Razeal smiled faintly as he saw Ranguard clutch that red sphere and crush it.

'Good. And here I thought I'd have to torture him just to make him pull the trigger,' Razeal thought as the giant hammer in his hand melted into smoke and reformed into his shadow sword, slender and sharp. His posture relaxed, as though he were merely watching the start of a play he had already read the script for. He stood there calmly, as if nothing around him was worth rushing for atleast for now.

[You could've just used your killing illusion skill that Togi guy he wouldn't have lasted much under it. Maybe Ranguard would've resisted thanks to his dragon resistance, but the other one? He would've folded. You wasted your time with theatrics.] System commented seeing Razeal freely standing now.

Razeal chuckled lightly, tilting his head. "No, that would have been stupid." His gaze didn't leave Ranguard. "Look at him. Really look. Do you see that face? The trembling? That's fear. The kind he never would've felt if I had showed him this little show. Dragons are prideful beings they only kneel when their pride is shattered. Without that, convincing him would've taken ages. Now, though…" He tilted his head, smirk widening. "Now it's going exactly the way I want it to."

[So what, you smashed that guys into smiterines just to scare him?] the System pressed, its tone carrying the deadpan flatness of disbelief.

"No, I wouldn't say that" Razeal answered lazily, though the shadow sword hummed in his grip as though disagreeing. "I genuinely thought he'd be a problem later. He's got dangerous potential. Better to break him now before he grows into a thorn. With my luck, I know he'd have come back to bite me." His grin widened a fraction, teeth glinting in the cold light.

The System paused. [-_-] was all it offered back, as if rolling its nonexistent eyes.

Suddenly

Crack.

The air itself split with a violent sound, like reality being ripped apart. A jagged tear spread open in the sky just above the place where the orb's light had vanished. Razeal's eyes lifted lazily, cold black irises narrowing as he watched space itself groan under the strain.

Ranguard's entire body trembled as he looked up at the tear. His lips quivered, his dragon-forged body scarred and broken, and yet his eyes burned with something beyond fear.. relief. Relief that his desperate gamble had worked but there was also gambling stress.

Then it came.

The tear widened into a swirling portal, blue edges crackling like lightning. Out of its violent maw, figures began to emerge.

The first was a man built like an iron tower, stepping through the portal as though the world itself bowed to his stride. He stood nearly six and a half feet tall, his every movement radiating discipline and weight. A heavy crimson armor clung to his frame, etched with golden patterns that shimmered faintly. A broad sword rested at his waist, its hilt wrapped in scaled leather, runes faintly glowing.

But it wasn't his sword or armor that crushed the air. It was him.

His mere presence warped the atmosphere, a crushing dragon aura spilling out like a storm. Snowflakes stopped midair as if frozen in respect, and the temperature around him shifted, heat clashing with the frozen land. His eyes blazed like fire itself, molten orange with hints of crimson, a gaze sharp enough to make even the boldest warrior hesitate. His every step was calm, measured, yet it carried the weight of someone who had never once doubted his strength.

Behind him, two armored knights followed. They were clad head-to-toe in the same deep red metal, visors down, their faces hidden. Only their eyes glowed faintly through the slits disciplined, silent, cold. Each carried a halberd taller than themselves, and even without moving, their combined aura pressed outward, suffocating.

Razeal remained still. His shadow sword rested casually at his side, his eyes fixed on the tall man in crimson with an unreadable calm. He neither flinched nor braced himself.

The portal collapsed behind them with a thunderous snap, leaving only silence, the wind, and the suffocating weight of their presence.

Ranguard couldn't hold himself upright any longer. His knees buckled, and with a grunt, he forced himself down to one knee, bowing before the man in crimson armor. Blood dripped from his mouth onto the snow, but he did not dare lift his gaze.

"Lord Commander," he rasped, his voice hoarse yet filled with respect that bordered on desperation.

The name carried weight, echoing in the frozen clearing like the toll of a great bell.

Keal, the Standing Commander of the Legion of the North, the infamous Head of the Northern Blue Dragon Flames.

Kael hovered mid-air, crimson armor glinting faintly in the pale light of the snow. His blazing orange eyes narrowed as they fell on Ranguard following the sound. The dragon-blooded warrior knelt below, his body covered in scars, blood dripping from fresh wounds. Kael's expression didn't change even in thsi slightest, but the sharpness of his gaze cut deeper than any sword.

He said nothing at first. Instead, he let his gaze drift across the battlefield.

The ground had been pressed hundreds of meters down into a massive crater. Trees had been uprooted and shattered. Boulders split clean in half, snow scattered and melted in strange streaks. Deep slashes crisscrossed the land like claw marks from some ancient beast.. Definitely dragon swordsmanship as he recognised. It was clear that a high-intensity battle had torn through this place a clash not of soldiers, but of monsters.

And then his eyes landed on Razeal.

The boy stood there calmly, shadow sword still in hand, his stance relaxed but not careless. He didn't flinch under Kael's gaze. Instead, he smirked ever so slightly, as if amused that a commander of Kael's level was measuring him.

That kid… Kael thought. The same one from yesterday. His instincts told him immediately. The posture, the eyes unmistakable. Did he cause all of this?

But Kael did not linger. In his position, dwelling on assumptions was pointless.

"You called me here?" he asked at last, his voice low, calm, and heavy. His burning eyes returned to Ranguard. The question carried a trace of confusion. How could a low-ranking dragon possess a summoning order of this level? Not only that it had opened a portal directly to this portal space, something reserved for dire emergencies.

Ranguard's head remained bowed. His voice trembled, but his words clung tightly to formality. "I… I am protector of the young lady."

And just with that kael's composure shifted instantly. The moment those words left Ranguard's mouth, his expression sharpened like a drawn blade.

The young lady? His mind clicked into place. So that was why this battered fool had an item of such rank. It made sense now. Only someone tied to the young miss would be entrusted with such a thing.

"Where is the young lady?" Kael demanded, his tone no longer calm. It was sharp, pressing, the weight of command ringing through the snow-filled air.

At the same time, his draconic senses unfurled in every direction. The world seemed to freeze as his perception expanded outward, scanning every heartbeat, every flicker of mana, every breath within range.

His eyes hardened as he suddenly had sensed her.

Before Ranguard could stammer another word, Kael vanished. One instant he stood above, the next he reappeared on the ground, a blur of movement. In his arms was Nancy.

Her body was stiff, paralyzed, the snow clinging to her pale figure. She was still, frighteningly still but alive. The draconic resilience in her bloodline shielded her from the worst.

"Seventh-rank paralysis poison," Kael muttered under his breath, his blazing eyes narrowing. He knew it immediately. His sharp gaze swept across her trembling frame, and though her body was safe from lasting harm, her frozen tears caught his attention. Small crystals at the corners of her eyes, frozen by the cold, yet telling of her terror.

For the first time, his calm cracked. His jaw clenched, his aura surged outward a deep, suffocating wave of power laced with barely restrained fury. The very air quaked under the weight of it. His soldiers flanking him stepped closer, halberds gripped tightly, their eyes sharp as if awaiting the order to slaughter.

Nancy's eyes still open as ever. Though her body remained paralyzed, her gaze softened. She could only move her pupils, but that was enough. Relief washed through her chest. She was saved. Finally, she was safe. The endless fear that had gnawed at her through the battle eased. She didn't even care that she was being cradled like a child. For the first time since the nightmare began, she let herself breathe.

Kael looked down at her, then turned his blazing eyes back toward Ranguard. His aura flared again, sharp and crushing.

Ranguard stiffened under that gaze, his heart hammering in his chest. His instincts screamed at him that he was seconds away from death. The aura alone made him want to collapse. But survival forced him to speak. Desperation poured from his lips before reason could intervene.

"It wasn't me, my lord!" he blurted out, forgetting etiquette entirely. His words tumbled out, rushed and panicked. "We were protecting the young lady! My partner.. my partner even died protecting her! We tried everything, everything we could!"

His trembling finger rose, pointing straight at Razeal. His whole body shook, but he pressed on, his voice breaking into breathless gasps.

"It was him! That monster!"

The venom in his voice sharpened as fear turned into false conviction.

"He tried to.. he wanted to rape the young lady! He was talking about… about enslaving her! Saying that once an Ice Dragon is violated, her pride would chain her to him forever! He wanted to make her his slave!"

His words grew louder, more frenzied, spit flying from his lips. His broken body shook with the force of his lies, every sentence meant to paint himself as the loyal protector, and Razeal as the monster.

Ranguard's eyes darted between Kael and Razeal, as though begging his commander to believe him.

"He's the same one, my lord!" he pushed harder, his breathing ragged. "The same monster who tried to rape the Saintess! I swear it, I swear on my life! I nearly died trying to stop him!"

He gasped for breath between words, his chest heaving, trying to make his act convincing. Every pause, every tremor he forced it into his speech to sell his desperation.

Kael's burning gaze did not leave him.

But ranguard kept his composure.

Ranguard was a clever man.. perhaps too clever for his own good. He knew his situation well. He was a guard, a protector of noble blood. Who would ever suspect him of treachery? Nancy was paralyzed, unable to speak a single word in her defense. There were no witnesses, no one else who had seen the truth of what happened. His injuries painted a convincing picture: scars, broken skin, blood staining the snow. To anyone else, it looked as though he had fought desperately to protect her.

And Razeal? Who would believe him? His reputation preceded him. The boy was branded a rapist already, infamous across the empire. Even if he swore on his life that he had done nothing, who would listen? Who would believe him over a dragon blooded knight sworn to his duty?

Still, Ranguard gritted his teeth. This wasn't what he wanted. Maybe he could spin this story now and be believed, but when Nancy recovered… when she spoke… his lies would unravel, and the backlash would be far worse than anything Razeal could do. But at this moment, between certain death at the boy's hand and survival through lies, the choice was obvious.

He's a psychopath, Ranguard thought bitterly, casting a quick glance at Razeal. If I don't do this, I'll die right here. Better a liar for few days than be a corpse.

What a talent, Razeal mused as he watched the desperate man weave his story. His lips twitched, almost amused. Even cornered, he still plays the game. Impressive… for a coward.

But Kael's expression only darkened with every word Ranguard spoke. His burning orange eyes narrowed, the weight of his gaze pressing down like an iron blade. The more Ranguard spoke, the deeper Kael's frown etched into his face.

"Call the Duchess back," Kael said finally, his voice low but cutting through the battlefield like thunder.

One of the knights at his side vanished instantly, carrying out the order without hesitation. The other remained, motionless as a statue, though killing intent radiated from his armored body. It was contained, restrained, but unmistakable the aura of one who would strike the moment his commander willed it.

Kael exhaled slowly, his breath a controlled sigh. He looked down at Nancy in his arms. She was safe. Unharmed. Not a single scratch marred her body. The only thing afflicting her was the seventh-rank paralysis poison, but her draconic physique would recover soon enough atleast no permanent or serious harm.

She was saved, Kael thought, relief hidden beneath layers of iron control. But the relief was short-lived. His mind turned instantly to politics, to the consequences that might unfold. If Ranguard's story was true… if Razeal had truly tried to defile the young lady of the Dragonwevr line… then this was more than an isolated incident. This was war.

Virelan and Dragonwevr two of the empire's pillar families. A clash between them would tear the empire itself apart. He could not allow his emotions to dictate his actions now, no matter how furious he felt. Rage simmered beneath his skin, yes. Nancy was like family. The thought of anyone daring to touch her in such a way stoked a fire within him that wanted nothing more than blood. But Kael was not just a warrior he was Commander. His duty, his authority, demanded composure.

His aura remained locked on Razeal. It would have been easy.. so easy to cut the boy down where he stood. Yet Kael did not move. He would not act rashly, not without certainty.

His blazing eyes softened as he looked into Nancy's. Her pupils trembled, her tears frozen into small crystals by the cold. Her body remained unresponsive, but her gaze was alive, filled with confusion, fear, and desperation.

"I am sorry, my lady," Kael said softly, his voice carrying the weight of oath and steel. "You endured all this. But I promise you.. I swear on my pride as a dragon if he really is the culprit, he will pay. Even if I must sacrifice my own life, I will see him punished."

Nancy's chest tightened. Culprit? Her mind spun. They think… they think Razeal tried to rape me?

She wanted to scream. To shake her head. To point, to yell out that it was Ranguard who betrayed her, not Razeal. But her body betrayed her again, stiff and lifeless, chained by the poison. Her eyes widened, trembling violently, but she could do nothing but stare helplessly, begging silently to be heard.

Yet no one understood. not the knights or even though Kael stared into her eyes, he saw only tears, not the truth behind them.

But then Kael's gaze flicked toward Ranguard again. Something was wrong. For all his convincing words, the man's posture screamed fear. His body shook not with exhaustion alone but with guilt. For a dragon-blooded knight, his nerves were… strange.

"Bind him," Kael ordered suddenly. His voice was sharp, decisive. "He seems… suspicious."

Ranguard's eyes widened. His face drained of color. "Wait.. what? My lord, why? What did I do? I was protecting my lady! Why would you"

His protests were cut short as the knight beside him moved in a blur, deep blue aura surging like chains. Ranguard's body went stiff, bound in shimmering restraints that locked his limbs and sealed his movements. His struggles ceased instantly, his words choked by the weight of the aura.

Kael didn't spare him another glance. The first lesson he had ever learned as a commander: never trust words alone. Truth was not spoken it was proven.

Slowly, Kael turned his gaze back toward Razeal.

The boy still stood calmly, his sword held loosely in one hand, his expression unreadable. There was no fear in his eyes, no desperation to escape, no attempt to argue or defend himself. He stood as though this entire scene was beneath him.

That calm unsettled Kael more than any denial could. Why doesn't he run? Why doesn't he resist? What is he planning?

A cruel smile tugged at Kael's lips, his sharp teeth flashing. The aura of authority around him thickened, heavy and suffocating, pride burning bright in his dragon eyes.

"Are you so certain you can defeat me? Or run from me?" he asked, his voice dripping with power. "Is that why you stand so still human?"

And then, the boy moved.

Razeal raised one hand slowly, deliberately. His shadow blade dissolved into nothingness, melting back into the void. He stood with an empty palm raised high, as if offering himself to judgment.

"I surrender," he said.

Kael's cruel smile faltered. His burning eyes narrowed in surprise. Huh?

But Razeal's next words stunned everyone present.

"I did try to rape her," Razeal said calmly, his voice steady, unflinching. "She was looking… kinda cute to me."

Silence crashed over the battlefield like a hammer.

Kael froze, words caught in his throat. He had been prepared for denial, excuses, even an arrogant challenge. But this? His thoughts scattered. Huh?

Nancy's mind reeled. What?! Her world spun in confusion. Did he just… what? When did he? Wasn't he saving me?!

Her pulse thundered in her ears. Rage, confusion, and disbelief warred inside her paralyzed body. She wanted to scream until her throat broke. Why is he saying this?! Why would he…Has he gone mad?!

And wait did he just call me… cute?

----

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.