As Sirab, Mizuchi, and Minzu stepped out of the house, they saw something unexpected—a large crowd of villagers standing silently outside, all looking at them with hope and desperation in their eyes.
Men, women, children—even the elderly—had come out of their homes. Among them, an old woman slowly walked forward with shaky steps. Her hands trembled from age and cold. She reached out and gently took Minzu's hand in hers.
"My son," she said, tears gathering in her eyes, "please defeat that dragon. My husband died because of the endless snow. My son is very ill. If the White Dragon is not stopped, all of us will die… the whole country will freeze."
Minzu bowed his head and kissed her hands respectfully.
"You are like my own mother," he said. "I promise—we will kill the White Dragon. Believe me, mother."
The old woman's lips trembled. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she whispered, "Thank you, my son. May God protect you from all harm and reward you in both this world and the next."
Sirab stood silently behind them, watching the entire moment. His heart ached. He remembered his own village, the one he had lost. The pain came rushing back.
He remembered what his father had once told him in a dream:
> "Always try to save lives… But if you make a mistake, then do a good deed so powerful it erases your failure."
Sirab clenched his fists and whispered, "I will do that for you, Father… and for you too, Mother."
Minzu stepped forward. "Let's go," he said, and opened a glowing portal with his magic. One by one, Sirab, Minzu, and Mizuchi stepped into it
---
On the other side of the portal stood a massive mountain. Covered in thick layers of snow, it reached so high that the clouds wrapped around its peak like a white crown.
Sirab gasped. "This mountain is enormous…"
Minzu nodded. "Yes. It's the largest mountain in the entire world."
Mizuchi looked up at the snow-covered summit. "Brothers, we must head to the top. The White Dragon lives there."
Minzu shook his head. "No, Mizuchi. I want you to stay behind. Sirab and I will fight the dragon."
Mizuchi frowned. "But I want to fight too!"
Minzu placed a hand on her shoulder. "There's no guarantee we'll win. If we fall, I need you to open a portal and warn the people. Tell them to leave the country and escape the frost."
Mizuchi hesitated, then said, "But—"
Sirab interrupted gently. "Please stay. After us, you're the only one left who can save lives. You're strong, but you're also the last hope."
Minzu opened another portal, and this time, they appeared directly on top of the mountain.
---
The mountaintop was frozen over with a great storm. Snow swirled so fiercely that the sky was almost completely hidden. Everything was covered in white.
Before them was a massive ice cave carved into the side of the mountain. The inside shimmered with frost, its walls frozen and sharp like crystal daggers.
Mizuchi looked around. "If we go inside the mountain, the dragon can still fly… and we can attack. But if we need to escape, the mountain's paths are too narrow."
Minzu nodded. "That's true. If we fight outside, the dragon will have the upper hand in the sky."
Sirab clenched his arms against the cold. "Then we fight inside. In here, it can't fly far. We'll trap it. That gives us an advantage."
Minzu smirked. "Good thinking."
Together, they stepped into the frozen cave. Their footsteps echoed softly against the cold stone. The deeper they went, the colder it became.
Inside, everything was silent. Ice covered the ground and walls. Then, they arrived at a huge icy chamber, wide and open like a battlefield. There was a strange stillness to the place.
"This cave… it's larger than the outside makes it seem," Sirab whispered.
"Quiet," Minzu said. "If the dragon hears us, we might be dead before we draw our blades."
The snow grew deeper. Ice crunched under their boots. Suddenly, something shifted.
A gust of wind blew through the chamber, stronger than before.
Sirab stepped forward toward a frozen wall. "There's no one here… maybe it escaped?"
But in that moment—a sudden roar shook the cave.
The snow exploded from the ground, and Sirab was thrown backward by the shockwave.
And then, from the center of the ice, a massive white dragon emerged—its scales the color of snow, its eyes glowing with ancient fury. Sharp white crystals covered its body, giving it the look of a creature born from the heart of winter itself.
Sirab and Minzu both unsheathed their swords.
The dragon let out a roar so powerful that the entire cave trembled.
The battle for the world had begun.
The dragon let out a massive roar, shaking the entire mountain. Rocks and snow began to fall from all sides as the force of the dragon's cry echoed through the valley. Sirab looked up at the towering creature and said, "How much power does this dragon hold? If I can kill him… I might be able to take that power for myself."
Beside him, Minzu was staring at the dragon with burning fury in his eyes.
Then the dragon spoke in a thunderous voice, shaking the wind and snow around them. "You have come again… the one who once carried the power of the red dragon. I have always wanted to devour you, but you ran away that day. And this new boy with you… small, but a killer. His eyes… they look like he's died a hundred times, but he has taken the lives of more than ten thousand people. I should eat both of you… and after that, I will sleep. If I can take the full power from the creature within you, I will be strong enough to face Boreas—the God of Ice—and take his place."
Minzu raised his voice and said firmly:
"The blow that comes from the heavens is not a gift, and the door you open to greed will destroy you. Now, white dragon… prepare yourself. You have shaken the heavens and burned everything. All balance has been destroyed. If you truly want to end me, then face me properly. To fight me, you will need more than just power—you will need fate itself."
As Minzu finished his words, something unexpected happened.
At that moment, Sirab rose into the air, lifted by an unseen power. He looked up to the blackened sky and shouted:
"Dark sky, open for me! Let the darkness fall!"
Suddenly, a dark magical spell emerged from the sky. A thick, black aura descended, wrapping around Sirab. Then, with the force of his magic, Sirab's spell pierced the dragon's skin, and blood burst from the creature's body.
The dragon flinched, turning its face toward Sirab. From the icy breath of the dragon, Sirab emerged again—his form drenched in frost, but standing strong.
Sirab landed far from the dragon, catching his breath.
The dragon growled in rage and shouted, "Stay back!"