jack dodged again.

Before Dreagon could react, Jack's fist smashed into his stomach with devastating force.

A sharp, wet cough escaped Dreagon's lips—blood spraying from his mouth.

Dreagon looked at Jack furiously. "Not only that, my energy is getting lower the more I fight him. How is this possible?!"

Dreagon jumped back, putting distance between them.

His crimson gaze narrowed. "He's a nuisance. I must focus all my strength on eliminating him."

But before he could act, vines shot up from the ground, twisting around his legs, rooting him in place.

A blur of motion—Connor struck from behind, Anna struck from the front.

Jack joined them, their combined strength overwhelming him.

Lines of energy burned across their bodies, their power syncing as they relentlessly struck from all angles.

Dreagon roared in frustration. "Enough!"

A monstrous explosion of light erupted from his body. Wings burst from his back, massive and powerful.

He opened his jaws wide and unleashed a cataclysmic beam of energy, obliterating everything in its path.

The sheer force brought the entire volcano crumbling down.

Elijah's head snapped up, his heart pounding as the sky lit up with golden light.

The ground rumbled beneath them.

"What in the world—?"

The battlefield fell silent as the knights and dragons alike turned toward the collapsing volcano.

From the smoldering ruins, Dreagon emerged, hovering high above the battlefield.

His wings cast a massive shadow, his gaze burning with fury as he surveyed the battle below.

The knights gripped their weapons tighter.

"That's him!" Captain Will shouted. "That's Darius!"

Captain Sasha's breath caught in her throat. "Which means… they failed?"

A stillness filled the air as Dreagon's gaze landed on the king.

Arthur met his stare, unflinching.

Dreagon's lip curled. "I don't have time for them now. I'll deal with them later."

With a powerful beat of his wings, he turned—soaring toward the forest beyond the battlefield.

Elijah clenched his jaw, watching him disappear into the distance. "…Where is he going?"

Jason groaned as he slowly pushed himself up, his body aching from the brutal impact. He touched his head, feeling the sting of fresh wounds.

"Ugh… What just… happened?"

His vision cleared just in time to see a shadow blotting out the sky above him.

Jason's body tensed as he staggered to his feet. "You!" he spat, his fists clenching.

Dreagon hovered in the air, his piercing red eyes locked onto Jason, studying him with an unreadable expression.

"He looks… familiar."

The dragon lord's gaze sharpened. "Tell me, child. Do you happen to be related to Mark Marquoid?"

Jason's breath caught in his throat. "Yes. He's my grandfather."

A slow, knowing smile crossed Dreagon's lips. "I knew it. The resemblance is unmistakable," he thought.

Jason's mind raced. "If he's here, that means… Anna and the others couldn't stop him."

Dreagon's voice cut through his thoughts. "What is your name?"

Jason hesitated before answering. "Jason."

Dreagon smirked.

"Come at me, Jason." He opened his arms mockingly. "I want to see what you're capable of."

Jason's body tensed, rage igniting in his veins. He roared and launched himself forward, putting all his strength into a single, earth-shattering punch to Dreagon's face.

The impact barely made him flinch.

Dreagon grinned, his teeth gleaming in amusement. "Seriously? I'm disappointed."

Before Jason could react, Dreagon's fist slammed into his jaw.

Jason felt himself soaring through the air, the sheer force sending him crashing through multiple mountain peaks. Rock and debris exploded in his wake.

His battered body slammed into the side of a mountain, leaving a massive crater.

Jason coughed, trying to push himself free from the rubble—

Before he could react, Dreagon appeared in front of him in a blur of motion.

Jason's eyes widened.

Dreagon's fist crashed into his chest with monstrous force. The entire mountain collapsed, reduced to dust and rubble.

Jason lay half-buried beneath the debris, gasping for air, his body trembling from the sheer force of the blow.

Dreagon landed gracefully beside him, watching him struggle. "Is this the best you can do?"

Jason's breathing was ragged, but his eyes burned with fury. "You want to know… what I'm capable of?!!"

Suddenly, the air crackled with energy. Fire and lightning erupted from Jason's body. He rose from the rubble, his aura flaring like an untamed inferno.

He rushed Dreagon, throwing a devastating punch—

But Dreagon caught his fist with ease.

The dragon lord's lips curled into a grin. "Pathetic."

His own fist smashed into Jason's stomach, the force so powerful that Jason coughed blood, his body folding from the impact.

Before he could recover, Dreagon vanished.

Then—

Jason felt the air leave his lungs as Dreagon appeared above him, hands clenched together in a hammer strike.

The impact drove Jason straight into the ground like a meteor, creating a massive crater.

Jason gasped, struggling to get up. "Why… are you… doing this?"

Dreagon hovered above him, his expression darkening. "Why?" His voice was calm, almost serene. "Because dragons are the true rulers of this world."

He landed beside Jason and continued, his voice dripping with conviction. "Once, I despised them. I wanted them wiped out."

His fingers curled into fists. "But when I fused with the Queen, I saw the truth. I felt her pain. I felt the suffering of the dragons, persecuted and hunted by humanity. If it weren't for the Elementiels interfering in the war, dragons would have ruled the earth."

His gaze darkened. "I could have returned them to the Dragon Continent, but…" His voice lowered. "I am not powerful enough to face 'HIM.'"

Dreagon's lips twisted into a smile. "If we cannot return home, then we shall claim the rest of the world for ourselves."

Jason's fists tightened.

Dreagon's eyes gleamed. "And once I'm done with you, I'll find your grandfather… and repay him for what he did to me all those years ago."

Jason's heart stopped. "What did you just say?!"

Dreagon only smiled.

Jason's rage exploded as the two launched at each other, their fists colliding with explosive force.

They traded blows at blinding speed, shockwaves tearing through the landscape.

Jason unleashed a storm of lightning and fire, but Dreagon tore through it effortlessly, closing the distance and slamming his fist into Jason's ribs.

Jason skidded across the ground, coughing.

Dreagon grabbed him by the throat. "Is this all your grandfather taught you?!" he mocked. "I expected more."

He flew low, dragging Jason's face through the dirt before shooting high into the sky.

Jason barely had time to react before Dreagon dove down at hyper speed, slamming him into the earth with a thunderous impact.

The force was so immense that entire mountains crumbled into dust.

Jason lay motionless.

Dreagon hovered above him, raising his hand. A ball of searing white energy formed in his palm.

He released it and a devastating beam of light engulfed Jason, an explosion erupting across the battlefield.

Dreagon narrowed his eyes at the flames. "In order to kill an elementiel, I would have to destroy their heart and brain simultaneously. He should survive this… I don't want him dead just yet."

Then, the flames from the blast began to swirl.

Dreagon's eyes widened as the energy condensed—then shot upward in a massive pillar of fire and light.

From the center of the explosion, Jason emerged.

Not as a man.

But as a god!

Jason's entire form had transformed—his body now composed of pure energy, fire, and lightning surging through his very being.

Jason looked at himself in awe. "I… did it? I DID IT!!!"

Dreagon stared at him, a slow, excited grin stretched across his face. "Amazing!"

His eyes gleamed with fascination. "His energy… it surpasses even his grandfather's."

Then—he laughed. "YES! Show me what you're truly capable of, Jason Marquoid!!!"

Jason looked up, his newfound power surging around him like a divine storm. "Alright… Let's see what I can do."