Anna exhaled deeply, relief softening her expression.
"Fortunately… we arrived in time."
They had raced against disaster. Following the trail of an overwhelming aura, Anna and Lee Seong-jun had pursued the being commanding the monstrous legions. The plan was simple—cut off the head before the monsters reached Korea. But the reality was far more chaotic.
Everywhere, distorted mana signatures bled into one another. The hordes pulsed with power, clouding even Anna's sharp senses. Though she managed to track the strongest energy, endless waves of monsters blocked their way. In the chaos, the silent figure at the center of it all vanished.
By the time a massive explosion of presence flared again, it was already too late—the enemy's armies were converging on Korea. Forced to change tactics, Lee Seong-jun and Anna took a shortcut, intercepting the advancing forces. It was the only way to avert catastrophe.
"First, we need to treat the hunters," Lee Seong-jun said, crouching beside the wounded.
But Anna stopped him with a shake of her head. "Leave that to me."
"Are you sure?"
He didn't doubt her power—after all, Anna was a dragon. Her magical prowess, especially her healing magic, was unmatched. But Baek Mu-jin wasn't the only one hurt. Across the defensive line, hundreds of hunters lay bleeding and broken.
They weren't just soldiers—they were comrades, men and women who had fought with conviction to defend humanity.
That was why Lee Seong-jun intended to heal them all. But even with Anna's abilities, that was no small feat.
"I know what you're thinking," Anna said with a confident smile. "But don't worry. I've grown a lot."
She raised her hands, weaving a glowing pattern in the air. "Hyper Healing."
A brilliant circle of light bloomed across the battlefield. Gentle, radiant energy poured out, soaking into the wounded. Skin closed, bones mended, and color returned to pale faces. While internal injuries would still take time, the hunters were no longer on death's door.
Under Baek Mu-jin's command, the recovered hunters retreated to safety beyond the defensive line.
"That's incredible," Lee Seong-jun said, impressed.
"It's thanks to you," Anna replied warmly.
And she meant it. Watching Lee Seong-jun had changed her. Dragons had always relied on raw strength—pouring out power without restraint. Efficiency had never mattered; they simply had enough. But Lee Seong-jun was different.
He used only what was needed, not a drop wasted. Every movement, every technique, was refined. When greater power was required, he amplified it through mastery, not excess.
'Always the most efficient,' Anna thought proudly. 'Never reckless. Never wasteful.'
That philosophy had taught her something vital—and helped her evolve.
"I won't be a burden anymore," she said, her eyes gleaming with resolve.
Once the last of the wounded were stable, Anna looked skyward. "I hit her with dragon's breath, but… she's already recovered."
Together, their gazes lifted to the figure hovering above the battlefield. A black aura coiled around her like living smoke.
Allerua.
"It's stronger than I expected," Anna murmured.
"She must have absorbed the Emperor's power," Lee Seong-jun said quietly.
"That makes her troublesome."
Anna's tone was casual, but the weight in her eyes wasn't.
"If you want," she offered, "I can handle her."
Lee Seong-jun shook his head. "No. This one's mine."
There was no bravado in his voice—just calm certainty. He wasn't one for empty boasts.
"Then I'll hold the line," Anna said simply.
Lee Seong-jun smiled faintly at her understanding. "Good. Defend the perimeter until reinforcements arrive. Use this chance to get used to your power."
"Got it."
Without hesitation, Anna took to the skies, soaring toward the defensive line.
Meanwhile, a black sphere rose above them, pulsing with venomous energy.
"We finally meet… Emperor of Humans," Allerua's voice echoed, low and cold. Then her form blurred, shooting forward like a shadow streaking across the sun.
'Thankfully, the losses weren't too severe,' Lee Seong-jun thought as he faced her.
Thanks to Baek Mu-jin's sacrifice and Anna's quick judgment, fewer than ten hunters had died—a miracle under the circumstances.
But mercy had no place here.
'Blood must be repaid in blood.'
Allerua would answer for the lives lost. Yet, he didn't intend to kill her immediately.
'Not yet. I need to know exactly where I stand—my strengths… and my limits.'
Allerua was just the beginning. Greater threats would come, and he needed to be ready. That was why he had trained relentlessly, every single day, refining the Five Forms of the Asura Reverse Sky technique. He had theorized all five forms—but never tested them against a worthy opponent.
Until now.
Allerua was perfect. Strong, fast, resilient. Even Anna's dragon's breath hadn't left a mark on her. She was a living test of his art.
As Allerua descended, the air shuddered with pressure.
Her fist came first—so fast it tore through sound itself.
'Not bad,' Lee Seong-jun thought, parrying. Her attack was precise—no wasted movement, no openings. The black energy around her body distorted space, smothering his senses.
'She's mastered the flow of aura?'
Allerua's lips curved faintly. "You've opened your senses. Impressive. But—"
Her tone sharpened. "You won't see me with that alone."
In an instant, the battlefield changed. Darkness spread outward, swallowing everything. The air itself bent to her will—it was her domain.
'Interesting,' Lee Seong-jun thought with a smile.
Their forms blurred as they moved—sound itself too slow to catch them. The clash was not of brute force, but of mastery.
'She's no amateur,' he admitted. Allerua's strength and technique were refined beyond mortal limits. But even so—
'I have my own law.'
The air shimmered red.
Before Allerua could react, the Lee Seong-jun in front of her dissolved into mist. Her eyes widened as movement flickered around her—one, two, three presences all at once.
"What—what is this?!" she shouted, unleashing a blast of black energy. But it hit nothing.
Then a voice whispered behind her, calm and certain.
"As expected of an emperor. But…"
Kwajik!
His fist slammed into her face, twisting her jaw sideways.
"I had high expectations," he said, landing another blow that snapped her head back. "But I'm disappointed."
Allerua screamed, blood spraying as she swung wildly. Her attacks cut through mirages—illusions of movement too fast for her eyes to track.
"The difference in power is clear," Lee Seong-jun said quietly.
Boom! Boom!
His fists pounded into her armor, shattering the blackened helm that hid her features. A final strike to her gut sent her crashing to the earth, coughing blood.
He landed softly beside her fallen form. "You're lucky your body's this durable," he said, his tone almost conversational.
Allerua looked up, trembling. The confidence that once filled her was gone, replaced by raw terror.
He had seen through her power completely—dissected her every move.
'How…? How is he doing this?'
Her breath came in ragged gasps as confusion turned to dread. The unknown—more than pain, more than defeat—was what terrified her most.
Her voice broke into a whisper. "What… what did you do to me?"