In the throne room, the tension had reached its apex — nearly crushing and suffocating. The guards stood silent, staring straight ahead, not moving an inch, like stone statues, their imposing presences frozen in anticipation.
A few moments after Shinrei's bold request before the Dragon King, the latter spoke, his deep voice resonating through the vast hall. "You have a request to make. Is that all you have to say? First, I have a question."
Shinrei said nothing and nodded to show his agreement, his jaw clenched with nervousness.
"Are there several of you humans?"
Shinrei was surprised by the king's question. Nevertheless, he answered as quickly as possible, his voice trembling slightly. "Yes, there are indeed several of us — five, to be precise. They are my brothers and my sister."
Shinrei was doing his best to appear amiable before His Majesty, which would help the exchange and the negotiations. His heart was pounding furiously in his chest.
But after Shinrei's answer, an aura swept through the throne room — a glacial, menacing presence. The king raised his head, and on his face appeared a piercing gaze expressing his rage in its rawest form. In a deep, icy voice that seemed to freeze the very air itself: "So it is you who are responsible for the untimely deaths of multiple dragons. I was informed that individuals were attacking and hunting dragons in the wild. I put measures in place to find you, and yet now one of these individuals comes directly to me — without even mentioning that he has the audacity to make a request after all the harm you have caused to my people!"
Shinrei stood up, his expression panicked and frightened, his hands trembling. "Wait, it's not what you think!"
Unfortunately, he did not have time to explain his situation. The king ordered one of his guards to arrest Shinrei immediately, his voice cracking like a whip.
A second later, the guard lunged at Shinrei with superhuman strength and slammed him brutally to the ground, placing his massive paw on him, pinning him completely. Shinrei could feel the crushing weight of the creature, its claws digging slightly into his flesh. In a deep, final tone, the king ordered: "Take him far from here, then kill him. The rest of you, go search for his brothers and sister and do the same."
Having heard the king's order, Shinrei felt inner screams and a visceral fear for his family. His heart seemed to want to stop. He tried to struggle as best he could, his muscles straining against the pressure, but it was no use. In desperate panic, he attempted to reason with the king, his voice trembling: "Wait, please — listen to me first. We don't want to harm you. I beg you."
The king rose from his throne — a majestic and imposing creature — and stepped forward, his overwhelming presence filling the room. "Not harm us, you say? Do you know how many dragons have died these past months? I'll tell you: hundreds of dragons have been found either dead or gravely wounded. So don't come here telling me it's for our benefit."
Faced with the king's words, Shinrei began to question his own actions and those of his brothers. Since their arrival, they had done nothing but fight dragons, never once trying to talk or even communicate. If some of them could speak, it was proof that they could think and reason. But they had tried nothing. They had resolved their problems through violence. A bitter realization that twisted his stomach.
"Get him out of here now. I don't want to see him anymore," the king ordered, his tone final and absolute.
"Wait! I admit it — we did not act in the best way, but the situation is grave. I beg you!"
The king, no longer listening to Shinrei's words, turned his back on him and returned to his throne, each step heavy as final judgment.
The guard seized Shinrei in his massive grip. Not knowing what else to do, Shinrei had no apparent solution left. Immobilized, he could not fully use his power. All hope seemed futile — but Shinrei held in his hands the lives of his brothers and sister who trusted him. He had no right to give up. Otherwise, there would be no chance for Nozomi, Kael, Harris, and Aria to survive.
Shinrei struggled like never before, using his power to try to break free. In an instant, his body became blurred, almost intangible. The guard gripped him tighter, but it didn't seem to cause Shinrei any pain. In a flash, Shinrei passed through the guard's hand — straight through it. The guard immediately tried to pin Shinrei to the ground again, slamming his paw down. The impact created a devastating crater, but once the smoke cleared, Shinrei appeared intact, without a single scratch.
His mastery of speed had unlocked a new ability — the power to become intangible, to pass through matter itself.
"You asked for it. I will kill you myself, human!" the king cried out in fury.
And he charged at full speed toward Shinrei, his royal presence crushing the air around him.
Before he could reach him, Shinrei dropped to his knees. The action surprised the king, who stopped dead in his tracks, perplexed, unable to comprehend this sudden submission.
On his knees with his head bowed to the ground, Shinrei spoke in a voice filled with sincerity: "We are sorry for everything. I admit it — our actions were unworthy of heroes, and your anger is legitimate."
The walls seemed to listen to the silence that followed.
"But right now, an army of Vorthrax and ravager dragons is heading here to destroy everything."
The king, shocked by the revelation, let out a "What?!"
His hands trembling and his voice weak, Shinrei exclaimed: "My family is fighting right now to hold them back — but for how long! I know this can certainly never make up for all our crimes, but I am asking for your help. Please — give us your aid and save my family. They trust me, and I cannot bear to lose them."
He paused, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. Then he rose, head held high, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. The red marks beneath his eyes framed a determined gaze that could frighten and impress more than one.
Faced with a being so small yet bearing such a gaze — an absolute determination and an unshakeable presence — the king was impressed. Something within him recognized the raw sincerity of the young man.
"For now, I ask that you help us — and afterward, I will answer for all the crimes of my brothers and sister. You may do with me as you please: use me, kill me, I don't care. As long as you come to our aid and leave my family in peace."
The king looked him straight in the eyes after his speech. But Shinrei did not lower his gaze. He stared back, his eyes burning with pure determination. After a few seconds that felt eternal, the king spoke, his tone shifting subtly: "Inform the guards to prepare and go aid this human's kin."
He looked at Shinrei and addressed him: "Your name is Shinrei, is it not? If what you say is true, we will review your case afterward."
Then he walked past Shinrei without a word — but he heard a breath of relief and gratitude escape the young man's lips: "Thank you so much."
The situation on Shinrei's end had progressed well, and the other heroes were about to receive help. But Nyx and Nozomi were still in pursuit of the ancient dragon. Meanwhile, Nozomi was trying to understand his new powers, exploring their depths.
As the two soared through the air, a stream of thoughts ran through Nozomi's mind: "I can feel the five elements flowing through me like a second nature. I have the impression I've always known how to wield them. Nothing feels unfamiliar. Everything feels instinctive, natural — like breathing. Perhaps it's because of the elemental power? Because I am the Elemental Master?"
Nozomi looked down and spotted an oasis below — a small pocket of life in the desert. He called out to Nyx, asking him to descend toward it. As Nyx dropped in altitude, Nozomi thought: "Perhaps Elyra would have answers to my questions, but for now I'll have to use these new powers in battle."
Once Nyx reached the oasis, Nozomi took a deep breath and closed his eyes, his body relaxing. With a fluid motion of his hands, he attempted to draw the oasis water to use in combat. Nozomi murmured: "From my hands, I create a path where water can flow. I can feel the mass of the water — it is fluid and dense at once. Water is the element of change, of adaptation. I just need to stay calm and guide it. Following the current of the river of life, it adapts to my will."
Opening his eyes, he saw the oasis water swirling all around him in fluid, graceful spirals. He had succeeded in mastering water, which had obeyed at the very first call. With a determined gaze, he said with confidence: "Nyx, let's go. Get closer to the dragons. While I handle them, you'll manage the maneuvers and the flight."
Nyx spread his wings with grace, and with a single powerful wingbeat, he regained altitude and closed in on the ancient dragon in record time. As expected, the other dragons attacked as soon as they saw Nyx and Nozomi approaching.
Nozomi, as best he could, wielded the water around him in combat. Dragons charged at them, and Nozomi hurled balls of water — but at first, they had no effect. Then suddenly, the dragons fell one by one. By launching his water spheres, Nozomi had frozen their wings, preventing them from flying.
But he quickly ran out of water, his reserves not being infinite. The dragons kept attacking, their threatening roars filling the air. Nozomi reacted swiftly. He pointed his fingertips at them, and in an instant, bolts of lightning shot forth, paralyzing the dragons on the spot, freezing them in their movements.
Nozomi felt the power coursing through his body. "Lightning is fast and ephemeral. Unstable yet surgically precise, it travels in a straight line without detours. It passes through my own body before it appears — I must contain it within me before releasing it."
Between all the dragon charges, Nyx evaded them through tight maneuvers and his superhuman agility, his wings contracting and expanding with perfect synchronization — while Nozomi stopped as many dragons as possible with his blazing lightning bolts.
The ancient dragon was straight ahead, soaring over a spectacular canyon with towering rocky walls. Nozomi quickly took command, and he and Nyx dove into a steep descent to pass through the canyon, dropping swiftly into its depths.
The other dragons followed them into the canyon, just as Nozomi had intended. A perfect trap.
He handed control back to Nyx, who was best suited to navigate the canyon with his experience and instinct. Nyx dodged every wall with such precision and speed that the air seemed to tear apart. Some dragons collided with the rocky faces in a terrible crash, but others managed to keep pace with Nyx's blistering speed, adapting to every bend.
"Earth is the element of foundation and inner stability. Dense and solid, it represents determination and durability. Abrupt and firm movements — just like the earth itself."
Fists clenched, Nozomi made an abrupt, heavy movement from left to right, a wave of power emanating from his hands. A wall of stone erupted from the canyon walls, creating a barrier that sent the pursuing dragons crashing directly into it with devastating impact.
Columns, walls, and stone spikes shot up from the ground to stop the dragons, until Nyx and Nozomi burst out of the canyon. Every dragon that had followed them inside remained there — trapped by the transformation of the terrain.
But once they were out, they were startled to see a dragon diving at them from above — descending in a steep plunge with destructive force.
In the chaos, Nozomi fell from Nyx's back, and as he plummeted in freefall, dragons from above came hurtling straight toward him. Nyx himself was being attacked from all sides. It was impossible for him to come to Nozomi's aid immediately.
The air whistled around Nozomi as he fell.
"Air is the element of freedom. It is found in abundance all around us. To be free with the world and free with ourselves — that is the key to mastering air. Calm and serenity: air and I guide each other."
Suddenly, a tornado formed beneath Nozomi's feet, allowing him to levitate. He rose back into the air and dodged the rampaging dragon charges with newfound grace. One dragon that had hung back opened its mouth wide and, without hesitation, unleashed a devastating breath of fire at Nozomi — a ravaging blast aimed straight at him, consuming everything in its path.
"Fire is both a representation of power and of life — warmth, the very synonym of life. Concentration and breath: fire draws from our vital energy. Like a glimmer of hope, it obeys our will. As long as my intentions are pure and my emotions stable, fire will never be a source of destruction and annihilation."
Nozomi clenched his fist and thrust it toward the incoming breath of fire, releasing his own dense, warm, blazing torrent of flame. But the dragon's breath was more powerful and was overwhelming Nozomi's — gaining ground rapidly.
"Calm. I need to calm down. It's all in the breathing and the breath I feed to my fire."
Nozomi steadied himself and took a long, deep breath. He let out a great roar worthy of a dragon itself — a primordial sound that seemed to rise from the very depths of his being. A devastating breath of fire that ravaged the dragon's torrent, pushing the flames back.
The dragon dodged his attack and was ready to launch another — but to everyone's astonishment, a projectile struck it full force, squarely in the head.
Nozomi turned his head and was stunned to see an army of dragons. At first, he feared they were enemies — but this army was opening fire on the dragons that had been attacking him, overwhelming them without difficulty. They were allies: the king's dragons.
"You're one of Shinrei's brothers, aren't you? You have nothing to fear. We are here to help you." One dragon drew close to Nozomi and spoke, its voice resonant but friendly.
Nozomi was genuinely surprised to hear a dragon speak so clearly, but he regained his composure immediately, understanding the implications at once. "Thank you for your help — but there is a far greater danger."
Before Nozomi could finish his sentence, Nyx rejoined him, positioning himself beneath him. Nozomi climbed back onto his back with agility and saw the worried, focused expression on Nyx's face. He called out with urgency: "Please — handle the dragons surrounding that one!"
"Nyx and I will handle the big one." He pointed toward the ancient dragon, which was still advancing on its deadly course toward the kingdom.
Nozomi gave the dragon no time to respond. He and Nyx launched forward without hesitation, propelling themselves ahead with fierce determination. Time was running out. Every second counted. The ancient dragon could not be allowed to reach the kingdom.