The Unveiling of Siegfried

No matter what we tried, nothing worked.

The chains remained unbroken.The barrier stood tall and unyielding.And Umbaxis… he continued to suffer.

I gritted my teeth as I slammed my fist against the invisible force keeping us out. The frustration was unbearable.

There had to be a way!

Zarathorak growled in pure rage, his claws scraping against the magical barrier as if trying to tear through it by sheer will alone. "Damn it! What kind of sorcery is this?! Who could even create such an abomination?!"

Fafnir, though silent, had fire burning in his eyes. His tail flicked aggressively, his rage barely contained.

Then… we felt it.

A presence. Familiar. Heavy. Overwhelming.

A shadow fell over us.

A slow, deliberate clap echoed through the chamber.

Clap.Clap.Clap.

We all turned sharply—our bodies instantly tensing.

From the darkness of the ruined cavern entrance, a lone figure stepped forward.

Siegfried.

The dragon slayer.

His face was unreadable, but his aura was different from before. Sharper. Heavier. Stronger.

And in his right hand, he held a sword.

Not the flimsy blade that had shattered in his "fight" with Zarathorak earlier.

No—this one felt different.

Deadly. Ancient.

It radiated something that sent chills down even my spine.

The real Balmung.

With a knowing smirk, Siegfried rested the massive blade on his shoulder. His eyes gleamed as he looked straight at us.

"Well, well… Took you long enough to show your true colors."

His words froze us.

I stepped forward, narrowing my eyes. "What do you mean?"

Siegfried chuckled. "You really thought I'd buy your little adventurer act? Please." He lifted his sword slightly, letting it reflect the dim light of the cavern. "I was testing you earlier. I wanted to see if you'd slip. And now? I know for certain."

His smirk deepened.

"You're not just 'adventurers'... You're dragons."

My heart pounded.

Fafnir and Zarathorak's eyes widened.

He knew.

Siegfried exhaled through his nose. "That fake Balmung I used before? Just a replica. I let it shatter on purpose to see how you'd react. And oh… how amusing it was."

He planted the tip of the real Balmung into the ground, his expression turning sharp. "But now that I know the truth… I'll ask you one thing."

The air became tense.

The weight of his presence… it felt almost like he could go against a dragon one-on-one.

And win.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Silence.

The air between us was suffocatingly tense.

Siegfried's revelation had shattered any illusions of control we had left. He had known from the start—that we were dragons.

There was no point in hiding anymore.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward, meeting Siegfried's gaze head-on. "What we're doing here is none of your concern." My voice was firm, unwavering. "But since you already know what we are, I'll say this—Umbaxis is one of us. And we're here to take him back."

Zarathorak scoffed, crossing his arms. "You think some damn chains can keep a dragon bound forever? This is a disgrace!" His tail flicked in irritation, his fingers curling into fists.

Fafnir added, "These bindings—whoever made them didn't just do this for sport. This is deliberate. Calculated. Someone is keeping him alive, but just barely. Why?"

Siegfried's smirk didn't waver. If anything, it deepened. He lifted Balmung slightly, resting it against his shoulder. "Why? Simple." He turned his head slightly, gesturing toward the chained, barely breathing Umbaxis.

"We did it."

Silence.

A pin-drop silence filled the cavern.

For a brief moment, the only sound was the distant dripping of water from the cave walls.

I narrowed my eyes. "We?"

Fafnir's tail stiffened. "You say 'we' like you weren't alone in this. Who else is involved?"

Siegfried simply chuckled. "Now, now, that's a dangerous question, isn't it?" He tilted his head, watching our reactions. "But you're right. I'm not the only one. This wasn't something a single person could accomplish."

Ingi, who had remained silent until now, took a step forward, his aura subtly shifting. "Then tell us—who helped you?" His voice was deep, commanding. "Who in the hells could subdue a dragon of Umbaxis' caliber?"

Siegfried's smirk faltered slightly—but it was gone in a blink.

"That… is a secret."

"Tch." Zarathorak clicked his tongue, his patience wearing thin. "You talk a lot, but all I hear is nonsense. Do you think you can just chain one of us and not face the consequences?" His voice rumbled with barely contained fury. "Release him. Now."

Siegfried exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. "You don't get it, do you?" His grip on Balmung tightened slightly.

"We need him for the ritual."

The words sent a chill through all of us.

I clenched my fists. "What ritual?"

Siegfried's smirk returned, this time with something more sinister lurking beneath it. "Now that… is something you really don't want to know."

A silence heavier than the abyss itself settled between us.

Siegfried stood with his sword at his side, his presence unwavering as he watched our reactions. Behind him, Umbaxis remained shackled—chained with magic so potent that even Ingi and I had failed to dispel it.

But now, we finally had an answer.

The weight of Siegfried's words pressed against my chest like an unbearable force.

"To break the seal."

A flickering sense of dread clawed at my mind as I processed what he had just said.

I narrowed my eyes. "What seal?"

Siegfried met my gaze, unbothered by my hostility. With the same eerie calmness, he turned his attention to Umbaxis—who lay chained, his blood staining the cold ground. The glow of the runes binding him pulsed with rhythmic energy, as if draining him with every beat of his weakened heart.

Then Siegfried spoke.

"The seal of Pyrion—the Infernal Warden of Flame and Chaos."

The moment the name left his lips, my entire body tensed.

A sharp ringing filled my ears.

Pyrion.

The name alone sent shockwaves through me.

A sudden flood of memories surged through my mind—that voice… the Djinn's voice.

"You are being watched… the seal will not hold forever… you must awaken before the flames consume all…"

The puzzle pieces slammed into place.

That was why the Djinn called out to me when I was unconscious.

This was the event he warned me about.

I clenched my fists, my breathing growing uneven.

"You're trying to release Pyrion?" My voice came out more like a growl than a question.

Siegfried nodded, his tone devoid of hesitation. "Yes."

Ingi, who had been eerily quiet, finally moved. His fists tightened, and for the first time since meeting him, I saw something dangerous flash in his eyes—pure, unrestrained fury.

"Are you out of your mind!? Do you even know what you are doing?!" Ingi snarled, his voice deep and thunderous. "Pyrion wasn't just a threat—he was an unstoppable force of annihilation! The moment he is freed, there won't be a kingdom, a civilization, or even a world left standing!"

Siegfried exhaled, his fingers tightening around Balmung's hilt. "We are fully aware."

Fafnir took a step forward, his magic flickering around him, barely restrained. "Then why? What possible reason could you have for unleashing that monster?"

Siegfried's smirk deepened. "Because this world has rotted."

His voice carried no doubt. No hesitation. Only conviction.