"I believe we're not pretending anymore, are we?" Kaelith said calmly, her crimson eyes fixed on the man standing before her—the same man she had met only a few days ago.

Those white, cloud-like strands of hair and piercing golden eyes left no doubt. He was the one who had ambushed Hades… and now, he was after her son again, cornering him.

Cravanvor let out a cold scoff. "We were never allies, Kaelith. I've shown my disdain for you and your ideals since the very beginning."

Kaelith's lips curved slightly, though her gaze remained sharp. She knew the truth. Cravanvor belonged to the faction that opposed Zerathos—not because he held any noble principles or courage to stand against Aethernox's existence, but because he was a coward.

He had simply chosen the side that seemed stronger. After all, Kaelith stood alone, while the opposing faction had several Dragon Kings—and the strongest being alive among them.

"You have a round bottom, Cravanvor," Kaelith said with biting sarcasm. "You can roll to whichever side looks more comfortable to you. On your own, you're nothing but the same coward who betrayed his brothers just to call himself a King."

Cravanvor's eyes narrowed, but he forced a smirk. "Do you really think mocking me will help you enter that dome?"

They stood near the border where the dragon realm met the elven territory. Behind Cravanvor stretched an army lined in neat formation, their armor glinting under the pale light. He had come personally to face Kaelith—knowing his role was to keep her away from Hades

Kaelith's gaze shifted briefly toward the distant dome shimmering beyond the border. Her son was inside. And the one who had called him there… was Xelrath.

Mana began to surge around the woman like a storm gathering strength. Her voice was low but resolute as she muttered, "I'm going in—even if it means one less seat among the Kings today."

Her hand clenched tightly, and in the next instant, she moved.

A thunderous boom cracked through the air as she broke the sound barrier. Before Cravanvor could even react, Kaelith's fist crashed into him, sending his body flying like a blazing arrow. He slammed into a nearby watchtower, shattering its base completely before tumbling across the ground.

*DRUUUUM*

The tower groaned and collapsed, its heavy frame breaking apart in a cloud of dust and debris.

One of the generals rushed forward in panic, but Cravanvor shoved him aside, snarling, "No one shall come between us."

Standing back up, he wiped the blood from his mouth, his pride far more bruised than his body. "I'll show her," he growled, "why a woman can never stand against a man."

He lunged forward with a roar, his claws glowing as they sliced through the air toward Kaelith's neck.

But Kaelith spun gracefully on her heel, catching his wrist in midair. With a sharp twist, she used his momentum against him and threw him over her shoulder.

*DOOOOOM*

The earth split open at the point of impact, dust exploding outward.

"Khuak!" Cravanvor gagged, blood bursting from his throat.

Kaelith didn't pause. She drove her heel into his chest, bones crunching beneath her strike, before seizing his arm and tearing it clean off.

*SQUELCH*

Without missing a beat, she leapt upward—her body light as air. Then, in a heartbeat, gravity slammed down around her as she accelerated toward the ground, her descent fierce enough to shake the heavens.

Cravanvor's eyes widened in horror. At the very last moment, he shifted into his elemental form, dissolving into a mass of swirling clouds.

*DOOOM* *DOOOOM*

The ground exploded beneath her landing, cracks spidering across the border field. A massive crater formed, dust swirling like a storm around her.

The soldiers nearby turned pale, frozen in disbelief. They had heard the legends of the Crimson Wrath, but seeing her rage firsthand was something else entirely.

Cravanvor reappeared some distance away, his form solidifying again. He was trembling with fury, his golden eyes burning as he glared at her.

"How dare you attack someone who is still talking!?" he roared.

Kaelith didn't answer. She simply moved—swift and merciless.

Her body blurred into motion, fusing with the wind itself. A crimson gust tore across the battlefield, rushing straight toward Cravanvor.

But this time, he was ready.

"GHUAAAAAA!!"

A torrent of fire erupted from his throat, a Dragon King's breath in full fury. The blaze roared forward, engulfing Kaelith completely in its crimson tide.

For a moment, her figure vanished inside the storm of flame. Her feet slowed—but only for a heartbeat. Then she began to walk again, each step steady, each movement defiant.

Cravanvor's eyes widened in disbelief. That was a Dragon King's breath! The fire scorched the ground into molten stone, turning the air into shimmering waves of heat. Yet Kaelith's silhouette kept advancing through the inferno, her form glowing faintly red beneath the swirling blaze.

'Just die already!' Cravanvor snarled, his flames intensifying until even the nearby soldiers staggered back from the heat.

But it didn't matter. Kaelith reached him.

Her hand shot forward and clamped around his neck, her grip like iron vines coiling with unrelenting strength.

"Ghuk!" Cravanvor gagged, his claws flailing uselessly.

Her face was half-shadowed, half-lit by the flickering flames. Fiery red veins pulsed across her temples, spreading from her eyes, which had turned pitch-black—save for the thin crimson slit burning at their center.

In that instant, everyone watching understood—Kaelith wasn't merely a Dragon King. She was wrath incarnate.

*Crunch.*

Cravanvor felt his neck twist with a sickening crack. In desperation, he shifted again into his elemental form, breaking free from her hold. But Kaelith's voice thundered before he could flee.

"Kneel, you weakling!"

Her words struck like a divine decree—her Sovereign Command.

And though he was a Dragon King, Cravanvor's body trembled. His spirit, overwhelmed by fear, bowed before her.

He dropped to his knees, his once-mighty frame collapsing under the weight of her presence.

Behind him, the soldiers stared in silence. One by one, their weapons clattered to the ground, surrender echoing through the tense air.

This was never a battle.

It had ended the moment Kaelith stopped holding back.

She lifted her hand, ready to chop Cravanvor's head clean off — but a voice stopped her.

"I believe that would be counterproductive, Your Majesty."

Kaelith's eyes snapped to the newcomer. A man stood before her, a battalion of elite soldiers fanned out behind him like a dark wall. He bowed once, small and neat. Violet eyes met hers.

"Daniel…you are Lord Argon's shadow." Her voice held both recognition and warning.

Daniel kept his face calm. "I was ordered to prevent you from taking the king's life, and to offer whatever aid you'll accept."

Rage curled across Kaelith's features. The air around her seemed to quiver. It had been a long time since anyone had seen her this furious.

"You mean you'll stop me from slaughtering this man?" she snapped.

Daniel's voice did not rise. "My lord has given clear orders, Your Majesty. He believes this course will benefit you as well."

Kaelith's lip curled. "And what if I don't care about my benefit, or what your lord wants?"

Daniel drew his spear with a smooth motion, the metal flashing. He planted his feet and fixed her with a steady look. "Then we will fight you. And that will only slow you down on your way to Torseque."

Kaelith ground her teeth, the air around her crackling with restrained fury. Her claws twitched, aching to rip Cravanvor apart—but she forced herself to stop. As much as she wanted to make him pay, her priority lay elsewhere. Her son was in danger.

Damien's calm gaze didn't waver under her wrath. She knew him well enough—he wasn't one to bluff. Recruited by Argon ages ago, the man's strength was recognized across realms. There were whispers that, if not for his unwavering devotion to Lord Argon, he could have ascended as a Dragon King himself.

Taking on him, along with the elite warriors at his back, would be a waste of precious time. And time was something she couldn't afford to lose.

Then, Damien spoke. "Look, a gateway has opened."

His voice was composed, but his eyes flicked toward a faint shimmer—a thin rift parting in the air beyond the border.

Kaelith turned sharply. The moment she saw the breach, her eyes widened, her instincts roaring to life. In the next heartbeat, her form blurred, vanishing from where she stood.

The wind howled in her wake.

She appeared inside the elven territory, her feet crushing the ground as she advanced. Soldiers scrambled to stop her, but their weapons never reached her skin. A mere flick of her arm sent bodies flying; a single glare froze hearts mid-beat.

No hesitation, no mercy—her purpose was singular: Find him.

The elven plains spread wide beneath a twilight sky, their silver forests glimmering faintly. Kaelith had only been here a handful of times, and the terrain meant nothing to her. She needed speed, not subtlety.

Her form shifted, bones expanding, muscles coiling with divine energy.

*FLAP.*

Wings unfurled, massive and crimson like burning dusk. The gust they unleashed flattened the grasslands below as she took to the skies.

From above, she scanned the land, her dragon eyes narrowing as she sought the pulse of gathered energy, the place where soldiers swarmed the most.

"Where are you…" she muttered, her voice a growl rolling through the clouds.

Below, she saw movement—columns of soldiers racing toward the heart of the capital.

She advanced in that direction…she saw something that chilled her heart.

Her son…crying.

In his hands was his wife.

Dead and gone.

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.

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