In the darkest corner of the Nuxtar Empire, within the palace of the S Ajdaho Clan, under the light of the Siamond and Ruya, an entirely different event was unfolding.
In the vast hall, nearly five hundred black dragons stood in disciplined formation, maintaining absolute silence.
Suddenly, the doors creaked open. A tall dragon with jet-black hair falling to his waist stepped inside. His eyes were deep, cold, and filled with power. He wore a black robe and a cloak whose inner lining shimmered with purple. At his side stood his loyal advisor, Marius.
All the dragons in the hall dropped to one knee in unison.
Azel walked to the center of the dais.
He remained silent for a moment.
Five hundred black dragons stared at him.
Then he spoke.
"I have one question for you."
His voice was low.
"What is our sin?"
Silence reigned in the hall.
"Why are our children forced to hide their names?
Why are our brothers hunted at the borders?
Why is being born a black dragon considered a crime?"
His voice grew stronger with every word.
"Have we betrayed the Empire?
Have we burned the world?
No!"
His fist struck the dais, shaking it.
"Our only crime was being born with black mana!"
A wave of fury swept through the dragons.
Azel continued:
"They called us beasts.
They called us monsters.
They called us children of darkness."
"But I ask you another question."
His gaze swept across the hall.
"If we are truly so weak, why do they still fear us?"
Silence.
"Because they know the truth."
A black aura began to slowly emanate from his body.
"They know.
The blood of the Black Dragon has not yet died.
The spirit of the S Ajdaho has not yet been broken."
His voice thundered.
"For three thousand years!
For three thousand years the entire world has tried to crush us!
We fell.
We bled.
We lost our families.
But we survived!"
The entire hall trembled.
"And now they expect something from us."
Azel smiled.
"They expect us to kneel.
They expect us to disappear.
They expect us to become nothing but history."
His smile turned ice-cold.
"I will not allow it."
His eyes burned like fire.
"I do not promise you peace.
I do not promise you wealth.
I do not even promise you long life."
No one in the hall seemed to be breathing.
"I promise you only one thing."
He struck his fist against his heart.
"One day this world will tremble again at the sound of our name.
One day black dragons will be born without lowering their heads.
One day the S Ajdaho Clan will once again rule the skies!"
The black aura exploded outward.
"I am Azel S Dragonman!
And from this day forward, the age of fear is over!
Now it is their turn!"
For a brief moment, silence hung in the air.
Then the entire hall erupted.
"S AJDAHO!"
"S AJDAHO!"
"S AJDAHO!"
Azel fell silent. In his eyes burned an unquenchable hatred and a cold, centuries-old plan.
"Show this world your wrath!
May our descendants be proud of us, just as we are proud of Polat S Dragon."
The dragons roared with fire blazing in their hearts.
Azel left the hall accompanied by the eight Supreme Elders. He ascended the throne, surrounded by the eight most powerful warriors of the S Clan. Every step was heavy, every gaze dark and terrifying.
Seated upon the throne, he surveyed the hall.
"Hear my command!
From this day forward, the Nuxtar Empire no longer matters to us."
Marius stepped forward cautiously.
"Patriarch, what does this mean?"
Azel took a deep breath and smiled.
"I never swore an oath to the Nuxtar Empire.
I swore an oath to the blood of the S Ajdaho."
"What has the Empire taken from us?
Our warriors.
Our children.
Our future.
What has it given us in return?
Peace?
I can call a graveyard peaceful as well."
Marius immediately warned:
"This is impossible. Our fate is tied to the peace treaty signed with our sworn enemies — the white dragons, the light dragons, the C Ajdaho Clan. If it is broken, war will begin. We are not ready."
The elders nodded in agreement.
Azel looked at them deeply and spoke:
"You are telling me to preserve the Empire.
But I ask you a different question.
If we preserve the Empire but lose the black dragons, who will this Empire be for?"
The third elder stood up and began to speak:
"Patriarch, this path may lead the clan to destruction…"
Azel tapped his fingers on the arm of the throne.
The elder's face turned deathly pale. He suddenly remembered Noah's fate. The words on the tip of his tongue stuck in his throat. He slowly bowed his head and returned to his seat.
The elders looked at one another, wanting to speak, but it was an undeniable truth.
Azel continued:
"Then tell me, how many black dragons do we have left?"
Two elders stepped forward.
Margarita: "One hundred thousand in the central territories."
"In the border and central regions, according to intelligence reports, more than five hundred thousand black dragons are either in hiding, scattered among minor clans, or wandering aimlessly."
Azel clenched his fist, his body trembling.
"One hundred thousand?! How did this happen?!"
Margarita: "In recent years, small clashes have increased. The C Ajdaho Clan has been sending their elite warriors disguised as criminals, mercilessly slaughtering our ordinary fighters. In many regions, bounties have been placed on the heads of black dragons."
Azel's fist tightened even more.
"Damn them!"
"From this day forward, no one travels alone. Groups of at least three or four! Long-distance travel is forbidden!"
"As you command, Patriarch," said Marius.
Leaning back on the throne:
"Next — we will create five thousand elite warriors."
Through Tazura.
Marius's eyes widened.
Tazura — the ritual in which a mother transfers all her power to her child at the cost of her own life. Naturally born dragons grow much faster than others from the middle ranks onward, he thought.
The elders bowed deeply.
Azel fell silent. In his eyes flashed the glint of long-term, vast plans.
Finally, when he was alone, he leaned his head against the throne's backrest and pressed his palm to his forehead.
"This is only the beginning… The S Ajdaho Clan will once again show the world its true power."
He remembered his brother Noah.
Are you still alive, my brother…?
In the corridor, only Marius and Margarita remained.
Margarita looked at Marius with deep respect.
"The Patriarch's speech… did it shake you as it shook me?"
Marius lowered his head and said softly:
"Yes… it did. I admit it… it inspired me."
Margarita gave a faint smile, then grew serious.
"I was inspired too… but for the opposite reason."
Marius looked at her attentively.
"What do you mean, child?"
Margarita closed her eyes for a moment, then said softly but firmly:
"Noa… according to the reports, he was killed. The Patriarch made the right decision."
Marius let out a heavy sigh, a small smile appearing on his face.
"One day, child, these words may pierce your own heart like a blade — remember that."
Marius began walking heavily down the corridor. Though he appeared calm from the outside, his thoughts were in turmoil.
Azel… I never imagined you could abandon your brother so coldly. Was your love for Noah genuine, or was it all a sacrifice for the clan…?
Margarita followed behind, head slightly bowed, and replied softly:
"I will remember, Elder."