With the back-to-back evolutions, I had gained a power that was incomparable to before. All the strength I’d gathered until now had come together, allowing me to push my potential to its utmost limits.

The Breaking Dragon.

A mid-tier dragon, but one distinct from the Red Dragon—a different kind of divine beast. Along with this evolution, several new abilities had unlocked.

My status screen was pinging with alerts, notifying me of these changes, but I didn’t need to look to know how to wield this power. My instincts guided me.

The Red Dragon stared at me, a bewildered look on her face.

“…Ahaha!”

Then, regaining her composure, she laughed heartily. With each laugh, the fading volcanic heat reignited, flaring stronger.

“So, I’ve become the stepping stone in my little one’s journey to dragonhood, huh? Part of me wants to be happy, but I doubt that’s the right sentiment now, is it?”

Even with the tremendous power I’d gained, my size hadn’t increased much. It was large enough to overwhelm most enemies, but my opponent was far from ordinary.

Still, that didn’t matter.

Since the moment I’d been caught by the Red Dragon, I’d been maintaining a shrunken form, enough to avoid drawing attention. Although reducing my size had weakened my defenses and caused excruciating pain, it had also given me a trick up my sleeve.

The miniaturization technique I learned from the Small Dragon was an odd one. My massive body could shrink to the size of a gecko in an instant. It was no ordinary skill; it was eccentric, much like that old mentor of mine. But it wasn’t a bad ability—it had saved my life more than once.

[「State: Miniaturization」 has been deactivated.]

Crack.

[Due to the effects of 「Miniaturization lv5」, 「State: Magnification」 has been applied.]

[「Racial Trait: Elder Dragon」 has responded.]

[The effects of 「State: Magnification」 have increased.]

“Grrr…”

I grew to a massive size that matched the Red Dragon’s intimidating bulk.

“So, I’m curious too. Just how strong has my little one become?”

She was dangerous—one wrong move, one lapse in concentration, and she could take my life. And White Wolf lay unconscious and vulnerable behind me. Even under the fire rat’s pelt, she wouldn’t be safe from the battle’s collateral damage.

Crouching, I tensed my hind legs, ready to leap.

My objective was clear: get the Red Dragon away from this battlefield.

Boom!

I pushed off the ground with explosive force, flying toward her with all my might.

Thwack!

Using my shoulder, I rammed into the Red Dragon with a ferocious impact.

Kaboom!

She might’ve seemed like an immovable mountain, but my strike, empowered by the Dragon Soaring Step technique, caught her off guard, gradually forcing her back.

“Impressive… more than I expected…”

But this didn’t mean I had the upper hand. I could’ve tried other tactics, but I wanted to test my strength, so I’d chosen to face her head-on.

“I didn’t realize you could be so rough,” she teased.

With a grin, she braced herself, planting her legs to resist my push while summoning two enormous spears of fire in the air. These were even more potent than the chains that had bound me earlier.

“But charging at me this recklessly… that’s not smart.”

Thud!

The massive spears plunged into my back.

But it didn’t matter.

Sss…

My newly grown white fur, similar to the fire rat’s, was fireproof.

“…Looks like I hit a wall,” the Red Dragon murmured, surprised.

That was all the confirmation I needed. Even her intense flames couldn’t penetrate the fire-resistant fur.

I continued to push her back, pressing down with my hind legs.

Boom!

The sheer force of the Trembling Dragon Step propelled her further away. She was sent flying dozens of meters back, achieving my objective—ensuring White Wolf’s safety.

“You may be adorable, but…”

The Red Dragon spread her massive wings, creating a gust of scorching hot wind.

The force was enough to kill most creatures instantly, but it wasn’t a threat to me in my current state.

The Red Dragon knew that, too. The wind wasn’t meant to harm me; it was a prelude.

Whoosh!

Now, her real attack was coming.

She unleashed a torrent of red flames. These flames were on an entirely different level from what she’d shown before—a vast, blazing fire surged toward me.

The flames were too extensive for me to rely solely on my fire-resistant fur, and dodging was nearly impossible.

But I didn’t need to dodge.

Rumble.

Massive trees shot up from the ground.

“Little one, aren’t you getting a bit too wrapped up in your new powers? You’re risking letting that fire consume you.”

Boom!

The immense flames consumed the trees. It was true that fire held the advantage over wood.

But there are always exceptions.

Crack-crack-crack!

The trees intertwined, twisting together like vines. The trees formed both a floor and a ceiling.

Even the mightiest flames are extinguished without oxygen.

Sizzle.

The Red Dragon’s fire was smothered.

“Using your power like this… Did you always have this kind of ability?” she asked, grinning playfully.

Her expression suggested she didn’t mind at all; it was as if she’d been testing me.

I planted my legs firmly on the ground once more.

While I’d countered her attack, this wouldn’t lead to a decisive victory. To end this, I needed to engage her in close combat.

“Are you trying to fight me up close?”

The Red Dragon seemed just as willing to engage, encircling her hands in flames.

Clang!

My claws clashed with hers.

A battle of claws between a dragon and a dragon-like creature.

Sparks flew in the intense skirmish.

The Red Dragon’s flame-imbued claws likely had more raw power, chipping away at my health even without landing direct hits.

But my forelimbs were thicker and stronger than ever before.

Boom!

With sheer physical strength, I pressed her claws back.

“You’re looking more delightful by the second!”

Whoosh!

The flames surrounding her flared up.

But I wasn’t without a counter.

With my left hand, I applied the essence of the bird.

With my right hand, I summoned the spirit of the snake.

The Bird and Snake Art.

Slash-clash-clang!

The bird’s claws and the snake’s fangs deflected the dragon’s attacks.

“Huff…”

The Red Dragon let out a heavy breath.

In her case, a heavy breath signaled—

BOOM!

The dragon’s breath attack.

I had a counter for that, too.

As her attack prepared to launch, I took a deep breath of my own.

CRACK-BOOM!

The Kaegak Death Beam.

Now a technique I could use even without the dragon’s reversed scales.

Her breath collided with the Kaegak beam at close range.

KABOOM!

The resulting impact sent both of us flying, enveloped in a cloud of steam.

“Ah, how lovely!”

The Red Dragon lunged at me with relentless energy.

She was a fearsome opponent.

Usually, I would close in and initiate close combat at this stage.

Clang!

I barely managed to raise both arms to block her claws.

Whoosh!

The flames flared once more.

“If you keep holding me like this, your claws are going to melt.”

Her tone was as smug as ever, pointing out the obvious. But I wasn’t planning to hold this stance for long.

Swish!

I had another weapon in my arsenal—my massive tail, armored in dragon scales.

Wham!

I whipped my tail into her wing, catching her off guard.

“Urgh!”

She looked surprised, but she quickly adapted, blocking my second strike with her wing.

“…Little one.”

Her wings had become as hard as steel.

“It really is you,” she murmured.

Swoosh!

With maddened force, she swung her two wings at me, showering me with attacks.

Clang!

And that wasn’t all. She interwove flaming strikes with her claws, trying to break through my defenses.

Clang-clang!

I countered with my tail and claws, but I was short by one weapon.

In situations like these, I needed to maximize my strengths.

[「Reversed Scale lv5」 activated.]

[You have temporarily acquired the 「Ultimate Draconic Pressure」 skill.]

Crack.

A surge of immense inner strength pressured the Red Dragon.

Of course, against a creature of her size, this wouldn’t have much effect.

But the Ultimate Draconic Pressure wasn’t just about intimidation.

It granted me temporary strength powerful enough to uproot mountains.

Even I struggled to control this power—my right arm’s muscles screamed in agony.

My arm felt like a rusty, creaking machine.

[Your blood is infused with intense fire energy.]

[Your blood is infused with intense cold energy.]

If my arm was rusty, I needed lubricant.

The burst of cold and fire energy provided the propulsion I needed for my right arm.

And so, I unleashed a single, devastating strike.

CRAAACK!

The attack ignored her defenses, breaking through with brutal force.

“Urgh!”

A painful groan escaped the Red Dragon.

She leapt back, spewing flames as she did.

“…You… broke my arm?”

She gazed at her left arm in disbelief.

It had all happened so quickly that she hadn’t fully processed it.

In a single instant, she’d gone from dominating close combat to having her arm broken by one strike.

“Sigh…”

The Red Dragon

 exhaled deeply, likely blaming herself.

If she had kept her distance, this wouldn’t have happened.

“This is driving me mad.”

Her eyes glowed red with intensity.

“How could you be this captivating?”

Whoosh!

Her aura flared even brighter.

“Just as I was your gateway to dragonhood, you’ve become mine.”

Rumble…

The volcano shook violently.

“Little one.”

The suppressed flames within the mountain began to surge wildly.

Boom!

Countless streams of lava burst around her.

She had been the sovereign of this volcano long before the fire rat.

The mountain responded to her call.

“No.”

The lava, the flames, the volcanic energy—all of it converged toward her.

“Hi,” she said, calling me by name.

“I know you want to save that wolf, and you’re probably worrying about what comes after.”

Her words hit hard.

If the battle escalated further, White Wolf’s life couldn’t be guaranteed.

“You must have a lot on your mind.”

“Grrr…”

Flames encased the enormous, ruby-scaled dragon.

“Let’s settle this in one final blow.”

With fire wrapped around her entire body, she was an imposing sight.

“My name is Rizamon,” she declared. “A name borrowed from the Western lands—just something I pieced together.”

Her red eyes gazed intently at me.

“Like a setting sun, a fierce love.”

Perhaps this was her way of showing respect.

“Revealing it is a courtesy to the one who broke my arm.”

This was exactly what I wanted.

If the battle dragged on any further, the damage would be too great.

All or nothing.

“Come.”

The Red Dragon beat her massive wings, rising into the air.

“If you can, try to stop this!”

If she’d wanted to, she could’ve taken advantage of the distance, wearing me down with long-range attacks until she’d won. She knew I lacked long-range options, and that White Wolf needed protection.

But the Red Dragon didn’t do that.

Surrounded by flames, she descended toward me at breakneck speed.

Whoosh!

Her attack was an acknowledgment of my strength.

[「Reversed Scale lv5」 activated.]

Then I would face her with all I had.

[「Ultimate Heaven and Earth」 temporarily acquired.]

I drew on my full potential.

Ultimate Heaven and Earth was a martial art that allowed me to redirect the flow of power.

I hadn’t mastered it before, but now I could wield it.

But I couldn’t afford to use it in this situation.

If I made contact to redirect her attack, I’d be incinerated.

Whoosh!

The air around us expanded with explosive energy.

Swoosh!

I focused with every fiber of my being.

Think. Find a way to break through.

I had less than a second.

Time slowed, as though passing before my eyes in flashes.

None of my long-range abilities could break through her fire.

If I attacked up close, I’d be melted before reaching her.

Then…

Crack.

I planted my hind legs.

Ignoring the screaming of my muscles and bones, I performed a movement I’d repeated hundreds, no, thousands of times.

All the inner power within my dantian surged to respond.

Wooom…

A dark, blueish energy gathered in my right claw.

This was my most powerful strike.

Kaegak Divine Bird.

Slash!

An immense impact slammed into my body.

Thud!

Crash!

BOOM!

I felt her attack land.

The unbearable heat melted my scales, and blood poured from my wounds.

“…The power was there,” she remarked, disappointed.

“But closing your eyes like that means you miss your target.”

The Red Dragon swung her claws before even reaching me.

“…But you’re still breathing.”

The Red Dragon took a single step toward me, just as—

Splurt!

A deep gash opened across her chest.

“What… what is this…”

I had swung my claw before she’d reached me.

That meant my attack had been faster than hers.

“I… didn’t even touch you?”

My claw hadn’t made contact.

I’d merely cut through the air.

“Did you… cut the wind?” she muttered, her voice filled with awe.

“No…”

Her enormous dragon form began to shrink, reverting to her human shape.

With a faint smile, she placed a hand over her chest.

There was a mixture of anger and strange satisfaction in her expression, as if she were reveling in the feeling of her heartbeat, her cheeks flushed as she gazed at me.

Slash!

The volcano’s furious peak slowly quieted.

Boom!

“You cut through space itself.”

The Breaking Dragon had shattered the Red Dragon’s volcanic domain.