The sky did not simply thunder.
It screamed.
A roar of storm clouds split open across the heavens as if the world itself sensed that a calamity had awakened. Lightning spiraled downward in black-and-gold coils, tearing holes through the clouds. The earth shook violently—stone screaming, wind twisting like a living thing.
Half of the ancient castle exploded in an instant, as if ripped apart by a monstrous claw.
Dust, rubble, and torchlight whirled together in a cyclone as the massive outer wall collapsed into nothingness. Splinters of steel and bone rained onto the courtyard. Guards screamed and ran, unable to comprehend what was happening. Something had struck their fortress—something too fast, too angry, too powerful for the human eye to track.
And in the heart of this chaos…
Aizen was walking.
No—he was hunting.
---
He followed the familiar tunnel, the same one where he once saw Lyra, Amethyst, and Theodore trapped before his regression. Every stone, every torch, every bloody drag mark burned into his memory.
It began near a rotten green fruit stand, half-crushed now, with apples scattered across the floor like fallen jewels.
Aizen's golden eyes narrowed.
"Here… this is where they were taken."
His voice trembled—not out of fear, but out of something far more dangerous:
Wrath.
His body moved on instinct alone, fueled by memory and fear of what he might find. Then—
A faint magic signature touched his senses.
Lyra's magic.
Fading.
Struggling.
Failing.
Aizen froze.
Then something inside him snapped.
The shockwave of his fury blasted through the tunnel, shattering crates and blowing torches off the walls. His pupils tightened into razor slits.
"They hurt you…"
His voice was unrecognizable—even to him.
"They made you cry again…"
A gust of wind ripped forward.
"They made you use your magic until you collapsed…"
Lightning burst from his spine.
"LYRA!!!"
Aizen unleashed a single roar that tore the castle in half.
---
THE FALL OF CRIMSON HAND CASTLE
The ground ruptured beneath his feet.
The ceiling cracked.
Walls buckled.
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A black-and-gold explosion erupted around him, expanding outward like a star going supernova. Stones vaporized, metal melted. The massive fortress—once home to countless horrors—split open like a cracked egg.
Half of the castle slid off its foundation and collapsed into the valley below.
And Aizen didn't even look back.
He walked straight through the debris, ignoring the fire, ignoring the screams. Lightning swirled around him like golden chains, exploding pillars and tearing doors from their hinges.
At the center of the ruin, he finally found it.
The prison.
The experiment rooms.
And standing inside, surrounded by shattered cages and broken chains…
Was a man laughing.
Not a normal laugh.
A villainous, cracked, broken laugh that echoed off the ruined walls.
Esdarte.
Leader of the Crimson Hand.
"BWAHAHAHAHA! You're too late! Your little dragon princess nearly burned herself dry trying to escape! I made sure—"
He stopped.
The roof above him disintegrated.
And something descended from the darkness like a demon god.
Esdarte froze.
His jaw dropped.
His voice cracked.
"W–What!? Why is the roof—gone!?"
Because something monstrous stood at its center.
Something that should not exist.
---
THE LEGENDARY BLACK LION DESCENDS
Aizen stepped forward.
But he was no longer a boy.
No longer even a beastman.
His hair had grown long, wiggling and swirling like living shadows, each strand charged with electricity. It covered most of his face, but did nothing to hide the glaring golden eyes burning beneath—eyes bright enough to illuminate the room.
His tail was longer, burning at the tip with golden fire.
His claws glowed, long, sharp, metallic gold, humming with killing intent.
And wrapped around his body—
A black-and-gold armor of abyssal dragon scales.
Alive.
Breathing.
Watching.
"The Abyss… Armor…" Esdarte whispered, trembling. "T-That Type of Armor—Doesn't Exi—"
Aizen interrupted.
"You imprisoned someone important to me."
His voice shook the air.
"You tortured her."
Lightning erupted across his armor.
"I'll make you pay."
Esdarte tried to run.
Tried to scream.
Tried to move.
But Aizen vanished from sight.
A loud crack split the air—like thunder slapping stone.
Aizen had already appeared behind him.
Esdarte panicked and teleported.
Aizen's claws scraped his shoulder as he barely escaped the pounce. Blood spilled in the air, sizzling from the golden energy.
Up above, Theodore and Amethyst were awake, watching with wide, trembling eyes.
"Wh–Who is that…?" Amethyst whispered.
Amethyst swallowed hard.
"I… don't know. But his aura… it feels like Papa… but a thousand times stronger."
He knelt beside Lyra's unconscious form.
"We need to wake Miss Lyra. She used up too much magic. That barrier was made to bind dragons—she fought until she passed out."
---
Esdarte backed away, shaking.
"If you kill me—the Dragon King will come for YOU! He ordered this! You'll make an enemy of the entire—"
"I don't care."
Aizen appeared in front of him in a blink.
"Even if that bastard comes, I'll kill him too."
Esdarte's scream choked in his throat.
Aizen grabbed his head.
Time seemed to stop.
Esdarte whispered his final thought:
"T-This creature… even the Dragon King can't kill…"
Then—
CRUNCH.
Aizen crushed his skull.
His body fell limp.
Silence fell across the ruined castle.
The guards, watching from far corners, trembled uncontrollably. No one dared breathe.
The Black Lion had killed Esdarte like he was nothing.
Then, as quickly as it came…
The golden flame on his tail flickered.
The armor dimmed.
And everything went black.
---
THE AFTERMATH — BLANK MEMORY
Aizen gasped.
His armor vanished.
His hair shortened back to normal.
His claws returned to their usual size.
He blinked rapidly, confused.
"What the…? Why am I here? And… why is there a corpse?"
He staggered backward.
Before panic set in—
A small body hugged him tightly from behind.
"Papa!"
Aizen looked down, shocked.
"Theo…? Where's Lyra?!"
"Mama's there! We helped her lie down, Papa! The bad guys hurt us and tortured us!"
The edges of Aizen's vision darkened.
"Tortured… you?"
Something ugly stirred inside him—but he forced it down.
He approached Lyra with slow, careful steps. Amethyst stood protectively beside her, eyes narrowed—not recognizing him.
"Who… are you to Miss Lyra?" Amethyst asked nervously.
Aizen's heart twisted.
Inside his mind, echoes of forgotten memories whispered:
She was taken again. I failed again. I wasn't strong enough. The Evil Goddess regressed the world… and I'm starting from zero.
He knelt beside Lyra.
"Lyra… I didn't sense it. And they took you again."
He gently brushed a strand of her hair aside.
Then he turned to Amethyst.
"Ahem… child, what's your name?"
"U-Uh, A-Amethyst, sir!"
"Amethyst. Take Theodore with you. If you don't have a home… come with us. We'll keep you safe."
Amethyst's eyes widened.
Then he nodded.
"Yes, sir!"
Aizen lifted Lyra into his arms—princess style. She was, after all…
A real dragon princess.
And he carried her out.
---
At the broken remnants of the cabin, Mikaela hugged Lina close.
"Mama, Papa, and Theo will be okay, right?" Lina whispered.
"Of course, sweetheart. Mr. Aizen can beat all the bad guys."
Suddenly—
The shattered wall lifted into the air.
Aizen stood behind it, Lyra in his arms.
"Are the two of you okay?"
Mikaela and Lina gasped.
"Yes!" Mikaela cried. "But… we heard someone crying nearby!"
Aizen frowned.
"I'll check."
Inside the rubble, curled behind fallen beams, was a little girl with light pink hair and red eyes.
Aizen's heart sank.
Crystal… Amethyst's sister…
"Crystal!!!"
Amethyst sprinted past him and hugged her tightly.
"Brother…" Crystal whispered.
Amethyst looked to Aizen.
"Mr. Aizen… are you really letting us join your family? We're not special…"
Aizen knelt down, placing a hand on their heads.
"You're special to us. All of you are—each in your own way."
Crystal looked up shyly.
"Brother… can we go with them?"
"Yes," Amethyst said softly.
Aizen lifted both children onto their feet.
"Let's go home."
---
Later, at the rented house—
Aizen cooked silently, stirring a pot of stew, trying to calm the emotions raging inside him. Theodore and Amethyst stayed near Lyra's bedside.
Then—
"Papa! Mama woke up!"
Lina jumped onto Aizen's back.
"Woah—Lina, careful! Don't make me ruin dinner."
He smiled slightly despite everything.
"Let me finish cooking. I'll go up right after."
Lina darted upstairs.
Aizen exhaled slowly.
Lyra…
Thank the heavens she was awake.
---
THE ABYSS — A NEW THREAT
Far below the continent, deep in the Abyssal Throne Room—
The Demon King Asmodeus sat on his bone throne as another letter teleported into his lap.
"My lord," a general said, bowing, "that is the 21st invitation from the Dragon King…"
Asmodeus groaned.
"He's persistent…"
He stood.
"Fine. I'll go. Prepare nothing—I'll use the teleportation rune he sent."
He snapped his fingers.
Darkness warped around him.
---
THE ALLIANCE OF EVIL
Asmodeus appeared in the Dragon Kingdom's golden hall, greeted by servants and banners.
Zelfhar, the Dragon King, descended from his throne with a proud smile.
"Oh, Lord Asmodeus. Thank you for coming."
"What is so urgent you sent twenty-one invitations?"
Zelfhar smirked.
"There is a… creature threatening my glory. And possibly yours."
Asmodeus raised a brow.
"A creature?"
"Yes. A black lion from the ancient prophecy. One even the gods feared."
He stepped closer.
"I want you and I… to kill him."
Asmodeus tapped his chin.
"And what do I gain?"
Zelfhar grinned widely.
"A grand territory in the Green Continent. And gold mines beyond measure."
Asmodeus paused.
Then smiled.
"Very well. I accept."
The two shook hands.
The world trembled.
A storm was coming.
---
END OF CHAPTER 85