The **mountain trembled** as the **Dragon King awoke.**
Its golden scales **shimmered like molten fire**, its wings **spread wide enough to block out the sky.**
Its voice was **deep, ancient, filled with divine power.**
**"Who dares disturb my slumber?"**
Rael's crimson gaze **burned with anticipation.** **"I came here to kill you."**
The Dragon King **laughed**, the sound **shaking the heavens.**
**"A fool's ambition. You will not leave this place alive."**
Rael's grip **tightened on his sword.** **"Let's find out."**
Then, in an instant—**the battle began.**
The **Dragon King roared**, unleashing a **torrent of golden flames**, divine fire meant to **erase all in its path.**
Lyra **leapt back**, conjuring a shield of wind magic—**but Rael did not move.**
Instead, he **raised his sword**—and **cut through the flames.**
The fire **vanished**, as if erased from existence.
The **Dragon King's eyes narrowed.** **"Impossible."**
Rael **vanished from sight.**
In a single heartbeat, he **was above the Dragon King.**
His **sword descended—**but the Dragon King **countered with his claws**, the impact splitting the sky.
The **force sent shockwaves through the entire mountain.**
Lyra had to **shield herself** just to remain standing.
For the **first time in centuries**, the Dragon King **felt pain.**
He **gritted his fangs.** **"Interesting. Then I will take you seriously."**
He **lunged**, his **claws infused with divine energy**, slashing toward Rael—**but Rael met him head-on.**
The battle **raged.**
Each **strike** shattered the **mountain.**
Each **attack** changed the **weather itself.**
The **Dragon King summoned storms**—Rael **cut through them.**
The **Dragon King sent shockwaves**—Rael **dodged and countered.**
Their fight **shook the heavens.**
But then—Rael felt it. **His sword cracked.**
His eyes narrowed. **"Not again."**
The Dragon King **smirked.** **"You are powerful, but you will break before I do."**
Rael clenched his fist. **"No. I refuse."**
Then, his voice dropped to a whisper.
**"Sword… are you ready?"**
A dark voice **echoed from within the blade.**
**"Always."**
Rael **channeled his full power** into the sword—**the cracks repaired instantly, but something more happened.**
The **sword awakened.**
The **air turned heavy.**
Even the Dragon King **paused.**
Rael's grip **tightened.** **"This is the end."**
He **vanished.**
In less than a heartbeat, he was **above the Dragon King again.**
His **sword descended.**
A **single, unstoppable slash.**
The **blade pierced through divine scales.**
The sky **shattered like glass.**
The **Dragon King roared one last time.**
Then—he **collapsed.**
Rael stood over the **fallen beast**, his sword **dripping with golden blood.**
The **Dragon King coughed**, his massive body broken, his power fading.
But before death took him, **he spoke.**
**"Take my heart and consume it. You will gain magic beyond human imagination—control over all elements, even destruction itself."**
Rael's expression remained cold. **"I have no need for magic."**
He turned to Lyra. **"You eat it."**
She froze. **"What…?"**
Rael's voice was firm. **"You want to be by my side? Then do it. Before he dies."**
Lyra hesitated for only a moment—then stepped forward.
She kneeled beside the Dragon King's **still-beating heart** and reached for it.
As her fingers touched it, a **surge of overwhelming power** coursed through her body.
Pain.
Pure, unbearable pain.
The Dragon King's magic was **too powerful, too vast.**
She could feel herself **changing.**
Her **mind whispered fears.** **What if I become a monster? What if I lose myself?**
Then, she heard Rael's voice. **Cold. Unwavering.**
**"Control it."**
Her trembling hands clenched. **Yes. She would.**
Her transformation **was unlike anything before.**
Her **hair glowed with streaks of golden fire**, her wings **expanding beyond demonic form.**
Her **eyes—no longer human, no longer demon, no longer dragon.**
They were **something else entirely.**
And then—**it was over.**
She stood, **reborn.**
Her aura **shook the land itself.**
Rael, for the first time, spoke without coldness. **"Beautiful."**
Lyra's breath caught.
Her heart pounded in her chest. Of all the things she had wanted to hear—**those words meant everything.**
She had **become strong enough to stand beside him.**
And now, **Rael had one final step to take.**